Richard Boyd Barrett

No answer.

It is short notice but a protest has been called tomorrow for 5.30 p.m. outside of the Dáil. I urge people who are angry at this Government's failure to address affordability in rents and the housing crisis to get out and demonstrate against the decision of this Government to ram through the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 and impose a guillotine. There will not be prope…

At lunchtime, hundreds of retired An Post workers and Eir workers protested outside this House about the fact that even though An Post asked that a 7% increase in their very meagre pension entitlements be approved and signed off on by the Government as far back as October, it still has not happened. For inexplicable reasons, Ministers and the Government are sitting on this when these pensioners, w…

14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture. [8094/26]

30. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee on children and education. [8095/26]

That is not fair.

This is not fair.

We get all of the Government backbenchers but not the Opposition at large, a Cheann Comhairle-----

----which is the strategy. That is the strategy.

You said you would take a point of order.

Donald Trump is scapegoating people such as asylum seekers and migrants to deflect anger away from the failure of people like him and the billionaires he represents to address the cost-of-living crisis. He is scapegoating vulnerable immigrants, people seeking asylum or those who are undocumented, including Irish people, in the most horrendous way. We have seen the consequences of that now with Sea…

I have still not received a response to the communications I sent to him about Bilal. His family were worried that he was going to have a heart attack. He did have a heart attack and was in ICU. Thankfully, he is out of prison. This is a man who is working. His employer wants him to continue to work. He is contributing. There is nothing good about deporting him or deporting another family I have …

Saoirse and Darren are a couple in their 50s, both of whom are working. They have been renting for 15 years. They pay €2,000 a month in rent in a big residential development in Cherrywood. Incidentally, their rent may get hiked because of the Government’s Bill. They have enough for a deposit and want to buy a home – a one- or two-bedroom home – but the banks will not look at them because they are …

The Minister of State listing off the crumbs that were given out by the Government to those who are being crushed by the cost-of-living crisis is utterly meaningless. I thank Deputy Healy for bringing forward this motion, which People Before Profit strongly supports, as it details the absolutely crushing assault on the cost of living for working people, the least well-off, people with disabilities…

What about the algorithms?

Last Friday we had the monthly homeless figures. The numbers of those in emergency accommodation are still at absolutely shocking levels. I have been asking for a commitment to a debate to deal with homelessness figures and those in emergency accommodation. The Government is bringing in a residential tenancies Bill that will make rental accommodation even more unaffordable. This will drive more ho…

I thank Mick on behalf of People Before Profit and the Independents and Parties Technical Group for an amazing 32 years. This place would not be able to function without the hard work that you have done, and all of the ushers here, who are the unsung heroes of this place. Thanks for everything and enjoy your retirement. Enjoy the football, the golf or whatever it is you are going to be at.

I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 5th February, 2026, approves the Ninth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 30th January, 2026.

14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on progress on implementation of the programme for Government. [6013/26]

The number of people in emergency accommodation in this country is shocking but I want to highlight in particular the issue of family and child homelessness. The number of families in emergency accommodation has gone up by 100% since 2016, which is absolutely shocking. Many if not the majority of cases coming into me now of people stuck in emergency accommodation involve families with children, of…

I asked about three- and four-bedroom houses.

The pretence that the Government cares about the rental crisis and the unaffordable and obscene rents that are contributing to the housing crisis and misery that many people are suffering this country is being dropped completely. We have a naked admission with this Bill that the Government is representing property speculators, investors and landlords. It is trying to justify it with the most perve…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue for debate on world cancer day. I thought it was important that this Dáil should mark world cancer day and discuss the issue of resources and funding for cancer services in this country, not least because I had a cancer diagnosis last year and have undergone treatment. I am very grateful to the cancer services and to all the fantastic pe…

I thank the Minister for that response. First of all, the inconsistency between the experience people have in different parts of the country has to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Indeed, I was conscious when I was getting my own treatment that people were coming from different parts of the country. There was a place available for them in St. Luke's to stay, but it was not provided by the Sta…

I am amazed that the Tánaiste is trumpeting success in light of the housing disaster that people face in this country. Tomorrow, we will have the end-of-month figures for homelessness. At the end of December, 16,996 people were homeless. A record number of people, including 5,321 children, were living in the misery of emergency accommodation. Whatever the figures are tomorrow, there will be an un…