Cormac Devlin

I have spoken on auto-enrolment previously, but I welcome these statements. I thank the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Dara Calleary, and his officials for getting this long-promised reform over the line. My Future Fund is about one simple idea: if you work, you should build a pension automatically, with your employer and the State helping you every day. From 1 January 2026, every employe…

I welcome the Government’s proposals to protect young people from the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction. As the party that delivered the first workplace smoking ban in the world, Fianna Fáil knows that smart, proportionate regulation saves lives. We have already raised the age of sale to 18 and tightened advertising near schools, on public transport and in cinemas. Now we must go further beca…

I share the concerns about, and condemnation of, the attacks about which we have heard in recent months. In response to the Minister's opening statement, I welcome this debate. It is good that we are having it. I commend the Minister on the focus and urgency he has brought since his appointment in January. His approach has been, frankly, a breath of fresh air: practical, evidence-led and rooted i…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and welcome him back. It is good to be back in the Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to examine the Government's National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030. This strategy will only matter if it changes the daily lives of people with a disability. As the Minister said in her opening remarks, those challenges are there to be met. The strategy must…

I thank an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, the Ceann Comhairle's office, the ushers and all the staff here in the Oireachtas for their assistance to the Members over recent months and during this term. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill 2025, which is vital legislation that strengthens our national ability to disrupt, dismantle and defeat serious organis…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2025, which is a timely and necessary step to strengthen governance, transparency and accountability in our health service. This Bill delivers on a core commitment in the programme for Government to embed productivity and ensure full transparency in how healthcare services are delivered. It recognises that strong, account…

I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak in support of these two important motions, which authorise Ireland to opt in to two EU agreements with Iceland and Norway on the transfer of passenger name record data. These agreements are more than just legal instruments. They are vital tools in our shared European effort to prevent terrorism and combat serious transnational crime. In a world where organi…

4. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [34613/25]

I welcome the establishment of a commission of investigation into historical child sexual abuse in schools and the opportunity to discuss the matter. This is a long-overdue step in the pursuit of truth, accountability and justice for survivors throughout our country. However, it is not just a national issue, it is a local issue too. In Dún Laoghaire, in my constituency, the impact of abuse by reli…

I welcome the publication of the all-island strategic rail review. This transformative plan sets out 32 strategic recommendations that would almost triple the number of people using our rail network, from 65 million journeys a year to 180 million by 2050. Critically, it would bring 700,000 more people within a 5 km radius of a railway station, boosting access in communities North and South that ha…

I welcome the publication of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025. I have listened to some of the Opposition speakers about it and wanting a longer time to discuss it but, in essence, this Bill is about extending the existing permissions and we should not want to take longer to do such a thing because if those permissions expire, it will be the same people who are objecting to the am…

Like many colleagues in the House, I rise today with a heavy heart. The situation in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, is an ongoing humanitarian disaster that demands our attention, our compassion and, critically, our action. Let me begin by recalling the horrific events of 7 October, the appalling attacks and murders of innocent people. I reiterate what the Taoiseach and T…

I welcome the opportunity to support the motion before us to renew the provisions of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 for a further 12 months. These are exceptional measures but also necessary measures designed not to restrict freedoms but to protect lives. The core purpose of this legislation is to give An Garda Síochán…

In recent weeks, distressing footage from "RTÉ Investigates" and "Prime Time" has brought into stark relief the vulnerability of many older people in residential care. What we saw was not just a breach of trust; it was a breach of decency. We must acknowledge that the vast majority of front-line staff in our nursing homes and community services do remarkable work. They care for our parents, grandp…

7. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to expand the lists of occupations for roles that are eligible for employment permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32942/25]

I welcome the opportunity to examine the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025. I thank the Minister for bringing it before the House. This is a decisive Bill that extends rent pressure zones to every county, something that Members from all sides of the House sought. It reflects the Government's commitment to renters, to stability and fairness and to delivering real protections in an often …

21. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach for a report on new shared island projects. [22202/25]

Housing remains one of the defining issues of our generation. If we are serious about solving it, we must deal in facts, not sound bites as some in the Opposition have done and are focused on. Let us start with where we are now. Housing supply has increased significantly since Fianna Fáil re-entered government in 2020. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, completions were 29,644, 32,525 and 30,330 units, respe…

I begin by welcoming the apology offered by the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, to the family of Shane O’Farrell. It is a necessary and appropriate step, an acknowledgement of the profound and preventable failures that led to Shane’s death and of the deep hurt and sense of injustice his family have carried for over a decade. I echo the apology and send my heartfelt sympathies to the …

I join my colleague in formally congratulating the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on his new portfolio. Deputy Crowe failed to mention the waterways to which the Minister of State takes in his spare time. Biodiversity Week gives us a moment to reflect not only on the wonder of Ireland's natural heritage but also on the scale of the challenge we face in restoring and protecting it. I acknow…

At the outset, I welcome this debate and thank colleagues across the House for their contributions. It is clear we are united by a common concern for children with additional needs and their families, who deserve timely assessments and tailored supports. Far too many people are waiting far too long. No one here today can ignore the facts. There are over 15,290 overdue assessments, a figure that re…

7. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to introduce a new voids programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24659/25]

23. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [22201/25]

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I look forward to chairing the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The committee will begin its work shortly and I look forward to working with the Taoiseach and with colleagues from across the House in advancing the spirit and the commitments of the agreement. Will the Taoiseach elaborate on how the Cabinet committee is progressing c…

161. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the Naval Service’s two new inshore patrol vessels, LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait, will enter service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17726/25]