I would like to bring up the very important and very relevant infrastructure deficit in my town of Enniscorthy. Enniscorthy has borne 16 floods since the year 2000. Homes and businesses have been destroyed by water and raw sewage. Time and again, the people of Enniscorthy have picked up the pieces. It is heartbreaking to watch families being forced out of their homes and small businesses the same by something that can be fixed and remedied. The latest flooding is one of the worst I have seen in years. Over 35 homes…

My home county of Wexford has been left behind in many facets in the past two decades, especially when it comes to mental health services. As far back as 2009 or 2010, St. Senan's Hospital was no longer permitted to take in new acute mental health patients, which immediately resulted in the closure of ten mental health acute beds. Mary Harney was the Minister for health at the time and ten new acute mental health beds were promised in the five-year plan, A Vision for Change. They were to be located in Wexford Gener…

I thank the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward today. Flexible work, where practical, is of benefit to all sectors of society. The obvious benefits to employers are improved efficiency, fewer sick days, savings on transport, energy bills, facility provisions, car parking and security. Considering the modern and fast pace of life, and the rapid advance of AI technology, flexible hours and remote working make sense. The influence of remote working on the workforce has added greatly to the quality and value…

I have been contacted by a very distraught principal of a primary school in County Wexford. The principal has two vulnerable pupils with complex additional needs. Both pupils received confirmation of a diagnosis after the NCSE portal closed on 1 October. Therefore, the pupils have no formal letters for the special educational needs organiser, SENO. I understand this is a position many principals are finding themselves in. They are asking for a definitive response from the Department and the NCSE and an unequivocal …

Yesterday, the Irish Wheelchair Association and other disability organisations had a session in the audiovisual room. They gave some stark facts and figures to us. Sometimes, we all get lost in statistics and figures. The reality for people with disabilities is that they are affected far more by the high cost of living - approximately 16% more. They are in need of some form of a one-off payment now. This winter and the next few months can be severe and extremely cold. At present, they are receiving huge electricity…

AI, including generative AI, is the most challenging issue of our time. It is architecturally composed of a mixed blessing, with both good and ambiguous components. We were all shocked and disturbed by the recent revelations regarding Grok and how AI can manipulate and destroy a person's reputation in a split second. Therefore, it is incumbent on all of us to ensure proper regulations and that laws governing AI platforms comply with human rights, the protection of citizens' intellectual property and GDPR, and, abov…

As stated by my colleagues, the Mercosur deal is a deal with consequential pitfalls that far outweigh the notion that, somehow, Irish farmers and poultry farmers will be better off. Let us face it, in that the trade-off for cars and pharmaceuticals is at the core of this anti-farmer deal. Make no mistake about it. The Government's handling of Mercosur was feeble and weak. It only decided to vote against it in the dying moments when backbenchers and some Ministers of State revolted and the Italians capitulated. Comm…

We can all agree that the decision to vote against Ireland on the Hague preferences by the so-called EU member states is a statement of intent. With a stroke of a pen, they have devastated the Irish fishing industry. Off the coast of my own County Wexford, Irish vessels are left with 28 tonnes of sole, while Belgium has 450 tonnes. In fact, in one week, the Norwegian fleet caught 40,000 tonnes of mackerel, the entire quota allowed for the Irish fleet. The trend goes on. Fishers are getting a raw and unjust deal. Th…

The first statement that funding for blister packs was being withdrawn sent shock waves into the hearts of the most vulnerable section of people in society, their families, carers and close relations. The second statement, that the Minister is pausing them until 2026, has added further to the confusion for thousands of people who mostly subsist on disability pensions and occupational injury pensions. The severe impact of withdrawing funding for blister pack medication is quite evident in the many emails and complai…

Online safety must be a priority for us all. Self-regulation is not a deterring factor in addressing online safety. The competition alone between high-tech companies will drive these companies and platforms to use their lobbyists and power to comply with as little regulation a possible and the dilution of the same. We have witnessed the very destructive nature of the so-called recommender algorithms. The simple answer is to turn them off. We have heard the story of young people and minors in our communities being c…

I thank Deputies Cullinane and McGuinness for bringing forward this motion. In 2024, the Coast Guard and rescue service responded to 2,554 incidents and 752 missions by helicopter. It provided critical assistance to 537 citizens and 134 air ambulance flights to offshore island communities, including some off the Wexford coast. I am sure this year's statistics when completed will tell a similar story. The Minister of State will agree that the search and rescue crews, first and foremost, must be protected by safe and…

I raise with the Minister the urgent need for an immediate intervention to avoid an imminent serious disruption to Caredoc services over the Christmas and new year periods, particularly in Wexford and the south-east region. Up to as recently as 2022, Caradoc’s doctors were paid as public servants. However, since then, Caredoc nurses have missed out on 14 pay rises between public sector and sector 39 pay rises. For example, a Caredoc nurse covering night shift gets 25% less pay than nurses in district hospitals, com…

We do not control the fiscal policies in Northern Ireland.

I welcome all the farmers who are here tonight. If the Mercosur deal is ratified by the European Union, it will sound the death knell for thousands of farmers in Ireland and across the European Union. The European Union's mission statement is to promote the well-being of its citizens by providing freedom, security and justice. This deal is contrary to these principles. Freedom is democracy. Democracy is not being served here. The deliberate splitting of the deal into two takes away the majority vote, thus undermini…

This Bill has been proposed by my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, and by Sinn Féin at a time when the cost of living is on everyone's lips. It is a very aptly called the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2025. During the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the cost of school uniforms has become a huge financial burden on families. The average cost of a full school kit, including gym gear, can be up to €420 per pupil. If there are three siblings, the cost becomes €1,260. According to the ESRI, as a result of the re…

The Irish fishing industry is in a state of flux and is on course for a full-scale collapse if the proposed 2026 quotas are accepted and implemented. These crippling quotas represent a 70% cut in mackerel, a 41% in blue whiting and a 22% cut in boarfish. These quotas will financially sink every fishing boat in Ireland, whereas on the other side we have non-EU fleets from the likes of Russia, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway continuously overfishing. Not only that, but they are being rewarded for it through the…

The history of our country is one of partition, division, imperial dominance and military occupation. For centuries, Irish people have borne the yoke of oppression - oppression of our language, our culture and our own birthright. That said, the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 was agreed to by all parties, to provide through peaceful democratic means a referendum on Irish unity. It is incumbent on the Irish Government to be prepared for such an event. Brexit has changed the economic dynamics and, in many ways, has mad…

I have received hundreds of emails from parents, teachers and SNAs complaining that the new NCSE guidelines for the review of SNA allocations for 2025-26 are unsatisfactory. These mainly consist of four demands. Those who sent them are calling for: a suspension of the guidelines until proper consultation with schools, SNAs and parents is carried out; fair criteria for defining level 3 complex care needs; assurances SNA supports will not be reduced; and that the six-week window for application for additional SNA sup…

In the programme for Government, it states that the Government is committed to the abolition of the carer's means test. We in Sinn Féin have been calling for this for a very long time. The Government declares itself to recognise the enormous contribution that family carers make to Irish society, yet applying the means test to carers is an unfair and regressive policy. Over 70% of carers are currently under enormous pressure to provide the most basic things like food and clothing. We are always aware of the enormous…

Looking at the energy markets today, it is hard not to see the amount of profiteering and rip-off prices that are fleecing ordinary people in this country. It is not hard to figure out who is doing it. Bord Gáis Energy is increasing its rate by 13.5%, SSE Airtricity by 9.5% with a 12% surcharge, Flogas by 7%, Energia by 12.1% and Pinergy by 9.83%. The ESB made profits of €700 million last year. Energia made an operating profit of €154 million. Shareholders are receiving handsome dividends out of ordinary people's p…