Pa Daly

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with this issue when other colleagues were not available. She will be able to bring her experience of this area to this debate. I am slightly caught for time, so I will try to parse it a little bit. I wish to ask the Minister of State about the harmful content on social media platforms. I read reports in the newspapers this morning, for example,…

We are running over time but I will make one more point. If, as it provides in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, we are to protect children and adults from online conduct, how does it look as an example to younger people in particular when this content is still allowed to be there? That is the example that is being set for people who are starting off on their online journey.

In the aftermath of the violent death of Jamey Carney in Kerry last week, and while I wish to express my sympathy to her family, especially to her daughter, and compliment the community in Killarney that rallied around her and the services there too, we have to acknowledge that violence against women is a crisis and mostly perpetuated by men from all races, cultures and ethnicities and all religio…

It was at her, even on her own social media platforms. Has the Taoiseach any comment to make on this being allowed to happen?

Bhíos ag caint le healaíontóir i gCiarraí níos luaithe um thráthnóna. Labhair sé liom mar gheall ar na mothúcháin a bhaineann le AI. Dúirt sé liom it could help to generate ideas, layouts and content more quickly, leaving more time to focus on strategy and working with clients. He uses it to explore new styles and creative marketing material and reach new audiences while continuing to produce orig…

Every parent worries about their children. That does not stop when they get to 18 years of age. I know many people have spoken about meeting the Before We Die campaigners and parents, and how inspiring they are. While I have great respect for the people I have met, I would not swap with them because they have come across to me as exhausted and depressed. When the Áras na Féile respite centre in no…

This is about more than legislation, politics or budgets. It is about being confident in ourselves. It is about féin-mhuinín. It is not about seeing how other nations perceive us but looking to the future as an island and deciding what is best for us as a collective. The pandemic and Brexit showed us the illogicality of partition. A united Ireland offers huge potential towards energy independenc…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “ “emergency use only” has the meaning as defined by the N-1 infrastructure standard defined by EU Regulation 2017/1938 only. A Strategic Emergency Gas Reserve under this Act and all future Acts relating to its construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning cannot be used for management of day-to-day e…

Is it section 2 or amendment No. 2?

Amendment No. 12 was grouped with amendment No. 1.

Should I move amendment No. 12 then?

Will I continue on amendment No. 2?

As I said, this is a simple, but critical amendment. It is because "emergency use only" must and should be clearly defined in law and a strategic gas reserve such as the one proposed should be a measure of last resort and a limited, emergency tool rather than a permanent fossil fuel lock-in. Therefore, we hope that this amendment will put clear legal boundaries on what the reserve is, as defined b…

Arising out of what the Minister said, if he does not have a problem with it being temporary or emergency, he should accept the amendments. The Minister mentioned renewable energy and the progress that, he says, has been made with offshore wind. However, in our view and in the view of some Government people also, the Government and previous Governments have been sitting on their hands in relation…

After the last general election, there was almost an unseemly rush to be out to congratulate the Government by some people for its change of mind in relation to fracked gas. It comes down to the basic issue of fairness and a just transition. We have heard about the issues in respect of destroying communities in the United States. Affordability of energy is also fundamental and is something that sh…

I thank Deputy Ahern for tabling this amendment. It makes sense that the Bill should include a definition of "international connectivity" to ensure that the Minister does not have free rein to cite international connectivity as a reason to get rid of the passenger cap and that there are some guardrails for citing this reason. Section 25 sets out the grounds on which the Minister can decide to revo…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister shall, not later than 12 months following commencement, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report reviewing daa’s compliance with the directions of the Minister.”. This amendment seeks that the Minister should within 12 months following commencement, lay before both Houses of the Oirea…

85. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to address rent increases in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48101/26]

What measures is the Minister taking to address rent increases in Kerry? We recently saw a three-bedroom house in the town of Tralee with an asking price of €2,400 per month. In the public sector, increased rents are being asked for by local authorities. However, because services have been stripped from the local municipal district, in houses 11 to 16 in Mountain View in Balloonagh Estate in Tral…

There might have been the highest number built in the history of the State, as the Minister said, but it happened at a time when the population was way higher than it was in the 1960s and 1950s. The Minister said the answer is to increase supply but, unfortunately, what we have seen is an awful lot of extra houses in Adamstown and on the quays in Dublin. The supply in County Kerry is way behind. T…

Unfortunately, I have not heard the Minister say anything about what needs to be done. Does the Government have any plans to cut rents? Has it plans to ban increases or protect the renters who are faced with big rent increases? The Minister has not mentioned anything about students. They are going to have to pay the market rent from September. That is another tax on their education. We all know th…

Energy security is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any Government. It is the promise we will be able to keep the lights on and keep the country's energy system powered. In this increasingly volatile world, we are trying to meet our energy needs but the Government has utterly failed. What we are presented with is a rushed and flawed solution that is in danger of shifting the financi…

As an island nation, our connectivity is obviously not optional. Our economy, tourism sector, diaspora connections and ability to attract investment all depend on Ireland's connectivity. It is the lynchpin for hundreds of thousands of jobs. There can, therefore, be no question than an ambitious, forward-looking aviation strategy is essential. As Ireland's primary international gateway and a critic…

You must not have been here last week, with the amendment.

The Deputy must not have been paying attention for a few years now.