Mary Lou McDonald

Oh my God. Oh my good God.

This is a disgrace.

Pot kettle black.

Children with scoliosis and spina bifida and their parents have been failed once again. They found out from a Sunday newspaper that phase one of the Nayagam review, which looked at the spinal surgeries carried out on 91 children, had been sitting on the Minister's desk. This is a report the HSE has had since September. Yet, families heard nothing from the HSE, Children's Health Ireland or the Mini…

Is it serious enough to publish?

Listen to the families.

The Government's behaviour is shocking all right.

Today, this House is asked to reflect on the findings of Operation Kenova, findings that go to the heart of how the conflict on this island has been understood, explained and justified for decades. For too long, the story of that conflict was presented as one in which the British state was a neutral arbiter, acting reluctantly, forced by circumstance into extraordinary measures. That story shaped …

Hear, hear.

Seventy thousand more households are behind on their electricity bills now than at this time last year. The overall number in electricity arrears now stands at a staggering and record 303,465 households. We have not seen the worst of it yet because the figures for December and January are still to be reported. This is a shocking situation and yet there is not a word from the Taoiseach, only silenc…

The Taoiseach’s view is simply wrong. It is neither intelligent nor targeted. As a matter of fact, it strikes me as most unintelligent because 70,000 more households than last year are now in difficulties. They cannot pay their bills. I told the Taoiseach we have hit a record of 303,465 such households. They are not millionaires. They are working households who now cannot pay their bills. I want a…

That is the intelligent, targeted reality that people are living.

Let me ask again: will the Taoiseach do the right thing, reinstate these credits and then, of course, take the longer-term measures that so far he has ignored?

I understand the meaning of universal, thank you.

Not agreed.

Working households are struggling with price hikes and rip-off bills and no help coming from the Government. People with disabilities in particular have suffered as a result of the Government's budget leaving them €1,400 worse off. The Government refuses to provide a cost-of-disability winter payment. Now, those people are forced to protest outside the Dáil. It is not lost on anyone, by the way, t…

I am sure the Taoiseach will take that on advisement. I return again to the growing concern about the safety of Seamus Culleton, who, as we know, has been held in an ICE detention centre in Texas for the past five months. People were very shocked yesterday to hear him describe the conditions that he is being held in and say that he now fears for his life. I understand his family have only gone pu…

The Taoiseach is now in the realms of waffle. Seventeen minutes-----

41. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10095/26]

Last Friday, the community in Finglas came together for Grace Lynch's funeral, to mourn her, to remember her, to stand by her devastated family, and to say clearly that the days of their neighbourhood being terrorised are over. It is hard to describe the convulsion of grief in Finglas that day - a family utterly bereft and the sobs of young people. Finglas is just one of the communities that have…

Deputy Ellis first raised this in 2011 or 2012. It was a problem then and, in the years that have followed, it has gotten worse and worse. I do not know whether the Taoiseach has any exposure to scramblers and this happening in his community and neighbourhood, but I do. It happens in Cabra and in the inner city, too. It is terrifying. It is now too late for Grace Lynch, aged 16. Her life is gone…

How are they going to-----

That is not good enough.

So, Mick, free at last. Thirty-two years; that is a really good number for you to finish on. We would say that, would we not? I wish you well. You will have lots of time now but I am sure it will be very usefully deployed. Lorraine will have you at home a lot maybe - we will see how that goes - as will your daughters Michelle and Jennifer, your son Karl and your grandchildren. We all collectively,…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am all shook up. Communities devastated by flooding are angry about the failure of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to deliver desperately needed flood defences. The Taoiseach might remember that in the wake of Storm Frank in 2015, when he was the leader of the Opposition, he described that flooding as a national emergency. He criticised the then Government for being far t…