Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Martin Kenny TD, has condemned violent scenes between rival groups in Rathkeale and called on the Minister for Justice, Simon Harris, to resource Gardaí with the necessary additional personnel to hold those responsible to account and to ensure that there is no repeat of the incident.
Teachta Kenny said:
“This outrageous incident left the community of Rathkeale terrorised and in fear for their safety, and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“This cannot happen again. There is no place for violence on our streets. The community of Rathkeale are good people and everyone deserves to be safe in their community and to know that their local Gardaí have sufficient resources and staffing levels to protect them.
“While this incident is the worst we have seen in the area, every year at Christmas, for quite some time, there have been incidents in Rathkeale, so there should have preemptive measures taken to ensure the Gardaí had the necessary resources to react.
“Our Garda force is stretched to its absolute limits and Gardaí are working in unsustainable conditions and have been for some time.
“In our Alternative Budget earlier this year, Sinn Féin set out how we would deliver an additional 800 Gardaí to protect communities.
“In contrast, Fine Gael in government has continued to have an alarmingly lax attitude to Garda numbers falling since 2009, during a time when the population has grown by more than 11%.
“I am therefore calling on the new interim Minister for Justice, Simon Harris, to now fully resource the Gardaí with the extra personnel required to ensure that those responsible for terrorising the community of Rathkeale are brought to justice.
“We also need to see a coherent and deliverable plan for policing by Fine Gael, who have had more than a decade in government to design one.”
“Galway’s Merlin Woods must be protected” – Chris MacManus MEP
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has said that Merlin Woods must be protected into the future. The Midlands Northwest MEP was speaking after visiting Merlin Woods alongside his Sinn Féin colleague Mairéad Farrell TD and meeting with the Friends of Merlin Woods group.
MEP MacManus said:
“I was pleased to visit Merlin Woods recently alongside my colleague Mairéad Farrell and meet with Caroline and Colin from the Friends of Merlin Woods group."
“The group do fantastic work maintaining the woodlands, the community garden, protecting biodiversity here, activities such as composting, making the woodland more accessible and managing the different species and habitats within it.
“It is the largest area of woodland around Galway City and therefore is of high conservation importance. Over the years there have many threats to the future of the woodland with proposals for new roads and other kinds of developments that would destroy it."
“Green spaces like this in the middle of large urban areas are hugely important, as an amenity to the local community and for biodiversity within our cities, and they must be protected."
“I want to thank Caroline and Colin for having us and wish them continued success as they work to protect and develop this wonderful amenity. ENDS
See attached photo from Merlin Woods of (L-R): Chris MacManus MEP, Mairéad Farrell TD and Caroline Stanley (Friends of Merlin Woods)
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew has said nurses and health and social care workers should have fair pay and safe conditions.
Speaking as nurses begin their second day of strike action, the party’s health spokesperson said the British government should get on with delivering a fair pay offer.
Colm Gildernew said:
“Our nurses and health workers shouldn’t have been forced onto the streets to take strike action in the freezing cold for fair pay and conditions.
“They should have fair pay and conditions for the amazing work that they do, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.
“Without fair pay and safe working conditions, it becomes much more difficult to retain skilled health and social care workers. That needs to be addressed.
“The British government needs to get on with delivering a fair pay award for our nurses and health workers now.
“I want to offer Sinn Féin’s support to our nurses, and to all health workers, who are on the picket lines for fair pay and better conditions.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, today sought assurances from Dublin Airport Authority MD, Vincent Harrison, that there would be no repeat of the recent mass-cancellation of flights at Dublin Airport over the Christmas period.
The Dublin Fingal TD said:
“Public confidence in Dublin Airport took a hammering in May following the Dublin Airport Authority’s indefensible failure to prepare for the entirely predictable upsurge in travel this year.
“Mayhem and stressful scenes of flight cancellations, lengthy delays and unprecedented queues were a direct result of shambolic management and government oversight of the DAA, and were compounded by opportunistic staff layoffs during the pandemic.
“While resolutions were eventually found to that chaos, passengers during the cold snap in recent weeks were left dismayed to see a return of mass flight cancellations and lengthy delays.
“Flights in and out of the airport were cancelled or delayed, and travel plans thrown into chaos. Some were booked onto later flights, many had to make alternative arrangements, and others had to book expensive accommodation that they had not budgeted for.
“This cannot happen again, particularly at Christmas, which for so many Irish now living overseas, will be the first time they will have the opportunity to return home for the festive period since before the pandemic.
“Approximately 1 million people will pass through the airport during the holiday period and I put it to DAA MD Vincent t Harrison today that it is imperative that Dublin Airport has the necessary contingency and staffing provisions in place in the event of another cold snap.
“Mr Harrison today offered assurances to me that the airport has made all necessary preparations for such an eventuality. But after letting down its passengers this year, the DAA has very little credit in the bank of public opinion.
“The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, must therefore take responsibility for the oversight of Dublin Airport’s Christmas contingency plans, and do his job to ensure that Dublin Airport runs properly.”
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney has welcomed confirmation from the EU Commission that the supply of veterinary medicines to the north will be extended.
The party's Brexit spokesperson said:
“Confirmation that the supply of veterinary medicine supplies will be extended is very welcome. The Commission’s decision will provide reassurance and certainty to those directly affected.
“Once again this demonstrates the EU's commitment to delivering practical solutions to ensure progress on the Protocol.
“The British government must show similar flexibility and engage positively with the EU to reach a durable, pragmatic resolution which ensures all our businesses have certainty and stability.”
MacManus Urges Minister Ryan to endorse Western Rail Corridor TEN-T Amendments
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has urged Eamon Ryan to endorse amendments he has put forward on the European Parliament Transport Committee to restore the Western Rail Corridor to the TEN-T Network. Projects included on the TEN-T are eligible for significant EU funding and the Midlands Northwest MEP argues that this is an opportunity we should not shut the door on.
MacManus was speaking after meeting with local rail campaigners from the Forward Looking Athenry Group at the disused Western Rail Corridor in Athenry, alongside Sinn Féin’s Galway East representative Louis O’Hara.
MEP MacManus said:
“Earlier this month the European Council adopted a general approach to the TEN-T Network, agreed by Ministers across the EU including our own Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.
“While I was pleased that Galway Port has now been added to the Network, it was extremely disappointing that the Western Rail Corridor was omitted.
“Restoring the rail corridor to the TEN-T Network would enable us to receive significant financial assistance from Europe when the rail line is reopened, which is an opportunity we should not shut the door on. As a result it’s exclusion from the Network has undermined the potential for future development of the line.
“I have submitted amendments on the European Parliament Transport Committee to restore the Western Rail Corridor to the TEN-T Network, which will be voted on in early January. I have been informed that in order for these amendments to be adopted by the European Parliament, a clear signal of endorsement from the Irish Government is required.
“The Government has previously stated that the Western Rail Corridor’s position on the Network will be informed by the results of the all-island rail review. However, given that the publication of this review has been delayed indefinitely, the rail line must be restored to the TEN-T so that we do not miss out on vital EU funding down the line.
“Therefore I have written to Minister Eamon Ryan urging him to endorse the amendments that I have put forward.
“The reopening of the Western Rail Corridor is hugely important for addressing regional imbalance, increasing our freight capability, addressing the climate crisis and ensuring that communities across the West of Ireland have a sustainable future in terms of employment. Minister Eamon Ryan has outlined many of these benefits himself in the past.
“The rail line is vital to the future of the West of Ireland and the Government must get its act together and ensure that the region can access EU funding through the TEN-T by endorsing my amendments. ENDS
See attached photo from the disused rail line in Athenry of (L-R): Noel Riordan, Noel Doherty, Louis O’Hara, Chris MacManus MEP, Seamus Mulkerrins, Mark Teahan
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has expressed concern at crisis-level overcrowding in hospitals as the INMO records 760 patients admitted to hospital without a bed.
Teachta Cullinane said that record overcrowding was driven by failures of the recently-reappointed Minister for Health to drive investment and reform in the health service.
Teachta Cullinane said:
"Emergency department dysfunction such as this is a symptom of everything going wrong at the same time in a health service which does not have enough capacity.
"After nearly 2½ years in the job, the Minister for Health has yet to produce a multi-annual plan for the health service.
"Hospitals are dangerously overcrowded yet there is no urgency to tackle this crisis from the Minister.
"A quarter of the beds promised two years ago are still nowhere to be seen, and the Minister is limping year to year with short term plans which never meet their targets.
"The Winter Plan for this year promises 51 emergency department consultants - there will be few, if any, permanent appointments this winter, and approximately half of the posts will not be filled.
"GP services are buckling under pressure, with out-of-hours services collapsing. People are facing lengthy waits for home care. Delayed discharges are piling up.
"Covid has added a challenge, but the Health Service has been resourced significantly to manage this.
"The root problem is in the speed of decision making in investment and reform, and a failure to retain, as well as train, enough healthcare workers.
"The Health Service still does not have regional health authorities, multi-annual budgets, or a proper workforce strategy. There is no delivery from the Ministers for Health or Higher Education here.
"The Government's failures on housing and the cost of living have added to these difficulties.
"This Government has failed to deliver meaningful change in healthcare and a return to record, pre-pandemic levels of unsafe overcrowding is one of the consequences.
"A Sinn Féin Government would prioritise rapid delivery of expansion projects and strategic workforce planning to retain and train more healthcare workers.
"With better, multi-annual planning and measures to address the housing and cost of living crisis, we can bring more healthcare professionals home to work in Ireland."
Speaking on the appointment of US Special Envoy, Joe Kennedy, First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill MLA said:
“I very much welcome today's appointment of Joe Kennedy as US Special Envoy by President Biden.
“The US remains a critical partner for peace. They are an important stakeholder whose support for the Good Friday Agreement is deeply valued.
“This appointment puts renewed emphasis on the economic development of the north, and the benefits we can yield through dual access to both the EU single market and British market which uniquely positions our economy.
“Joe Kennedy has a strong record in promoting the interests of the north and I look forward to working with him in the time ahead. I believe he will bring very considerable expertise and experience to the task.
“As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April next year the opportunity must not be missed to restore power-sharing and North-South cooperation which I hope will see President Biden come to Ireland.
“My focus is on political cooperation with all other parties, and making politics work. At this time of a serious cost-of-living crisis when household and business budgets are badly squeezed we really need to help people, and confront the many challenges facing this society and economy.”
Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said confirmation that households will finally receive the overdue £600 energy payment will be a relief to people who are struggling with their bills.
The party’s economy spokesperson said:
“Finally people have confirmation from the British Government that they will receive the £600 energy payment from January in a single payment.
“This will be a relief to workers and families who are struggling to heat their homes and keep the lights on as the cold winter begins to bite.
"We need immediate clarity on the how vouchers for pay as you go customers will be rolled out.
“It shouldn’t have taken this long to confirm when people would get help that they are entitled to because it was held up by the DUP’s boycott of the Executive and Tory government delays.
“Sinn Féin will continue to push the British government until this money is in people’s pockets.”
A chairde,
Tugann muid ár ónóir do cuimhne na hÓglaigh poblachtánacha a maríodh ag an Saorstát céad bliain ó shin.
Bailímid inniu chun ómós a thabhairt dóibh.
Chun cuimhneamh ar a n-íobairtí, chun muid a ath-thioman do réadú na poblacht a thug siad a saol di.
Éire saor, aontaithe agus cothraime.
The winds that caress the plains of the Curragh echo the memory of republican volunteers killed by the Free State one hundred years ago.
Today we gather to honour them.
To remember their sacrifices, To recommit ourselves to the realisation of the republic for which they have their lives.
An Ireland free, united, and equal.
One hundred years ago, seven young men of the Rathbride IRA Column were executed by the Free State.
It was the single biggest execution during the Civil War.
On December 13th, Free State troops raided a dug out at Moore’s Bridge, on edge of the Curragh plains.
There they found ten IRA volunteers with rifles, munitions, and supplies.
Bryan Moore, Patrick Bagnall, Patrick Mangan, Joseph Johnston, Patrick Nolan, Stephen White and James O'Connor were sentenced to death by a military tribunal at the Curragh military camp.
Thomas Behan was also killed.
He was savagely beaten to death at the scene of the capture.
The Free State covered up his murder by saying he was shot trying to escape from prison.
It was a shameful lie.
On the 19th of December, less than a week after their capture, all seven men faced the firing squad the Glasshouse.
Each was shot dead, one after the other, five minutes apart.
The words of Amhran na bhFiann were the last words that passed their lips – defiance and hope until the end.
The men were buried on the grounds of the Curragh.
In 1924, their remains were exhumed and lay in state in Kildare Courthouse before being re-buried at Gerry Abbey Cemetery.
All Eight men who died stood in defence of the republic against the Free State counter-revolution fostered by the British clinging to its empire.
They knew that betrayal of the republic, the acceptance of dominion status, and partition would lead to a claustrophobic, reactionary Ireland, that the vision of equality would be cast aside.
And so, it came to pass.
An Ireland where working people were kept down.
Where women were denied their place as equal citizens.
Where freedoms gave way to systems of strict social control. Where emigration was forced on generation after generation.
An Ireland we are still working to change today.
******
The Grey Abbey Martyrs are not household names.
They are not famous.
Their feats and their sacrifices have not gone around the world immortalised in song and story.
They were ordinary people who did extraordinary things at a watershed time for our nation.
They were, first and foremost, republican activists who held tightly to their principles.
The power of their unshakable belief stands as a lesson for us today.
When we are asked what we can do to bring about change our first answer should always be “I will be an activist”.
To rock the system. To look beyond our own circumstances. To look to the greater good. To reach for the republic and to refuse to let go.
That is what the Grey Abbey Martyrs did, and it is a great tragedy of our history that they paid with their lives.
They were republican activists, freedom fighters but there were also sons and brothers, and they were loved so deeply.
The people they left behind were bereft by their loss.
Annie Moore lost her brother, Brian and her fiancée, Patrick Nolan.
Annie herself had been arrested in the raid for possession of a revolver. She spent a year in prison
Overwhelmed with grief, both the fathers of Paddy Mangan and Brian Moore died young with broken hearts.
Today we extend a particular welcome to the families of the seven men.
A century on this is a moment of reflection for Ireland: to recollect the destructive division of civil war; the bravery and courage of those that stood by the republic and the need to finish our democratic journey to full nationhood.
This is a moment of personal remembrance too.
A moment of sorrow, of loss, of lament.
Each family in their own way left with the questions of what might have been, what life could have been lived by these seven men.
My grandmother Molly was a frightened eight year old child when news came that her brother James had been executed. Her mother Brigid was distraught, there had been no word of his arrest or trial only that he had faced a firing squad.
No last farewell, no final embrace the only words of goodbye lovingly scripted in his last letter that would arrive days after his execution.
James left a broken hearted family behind, he left his sweetheart Esther Quirke behind, their plans to marry and build a life together cruelly stolen from them.
The families of the executed were left deeply scarred and many chose to leave Ireland to escape the hurt.
Their grief was met with political antagonism and official cold silence.
The depth of loss reflected in all that was not said.
They say that history is written by the victors – the stories of the official and unofficial executions by the Free state have attracted minimal public comment much less any commemoration by the powers that be.
It is now the time for the state to recognise, remember and honour those lives, this is a necessary part of reconciling our civil war history and moving forward together.
*****************
The tragedy of the executions, and indeed the entire Civil War, is underscored by the fact that these were seven young men.
Five of the seven had yet to see their twenty-fifth birthday.
James was twenty-four.
Patrick Mangan was twenty-two.
Patrick Bagnall was nineteen.
Both Stephen White and Joseph Johnston were only eighteen years of age.
Their commitment to a cause greater themselves stands as a testament to the revolutionary spirit of youth, to the impatience of youth to bring about real change.
The idealism of young people is often dismissed by the powerful as unrealistic and naive.
But, as the Grey Abbey Martyrs proved, youth is a fire.
Bright, powerful glowing with energy.
Standing against injustice, inequality, or exploitation.
Youth is also an engine.
Driving forward. Making things happen. Making change happen.
Today, our young people face a never-ending housing crisis, the denial of opportunity and spectre of forced emigration.
Yet, with great resilience and courage, this generation is rising with the hope and tenacity to lay claim to their destiny and to the future of their country.
They refuse to accept the limitations of the past.
They refuse to settle for less than.
They reach for the Ireland that can be, for the republic that was denied.
Each and every time they do this, our young people evoke the spirit of the seven men we remember today.
Two generations linked across a century, by the shared appetite for change and a better Ireland.
***************
Make no mistake, today, progressive change is sweeping across all of Ireland with an unprecedented force.
It is undeniable that the old order is rapidly fading.
We are living in the end days of partition, and we have a generation that will redefine our nation.
This is the generation that will unite our country and our people.
The next step must be for the Irish government to establish a Citizens Assembly on Irish Unity.
We must continue to build the momentum for unity.
We all must advocate, campaign and plan for unity.
We cannot deliver Irish unity alone.
We need the maximum support, North and South.
It can be done if we continue to work together and for each other.
If we continue to reach for a better tomorrow, we achieve full nationhood in our time.
Sinn Féin is at the forefront of change, leading change right across Ireland.
The prospect of Sinn Féin leading government north and south is now very real, and republicans will not take a backward step.
In the north, Michelle O’Neill has been elected as First Minister in a state that was designed to ensure that it could never, ever happen.
In the South, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael no longer control government and opposition. The political landscape has been altered fundamentally.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can swap Taoisigh. They can swap ministerial offices.
They can cling to power and to position but they can’t stop the people’s demand for change.
Our goal remains the achievement of the government for change, a government that puts workers and families first.
A government guided by the principles of equality and fairness so poetically expressed in the proclamation of 1916.
Irish republicans are focused on the prize.
We want to achieve a united republic, one that stands as a bastion of social equality, economic justice, and diversity.
We want a home for every family and worker.
We want our people to have healthcare as a basic right.
We want a fair economy built on good jobs, decent wages and strong workers’ rights.
We want our citizens to have good, secure and happy lives
These are the basics that any real republic should provide.
The basics to which you are entitled whether you love in Kildare or Derry, in Belfast or Cork, in Laois or Tyrone.
In so many ways, the things working people we struggled for in 1916 and in 1922 are the same things we are struggling for today.
Connolly said it best, for our demands most moderate are, we only want the Earth.
Everything we do, everything we work for is about building the Irish nation anew.
To resurrect the promise of the Ireland for which the Grey Abbey Martyrs and so many others gave their lives.
I believe that the flame of freedom that propels us forward has always been sustained through our unwavering belief that we will see the rising of the moon.
Today, in this time and in this place, that flame burns brightly.
It burns in the ambitions of our people to lay claim to the destiny of our nation.
As we move forward, we move forward in hope and confidence.
We look beyond today and towards the new Ireland we are creating for all our children the children of the nation.
A united Ireland; a true republic for all our citizens and worthy of the memory of all those who defended and died for the republic.
Their heroic sacrifice is not a footnote in history.
It remains with us as a living, breathing inspiration.
It motivates us to keep going. To hold on.
Because, make no mistake, the future is ours to win.
In his final letter to his family, Patrick Mangan wrote, “Never dishonour the cause for which I die - a free and independent Ireland”.
What incredible bravery and idealism it took to write those words in his final hours.
We need that courage, that idealism, that belief today.
Let’s honour Patrick’s dying wish and the vision for which he and his comrades fought.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Mairéad Farrell TD, has urged people to be cautious over the Christmas period in light of a new scam which is being perpetrated on users of Revolut.
The scam targets young people who are using taxis late at night and are under the influence of alcohol. The scam is believed to involve a gang who use a fake taxi, whose driver attempts to gain access to the victims phone and then makes fraudulent transfer payments through Revolut.
One victim was reported to have lost almost €4,000.
Teachta Farrell said:
“Last month, I raised this matter with the Taoiseach in the Dáil who said he would speak to the Central Bank. I also contacted the Central Bank and spoke to Revolut myself.
“Over the Christmas period when people are out having fun, I think it is important that everyone tries to be as vigilant as possible.
“With so much of our banking and transfer payments capable of being done online through a click of our phone, there will always be those criminals looking to exploit this convenience for their own gain.
“Unfortunately, some victims of this particular fraud have advised me that not only were their Revolut accounts emptied but also their linked bank accounts.
“Revolut and the banks need to ensure they have robust security procedures in place to minimise the possibility of this fraud occurring, but if it does they need to refund their customers in full.
“People should try to ensure that their phone has the necessary security checks, that they don’t give it to strangers, and that they only use licenced and regulated taxis. If anyone is the victim of fraud, they should immediately report it to the Gardaí.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has called on the government to move quickly to introduce energy price certainty by reversing its opposition to energy price caps.
Teachta Doherty said:
“A report today that the government is considering a U-turn on capping energy bills to provide price certainty for households is welcome but they need to move quickly on this.
“While energy credits provided by government have provided some relief, there is still enormous uncertainty for workers and families when their energy bills land through their letterboxes as the costly reality of freezing temperatures hits home.
“That level of uncertainty was entirely predictable. In our Alternative Budget set out in September, Sinn Féin introduced proposals that would have provided certainty on energy prices.
“Sinn Féin proposed a time-limited proposal to reduce and cap electricity prices for a period of five months, until the end of February, to support struggling households through the winter months.
“Similar measures have been successfully adopted in several European states, such as Germany, but were opposed every step of the way by the government here.
“Instead, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, took the wrong approach and stood in the way of energy market reform, decoupling of gas and electricity prices, windfall taxes and price caps; until the EU began to move on each of those issues.
“The government has opposed Sinn Féin solutions to provide relief and certainty during the cost of living crisis at every turn. It has ignored proposals to protect renters by banning rent increases, to make homeownership more affordable and to cap the cost of energy.
“Any change in approach to energy price caps will come too late for those already struggling but could provide real relief and energy price certainty in the coming months if the government accepts that they got it wrong and acts now to rectify their opposition to price caps.”
Mary Lou McDonald TD speech following election of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach: Mary Lou McDonald TD:
Ceann Comhairle,
I want to offer my good wishes to Deputy Leo Varadkar and his family as he enters the office of An Taoiseach for the second time.
To lead government is a huge honour and an even greater responsibility.
We all want those who assume this responsibility to succeed on behalf of the people of Ireland.
A GOVERNMENT FOR CHANGE AND A FRESH START
Nearly three years ago, people voted for something new.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael passed power between themselves for a century.
Our people paid a heavy price for this perpetual merry-go-round.
Financial crash and recession.
Jobs lost, livelihoods ruined, homes repossessed.
Austerity and vicious cuts to public services.
Communities made to carry the can for the mistakes of those at the top.
So, to break from the past, people reached hopefully for something they never had before.
A government that would put workers, families, and communities first.
A government with the determination to match their ambitions, their hopes and seize Ireland’s opportunities for the future.
A government that would do what is necessary to improve their lives by fixing a broken housing system, by tackling the crisis in our hospitals, and by working to build a fairer, sustainable, modern economy.
Our people had a glimpse of what might be.
The historic chance of a government for change.
Following the 2020 General Election, your collective instinct was to come together to block that demand for change.
After one hundred years of pretence, all it took to bring Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together, was the threat to your power and position.
In the end, what mattered most to you was keeping others out.
THIS COALITION HAS FAILED
So, with this Coalition, the people got another government that fits neatly into the pattern of a hundred years.
A tired government that resorts to excuses and alibis instead of bringing real leadership, ambition, and fresh ideas.
This coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens has stuck to the age-old, worn-out playbook that sees workers and families failed, short-changed, and left behind.
A government that persisted with a way of doing business that prioritises insiders, the well-got and the well-connected.
A system that keeps ordinary people on the outside looking in.
Children with scoliosis waiting in agony for life-changing surgery.
Elderly people left on hospital trolleys for days.
Working families relying on foodbanks for a decent meal.
I said back in 2020 that this broken way, this Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil way of doing business means that governments come, and governments go but nothing really changes.
And so, it has come to pass.
On the watch of this government, the housing crisis has become a housing emergency, the crisis in our health service has deepened, and, despite working very hard, thousands struggle to afford basic the necessities.
HOUSING CRISIS TO HOUSING EMERGENCY
Taoiseach, of all your failures your failure on housing is inexcusable.
Your government has spent the last two and a half years recycling the very policies that created the housing emergency in the first place.
We are now seeing the impact of this emergency on education, on health, and on the economy.
Our teachers and our nurses can’t pay extortionate rents or save for a deposit.
So, they’re leaving for Britain and the Middle East, and our schools and our hospitals struggle recruit and retain staff.
Investment is threatened as workers are unable to take up good jobs with good salaries because they can’t find affordable, secure housing.
The human cost of the housing emergency is tragedy layered upon tragedy.
It’s now driving our young people out of Ireland in search of a better life.
They look around them and they see houses they will be able to afford to buy.
They walk past fancy apartments they will never live in.
At hurling or camogie training, or over a pint, they talk with their friends about their future, and they just don’t see one at home.
So many parents will spend this Christmas watching their sons and daughters pack their bags.
To take long flights away from their families, away from their homes, to live in Toronto, or Boston or Sydney.
Forced emigration is back with us again and yet government stands by and watches it happen.
There is no doubt that the government’s failure to fix housing has done real damage to our society, threatens our international reputation, our competitiveness, but worse, smothers the chance of our country reaching its full potential.
Governments are here to serve the people.
Governments should be judged on their record, and the record of this government is one of spectacular failure.
CHANGE OF TAOISEACH IS COSMETIC
The changeover of Taoiseach and swapping of Ministerial offices won’t change anything really.
One hundred years ago a great republic leader, Liam Mellows said,
Men who get into positions and hold power will desire to remain undisturbed and will not want to be removed or will not take a step that will mean removal in case of failure.”
Liam Mellows was right.
The man sitting in the Taoiseach’s office is changing but there will be no change in policy, no change in direction, no change in delivery.
Your first act as Taoiseach is to reappoint Ministers who have failed to get the job done.
You reward incompetence.
You reward failure.
So, the truth is we need a change of Government, not just a change of Taoiseach.
Is dromchlach é an rud atá ag tarlú inniu.
Tá an fear atá ina shuí in oifig an Taoisigh ag athrú ach ní bheidh aon athrú ar pholasaí ná ar threo ón rialtas seo.
Teastaíonn athrú rialtais uainn, ní amháin athrú Taoiseach.
DON’T GIVE UP – CHANGE IS CLOSER THAN EVER
There is a real danger that people looking on at this meaningless shuffling of positions today may become disheartened.
But I’m asking people everywhere not to surrender your belief in change.
I’m asking you not to give up or give in. Hold tightly to your hope.
A new and united Ireland is about you.
A new and united Ireland is for you.
A new day is on the horizon.
We have never been closer to achieving real change.
AN IRELAND OF HOPE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
This hope is especially important for our young people.
Young people who want to be given their chance.
Young people who can achieve great things if give them their moment.
We need a government that will work for them and work with them to change Ireland.
An Ireland that gives our young people a life of opportunity.
Opportunity to stay and build a good life, the opportunity to travel and experience the world without being forced out, and the opportunity to come home.
our people, particularly our young people, deserve an ambitious government that says –
we can do it,
this is how we are going to do it,
and we will get the work done.
IT’S TIME FOR SINN FÉIN
Sinn Féin wants to lead a government for change.
A government that will house our people,
Build strong public services,
Achieve energy independence,
Advance Ireland’s journey to full nationhood.
As we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, it’s time to write the next chapter.
It’s time to plan and prepare for democratic constitutional change.
Taoiseach, it’s time for the government to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish Unity.
As we move forward, we again look to a spirit of partnership.
The people of the North are entitled to government.
We need the political institutions up and running, delivering for all communities.
That is the best way to build progress and a better tomorrow.
So, it’s time to cast aside the small thinking of the past.
Time to do big things for Ireland and our people.
It's time to give those of us who are committed to change the chance to show what we can do.
If I was given the chance to lead a Government of change, I would stand before the people and say,
We set out to end the housing emergency because we believe that every person has a right to a roof over their head, and we will not stop until this is achieved.
We set out to build a fair health service for all of Ireland - because we believe that every person has a right to treatment and care - and we will not stop until this is achieved.
We set out to build our economy, our prosperity - because we believe all people are equal and deserving of opportunity - and we will not stop until this is achieved.
We set out to end partition and unite Ireland in our time – because we believe that we are stronger together – and we will not stop until this is achieved.
That is the type of ambition Ireland needs.
Sinn Féin is ready to lead. Sinn Féin ready to govern. Ready to deliver.
We believe that the people should be given a straight choice.
The tired performance of this failed government
or Sinn Féin’s positive, ambitious, achievable vision for Ireland.
So much has changed in the last three years.
If you, Taoiseach, are so confident that your government and its policies command the support of the people, then you should give them this choice in a General Election.
Let the people have their say. Let the people choose who leads.
Mary Lou McDonald speech following resignation of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach and ahead of nomination of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach:
Ceann Comhairle,
I want to wish Teachta Micheál Martin the best as you exit the office of An Taoiseach and as your role in Cabinet changes.
I wish you and yours a happy and peaceful Christmas.
For the last two and a half years, we have debated the important issues facing Ireland and our people.
No doubt you will greatly miss our engagements on the floor of the Dáil every Tuesday and Wednesday.
I wish you well.
*******
Teachta Martin argues in his speech that this government is successful.
That this government is delivering.
The rest of us must live in a very different Ireland from you.
We live in an Ireland, where during your time leading government, the housing emergency has gotten worse.
Where crisis in health has gotten worse.
Where households struggle to get by.
As you pass the baton to Leo Varadkar, more than 11,000 of our people are homeless, including more than 3,000 children.
Close to 1 people million are on treatment waiting lists.
Many working families queue at foodbanks to get a hot meal.
Surely you can’t count this as success.
You say there are no easy answers.
But I don’t think that is an acceptable response to those mothers frantic because their child waits and waits for vital surgery, for essential services, for assessment of needs.
To families distressed because they can’t pay the latest bill, the mortgage repayment or afford the rent.
To a child growing up in a hotel room or in a B&B.
Yes, there are no easy answers, but there are answers.
Solutions that a government with the right priorities would grasp with both hands, but instead you chose to ignore them.
The policies of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, not only over the last two and half years, but since you joined together in 2016 have driven these crises.
So, to dress up your failures as progress, is to insult ordinary people who live with the consequences of those failures.
Rather than being accountable,
Rather than facing up to reality,
You point the finger at others, you hide behind excuses, you present alibis for not getting the work done.
It’s a cop out so typical of the parties who have passed power to each other for over a century.
Ireland is a great country. Maybe the greatest.
Our people are a great people, achieving the extraordinary every day, sometimes against all the odds.
What we need now is a government worthy of them, worthy of their hopes, worthy of their ambitions.
*******
Sinn Féin does not support the nomination of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.
The policies of Fine Gael have always been about ring-fencing the wealth and privilege of those at the top,
pushing workers and families to the back of the queue,
privatisation and the hollowing out the vital public services.
That hasn’t changed under the leadership of Leo Varadkar.
Fine Gael and Leo Varadkar have been in government now for eleven years.
Fine Gael and Leo Varadkar’s policies are writ large across the crises in housing, healthcare, and the deep economic inequalities in Ireland today.
It is no coincidence that during Fine Gael’s time in power,
people desperately struggle to put a roof over their heads,
a generation is locked out of home ownership,
and renters have been fleeced by extortionate rents - an 82% increase since 2012.
Housing policy written for big developers, wealthy investors, and corporate landlords.
Fine Gael, of course, are the party that rolled out the red carpet for the cuckoo funds and the vulture funds.
You couldn’t wait to get them in and now look at the damage being done.
Fine Gael’s refusal to see housing as basic right has seen the crisis escalate to an emergency so bad that it has spread to impact education, healthcare, and the economy.
It’s no coincidence either that our hospitals are under unprecedented strain with a never-ending trolley crisis, with record waiting lists, and struggle to recruit and retain the staff needed.
The chickens of Fine Gael’s failure to invest in and resource our health service have back to roost and its patients who pay the price.
We must remember that Leo Varadkar has been at the centre of these crises.
Sitting at the Cabinet table for over a decade contributing to these terrible decisions, and eventually ascending to the office of an Taoiseach in 2017.
We shouldn’t forget that Leo Varadkar’s last government ran out of road because of Fine Gael’s disastrous performances in the areas of health and housing, eventually falling to the prospect of a no confidence vote in Simon Harris.
Nor should we forget that the revolving door of former government Ministers into cushy jobs as lobbyists for banks and insurance companies continued during Mr Varadkar’s term leading government.
From Cabinet to lobbyists in the blink of an eye.
And it’s no coincidence that Paschal Donohoe is now ready to oversee the return of bumper pay to the top brass at the banks.
Backing the haves over the have nots
showing up for the insider class,
looking after their friends in high places has always been the Fine Gael way.
It is the Leo Varadkar way.
The episode that defines Leo Varadkar’s last term as Taoiseach is his leaking of a confidential government document to a friend.
Something he admitted on the floor of this Dáil.
While criminal proceedings were not pursued on this matter, serious questions remain.
That is what it is worrying that Deputy Varadkar’s stated belief is that he is somehow above having his actions questioned by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Leo Varadkar believes that power places him above accountability.
This is the view held by the man who now returns to the office of An Taoiseach.
The man who recently told young people forced out of Ireland by his policies that the “grass isn’t always greener” in other countries.
The man who asked exploited renters to remember that “one person’s rent is another person’s income”.
The man who advised a generation locked out of home ownership to borrow from their parents for a mortgage deposit. The bank of Mammy and Daddy.
These are views that emphasise loudly and clearly that Fine Gael – and their friends in Fianna Fáil – have been in power for far too long.
Out of touch.
Out of ideas.
Out of time.
Micheál Martin has resigned as Taoiseach. The Government has been dissolved. We should have a General Election. We need a change of government.
Tá a fhios againn cheana féin cad a gheobhaidh muid le Leo Varadkar mar Thaoiseach.
Bhí muid anseo cheana. Diúltaíodh daoine tithíocht. Diúltaíodh daoine cúram sláinte.
Seirbhísí poiblí atá i ndroch-chaoi. Oibrithe agus teaghlaigh sáinnithe ag cúl na scuaine.
Tá athrú rialtais ag teastáil ag Muintir na hÉireann. Ní hamháin athrú Taoiseach.
*****
We face real challenges, but there is also hope, positivity and ambition amongst our people.
Ireland has big opportunities in the coming decades.
The reunification of our country.
The achievement of energy independence.
And the power of our young people.
Capturing these opportunities is key to Ireland reaching its greatest days.
Days that are on the horizon.
Days that will belong to everyone.
We will not get there with Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.
We will not get there on the watch of this government.
But we can get there.
With a change in leadership,
With a change in direction,
With a change in government,
We will get there.
Today, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – backed to the hilt by the Green Party – cling to power.
But, make no mistake, you can’t prevent the new daw breaking.
The light of a better tomorrow burns brightly.
You can stand in the way of change, refusing to budge.
You can slow it down, making people wait a little longer.
But you cannot stop change.
The touch paper has been lit by the hopes of a new generation. The old ways are on borrowed time.
Our future will be defined by equality, prosperity, unity, and opportunity for all. Building a strong, modern, vibrant all Ireland economy.
That’s a future worth fighting for.
It’s a future that a Sinn Féin government would work night and day to achieve.
For workers.
For families.
For communities.
For Ireland.
Sinn Féin First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has said the British Prime Minister must give people a definitive date when they will receive the £600 energy payment.
Speaking as Rishi Sunak visits Belfast today, Michelle O’Neill said people are freezing cold and cannot wait any longer for this money.
Michelle O’Neill said:
“I met with Rishi Sunak last night and I made it absolutely clear that people here need the £600 payment now to heat their homes this winter.
“And while he is visiting the north today, he should take the opportunity to give workers and families a definitive date for when they will receive payment. No more delays.
“Temperatures have fallen well below zero degrees and people are freezing cold. People should have had this money long before Christmas.
“It’s unacceptable that the DUP's refusal to form an Executive and work together has held this payment up long enough and there is no room for more Tory government delays.
“Sinn Féin remains ready to form an Executive now to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and support workers and families who are struggling.”
Chuir Urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, fáilte roimh fhógra an rialtais go bhfuil sé i gceist acu faoi dheireadh thoghcháin a thabhairt ar ais do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta, mar a bhí á lorg ag Sinn Féin, ach léirigh sé imní faoin gcóras molta ag an Aire Martin agus an Aire Stáit Chambers.
Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, atá ina Chathaoirleach ar Chomhchoiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobail Labhartha na Gaeilge a dhéanfaidh scrúdú ar mholadh an rialtais:
“Faoi dheireadh, ghéill an rialtas don bhrú ollmhór ó Shinn Féin agus ó phobal na Gaeltachta agus an cinneadh glactha acu toghcháin a thabhairt ar ais don Údarás.
“Tar éis na blianta den mhoilleadóireacht ó glacadh an cinneadh scannalach ar an gcéad dul síos fáil réidh leis na toghcháin don Údarás, tá an rialtas faoi dheireadh tar éis cloí leis an méid a gheall Mícheál Martin i 2020, rud a bhí á lorg ag Sinn Féin leis na blianta.
“Is léir nach raibh gá leis na hathbhreithnithe agus an comhairliúchán ar fad – tuigeadh ó thús gur gá na toghcháin a thabhairt ar ais.
“Tréaslaíonn muid gur tugadh éisteacht dúinn maidir le caighdeán B2 a chinntiú i gcás aon chomhalta don bhord, agus ba chóir go mbainfeadh coinníoll mar sin le haon róil nó boird stáit atá feidhm suntasach acu i dtaobh na Gaeilge de.
“É sin ráite, tá imní orainn faoin struchtúr nua atá curtha chun cinn ag an rialtas.
“Daonláthas iomlán a chóir a bheith i gceist le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta.
“Ní le hAire ar leith an tÚdarás. Is leis an phobal an tÚdarás.
“Cén fáth mar sin atá 6 as an 16 comhalta le bheith roghnaithe gan toghchán? Ní ghlacfar len a leithéid ar chomhairle contae nó cathrach, go gcuirfear roghnúcháin neamhtofa ar chomhchéim le ionadaithe an phobail. Séard a bhí i gceist leis an Údarás ó tharla Gluaiseacht Ceartha Shibhialta na Gaeltachta ná go mbeadh guth láidir ag an phobal san fhorbairt áitiúil, ní ag feidhmeannaigh roghnaithe ag an státsheirbhís. Níor tugadh aon míniú i bhfógra na hAirí don moladh frithdhaonlathach seo ach an oiread.
“Ba chóir go mbeadh gach comhalta de Bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta tofa.
“B’fhéidir an rud is measa faoin bhfógra seo ná go bhfuil maolú eile á gcur ag na hAirí Gaeltachta ar na thoghcháin a thabhairt ar ais. Cén fáth 2025? Tá pobal na Gaeltachta ag fanacht anois ó 2012.
“Ba chóir go mbeadh na toghcháin ag tarlú ag an am céanna leis na toghcháin áitiúla agus Eorpacha i 2024, agus gach cúig bliain leis na toghcháin sin as sin amach.
“Tar éis an comhairliúchán agus athbhreithniú go léir, níor tugadh moladh ar bith maidir le conas cothromaíocht inscne a chur chun cinn, rud atá tubaisteach ó thaobh an dá Aire de.
“Ar ndóigh, tabharfaidh Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobail Labhartha na Gaeilge faoin dúshlán le linn an grinnscrúdú féachaint ar conas an cothromaíocht inscne a chinntiú agus conas dul i ngleic leis na fadhbanna eile atá sonraithe in Údarás na Gaeltachta agus sa Ghaeltacht leis na blianta anuas chun a chinntiú gur eagras pobalbhunaithe a bheidh ann a thabharfaidh guth láidir agus cosaint don Ghaeltacht sna blianta romhainn.”
Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, has welcomed the growing momentum behind the campaign to name the new National Children’s Hospital in honour of the party’s former Vice-President and TD from 1923-1927, Dr. Kathleen Lynn; the only female commandant of the Easter Rising.
The Sinn Féin TD who represents the Dublin South Central constituency where the hospital is situated said:
“It is great to see more and more support for naming the new children’s hospital after pioneering medic, suffragette and 1916 hero Dr. Kathleen Lynn.
“For the best part of a decade, Sinn Féin has been actively campaigning for this move, and we reiterate that call today.
“Since 2013, I have personally written to three Ministers for Health – James Reilly, Leo Varadkar, and Simon Harris – to seek their support for this campaign.
“It is heartening, if not also somewhat bemusing, to see members of Fianna Fáil in particular becoming vocal champions for this cause of late, given that their party voted against my own proposal to name the hospital after Dr. Lynn in 2018.
“Had my amendment to the Children’s Health Bill been adopted, the hospital would be officially named as the Kathleen Lynn National Children’s Hospital. Unfortunately, the decision of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs to vote against the move at the time has robbed elected politicians of the chance to decide the name, leaving the final say instead in the hands of the unelected hospital board.
“This is the most expensive hospital in world history, and certainly one of the most expensive pieces of infrastructure in the history of this State. It is fitting that the State should use this opportunity to give recognition to an inspirational woman who played a pivotal role fighting for our freedom, as well as a seminal role founding a children’s hospital in St. Ultan’s and introducing the BCG vaccine to Ireland. Her legacy lives on in the countless people alive today because of its success in combatting tuberculosis.
“I was privileged to attend the unveiling of a painting in Leinster House celebrating Kathleen Lynn’s significance in our history; a symbol of all the women who were not only written out of history, but whose stories were in many cases never written in to begin with. There is appreciation for Dr. Lynn not only across parties in the Dáil, but among historians, medics and wider society.
“What is needed now is for Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to put the words of his Fianna Fáil colleagues into action and bring pressure to bear on the hospital board to adopt the name of Dr. Kathleen Lynn once and for all.”
Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed confirmation a new GP contractor has been appointed to provide GP services to the patients at Flax Medical Centre.
The North Belfast MLA said:
“Confirmation that a new contractor has been appointed to deliver services at Flax Medical Centre is welcome news for patients.
“GP practices and services must be protected.
“Our entire health service and health workers are under huge pressure. They need an Executive and a health minister in place taking decisions to tackle the problems.
“Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive now, to work together with others, and invest an extra £1 billion in our health service.”
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney has said today’s court ruling confirms that DUP Minister, Edwin Poots, acted unlawfully in attempting to halt checks at ports.
The party’s Brexit spokesperson said:
“Attempts by former agriculture minister Edwin Poots to halt checks at ports were clearly reckless and irresponsible and we now have confirmation that they were also unlawful.
“This court ruling also follows on from repeated threats by the Tory government to break international law.
“Local businesses need stability, certainty and political leadership. It’s time for the belligerence and blocking to stop.
“The DUP boycott of the Executive is an act of reckless political negligence which abandons ordinary people in a cost-of-living crisis. The DUP should get back to work now.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, and Sinn Féin spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, Senator Paul Gavan, have called on the government to be much more ambitious in their legislative attempts to modernise the co-operative sector.
Teachta O’Reilly said:
“Reform in the co-operative sector is long overdue with the principal legislation dealing with co-operatives, The Industrial and Provident Societies Act, dating back over 100 years to 1893.
“Sinn Féin welcomes efforts to modernise the co-operative space as we are extremely conscious of the success of the co-operative model across Europe.
“From our engagements with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, there appears to be a lack of appetite to make the necessary progressive changes so Ireland can harness the benefits of workers co-operatives.
“Across Europe, worker co-operatives have been found to be more productive, more resilient and provide greater benefits to their workers, communities and societies compared to traditional businesses.
“Unfortunately, there appears to be an ideological opposition to workers co-operatives in the Department; it is vital that this attitude changes if we are to harness the benefits, and reap the rewards, of co-operatives.
Senator Paul Gavan said:
“The government’s draft legislation lacks any plans to recognise worker co-operatives as a distinct legal entity. Furthermore, there is no legal pathway for a worker co-operative buyout model to allow businesses facing succession to transfer ownership of the enterprise to the workers of that business.
“Another serious worry is the lack of an asset lock as part of the legislation to protect co-ops from being turned into private for-profit companies. This is what happened with many agricultural co-ops over the years to the detriment of farmers and members.
“However, the most glaring omission from the Bill is the absence of any plans to establish a Worker Co-operative Development Unit to actively support the development of co-ops. You only have to look to Scotland and the crucial role of Co-operative Development Scotland to see how critical a dedicated and well-funded agency is to the growth of this sector.
“Plans to update the existing legislation are very welcome, but I am genuinely surprised to see the lack of due diligence and study of best practice as established in other countries such as Scotland, France, Spain and Italy.
“We need a government that will not merely modernise legislation, but pro-actively look to grow and support workers co-operatives and recognise the huge untapped potential in this employment model.”
