Gary Gannon

What we in the Social Democrats will propose next week is to stay true to who we are as people. If the Government wants to remove the triple lock, it should put the question to the people and have a plebiscite. If the Government has conviction, stands over this principle and believes this would make us better, then put it to the people. Let us stand up for democratic norms while eroding parliament…

Answer the Social Democrats' question.

In May 2024, the Government the Minister was part of formed the city centre task force for Dublin with an aim of restoring our beautiful city to what it can be. In September, that report was delivered to Government by the overseer of the report, David McRedmond. In November, the report was released to great fanfare and much PR. It features in the programme for Government. Whenever I ask, however, …

The funding stream, Minister.

I watched the Taoiseach on "The Late Late Show" on Friday evening when, in his rush to defend the unjustifiable, he made a comparison between the deal he struck behind closed doors with Michael Lowry and the deal made between one of his predecessors and Tony Gregory in 1982. I will be very clear: the Gregory deal of 1982 was published. It was there for all to see. The public knew exactly what was …

We know what happens with Michael Lowry behind closed doors because we have reams and reams of a tribunal report, a report that uses words such as "insidious" and "profoundly corrupt". Do you know what word it does not use? It does not say "altruistic". There is nothing about making deals and expecting nothing in return. The Taoiseach must step back from the precipice because we are heading into u…

It is nice to see Government Members of all descriptions having their voices heard and their mandate upheld today. I was led to believe that did not happen. My question to the Taoiseach concerns the funding for his Department's task force for Dublin city centre. It is eight months since it was announced and we are several months into the Government's term. Has the Department identified a funding …

I wish the Minister well in his new role.

It is a rare privilege in any walk of life to be able to walk to work. I enjoy that luxury, which is one not many have, four or five times a week in this city. Many of us come to the Chamber from different directions of the city. I sometimes wonder if we come from different Dublins. When I leave my house in the morning, I start in Mountjoy Street and move on to Dorset Street down through Parnell S…

-----had no budget allocated for it yet, eight months after it was initiated.

There are no revenue streams. That is an insult to the city when we have PR and no allocation of budget.

The game is up. The pretence that this Government values cross-party collaboration has been clearly exposed as a sham.

Given the chance to work with the Opposition on Dáil reform, the Government preferred the nuclear option, ramming through its undemocratic proposals on Dáil reform at the 11th hour, all to deliver a grubby little deal for Deputy Michael Lowry and his band of Independents. It makes us and the public wonder what exactly is the leverage that Deputy Lowry has on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that brings f…

Like all grubby little deals, this deal was done behind closed doors and we may never know the details. The Tánaiste made a commitment in this Chamber. Both he and the Taoiseach gave solemn commitments that they would work across the Chamber, collaboratively, in respect of any Dáil reform. That very clearly lies in tatters. Who can forget other promises? The previous Government promised that 40,00…

I will take that back. It was another con trotted out just to give this idea to the public of who the Government is. What it does in private is completely different. Very clearly, the Opposition cannot trust this Government. I want to talk about another issue. It has been clearly flagged that the Government is going to bring forward a proposal to remove the triple lock. That proposal will be brou…

It is unjust, unfair and unbecoming.

You have no mandate.

You have no mandate.

The facts speak for themselves. The Government's credibility has been shattered. We speak of mandates. Each of us stood before the electorate a mere two months ago. Had that electorate known that the Tánaiste would be making grubby little deals that change the nature by which the Government would be able to correct its own homework, I doubt anybody would buy into it. That is what we are talking ab…

We asked for specifics. The Tánaiste knows well that we hear a lot about UN Security Council vetoes. The reality is that it has only happened once, more than 20 years ago. The law was clarified in 2006 to help to address that specific situation. It is in the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006. It has not stopped Irish peacekeepers from participating in missions. The UN needs reform but we should be work…

No, you were not.

I asked about the double lock or single lock.

I thank Deputy Coppinger for tabling the motion. I acknowledge the guests we have in the Gallery. My party leader, Deputy Cairns, has been in touch to acknowledge the presence of Mr. David French. She has been working alongside him to bring forward Valerie's law. We will continue to push this as heavily as we can from the Opposition benches, although it would be infinitely easier if it came from t…

I also welcome our special guests to the Chamber today. Three years ago Ukraine suffered an invasion of the most horrific form, an invasion the likes of which we thought was left behind in the 20th century and the horrors that emanated from the Second World War. Then we looked at the tanks rolling down the roads towards Kyiv and an image that will stay in my mind is the horrific bombing of the mat…

Almost every single week, I have listened to the Taoiseach responding in a very tedious manner to legitimate questions from the Opposition, including ourselves in the Social Democrats. He asks where our solutions are and what we would do differently. I have a simple question now. Where is the housing Minister? It is becoming farcical at this point. Parliamentary debate means that we present in our…