Jen Cummins

I want to focus on young people. I have worked with young people through youth work and through the school completion programme for many decades. Their involvement in the online world is as important to many of them as their real-life existence. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw a huge replacement of the physical – being together and playing – with online life. We regulate things. If you go to …

Imagine trying to convince a government that it has to uphold the laws that it rules over. It is like the plot of an eery psychological thriller. Imagine being the parents of a child with additional needs who is trying to access these supports for their child but they are met with blockage after blockage. Parents have enough to be doing to support and parent their child without having to be activi…

The Deputy's time has passed.

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 Albert Dolan - To discuss housing voids across local authority housing. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere - To discuss the Kilkenny institute further education and training campus. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the issue of respite b…

Thank you, Deputy.

Thank you, Deputy.

Deputy, you are 30 seconds over time.

Your time is up, Deputy.

Deputy, please, your time is up, and you are delaying other people who have questions.

I wish to advise the Deputy that according to the Dáil Salient Rulings of the Chair, Nos. 467 and 468, Members should not comment, criticise or make any charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way to make him identifiable.

The Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has completed its consideration of the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill 2025 and has made amendments thereto.

I welcome the members of the finance committee from Greenland, who have just arrived in the viewing Gallery.

I want to speak to the Taoiseach today about the four people who were on hunger strike for 50 days until 10 November. He met with them, and an agreement was reached. He signed the letter outlining the promises that the Government has made to these survivors who were wronged in childhood and are continually wronged in adulthood. Three and a half weeks have passed. There is a new Minister for Educat…

I thank Deputy McGettigan and other Deputies very much for tabling these amendments. We had a good debate on this Bill in October. As a new TD, I am learning how all this process goes.

Forgive me if I am doing this incorrectly, even today.

We are all learning. We discussed a proposal that funding which had not been used already would be used and put back into buildings and things like that. I said at the time that I have worked in further education buildings which need to be retrofitted. I understand what the Minister is saying. For the learners and teachers in a building that is draughty and cold - it may have ivy coming into it - …

I welcome the amendment and accept what the Minister has said on the EU legislation that could facilitate it. It would be great if it was facilitated. I agree with what has been said on apprenticeships. The further and higher education committee has spoken of it at length in recent months. Wonderful witnesses have come in and told us the stories of how amazing they have to be to motivate themselve…

I raise deeply worrying and entirely unacceptable issues for apartment owners and renters who are experiencing them in my constituency of Dublin South-Central. Let me paint a picture for the Minister of State. When I visited some of these apartment blocks, I saw fire safety hazards and potential for flooding. In another apartment block, I saw water coming into people's homes. This was not from a r…

I am happy measures are being put in place and the scheme is coming onstream. However, for these people who are living there, the time is now. How much time does the Government need? When can they access this? The difficulty is the communal areas. If people are not paying in and if everyone is not in the OMC, what seems to be happening is that they are not able to access the remedial fund. When th…

For years, we have watched mothers on our television screens as they scream, cry and mourn the death of their children. We have seen children and babies covered in blood and dust as they suffer in hospitals with no medical equipment. We have seen tiny bodies covered in white cloths waiting to be buried, their family members rocking them back and forth to ease the absolute horror of holding their d…

The St. Vincent de Paul is expecting 250,000 calls in advance of Christmas this year. It outlines that one-parent families and low-income workers, as well as people with disabilities and carers, are those who are most likely not to be able to afford the basics. St. Vincent de Paul has said that it is ready and that it will spend tens of millions of euros supporting people with food, vouchers, groc…

The recurring theme of my time in this Chamber is talking about special education. Today I want to bring up the NCSE asking parents to notify it before 1 October if their child needs space in a school. This is fantastic because it means the process is supposed to move on further.

I have been assured by both the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, that despite the fact 1 October has passed, this will not prevent any child who gets a diagnosis or a letter of eligibility afterwards from being considered. This is not the experience of many parents who have contacted me. Some of them are from the Tánaiste’s constituency. If you look at …

I am able to say to parents what I have been told and they are able to get around it that way but this must be much clearer for parents. It is very difficult. I am speaking on behalf of other parents who have told me it is difficult to have a child with a disability and additional needs and navigate that system. Will the Tánaiste please ask the Minister to get the NCSE to clarify that situation fo…

I am delighted to contribute to this debate today during Science Week. As spokesperson for this area, I have had the pleasure over the last number of months of meeting many groups, organisations and people working in this area. I would like to talk about the main issues that could prevent us from being a world-class leader in science if they are not addressed. We need to ensure that our primary s…