Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

That point of awareness is very important here and at European level. We had discussions post-European Council recently. At a European level it does not seem to me that this is getting the attention it ought to either. I might ask that at future European discussions, Ireland makes sure this will appear on the agenda. I appreciate that lots of conflicts are being discussed there, including within E…

3. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will be represented at the emergency ministerial conference in defence of international law and the rights of the Palestinian people on 15 and 16 July 2025 in Bogotá. [38024/25]

An emergency meeting next week in Bogotá has been called by the Republic of Colombia and the Republic of South Africa. It will be attended by a variety of countries concerned at the current situation and the breaches of human rights. They include Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and many others. It has been called in response to the escalating violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian te…

I welcome that. I thank the Department and the Tánaiste for ensuring that is the case. It is important. The approach required is to ensure Ireland is using its voice collaboratively with countries internationally and individually. The Tánaiste has articulated that in the past. There are far more actions domestically that we could take undoubtedly, and we have had many discussions on that, but the …

I would nonetheless make the point that the rhetoric employed by her and her office at that early juncture gave political cover to the Israeli Government and the US to undermine the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine, UNRWA, and put in place their own position. I welcome the fact we will be attending the emergency meeting because it is important to work with other countries. I w…

5. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his position regarding potential increased tariffs with regard to the US; and the preparations being made for same. [38025/25]

Another week has brought another dramatic statement from President Trump. It is hard to interpret what will happen with his announcement of potential 200% tariffs on pharmaceuticals. We can all guess and gauge how accurate it is. People who work in pharmaceutical companies, life sciences and all these sectors are concerned. The direction of travel is in a particular direction. It is vital that we …

That is very important. A related but not identical by any means sector is life sciences and orthopaedics. This is another sector in which Ireland has a very significant footprint and which, unlike pharmaceuticals, is already affected by the 10% in that area. I would ask whether that has had an impact as of yet. I will briefly flag two sectors which, because they involve items that are on the she…

I will raise two more issues, the first of which I have raised in briefings with the Tánaiste's officials and, in fairness, they are well aware of the importance of it. From an Irish point of view, the potential for distortions between North and South is a very particular risk that we face. It is not in anyone's interest. We could have a seesaw-type effect that might favour one side of the Border …

16. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on his position in relation to the EU-Israel association agreement. [38030/25]

Rachaidh mé tríd na hábhair faoi mar a bhí siad i ráiteas an Taoisigh. In the first instance, I will say again that we abhor the Russian Federation's criminal invasion of Ukraine. It is a war of aggression that has caused untold human suffering. It is very clear from the events of recent weeks that Vladmir Putin has no interest in peace and that he is using opportunities of discussion to stall and…

How long do I have?

Apologies, I was not anticipating this and am not sure this was a feature during the last statements on-----

Okay.

It is great, yes, outstanding.

I will take the opportunity. One of the primary issues I raised was the tariffs. The picture is somewhat uncertain but I ask the Minister of State to give us an update in relation to the feedback the Irish Government is getting on the discussions with the Commission. I am interested not so much in the areas that are most vulnerable because several areas are thus. I am more interested in some of th…

I have two quick questions the Minister of State might take together. The clauses of the EU-Israel association agreement are clear. Israel is in breach of clause 2, as far as I am concerned. This has demonstrated the difficulty, where international agreements are breached, to bring that to a conclusion. Is the Minister of State concerned, with regard to future potential agreements like Mercosur, f…

For a couple of days I really could not get my head around what the Government was at in relation to this. Was it some sort of internal politics between Departments, trying to bounce somebody into making an announcement? Was it sheer incompetence? I could not understand it. Why would the Government just walk into a problem that had not been on the horizon? Why would it create this stress and worry…

I support my colleague. I well understand why Waterford people might want to come to Cork. I do not think we should deprive them of that opportunity at all. Any time there is a debate on rail infrastructure, there is a fair bit of interest right across the country. That reflects a significant shift in people's mentality in the last 20 or 30 years. If we go back 50 or 60 years or even more recentl…

Like most political representatives, one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is to check the news headlines. It is a grim reality that on any given day for the past year and a half it is almost a certainty that we will wake up to fresh horrors from Gaza and Palestine. One could nearly set one's watch by it, it is that deplorably consistent in terms of the horrors we are seeing. E…

I will echo the points made by other Deputies because the Minister of State, like his ministerial colleagues, has come in here and talked about the need for the Opposition to bring forward solutions. I understand Ministers and Ministers of State need to put forward their narrative, but in truth they realise there is plenty of substance and detail. The Taoiseach loves that word; he loves to talk ab…

I thank the proposer of the motion. It is an important debate. Sinn Féin is ambitious for public transport, particularly in Cork. It is an area that has been the subject of a lot of attention recently. It has been a priority for us because we recognise that for Cork to be the fastest-growing city in the State, we cannot simply rely on more and more people getting into their cars. We need a 21st ce…

22. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Taoiseach for an update on the progress of the national security strategy. [31327/25]

One of the things that people cannot get their heads around regarding the housing crisis is how an issue can be top of the political agenda for so long but everything is still going in the wrong direction. How can it be the case that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in government for so long and the crisis has escalated and escalated? We are here discussing a set of emergency measures that are …

1. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his views on the implications of reduced capacity at Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel caused by a reduction in staff. [31320/25]