Mairéad Farrell

International Women's Day is an important day in the calendar year. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate the strength, courage and resilience of women - women who have shaped our communities, our families and who continue to stand up for what is right in a very unjust world. However, we must remember that International Women's Day is not only about looking back. It is about recognising the st…

Energy and fuel prices are terrifyingly high for people. People cannot afford more delay and inaction from this Government, particularly after a budget that left families and workers worse off. This Sinn Féin Private Members’ motion is another opportunity for all those sitting on the other side of this Chamber to do the right thing, make the right decision and make life easier for people. This Gov…

Hear, hear.

Over the past few days, we have seen Iran's cities bombed, its leader assassinated and civil infrastructure destroyed. Among the targets hit was a girls' elementary school, where people, including innocent schoolchildren, the most vulnerable members of society, were slaughtered. These facts alone should give world leaders, including the Irish Government, pause for serious thought. These developme…

Tá sé tábhachtach a rá gur mhaith an rud é go bhfuil daoine óga chomh tógtha leis an nGaeilge is atá faoi láthair. Feicimid go bhfuil gluaiseacht láidir ann le daoine óga a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge. I ndáiríre, is na daoine óga atá ag cur brú orainn chun a chinntiú go bhfuil na seirbhísí agus chuile shórt ar fáil dóibh trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ar ndóigh, tá go leor rudaí cultúrtha ann atá ag brú a…

Is maith an rud é go raibh ráitis againn inniu maidir le Seachtain na Gaeilge agus is maith an rud é go mbíonn díospóireacht chuile bhliain againn sa Seomra seo mar gheall ar chúrsaí Gaeilge. Is maith an rud é ach muna bhfuil gníomh ann théis sin agus muna ndéantar dada chun cabhrú le muintir na Gaeltachta fanacht sa Ghaeltacht agus a theaghlaigh a thógáil sa Ghaeltacht, céard is fiú é? Is fiú fai…

145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide an update on the possibility of derogation from the World Athletics 1934 political boundary rule that prohibits athletes from the North of Ireland from representing Ireland at European and world athletics competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16819/26]

It is very hard to follow the words of a child who knows and tells us how important their SNAs are. That is why when we have this conversation and are having this debate, we need to thank our SNAs who are working tirelessly and often thanklessly to care for and support our children and children within our communities. SNAs are the reason children with additional needs can be educated with their f…

Tá imní ar mhuintir Chonamara faoi iarratas atá curtha isteach ag Arramara Teoranta maidir le baint feamainne ar fud Chonamara. Mar is eol don Taoiseach, is ceist ghoilliúnach í seo. An príomhrud atá ag cur imní ar dhaoine ná cén cosaint a mbeidh ag bainteoirí feamainne traidisiúnta sa reachtaíocht nua. Dúradh in 2018 go raibh cosaint ann ach anois níl sé soiléir go bhfuil nó, níos measa fós, brea…

3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to give an update on flood relief schemes; and on the underspend within the allocation to the National Flood Forecasting Warning Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11569/26]

The fact of the matter is remote working works. It works for workers, for businesses and for communities. Workers have really gained control of their work-life balance, businesses have been able to cut their overhead costs and workers and families are now far more involved in their local communities because they can be. I am deeply concerned about recent efforts to undermine these gains. This is a…

There are a number of issues relating to Uisce Éireann. They have been well documented here today. I want to talk about a number of issues in my home county of Galway in both the city and the county. I am talking about certain pieces of infrastructure like wastewater infrastructure. That is basic infrastructure that any developed country should be able to provide for the people living in its citi…

Hear, hear.

The reality of this deal is simple. It is a sell-out. It is a sell-out of Irish farmers, our food standards and even our environmental protections. The European Commission has forced through this agreement, completely ignoring the huge cost it brings to the people of Ireland and of Europe. The cost of this deal is Irish livelihoods. Irish farmers cannot fairly compete with cheap imports from Merco…

Last night, thousands of households across Connemara were without power again. There was a storm and lightning. No one is going to blame the Government for lightening or a storm by any stretch of the imagination. However, we have a situation where every two weeks I get a text from someone who lives in Connemara to tell me the electricity has gone out again. Over the summer months, it is every mont…

To be very clear here, I welcome any investment that helps this situation. However, we need to be clear that there is a need for long-term investment because of so many decades of underinvestment in the basic infrastructure in Connemara. That is why we have poles that are pushed over on their sides and cables still on the ground. We also need to look at what can be done immediately to alleviate th…

Forty-five years ago today, my aunt was on her 17th day of hunger strike in Armagh Gaol. We know what followed the following year when ten men died on hunger strike in Long Kesh. I understand that today in Britain, six people held in pre-trial detention are presently on hunger strike following their arrests for trying to stop the genocide. It should not be a crime to stop war crimes. Qesser Zuhrah…

I thank the Tánaiste.

I stood with colleagues across the House two short months ago to ask the Minister of State to ensure the Government would start standing up to the EU and demanding fairness and justice for Irish fishing communities. Following the recent outcome of the EU's Agriculture and Fisheries Council, that demand is clearly being put to the test. This outcome is disastrous for our fishing industry. We need t…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na hAirí as teacht os comhair na Dála ar an gceist seo. Ar ndóigh, tuigim gur Bille fíorthábhachtach é seo chun a chinntiú gur féidir le Ranna Rialtais airgead a chaitheamh ag tús Mhí Eanáir agus nach mbeidh vótaí ag teastáil chun é sin a dhéanamh. Mar gheall air sin, tuigimid an tábhacht a bhaineann leis. Tá bunús bunreachtúil leis an mBille seo agus, mar sin, beimid i Sinn …

1. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of the Government’s new infrastructure plan, Accelerating Infrastructure-Report and Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70883/25]

Dia duit ar maidin, a Aire. The Minister has outlined a new infrastructure plan and clearly we have a serious infrastructural deficit, which I have raised with him numerous times. This infrastructure deficit, particularly in the west of Ireland, is as a result of decades of neglect by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. The Government has promised the earth and has delivered really nothing in t…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. One of the things I noticed when I was reading the plan was that there are the 30 actions and it seems to me that every single one of them will be delivered in quarter two of 2027. This is a ten-year action plan and it seems that, from what I have read, 2026 to 2027 is when they are going to be delivered. That is obviously a two-year timeframe. My query is in relatio…

I have to be very honest here. I want to this to work. The reality is that the way previous Governments have treated infrastructure has been abysmal and we see the direct results that has had. We see it particularly when storms hit or when people want to be able to build housing, providing housing or be able to attract jobs to areas. The state of our infrastructure has been horrific. I have a numb…

3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of protected disclosures legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70884/25]