Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

In my first contribution in the House, I extend my congratulations to the Ceann Comhairle and my heartfelt thanks to the people of Kildare North for placing their trust in me. I would like to take a moment to appreciate my friend, the former TD, Catherine Murphy. I thank fellow Members here who have passed on their warmest regards to Catherine for the work she has done. I also thank my colleagues in the Social Democrats in Kildare North for the work they did throughout this campaign but, most of all, I extend my warmest thanks to my best friend, Aisling, to my children, Cillian, Ella and Tadhg, and to my family who are here today, for their enduring support in recent months.

Despite having electoral success, none of us has actually achieved anything yet. The work starts today and this is an opportunity for us to start to work together. We all have local priorities and, for me, a resolution of the situation in Castletown House is one such priority. I ask the current Government to find that resolution in the coming weeks and months, if possible.

I have been a professional youth worker and community worker for 15 years and believe that investing in children and young people is not only about investing in our future but, critically, it displays to the world our values of education, equality, anti-racism, social justice, sustainability and empowerment. Let us be ambitious about developing a public model of childcare that delivers quality services, pays staff accordingly and does not cripple young families with a second mortgage payment. We cannot ignore the reality that, in some counties, our school systems are creaking. Class sizes are spiralling out of control. We may have free books, free transport and free school meals, but under the bonnet of those headlines, there are significant issues with capacity, quality and delivery. Children, teachers, SNAs and the wider school community deserve better. Youth work services, child and adolescent mental health services and recreational opportunities for children and young people are the key to improving the mental and physical health of young people in our communities. We need workforce planning now and we needed long-term investment in these services yesterday. Policy should not create divides; it should unite. Over the course of the next five years we in this Chamber have an opportunity to address the structural inequalities in our society and I look forward to working with everybody in this House in achieving same.

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