Catherine Connolly

I welcome that the Minister is going to Galway. The reason I put my hands up is that we had the former Taoiseach back in 2017 tell us it was not fit for purpose. It is now 2025. I am looking at a HIQA report from last year that states that a strategic assessment preliminary business case had been completed, approved by the Health Service Executive board and submitted to the Department of Health, s…

I welcome that the Minister is going there-----

I welcome it, but she should listen to what I am saying. Back in 2015, it was not fit for purpose. We had Leo Varadkar down there telling us it was not fit for purpose, then we had Deputy Micheál Martin as Taoiseach, and here we are in 2025 and we are getting more and more plans. I welcome that there is something at the end of this month.

We have 31 people in there with nowhere to go due to delayed discharges. We have a serious problem with privacy and dignity. We have a problem with lack of staff and lack of clinical leads, notwithstanding the progress. I pay tribute to the staff. Let us go back to Savita Halappanavar in 2012, and forward. This is a hospital seriously under pressure, a congested site with not enough staff and not …

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the need for a new maternity unit at University Hospital Kerry. Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss additional funding for local authorities for housing adaptation grants, mobility aid grants and housing for…

He thought he was.

94. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén pleananna atá aige chun scéim na ndeontas tithíochta Gaeltachta a reáchtáil arís de bhun Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) (Leasú), 2001, chun tacaíocht a chur ar fáil do chainteoirí Gaeilge a bheadh ag iarraidh teach a thógáil nó a athchóiriú sa Ghaeltacht; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas…

Baineann mo cheist go sonrach le cúrsaí tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht agus go háirithe le mír 9 d’Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) (Leasú), 2001. Faoin mhír sin, tá cumhacht ag an Aire agus ag an Roinn airgead agus acmhainní deontais a chur ar fáil do chainteoirí Gaeilge chun tithe a athchóiriú nó tithe a thógáil. Níl an mhír sin á húsáid faoi láthair ó 2009 ar aghaidh, áfach. Is mian liom soiléiriú a fháil …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tuigim nach luíonn an cúram seo leis. Tuigim a chás. Tá sé ag seasamh anseo in ionad an Aire, an Teachta Calleary. Is cúis díomá agus imní go bhfuil sé ráite go neamhbhalbh ag an Rialtas anois nach bhfuil sé chun scéim na ndeontas a thabhairt ar ais. Ní thuigim cén fáth mar bhí sé sin ag feidhmiú go maith. In 2009, cuireadh €4 milliún ar fáil don scéim seo. Mar is eo…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Is maith an rud é go mbeidh cruinniú idir an t-údarás agus an tAire mar beidh an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024 os ár gcomhair arís an tseachtain seo. Bhí cruinniú le bheith ann idir BÁNÚ agus an tAire freisin. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an cruinniú sin ann sula dtagann an Bille os ár gcomhair arís. Arís, níl aon chúis tugtha ag an Aire nó ag an Roinn cén fá…

159. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 117 of 5 February 2025, if the minutes of all meetings with an organisation (details supplied) will now be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18047/25]

My question is very specific and relates to a specific organisation. It is about a specific series of meetings the Department of Defence has had with the Irish Defence and Security Association. This is my third time asking for the minutes of these meetings. On the last occasion, whoever was in the Tánaiste's place told us it was his intention to publish these minutes. I have two notes here. To say…

I did not see those minutes. Perhaps we did not look properly. I do not know. I welcome that they are there. I will take back the word "minutes" because these are not minutes. What I have are two notes. To describe them as "minutes" is utterly wrong. In the notes of one meeting that was held in Newbridge, we see that a person took the notes in October 2024. We have no idea of the agenda or of the …

The arms industry is supplying arms for genocide to be carried out in Palestine. The Tánaiste knows that. He has spoken about it. This group represents the arms industry, it lobbies for the arms industry and it has an open door to the Department. I know of a series of meetings. Is the Tánaiste confirming that the minutes, or whatever we are going to call them, of all 11 meetings that have been hel…

Does that include the arms industry?

It is not everything.

I am certainly not using my words to celebrate Europe Day. I say so because it has completely lost any moral compass, if it ever had one. We are two days off the 75th anniversary of the peace declaration by Schuman and we could not be further from that peace declaration. The Minister of State presented an 11 page speech and I will intermingle that with the words of Simon Harris, our Tánaiste, and…

I do not think, in all honesty, the Minister of State could disagree with that given the amount of money that is going into the military industrial complex. A lot more than a shaking of the head is necessary when we are standing as a neutral country and not using one word of condemnation in the same way we have against Russia. It goes to our credibility as an independent country. It goes to our ve…

Gabh mo leithscéal. I ask the Minister for a copy of the speech, if that is possible.

I do not want to hold the Dáil up but I want to be assured we are getting a copy of the speech.

It is coming to the Chamber now, is it not?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach.

I have read all the reports today but I have not read the 2,000-page report. I know the Minister is under pressure today and I do not wish to personalise this. On top of all the reports, not to have a copy of her speech today is unacceptable from the Department.

I came in especially to listen; I did not think my turn would come up today. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for his contribution and dedication on this, as well as the Acting Chair who took over, Deputy Fleming. I thank the whistleblowers. I thank the Minister for rearranging the debate. In her opening speech, she said at the heart of the report was Grace. I cannot think of anything more inacc…

Baineann mo cheist leis an gcreat náisiúnta pleanála athbhreithnithe. Is cúis imní agus díomá araon a laghad tuisceana atá ann sa phlean sin. It really is a serious worry to me that there is a complete absence in the national planning framework of an understanding in regard to the Irish language and the serious emergency in the Gaeltacht. In almost 200 pages, there are barely three paragraphs on t…