Speeches: 28 May 2026

What I'm not in favour of is an obligation of a minimum of 25% of all the money that RTE is going to be given having to be outsourced to the private sector and it's a minimum by the way because what that is is backdoor privatisation and there's no transparency once you outsource, none, to the independent sector.

We need housing, we need social and affordable housing in particular and we need arts and cultural spaces which are being closed down left, right and centre in the city centre.

Now, what is absolutely critical is that the needs of children and a genuine recognition of the importance and role of the SNAs and what school communities need, trump any sort of pressures, budgetary pressures, being imposed.

I really need you to outline a clear pathway for Roxboro to achieve Deis status, not in the long term because in the long term all these kids will be gone and they will have been failed by the system because we're not targeting the investment where it's needed.

It is in order to show transparency as to where you are in your department in terms of being able to tell everybody how many children do not have appropriate school places throughout the country.

The July Provision Scheme provides vital summer educational supports for children with additional needs.

I would not say that NAMA has been a success.

Public money should be traceable from beginning to end; we cannot govern a system that we cannot see.

They're leaving because they simply believe that they can't get to the point where they can buy or build a house for themselves.

So I want to know, what are they going to do with the tanks in Whitty Island that will make them useful to people?

I just feel that those children were let down very badly, and that is my opinion.

The court concluded that the agency had failed in its statutory duty to each one of those 471 children and the agency systems in place across all levels to manage, monitor, record and oversee care orders and court directions were not fit for purpose.

If you're going to make Ireland the data centre capital of Europe, you better have a plan.

We need to know exactly what it costs to fund existing services, the extra money that's needed to keep the show on the road and what money is needed indeed for new measures.

The reality is the state is waiting for parents to die.

Their claim is a just claim, it's for pension parity.

I think it's a very basic ask and I ask you Minister to ask your officials to revisit the approval that has been issued by your department.

To be trusted, they must be open, transparent and demonstrate the very highest standards in corporate governance.

And that must never be allowed to happen again.

When we're serious about free education, we're eroding the good work that's been done by government and the department by what's happening on the ground.

Transparency is a hugely important part of that public confidence in public broadcasting and the public service media as well.