Matt Carthy

On the first occasion that I had to attend a commemorative event on Talbot Street to remember the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the involvement by this State on that occasion was the presence of special branch men who were taking notes of the family members. That speaks to what I am talking about today.

The Irish Government supported the establishment of a historical investigations unit under the Stormont House Agreement in 2014 and legislated for co-operation in 2019. That unit was never delivered. Instead, the British Government introduced the shameful legacy Act, rejected by victims and widely criticised. If this State recognised the need for historical investigative units in the North, it can…

Molaim mo chomrádaí, an Teachta Máire Devine, as a cuid oibre ar an mBille seo. Despite lots of rhetoric and good intentions, the fact is the Government has been far too slow to address what is now apparent as a clear gap in the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. I welcome that the Government has indicated that it will not be opposing this Bill. I look forward to wor…

Caithfidh an Rialtas bata agus bóthar a thabhairt do Larry Murrin mar chathaoirleach ar Bhord Bia. Tá muinín na n-eagraíochtaí feirmeoireachta agus an phobail i gcoitinne caillte aige. Caithfidh sé imeacht. We are now nine days into a serious and escalating crisis of confidence in Bord Bia. It is a crisis entirely of the Government's own making. At the heart of it is a clear and undeniable conflic…

The Tánaiste talks about the success of Bord Bia-----

-----but it appears that he is oblivious to what that success is built on. It is built on the work of our farmers. It is not Larry Murrin or Bord Bia that are out in this weather milking cows. It is not Larry Murrin or Bord Bia dealing with cows calving in the middle of the night.

It is not Larry Murrin or Bord Bia that is delivering the highest standards met by farmers anywhere in the world. It is our primary producers, who are doing so. They - not just me or some backbenchers in the Government parties-----

-----are telling the Tánaiste that confidence has been lost in the chair of Bord Bia. The Government is trying to be evasive and to look for different ways out of this situation. The ultimate truth is this: the chair of the State agency charged with promoting Irish produce across the world is also head of a company that is importing beef from Brazil.

That is untenable. There is a clear conflict of interest.

Stop trying to dodge. Stop trying to protect your man in Bord Bia. Instead, protect Irish family farmers by removing the chair of Bord Bia and restoring trust in that organisation.

It is an unacceptable position.

On the back of our farmers. Do you not accept that?

You have to accept that it is our primary producers who are doing the hard work.

He is the one who attacked the farming organisations.

He attacked our farming organisations.

Yesterday, VHI announced a third increase in health insurance premiums in less than 12 months. It will kick in from March. These three increases over the past year will see many families paying more than €500 extra per year in insurance bills. It seems for many people that there is no end to the rip-off and price hikes. It is not just health insurance. It is energy bills, rent, groceries, motor fu…

How many people have health insurance? The costs are going up. People have it because of-----

That is not the reality.

Will there be gardaí not attesting next Friday? The answer is "Yes".

I thank the Minister for outlining the detail of these proposals. He is certainly keeping us busy this week. As I have said when we previously debated motions on the sharing of PNR data, this data is important for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of serious crimes and terrorist offences, including drug-related offences and human trafficking. This information forms part of …

Exactly.

It means that the Government is locked in with a ratchet.

As the Minister has acknowledged, the primary purpose of the International Protection Bill is to provide for Ireland’s opting in to the EU migration and asylum pact. The State had an opt-out from that pact but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael decided to discard it. They did that for narrow political reasons, so that they could say they had done something about immigration, when in fact all they have done…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2020 to prohibit the creation of non-consensual intimate or harmful imagery; and to increase the timeframe under which summary proceedings for an offence may be instituted. I welcome Margaret Loftus to the House. On behalf of Deputy Máire Devine and myself, …

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."