Micheál Martin

-----in getting Israel to stop the war. The European Union has influence but because of divided historic positioning-----

-----on Israel and the Middle East, Ireland has pushed for the suspension of the Israel-European Union association agreement.

We got traction on that in recent times but it still remains to be seen-----

-----whether we can get a majority to support measures on that.

We need perspective here as well. From my perspective, the ISIF has confirmed that at the end of 2024 it held €3.6 million in Israeli sovereign debt.

That is not going to fund any war. Let us have a sense of perspective.

The Deputy can argue that it is not right or proper and I take that point.

No, but the Deputy said we funded genocide. That is an outrageous, exaggerated assertion-----

-----and the Deputy lacks credibility in putting a point like that but he does it for political gain only.

It has been a constant hobby. By the way, the ISIF also held €5.2 million in Egyptian sovereign debt and €2.3 million in Jordanian sovereign debt.

They made a decision off their own bat and for their own commercial reasons. I would not approve of some of this either, particularly in terms of divesting and all of that.

In terms of divesting from Jordanian and other debt, we are talking about small amounts of money which could not fund any genocide. I ask the Deputy to withdraw the assertion that the Irish Government has funded genocide. That is wrong.

First, I welcome James Maloney, who is in the Gallery with his wife Deirdre. James is an elected member of the Parliament of Canada and is affectionately known there as "the minister for Ireland". I had the pleasure of meeting with him when I was last in Canada. I hope he enjoys his visit to the Oireachtas and to Ireland, particularly as he has been a great friend to Ireland in Canada. Every chil…

Of course they do. In Cork schools, they do.

In Carignavar in Cork, alterations are being made to an older school building to facilitate a new special school. In the interim, the Gaelscoil, which is no longer in use, is being used as an alternative location until the building is complete. It will be completed before the end of the year. That is my understanding. That is what I referred to in response to the Deputy. I reiterate that five new …

I thank the Deputy for raising what is an important and serious issue facing Irish society. The Government is acutely aware of the terrible damage that drugs can do to individual users, their families, communities and society as a whole. We are committed to a health-led approach to drug use that reduces the harms associated with drugs and supports recovery from problematic drug use. In 2024, over…

I fully take on board what the Deputy is saying about the need to expand the current strategies and for a new public awareness campaign on this issue. I will speak to the Minister for Health and other Ministers about the matter. We will take a cross-departmental approach. On the criminal justice side, there have been some strong and successful interventions by An Garda Síochána, which must be ack…

Ireland is very strongly supportive of the Common Agricultural Policy. The EU Commission will publish the multi-annual financial framework proposals later today. This is only the beginning of a long process. The Presidency that Ireland will hold in the latter half of 2026 will be important in the context of finalising issues around the multi-annual financial framework. There is a long road to trav…

-----then their livelihoods will go down. I do not understand Sinn Féin's position of opposition to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, particularly as it would damage Irish farming.

First, Cork is quite happy to accept the underdog label-----

-----that the Deputy has clearly ascribed to us. I would never have the degree of confidence he would have. We are humble people.

In respect of the cost of living, fundamentally, since Covid and the war in Ukraine, there has been volatility, uncertainty and turbulence in world markets. Supply chains have been disrupted. That has been a factor in the very high inflation we experienced in the immediate aftermath of Covid and during the energy crisis caused by the war and the Russian invasion. One of the problems now is with th…

-----that have to be addressed.

That is a bizarre assertion.

What the Deputy said about forestry.