Aidan Farrelly

How many children experiencing poverty is too many for this Government? The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have both said child poverty is a priority for the Government. Everything seems to be a priority for this Government, but outcomes are not improving and we see that justified in the Children's Rights Alliance report this week, which told us that one in 12 children is experiencing poverty in this coun…

I take this opportunity to thank the Minister of State for reading, word for word, what is already on the Official Record of the Dáil. It is a bit of an insult to everybody involved here this morning that this is pretty much the exact same speech we have heard very recently. The Fine Gael Minister for sport, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, has told us that sport and politics should not mix. That same M…

Speak through the Chair, Deputy.

Deputy Doherty can do this outside. This is not a conversation. There is no back and forth. The Tánaiste can finish.

Deputy Doherty has one minute.

We will revert to Question No. 142 in the name of Deputy Cathal Crowe. It will be taken now by Deputy Tony McCormack. I apologise to the Deputy for having skipped it.

Thank you, Tánaiste. We move to Question No. 145

Thank you, Deputy Doherty.

Question No. 146 will now be taken by Deputy McCormack

That ends the session on questions. I am not sure if we have a Minister for the Topical Issues yet. We will suspend until 11 p.m. Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ag 10.57 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.01 p.m. Sitting suspended at 10.57 p.m. and resumed at 11.01 p.m.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss allowing for the inclusion of parental details on children's passports in cases where they do not share the same surname to allow for easier international travel. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss discrepanc…

No, the Deputy cannot come back. I apologise.

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue this evening. I am not sure if he has been to Sallins, County Kildare. I know he has had many a nice day in Kildare previously. Sallins is a growing town with a population of over 6,000 according to the most recent census. The Minister of State can imagine the news in 2024 when the community was awarded €3 million as part of the large-sca…

You can see it in the response - "The Department anticipates the project will pass approval gate 1 in the coming weeks" - but it is two years since the funding was secured. I will emphasise a couple of points. From the Sallins perspective, it is Kildare County Council running this. It is not a community group that may or may not have the time. It is the local authority running this project. How ca…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important legislation. I join colleagues in welcoming Mr. French and his family and colleagues to the Gallery. We are here to honour Valerie and her family for their enduring commitment and to honour Valerie's children. This is a very rare occasion, certainly in my short spell as a TD, to see such overwhelming support across the House for legislat…

I thank the Minister for being here this morning, for her detailed contribution and for meeting the party in advance of this debate. I also commend Deputy Cairns and my friends and colleagues in the party for bringing forward what is, as we have said, the wording from a report commissioned by the Government. This is what we are trying to do. In my political naivety, I thought the days when we ask…

Did the Minister say it would not pass a vote?

I ask for clarification.

What I have learned, as a still relatively new TD, is that when legislation such as this comes before the House, the Government either amends it into an abyss or it goes to the next Stage to have what I think we can all agree is something of a meritable debate. It needs to debated further. We all have different opinions and conclusions. As part of that, we bring in the expertise and the different …

The student council from Scoil an Linbh Íosa in Prosperous is in the Public Gallery today. Those students have written this question directly. I am merely reading it out for them. It is their words. They ask: We do enough work in school. Our teachers agree. Children, families and teachers are so busy in the evenings. We want to promote well-being and nurture our hobbies and skills as children. Th…

Today, Social Justice Ireland has launched its national social monitor painting a very damning picture for young people in this country aged 18 to 24. Rising youth homelessness and decades of underinvestment in mental health services are just some of the issues. I ask for statements on these issues facing young people aged 18 to 24.

I thank the Deputy.

We are moving to the Labour Party.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I commend Deputy Gogarty on bringing forward this motion. The Irish State can no longer facilitate children and young people being silenced within the courts system. I have read the in camera rule report commissioned by the Minister's Department and published by UCC and Trinity College Dublin in May of last year. It is undoubtedly research of fundamental importance that cuts to the heart of our fa…