Tóibín Calls for Dáil to Return to Leinster House Now

On the floor of the Convention Centre today Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín has called for the Dáil to Leinster House immediately. He stated to the Taoiseach;

“Its reported that Dáil use of the National Convention Centre is €25,000 a day. This is a shocking level of spend given that so many people are suffering so much financially. In my own constituency St Mary Special School has lost funding for hot meals. Children with Special Education needs are getting on buses at 7.30 am and only getting home at 5pm. The school they are attending no longer has the funds to provide a hot meal to these children. Yet its reported that €5,000 a day is spent feeding well paid TDs and Ministers in the Convention Centre restaurant each day”.

"A significant number of TDs are vaccinated. There must be practical steps that can be taken to stop this waste of money now. That TDs would spend with such little care for taxpayers money while children with special needs are deprived of a hot meal is incredible wrong."

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.