Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 26 February 2026
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2026
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised)
2:00 am
Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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They ended their hunger strike on 10 November. By the Taoiseach's timeline, he had already been in touch with the relevant Ministers. With the greatest of respect, why does it take that long? The appointment of a liaison person, for example, does not need interdepartmental groupings. The Taoiseach could do that. He could do it now. He could have had it done. He also said that there is an evolving nature to the response. I literally have no idea what that means and I do not think the survivors do either, but they did have some very simple asks. The Taoiseach will be more than well aware of this: they want their medical cards, they want their liaison person and they want the services. As it stands, they are stuck on waiting lists.
They were traumatised, have been retraumatised, and have been psychologically and physically damaged by the State. The Taoiseach apologised, and rightly so, but that apology has no meaning if it is not followed up with the services. I have asked for a timeline bearing in mind they ended their hunger strike on 10 November. It is now 26 February 2026, so the Taoiseach has had three months to put in place the supports they looked for: the medical card and the liaison person. I have asked for a timeline and the Taoiseach's response has been that there will be a timeline. However, saying there will be a timeline is not a timeline. Will the Taoiseach give them a timeline? Did he listen to Mary Dunlevy this morning? My heart nearly broke in half. She sounded broken. I spoke to them when they were on hunger strike. They were determined to see it through. They had right on their side and they knew that. Now, however, it seems that after all that, it has been from 10 November to today and they are still left waiting. Does the Taoiseach understand that the trauma they experienced is happening again and again when a promise is made and a commitment is given and they are broken? I asked for a timeline and I am going to press the Taoiseach on that. Saying there will be a timeline at some point into the future is not a timeline.