Duncan Smith

It is difficult to find some comfort in the Minister of State's response for my constituents in Portmarnock. The current school year was bad because some students missed out and had to travel awkward distances to other schools for placement. Based on projections, it seems very likely that some siblings will not get into St. Marnock's National School in the coming year. That information is from goo…

The Tánaiste will be aware that this is Eating Disorders Week. He will also be aware of the relentless work my colleague Deputy Sherlock has done and continues to do in this area. Yesterday, I attended the most impactful presentation I have ever be at in my many years on this campus. The presentation was made by Cared Ireland in the audiovisual room. Cared Ireland is a voluntary organisation that …

Many years ago, there were perhaps some indications or factors that may have made people more prone to homelessness, be it addiction, familial breakdown or economic background. That is no longer the case, as all of us know. Homelessness is like an illness; it can strike anyone at any time, particularly if they are a renter or renting in this country. If someone came into my clinic or any other Dep…

The chaos this Government has inflicted on SNAs, parents and children countrywide has been absolutely appalling. I, like many, have listened to the Minister in this Chamber and on the national airwaves, but after a week of listening I am still not sure Ministers even know what their position was. Parents do. SNAs do. Schools do. They know that the Government rushed through a review with no real co…

We are long overdue a debate on football in this country, not because of what happened in Oriel Park on Friday night, which, I trust, the league and the clubs will be able to handle, but because of the vengeful, over-the-top collective punishment response from the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan to that issue-----

-----which portrayed an anti-football bias in the Minister that I hope is not reflected in the Government.

We need a debate on it.

I raise primary care centres in my constituency. The Taoiseach is aware that Swords has waited for a primary care centre for many years. It is the third largest town in Ireland. After years of campaigning, we finally got news the HSE acquired the Hertz building, which is to be converted to a primary care centre. I ask for an update to be given on when a planning application will be going in for th…

What we have here is a philosophical difference between the Minister of State's Government and the Labour Party and others in Opposition on workers' rights. For a moment, let us set aside all the climate benefits, the work-life balance benefits, the benefits for commuter towns and economies and the anti-congestion advantages. We will set them aside because philosophically, that is something we on …

141. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will now commit to paying members of the Defence Forces premiums for public holidays and overtime following the decision by the European Committee of Social Rights, which said both the prohibition on overtime across the Defence Forces and the lack of adequate provision for payment of public holiday premiums were breaches of …

The Minister's response sounds positive enough in its outlook. However, when this decision was made, the statement released by the Department of Defence stated: Ireland is a signatory to the European Social Charter and is committed to upholding its principles. The State respects the role of the ECSR and the Minister will examine its conclusions in conjunction with EU and national obligations, whi…

RACO and PDFORRA were reluctant to take this case, but they felt they had no alternative. Perhaps now is the time for a reset in terms of the Department's engagement with RACO and PDFORRA and how we treat these workers, both current and potential workers. There is an awful lot of work we are going to have to do in the next months and years ahead in terms of investing in our neutrality and ensuring…

Last week, I wrote to the Taoiseach to seek international co-operation for an inquiry into the recent release of a witness statement as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, in which a young girl was trafficked through Ireland for "politicians and notable men" for the purposes of sex. We heard from Garda Headquarters yesterday that no investigation or inquiry is under way regarding this claim. This w…

57. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Irish citizens her Department has been advised of as being detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, agency of the United States in 2025 and 2026; the number of Irish citizens in the United States currently being assisted by consular services due to an interaction or detention by ICE; the number …

The entire world is aghast at the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service, ICE, in the United States. I am asking a question about Irish citizens, not documented or undocumented. It is not to make an exceptional case because all immigrant groups are being targeted. However, given that we are in the Irish Parliament, I am asking about Irish citizens. How many are being detained b…

Our figure is 65 plus one so that is 66. ICE's figures for January to September last year are 99. That means 33 people, based on those figures, have not sought consular assistance. I believe that is a low figure. We should be doing more to seek out where those Irish citizens are being held, what there status is and how they can be assisted. I do not think it is good enough in this circumstance to …

Given the size of the Irish diaspora and our cultural and historic links with the United States and the very real human rights concerns we have for anyone being held by ICE in detention facilities, should we not request formally - I believe we should - from the US Secretary of Homeland Security details of all Irish citizens, documented and undocumented, in detention and where they are being held? …

Keep going.

Given the past week and the forecast for the next few days, we need a debate on flooding and the State's response to it as soon as possible, preferably today but no later than next week.

That is not her question.

I raise the reinstatement of the supplementary pension for our uniformed services members. As the Taoiseach is aware, the fast-accrual nature of the pensions for our Defence Forces, fire services, gardaí and prison officers was decoupled from the supplementary element during austerity. This is a financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, measure, which the Taoiseach's party made a…

6. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the G20 in South Africa. [4037/26]

The US boycotted the G20 in South Africa on these spurious grounds, further isolating itself from traditional allies. The Taoiseach will go to the White House in couple of months; of that there is no doubt. However, considering what is happening on the streets of Minneapolis, considering the large numbers of members of the Irish diaspora in the United States - that is not to make an exceptional ca…

16. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the EU-African Union summit. [4038/26]

In this time of global uncertainty, it is important we diversify and build up relationships with other countries. The Taoiseach's attendance at the EU-African Union summit is one instance of this, as was his visit to Canada to meet Prime Minister Carney. A lot has been made of Prime Minister Carney's speech at Davos last week. While building up relationships is important, it cannot come at the exp…