Mairéad Farrell

This question relates to protected disclosures. We all recognise the importance of whistleblowers and the incredible work they do for our society in calling out wrongdoing. Unfortunately, doing so for the better of society often comes at their own expense. There was a debate on a Private Members' motion on this issue a few weeks ago. Will the Minister provide an update on whistleblower legislation…

The legislation may only be in place three years but we knew, when it was going through the Houses, that it was far too weak. Everybody agreed on that. It was almost the weakest transposition of the directive that could be made. One of the key issues debated at the time was retrospectivity and how so many people were locked out of the Act's provisions. Has the Minister dealt with EU counterparts o…

This is an issue I am particularly passionate about and I appeal directly to the Minister in this regard. Whistleblowers are telling us they are being failed by the legislation. The Minister has responsibility for it, albeit he has advisers and all of that, and I am appealing directly to him to really look, by way of the review, at the best way to ensure whistleblowers are specifically protected a…

4. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of the removal of pay ceilings for CEOs of Irish commercial State-owned enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70885/25]

I would love to say more about whistleblowers but we must move on. This question is about the status of the removal of pay ceilings for CEOs of State-owned commercial enterprises.

It is unbelievable to me that being out of line with the market and being competitive only ever in this Chamber relates to those people who are on the highest income. It is never about competitiveness for low-wage workers. It is never out of line for low-wage workers. The Minister's decision to remove these pay ceilings has resulted in pay increases for CEOs of Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann of €…

I do not think the Minister can seriously come into this Chamber and say his budgets have delivered for people in poverty. One in five children is living in poverty under the Minister's watch, while 15% of the State's population is living in poverty. The Minister talks about an independent recommendation committee on the pay of CEOs in the top 1%. Where is his independent recommendation committee…

It is not. Children in poverty.

The Minister must know that narrative is what is causing this.

13. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding investment in critical infrastructure in the west of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70765/25]

It will come as no surprise to the Minister that I am raising the issue of critical infrastructure in the west. Thankfully, the storm this week did not hit Connemara in the way Storms Éowyn, Bert and Darragh did last year. However, we still have the aftermath and impact of those storms. The Minister knows Connemara well. If he travels around Connemara now, he will see there are still wires on the …

I understand what the Minister said about things not being done in an area-specific way but, rather, in terms of Departments. I also know that he is the Minister for infrastructure, and he has an understanding of the west of Ireland. He has links to the west and knows Connemara well from his time as Minister for the Gaeltacht. I know, and I am sure the Minister knows, the serious lack of basic cri…

When I look at infrastructure in the west I see it in two veins. There is obviously the serious capital investment needed for those bigger projects. The Minister has outlined some of them. Any investment there is welcome but there are also thee basic things that need to be done immediately. The Minister will remember the snow during Storm Bert, which had serious implications across Connemara. We…

In relation to the expected commencing of the construction of school buildings, I am aware the Minister of State recently visited Lakeview School, which is an important school on the east side of Galway city. As he will know, unfortunately, it is only able to place five students for the 2026-2027 school year. There is a waiting list of 11 children who cannot be accommodated due to space constraint…

We are entitled to ask questions.

Having listened to what the Minister of State said here today, it seems quite clear to me that there is no will from Government to change this. The reality is that this is affecting real people's lives as it does day and day out and as it does today while people are waiting to have procedures and consultations. We are talking about people waiting in the emergency department in Galway University Ho…

We may need to suspend for five minutes while we get clarity because a new amendment would be required and we do not currently have one in front of us.

The current amendment provides for 12 months. We will suspend briefly to get clarity and make sure the procedure is correct.

Is it agreed, by leave of the House, to amend the Government's amendment to substitute "nine months" for "12 months"? Agreed. In that case, I will now put the question on the amended amendment.

There are two issues in this area I wish to raise. The first relates to online banking and the second relates to online scams. I have raised these scams on numerous occasions over the past three years because I have been consistently contacted by people who have been affected and impacted by them. From the experiences of those I have been contracted by, it is particularly an issue at Christmas tim…

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time this evening. We will now suspend until 12 noon.

Last month, a report by the International Energy Agency found that energy companies are buying electricity at a third of the price they are selling it at. We have hard-pressed working people and families being absolutely fleeced by big energy companies. The report confirms that sky-high energy prices are not the result of unpredictable global market shocks. Quite simply, they are being set by pric…

I, too, like the previous speaker, have been a public representative for some time. I have been a public representative for the last 11 years and I have to say, I have never seen the housing crisis as bad as I am seeing it now. To be honest, at this point, I nearly think it is with intent. I am dealing with people, and we know the homeless figures are increasing every month, but I also see the imp…

I want to begin by saying the response from Government was outrageous. We have whistleblowers here today who clearly fed into this fantastic motion that Independent Ireland put forward and all we got from the Minister of State was gaslighting. To say it is not a Bill and, therefore, he cannot back it is nonsense. Deputy Buckley and I introduced a Bill four years ago and it was not acted on. Also, …

The Government can legislate.