Natasha Newsome Drennan

For generations, agriculture has been the heartbeat of Ireland's economy, culture and rural identity. Today, over 170,000 people are employed across the sector. That number shows the agrifood sector is the backbone of communities across the State. Many of my family members, neighbours and friends are part of that 170,000-strong workforce that contributes to the strength of Irish agriculture. We m…

The position of communities right across the State is clear when it comes to the Mercosur trade deal. It will be bad for Irish farming, it will be bad for the environment and it will be bad for people's health. Last week in the European Parliament we had a clear opportunity to show Irish MEPs are united in our opposition to the deal. Brazil and Argentina are the world's top GMO and pesticide users…

Every child has a fundamental right to education. It is a right that all children should enjoy equally. We must, however, face the reality that in Ireland in 2025, it is not the case. Some of the most vulnerable children in Irish society are being left behind. Parents are left waiting years for an assessment and are left battling to find a school that can provide the correct resources for their ch…

In 2024 alone, 174 lives were lost on Irish roads. Behind every number is a name, a family shattered and a community left grieving. There are few families across the country that have not been left devastated by the grief of losing someone to a road traffic collision. The location of the Rhu Glenn Hotel on the N25 near my home in Kilkenny is one such blackspot. Time and again it has been the site…

As a person who lives on a family farm, I am more than familiar with the struggles that farmers across Ireland are facing. Farming is at the centre of every community across Carlow and Kilkenny. As the recent storms and heavy snowfall showed us, farmers and communities in rural Ireland always step to the fore in supporting one another in times of need and difficulty. The programme for Government w…

As this is also my first time speaking in the Chamber, I would like to thank the people of Carlow and Kilkenny for putting their faith in me. I will leave no stone unturned. To my family, especially my parents and husband, and to my friends and activists, I am extremely grateful. Thank you. Across Carlow and Kilkenny, parents are struggling to find adequate childcare places. The sudden announceme…

Too many to name.