Paschal Donohoe

I have noticed the trend that Sinn Féin has now, whereby it grows unhappy when I interrupt its heckling. This will not deter me-----

-----and it will not deter the Government from doing two things-----

-----first, from calling out the fact that Sinn Féin's economic policies and solutions were seen through.

Where would we be now if we had followed its policies and been entering into a scenario with a Government borrowing while jobs were at risk.

That is what Sinn Féin offered. It was seen through.

As I said, despite the best efforts of the Sinn Féin Opposition-----

-----the Government will be honest in how we can help.

What we will not do is do so-----

-----at the expense of the honesty that is needed at a time when the country and Europe are facing new challenges and new risks.

I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising an issue with which I am familiar. In particular I recognise the work that GP Care For All has done, and the person at the heart of it, Amanda Farrelly. I was hoping to meet them myself tomorrow but another Government commitment has got in the way. I am well aware of the importance of the work they do and the value of the service. While I very much welcome and a…

We will do our very best on this issue and I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising it.

Deputy Sherlock knows we are treating this issue with urgency. She knows that. She knows the Minister is and she has acknowledged that to me. She knows we are working on it. The Deputy does the issue a disservice by suggesting otherwise. I ask her to please acknowledge, as I have done, that if this was an issue that was simple and that could easily be dealt with, we would already have done so. We…

I thank the Deputy. As he began his contribution, I will begin mine by acknowledging the huge anxiety and distress that families can face when young girls and boys with additional needs need additional support and have various conditions that we want to make a difference to. We see what that does to them for their start in life, and what it does to their families, their mams and dads, who are tryi…

I thank the Deputy again for raising the issue. I can make the case to him that the vacancy rate within these healthcare professions has decreased. It has decreased from 29% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, and that is an improvement, but we have so much further to go because we know the level of human need that is there. We know we need to be helping families and the children they love so much in a better…

The veil has slipped for a second time when it comes to Aontú on jobs within our economy. It is not so long ago I was in this Chamber when Deputy Tóibín referred to people who were working for large employers as transitional jobs. Here today, the Deputy now referred to corporate tax profitability receipts as "bargain basement".

I invite Deputy Tóibín to walk into the large employers for which many of his constituents work and tell them that the efforts that they are putting in are bargain basement and that the taxes their work is creating are bargain basement. I invite the Deputy to do a tour of the large employers across our country that have played such a critical role in paying the tax at a time we need it, and in the…

That is the Aontú agenda. That is your agenda, Deputy Tóibín. I hear it again and again. As the veil slips, it is also characterised by typical misinformation from the Deputy. I heard the Minister, Deputy Chambers, on "Morning Ireland" this morning. I heard him outline a number of different things, including the reality that we have to yet consider what the United States may do, and, in doing so, …

Leave the tribalism aside. That is a bit rich coming from the Deputy in this regard. He asked me the question regarding what engagement the Government, the Tánaiste has had-----

-----with the Secretary of State of the United States of America during the week and the fact the Taoiseach will meet President Trump next week. I have engaged with the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, through a G7 meeting that happened last week. I have met twice with the organisation that is, on a global level, involved in dealing with this issue. That is the engagement we have had. I i…

Go into those companies and tell them-----

-----that the tax receipts they are involved in generating are bargain basement and-----

-----perhaps he might tell them again that their jobs are transitional.

If the Deputy had given me an indication that he was going to raise a single school in Cork, I would have been in a position to perhaps answer his question. He did not. What I am able to do is to give an indication of the absolute commitment the Government has to trying to make more special classes and schools available. There are 3,336 special classes in operation nationwide to do what we can to …

I genuinely thank Deputy Smith for raising an extremely important issue. As we see, the way in which the world conducts itself and the rules it depends on can be changed and challenged. We should redouble our efforts to ensure those who have the very least do not pay the most, which is a risk due to the decision that regrettably has been made with regard to USAID. Deputy Smith asked what we are d…

I thank the Deputy. He and I are really lucky to represent the north side of the city centre. I agree with him about the importance of that report. I am meeting a number of councillors on a cross-party basis from Dublin City Council tomorrow on this issue. I can see the changes that are happening in the city centre. I can see more gardaí. I can see the efforts the city council is making to keep it…