Seamus Healy

I am genuinely shocked at the Minister's response to this motion. Last week, the Government and the Minister spread fear, trepidation, confusion and chaos across this country for parents, special needs assistants and entire school communities. There is not even a mention of an apology or an "I am sorry" in her contribution. That is disappointing, to say the least. It indicates to me that the Gover…

Addressing this issue of remote working in the Chamber on 21 January last, I said, "These working conditions must be based on a legal framework, giving an entitlement to these arrangements." This Bill, which I warmly welcome, does just that. It gives workers a clear, enforceable legal right to work remotely and ends refusals based on tradition, preconceived ideas, antagonisms and vague and spuriou…

The Before We Die campaign advocates for the availability of choice and quality residential housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. The question that all parents, especially those in their 70s and 80s, ask is this: "What will happen to my son or daughter when we are no longer able to care for them?". A parent told me recently that the very thought of this keeps them awake for nights on …

I asked about it last week.

Homeownership is very dear to the hearts of Irish people. It should be a reasonable hope of any family but homeownership has nose-dived and is sadly now a dream rather than a reality. Property prices have increased by over 47% since 2020, locking large numbers out of homeownership, and driving those lucky enough to secure a house into debt. The housing emergency in the State is driving middle and …

Clonmel is finally a good news story where flooding is concerned. We have our flood defences in place on the basis of a one-in-100-years flood that happened previously. They have stood the test of time over the past ten to 12 years, much to the relief of householders and businesses across the town. However, it took forever to get them. I hope that places like Midleton and Enniscorthy do not have t…

Retired An Post and Eir workers, some in wheelchairs, protested outside the Dáil yesterday to have agreed increases in their pensions approved by the Government. Those increases have been agreed by the company board, the scheme's trustees, the Communications Workers' Union and actuaries. Some of them were due from 1 June 2025 but cannot be paid until they are approved by the Ministers for communic…

The pensions of An Post and Eir retirees. People who retired from those companies-----

I ask the Taoiseach to intervene personally, because they have been waiting months.

This Bill involves an erosion of migrants' rights and a shift towards deterrence. It is rushed legislation that is deeply flawed. We are being told by the Government that there is going to be a raft of amendments. As a result, we cannot scrutinise the Bill properly. The Bill leans towards the far right and racist lobby that is opposed to all migration, be it legal or illegal or whether it relates …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I thank the Sinn Féin Deputies for bringing it forward. I welcome the Bill. It is important legislation, although it is short, that is vital for the protection of the public, both adults and children, to stop the creation and distribution of intimate images without consent. Unfortunately, there are gaps in the principal Act of 2020. This legislation…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — a cost-of-living crisis exists in this State; — Budget 2026 was predicated on an inflation rate of 2 per cent, but it is now at 3.2 per cent; — prices have increased by 23.5 per cent in the last five years; — food prices have increased by 5 per cent in the last year; — Irish electricity prices are among the highest in the European Union (EU), 24 per …

I am shocked by the Government's amendment. In effect, it is saying that everything in the garden is rosy. However, low- and middle-income families know very well that everything in the garden is not rosy. The Government's amendment does not even acknowledge the cost-of-living crisis that exists. It does not acknowledge the huge financial pressures on families. There is no acknowledgement that bud…

The only guarantee in the Bill is that the already unaffordable rip-off rents will be increased to extortionate proportions, and I mean all rents, not just those affecting tenancies, from 1 March. Over a very short period, all rents will increase to extortionate proportions. It is an outright attack on renters. Some 60,000 renters will have their rents increased every year by anything up to €3,000…

I want to raise again the fact that the people of south Tipperary have had no ophthalmology service for almost 18 months now. There is a huge waiting list, heading for over 3,000, of children and adults waiting for urgent eye treatment. Hundreds of children have never been seen. Hundreds of people with glaucoma have either never been seen or are awaiting follow-up treatment and some may be facing …

Remote, flexible and hybrid working is here to stay. Recent demands to return to the office from banks, IT companies and Departments seem to challenge that view. Long-term arrangements must be put in place for this type of working. These working arrangements are essential for modern work-life balance and must not be treated as temporary or pandemic related. These working conditions must be based o…

Senior executives of Irish Water got bonuses of up to €32,000 in 2024. This was on top of six-figure salaries ranging from €122,000 to €255,000. Some 47 people got bonuses of between €6,600 and €32,500. Over 560 staff on salaries of between €83,000 and €154,000 got bonuses of between €1,000 and €22,000. There are no bonuses paid to workers who are out at all hours of the day and night fixing burst…

2. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce, as promised, a weekly cost-of-disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3197/26]

People with disabilities and their families incur considerably more expense to survive on a weekly basis, due to their disability. While the Government promised a weekly cost-of-disability payment, it reneged on that promise or, at least, it has not introduced that payment. When will that payment be introduced? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

People with disabilities are entitled to live with dignity, security and equal opportunity. Unfortunately, reports show that disabled individuals are four times more likely to live in poverty. In fact, one in five disabled people who are unable to work live in consistent poverty. Two in five experience enforced deprivation and are unable to afford essentials like heating, new clothes or social con…

This is an urgent situation. It cannot wait 12 or 18 months or whatever period the Department and Minister have in mind. It is urgent and needs to be dealt with now. This Government talks about targeted measures. This is surely the most targeted measure it could devise. It is a one that deals directly with the poverty being experienced by disabled people. If it is not the Minister's intention to i…

Irish Water is not fit for purpose. It should never have been established and it should now be abolished. It is hiding from the public. It has no public offices. It refuses to meet elected representatives in open, democratic forums like county council meetings. Consumers cannot meet any Irish Water official face to face. Of course, they can report a problem to a call centre. They may get a report …

As the Taoiseach knows, Clonmel is a significant economic, social and cultural hub with significant employment in industry and services. However, the town centre requires considerable refurbishment having been hit by changing retail trends and the resulting closure of businesses, including long-standing family businesses. Tipperary County Council has a significant town centre upgrading project rea…

The Mercosur deal threatens the future of Irish agriculture and Irish farm families and it harms rural communities. The European Commission concluded negotiations with the four Mercosur countries in December 2024. The deal was to be subject to the approval of national parliaments and unanimity at EU level but, in a political stroke in September 2025, the deal was split into two separate sections, …

I welcome and support this Bill. I thank Deputy Coppinger for bringing it forward. The supporters of fox hunting like to present this issue as a rural versus urban one. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. This issue actually unites urban and rural communities. Every poll and survey shows a significant majority of the public, both urban and rural, are opposed to fox hunting and wan…