Cian O'Callaghan

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the ESRI, the Nevin Institute, and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare have all warned the Minister but instead of broadening the tax take this Finance Bill narrows it again. Sections 40, 67 and 68 take over a billion euro out of the State finances. This is money that could be used to build houses, hospitals and wind farms. The Government is playing fast and l…

Gaelcholáiste Reachrann was founded in 2001 and, 24 years later, na daltaí, na múinteoirí agus pobal na scoile are still left waiting for permanent school buildings. Invitations to tender should have issued on 1 September. That is what was promised. That deadline has come and gone. Correspondence I have seen states that the Department of Education and Youth has failed to date to give the necessary…

When the pre-tender documentation was issued, it stated tenders would be sought on 1 September 2025. That deadline for dispatching invitations has come and gone. The Minister of State made no reference to it in his reply. Why has that deadline been broken? When the Minister visited Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in late May, the promise was construction would start in the first half of 2026. Is that pro…

Does that mean the senior Minister's commitment was a wild commitment?

The news of a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza is very welcome. At the same time the kidnapping of five Irish citizens on Wednesday night by Israeli forces in international waters is utterly unacceptable. They include an elected Member of this Dáil, Barry Heneghan. Will there be any repercussions for Israel for kidnapping Irish citizens? The Tánaiste bought the election with a litany of promise…

That is not what the Tánaiste said on the TV debate.

I think the Tánaiste knows well that most people do not read every word in a manifesto. However, they do listen to what the Tánaiste says in an election TV debate. This is exactly what he told the nation in the TV election debate. I will quote it for him again. He said the Fine Gael manifesto is proposing within 100 days of being in government capping monthly childcare costs per child at €200 per …

That is not what I said.

They also watch the TV debates.

The Tánaiste promised to cut childcare fees.

The Government has decided to give €20 million to McDonald's

The Tánaiste has broken promises on fees, childcare, child poverty-----

You are pushing more people into poverty.

The cost of disability payment. Where is it?

Where is it?

Where is the cost of disability payment?

The cost of disability payment. Where is it?

I am sharing time with my colleagues, Deputies Aidan Farrelly and Jen Cummins. First, it shows something about how the Government respects, or disrespects, this House that not one senior Government Minister is here for this.

Indeed, Fianna Fáil Members are missing in their entirety. I wonder why they have gone into hiding. Budgets are about choices and the choices made by this Government in this budget could not be any clearer. Look after large corporations and developers at the expense of ordinary people and those who are struggling. There is no hiding or disguising it and no way to spin it. This Government’s choice…

The cost-of-living crisis did not end once the election was over last year. A recent report from Barnardos found that four out of ten parents skip meals or eat less to stop their children going hungry. This Government has forgotten about these families. This is a giveaway budget for property developers and owners of fast food chains. There are handouts for millionaires while ordinary families stru…

It is absolutely extraordinary that this measure is being brought in for apartments currently under construction, some of which are near completion. In the context of many of those apartments, the prices are locked in. Those purchasing them - approved housing bodies or whomever - have already agreed a price. This will create a windfall profit for developers, and that money will go straight into th…

I condemn the attack at the synagogue in Manchester. I express our solidarity with all of those affected. On behalf of the Social Democrats, I express our horror at the actions of the Israeli military. Last night, they illegally boarded the Sumud flotilla in international waters, and effectively kidnapped humanitarian activists, including at least 14 Irish citizens. They took this action not beca…

I cannot under why tens of millions of euro worth of dual-use products are still being exported to Israel. I cannot why Ireland's sovereign wealth fund is still investing in companies that are trading in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. I cannot understand why the Central Bank had been facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds to fund the genocide. I cannot why Ireland and…

Given that Irish citizens were engaged in this humanitarian mission with massive support from the Irish people, and in light of the fact that a flotilla had already been attacked in international waters, does the Tánaiste not agree that sending some personnel would have shown the support of the Government, would have put additional pressure on Israel and would have been warranted?

It would have sent a message. It would have been important and I think the Tánaiste knows that.