Latest news with #CianOCallaghan
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Sinn Féin voting against first-stage Bill banning fox hunting ‘deeply troubling', Social Democrats say
A decision by Sinn Féin vote against an Opposition Bill seeking to ban fox hunting was 'deeply troubling' and potentially undemocratic, the acting Social Democrats leader has said. A Private Members' Bill to ban hunting was introduced to the Dáil on Wednesday by People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger. Bills are not normally voted on at that early stage and are given leave to pass to the second stage for a full Dáil debate. However, in an unusual development, a vote was called on the Bill by Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae. Sinn Féin, Independent Ireland and a handful of rural Independent TDs all voted against it at first stage. READ MORE However, the two Government parties, and the other Opposition parties and TDs, voted to give the Bill leave and it passed to second stage. Acting Social Democrats leader Cian O'Callaghan wrote to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on Thursday to express his deep concern at her party's decision to block the Bill. 'While the Social Democrats believe strongly that blood sports are barbaric and cruel, we recognise the democratic right of Sinn Féin to take an opposing view,' he wrote. 'However, the decision by Sinn Féin to vote to prevent a Bill going to the second stage was unprecedented and deeply troubling.' Mr O'Callaghan said allowing the Bill through would not have denoted opposition or assent. 'As far as I am aware a political party has never attempted to block an Opposition TD tabling a piece of legislation. What is really extraordinary about what happened last night is that it was Sinn Féin – an Opposition party – which attempted to block a Bill from another Opposition grouping – People Before Profit/Solidarity – proceeding to the second stage.' He added that if the practice was continued it would be undemocratic and completely undermine the role of the Opposition. A spokesman for Sinn Féin said its vote was 'no big deal'. He said the party voted against the legislation in the knowledge that it was going to the second stage in any instance. 'We have a different position and took the opportunity to set out our opposition to the legislation,' he said.
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
No action on High Court assessment of needs disability as last government ‘couldn't agree'
The last government did not act on a High Court decision three years ago on assessments of need for children with disabilities because 'there wasn't agreement' on it, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. In 2022 the High Court ruled that assessments of need should take more than 30 hours, which resulted in the HSE changing its model of assessment. More than 15,000 children have been waiting longer than six months for assessment and 25,000 are expected to be in this situation by the end of the year. Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan said the accelerated procedure 'was struck down for a good reason. It consisted of one hour of observed play time and a 30-minute discussion with a parent. READ MORE 'Children were then diagnosed as having a disability but not told which disability they had. It was a completely inadequate box-ticking exercise. Are you telling us that this is a system that you're going to return to, or is your plan to get rid of assessment and need altogether?' he asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin. [ Government 'all talk but no action' on disability assessment backlog, says activist Opens in new window ] Mr Martin said, 'I have no intention of going back on the standing operating procedures' that applied before the High Court ruling. But he said, 'I believe when the High Court makes a decision it is clinicians that should ultimately decide in terms of the nature and type of provision on therapy, medicine or anything. 'The last government did not follow through for different reason. There wasn't agreement in respect of it after the High Court decision.' The Taoiseach said, 'an assessment of evaluation is not a static thing, nor should it be. As a child develops, the child needs ongoing review' and the Government had decided to have a national 'in-school therapy service', a 'red-line' issue for this Government. Mr O'Callaghan said 'that is an astonishing answer'. 'When 15,000 children are waiting for needs assessments 'you haven't got your act together in this because the previous government couldn't agree on what to do'. Mr O'Callaghan said: 'You've been talking around changing the law, hiring more people. But when are you actually going to stop breaking the law?' [ Government to change law in bid to speed up autism and disability assessments Opens in new window ] Accusing Mr O'Callaghan of 'deliberate distortion', the Taoiseach said this Government will deal with the court decision but the previous government had dealt with a lot of other related issues, including a 30 per cent increase in assessments in 2023 and a 65 per cent increase in the first three months of this year compared to last. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Taoiseach had met Cara Darmody on Wednesday morning and 'you gave no commitments'. Mr Martin confirmed he met the teenager on Wednesday morning and 'we discussed all the issues involved and I outlined what the Government is going to do'.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Practicality rather than divisions behind front-bench reshuffle, Social Democrats say
The Social Democrats have dismissed suggestions that a mini reshuffle among its front bench spokespeople was done for anything other than practical reasons. Acting party leader Cian O'Callaghan announced that Dublin Rathdown TD Sinéad Gibney was moving from the foreign affairs brief to media, tourism and arts, with Kilkenny-based senator Patricia Stephenson taking on her former role. A party spokeswoman said there was no basis to suggestions about divisions in the party, noting that both portfolios were senior and reflected the experience and expertise of the appointee. There are divided views within the parliamentary party about the status of Eoin Hayes , the Dublin Bay South TD who was suspended by the party over a failure to account fully for the manner in which he disposed of shareholdings in Palantir, a US-based company that has provided military technology to Israel. Some members of the parliamentary party are understood to want to bring his suspension to an end. READ MORE The spokeswoman said the decision to reshuffle spokespeople was taken in order to align them with their Oireachtas committee responsibilities. Ms Stephenson had not previously been a party spokesperson and there was uncertainty over which committee she would be appointed to. When it became known she had been selected to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, the logical thing was for her to become spokesperson in that area, the party said. The same applied to Ms Gibney, who is a member of the Committee on Media, Tourism and Arts. Mr O'Callaghan said Ms Stephenson is 'a former EU diplomat, having worked for the EU delegation to Uganda in the governance and human rights department' and is also one of the Irish delegates to the Council of Europe. Ms Gibney, the former chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, is one of the party's most high-profile TDs. She has experience of the media and communications sector, having spent eight years working at a senior level for a multinational technology company. Ms Gibney said she had enjoyed working in the 'crucial area' of foreign affairs alongside Ms Stephenson but was 'excited to get stuck into my new portfolio'. She said she was delighted her colleague had secured a committee position and a chance to 'bring her expertise' to the area.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Miriam Lord: Sinn Féin's ‘Mr Angry' meets immovable object that is Micheál
The Taoiseach is not a fan of the Opposition's shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach. Can deputies not just wait until they have the whole story? 'The audit will be ready fairly imminently, I hope,' Micheál Martin told the Dáil, mentioning the end of next week. 'I have no interest in hiding anything. None. Why would I? Why would I?' he told Cian O'Callaghan of the Social Democrats and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald , who were sure he was trying to pull a fast one. READ MORE 'For God's sake, reflect on what you're trying assert. I'm as serious about this as anybody is. It's horrendous if anything wrong was done, but we need to find out the full facts.' Day two of the standoff between the Taoiseach and the Opposition. Neither side is getting anywhere. [ Over 2,200 families of children who received hip surgeries over 15 year period written to by CHI and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital ] But for all the angry words between them, the Taoiseach's tone and demeanour indicate he isn't a million miles away from the Opposition's view that yet another disturbing HSE scandal is about to break. This one is about a large number of children possibly undergoing unnecessary hip surgeries in three Dublin hospitals with cases perhaps going back as many as 15 years. Possibly. Perhaps. The words being used for now. Deputies have seen a leaked draft report revealed by online news site The Ditch, which makes for alarming reading. And as an independent audit into the situation nears completion, they want more details now from the Taoiseach. They also want to know about letters sent on foot of this audit to parents of children who had operations as far back as 2010, reminding them to return to their hospitals for routine follow up care. How many of these were sent and why now? This issue was raised in the Dáil on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, with similar results. Angry interventions from Sinn Féin in particular did not help to move the matter on. And the Taoiseach, vehemently rejecting charges of some sort of cover-up, stuck to his line that he cannot comment or act until he has seen the final, independent report. The Soc Dems deputy leader wanted answers now for parents wondering whether the serious surgery they watched their child suffer through was really necessary at all. Why can't he just tell them when he will answer their questions? It's 'insulting' not to do so, particularly when he 'hinted' earlier in the week that he knows more than he is willing to say. 'Taoiseach, can you stop with the evasion and just level with us?' More frustration from Micheál. 'No one's insulting anybody, deputy ... it's too serious for that. We're talking about children who've had operations. So the least we owe to the parents and the families is the facts.' As for the number of letters sent out, Micheál said Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was on the case. He seemed confident she would come up with the goods before the day was out. One person who is never unsure of her facts is Mary Lou McDonald, who just had to butt in during Cian's slot to dispute one of the Taoiseach's statements. Micheál immediately had one of his 'Aaaw-would-ya-ever-stop, Mary Lou' moments. These are a regular thing. 'Sorry, please now. This is not about politics, deputy. This is outrageous behaviour by you now ... It's not your question and you've been doing this since this Dáil began and I'd ask you to stop because it's too serious.' Then he launched into his impassioned 'I'm not hiding anything' mini-speech. Obviously, it fell on deaf ears. Later, during questions on policy, Mary Lou returned to the subject to tell him he misled the Dáil on the reason the letters were sent to parents. She also suspected he knew the number of letters which were sent out to parents, but was choosing to say nothing. 'Hear, hear!' Pearse Doherty boomed in an extra-shouty mood. It must have been the good weather. There was brief row over what the letter contains. The Taoiseach complained he wasn't trying to cast aspersions on anyone asking questions, but 'aspersions are being laid against door of the Government'. It could have been worse. They might have been accused of having aspirations. As an example, Micheál harked back to Tuesday's sitting when she accused him of 'ducking, dodging and diving' on the issue. 'Yes,' Mary Lou nodded, totally unanimous with herself on this. It's a false assertion, Micheál retorted. 'The Government wants the facts here and I want the facts'. 'Well, share them,' she shot back. 'When the audit is complete,' the Taoiseach responded, emphasising every word, fixing a knowing eye on the Sinn Féin leader. 'I know what you're at.' This was too much for the loyal Pearse, who started spluttering about the audit and what the Taoiseach professed to know about it: 'Jesus Christ!' The Ceann Comhairle had a conniption. 'Excuse me. That is uncalled for!' And now Micheál was in on the action, glaring at Pearse. 'He's shouting again. Mr Angry is at it again now. Mr Angry is at it!' 'Do you not know?' Pearse bellowed. 'Angry theatrics is par for the course from you and it's wrong to do it,' Micheál bristled as Pearse and Mary Lou huffed themselves to a standstill. Clarity and confusion But it was not over for Micheál yet as Aontú 's Peadar Tóibín returned to the letters sent out to patients and their parents. He kept to the medical theme. 'Taoiseach, you are injecting confusion into the hip operation scandal at the moment.' Peadar said Micheál gave the Dáil contradictory answers about why these letters were sent out. But just like Micheál knows what Mary Lou is at, he also knows what Peader is about. 'Look, I have the experience. I know what's going on here. So you call for clarity, but what you want is confusion.' He said deputy Tóibín wanted to paint a picture of an 'incoherent, drip-drip, bit by bit' evasive attitude from him 'whereas I'm saying, Can we not wait for the audit to be completed and given to the Minister?' Then she can share it with the Dáil and the public and, above all, with the families and children that may be affected. 'That's all I'm saying.' By the evening, Jennifer had concluded her mission. A statement from the hospitals confirmed that more than 2,000 letters had been sent to parents of children who had hip dysplasia surgery in the past 15 years, giving the Opposition renewed reason to demand answers. The Minister says the audit 'will be finalised and completed imminently.' By the end of next week, the Opposition shouldn't be shouting into a vacuum. Because the Taoiseach will be free to say all he has to say on the matter. He had better not hold back. After all, his Government has absolutely nothing to hide.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Children's hip surgery audit report due next week, says Taoiseach
The audit report on hip surgeries on children is expected to be ready by the end of next week, Micheál Martin has said. He was responding to opposition criticism over the handling of the controversy into allegations of unnecessary hip dysplasia surgery. The criticism follows the leaking of a draft audit report and the delay in the final report. Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan said the Taoiseach had stated 10 weeks ago that the report was in its final stages, but 'parents of children involved received no further information'. READ MORE Mr O'Callaghan said that in the Dáil on Tuesday the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health 'weren't even able to tell us how many letters have been sent to families by Children's Health Ireland'. 'These letters are not connected to the audit. We are told they've been sent to families whose children were operated on over the last 15 years, and the Government is entirely ignorant about how many families may even be involved. That is really staggering,' the Dublin Bay North TD said. 'You've accused opposition TDs of trying to politicise this issue. Would you also accuse parents who are desperate for information of the same thing, because we are trying our best to get information for them.' Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald alleged Mr Martin had 'misled the Dáil' that the letters were about routine follow-up, because they 'specifically refer to an early recommendation from the audit'. She said she believed he knew the numbers of additional letters sent out based on the audit, but Mr Martin rejected this as false. Mr Martin said 'it's horrendous if anything wrong was done,' but 'we need to find out the full facts. That's what we want to do'. He said that once a number was announced for the letters sent to parents 'of course, people draw all sorts of conclusions'. He said: 'The important point is, I think, is to get the audit published.' Families whose children received hip surgeries up to 15 years ago are being sent letters by CHI in advance of the publication of the audit report. Last July it was announced an independent review into hip surgeries in children would be carried out to examine if the developmental dysplasia of the hip surgery was required in all cases. The review is looking at a random, anonymised sample of dysplasia of the hip surgeries, between 2021 and 2023, at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) hospital sites, as well as the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh. It has been examining whether the criteria used for surgical intervention varied between the three hospitals and if surgery was required in all cases. Earlier, the mother of a child on whom bilateral hip surgery was performed is calling for reassurance for parents and confirmation from hospitals about whether surgery was required. Áine Gladney-Knox, who was a Sinn Féin candidate for the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency in the last general election, said it would 'break her' as a parent if the surgery had proved unnecessary. She told RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland that her son Archie was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when he was six months old and had bilateral pelvic operation in Crumlin Hospital on April 19th, 2022. Post-surgery Archie had to be readmitted to hospital and undergo a blood transfusion and further surgery. 'He just screamed and screamed and screamed. That child went through absolute hell. He really, really went through a horrendous time,' she said. She received a letter from Children's Health Ireland, but it was not until she heard about the issue from party colleague Pearse Doherty that she realised its implications. 'And that's when I actually sat at my kitchen table and cried my eyes out because I was like, if he is one of the children, after what he's after going through, like it would actually break me as a parent,' she said. Ms Gladney-Knox said she was not at all reassured by the letter. If anything, it had made her more anxious. It had raised more questions and made her question herself and her judgment as a parent. 'We really need these answers. This has been a kick in the teeth. We want to know how long this is going to take. I want answers for my child,' she said. 'They have to get this right for all the families and all the children that are involved.'
