Paul Murphy

I accept entirely the point about Israel's role, and the Jordanian authorities have also presented an obstacle to this. I have met with many Palestinians who are here who have family members, be it brothers and sisters or whatever, stuck in Gaza in this absolute horror. I agree that we do not want to facilitate the ethnic cleansing of Gaza but we also do not want to say "No" to people who want to …

There is quite an incredible display of cognitive dissonance here. The Tánaiste went to the media and told them he is going to put money back in people's pockets. He then comes in here and he is asked on behalf of disabled people who are crying out for this to put money back in their pockets via a winter emergency measure, with a one-off payment, and he just bats it away. He did not engage with it…

He was wrong though, was he not?

Do you know who builds houses? Workers build houses, not developers.

Whataboutery from the Tánaiste to avoid-----

-----the point. Can the Tánaiste answer a yes-no question? Did his budget make almost everybody in the country poorer, "Yes" or "No"? Did his budget affect those who are poorest the worst by the budget, "Yes" or "No"? Did his budget leave disabled people substantially worse off? The answer to all of those questions is "Yes". I am interested in hearing the Tánaiste try to spin how the answer is "No…

They are not snide.

Can we get some answers?

This Saturday will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Aoife Winterlich who was a 14-year-old girl. She went on a trip with Scouting Ireland. The trip went on an unplanned excursion to Hook Head during a storm, which was not properly supervised. She fell in the water and drowned. A report commissioned by Scouting Ireland found there was no failure in its duty of care. Last year, however, af…

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this important motion. We in People Before Profit will, of course, support it. My thanks also for the tireless activism of many trans activists, including those in Transgress the NGS, Trans Healthcare Action and TENI, who are pushing for rights to mean something and for decent healthcare in this country for trans people. Last weekend, I saw a TD who wa…

Will the Taoiseach withdraw the very cruel cut that has been imposed on Defence Forces reservists? Up until September, they were not paid a large amount; it was €92 per day for the vast majority of working operations in which they were involved. However, from September of this year, this was withdrawn. It makes no sense. It comes in a context whereby there is a target of increasing the number of r…

A new defence co-operation agreement with Britain is to be signed soon. Members of the House of Lords are saying it will mean a stronger defence relationship between Ireland and the UK. The Taoiseach himself has said there must be very close co-operation with the British when it comes to security. Does he really think that is what Irish people want? Has he forgotten that our neutrality originates …

The forum was not about consultation either, was it?

That does not make it terrorism.

When was it named Herzog Park?

When was it named Herzog Park? It was ten or 20 years ago.

That is not history.

But not the park.

It is still history if you change the name of the park.

It is a shame the Taoiseach scrapped the idea of a citizens' assembly.

21. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach about his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [65781/25]

The programme for Government says the Government will move responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments, MUD, Acts to the Department of housing from the Department of justice and establish a unit in the Housing Agency to regulate owners' management companies, OMCs, to ensure effective governance. That is important work that needs to happen. The problem is that it is not happening currently, but …

The Housing Agency has not been allocated funding for doing any regulatory work as a result. This needs urgent action.

During the last budget, the then Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, claimed there was no need for cost-of-living payments in the budget because, "inflation has now returned to normal rates." He said inflation would be around 2% this year. What a load of rubbish, gaslighting people that the cost of living was actually becoming more affordable, when the dogs on the street know that it is not. He…

On Monday night, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour, the Green Party and right-wing Independents all voted to raise rents on the poorest households in Dublin city. These are council tenants, AHB tenants, HAP and RAS tenants who do not even get any maintenance from the council and who are all set to have their rents increased from April. There are plans to do the same across the country. This is pointe…