Sharon Keogan: champions local power, children's care
Sharon Keogan spoke in the Seanad urging decentralisation of power to local government and stronger supports for children, young people and grassroots county councillors. She criticised the erosion of local powers under Fianna Fáil, Fianna Gael and the Green Party and called for reforms on children in state care, mental health, eating disorders and family-friendly taxation.
Local government and decentralisation
She argued that power in national houses must be decentralised and more authority given to the regions - the recent storm reinforced the need for regional government and devolved powers for the first time.
Grassroots and county councillors
Keogan thanked county councillors for her election and emphasised daily contact with local representatives. She said grassroots politics is where democracy starts and warned it is currently underfunded and undersupported.
Policy priorities for children and families
She listed priorities she has championed in the Seanad - children in state care and aftercare, non-medicalisation for under-18 gender care, tackling human trafficking, improved mental health supports for young people and expanded services for eating disorders. She also called for family-friendly taxation and noted earlier remarks on childcare by Senator Byrne.
Tribute to a local representative
Keogan extended sympathies for Councillor Anthony Waldron of Ballintubber in County Roscommon, noting his funeral arrangements and his promotion of local tourism through the Suck Valley Way conference. She described him as a dedicated local representative who will be greatly missed.
Next steps and collegial closing
She said she looks forward to working with colleagues over the coming years and urged that promises to reform local government and return powers to councillors be actively implemented.
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Thank you and Cahirla, congratulations on your re-election to chair and commiserations to Senator Dermot Wilson over there. I believe Mary Fitzpatrick also contested the position as well. It's not easy putting your name forward for any election and you would have made a very fine chair, Senator Wilson. I'm one of those five cabin people that are in here and I'm proud to be where I'm from. Where you're from is really important in life. It forms you for the person that you are, where you come from. It's really important. While I was born in Cavan I am now elected as a Senator but I was elected previously in County Meath and there are some issues that obviously I would like to see finalised hopefully within this term in the Siannod. But for me I want to thank most importantly the County Councillors for putting me back in here. I worked hard with the County Councillors over the last five years and I'm in touch with them every single day. As many of the newly senators will know that yes she sends an email out every single night, she keeps us informed and I do that. I think it's really, really important. As far as I'm concerned that's where democracy starts. It starts in the ground. Grassroots politics is so really important and it is underfunded, undersupported in this country and we need to reform that. We have seen the erosion of powers that has happened under Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael and the Green Party in the last five years. So really I want you, and I want to believe in the words that you say that you want to reform local government and you want to give those powers back to the councillors and I want to see you actively live out those words in the next five years. For me, I champion many issues in here. Sometimes I am a lone voice, I am a controversial voice and it's not easy being that voice in here. But I've always championed things like children in state care, those that are seeking aftercare in the state. I speak out about gender care for minors and the non-medicalisation intervention for children under 18. I speak out about human trafficking and how we can stop that in this country. I speak out about mental health supports for our young people. And I want to champion this time around children and young adults with eating disorders. I think that is not supported in this country. But also we want to look at some family friendly taxation policies for young families in this country where we have heard Senator Byrne already speak about childcare. So we need to look at how we can support families in this country through better taxation policies. I want to extend my sympathies to our dear, dear friend, Councillor Anthony Waldron in Ballantubber in County Rascommon, who will be buried on Thursday. His remains are being brought to the church tomorrow evening. Many of our councillors would know Anthony through the Suck Valley Way conference that he would have held in Roscommon over the last number of years. He was a fantastic local representative. He was about all things Roscommon. He had great love for the promotion of tourism for his area. And he will be greatly, greatly missed by many of his colleagues throughout Roscommon, but throughout the country as well. We have to remember that power in these houses needs to be decentralised. We need more power to be given to the regions. We talk about the power in these houses always, but there is so much that happens throughout the country that we do not empower our local representatives and local government to do. And we need to look at how we can. And I think the storm, actually the storm, really, really sent that home to us. We need to look at regional government in this country for the first time ever. I think that is something that this house can do. So looking forward to working with each and every one of you over the next number of years. And I thank you and very best wishes for your term ahead. Thank you.
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