Cian O'Callaghan

145. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will ensure the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, is fully divested from all companies that are directly and indirectly involved in illegally occupied Palestinian territories, OPT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39699/26]

The ISIF remains invested in companies that are profiting from illegally held Palestinian territories. More than €6 million of public money remained invested in six companies identified on the UN database at the end of 2024. Irish people do not want this. Will the Tánaiste ensure that the ISIF, which is public money, is divested fully from companies operating in illegally occupied Palestinian terr…

I thank the Tánaiste. I acknowledge the huge importance of the Irish support of UNRWA, the funding that is in place and the real difference it makes. I also acknowledge the Government's complete opposition to illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. However, when we are talking about the ISIF - and it has complete independence - this is public money the Government hands over the NTMA to mana…

The Tánaiste expresses the views of the House to the NTMA on a frequent basis. That is welcome but, at the same time, he is equivocating a bit. He is asking how much they profit, how much they are involved and saying that is not clear, so he is kind of sending a signal, that perhaps, as the person responsible - the Minister for Finance, the shareholder - for funds, the Government is against it, bu…

That is totally untrue.

You cannot say mistruths.

The pensioners of CIÉ have been left waiting 18 years for any increase at all in their pensions. This is causing huge hardship during the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The increase was agreed between CIÉ and the unions last May, which is one year ago now. When I raised this issue with the Taoiseach in February, he said it would be done imminently. When I raised it with him last week, he said …

This Bill provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what NAMA was, why it existed, what it could have been, and what lessons we should learn. The word "NAMA" immediately brings to mind one of the darkest periods in recent Irish history and reminds us that when the rich and greedy gamble at the casino, it is ordinary people who pick up the bill. It also reminds us of an era when brutal austerit…

This is relevant. This is absolutely relevant. The Bill is transferring NAMA into the NTMA. I am questioning the record of the NTMA in terms of how it is managing public funds through ISIF. The NTMA is using public money-----

Yes, it is absolutely related to the Bill. I raised it at pre-legislative scrutiny. I am putting in an amendment on Committee Stage of the Bill. The NTMA is managing ISIF funds. It has some of our public money in companies that are operating illegally in the occupied territories in the West Bank. I am referring here in the Dáil to some of the repercussions of that. A 14-year-old boy was killed at …

23. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [32865/26]

Níl ganntanas gaoithe againn in Éirinn; tá neart gaoth againn. A windy island on the edge of the Atlantic, our potential for clean, cheap energy is immense. We could and should be a green energy superpower, exporting electricity to the rest of Europe. Instead, we are laggards. People are stuck paying the highest electricity bills in Europe. There are now more than 300,000 households in arrears. Pe…

Fine Gael is 15 years in government. It does not have a single offshore wind farm to show for that entire time. Has the Tánaiste nothing to say for himself? We should be a net exporter of clean electricity to Europe. Instead, we are one of its biggest importers of fossil fuels. We have the highest electricity bills in Europe because of the Government’s failure to deliver in terms of renewable ene…

Those ideas-----

Gabhaim buíochas le Holly Cairns as an reachtaíocht seo a thabhairt chun cinn. I thank Holly Cairns for bringing forward this legislation. I thank all the Deputies who have spoken during this debate. I take the earlier contribution by the Minister for Health in good faith. However, what is missing from what the Minister said is any commitment to bring forward legislation to address the very seriou…

Hear, hear.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, to delete lines 22 to 26 and substitute the following: “(4) A draft of the designation order shall be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, and the order shall be made only after a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas.”. I want to talk about the concentration in the hands of the Minister of huge power under this B…

The intention of my amendment is that it could go through the Houses of the Oireachtas in a matter of hours. That is the amount of time that would be needed. It should not be causing any delays. It could happen within a matter of days. Indeed, if the Minister has made a designation, it is not as if the project just stalls in its entirety until the designation order is ratified by the Houses of the…

7. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness will next meet. [29775/26]

It is 18 years since CIÉ pensioners received an increase in their pensions. There was agreement between CIÉ and the unions in May of last year. A year later the Government has still not signed off on this increase. When I asked the Taoiseach about this in February, he said that the sign-off was imminent. We are now in May, and it has still has not been signed off. When will the CIÉ pensioners get …

39. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [32864/26]

Ireland is the largest exporter of alumina, the key component of aluminium, to Russia. We are exporting almost 1 million tonnes of it a year. This is being used by Russia to make the drones and missiles that are being used to kill Ukrainian men, women and children. Ukrainian civilians are being murdered with weapons and missiles made using materials supplied by Ireland. Why is Ireland supplying th…

Tá gealltanais bhriste. There are broken promises. Ar fud na tíre, tá daoine tuirseach de níos mó agus níos mó gealltanas briste. Bhris Fine Gael roinnt gealltanas a rinne sé sa toghchán deireanach. Fine Gael has broken promise after promise that it made in the most recent general election. Parents, students and disabled people were all told that help was on the way, but those election commitments…

We have to act because the situation is too extreme not to act. It is absolutely horrendous that school children are being murdered standing outside their school. That is taking place while Ireland still trades with companies that profit and operate in the occupied territories. That has to stop and it has to stop now. This Bill was initiated more than eight years ago. Fine Gael has been in governm…

When will the Bill be brought forward?