2026-05-19

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (1) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (2) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Statements on National Biodiversity Week (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Evictions and Rent Hikes, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - National Asset Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes) - Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 4.45 p.m. and to conclude within 2 hours) - Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 1 hour) - Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025 (to conclude within 1 hour and any division claimed to be taken immediately) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Defence and Neutrality, selected by Independent and Parties Technical Group. Thursday's business shall be: - Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes) Thursday evening business shall be the Motion re Report entitled ‘Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill’, sponsored by the Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and (b) private members business shall be taken on conclusion of the Statements on National Biodiversity Week, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business; 2. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (1) shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; 3. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (2) shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and 4. the Statements on National Biodiversity Week shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time. Total: 2 hours 15 mins In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.; (b) in the event proceedings on the National Asset Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 concludes before 4.45 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 4.45 p.m., when the order of business shall resume with the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025; and (c) the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of the Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time; 2. the proceedings on the National Asset Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time Total: 3 hours 24 mins 3. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall commence no earlier than 4.45 p.m., and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; 4. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health; and 5. (i) the proceedings on the Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:- — opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes; — speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group; — speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes in total; and — a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; (b) members may share time; and (c) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and (ii) that Deputy Robert Troy, Minister of State at the Department of Finance be designated the member in charge of the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for Motion re Report entitled ‘Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill’, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the proceedings on the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (a) the first-round speeches, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time. Total: 3 hours 24 mins

Is the Order of Business agreed? Not agreed.

The reason Israel feels it can kidnap 12 Irish citizens in international waters and act with impunity with no price to pay, is that the occupied territories Bill has been delayed by years. The Taoiseach knows that. He gave commitment after commitment as leader of his party that he would introduce that Bill and it has been held back again and again. That is why Israel can kidnap hundreds of citizens, including 12 Irish citizens; it pays no price or sanctions whatsoever. Why has it been delayed so long?

I ask for the Government to follow what it did in the Autumn in relation to the flotilla. We have 12 Irish citizens kidnapped, including the President's sister and Luke McMenamin, from my own constituency. This Government provided time in the past to have a debate on the flotilla. We need to do it again. Some 12 citizens and maybe three more, have been kidnapped by the Israeli state. That is not acceptable.

As we speak, flotilla organisers are reporting that the Israeli military is shooting rubber bullets at one of the last boats that has not yet been kidnapped by Israel, which has an Irish citizen on it. The Government has indicated that it will vote tomorrow against the Bill we have put forward calling for sanctions against the state that is doing this.

Thank you, Deputy.

What crime do the Israelis have to commit-----

Thank you. Deputy Michael Collins.

-----against Irish citizens or Palestinians before the Government will support sanctions?

I have been looking for a debate about short-term lets in the Dáil for the past two or three months. Yes, the can has been kicked down the road, and that is different from what the Government was saying for long enough, but the public needs to know what the future for them is in relation to short-term lets. A debate is warranted immediately.

Deputy Jen Cummins, who I missed. I apologise.

No problem. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre today said in its annual report that it had 24,000 contacts last year. That is up 5% from 2024 and up 29% from 2023. Almost 31% of them were first-time contacts. There was a huge fear among people who were at risk of becoming homeless. They then stay in their accommodation, whether it is live-in landlords or housemates abusing them. A large number of young people also spoke about image-based sexual violence and cyber abuse. We need an urgent debate-----

Thank you, Deputy.

------in this House about that issue.

I note all the comments made, but we have a serious amount of business to get through this week, including the National Treasury Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill, the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill and the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill. For that reason, and because in the morning there is a Private Members' motion on defence and neutrality, during which there will be ample opportunity to raise some of the concerns already raised under Leaders' Questions, the Order of Business stands.

Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Not agreed.

We have all heard in recent weeks about the scandal on Connaught Street in Dublin. Dublin City Council has finally agreed to meet with the residents today but this is not the only such site in the heart of Dublin city centre. No. 6 Terrace Place sits at the end of a row of beautifully maintained homes off Seán McDermott Street. It was added to the derelict sites register in 2008 and was subject to a compulsory purchase order in 2023. I have pictures here just to give the Taoiseach an idea of what it is like. It was falling down in 2009 and was worsen again in 2014 and then 2018. This picture is from 2022. The building was left to rot and collapse. Will there be real penalties for speculators and landholders who let buildings that could be homes for families become derelict because this is happening across the country?

There is an obligation on Dublin City Council to act on derelict sites and it should have acted in respect of such derelict sites and buildings. That is first and foremost the responsibility of local authorities. Some have managed it reasonably well while others have not. That is why the Government took a decision last year to bring Revenue in on derelict sites so that Revenue will make sure that dereliction will be penalised.

I express my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Yves Sakila and express my concern at the incident last Friday evening on Henry Street in Dublin city centre that resulted in his death and the injury of an older man. I also express condolences to the Congolese community here. It has been reported that Mr. Sakila was an IT professional originally from Congo who had been living in Ireland for some 20 years. A video has been circulating of the minutes leading up to Mr. Sakila's death. I viewed this and for anyone who has viewed it, it contains very distressing and disturbing footage. I echo the words of the Irish Network Against Racism, INAR, which said it was very concerned that excessive force may have been used against Mr. Sakila, and indeed that appears to be evident from the video. I also support calls by INAR for a thorough investigation of all the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Sakila. Deputy Marie Sherlock, our local TD in the area, has also issued that call and attended today the vigil in Mr. Sakila's memory on Henry Street. We need to ensure all the circumstances of this incident are thoroughly examined.

I spoke about this earlier. Again, my sympathies go to the family of Yves Sakila. It is an issue of the deepest concern and needs to be thoroughly and fully investigated. Obviously, there will be a post mortem to establish the cause of death, which will inform the Garda investigation. Fiosrú, the independent Office of the Police Ombudsman, was notified, as required under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. It is fully independent in terms of its investigative and operational functions. There are very serious concerns and I do not want to prejudice any subsequent investigation, other than to say that everybody is deeply saddened. A person has lost his life in such circumstances, and the manner in which that has occurred has caused huge concern across society.