As the Minister is probably aware, an outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in County Carlow. This flock of about 500 birds will have to be euthanised. We need to see adequate compensation packages for farmers affected and biosecurity measures must be stepped up. As a preventative, I am calling for a housing order to be implemented as we know wild birds play a huge role in spreading avian influenza. We saw this recently in Fota Wildlife Park. I call on the Government to introduce an a…

I support the intent of this Bill but it cannot be pushed through without the necessary safeguards. People in counties Kilkenny and Carlow are paying a heavy price for the consecutive failures of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, and his colleagues to invest in our energy infrastructure. It is an issue my constituents continually contact me about. There is a question I would love to see answered. Is your top priority for energy residential housing or is it data centres? Which of these is at the top of the Minis…

When we read the stark figures on men's health in Ireland, they should be ringing alarm bells across the Government. The statistics we have are not just numbers; they are a national crisis. Every one of those numbers represents a family member, friend or loved one. Let us be clear about the reality facing men in Ireland. Men account for four in every five suicide deaths in Ireland. Men are 34% more likely to die from cancer than women. Behind these figures are tens of thousands of men suffering in silence. The hars…

Just recently, the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers, among others, were invited in to the agriculture committee to tell us what we already knew, namely, that the tillage industry is on its knees. We heard of the struggles facing the tillage sector. I listened to the Minister’s own colleagues call out for support for farmers struggling in every sense of the word. Members from all sides of the House were united and spoke clearly about the need for this Government to support these farmers and recognise the vital contri…

I commend my colleagues on their work on this motion. Most importantly, I pay tribute to the various disability advocacy groups for their invaluable assistance. I worked as a carer for people with disabilities for 18 years in south Kilkenny. The most consistent thing I encountered over those years was that people with a disability want to live as independently as possible. The harsh reality is that the actions of the Minister and his colleagues over several budgets have made this increasingly difficult. The Governm…

That would be too much work for them.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The targets for mammograms in 2023 and 2024 were missed by nearly 80,000. On KCLR recently, I listened to so many women across Carlow and Kilkenny telling their stories. One woman told of her experience after being referred for a scan by her GP because of a lump on her breast. She said months went by without a single word from the hospital. She contacted the hospital only to be told that she was marked as an urgent case but that the wait for her scan could be up to ten mont…

Not on the people working.

But not next year. Not when they need it.

For years, the struggles faced by family carers have been raised here in the Dáil and in communities across Ireland. Family Carers Ireland has told us clearly that carers' situation needs to be treated like a house on fire. Budget 2026 was the Government's chance to take on that fire. Instead, this Government has arrived with little more than a water pistol. Last week in the Dáil, TD after TD from all sides of the House stood up to praise carers and spoke of the need to scrap the means test. We spoke of the immense…

I strongly welcome and support this motion. I worked as a carer for people with disabilities for 18 years. I have witnessed first-hand the invaluable work carried out by thousands of other carers across this country and I can say this: I, along with the carers who I worked with over those years, am sick and tired of hearing the Minister and his colleagues singing their praises in this Chamber. Enough of the empty words of praise. The time for the respect and support the Minister promised is long passed. We are near…

Every community in Ireland knows the value of sport. It is essential for our physical health, our mental well-being and strengthening community cohesion. Countless reports show the enormous social and health returns on every euro invested in sport. While the Minister of State and his colleagues are quick to jump on the bandwagon and praise the success of our athletes, they do so with empty words. The reality is that Ireland is near the bottom of the table for investment in sport and recreation among our EU counterp…

You think it is a laughing matter that you spent that much money on it?

It is not funny.

I thank my Sinn Féin colleagues for bringing forward this important motion on the cost of insurance. The record is clear. Time and again, the Minister of State and his colleagues in government show clearly which side they stand on. They have consistently blocked, stalled and delayed reforms that would lower the cost of car insurance. As a result, they have ensured that insurance companies are given free rein to fleece ordinary workers. They increase the cost of premiums every year despite no claims, no penalty poin…

We all know when our local school term begins. It is not a surprise. It is the most predictable event in our calendar yet despite all this notice, parents across Kilkenny and Carlow are left to face the same entirely preventable crisis in school transport. Year after year, the routes and student numbers remain largely consistent. This is not a complex, unforeseen challenge, but a basic function of the Department, yet the planning failures of the Department consistently become a crisis for parents to solve. This is …

For 18 years, before being elected as a TD for Carlow and Kilkenny, I worked as a carer for people with disabilities, supporting them to live their fullest lives possible. The people I worked for are the salt of the earth. As many of us know, working as a carer is so much more than just a job. We grow incredibly close to those we care for. That is why it has pained me so much to watch those with disabilities and those who support and care for them being continually let down by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. From the cr…

This commission to investigate historical sexual abuse in schools is very much welcomed but it is long overdue. With every year of delay, survivors grow older and the risk of evidence being lost increases. Thousands of children across the State were failed by those entrusted to protect and raise them. Not only were they failed but their entire childhood was ripped away and destroyed. It is vital that survivors play a central role in this commission. It must be survivor-centred. While the commission represents progr…

I commend my colleagues in Sinn Féin, especially Senator Maria McCormack on her outstanding work in raising awareness about endometriosis. If we ever needed a clear-cut example of how women are treated as second class citizens-----

-----we need look no further than the treatment of those suffering from endometriosis. Despite one in ten women having this condition, there is currently a nine-year delay in diagnosis. This allows the disease free rein to spread, causing irreversible damage to organs. Three weeks ago Senator McCormack, Deputy Cullinane and I hosted a public meeting on endometriosis in Kilkenny city. Dozens of women attended and shared their personal battles with the disease. That meeting gave a glimpse into the immense suffering e…