There is not adequate bus services for these people.

To take something out of the community when there are no other services there is just not good enough.

No money will get that back.

It is an utter shame and disgrace that statements on homelessness are becoming so frequent in the Dáil. The fact that the Minister is not here either is also shameful. Every single time this issue comes before us, the numbers of people, including children and the elderly, who have been failed by this Government and have ended up homeless have risen. The number has risen drastically and it is rising every day. The facts are there in black and white before us. They spell out clearly what we in Sinn Féin have been cal…

I strongly welcome that time has been allocated to speak on the changes to the fishing quota, which will simply decimate our coastal communities. I come from a farming background, not a fishing one, but to me the parallels between these communities are clear. There is the same resilience, the same connection to the land and the sea, and the same feeling of being taken for granted. The recurring trend I am seeing time and again is a failure by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to stand up for our fishing and farming communi…

I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. I especially thank them for bringing together over 1,100 SNAs, teachers and parents last night. They shared with us some of the most beautiful, moving and powerful accounts of the difference that SNAs make in our schools. Most importantly, they spoke of the profound impact SNAs have on the development and well-being of tens of thousands of children across the State. There were tears, disgust, outrage, hurt, upset, alarm and fear. One lady with Dow…

I welcome the time that has been set aside to discuss bluetongue. Our farming communities have been contending with challenge after challenge over the past few months, with the detection of bluetongue being one of the latest. We need to be frank. The full extent of bluetongue across Ireland is unknown. More than likely these animals were infected last summer. The first case was detected in County Down last November and the most recent was on a farm in County Wexford. This shows clearly that this is an all-island is…

In County Kilkenny, communities like Inistioge, Thomastown, Callan and Graiguenamanagh endured severe flooding during the recent extreme weather. It will take weeks to clear the damage and who knows how long to repair the destruction inflicted on local roads. This flooding has hit local families and businesses the hardest. It is very hard to tell how many of these businesses and restaurants will be able to recover from this devastation. What is certain is that a very challenging period lies ahead. In Inistioge, the…

Since my election, I have constantly raised the dangerous conditions and layout of roads across my constituency. Nowhere is this crisis more severe than in south Kilkenny along the N25. The stretch past the Rhu Glenn can be described as a deadly accident black spot. The statistics are not just numbers. They are families and communities left devastated. Over the past 40 years, more than 80 people have lost their lives on this road alone. In recent years, we have endured several fatal collisions. A road traffic repor…

Last week, the much anticipated first tranche of the national development plan’s funding for school building projects was announced. To the devastation of their communities, both Coláiste Pobail Osraí and Kilkenny City Vocational School discovered they had been dropped from the priority list for building projects. Coláiste Pobail Osraí is the only Irish-medium secondary school in Kilkenny and Kilkenny City Vocational School is the only DEIS school in the city. The demand and need for both of these schools are immen…

If the Minister wants to understand the crisis, he does not need to go far. He can go upstairs and talk to them up there. He can go and meet the farmers who have protested every day outside Bord Bia's office, and listen to them. They will tell the Minister in clear terms that their confidence in Bord Bia and the Government is shattered. The controversy surrounding Larry Murrin and Bord Bia is not an isolated incident. It is the latest. The issue should never have reached this point. It is clear that when it comes t…

I do know what it is like to be up at 3 o'clock in the morning with calving.

I do know what it is like to be subject to Bord Bia reports. I do.

We are not all-----

I do know what it is like.

That was a great performance. I thank the Minister of State.

As someone who has spent a significant portion of my adult life working with adults with disabilities, I strongly welcome this motion. I witnessed on a daily basis the financial cost of living with a disability, the relentless extra expenses and the hidden burdens that add up to a reality of constant pressure. Reading this motion reminds me of our first Private Members' business in the Dáil after the budget when we raised this very issue and presented our own solutions. Sadly, the Government parties failed to take …

Last week I outlined how several contractors being used by Irish Water are operating in a cartel-like fashion to drive up the cost of public works. This is being done to ensure that every possible cent of public funds ends up in their pockets. While local media have been covering this scandal there has still been no comment from the Department or Irish Water. How much longer will they bury their heads in the sand and hide from this scandal? The harsh reality is that the ordinary people of Carlow and Kilkenny are pa…

A fundamental issue facing us is how we care for older people in society and for those in need of care due to a disability. The welfare and treatment of the most vulnerable people is a mark of the society in which we want to live. What we are being told by advocacy groups and by the people themselves is that they want support to stay in their own homes and live with as much as dignity as possible. The Bill seeks to regulate private home care providers, establish a register, set minimum standards to be enforced by H…

The delivery of crucial water infrastructure by Uisce Éireann has been nothing short of a systematic and utter failure. How anyone in this Government can stand here and sing its praises is beyond comprehension. It is an absolute disgrace that, in 2026 in a supposedly First World European state, thousands of families across Carlow and Kilkenny are forced to endure Third World conditions. They pay their taxes in full yet are left with a water infrastructure that belongs in the past. How can the Minister stand over th…