Natasha Newsome Drennan

That was there on the 21st.

It was the 21st.

I welcome the chance to speak about the fiscal impact of the long-overdue reunification of Ireland. I also welcome the Tánaiste's speech. It is a pity that more people in the House did not speak up in the same way. For too long a false narrative has been published by those who oppose reunification. Whether in politics or the media, they have used their position of power to scare people off the id…

I strongly welcome the introduction of the domestic violence register and fully support this Bill. It is encouraging to see cross-party support for its introduction, which is a clear sign that this issue crosses all political divides and demands action. The reality is that domestic violence is seldom a one-off incident. If it happens once, it will happen again. That is precisely why a documented h…

I, too, would like to welcome Cian and Jordan and thank them for everything they have done. They have captured the hearts of everybody. When they were in Kilkenny, the size of the crowd spoke for itself. Well done. It is all in aid of dementia awareness and research. The crowd that turned out for them in Carlow and Kilkenny just speaks a thousand words. Very few of us do not know somebody living …

I acknowledge Kilkenny city has bucked the trend and is operating a full staff complement, which is great to see. However, it is a completely different story in south Kilkenny. The team serving Ferrybank, south Kilkenny and Waterford north city has a vacancy rate of 52%. Over half its posts remain unfilled. That is a massive failing for children across these communities. To make matters worse, the…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. While I welcome that there is progress being made, the harsh reality of this is that much of the progress is moving at a snail's pace. Over 2,100 children across the region I live in are on a CDNT waiting list. Almost 1,600 of those children having been on a waiting list for over 12 months. This number just compounds how slow progress is being made. …

This issue is deeply close to me. For almost 20 years, I worked as a carer for older adults with disabilities. It was always so much more than just a job. In that role, I made life-long friendships with people I supported. To help them live their best life, independently and with dignity, meant so much to me. The harsh reality today is that the State is increasingly failing people with disabilitie…

A month ago, a group of people living with Friedreich's ataxia, along with their families, were present in the Dáil as the urgently needed drug Skyclarys was being discussed on Leaders' Questions. It is important to acknowledge the hurt the Taoiseach caused that day when he gave incorrect reasons for why the drug was not on the agenda at the last HSE drugs committee meeting. The group will make th…

It was the dates you gave.

It is now clear that as a result of the climate crisis, we are entering an era of more extreme weather in every sense. Summers are growing relentlessly hotter followed by winters of torrential rain. Earlier this year, we saw first hand the devastating damage from floods across Carlow and Kilkenny. In response to the extreme weather, the EU moved to provide emergency support for farmers who suffere…

I commend my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, for his work on this motion. The numbers speak for themselves. Over 11,000 people, the vast majority of them children, are left suffering on dental treatment waiting lists across the country. The State is failing them, plain and simple, yet what do we see from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael? The same attempt to normalise these shocking delays, just as they have…

I strongly welcome this debate on rare diseases. Only last week, I had the privilege of welcoming young adults living with Friedreich's ataxia, FA, to Leinster House. Tragically, they are waiting and watching their conditions deteriorate rapidly, not due to the lack of medical progress but due to what I can only call administrative neglect by the HSE. Skyclarys is a breakthrough drug for those ove…

Can the HSE simply shut its eyes and pretend it saw nothing? Then we had the Taoiseach stand up here last week and give a different date, adding insult to injury for families already at breaking point. There is no accountability on that side of the House. I have spoken to Emily's family throughout this week. They are devastated. Once again, they have been kicked in the teeth and kicked to the bac…

I too would like to wish the Minister of State the best in her new post. A single data centre uses as much energy as the entire city of Kilkenny. In the middle of a housing crisis, this Government has prioritised powering data centres faster than powering new homes across Carlow and Kilkenny. Homes are in urgent need but due to lack of infrastructure they cannot proceed. Nearly one quarter of our …

The call to stop the Ireland-Israel football match has overwhelming support from the Irish public, yet somehow some Government TDs are trying to paint it as a controversial move. I cannot understand why we need to even think about whether or not it is okay to welcome Israel here. It is an apartheid state that has inflicted mass genocide on the people of Palestine. Let us remember the double stand…

I know that the Taoiseach is familiar with those who suffer from Friedreich's ataxia, as it has been raised with him in recent weeks. It is now nearly 700 days and the HSE has still not made a decision on the reimbursement for the drug Skyclarys. Other EU citizens are receiving this transformational drug thanks to support from their governments. Why are the HSE and Irish Government not supporting …

They cannot wait any longer. They need it. It is criminal.

I welcome this opportunity to speak about the high standard of skilled workers we have in Ireland and to those students who are coming through our education system right now. This is something we should be very proud of, but it is also an area in respect of which we must be far more ambitious. When it comes to educating our citizens, the sky should be the limit. We need to recognise the achieveme…

This evening I want to make it very clear what is at stake. As someone who has spent a significant portion of my adult life working with adults with disabilities, I witnessed the pressures they face. It is not just about heating a home or buying food. It is about the endless hidden costs that the vast majority of people never see. It is about those extra expenses able-bodied people never have to t…

As someone who comes from a rural community, the biodiversity crisis facing Ireland is not some abstract concern, it is a visible reality, one that I have watched worsen decade by decade. It is now seven years since a biodiversity emergency was declared in Ireland, yet we are still not acting with the urgency that declaration demands. All stakeholders across the sector - especially in rural commun…

-----not when the cost is our collective well-being.

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for his work on this Private Members' business. The figures published by the RTB last week are beyond staggering. They are grim and show the highest level of eviction notices since the Famine. I do not know if the Minister fully realises the gravity of the housing crisis. A 51% rise in eviction notices means thousands of people across Ireland find themselves in the horrible …

I believe I speak for many across Ireland when I say how welcome the European Commission's decision to ban Brazilian beef and other food products is. This is a welcome step. It vindicates the serious concerns we in Sinn Féin have raised along with countless others like the IFA, the Irish Farmers' Journal, the ICMSA, the ICSA and many more regarding public health risks posed by Brazilian beef. Howe…

I understand the Commission has said the three month delay is to give Brazilian farmers an opportunity to get their house in order. I do not know if the Minister saw the joint report by the IFA and the Irish Farmers' Journal on how brazen and widespread drugs are in Brazilian beef farming. For someone like me from a farming background it is shocking. How the Commission could think the use of banne…