Richard Boyd Barrett

I want to draw the Taoiseach's attention to the human consequences of the Government bending to the far-right groups that are screaming for mass deportations. Bilal Butt has been here for 19 years. For the past 15 years - as long as he was allowed - he has been working and paying tax. I know him personally, and he is a lovely man. He is married with two kids. One daughter is ten and his other chil…

Will I send them to you?

36. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on disability will next meet. [61676/25]

While I was getting my treatment in St. Luke's, I met a very nice woman called Shirley who brought up her daughter Lauren's case with me. Lauren subsequently wrote to me. Lauren lives with her and has a life-long disability condition that means she is unfit for work. She had previously been on domiciliary care allowance, then on disability allowance, but she then got married. She lives at home wit…

It is, yes, the means test.

The least well-off and most vulnerable in our society have been absolutely hammered by the cost-of-living crisis that has been inflicted on them over the last number of years. It is very important to say that the cost-of-living crisis is not like the weather. It does not just happen. The other side of the cost-of-living crisis is profiteering by the people who increase the prices; it is as simple …

It is good to be back. It is particularly good to be back in the aftermath of the successful campaign of Catherine Connolly. I congratulate her in her position as our new President. It is also good to be back on the day that a socialist gets elected in New York. Signs of hope and portents of the future.

Certainly not. We might learn a few lessons from it though. I also thank colleagues across the House for their kind words today and messages during, before and after my treatment. I also thank the thousands of members of the public who sent very kind messages. They were very heartening and very helpful. My biggest debt of gratitude is to the fantastic people who work in our health services, parti…

The professionals in this area stated in the context of the budget that radiotherapy services are operating significantly below capacity due to under-resourcing. They went on to state that our healthcare staff do everything they can to minimise the impacts on care for patients but it is simply not possible to provide optimal care in these conditions. Sixteen of 24 working days last month were aff…

We have been saying that for some time.

4. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [17098/25]

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [17099/25]

7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [15507/25]

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the AI Action Summit. [15508/25]

26. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for an update on the work of the policing reform implementation programme office in his Department. [17097/25]

3. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme in his Department. [12375/25]

24. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee dealing with transport will meet next. [12376/25]

7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the number of Israeli bonds that have been sold in Ireland since 2023 and the value of these and if he will introduce legislation to forbid the Central Bank of Ireland from facilitating the sale of bonds for countries that are in breach of human rights law and the Geneva Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16062/…

Many, if not most of the people who broadcast the proceedings in this Dáil who work for Oireachtas TV are on precarious, or "if and when" contracts, where they basically do not get paid if the Dáil or the committees are not sitting during Christmas, during the summer and other breaks. Most of these part-time workers earn approximately €12,000 per year. I could not believe it when they told me. A b…

The Government will have members on it.

One absolutely key area for giving young people a positive outlet for energies that might otherwise go in worrying or dangerous directions is sport. This also has a great deal of relevance in the context of women and of challenging all the misogyny that one can encounter. One of the positive developments we have seen in the past few years is the tremendous growth in participation in sport, by youn…

It is obvious the Government does not want to solve the housing crisis. It has dropped the pretence. It has no targets, it is curtailing the tenant in situ scheme, it has always resisted rent controls and its homelessness figures continue to rise. It does absolutely nothing about it. It does not want to stop the flow into homelessness. It is planning to remove even the minimal rent controls. It do…

12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach the engagements he has had with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group in the days before, during and after storm Éowyn. [15506/25]

I note the poor oppressed Government backbenchers are getting plenty of opportunities to speak today. As of tomorrow, they will have half the time to raise important issues like our response to storms, despite the Taoiseach's claims that he is standing up for their rights. One group that we will not be able to talk about as much is the ambulance drivers of the National Ambulance Service, who are …

It is less exposure for the Taoiseach.