Aidan Farrelly

The Taoiseach has said that a key issue for him in the budget will be child poverty. I agree with the focus, but his words ring very hollow because we have heard all this before. The previous Government made reducing child poverty a priority. What has happened since? The number of children living in consistent poverty has nearly doubled to more than 100,000 in 2024. That is not a blip. Nearly 5,00…

I thank the Minister of State for his opening remarks. What has concerned me and many others since the airing of this damning and tragic show is that when I speak to those who are working in the sector, and when we speak to families, what I consistently hear is that this is the tip of the iceberg. The fear that is out there in the sector, among the staff and families, is about what we do not know.…

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 Joanna Byrne - To discuss the inclusion of a school (details supplied) in Drogheda in the pathfinder programme for retrofit upgrades. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss provisions for footpath and road improvement works in Cahersive…

I thank the Deputy.

Time is up.

As a spokesperson on children for the Social Democrats I will begin by bearing in mind the 50,000 children and young people who have been killed or injured in this genocide since 2023. To quote UNICEF, "The children of Gaza need protection. They need food, water, and medicine. They need a ceasefire. But more than anything, they need immediate, collective action to stop this once and for all." A to…

What is going on in the Department of public expenditure? More aptly, should we be calling it the Department of public mis-expenditure at this stage? That is what we all want to know, because the Department is in charge of tens of billions of euro and now we learn that its own HR agency cannot do its sums right. Senior civil servants and Ministers, current and former, were overpaid huge sums of mo…

So far this Government has said that housing will be its number one priority but it appears that its members are not even talking to each other and continue to think up housing policy on the fly. It cannot even get its story straight on today’s announcement about rent pressure zone reform. So far, we have seen thinking-out-loud policy briefing about sheds in gardens; a housing czar that no one wan…

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 Ciarán Ahern - To discuss water infrastructure in Knocklyon, south Dublin. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss plans has for surplus lands/buildings at the former St. Finan's campus, Killarney, County Kerry. Deputy John Brady - To d…

After the Government was formed, the new Department of Education and Youth brought youth over from what was a very busy Department. In the main, this was met with positive feedback from youth workers on the ground. As the Taoiseach knows, youth and youth affairs have transitioned between many Departments over the years. Let us hope that its new home becomes something of a permanent move. The Taoi…

I thank the Acting Chair for sitting so late. I also thank the Minister of State for her time here this evening. County Kildare is in desperate need of the Government's attention. Despite being the fifth most populated local authority area in the State, with a population four times larger than our neighbours in Carlow, we rarely receive the appropriate national attention required. Kildare's growt…

I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply, which I appreciate. I am certainly struck by the piece regarding the forward planning model, which is something I and other colleagues on the children committee will be looking for more detail on. It would add breadth and meat to the bones of how the programme for Government is going to achieve its ambitious targets with regard to childca…

I thank the Minister. I also thank Deputies Ó Snodaigh and Byrne for doing so much work on the Bill beforehand. I have come to the House to offer a welcome and support. I have not yet had the opportunity to see the details of the general scheme but, taking the Government at its word, it certainly seems like what the Minister has done in the first number of months in his role is positive in terms …

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 Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin - To discuss the closure of the Gorey and Courtown meals on wheels . Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss substandard water and wastewater connections at Ellen's Court, County Dublin. Deputy Brian Brennan -…

I thank the Minister for the opportunity to speak and to echo the comments made so far by my colleagues Deputies Kerrane and Wall on the eve of our first committee meeting that will take place tomorrow. The brief the Minister has before her is one that is ripe with optimism about impact and outcomes for children, young people and those affected by issues of equality in our society. I wish the Min…

At the weekend, Mark Tighe reported in the Sunday Independent on the apparent toxic workplace environment and irreparable damage happening at the Corporate Enforcement Agency. In his piece, Mr. Tighe referenced the disintegration of the CEA's leadership team and the gaps in experienced police investigators. Many of those posts are vacant or were never filled at Garda sergeant and inspector ranks. …

Tairgim: Go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú. I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Constitution. This Bill is the Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Reduction of Voting Age to Sixteen Years) Bill 2025. I take the opportunity to thank the OPLA and the Bills Office for their support in preparing th…

Tairgim: "Go dtógfar an Bille in am Comhaltaí Príobháideacha." I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. I commend the work of my colleague Deputy Jen Cummins - or, of particular interest and of importance in this debate, Dr. Jen Cummins - who has dedicated her professional life to education, both formal and informal. I say that just to add even further credibility to the validity of this motion. This is evidence-informed and it is important that we…

In 2023, 5,500 safeguarding notifications regarding concerns relating to adults aged over 65 years were submitted to the HSE safeguarding and protection teams. In a response from the Minister for Justice this week, he said that while criminal offences in general, including coercion, harassment, theft and so on apply across the board, the coercive control legislation specifically applies to a spou…

I thank Deputy Kerrane and her colleagues in Sinn Féin for proposing this motion. We have had many conversations about childcare in recent months since I have been the spokesperson for childcare but, more importantly, since my time as a parent to three young children. I have been really interested in the similarities that face the early years education and childcare sector with the healthcare sect…

On a point of order, is that my amendment?

There has been an agreed change to the order of Priority Questions. We will move to Question No. 6 in the name of Deputy Joe Neville.

We have a supplementary question from Deputy Conway-Walsh.

Before we move on, I will briefly welcome a group of fifth year students to the Public Gallery. They are peer mentors from Enfield Community College in Enfield, County Meath. They are doing incredible work. We can see them up there and we look forward to seeing some of them down here in the coming years. I congratulate them and thank their principal, Shane, and teacher, Gráinne, for doing that. Yo…