John Lahart

I thank the Minister of State for that and I would be very positive about meeting him. The first issue is the complex and high-risk needs of pupils, which were not considered by the review panel prior to the decision. That raises the credibility, transparency and integrity of the review process, unfortunately generally, because if it happened there, as previous Deputies said, where else has it hap…

101. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address issues with employer costs of auto-enrolment for section 56 organisation employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13075/26]

I welcome the publication of the final report of Operation Kenova. It brings me back to a different time many years ago when I was a younger man and became aware of collusion suggestions, British spy networks in the North and the report by former inspector John Stalker, whom the younger generation may not remember. It is worth using search engines to see the work he did, how that work was impeded …

As you have used 20 seconds of my time, a Cheann Comhairle, you might be nice to me at the back end of it. I echo your welcome. The Order of Malta would absolutely take priority if I was in the Chair too. I echo the comments made by all previous speakers and by the Taoiseach and the Minister in recent days. I offer my sympathy to the family of Grace Lynch on their unbearable loss. Unfortunately, …

The Ceann Comhairle took some moments of my time welcoming people. I can say that because she is gone. That power to destroy scramblers existed under previous laws because of a lack of insurance or a lack of tax. If we do succeed, and I hope we do, they will be replaced by something else. We have to prepare for that. This is not the end of the story. We need to remain really vigilant. I welcome t…

I echo the sentiments expressed regarding the loss of life in the city today at lunchtime in the public transport accident. I echo what the Minister of State said about people not posting images of it on social media. Our thoughts are with them. There has been one fatality and a number of injuries. Our best thoughts go from this House to the people involved. I welcome the opportunity to speak on …

I want to reinforce the message from a previous speaker in relation to scrambler legislation. As the Taoiseach knows, I worked particularly hard in opposition, with his support, to draft a Bill around scrambler legislation between 2016 and 2020. In government, we introduced legislation which senior gardaí in Tallaght in my constituency have described as game-changing. Because senior gardaí were re…

-----to pursue them to confiscate them. That is where our laws came in.

I am grateful and welcome the opportunity to comment on the Bill. To remind people how we get to a stage like this in a democracy, people bring forward ideas, concerns or observations regarding how our criminal law system operates. In a political party like mine, Fianna Fáil, we try to take these on board and prepare position papers on them and put those out to expert and stakeholder groups to ge…

Never before have we more needed adults in the room than at this time in our history, and in what the Taoiseach has described as uncharted territory. We also need to not lose sight during this debate, which I welcome, that the greatest threat to the Union we are part of is Russia. Military neutrality has been raised here and I am a stout defender at every opportunity I get internationally as chair…

I thank the Minister of State for her presence. I raised this issue with the Minister for Transport last night. I understand that at short notice he cannot be here, but I would be very much obliged if the Minister of State can convey the importance of this issue, which I know he is aware of. There is going to be industrial action by taxi drivers or as close as they can get to it today either outsi…

The piece of the reply that the Minister of State did not reach states that the Minister for Transport issued a letter to the NTA on 19 November last asking it to clarify the regulatory position on the Uber fixed price fare for the information of taxi operators and public representatives alike. We await that clarification because the taxi drivers who have been in touch with me and with colleagues …

While I agree with much of what the previous speaker said, this Chamber is the citizens' assembly for discussion of this issue. We need to be courageous. Unfortunately, a previous speaker has left the Chamber. There are a couple of points I would have liked to respond to but perhaps that is for another day. The Minister of State will understand if I focus my comments locally or parochially on City…

I thank the Minister of State. I echo the comments that were made about her tenure in charge of mental health policy and delivery in the Government. I also echo what the previous speaker said about the role of men's sheds and give a shout-out to ExWell. Dr. Noel McCaffrey has been very involved in sport for many years. I am recovering from a pretty important medical intervention. ExWell is an exe…

Will the Leas-Cheann Comhairle please repeat that?

Is there another speaker? I apologise. I did not realise Deputy John Connolly was after me.

I want to finish with the positive line that the doctor is your friend. I will have to leave it to another debate to finish the other thought.

17. Deputy John Lahart asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his participation in meetings of the coalition of the willing in support of Ukraine. [48527/25]

A delegation from the foreign affairs and trade committee is going to Canada in early December. I welcome the new ambassador. Deputy McGreehan is convener of the Canada-Ireland Inter-Parliamentary Friendship group, and hence her particular interest in it. There is some resistance to waiving pre-legislative scrutiny on the CETA agreement from some quarters in the House. There is a little bit of rom…

These questions were transferred to me. Will the Tánaiste outline the discussions he has had about the possibility of utilising the €1.87 billion in frozen Russian assets, which are the ones in Ireland that we know of, for reparations for the war of aggression against Ukraine?

In my experience as chair of the foreign affairs and trade committee, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland came in last week. We received a comprehensive statement. Has the Tánaiste or Taoiseach considered initiating some sort of round table facility with leaders of the Opposition? It strikes me that we get, and rightly so, incredibly exercised about events in Israel, Gaza and Palestine. This does …

Have they ever sought a briefing on it?

On the frozen assets, the Ukrainian ambassador made the point that the lawful of frozen Russian assets must become central to reconstruction. What is the view of the Government on that? That reconstruction would be around the rebuilding of infrastructure, supporting of victims and enabling the return of displaced Ukrainians. An estimate of €300 billion in assets internationally remains frozen glob…

This question was transferred to me from Deputy O'Meara. It asks for the Tánaiste's response to the recent escalation in the intensity of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

I thank the Minister of State. The Ukrainian ambassador was very appreciative of the non-military assistance the country has been given when she came before the committee last week. The Minister of State referred in his reply to regional destabilisation. I was fortunate and privileged, with the Minister of State's colleague, Deputy Barry Ward, Chair of the EU affairs committee, to be part of an EU…