Neale Richmond

It is really important to mention that over the last number of years Nepal has, unfortunately, been the victim of a number of very serious natural disasters. In 2023, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck, killing 153 people and injuring 400, at which time Ireland, through the Red Cross and Red Crescent, contributed to an EU aid package of €2 million. In April 2015, a more devastating earthquake of 7.…

This will bring me to a broader section but I want to very much keep Nepal in the mind's eye because it is a key partner of the EU and one of the main areas where the EU provides supports is in the area of good governance, which would be of great support to the new, young parliament. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl described issues in relation to migration, remittances and poverty. There are over 3,000 Nepales…

I thank all of the Deputies who have contributed to this very timely and pertinent debate as we embark on the eighth Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union since our accession in 1973, following the first Presidency in 1975. My dear friend Deputy Ó Murchú has laid out his concerns about the supposed failure of the European Union, to be expected from a party that has opposed every Eu…

I am glad to take the close of this Second Stage debate on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan. I acknowledge with great thanks the engagement shown by all those present, particularly Deputies Mark Ward and Carol Nolan, in relation to today’s discussion on what is an extremely important Bill. The significance of Ireland’s active engagement in the EU’s e-evidence initiative, particularly as…

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to respond to this debate on behalf of my friend and colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I sincerely thank all who contributed, both those who I agree with and, in particular, those with whom I do not agree. For the entirety of my life, disagreement on this issue has sometimes led to the worst scenes in politics, where party politics, perso…

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue. I awkwardly have my back to him but we will do our best with the dynamics of the Chamber. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. It is the policy of the Department of Education and Youth, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supporte…

It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. This goes to the crucial point raised eloquently by the Deputy about the hardships that a long commute would put on certain families, especially in a constituency such as his own or that of the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Ó Murchú,…

I am genuinely grateful to Deputy Dolan for raising this. It is even fortuitous that I get to give the response, albeit on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The response I have been given is a constructive one, and while I will give it, I might add to it. It is clear to the Department of education that financial literacy and opportunities to develop it are embedded throughout the Irish sch…

The Minister, Deputy Naughton, would like me to reaffirm very strongly that financial literacy is present throughout the school curriculum. I say that while also taking the Deputy's point about how we can look to bring the different aspects together in a more tangible and practical manner. There is the question of whether that should be done through a stand-alone subject of financial literacy or a…

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am responding to on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. Day services are a vital support for adults with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year who require a HSE-funded day servic…

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising these individual cases and making very relevant points on which there is no disagreement. The majority of families and individuals are catered for but unfortunately, there are far too many who are falling through the gaps and are not getting that discussion or peace of mind at an early enough stage. That is something the Government and the Minister of S…

I am very grateful to Deputies Devine and Ó Snodaigh for raising this important matter and for their continued personal and political interest in Kilmainham Gaol and its remarkable history. I did enjoy some of the interventions this evening. I was not aware of Labour Party’s opposition in the 1950s. That is a slight on me and our former coalition friends. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has a…

I completely understand the frustration and indeed anger of the Deputies and I do not contest it in any way. As a young history undergraduate student, I spent hours and hours - not quite 700 hours - in the gaol itself carrying out my own primary research and it was invaluable. I have a well-thumbed copy of Ghosts of Kilmainham. It was not actually mine originally; it was my sister’s. She also stud…

Not yet.

On 31 October 2025, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2797, extending the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO, for one year until 31 October 2026. Ireland is not currently a member of the United Nations Security Council but has taken note of Resolution 2797. Ireland's position on Western Sahara has been and continues to be guided by the aim …

I would like to pick the Deputy up on that last point because I think in all our discussions we always try to find areas of agreement, even when there are certain areas of disagreement on technical matters. This is one area that is really concerning for us. We have a very clear process in place. I appreciate the Deputy's thoughts that it is going far too slow and that in some persons' opinions it …

Yes, the progress towards a referendum or any process of self-determination has been painfully slow but it is not straightforward simply to engage with the people because there are very clearly conflicting opinions here and, as a country outside that seeks to be supportive crucially of what this really is, it is a peace process. What went before 1991 was a brutal conflict that cost many lives, and…

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this. I acknowledge the consistent effort by both Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Smith to raise this in a constructive manner. The conflict in Sudan, which has continued for over three years, is causing devastating levels of hunger and displacement. This year, two out of every three people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance. We are seriously conc…

Over the past three years, Ireland has been consistent at a Foreign Affairs Council level, be it the full Council, the development formation in which I sit, or the defence formation, in making sure Sudan is on the agenda and that does not slip from the focus of European partners. What is happening in Sudan will end up on our doorstep in due course, when we see mass movement of people, the real imp…

The short answer is "Yes" but I will give a little more detail to the context of how we do that. In recent years, Ireland's humanitarian support has included funding to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, country-based pooled fund, the UN population fund and the International Rescue Committee to target people most in need, particularly women and girls for aforementi…

We have.

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the Dáil of 28th April, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those next set down to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequ…

I am grateful to the Deputies who contributed to this important annual debate. We take time in the busy Dáil schedule every year ahead of Europe Day, on 9 May, to reflect on contemporary historical and future issues facing the European Union and the wider European project. I will address three points in the Chamber today. I will go into a little bit of detail about our upcoming Presidency of the …

It is not opposed.

I am very grateful to Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this very pertinent issue in relation to Owenabue Educate Together National School in Carrigaline, County Cork. The Deputy is right that he could be reading this about at least seven different schools in my constituency. I have, therefore, great empathy for the case the Deputy raised and for the entire school community. As alluded to, this scho…