Ann Graves

Unlike the Government, Sinn Féin has a plan to deliver an affordable, reliable and safe public transport system. This is key to building sustainable, connected communities. I moved to Swords 35 years ago. When I moved there, the population was 17,000; now it is almost 48,000. Unfortunately, the transport system has not kept up with the demands of the growing population. The then Fianna Fáil Govern…

The local property tax is an unjust tax on the family home. It should never have been introduced. A home should never have been turned into a financial asset. It should be treated not as a source of wealth but as a necessity. The original household charge was brought in during the crash when the troika came to town. Like many other measures from the time of austerity, it was supposed to have been …

The housing emergency is the biggest challenge facing people in Ireland today. There is no leadership or strategy from the Government. Its response has been flip-flopping, chaos and confusion. This has a direct impact on public services with teachers, gardaí, firefighters and nurses unable to afford rent and unable to get a mortgage. It is time for this Government to wake up to the damage its poli…

Carers and front-line health workers are the backbone of our care system. I want to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of home carers in Ireland who are our unsung heroes. Carers enable people to care and to live independently in their own homes with dignity for as long as they can. This is hugely important for people's quality of life and it greatly reduces the pressure on our healthcare syste…

We have gone beyond the stage of debate and discussion on the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza. Gazans are now being subjected to forced starvation. We see evidence of the crimes against humanity being carried out every day on our television screens, social media and right across all networks. There is no hiding from the evidence. Israel must be held to account for these actions. We al…

This Government has once again failed the most vulnerable. A total of 15,296 children are overdue for an assessment of need. It is nothing short of a scandal. It is a priority for Sinn Féin. We and the combined Opposition have come together to table a motion during Sinn Féin's Private Members' time, demanding that the Government moves urgently on this matter. Children are entitled to an assessment…

I thank the Deputies for introducing this Bill. It goes to the core of how workers can defend and improve their pay and conditions of employment. Workers need a Government that is on their side. For far too long, workers and their rights have just been an afterthought. Right now, Ireland, disgracefully, has what is among the most restrictive trade union legislative regimes in the developed world. …

The education of our young people is hugely important. We need to ensure it is carried out in a supportive and inclusive environment. Sinn Féin has a long-standing policy on choice and diversification in education. In our manifesto in 2024, we committed to developing a new strategy to support existing and emerging demands for diversification of patronage in school. This includes State co-educatio…

Tackling the causes and consequences of the drug crisis has to become a political priority. The new national drugs strategy is the opportunity for the Government to do this. To ensure success, those at the heart of the drugs crisis need to be at the core of the process. Ignoring them is simply not an option. The Government must commit to working and engaging with families, communities and communit…

The early years education sector is in crisis. It is not serving the interests of parents, children or providers. It is in serious need of investment and adequate funding. Parents are paying the equivalent of a mortgage for services. In some cases, they cannot access childcare even if they could afford it. My office in Swords responds every day to people caught up in this crisis. David from Malah…

Sonas Lá na Bealtaine oraibh. I am very proud member of SIPTU and have been a union member and representative all my working life. I commend the unions represented in Leinster House today promoting the benefits of union membership. I was also happy to stand with the early years childhood groups in calling on the Government to honour its pre-election promises to the sector. Trade unions pay an impo…

Many of our most vulnerable children and young people have been failed not only by CHI but also by the Government. Families from right across my constituency of Dublin Fingal East have contacted me in desperation, pleading for decent healthcare services for their children. A young mother in Swords who has turned her life around and gone back to education has a three-year-old child who has severe n…

Uisce Éireann has to become more accountable to the public it serves. A constituent of mine, an old-age pensioner, is owed money by Uisce Éireann since last November, when she paid Dyno-Rod, a private company, to clear an urgent problem that was the responsibility of Uisce Éireann because she could not wait for it to act. The cost was €190, a substantial amount of money, particularly for an old ag…

Sinn Féin is intent on scrapping water charges once and for all. We have been consistent in our opposition to this taxation. To be clear, water is not free. Households pay for their water. It is an essential service and is covered by general taxation. Consecutive Governments have wanted the public to pay for their water three times - through general taxation, the costs of setting up and running Ui…

Our young people are our greatest resource. We need to start by acknowledging that. We also need to support and invest in them. I acknowledge the great work done by the youth services in my area in Fingal east, including Crosscare, Youthreach, the north Fingal youth diversion programme and all the local clubs that work with our young people. Diverting young people from criminal activity must be ba…

At the recent European Council meeting, discussion took place on the Middle East. It was really disappointing to see the subsequent resolution that passed did not mention Israel. Nowhere in the resolution does it mention the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza, or the unprecedented violence being carried out by Israel in the West Bank. It is clear for anyone to see that Israel is guilty …

I welcome this motion. The carer's allowance is a hugely important issue that needs to be addressed. The means test must be scrapped. Members of this Government should hang their heads in shame. In the run up to the recent general election, the Government promised to scrap the means test. Four months after the election, absolutely nothing has been done. There is no plan, detail or timeline. The Go…

I acknowledge the members of the commission for producing such a detailed and thought-provoking report. It offers a serious critique of the previous Government as well as the current one. The commission's report states that there have been systematic failures and ineffective decision-making in the Government's housing policy but this only confirms what we already know. The report also states that…

I am honoured to speak here today to mark International Women's Day. As a life-long trade unionist and activist, I see a clear link between the struggle for women's rights and the struggle for workers' rights. International Women's Day grew out of the labour movement in the US and workers' struggle for better conditions. It was marked for the first time by the UN in 1975. In December 1977, the Gen…

Dublin is a great city. Our people, history and rich culture make it a great place to live. Everyone has a right to feel safe. Every community should be a safe and welcoming place in which to live, work and visit, but unfortunately not everyone feels safe here in Dublin. Every community is different but the challenges are the same. The lack of a visible, accessible, reliable and accountable Garda …

As this is my first time to speak, I take the opportunity to thank my family for their ongoing support - my daughter Christine, sons Paul and David, grandson Noah, and Mary and Alana. I remember my husband, who passed away last year and who was my strongest supporter. I also thank the people in Dublin Fingal East who came out to vote for me and put their trust in me. I intend representing them to …

I will just add that investment has been lacking under successive Governments and we need it now.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle.