Holly Cairns

The Social Democrats have been pleading with the Government for weeks to moderate its language, to ensure what it is saying is accurate and that tensions are not further enflamed. Instead, the inflammatory language from the Government has increased. Shamefully, the Tánaiste chose to amplify half-truths to paint migrants in a negative light. He made those comments fully conscious of the volatile at…

This is not leadership; this is leaning into a toxic far-right narrative.

People have a right to come here and to make an application for international protection.

The Government has a duty to assess those claims fairly.

Will the Government show leadership on this issue and deliver that clear and unambiguous message?

I condemn the awful scenes we saw in Citywest last night. One far-right account in advance of the riot posted online that "Citywest IPAS centre needs to be stormed." That was the clear goal last night, to overrun the accommodation centre. This was not done to protect children or the community, even if that is what the organisers claimed to the people they brought along with them. The organisers we…

I genuinely welcome the Taoiseach's comments. I also hope he will practice a bit more of what he is preaching today because they are welcome. In comparison to yesterday, when Deputy Fitzmaurice raised increasing knife crime in the same breath as concerns about the asylum system, the Taoiseach's response was to thank him, and I quote, "for raising the issue in a responsible and fair way." Then when…

I just-----

The Deputy conflated knife crime with migrants, and you welcomed his response.

I am hugely impressed by the courage shown by Niamh Kelly. Last year, she was viciously attacked by her ex-boyfriend and stabbed 50 times, leaving her with life-changing injuries. Yesterday, he was jailed for 14 years and Niamh has bravely spoken out. She has encouraged other women in toxic relationships to leave and get help. I welcome the measures the justice Minister brought to Cabinet today, i…

The scenes of joy and relief in Gaza and Israel over recent days have been wonderful to witness. In particular, the release of hostages on both sides yesterday was incredibly emotional, but it struck me once more that even in this fragile peace, Palestinians continue to be dehumanised. Many of us have learned the names and personal stories of the Israeli hostages who were, rightly, released. Howev…

------and clear Dáil schedules for confidence motions when it wants to.

Why will the Government not act with the same urgency to enact the occupied territories Bill?

Just answer the questions.

We have been discussing banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements for years now. The occupied territories Bill was first published in 2018, so this Government, and previous ones, have had a long time to consider all of these issues. It is not a really long piece of legislation, for that matter, either. The level of talking down the clock and briefly approaching the question at the end is such…

There is no loophole in the Genocide Convention-----

I join the other Deputies. It is ridiculous that the Government would rip up the Dáil schedule, as it did last night, and not come in here to urgently enact the occupied territories Bill or address the shortcomings in disability services or treatment for children with scoliosis and spina bifida, but to have a backslapping exercise and put down a motion of confidence in themselves.

We got word last night that the Dáil schedule was being ripped up, not to address any of the crises gripping the country or to enact some critical legislation, but to spare the Government's blushes and to try to prevent a spotlight being placed on the Government's shameful treatment of people with disabilities. Aontú signalled yesterday that it was going to put down a motion of no confidence in th…

The answer to that, quite clearly, is "No".

For that reason, I and the Social Democrats do not have confidence in this Government.

This Government is clearly in panic mode. Its new housing plan was supposed to be published in July and there is still no sign of it. Instead, what we have seen is a succession of measures that all have one common feature: throwing more public money at developers in the desperate hope that the market will deliver. We have been here before and we know how it ends - soaring house prices and rents a…

Answer the question, Taoiseach.

The Taoiseach says he is not in panic mode but it does sound like he is panicking-----

-----and he is yet to answer my question on when the Government will produce its housing plan. It is still delayed. There is acknowledging the role of the private sector, which we do, and then there is completely and utterly relying on it, which is what the Government does. The Government goes far beyond acknowledging the role of the private sector and goes to the extent of paying private develop…

I will ask my question again: is the Government going to do anything different in this plan, and when will it produce it?