Ann Graves

At this time of year and with the great weather we are having, families should be planning holidays or spending days at the beach or elsewhere. Instead, for a growing number of families, this is a time of stress. They are already worrying about the cost of their children going back to school in September. On top of spiralling rents, mortgages and food and energy costs, they must also pay for schoo…

I strongly support this motion which seeks to provide clear, identified and funded pathways for people with intellectual disabilities to move from home to a suitable residential placement and which supports the campaign by Before We Die, a family-led advocacy group seeking urgent ring-fenced Government funding for residential care and housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. Their needs …

Ireland's largest summer festival is on this weekend in Newbridge House and Farm in Donabate. Flavours of Fingal is in its 14th year and has been very successful. Between 65,000 and 75,000 people attend over the two days. Part of its success has been down to shuttle buses that bring people to and fro. This year, however, due to cost cutting by Fingal County Council, there is to be no service, whic…

It was subsidised.

I was hoping the Minister could help.

I acknowledge the work that an Teachta Kerrane has put in on this important motion. Affordable childcare is a real challenge for families in my constituency, Dublin Fingal East, one of the largest and fastest growing areas. We are seeing large developments being built delivering thousands of much-needed homes but there is little effort being put into planning good quality affordable childcare fac…

Pride has grown from a small gathering in Dublin to a nationwide celebration of diversity and inclusion. While it is very important that we recognise and celebrate progress, we must not become complacent. There are those who would roll back the progress and drag us back to the dark and less inclusive times. Pride has its roots in the struggle for equality and human rights but now these human righ…

As a an island economy, Ireland's connectivity is essential and, to maximise the benefits to our economy, we need an ambitious aviation strategy. That does not mean that all roads lead to Dublin Airport, which is just as well considering the traffic mayhem there at the moment and the lack of a sustainable transport system. A successful strategy demands balanced, connected infrastructure that leads…

Removal of the mandatory three-day wait period for abortion in early pregnancy is a hugely step forward for women the length and breadth of this country. As it stands, it affects women's access to healthcare right across Ireland; women from all different backgrounds who have made their choices for many different reasons. We have to put the health of women to the forefront and this is key to the Si…

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion. I also congratulate Teachta Ennis on his maiden speech. Sinn Féin fully supports the motion to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures. We also stand with the Stop the Game campaign, which includes a huge number of organisations and individuals across Ireland, from football clubs, fan clubs and trade unions to students, players and pro-…

Public transport is vital for families and communities. A decent, reliable and sustainable transport system connects people with each other, work, education and recreation. The Minister will know that Fingal east faces systematic and long-standing deficits in public transport. The lack of infrastructure is now constraining economic growth and worsening climate outcomes and residential development.…

The much-needed additional gardaí announced for Swords and Malahide are very welcome. However it does not address the need for a fit-for-purpose station in Swords. The station we currently have was built when Swords was a village. We now have a population of over 41,000 and growing. It services the areas around it, including Portmarnock, Donabate and further afield. The gardaí are doing the best …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on an issue that affects women's reproductive health right across the State. I acknowledge that we have come a long way. We have a lot done but there is a lot more to be done. We are in a society now that is far more caring and considerate than the one I grew up in, but we had to fight every step of the way for what we have. From the contraception trains in the 1…

The Government has to deal with the crisis relating to school places in Fingal East. What is happening is very serious. I have a 13-year-old boy who is non-verbal and who has ASD. He is meant to be starting first year. His mother is a single parent and she will be forced to give up her job if she cannot get a place for him in September. In Loreto College Swords, 16 have been left without places fo…

The Government may have won the confidence vote yesterday, backed by Independents, but I can assure the House that I and the public have lost all confidence in it. The Government still has not taken the necessary steps to make fuel affordable at the pumps, and it did nothing on home heating oil. This is despite the fact that heating oil has hit the highest price on record. The last-minute proposed…

I begin by acknowledging all the great work done by thousands of volunteers who ensure our young people have an opportunity to play football every week. We owe a deep gratitude to all the coaches who turn up week in, week out in all weathers to train our young players to be the best they can be both on and off the pitch. The Dublin schoolboy league is the biggest football league in Europe and wit…

I acknowledge the work done by serving members of An Garda Síochána, particularly community gardaí, who do their jobs under very difficult circumstances. Tackling the causes and consequences of crime is not just about law and order and it cannot be left entirely to gardaí. It is about having sufficient Garda numbers, adequately resourced, to work within the communities they serve. Community safe…

I welcome the opportunity to mark International Women's Day. The aim and theme this year of Give to Gain was really strong. The point was collaboration and collective action to drive opportunities for women and girls. When women drive, everyone thrives. As an active trade unionist for all of my working life, I see the link between the struggle for women’s rights and workers' rights. When we improv…

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion, which we fully support. It is an issue we all deal with every single day. For most people, their GP is the first port of call when they have illness in their family. However, GP practices are struggling to deal with demand. We have situations where people have to plan to be sick before they can get an appointment. The primary healthca…

From 21 September to 10 November 2025, Mary Donovan, Mary Dunlevy Greene, Maurice Patton O'Connell and Miriam Moriarty Owens were forced to go on hunger strike outside this building for 51 days and nights in an attempt for justice. They slept on the streets outside this House in appalling conditions and weather. Their meagre possessions were stolen in what is supposed to be safe Dublin. They did i…

The Government's plan to cut SNAs from individual schools has to be scrapped. It shows the Government is out of touch with the needs of schools and parents, but most importantly, children. Imposing quotas to SNAs is going to affect our most vulnerable children. I have been contacted by schools and parents across my constituency and they are really anxious about the announcement. Those who have got…

After a substantial review.

Housing remains the single biggest emergency that families and communities face in Ireland. It affects every aspect of our society, from families languishing on council housing lists for 16 years and more, never sure if the dreaded eviction notice is going to land, to teachers, nurses, doctors, gardaí and skilled workers having to move abroad where they can afford mortgages and rents. They cannot …

Violence against women in Ireland is a massive problem and the digital and social media spaces have a central role in amplifying this violence. The sharing of non-consensual photos or the recording of images is absolutely wrong on all levels and is rightfully criminalised under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, or Coco's Law. Unfortunately, however, the use of A…

Households pay for their water. It is not free. It is an essential service covered by general taxation, which funds Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann was dressed up as a solution to all our water problems, but for the people in Dublin Fingal East whom I represent, this is not the case. Uisce Éireann is a major obstacle to the progress on building houses and getting them out for sale to new families. We…