Sinéad Gibney

I thank the Government for the briefing on the European Council. I particularly welcome the update on the work done on Ukraine and encourage more of that. I agree with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne's comments that we need to make sure it does not fade from view in the media and in our discussions. I want to focus my comments on concerns I have around three specific topics: European defence,…

Yes.

I set out a range of questions, which I am happy to go through again, but I also have a fresh one to put to the Minister of State. What is the Government's position on the European Parliament's case against the Commission, which alleges that the Commission overstepped and bypassed the Parliament with regard to the SAFE regulation?

Does the Government support the Parliament or the Commission?

I am sorry; I am not-----

I am just not sure whether this is a back and forth but, to respond to the Minister of State, what I said was that the EU-Israel association agreement is essentially a privilege. It is a trade advantage to Israel. My point is that, when we talk about sanctions against Israel for committing genocide, which the Minister of State's Government has recognised is happening, people associate that with th…

A question I asked earlier was about the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, the omnibus and simplification. We have heard so much today from Government representatives about simplification and competitiveness. My issue is that too much importance is being placed on competitiveness and too little on the human rights concerns we have about supply chains. It is comparable to the Minist…

I also welcome our distinguished guests. I wish to express the sympathies and condolences of the Social Democrats to the families in Donegal and of Brother Kevin. The official death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 57,000 people but we all know that the reality is much worse because tens of thousands of people are missing, presumed dead under rubble. As the Israeli Government ramps up its depraved s…

Trust in nursing homes has been lost. With everything that has come to light in recent months, the one overwhelming response, which really concerns me deeply, is that people are now afraid of nursing homes, or perhaps more afraid, because revelations like these have been coming out for decades. Old age should come with a security and a certainty that a person's needs are met, they are safe and the…

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the incredibly problematic situation in the Middle East. Over the past 18 months, violence has erupted across the Middle East. However, today I wish to speak about the Middle East before October 2023 - the violence at the hands of Israeli colonists in occupied Palestine; the systematic functioning of Israeli apartheid; and how Palestinians are constantly facin…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. I am proud to stand beside Deputy Gannon, who speaks with such a strong voice for Dublin city centre. He always has done, in particular on issues related to how we make Dublin a place for all people and really protect our culture and heritage. I want to briefly cover three key points. The first is that the GPO is such a vital part of our heritag…

I agree with Deputy Gannon that this should be the last year this is ever debated in the Chamber - in fact, last year should have been the last time. From what the Minister said at the outset of his contribution today, even though he now supports the repeal of the Acts, that will not be ready by this time next year, so this will persist. Although we will support the motion this year, we will be co…

Speaking of which, Taoiseach, are you ashamed of the EU? I know I am. Its descent into moral turpitude has been both swift and shocking. Its silence on Gaza is deafening. No matter what depravity is committed by Israel, the EU refuses to act. No matter how high the death toll, no matter how many children are brutalised, no matter the mass murder, maiming, starvation and decimation, nothing has pro…

It is still Israel's biggest trading partner.

It is in breach.

It is only the revocation of a privilege.

So that is it, is it?

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. Molaim Sinn Féin as ucht an rúin seo a chur os comhair na Dála. Caithfimid, i gcomhthéacs an ullmhaithe d’athrú bunreachtúil, smaoineamh anois faoin gcaoi a bhfuil muid ag caitheamh le saoránaigh na hÉireann ó Thuaidh. We in the Social Democrats support the extension of the franchise for the presidential election to both recent emigrants and to …

It is not news that families with young children require childcare and early years education. Why, then, are these families continuously failed by the State in the provision of those services? In Dublin Rathdown, I am contacted regularly about childcare and early years education. Indeed, it is one of the foremost issues within my constituency. There is a shortage of available places and, rather t…

While I appreciate the Minister of State's response, it is disappointing there is nobody here from the Department of children. I welcome the statistics she shared that show an increase in provision of places and the work being done to address the problems. However, as she knows, that increase is not keeping pace with the needs of families across the country, including in my constituency of Dublin …

Yes.

4. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his position regarding the introduction of alcohol labelling under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, in light of his recent comments citing halting the introduction of labelling as a potential measure for business in response to tariffs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33468/25]

What is the position of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on the introduction of alcohol labelling under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018? I ask this question in light of recent comments citing the potential halting of the introduction of this labelling as a potential measure for businesses in response to tariffs.

The Minister of State began by saying that the topic of the question is a matter for the Minister for Health, yet on 6 April the Minister for Finance mentioned this, on 1 May the Tánaiste mentioned it and on 8 April the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Burke, mentioned it. They all referred to this as a potential measure in the context of tariff mitigation. I will therefore as…

I have not had a drink of alcohol in thirteen and a half years. Alcohol and its negative impacts have played a huge part in my life. I say this and share it because there is hardly a family in Ireland which has not had the same experience. Once again, therefore, what is the Department's position? I know very well that I can seek an answer from the Minister for Health about her position, but the Mi…