Rose Conway-Walsh

The Government made commitments on introducing the living wage, on enhancing paid sick leave entitlements, on abolishing the subminimum rates of youth pay, on increasing the minimum annual remuneration for employment permits and on pension auto-enrolment. The Government has reneged on all of these progressive measures. I know the Minister will say that these are just delayed but the word used is "…

What I wanted was a firm commitment that the onslaught on ordinary workers would be ended. The Minister of State has not provided me with that. Workers on the minimum wage are looking forward to the living wage, as was committed to. When they hear, in the past week, a wage of €430,000 talked about for a housing tsar to replace the housing Minister, it just does not sit right with people who are in…

Going after workers in these sectors will not address our international competitiveness, nor will it help sectors on the front line to deal with the impact of tariffs. All it will do is leave ordinary workers worse off in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. We have one of the highest rates of low pay in the EU, with one in five workers being low paid. This figure has remained relatively unchang…

7. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the cost of business forum, which was announced in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21680/25]

Will the Minister provide an update on the cost of business forum, in particular why so many grants have not been drawn down by small and medium businesses at a time where they are struggling with costs in terms of VAT, rates - including water rates - energy costs, rent and refuse collection costs? The Minister's favourite word is "evidence". There is evidence that at the close of applications for…

I thank the Minister of State. When he speaks of simplicity and reducing regulation, I want him to look inside Government at the bureaucracy that is stopping businesses which desperately need support from accessing the supports that have been advertised. The increased cost of business, ICOB, and power up grants have been plagued with anomalies in their terms and conditions making it impossible for…

We need to learn lessons from the design of a lot of these schemes. I recently met the Alliance for Insurance Reform. Its members are extremely concerned by the recommendations of the Judicial Council that awards be increased by 17%. Could the Minister of State confirm whether the Minister for Justice will enable the Dáil to discuss this? I also want to raise with the Minister of State the issue …

I am glad that the Department is seeing sense with this because it obviously needed to be addressed. We have been doing grants for long enough and should not be in a situation where these anomalies arise. It concerns me that the Minister of State says he is engaging with the Department of public expenditure, as that can take a long time. I heard it mentioned that we would have the appeals process …

I am glad this is being discussed in terms of rural poverty. The Minister will completely understand this. I commend Irish Rural Link on the great work it has done in Mayo. It needs to be resourced to do an awful lot more. I will give the Minister an example of a woman I spoke to in Castlebar the other day. She has an appointment in Galway hospital next week. All of her income and benefit for the …

I welcome the opportunity to say a couple of words on the rural social scheme. I welcome the flexibility the Minister has introduced. I want him to look in particular at meals on wheels. Yesterday, Lorraine from Claremorris, Martina and Peter from Louisburgh and Deirdre from Castlebar were in Leinster House. One of the issues that were raised regarding the RSS was the need to allow two people to g…

Today is a day to celebrate the workers of the world. There are two issues I want to raise initially, given the day that is in it. The first concerns the treatment of whistleblowers. Earlier today, we discussed the absolute horror of the Grace case. I acknowledge all whistleblowers and the service they have done to this country. I call for extra protection for whistleblowers. Many people I know w…

Today, the Minister of State is presenting the national planning framework and it is the blueprint for how the State will manage strategic planning and sustainable development out to 2040. It is essential that the framework deals strategically and systematically with the major issues of our time: housing, climate change, energy security and the prosperity of everyone living on the island. These is…

As a Mayo TD, I wholeheartedly endorse naming the new children's hospital "Ospidéal Náisiúnta Kathleen Lynn do Leanaí". Imagine what it took for a woman to become a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons back in 1909. Kathleen Lynn was a republican, a pioneer, a feminist and, above all, a Mayo woman and a Killala woman. She is a huge personal inspiration to me and many others. Dr. Lynn was a memb…

12. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [17316/25]

Did the Cabinet sign off on the €430,000 salary associated with the strategic housing activation office today? People in County Mayo and across the country who cannot access housing or who are paying exorbitant rates want to know that. This is almost €500,000 in salary for a role that should not be necessary if the Government stuck to its housing projections and implemented the recommendations of …

20. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the AI Action Summit. [17317/25]

Central Statistics Office, CSO, data shows that in 2023, AI was used by 8% of Irish enterprises with ten or more employees. The benefits of AI are well-rehearsed and no doubt it will revolutionise the way in which businesses operate in this country and in the global market. It is a very exciting time of innovation but it also carries risks and it has the potential to significantly impact both huma…

Since President Trump began his second term of office the world as we know it has become a more volatile place. His early statements about turning Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East through a policy of ethnic cleansing shows just what absurd thought processes we are dealing with. Combative statements dominate American foreign policy. That is now finding its way into economic policy. It is we…

Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá mar gheall ar Mhaigh Eo. Gabh mo leithscéal, ach labhróidh mé as Béarla. The Minister will be very familiar with what I am talking about. Recently, the Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community published a report that recommended that additional all-Irish post-primary schools be established across the country. I ask the Minister to…

I completely understand that, but the Minister, Deputy Calleary, will have as much interest in this as I have.

Why is Mayo so under-represented in this Bill? It makes no sense. There is only one seat for Mayo on the board, which is a 50% reduction on what we had following the 2005 election. There is no representation at all for the west Mayo Gaeltacht of Oileán Acla, which is too small to have an impact on the Mayo constituency. All of this is being done to facilitate more ministerial appointments to Údará…

12. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach to report on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme in his Department. [13820/25]

14. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach to report on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme in his Department. [15662/25]

The Taoiseach will remember that on 4 March I raised in the Chamber the case of 16-year-old Mikey Henry, who suffers with scoliosis. Mikey, along with his parents Penny and Michael and his sisters Clara and Cate, travelled from Mayo to the Dáil last week and while they were here they met the Minister for Health. I want to sincerely thank the health Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for ta…

Yes, or London.