Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

No, but it still goes on.

We should find out.

When will we find out?

I hear the Minister saying that but when will we find out?

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Defence her views on the matter of entry-level cadet pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33405/26]

The Minister has given indications in the past and she has talked about addressing this issue but it has been six months since she took office and ultimately nothing has changed. Cadets are still paid well below the minimum wage. That is damaging to recruitment and retention. Their pay is the lowest in the Defence Forces at €503 per week. That compares with €550 for a recruit. Considering that is …

I would love to hear about local bargaining. Local bargaining seems to be the solution to cadet pay, the service commitment scheme and to specialist staff. However many per cent it is, the scope clearly does not exist to expect it to be like the miracle of loaves and fishes and solve all the problems. There is scope to do a bit with local bargaining but ultimately the Department needs to recognise…

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians, EMTs, play a crucial role in the healthcare system, despite the fact that they are incredibly stretched, with personnel numbers approximately 1,800 short of the target. They are often running on fumes as they try to respond to situations. They are going on strike on Tuesday, as things stand. They do not want to be on strike. They want to be out there r…

Tosóidh mé le rá go n-aontaím leis an Aire Stáit gur rud an-dearfach agus gur ábhar dóchais é go mbeidh an Ghaeilge in úsáid mar theanga oifigiúil le linn na hUachtaránachta. Tá sé sách tábhachtach go mbeadh an Ghaeilge feiceálach agus in úsáid anseo, sna hinstitiúidí Eorpacha agus in imeachtaí na hUachtaránachta. These statements on Europe are an opportunity to reflect on what the EU was intende…

Beimid ag tacú leis an rún. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh cuntasacht ann agus go mbeidh pionós ar an Rúis de bharr na héagóra atá déanta i gcoinne na hÚcráine. We support this motion. We believe it is important for Ireland to continue to do what it can to support vulnerable people in Ukraine and elsewhere and to support the protection of human rights and international law globally. It is important …

I have spoken to tenants in various Dublin City Council properties and I know they feel the exact same as tenants in Cork City Council flats. They feel that when it comes to housing, they are at the absolute back of the queue. It is a case of out of sight, out of mind and they are shuttered away. Not only has the Government neglected buildings, it has neglected people. These people are watching th…

I will give the Minister of State some of the context in a moment but the simple ask is that the children, staff and parents connected to Owenabue Educate Together National School want to know what the plan is and when their project will go to stage 2. The current situation is totally unsustainable. The school was opened in 2020. To give some context, Carrigaline is probably a bit like places in t…

If that is something the Minister of State could facilitate or help to facilitate, I will take him up on it. This is, of course, frustrating. The schools is looking for answers. When will the project go to stage 2? We can say the school delivery team has so many projects and it is hard to get through them all, but if the Government, at the highest level, is setting a target for the delivery of tha…

Climate change has real and profound implications for us here in Ireland and right across the world. Here in Ireland, as globally, it is most likely those on the lowest incomes and the poorest who will potentially pay the highest price. I think the Irish people understand that very clearly. Sometimes when listening to these debates, we might imagine that the Irish people are yet to be persuaded th…

It is reasonable to ask what it would possibly take for the European Union to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement. What possible threshold must be met and what new horrors and breaches of international law are required before it moves away from its position of intransigence and failure? At times, we have debates in relation to the EU and some on the benches opposite try to make the Sinn Féin pos…

During my contribution, I addressed the next package of sanctions against Russia, in particular Rosatom, which is the Russian atomic agency. Is this something the Irish Government is specifically referencing? I know it said it was supportive of it, but is it specifically calling for it? Second, it is five or six months since the European Council had conclusions on Sudan, as I mentioned earlier. …

I make the point again that the whole fiasco in relation to SNAs was symptomatic of a wider attitude. An awful lot of SNAs and parents viewed it as the Department and the Government trying to pull a fast one, failing to recognise the manner in which the role of the SNAs has changed, even though it was apparent to everyone. It was entirely obvious to anyone who took the time to examine what an SNA …

I want to put on record my disappointment and frustration at the fact that this debate is being guillotined. This has to be taken in the context of the Government and the Government members of the committee having moved to avoid pre-legislative scrutiny of this legislation, which was crucial. We in the committee have all cited international authorities, and will likely do so here tonight again, ou…

It is effectively the same.

There is a difference between the ISDS and the investor courts system but it is in form rather than substance. Ultimately, the Irish courts or the Irish government will have the same difficulty, potentially. It is true there are permanent judges and more transparency in the sense of openness and so on but in terms of the power they have when they make a decision against an Irish government because…

How could there be?

It has not been established yet.

The Minister of State he had nothing to do with the scheduling of the football debate. I am sure that is true albeit it is an important debate. It is a pastime enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. Perhaps he can tell us if he had anything to do with the decision to propose a guillotine or did he encourage it?

I can take a nod or something like that either. I suspect the Minister of State and certainly the Government very much supported the clear party line vote of Government TDs to not proceed with pre-legislative scrutiny within the committee. He might not have had much to do with the football decision but I think he has something to do with the decision to rush this and not allow pre-legislative scru…

Hear, hear.