Results 1-20 of 3,750 for at speaker:Mattie McGrath

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Universal healthcare is a healthcare system in which all residents of a particular country or region are assured access to healthcare. That is currently a pipe dream in this country, unfortunately. Our health system is broken, and I do not know what it is going to take to fix it. How are we getting the most basic things like providing our citizens with a decent level of healthcare so...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Going back to Clonmel again, this is a situation with water. We are in a very perilous situation as I said earlier, with outages on a daily or definitely on a weekly basis. Businesses have no certainty and nor do householders. We have a lovely supply in Poulavanogue in rural Clonmel, with rivers supplying from the mountain. Irish Water is hellbent on disconnecting and decommissioning that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: There are considerable issues facing the once thriving market town of Clonmel, with huge levels of vacancy and dereliction. There are water outages on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis and there are concerning levels of open drug taking and drug dealing on the main streets of our town. There is, unfortunately, an unsavoury atmosphere to be felt in the town centre. I do not say this...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I acknowledge there are good things happening in Clonmel and we have had great ambassadors, such as the late Frank Patterson and Mick Dell. Clonmel men are known all over the world. However, the town lost its borough council under Fine Gael. It lost Kickham Barracks, which was a major blow. It lost the mental health services at St. Michael's psychiatric unit. The biggest loss of all was...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (15 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: ...tail is wagging the dog, completely, totally and utterly. We can raid this fund any time we like for environmental issues, pet projects of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the ideology he is following that is destroying our economy. He fundamentally refuses to consider building road projects. This amendment is about housing, which is a massive crisis. However, the Government - and Fine...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: The childcare sector is in crisis. Although the Government has injected funding into the sector which, thankfully, has made childcare more affordable for parents, that has now created such a high demand that the services are not available to people because they cannot hire staff. Childcare facilities are now routinely turning away families and the waiting lists are getting bigger and...

Road Safety and Maintenance: Motion [Private Members] (15 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Ar an gcéad dul síos, I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this very important motion. It is an issue we have to deal with. My God, my own county was devastated last year with young deaths and we have had some this year again. This is a very important motion. There is not a simple solution. The Garda traffic corps has been decimated and we need those situations...

Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion [Private Members] (14 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Ba mhaith liom ar an gcéad dul síos fíorfháilte a chur roimh na daoine agus na clanna go léir a fuair bás in the Monaghan and Dublin bombings. I want to welcome the families here and empathise with them. My welcome is not much good to them; they need justice. Unfortunately, they are not going to get it. I compliment Sinn Féin on bringing forward the...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2024: Second Stage (14 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I too am glad to speak on the Bill. The aspects of the Bill include mandatory information provision. It mandates that registered providers of nursing homes and residential services, excluding those for people with disabilities, must regularly supply key operational data to HIQA, as drafted in the Bill. I have often spoken to HIQA. I do not have a lot of faith in HIQA, as the Minister of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: The Taoiseach is very good at that himself.

Progressing Special Education Provision: Statements (9 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall mo chuid ama a úsáid. I wish the Minister of State well in her post and look forward to engaging with her. The whole situation is very sad. There is nothing more frustrating than young children and adult children waiting for services who cannot get them. Money is being pumped into the system. There is not doubt about that, but there...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: On Saturday, 600 people marched in Clonmel begging for improved services for people with disabilities. We heard testimonies of patients whose children have no school places for September and almost have to travel to Mayo from Tipperary to get a psychological appointment. We heard stories of efforts to recruit staff to the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, which have been...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (8 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I, too, will speak on this motion which proposes delivering homes at prices that are within the reach of working class people. The proposals suggest that new homes could be sold to eligible buyers for less than €300,000, with the exact price varying based on the size and location of the home. However, the motion does not elaborate on how Sinn Féin plans to deliver a fully...

Europe Day: Statements (8 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I appreciate the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's forbearance. I was trying to watch the clock and I missed it. On 9 May, the EU celebrates Europe Day. It is the anniversary of the historic Schuman declaration in 1950. This day is a testament to the EU's remarkable achievements in fostering unity and maintaining long-term peace. As we approach the European elections on 6 to 9 June 2024,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: It is amazing how the tide changes in here when a local or European election comes along. We would not be allowed to mention the word "migrant" in debates here over the past eight or ten months. Our motion opposing the migration pact was voted down last week. The Minister for Justice told Senator Keogan today and me last week that the Government would not publish the Attorney General's...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (8 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: 66. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason passport applications are being delayed following a check on a second occasion when the issue was not flagged during the original check; if he will have the Passport Office ensure that an application is fully checked on the first occasion rather than flagging separate issues at subsequent checks thereby significantly delaying...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Disability services in south Tipperary are falling apart at the seams. I have raised the issue of the catastrophic vacancies in the CDNT teams. There is a large number of vacancies and children are suffering. They are waiting years for the most vital basic disability services. This is the case for all services for children. Scoil Aonghusa, Cashel, is full to the brim. Two mothers in...

Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Gabh mo leithscéal. The Minister of State is quite sharp on that. I am speaking as I did last week. We are on amendment No. 74, which I am totally opposed to. The Minister of State is trying to make his slipshod way out of this. As I said last week, from the start of the Bill, people cannot understand the Minister of State. He just will not listen to anybody. He has been captured...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: The increased cost of business grant scheme was introduced by the Government last year. It is a very good scheme, which closed at midnight last night, but there is a major loophole in it. Where businesses are renting from somebody else, the proprietor is paying the rates so those businesses cannot claim this business scheme. I compliment the officials in Tipperary County Council's revenue...

European Union Migration and Asylum Pact: Motion [Private Members] (1 May 2024)

Mattie McGrath: ...Domhnaill and Triona in my office and my colleagues for putting down this motion. On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I make no apologies to anyone for putting this motion forward. The Minister mentioned that a number of debates have been held. I think three of them were forced by us, after months of begging. We have used our Private Members' time for debates; Government time has...