Ken O'Flynn

-----that the dismissal of an established civil servant is compliant with statutory constitutional fair procedure.

This is about the Constitution. This is what it is about-----

-----and it is about the statutory procedure. That is what it is about. Will the Tánaiste's Government confirm that-----

The Tánaiste has now had this before him for 19 months. Has the Government authorised the dismissal and will he confirm it? If not, who in the Government, or who else, has purported to exercise the power that is reserved for the Cabinet? This is not merely an unemployment dispute. It goes to the heart of collective responsibility and Cabinet responsibility under Article 28 of the Constitution and …

Did the Government authorise the dismissal of Mr. John Barrett?

The Tánaiste has had this information for 19 months.

He was notified on 5 July 2024, on 18-----

I am talking now. On 28 January 2025-----

On 18 November-----

What is out of order is the Tánaiste not answering a question-----

-----on a constitutional and statutory obligation of the Cabinet and who made the decision.

Will he answer the question? Did the Cabinet make the decision or was the decision made by a lesser official, which is in conflict with both-----

-----the Constitution and the statutory responsibility of this Cabinet? I am asking for the simple truth.

I have explained section 1 of the 1956 Act three times now.

A deeply disturbing case emerged before the courts of a vulnerable woman with an intellectual disability who was sexually assaulted in a swimming pool steam room. The man responsible has been convicted and yet the sentence imposed was reduced after the court considered difficulties for a foreign national serving a sentence in this jurisdiction. Let us be clear what this means; a woman who lives wi…

It is finished. It has gone through the courts. Let us be clear what this means; a woman who lives with consequences of rape for the rest of her life saw the punishment of her attacker reduced because he is not from this country. Justice must be blind to nationality. The only people who deserve special consideration are the victims of these attacks. Does the Government believe it is acceptable th…

I did not know you were made Tánaiste.

Is the lady speaking for the Tánaiste?

You are making a point on somebody else’s time. That is what you are doing.

Would the Tánaiste like to reply?

It is about the policy.

I am only asking for justice for a victim. It is very disappointing.

We all have stories about post offices and memories of post offices. My one is waiting in my mother's car while my grandmother collected her pension. It used to take her about two and a half hours to collect the pension because she got every bit of gossip and it kept her going for the week. She got everyone's information, news and excitement. That is what a post office was about. It was about peop…

Many thousands of housing estates in this country are unfinished. They have not been handed over to local authorities. Many local authorities state they cannot take them in charge because they do not have moneys available to them. I stood yesterday with Councillor Ger Curley in housing estates in Cobh. The infrastructure needs to be fixed. Lighting needs to be put in place. We are waiting for engi…

That would be your office