Richard Boyd Barrett

If they are not here, we should move on.

The double standards, the hypocrisy, the soft pedalling and the bending of the knee to Trump's bullying and imperialism have now come back to bite European governments, including our own. It does not matter how much you bend the knee. What is worse is that governments have gone along with his horrific policies. Most notable among these are European governments, who are now horrified at the threats…

We stand with the people of Nunarput and the Inuit people's right to self-determination. They certainly do not want to be invaded or taken over by Donald Trump but neither do they want their future controlled by the Kingdom of Denmark. This is the problem. Yesterday, along with Deputy Duncan Smith of the Labour Party, I met with the German ambassador to discuss Daniel Tatlow-Devally. He is an Ir…

I did not, just to be clear.

Nunarput.

We urgently need to invest in our decrepit water infrastructure. It is totally inadequate to deal with the housing needs we have, with almost half of the water leaking out of the pipes because of Victorian and decrepit infrastructure. We need a water system that is responsive to the needs of people rather than one that refuses to get back to or talk to the public or its representatives. Instead o…

Will the Taoiseach and his European colleagues stop soft-pedalling or, worse, bending the knee before Donald Trump, and finally admit what everybody can see and what some of us have been saying for some time, which is that Trump is a bully, an imperialist, and a threat to the world and to humanity? Will they admit that it is time to stand up to this bully and call him out for what he is? His list …

Not Trump.

I have condemned, I do condemn and I will again condemn the Iranian regime for the violent repression of protesters, for shutting off the Internet and for the censorship of what is going on, as I condemn and have condemned Putin for the illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Taoiseach would not be presenting them with shamrock, would he? He is going to go over and present shamrock to Trump, even now. It…

Will the Taoiseach tell the US troops to get out of Shannon when they are threatening the world in the way they are?

Will he not dance to the tune of Trump who is saying we should spend more on militarisation-----

-----so we do not go down the road of militarisation and warmongering, which he represents?

Trump is the one threatening-----

As if the monthly increase in the number of people in emergency accommodation is not bad enough, the Simon Community produced a report stating that there is a major problem now with older people facing the possibility of homelessness. One woman attended my clinic who is 86 years old and is facing homelessness and possibly emergency accommodation because of this crisis. I have asked at the Business…

Joan is 86 and she is facing homelessness and emergency accommodation because her landlord is selling up. Joe is 78 and sleeping on his sister's couch for over a year. Meanwhile, as I highlighted yesterday, there is an apartment block nearby in Cherrywood with 30 two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments lying empty for 18 months. They are supposed to be for social housing to house people like Joe an…

It is happening.

Will the Government sit back and do nothing?

Eighteen months later.

16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [3920/26]

There is an incredible disconnect between the supposed aspirations of the Dublin task force and the actuality. As has already been mentioned, it is absolutely shocking that The Complex, a vibrant space across all the arts disciplines which provided direct employment for about 30 or 40 people and had about 250 artists operating out of it, is gone for the lack of €6 million from the Government. That…

Did the Taoiseach read the letter from the actors?

27. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for an overview of his Department’s annual report for 2024. [3921/26]

The mission statement for the Department of the Taoiseach in its report says it is about ensuring a sustainable economy and a successful society. Neither of those things is possible unless we address the lack of social and affordable housing and the housing crisis that is faced in this country. Recently, in my area, an area called Old Connaught, on the border of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow,…

They did.

10. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the maximum rent supplement payment; and whether he will review these maximum limits. [2903/26]