The battle of Browne vs O'Snodaigh: Plans to mark Ireland's Norman heritage sparks war of words
Story of the Week
The issue of 15,000 children waiting more than six months for an assessment of need for disability and autism services dominated debate in the Dáil in the early part of the week.
While there was a combined Opposition motion on the need to improve the situation, it was really brought to the fore by the 50-hour protest carried out by
14-year-old Cara Darmody outside Leinster House
. The teenage activist said her motivation stems from the experiences of her brothers, Neil (12) and John (8), who have autism and intellectual disabilities. She accused the Government of being 'all talk and no action' after meeting Taoiseach
Micheál Martin
on Wednesday morning.
The
Government has signalled that it will change the law
to make assessments of need quicker in order to cut waiting lists. Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald told Mr Martin in the Dáil on Tuesday that the problem is not the law but rather 'Government failure'. The Taoiseach said however, that 'the
HSE
is not in a position to fulfil the law right now' and he promised a number of actions. These including seeking to train more therapist, recruit more form overseas and also ensure that existing therapists spent less time on assessments of need and more time delivering therapy services for children with autism and disabilities.
Minister for Children and Disabilities
Norma Foley
promised that money would not be a barrier to reforming the system. It seems change will not happen overnight. And as The Irish Times reported earlier this week, the number of children waiting longer than six months for an assessment of need is expected to grow to 25,000 by the end of the year.
READ MORE
Bust Up
It was a battle almost 1,000 years in the making. On one side, the Normans, apparently championed by Fianna Fáil Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne. On the other side the native Gaels, led by Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
The Cabinet approved plans for Ireland to participate
– along with several other countries – in
The Year of the Normans
– People of Europe initiative. Mr Browne said it would be 'carried out in a respectful, sensitive manner as all historical commemorations must be.'
Mr Ó Snodaigh was quick to accuse Fianna Fáil of an 'offensive' plan to celebrate the birth of England's first Norman king William the Conqueror whose successors, he said, subjugated Ireland. Mr Browne's spokeswoman responded saying Sinn Féin was 'completely missing the point'.
That's all very well but how does any of this affect me?
It is ten years since the Marriage Equality referendum. The proposal to allow same-sex marriage was resoundingly passed through a popular vote. Civil society groups and LGBTQ+ campaigners from David Norris to Katherine Zappone were for a long time the driving force for change. They undoubtedly played a big part in ensuring the success of the 'Yes' side. But all of the major political parties threw their weight behind the campaign as well.
Progress on gay-rights over the decades was far too slow but eventually, Ireland's political system got on board and the successful referendum in 2015 has had a tangible effect on people's lives.
You can read about some of the lives changed here.
Banana skin
There are two potential banana skins this week and they are both in the path of Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris. The first is his referral this week of the Government's proposals to scrap the
State's triple-lock system
for the deployment of
Defence Forces
troops overseas to the Committee on Defence and National Security for pre-legislative scrutiny.
Mr Harris has insisted the plans will not affect Ireland's policy of military neutrality, merely remove the effective veto currently held by permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) – like Russa - on Ireland deploying more than 12 troops on missions abroad.
The Opposition are vehemently opposed to getting rid of the triple lock claiming it will impact on Ireland's neutrality. There are already rumblings from some quarters of the committee tasked with looking at the so-called 'heads' of the legislation that there is not enough time for pre-legislative scrutiny between now and the Dáil's summer recess which begins in mid-July, which is when the Government is hoping this stage can be completed by.
Meanwhile, Mr Harris is to bring a memo to Government next week on the
Occupied Territories Bill
to ban imports from illegal
Israeli
settlements on Palestinian land. The Government has been working on its own version of the Bill first put forward by Independent Senator Frances Black in 2018. Expect ructions from the Opposition if the Coalition proposals are considered to be watered down from Ms Black's legislation aimed at banning both goods and services.
Winners and losers
Northern Ireland looks to be the big winner
from the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom earlier this week. While
Brexit
has caused massive disruption, the commitment to work towards a deal to remove most checks on agri-food products into Northern Ireland from Britain has been hailed by Tánaiste Simon Harris as 'a good day' for the North.
This week's losers are people caught up in Ireland's private rental market. As Conor Pope reported on Monday
rents are now climbing faster than at any point over the past 20 years
with the national monthly average between January and March surpassing €2,000 for the first time. According to the
Daft.ie
quarterly rental report, the
cost of renting
increased by an average of 3.4 per cent in the first three months of 2025 with the increases taking the monthly average open-market rent to €2,053. As the Government continues to struggle to get to grips with the housing crisis, tenants will be closely watching the outcome of a review of rent pressure zones, and any ideas the Coalition has for improving their situation.
The Big Read
Political Editor Pat Leahy has a piece on how there is no quick fix to the assessment of need crisis as Cara Darmody's protest pushed the issue to the top of the political agenda.
Harry McGee takes a look at what is happening as the political parties deliberate on their approach to the contest to succeed President Michael D Higgins in Áras and Uachtaráin.
Hear Here
Wednesday's Inside Politics podcast looked at immigration, how the new Government has signalled a tougher approach and whether the reforms are working.
Presenter Hugh Linehan is joined by Colm Brophy TD, Minister of State for Migration, Madeleine Allen, policy and advocacy officer with the Irish Refugee Council, and political correspondent Harry McGee.
Refugees in Ireland: is the Government getting the balance right?
Listen |
44:38
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