Duncan Smith

Two weeks before the "RTÉ Investigates" programme, a man in his 80s came to my clinic. He makes a bare minimum of 14 trips a week to the nursing home in which his wife is living. He visits in the morning to make sure his wife's day can begin with care, dignity and love. It is not the nursing home's job to provide love but it is its job to provide care and dignity. He goes again at night to make su…

I welcome the time to speak on this topic. The northern commuter line is one of the most stressed lines in this country. The plan in the all-island strategic review, which is a long-distance project, aims at four-tracking that line. That is a must for towns like Donabate, the population of which is going to increase by up to 5,000 people in the next couple of years, or 25%. It is the first stop ou…

Given the slaughter, the genocide and the last 20 months of horror, to wake up to the news, as we did this morning, that perhaps there will be a 60-day ceasefire will be welcomed by most people. Of course we will welcome it if it happens but for a number of reasons it is hard to have confidence in a ceasefire in this conflict. One reason is that the person who announced it this morning, Donald Tru…

That is all eating into all of our time. It eats into the time of all of us who are coming behind. I intend to use only one minute of my time. Public transport is under huge pressure in our city and surrounding areas. BusConnects, where we desperately need it in north County Dublin, in Donabate and Portrane, has been delayed yet again until autumn 2026. A service there, the 33B, is provided by Go…

People have previously been rushed towards the end of their contributions.

I thank the Minister of State for being here this morning. I represent Dublin Fingal East in north County Dublin, which has a very young and fast-growing population. There is a lack of primary school places in the village of Portmarnock, which is an issue I have been raising for a number of months. I have tabled parliamentary questions to the Minister. Unfortunately the responses have been most un…

I thank the Minister of State. I sit on school boards, as the Minister of State probably does or has done. I am aware of the matter of duplication. This is why we have presented the data in its baldest form. Duplication is not an issue. I know it sometimes is an issue in other towns but it is not an issue in Portmarnock. The development and provision of a large new school building for Malahide Po…

Since the latest meeting of the Business Committee, we have seen the new rules from the US on J1 and other visas. The Taoiseach has described them as excessive, but does he have any words of comfort for the thousands of young Irish people who have to give over five years' worth of social media usernames? This is having a chilling impact on our young people and other applicants for visas. What is t…

Not agreed.

I support Deputy Mac Lochlainn's request. There is also an issue of workers' rights within our very House in terms of the broadcast unit workers who are being paid well below the average pay for skilled work in that industry and who, in the summer recess and at Christmas, do not get paid and have to sign on or get alternative employment. This is something a majority of the Members in the House su…

I think it is a matter for everyone in this House. I do not think it is anything we can stand over.

I want to raise an issue that is having an impact on many of us on both sides of the House but is manifesting quite acutely in my town of Swords. I refer to the deteriorating nature of the public engagement on the part of Irish Water with public representatives, both local and national. At Swords wastewater treatment plant, intermittent outages are impacting a lot of residents and Fingallian's GAA…

I am disappointed in how the heads of the Bill have been presented. I think there is support for 80% or 90% of what needs to be achieved in terms of our national security, or we could at least reach accommodations, such as on the extraction of our citizens from war zones. The Tánaiste will launch the national maritime strategy today, which I welcome and is much needed. There is an emotive element…

10. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the incident in southern Lebanon where Irish peacekeepers came under fire from the Israel Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29866/25]

This question is on the shots fired at our peacekeeping soldiers in Lebanon. Will the Tánaiste provide a comment on this?

I thank the Tánaiste and I welcome the swift and stern diplomatic response we had to this incident through the United Nations. As the Tánaiste has said, this is a pattern of behaviour. There is no sense this pattern will stop. We are lucky there were no injuries or loss of life but if, God forbid, we see further instances such as this or an escalation, what is open to us as a State in terms of esc…

That is interesting. Is it the Tánaiste's hope or expectation that the Commission will bring some options to the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday week? The occupied territories Bill will be coming forward. I am sure the Tánaiste's attention has been drawn to the legal action that has been taken by a transnational group of lawyers against Airbnb due to its operation of services in the occ…

11. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the urgent actions he and his Department will take to ensure that the 505 squadron at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel is fully staffed and will not be forced to continue to operate at 50% capacity and a reduced flying schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29865/25]

What urgent actions will the Tánaiste and his Department take to ensure that the 505 squadron at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel is fully staffed and will not be forced to continue to operate at 50% capacity and at a reduced flying schedule?

Indeed. The fact that this had to take place outside of collective agreements highlights how unusual it is, and I acknowledge the Tánaiste's action on this. However, the reason this has happened is underpinned by a structural issue in terms of our airfields in the Dublin region, specifically Weston aerodrome. The Irish Times has reported that we have been losing technicians to the privately owned …

That is encouraging but, again, when commercial interests impact critical public services such as what should be operating out of Baldonnel, the State needs to act and look at those structural problems. One of them is the Coast Guard contract. It has been well debated here and in committee in the last Dáil and will be again. We have nearly €750 million of public funds helping to underpin a commerc…

In the programme for Government, there is a commitment to publishing a national policy on adult safeguarding in the health and social care sector. The Taoiseach states a considerable amount of work has been done. Given the revelations in "RTÉ Investigates" about our older and more vulnerable residents in nursing homes, can we please have a debate this Thursday on the issue, when the Taoiseach can …

164. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will call for an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly and table a resolution calling for collective measures to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and protection of its citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27478/25]

I move: That Dáil Éireann: condemns the actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza, and the destruction and conditions of famine they have wrought on the Palestinian people, resulting in starvation, disease and death; repeats its condemnation of the brutal attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7th October, 2023, its declaration that the taking of hostages is unconscionable, and its call for the release …

Notwithstanding the announcement that the occupied territories Bill will go for pre-legislative scrutiny soon, the timeline articulated by the Tánaiste whereby this would not be passed until later in the year is, quite frankly, unacceptable. I ask for this to be revisited and that time be made at committee and in the Dáil to ensure this is put through before the summer recess.