Paul McAuliffe

It is interesting dealing with a case that was before the courts and, as a result, has had to come before the Executive and now the Legislature. Some of the difficulty with this week's debates in regard to speaking time is that there is often huge confusion as to the difference between the Executive and the Legislature. They are different things. When you take those two arms of Irish democracy, t…

Some of us might like to raise matters in the Chamber.

I raise the issue of special class places and the process for applying for them. For the past six or seven years I have been dealing with parents. Between October and the following June or July many of those parents go through a wasted process of applying to multiple schools. The programme for Government was quite strong in identifying a common application process for special classes. It would mak…

We have.

The Opposition has not lost one slot.

We have a mandate too.

This debate is welcome. As a former member of the housing committee, we have debated the issues in the Housing Commission report and have had lengthy debates on proposals to amend the Constitution. It was clear to me at the committee that, while an amendment to the Constitution would strengthen the State’s ability to regulate and provide more public housing, the idea that it would be simple to pas…

We have the same mandate as Deputy Bacik.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to require the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to develop and publish a strategy to ensure that surplus renewable energy is utilised effectively, specifically for the benefit of people experiencing energy poverty, and to set targets for the utilisation of surplus renewable energy. I am introducing this Bil…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Will the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health join me in my constituency to visit Beaumont Hospital? It is a fantastic hospital that does amazing work but it is in need of further capital support. I and many other local TDs saw the unveiling of a new theatre in the hospital. It has amazing potential and uses AI and many other new technologies. Some key areas, such as critical care, the emergency …

The Taoiseach and Minister are welcome.

In some ways, this debate is incredibly refreshing. While we are dealing with an incredibly new technology, there is nothing new about the debate we are having. We could replace the word "AI" with the word "steam", "electricity", "computers" or "Internet". All of them are just technological developments and it is up to us as a society to decide how we react to them. Having listened to the debate,…

That is not acceptable.

3. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the Dublin city task force recommendations through his Department. [4432/25]

4. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach if he will report on plans to apply the Dublin city task force model to other cities, towns and regions in need of revitalisation. [4433/25]

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Ministers of State, Deputies Dillon and Cummins. Deputy Cummins served on the housing committee, which sets him up well for the question I am about to put before him. The site on Oscar Traynor Road is incredibly important in the overall Housing For All programme and the overall programme of State construction of public housing on public land. There are m…

I thank the Minister of State. The point he makes in regard to the current status of the project is important because it would appear that yesterday Dublin City Council was also unaware that there was no activity on site. While there appear to be some attempts to bring forward some of the public realm elements, a site such as this should be heaving. It should be a hive of activity. More than 200 p…

The programme for Government has a very welcome commitment to extend the ten-year rule for taxis registered in 2015. When this happened on a number of previous occasions it took several months for the NTA to operationalise it, which negates the benefit in the first place, as many taxis are bought in the first quarter of the year. The benefit of the 2015 registration is to be had now. We have exten…

7. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent conversation with the UK Foreign Secretary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4360/25]

Will the Tánaiste report to the House on the recent conversations he has had with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy?

I intend to note at each Oral Questions session from now on the disproportionate, unbalanced and unfair priority which some parties in the House have to hold the Government to account, given the allocated amounts of time. I hope the Government and the Opposition will follow through on their words to allocate more time to people representing one of the largest groups in the House, namely, backbench…

We saw with Brexit that a huge amount of work went into preparing Irish business for the impacts of the divergence between the two parts of the island on trade, customs and tariffs. As we head into more uncertain times in terms of the transatlantic relationship regarding trade and tariffs, I ask the Tánaiste's Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to engage more with bu…

Is this the Order of Business?

I will not be on a break.