Cathy Bennett

I welcome this debate on the financial implications of a united Ireland. I acknowledge that the Tánaiste and so many other Members in this House see its merits in the future. I would have hoped that in this House we would at least have moved past the time of framing this without casting a value judgment. Any discussion on the financial implications of a united Ireland today that is based upon cred…

The idea that education in Ireland is free at any level is a myth, whether it is the so-called voluntary contributions or a student contribution fee that costs more even though the Government claims it is reduced. It is utterly galling for hard-pressed families who shell out hundreds or even thousands of euro a year. That is not to say there have not been positive initiatives - for example, the sc…

We are only telling you the truth, Eoghan.

I welcome that we have recently seen progress on a number of important measures relating to domestic abuse, but what is of crucial importance is that we get the legislation and policy right. In the face of what report after report expose as an epidemic of violence against women and girls, I do not accept incremental change as good enough. Legislation will pass in the Houses tomorrow on the callous…

I welcome this legislation that progresses the free contraception available for those aged 17 to 35 and will allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptive medicines and products. What annoys me is to see that the Government has said the pharmacies will set their fees locally. This is not good enough and this is not free contraception. There has to be something put in place to ensure that the contra…

Post offices provide proven, irreplaceable benefit to the communities they serve. They contribute to local economies and offer critical services and access for older people, vulnerable citizens and marginalised communities. When we see in the decade up to this time last year that 257 post offices had closed across the State, it should have set alarm bells ringing. As a TD for a rural constituency,…

10. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will outline the advice and support provided by his Department to other Departments or bodies under their aegis regarding the procurement of IT systems. [51486/26]

Government IT projects have become synonymous with overspends, not best practice, as far as I can see. Of 220 such projects since 2024, 67 have projected overspends or have had overspends. The Department contains various units in agencies that sanction projects or provide advice on the activities of Departments and State bodies. I am thinking of the Office of the Government Chief Information Offic…

I do not know how the Minister of State can say there is early engagement when a €4.3 million Fórsa project was abandoned, an unaffordable affordable childcare ICT system exceeded its original estimate of €3.5 million by nearly 50%, and now, €30 million spent by Irish Rail has effectively been written off. These are just examples of the tens of millions of euro in taxpayers’ money that is as good …

15. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeframe in which refuges will open in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [49803/26]

It is simply indefensible that more than a decade after the media started referring to the cost of childcare as comparable to a second mortgage, the pace of action from the Minister of State's Government could be so lethargic. In 2024, my colleague and the Sinn Féin spokesperson on children, Deputy Kerrane, published a detailed costed plan outlining how Sinn Féin would deliver childcare capped at …

We were wondering.

It is better to fight with us than with the Government, is it not? We are recommending-----

The Deputy is getting good laughs. The Minister is having a good laugh at him.

I will not take lectures from Independent Ireland which recently said sport should not become a tool about Israel playing Ireland. The Minister should have taken a stronger stance on that, but Independent Ireland should not accuse Sinn Féin of anything when we are only trying to help the public. I welcome the legislation, which will encourage tourism on the island of Ireland. However, it is a blu…

The Government has utterly failed in terms of dental services. It has especially failed every child, with more than 11,000 children waiting years to get braces and half of all children not getting their scheduled dental check-ups through the school dental scheme. The Government is especially failing children in my county of Monaghan, where, as of October last year, not a single child in the 2024-2…

I wish to raise the ongoing and very serious issue of excessive waiting times in the accident and emergency department in Cavan General Hospital. As the Tánaiste is aware, residents of County Monaghan do not have access to an accident and emergency department in their county. Instead, they have to travel to Cavan hospital to receive emergency care. This places significant and unstable pressure on …

I congratulate the Minister of State on her new post. I alert her that the Government continues to fail the ordinary people struggling to keep the lights on and their homes warm. A new record of more than 500,000 are now in arrears on their gas and electricity bills. The most impactful action by this Government was to pull the plug, withdrawing energy credits that were for many people just keeping…

I thank Independent Ireland for putting this motion forward today. In recent years, ordinary workers and families have endured a number of economic shocks. Consistently, however, this Government has had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, in order to deploy countermeasures - kicking and screaming to support workers, families, farmers, hauliers and many more. Developers though, have got their tax…

No person should be left socially, politically or economically worse off because of a disability. I think all of us in this House would agree on that in principle. Where the problem lies, however, is that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have their heads in the clouds. The estimated additional cost to a household in which a person with a disability lives stands at €555 per week. Worse again is that, rath…

The Government proposal to cut the triple lock neutrality protections stands among the most significant foreign affairs and defence policy departures in decades, so it is important that it be properly considered and understood. It is concerning that the Taoiseach's own position is consistent only in its shifting nature. Initially, the Taoiseach proposed a citizens' assembly on neutrality. Then it…

I welcome the Bill to facilitate the orderly wind-up of NAMA and the IBRC, an end of sorts, in part, to the contemptible chapter of history, which saw Irish taxpayers bail out the banks in a process that was quite poor in terms of the return for the Irish people. In many cases, these assets were captured by vulture funds at rock bottom prices. The full truth of Project Eagle and other projects may…

Ireland is facing a national biodiversity crisis that is entirely entwined with the climate crisis. We are a country that is known internationally for our landscapes, nature and lakes. These are threats that pose a risk to our own environment and well-being, as well as our local economies, especially in areas that rely on tourism. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. I…

Many people are at risk of homelessness. People expect their Government to have their back. That is why they are so frustrated, especially renters, when it seems that every intervention from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael actually makes their situation worse. In my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, both counties were among the six in the State which saw double-digit rent inflation last year. We saw rent…

Sinn Féin welcomes the overall intention of this Bill. We have been calling for the streamlining of enterprise supports for a long time now. Sinn Féin and I are glad to see the progress in this space. Measures that improve access to supports, modernise industrial development legislation and help businesses transition towards a lower carbon and digital economy are long overdue. There is no question…