2026-03-18

We are now two weeks into a crisis in which Irish households are being hammered by skyrocketing fuel prices. The cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil has spun out of control, yet Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are absent. This is a do-nothing Government that is sitting on its hands and refusing to help while workers, families and motorists are fleeced. People are under massive pressure right here and right now, but the Taoiseach says it is too early to act. He says that the Government will keep the situation under review. My God, I have never heard anything quite so detached or disconnected. I will do the review right here and now. In many places, petrol is hitting €2 a litre, diesel is hitting €2.17 a litre and home heating oil is close to €900 for half a fill. These are unaffordable, crushing prices. How bad do things have to get before the Government helps? How high do fuel prices have to go before it acts? This is an immediate crisis for working households right across the land. While the Government dithers and delays, we are hearing from people who are in real trouble. These are people afraid to turn on the heat and who cannot afford to fill up their cars. I spoke to one woman who said that she spent an hour just staring at the quote for her home heating oil and trying to figure out how she could pay for it and still have money for the food shop. I also spoke to a father who commutes a long distance to work and who is already struggling to pay the rent. He is now worried how he will keep the car on the road in order that he can get to work. Households are struggling with an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis, and now this rapid increase in fuel prices only makes things far worse. What is the Government's response? It says that it is monitoring the situation. It seems things are not quite bad enough. The Government is waiting to see. How out of touch can you get? People cannot wait as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael twiddle their thumbs. People need them to act. Up to 65% of what people pay at the pumps goes to the Government in taxes. The Government hauled in an estimated additional €38 million in taxes and levies due to these price hikes in just one week. It is blindingly obvious what it needs to do, namely cut taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. This would immediately bring down prices. The Government could do this today. We will be moving the necessary legislation this afternoon; the Government just needs to implement it. No more excuses, no more beating around the bush and no more delay because it is unacceptable for the Government to let another week go by without intervening to cut fuel prices. Tá teaghlaigh buailte go dona ag arduithe ollmhóra ar phraghsanna an bhreosla. Tá Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael as láthair, ag diúltú cabhrú leo. Caithfidh an Rialtas gníomhú anois chun praghsanna peitril, díosail agus ola teasa tí a laghdú. The choice is clear. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can continue to sit back and allow households to be hammered or they can act today to immediately cut soaring fuel prices. Sinn Féin has put the legislation on the table to make this happen and it is ready to go. All the Government has to do is pick it up and implement it. Do it today and ease some of the pressure that people are under.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist. Sula fhreagraím í, ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a roinnt le roinnt Éireannaigh óga as éachtaí den scoth ar bhain siad amach ag an deireadh seachtaine agus le déanaí. I thank Deputy McDonald for her question. Before I answer it, I want to acknowledge the very considerable achievement by Irish young people over the weekend. In particular I commend and acknowledge the success and outstanding achievement of Jessie Buckley in winning an Academy Award, which is a remarkable achievement for the young Kerry woman. I also acknowledge the role of the Irish rugby team in winning the Triple Crown. Deputy McDonald has raised a very important point. At the heart of it, what it reveals is that once a war starts people are unaware as to what the consequences of that war will be. We can now see, however, that the cost of oil has risen quite considerably and a barrel of crude oil today is in the region of over $100 per barrel. That is a very significant consequence and it is impacting consumers not just in Ireland but throughout the world. As has been indicated by the Taoiseach in the United States, and by the Tánaiste, the Government will respond to this. However, what we are not going to do is engage in a kneejerk response just for the purpose of being seen to do something immediately. Instead, the Government will consider the situation and what has been indicated by the Taoiseach is that most probably we will look at the issue of excise duties for the purpose of cutting them to take pressure off consumers. It is also important to note that any measures that are going to be introduced we hope will be targeted at individuals who need them the most. I have to say I was very pleased to see that Sinn Féin's finance Minister in Northern Ireland, John O'Dowd, has adopted this position of the Irish Government. I read yesterday that he said when Sinn Féin in government is going to introduce measures to alleviate the cost of fuel in Northern Ireland, they will be targeted at those in most need. Similarly, this will be the case here. They will be targeted measures to ensure that those in most need are the ones who can recover from them. I noted that in her question Deputy McDonald did not mention the constant narrative of Sinn Féin, which is that we need to cut the carbon tax. I welcome the fact she recognises the importance of the carbon staying as a constant measure to ensure the considerable expenses being met from the carbon tax continue. One thing for certain is that what the oil crisis reveals to us is that we need to ensure we reduce and, hopefully, end our dependency on Middle Eastern oil. The only way we are going to do this is by ensuring that Ireland becomes a fully renewable country in terms of being able to produce our own renewables. I am not going to give Deputy McDonald an answer as to when measures are going to be introduced by the Irish Government but I can tell her that those deliberations are ongoing, just as they are ongoing in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin's own Government, where it has the finance Ministry and the Ministry for the economy. I want Deputy McDonald to be aware, however, that my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, asked the energy security group to meet on 6 March to assess the implications of the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf region. The group reviewed current supply and pricing conditions across oil, gas and electricity. I know that in recent days the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, wrote to retail electricity and gas suppliers, as well as to fuel suppliers, to emphasise the importance of reducing the exposure for Irish consumers from the price shocks created by geopolitical events. I assure Deputy McDonald that the Irish Government will act but we are not going to act simply to meet a deadline put in place by her or by others. We will come forward with a considered response. It will involve the Government meeting to discuss the nature of this response. Deputy McDonald will be aware that when there was a war previously, we responded very positively from the point of view of the Irish consumer and we will do so again.

The only actions that the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government has set out so far are proposals to increase taxes. The Minister has reiterated that position again. I do not know whether there is anybody sitting here among us who cannot turn on their heating or cannot fill their car. I do not think that is an experience anybody here on the Government benches or anywhere else has but it is the reality for too many families and for too many working people. I am simply asking the Minister and we have given the Government the mechanism to do it. We have given it the answer and we have given it the solution. The legislation will be moved this afternoon by Deputy Doherty. The Government simply has to lift this and, as an emergency and necessary measure, cut the taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. It is not a permanent measure but it is a very necessary emergency measure. This policy of mañana and wait and see is a luxury that people in this House might enjoy but it is not a luxury that working families have.

Hear, hear.

The oil companies will put it up again.

I appeal to the Minister today to stop the distraction, end the rhetoric and actually make the move that is necessary.

Hear, hear.

The oil companies will put it up again.

Deputies, please.

Sinn Féin is in government in Northern Ireland. It has money to reduce the cost of fuel in Northern Ireland yet its finance and economy Ministers have done nothing about it as of yet, so it is a bit rich of the Deputy to criticise the Irish Government for not acting fast enough-----

Any chance Fianna Fáil will run a candidate in the North, up in the Six Counties?

-----when her own Government has done nothing in respect of it in Northern Ireland.

Will the Minister answer the question?

People on the Government benches are well aware of the consequences of rising fuel prices.

Are they?

That is why after the invasion of Ukraine-----

Are they?

-----measures were taken by the Irish Government to assist consumers in respect of those rising prices. That is why the Taoiseach indicated when he was in the United States that measures are being considered and it is likely that there will be measures introduced-----

When?

-----to alleviate the pressure upon Irish people at the petrol pump-----

When?

-----and at the heating oil level. We will decide it ourselves. We will not decide it based on when Sinn Féin wants an answer from the Government.

What the people want most today-----

Unlike Sinn Féin, we will give it consideration-----

You are a disgrace.

-----and we will not engage in kneejerk reactions.

Kneejerk?

Come back to us when Sinn Féin has done something in Northern Ireland.

The Minister should talk to the people.

I call Deputy Bacik.

I commend the great Oscar wins at the weekend for Jessie Buckley and Richie Baneham and, of course, the win for the Irish rugby team. Yesterday, we watched the White House ceremony while the Taoiseach sat silent, utterly sidelined while US President Trump ranted and raved-----

Will you stop?

-----about Europe, NATO, wind farms, Keir Starmer, immigration and much more. It is deeply disappointing that the Taoiseach did not push back harder against Trump's delusional ramblings, in particular to condemn Trump's illegal war on Iran.

Did the Deputy write this last week?

To be fair, however, one thing we can be glad about is that the Taoiseach did push back against some of Trump's comments on immigration. I was pleased to hear the Taoiseach defend Europe and European migration policy and, indeed, say that Ireland benefits from our migrant communities and the skills they bring here. It was entirely appropriate for the Taoiseach to bring that message on St. Patrick's Day from a nation of immigrants because for generations the Irish national story was about our people finding refuge abroad. That is why the Labour Party has now asked the Government to launch a positive information campaign about migration in Ireland. We need a campaign based on facts and real stories. The fact that sectors of our economy and our public services, such as healthcare, hospitality and retail, simply would not function without the skilled people who have come here from other countries to bring their skills and experience. We need a campaign about the facts and the positive impact made by so many who have come here to seek work or, indeed, refuge from war or persecution. However, instead of that fact-based campaign we need from Government, we have seen far right rhetoric, myths and misinformation about migrants go unchallenged for far too long. We have seen intimidating protests. We have seen the appalling misuse of our national flag. Last week, we saw reports that the Minister's Department's new immigration strategy is apparently going to be for the benefit of the Irish people, founded on respect for social and cultural norms and the rule of law. That is somewhat concerning language, doubling down on some dog whistle rhetoric and using hostile language about inward migration amounting to the othering of people from different countries. I am calling on the Minister for justice to take heed of the Taoiseach's words yesterday on immigration and support the campaign Labour launched last week. We call our campaign Together We Thrive. It showcases the stories of migrants who come to Ireland and who have made a contribution by opening a restaurant in Dublin, being involved in and doing volunteer work in Sligo or teaching in Cork. These are the stories of people who came from Syria, Ukraine and India who have made such a positive contribution to our economy and our society. Therefore, instead of performative deportations and draconian legislation on immigration, let us see the Government now embrace this campaign; challenge the pernicious far right rhetoric on migration; and show solidarity and leadership with our new communities. Will the Government sign up to our Together We Thrive campaign? This is the real story of migration to Ireland.

Any fair-minded person looking at the events in the White House yesterday would recognise that the Taoiseach did an excellent job-----

Hear, hear.

-----in extremely challenging circumstances. Obviously, had Deputy Bacik been there, she would have dealt with it completely differently and more effectively-----

I would not have gone.

-----on behalf of the Irish people.

Of course, we know what would have happened had she been the Taoiseach because she had made the decision in advance of the visit that the Taoiseach should not go there.

That is right.

Had the Labour Party been in government, there would have been no engagement in respect of the United States of America.

Exactly.

No shamrock ceremony for somebody------

It was a very important message that the Taoiseach delivered. It is an extremely difficult time in terms of the relationship between the United States and Europe. I thought it was a real advantage for the Taoiseach to be there yesterday, as the leader of a European country that is not a member of NATO. I think he did Ireland and Europe proud in terms of setting out the values of Europe and, indeed, in setting back some of the rhetoric of President Trump, which as everyone can appreciate can be difficult at times. I also welcome what the Taoiseach had to say not just in respect of Keir Starmer, but also in respect of Europe being a great place to live and, indeed, in respect of immigration. The Taoiseach did emphasise in respect of immigration that there was a rules-based system operating not just in Ireland, but throughout Europe. One of the criticisms of President Trump's regime is that there are no rules in respect of immigration in Europe. That clearly is not the case. The Taoiseach deserves to be commended in respect the message he delivered yesterday. In terms of what Deputy Bacik said about immigration law in Ireland, as I have repeatedly said, the Government wants to ensure that we have a rules-based system so that people will know whether, according to those rules, they qualify to stay in Ireland or, if they do not qualify, that they have to leave. There is nothing performative about deportations. They are an essential part of Ireland's immigration strategy, and neither I nor the rest of the Government are going to apologise for them. If we do not have deportations, I would like Deputy Bacik to tell me in her reply what the response should be when somebody with a deportation order refuses to leave the country. Deputy Bacik also criticised the new immigration policy that is being formulated by the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and me in the Department of justice. For many years, we have not had a migration strategy in Ireland and it is important now that we formulate one. It has been too much developed on a haphazard basis. I think everyone will benefit from seeing a written down policy in respect of a migration strategy. Deputy Bacik criticised me for including within that policy paper that was drafted a number of weeks, if not months ago, a reference to the fact that immigration policy should be for the benefit of the Irish people. It is astonishing that I have to stand up here and say any policy I develop is not going to be for the benefit of the Italian people or for others globally, but for the benefit of the Irish people, in the same way that the Minister, Deputy Heydon, would develop an agriculture strategy that would be for the benefit of the Irish people.

The Labour Party has articulated a very clear migration policy of our own. It is, of course, fair, effective and rules based, but it also has room for humanity and compassion. It is interesting to hear the Minister's emphasis on a rules-based system because at the same meeting yesterday in the White House, the Taoiseach also raised with President Trump the need for a special deal, a legal pathway with the US for Irish immigrants. Certainly, it is very welcome to see the Taoiseach making reference to people from Ireland who are living in the US and who are in fear of ICE and the deportations being pursued by Trump, but the policy is very different to that being pursued here in Ireland. This week, the International Protection Bill, which the Minister has initiated, is on Committee Stage in the Seanad. There are hundreds of amendments tabled. In the Dáil, only amendments as far as section 22 out of 238 in Bill were reached. Draconian changes on family reunification were not debated or scrutinised at all before the guillotine was brought down. I could list dozens of other issues in the Bill. We did, as did other Opposition parties.

I thank the Deputy.

Will the Minister commit to having a full scrutiny of the legislation in the Seanad?

The Minister to respond.

Will he launch a positive campaign on the benefits of inward migration?

Each year, my Department issues tens of thousands of visas on foot of work permits granted by the Department of enterprise. We are a very open economy. We welcome in migrant workers. In fact, if the Deputy looks at the Irish workforce, we have a significant number of workers who come from overseas. We have had a very positive experience with migrants who have come to Ireland to work. We have done a really good job in integrating them, notwithstanding the fact that there are people out there who want to politicise it, polarise it and create violence between different groups in our society. I believe the Government has done a very effective job in respect of it. However, it is important to ensure there is a rules-based system and the humanity and compassion Deputy Bacik referred to is very much built into the statutory regime we have here, whether it is International Protection Bill or the rules that operate in respect of work visas. We have been very welcoming to people who have come to this country. We are an open economy. We welcome them in but we must have a rules-based system as well.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle. In 1940 Ireland's infant mortality rate was 6.5%. In the Bessborough mother and baby home, it was 61%. In 1943 a Department inspector, Alice Litster, said: "The greater number[s] ... were miserable scraps of humanity, wizened, some emaciated and almost all had rash and sores all over their bodies, faces, hands and heads." Many of those children died of starvation. The State was fully aware but the institution remained open and women and children continued to be incarcerated and abused there. Between 1922 when it opened and 1998 when it finally closed 923 children died in Bessborough but burial records exist for just 64. It seems no one even cared enough to record where they were buried. The nuns who ran Bessborough did keep meticulous records about one thing: baptisms. A few years ago when it was suggested some of the children had not been baptised, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary was quick to correct the record. They wanted to " ... state categorically that all children born in Bessborough were baptised within the rites of the Catholic Church and canon law." However, when it comes to the burial records of babies who died there, they apparently have no idea where they are. They disappeared without a trace as if they never existed. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was "perplexed and concerned at the inability of ... the Congregation ... to identify the burial ... [places]." and concluded it was "... highly likely that the burials did take place in the grounds ...". Twenty-eight years since the Bessborough mother and baby home closed we still do not know where they are because the State has not bothered to look. Unbelievably, planning permission has now been granted to build an apartment complex on the grounds of Bessborough. Can the Minister imagine how empty the apology to mother and baby home survivors must feel when five years later planning permission has somehow been granted to build apartments on a mass grave? I do not think the Minister needs me to tell him that ordinarily if there were any number of children buried somewhere there would be a criminal investigation. There would never be a question of just concreting over it.

Thank you, Deputy.

It is not just callous, it is abhorrent and it should never be allowed to happen.

The Minister to respond.

Survivors will be protesting outside the Dáil this evening. They want the Government to act before it is too late to acquire the grounds and conduct a long-overdue-----

Thank you, Deputy. The Minister to respond.

----- forensic investigation. What does the Minister have to say to them?

I thank Deputy Cairns for her question. Obviously, it evokes a very painful and disturbing part of our history. In fairness to this Government and indeed previous Governments, there has been a process of trying to ensure that women who are survivors of mother and baby homes and, indeed, children who were born there are provided with recompense and acknowledgement by the State over the past ten-to-15 years or so. Nothing is ever enough for the pain that people went through, particularly the pain of mothers having children taken from them at a very young age. Deputy Cairns referred to the commission of investigation report into mother and baby homes and it, as she knows, carried out a cartographic and landscape assessment of possible unrecorded burial arrangements in Bessborough. It also carried out a site survey and consulted with people on responses to its appeal seeking information about burials there. It concluded that it was likely that some of the children who died at Bessborough were buried in the grounds, but it was unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of this. As no evidence of locations was found, the commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres, or the former 200-acre estate, parts of which have now been built on. I empathise and acknowledge the pain that survivors from Bessborough feel at the news that the site is to be developed in a way they feel does not give recognition to the terrible actions that went on there previously. Planning permission has been granted. The Deputy knows as well as I do that the Government cannot interfere in respect of planning applications. I do not know whether an appeal has been lodged, but if it has not, that is an avenue available to the survivors. With regard to other available avenues, the Deputy asked for the State to purchase the site. Unless there is specific, strong cartographic evidence as to where bodies are buried, we could find ourselves buying a vast site for the purpose of carrying out excavations that could take an interminable period of time. We know what is happening in Tuam at present, which is a small location. I had the honour of being there and seeing the size of that location previously. If we were to buy a site the size of Bessborough and start excavations, I would be extremely concerned at the length of time that would take. Ultimately, I do not think it would provide the type of support and appropriate response that all of us in this House want to provide to survivors. I will raise and talk to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in respect of it. I understand the concern but purchasing the site is not the answer.

It is incorrect to say that there is not specific or strong enough evidence. The commission saying that it is likely that there are remains of children on the grounds is specific and strong enough evidence to prove that there probably is. At the very least, it warrants an examination. There seems to be a perception that this is a normal planning application, that there is no sensitivity and that there is no criminal aspect to the situation. The Government is treating it like that, claiming it cannot do anything now that planning permission has been granted. If a child were to disappear today and it was suspected that they were buried in a particular plot of land, it is safe to say there would be a forensic examination and, following that, the coroner would be called. All of the criminal and legal processes would follow, and rightly so because the family of that child would deserve justice. Why do the families of the 829 unaccounted for and disappeared children not deserve that whereas the families of the children in Tuam do?

We want to be honest with people. We do not want to mislead the 829 families into believing that, by purchasing the site, we will be able to excavate and identify burial grounds. We need to be honest with people in this regard. Just so the House is aware, on foot of the Government’s action plan for survivors and former residents of mother and baby homes, the former Minister for housing, Deputy O’Brien, wrote to local authorities requesting that development plan processes consider incorporating appropriate measures to ensure the protection of unrecorded burial sites. That is an issue that must be dealt with by the local authority in whose area Bessborough is placed. The action plan also contains commitments in relation to dignified, local memorialisation of known or agreed burial sites. There is no point in purchasing the land and old home unless there is a realistic prospect of being able to identify burial grounds within them. Otherwise, we are just prolonging the suffering and pain of individuals who were in Bessborough.

Yesterday, Joseph Kent, who was the director of national counterterrorism in the United States and a senior official in the American Administration, resigned over Donald Trump’s war against Iran. In his letter of resignation, he stated that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and attempts to justify the war were lies. He described the war as one manufactured by Israel. That war, since Trump and the Israeli regime commenced it, has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 innocent Iranian people, including 160 schoolgirls who were wiped out in one attack. In Lebanon, 900 people have been murdered by the Israelis. As we speak, Beirut is being bombed to bits in one of the worst reigns of death and destruction inflicted by Israel on the people of Lebanon for a very long time. Almost 800,000 people have been displaced and there are now real fears that we are going to see a repeat of the genocidal horrors that we have seen in Gaza for the past two years happening in southern Lebanon. As if all that death, destruction and horror being visited on people in Iran and Lebanon and the genocide in Gaza is not enough, every single working person in this country and across the world is now paying a direct economic price from their pocket with the cost of home heating oil, petrol and other fuel having gone up, all as a result of Trump and Israel's war. I repeat that Israel is a regime that is in the dock for genocide and in the International Criminal Court. The Taoiseach of this country sat beside Donald Trump yesterday, handed him a bowl of shamrock and celebrated our national day with this warmonger even though, as Taoiseach, he has repeatedly claimed that this country is committed to international law. Yet, not a single word of criticism of the flagrant murderous breaches of international law in which Trump and Israel are engaged. At one point, I thought he was going to say it when he said we cannot have rogue regimes possessing nuclear weapons. I thought he was talking about Israel, which, of course, has nuclear weapons and will not even sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, or about the United States, the only country in the world that has ever used them and which has launched this illegal war. But no, our Taoiseach was leaning into the justification that Trump has used to justify this murderous war. How can the Minister possibly stand over the Taoiseach's failure to condemn the flagrant breaches of international law and the illegal war in the White House yesterday and continue to-----

Thank you Deputy. Allow the Minister to respond.

-----extend facilities to the US military at Shannon Airport in breach of our neutrality?

I thank the Deputy for his question. I am surprised he started with an invocation of Joseph Kent, who is one of the leaders of the MAGA movement in the United States of America.

It is because even they can see it.

It is just curious that the Deputy should happen to rely upon him and quote what he said.

What does that mean?

I repeat what I said to Deputy Bacik, which is that what the Taoiseach did yesterday in the White House was extremely important from Ireland and Europe's point of view. We are, as the Deputy will know, at a particularly important time in the geopolitical relationship between the United States and Europe. A very significant break has taken place in that relationship, which has existed for ever 100 years. The focus of that the break is in NATO. As I said earlier, there was a real benefit that the Taoiseach was out there as the leader of a European country that is not a member of NATO, but he was able to emphasise the importance Ireland places on the rules-based system and the international order. That is in our Constitution. We have consistently done that. We have consistently had a record of being a country that believes in the peaceful resolution of disputes, not the resolution of disputes through military force. The Taoiseach has to deal with the circumstances with which he is faced. Obviously, if Deputy Boyd Barrett was Taoiseach, he would not have gone to the United States-----

No.

-----and that is very clear. He would not have gone. I know Deputy Bacik would not have gone-----

Not to the Oval Office.

In fairness, Deputies McDonald and Cairns would have gone, so I wish them well when they are in government together deciding whether they will go to the United States next year or whenever they are in government.

The end is nigh.

Deputy Boyd Barrett would not have gone. There is a real benefit in the Taoiseach going there and being able to speak out frankly, more so than any other international leaders who have been there recently have done. The Taoiseach was able to speak out in respect of Keir Starmer-----

Wow. I did not know that was our job.

-----in respect of immigration and in respect of Ireland's view that we should resolve disputes through pacific methods. We cannot emphasise that enough. However, the reality is that in politics, as I am sure the Deputy is aware, self-awareness is an important characteristic. It applies to all of us individually. It also applies to us as a country. Ireland is a small, non-military country. What we say is effective, in terms of the diplomacy we have and standing up to people who are our friends and telling them that we think they have gone down the wrong road in what they are doing.

He did not say that.

Ireland has a strong voice. The Taoiseach emphasises that. The Deputy just saw what was stated in front of the cameras yesterday. There is ongoing engagement between ambassadors and diplomats in the United States. Nobody wants to see these disputes resolved through force. I agree with Deputy Carthy when he said that no-one ever achieved anything from bombing a country. He was right in that respect, notwithstanding the irony of it. Similarly, we need to emphasise to the United States that there is no long-term solution through bombing Iran because that is not going to achieve the political objectives that are sought.

I would have gone to the United States and I would have stood with people like Mamdani, who reminded us of our own history of opposition to colonialism and war. I certainly would not stand beside a warmonger like Trump, who is ripping up the international legal rule book to pursue a bloody and murderous war against Iran, and is co-operating with Israel, which is in the dock for genocide and is bombing the hell out of Lebanon. Our Taoiseach cannot even bring himself to condemn this, even when it is imposing an economic cost on every single person in this country and across the world. He also continues to facilitate US troops going through Shannon Airport. In just one day, on 15 March, four US troop carriers went through Shannon. Is the Minister telling me they are not involved in the bloody carnage that Trump and the Israelis are inflicting across the Middle East right now? Imagine if a Taoiseach went and handed shamrock to Vladimir Putin and did not say a word about the murderous invasion of Ukraine and allowed Russian troops into Shannon Airport while the invasion was going on. There would be justifiable outrage, yet that is what the Taoiseach did with Trump yesterday despite his warmongering.

The Deputy mentioned the Mayor of New York, Mamdani. Of course, he did go to the White House. He is not refusing to meet President Trump as a result of what has happened in Iran. The Deputy's position is not consistent when it comes to engagement. The Irish Government believes there should be engagement with people when it comes to seeking to resolve disputes. The Deputy's view is to stay away from it. We believe, when you look at the history of Ireland and what we have achieved, that we are much better off engaging with people, particularly our friends. He also mentioned what is happening at Shannon Airport. The issue of what is happening in the Middle East is happening in the eastern Mediterranean. That is where the aircraft carriers from the United States are based. All foreign military or state aircraft wishing to overfly or land in the State require diplomatic clearance. The Deputy's charge against the Irish Government is incorrect. It is at times like this that our neutrality-----

You do not search the planes. You refuse to search the planes.

-----stands to us, and the fact that we are not a member of NATO stands to us. I again commend the Taoiseach for the great performance he put up yesterday.

Before I move on, I welcome the ladies in the Gallery who are here from County Carlow as guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor.