Johnny Guirke

I have a question the Minister should be fairly familiar with. Many parents and families have contacted me in the past few days wondering how they are going to pay their children's student fees and rent. People are beginning to see through this Government. The reason it decided to put a halt to the promises made to students and not to include a cost-of-living package in this year's budget is that …

Oireachtas broadcast workers are calling on the Government to end their low-hour contracts and poor working conditions by integrating them into the Civil Service. The team of around 20 manages the live broadcasts of all Dáil, Seanad and committee proceedings, ensuring they are all accessible to the public. However, the team says they are currently paid half the standard industry rate for comparabl…

I welcome the Minister of State's work on reciprocal driving licences. I know he is committed to it, so I thank him for that. Sinn Féin has long called for the extension of voting rights in presidential elections to all on the island. It is about equality and shared identity as Irish people. In 2013, the constitutional convention recommended that Irish citizens living outside the State should have…

The Bill is quite complex and technical, and it is important that the State protects workers. I take this opportunity to reaffirm a core principle that has always guided Sinn Féin, namely, our commitment to standing with workers. Throughout our history, we have been to the forefront in the context of workers’ rights, fairness and dignity in the workplace. For too long, workers have been left vulne…

Independent what?

Independent government.

Yes, you are.

This Bill.

The protection of employees and workers' rights.

The Taoiseach is using our time.

In Gaza, we see a situation so dire, it defies comprehension. An Oxfam worker with 20 years of experience working in conflict zones worldwide has said he has never seen anything like this. Children in Gaza are being starved. Israel has blocked all aid supplies from entering, leaving millions to go hungry for the past 11 weeks. It is genocide. That is what is happening and yet most of the world rem…

In 2025, just 7% of assessments have been completed within the legal timeframe set out in the Disability Act 2005. To say that some children are being failed is an understatement; 93% of children requiring an assessment of need are being failed. Experts in the field advise that early intervention is critical. It allows for a family to plan the supports that a child with an autism diagnosis will ne…

I thank People Before Profit for bringing forward this Bill. I wish to reaffirm our commitment to the rights of workers across Ireland and outline our support for any meaningful reforms that will strengthen a worker’s ability to be heard, respected and fairly represented in the workplace. Every worker deserves dignity, fairness, respect and the right to collective bargaining. These are fundamental…

I welcome the introduction of the Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill represents a crucial step forward in ensuring that access to clean, safe and reliable water remains a fundamental right for all our communities. For too long, residents in areas like Enfield, Clonard, Ballivor and Trim have faced ongoing water outages, with one example of over 300 residents in Clonard relying on water…

It is time to prioritise investment and proper planning to prevent future crises and to support the communities that rely on our water systems every day. From my experience of Uisce Éireann in recent years, I can say that its customer service for elected Members is very poor. A Member could send it an email and receive no reply, despite repeated follow-ups. As I have said before, Uisce Éireann is …

I forgive you.

I want to raise with the Tánaiste the issue of section 5. It probably had its uses, but when abused, as it is being at the moment, it is a very serious tool. Anybody can make a section 5 application, even if he or she does not own the building, to check if it is exempt from planning for an IPAS centre. The owner of the building in a lot of cases does not even know that somebody has made a section…

This May Day, we come together to honour the generations of workers who fought for fairness, dignity and decent pay and to recommit ourselves to that same struggle today. It is also a day to hold the Government to account for its betrayal of those very workers. Let me be brutally honest: the Government, including the Minister, has been shamefully untrustworthy when it comes to workers' rights. Bef…

I wish Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett the best going forward. Sinn Féin has long stood up for the right to retire at 65. We represent the voices of those who have worked hard their entire lives and deserve to retire at 65 if they wish to do so, rather than accepting the retirement age of 66 set by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. There are many complex factors that influence when individuals choose to ret…

Lack of water supply is an issue affecting residents across the country and my constituency of Meath West, particularly in Enfield, Clonard, Ballivor, Trim and surrounding areas. These communities face ongoing water outages that simply cannot be ignored. The Clonard Water Action Group has reached out to me highlighting that more than 300 residents are dealing with daily water shortages and outages…

What about your part in it?

What about your part in it?

The waiting time for a driving test in Meath is disgraceful. The Government has been warned about it for years. Many people are waiting for up to 35 weeks and in some cases even longer to do their driving test. This is completely unacceptable. Navan has the longest waiting list in the country, with an estimated waiting time of 35 weeks for a driving test, with some people waiting even longer. We n…

I express my sincere gratitude to the staff of our local authorities and the hardworking staff of the ESB and the emergency services who gave so much during and after Storm Éowyn. Many of these people are still cleaning up after the storm. In Meath West, community hubs played a crucial role by providing support to many. They ensured that many people in Meath who were without power could charge the…