Higher education has been in austerity mode since Fine Gael and the Labour Party came into power in 2011. This was continued by the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Government that followed. We now have a situation where public funding per student is 37% lower than it was in 2018, which is a lot. Over a decade of underfunding has led to a very high academic staff to student ratio by international standards. There has been a loss of focus on research and development. Our colleges are in free fall in the international ranki…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill and I sincerely hope that it fares better than the 2015 Act, where significant sections were left uncommenced. This Bill repeals the Marriage of Lunatics Act 1811 and the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871. These Victorian Acts and their phrases have no place in our health service. The reforms in this Bill are long overdue. The current wardship system is not fit for purpose. This Bill will make significant progress in terms of our responsibilities under the UN Conven…

I too raise the National Traveller Mental Health Network, which is protesting outside Leinster House today and demanding urgent action from the Government on mental health. Senator Eileen Flynn has previously highlighted that the suicide rate is six times higher for Traveller women and seven times higher for Traveller men compared with the general population. Life expectancy for Travellers is 15 years lower than that of their settled counterparts. The protest is seeking accountability from the Government over the l…

The mind boggles. We are talking about transport and the Minister is not present. That is incredible. The issues of delays with passport applications and the long delays at airports are a disgrace and need to be sorted out. My party colleagues have set out these issues in great detail. As I only have a short time, I will not dwell on them, except to say we have a great reputation as a tourist destination and this is being damaged because of incompetence and greed. This greed saw a short-term view being taken when t…

We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and apprentices, who are not covered by minimum wage legislation, are struggling with the rising cost of tools, travel, college fees and rent. Sinn Féin conducted a survey of apprentices and the results are shocking. A motor mechanic in Kildare who responded said, “Ireland is a hard place to live as a young person and even harder as an apprentice. Especially the first year, particularly with the rising fuel costs. Imagine working 2 days to pay for fuel to put in your …

I would like to express my condolences to the family and colleagues of Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank earlier this month. She was shot in the face by an Israeli soldier because of the job she was doing in shining a spotlight on the genocidal actions of Israel. The Israeli spin machine started immediately. Israel’s Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has lied. Israel’s foreign minister, Yair Lapid, has lied and the Israeli army has lied. Bennett said that the Palestinians did it. La…

I thank my colleague, an Teachta Ó Broin, for bringing forward this Bill. There is a crisis in the private rental sector, with rents continuing to spiral out of control. I listened to Newstalk yesterday and heard how the residents of an estate in Tubbercurry, County Sligo, received a knock on their doors in recent days to tell them their rent is going up by 70%. Imagine being told you have to find an extra €150 a week for rent. It is extortion, plain and simple. There are 12 rental properties in County Sligo curren…

I too thank the Minister of State. We are in the middle of National Heritage Week. I wish to commend the work of Kildare County Council's heritage officer, Ms Bridget Loughlin, and her colleagues, who have organised some great events not just this week but throughout the year. Ms Loughlin is celebrating 20 years in the job this year. Her dedication and enthusiasm is as apparent now as it was from day one. I welcome the publication of the Strategic Action Plan for the Renewal of the NPWS. Investment in the service i…

The Bill seeks to address an unfair situation that exists at the moment where gardaí who are maliciously injured while serving the State are placed at a severe disadvantage in comparison to civilian claimants. Currently, gardaí who sustain injuries have to apply for authorisation from the Department of Justice to seek compensation in the High Court, regardless of the scale of the damages sought. This places an unnecessary cost burden on gardaí at a time when the State should be supporting them. Current claims must …

The pandemic bonus payment has been announced and re-announced a number of times at this stage. When will the payment be made? Who will qualify? Will it be paid to employees of section 38 and section 39 organisations, and employees of groups operating under section 10 of the housing Act?

Over the last week there has been a lot of whitewashing. Ministers and backbenchers who previously had their doubts had those doubts swept away by a letter that contained no guarantee that the full range of health options for women would ever be safeguarded. Maybe written on that page was a coded message not to rock the boat, to turn a blind eye to women's rights and to keep their noses firmly out the truck and out of the business of vested interests. I am bitterly disappointed that the Cabinet decided today to dri…

The Commission on Pensions issued its report last year and made a number of recommendations. One was a requirement for benchmarking to ensure our older people are lifted out of the poverty trap. What progress has been made to ensure our older people can live in some small comfort during their twilight years? Will the Government commit to reducing the pension age, which was increased by the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government in 2011, back to 65?

The Defamation Act 2009 defines defamation and refers to a statement being defamatory where the statement is published, the statement is false and the statement explicitly implies or refers to a specific person. The report into the review of the Defamation Act 2009 runs to 313 pages. While reform of the legislation is required and is something we have called for previously, it is important for a balance to be struck. Defamation cases are also seen by some members of the public as a remedy that is only open to well-…

The Consumer Rights Bill 2022 is long overdue and represents a very welcome transposition of EU law. Unfortunately, however, it is the outcome of another missed deadline by the Government. The Government really needs to get its act together in transposing EU directives. There has been an imbalance between goods and services in consumer rights legislation, and it is hoped that this Bill will address it. The new law will increase the rights of consumers regarding contracts for the sale of goods and supply of digital …

Last month my colleague, an Teachta Ó Broin, and I met officials from the housing department at Kildare County Council. They were diplomatic in their answers, but it is clear they are working with one hand tied behind their back. Finance decisions from the Department are taking too long. Approved housing bodies are hamstrung. While many people may be critical of Kildare County Council, I know from first-hand experience that they are seriously understaffed and under-resourced. It takes up to three months to get a re…

I express my solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Their resistance has been heroic and inspirational in the face of the reprehensible actions of their much larger neighbour. The stories coming out of Ukraine about the war crimes that have been committed are sickening. The recent simulation shown on Russian TV must be met with a strong response. We are long past the time to expel the Russian ambassador. He needs to go - no ifs, buts or ands. We are a peaceful, neutral country, and this kind of behaviour must be co…

The need for reform of the law governing the guardian ad litem system is long overdue. Guardians ad litem are appointed by the courts to make sure young and vulnerable people have a voice in court when life-changing decisions are being made about them. They advise the courts about the wishes and needs of young people and need to represent the interests of young people in the highly stressful atmosphere of a court. The current Act, as the Minister mentioned, is over 30 years old and does not set out the qualificatio…

The programme for Government contains a commitment to finalise and publish the wind energy guidelines. These have been under review since 2013 - I repeat, 2013. We must protect communities such as Rathangan, Edenderry, Derrinturn and Carbury from a 50-turbine wind farm that has been proposed by Bord na Móna. If there are to be onshore wind turbines, we must have guidelines to protect family homes and our scenic areas. When will these guidelines be published? I would please like to get an answer from the Taoiseach.

The review has been ongoing since 2013. When will we have these guidelines?

I commend my colleagues on bringing this motion before the House. I cannot believe I must stand here to try to convince the Government to help people in dire straits. I cannot believe I must explain the hardship that people are living through. I certainly cannot believe, and I will not believe, that the Deputies sitting opposite in the Chamber are unaware of what is happening outside this building. Perhaps the people coming to their offices are not suffering or perhaps they do not know who comes to their office doo…