Paul Murphy

Why would we not? Because of vetos-----

They are not-----

We are getting somewhere here. The Tánaiste accepted that the point of getting rid of the triple lock is to be able to send troops outside of the framework of the UN Charter - not just outside the principles but outside the articles of the UN Charter, which govern international law in respect of where troops can be sent abroad. That is the reason to get rid of the triple lock. The Tánaiste may say…

Thousands of people came out onto the streets in August to demand justice for Harvey. They did so because they saw a young boy who was failed so horribly by the State. They did so because they saw the broken promises from Simon Harris, who made the promise in 2017 about no child having to wait longer than four months. They did so because they appalled at the failure of Simon Harris to meet the fam…

A UN commission has now found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, which was obvious to anyone with eyes to see over the course of the last almost two years. At the moment, the so-called ground offensive into Gaza city is continuing. It means the murder of men, women and children. This Government has thankfully recognised the genocide in words, but it has failed to act like there is a genoc…

The legal observers.

Since the Government lifted the eviction ban in April 2023, more than 20,000 households have got eviction notices because their landlord wants to sell. At the time, the Government promised renters that they would be protected with the tenant in situ scheme. If they were on HAP or RAS and their landlord was willing to sell to the council, the council would buy their home. That has turned out to be …

It is a good scheme.

My council has run out of money, the city council has run out of money, Carlow and Kilkenny county councils have run out of money and Fingal County Council has run out of money.

The Dublin councils have run out of money.

The Government has strangled the scheme.

The discussion about the State failing children will dominate the coming Dáil term but there is no greater failure than the State losing track of and failing children who it is meant to be taking care of. Just a couple of hours ago, we heard that the body of Daniel Aruebose has been found. We know he went missing four years ago, when he was just three years old. He would have been seven now. Incre…

Does the Taoiseach know that Tusla lost track of this boy?

What we have had tonight from the Government is a display of gaslighting par excellence. It is incredible and really cynical, because the audience is not the children who are affected. It is not the parents in the Gallery because the Minister of State knows they know that a school place does not necessarily equal a school place. The audience is the public who are concerned and think it is horrifyi…

I join in the thanks to the many workers who make this place tick. I raise the case of the 35-year-old Irish father of three who was held by the US authorities for 100 days. He overstayed his ESTA visa by three days because of a medical condition. He was then taken by ICE and held for two months before being transferred into the regular prison system. The story is horrendous and horrifying. He was…

I thank Deputy Stanley for bringing forward this motion. It is striking that oral health is not much discussed in this House. This reflects a neglect that exists within our State whereby we know that oral health is so important for overall health and well-being but it is neglected and seriously under-resourced in our public health system. If your teeth and gums are healthy, you are less likely to …

Developers will.

It is the final week of Dáil sittings before the summer recess. When we return, the schools will already have started. The Minister for education previously stated that it was her intention that every child needing special education would have a place come September. Will that commitment be met or will children be left without appropriate school places? Over the course of the past year, parents o…

To go back to the 260, will they get offers of school places or will they be forced to turn up outside the Dáil before we come back?

I appreciate that huge efforts have been made by those in the NCSE, people working in schools and, above all, parents. However, what is happening is not acceptable. This is the last Leaders' Questions the Taoiseach is going to face. He cannot back up the commitment by the Minister for education that every child needing special education will have a place come September. He is sending out the messa…

The Taoiseach might expand on that because the parents I am talking to have to leave their kids in preschool, if the preschool will allow them to do that. In some cases, that is going to be a real problem. In other cases, they are going to have to stay at home - some will not be able to do college courses they were planning to do - in order to mind their children. Can the Taoiseach tell us how man…

That is simply not acceptable.

Let us have a debate on that so we can hear it. We heard this morning from the Government that we are facing an era of restraint - austerity, in other words. We had two pre-election budgets with once-off payments and now, after the election, we have a return to austerity budgets.

That is deeply cynical when the cost-of-living crisis is deepening for ordinary people and when four in ten parents are cutting back on meals so their children have enough to eat. It is austerity for ordinary people, not for the landlords who will see their rents increase even faster or the property developers who will benefit from shrinkflation. We need to debate this in the Dáil instead of allow…

8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [35615/25]