Mary Lou McDonald

They are not agreed.

They are not.

Sinn Féin is this evening bringing forward important legislation to end the mandatory three-day wait for women who need an abortion. This wait is causing real damage to women. It has pushed some beyond the 12-week period, meaning they cannot access services here in Ireland and have to travel. Women who have suffered sexual assault or who live with domestic violence or coercive control are left in …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for planning and preparation for the possibility of constitutional change on the island of Ireland, in accordance with the right of self-determination of the people of the island of Ireland as recognised by the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999 and as provided for in the Multi-Party Agreement reached at Belfast on the 10t…

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

17. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the recent EU Council meeting. [45328/26]

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This is an important piece of legislation before the Dáil. It is a Bill to remove the mandatory three-day wait for women who need an abortion. It goes without saying that every woman must have the space, the understanding and the support she needs to come to her decision in her time. Any woman making this decision will have given it very deep tho…

We must address events in Belfast over the past 48 hours. There was a knife attack on Monday night that was barbaric, vicious and depraved; the stuff of nightmares. The victim suffered horrific slash injuries to his eyes, face and neck. Were it not for the selfless bravery of members of the community, including Maitiu Mág Tighearnán putting himself at risk by jumping from his car and using his son…

Of course, everyone has the right to live in safety. That vicious, depraved assault causes all of us disgust. Savagery like that has no place on our streets in any part of Ireland. The perpetrator of an act like that must face the full weight of justice. The organised mobs, and this was organised, who burned families out of their homes and terrified children are the same people who in July will b…

There is none.

The Taoiseach has brushed aside growing calls to stop Ireland's Nations League fixture against Israel while the genocide continues against the Palestinian people. His response and that of the Government have been utterly disingenuous. Nobody is asking the Government to usurp the role of UEFA or the FAI. The Taoiseach is being asked to show leadership, support the position that this game must be st…

The Taoiseach can act and have influence but he chooses not to. Thank you for turning my microphone back on. I was two seconds over, was I?

Thank you for turning off my microphone.

Then the Taoiseach cannot read.

Do not start waffling again. I know that.

The Irish Government was not the IRFU when all of you took the right stance.

I am sick of this.

Nobody wants to talk about it.

On Friday, the EU migration pact comes into effect. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have decided to opt Ireland into that pact. It was the wrong decision to hand over powers on migration to the European Union. We in Sinn Féin have made it clear that this pact undermines Irish sovereignty. We have told the Government that decisions on migration should be taken - must be taken - by the people of this coun…

I am very, very sure of our ground on this and I am very sure where we are.

Let me spell it out for those at the back who maybe have not heard it clearly enough. Decisions relating to migration, justice and home affairs are rightly decided in Ireland by those elected by the Irish people. That is why we had a special provision. That is why there was a necessity for the Government to opt this country in. The Taoiseach says he has not conceded sovereignty. Of course he has, …

The Taoiseach is happy not alone to be incompetent in his role but he goes a step further and hands those decisions away to people in Brussels. We think that is wrong. We have consistently argued that is the wrong approach.

Let me tell the Taoiseach that he is in geographic denial as well. This country is still partitioned and the Taoiseach has not secured an agreement with Britain.

That is a dangerous, dangerous place to walk us into.

That is a contradiction in terms.