Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Water is a fundamental right, which means that irrespective of income or means the water infrastructure should be funded through general taxation. In this context, I fully support and reiterate the calls of colleagues for a referendum on water infrastructure and ownership vested in the people of Ireland. It is a matter on which I have previously tabled motions when I was a councillor. However, the…

It is good to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. To be quite honest, I would love an hour, no more than anyone else would. To put it in the optimistic point of view, Central Statistics Office, CSO, information from 2022 suggests that only 2.3% of young people aged 12 to 17 were referred to the Garda youth diversion programme. Obviously, there were activities that did not get to that lev…

I have been raising this issue, including through parliamentary questions, for quite some time. It is the matter of Wombles Pre-school at Scoil Mhuire, Airlie Heights. While the Department correctly acknowledges that it has no direct role in the provision of childcare services based in the school, everyone acknowledges that the service is essential. There were 46 early childhood care and education…

I thank the Minister of State. Scoil Mhuire is well equipped to provide autism support. For example, two staff members recently completed a master's of education in autism. It is a capable school, which does its best for students of all backgrounds. I am still looking for further clarity, if it pleases the Minister of State, on whether we can say that ten years down the line Wombles Pre-School wi…

I will use less than my 90 seconds because we are pressed for time. I welcome Deputy Healy's motion, which gives us another opportunity to talk about the important issue of housing, in particular the fundamental point that is the five-year emergency plan, which I absolutely support. We need to take a multifaceted approach. I have made a few suggestions before. A couple of months ago, I mentioned u…

A worrying increase in incidents involving the spiking of drinks has been reported. I met a constituent this week whose daughter's drink was drugged, but luckily she had people close by. This sinister offence and others like it are currently covered under legislation on poisoning or drugging - namely, the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, the Misuse…

This confidence motion arises because several Opposition parties want to take down the Ceann Comhairle. She is not the issue. The problem is the Government riding roughshod over speaking time and designating the Lowry Independent group as somehow non-Government and reducing Opposition speaking time. As an Opposition TD, I have called this out on several occasions, but some want to use the Ceann Co…

Additional Government policy is needed to encourage the use of electric vehicles. One of the principles in the Government's own EV charging infrastructure strategy is that for the majority of EV users, home charging will be the main solution. However, in new, more densely populated housing areas in my constituency such as the Adamstown strategic development zone, the SDZ in Clonburris, parts of Ne…

I thank the Minister for agreeing to take my points on board. The roll-out of fast chargers is really suited to commuters, taxi drivers and others who need a quick top-up. The mid-range 7 kW to 22 kW chargers are supposed to charge over a period of four to eight hours. They are suited to a different cohort, namely, people going to the supermarket, going to play a five-a-side game or watch a GAA ma…

The policy of charging tolls on the M50 has been raised on multiple occasions. I would agree with the abolition because it has been long paid for. However, I want to take it from a slightly different angle, which is the need to stagger the tolls along the route. In my constituency, areas like Lucan are choked with traffic going through the village every evening, with people avoiding paying the to…

They own it.

This Bill, in essence, seeks to amend and extend the Social Welfare Acts, make consequential amendments to the Taxes Consolidation Act and provide for related matters. As noted by other Members in this discussion and in committee, the Bill will give effect to the Supreme Court decision in the O'Meara case by expanding entitlement to social welfare schemes aimed at bereaved partners and families to…

There are many pressing national and international issues we need to discuss. In this context, given that the total Opposition time has been reduced by almost 70 minutes and Government-related time has been increased by 56 minutes, the time for the Government to be held to account is being significantly curtailed.

The Taoiseach has to acknowledge his role, and that of his party, Fine Gael and the Lowry line-up in the whole debacle of calling time for Government Independents non-Government time. Will he now push for the Dáil to sit at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays to address the time balance? Even better, he could review this plan. Abusing the Ceann Comhairle is wrong, the way the Ceann Comhairle was treated yesterday …

Overall time.

I do not have much time but in that very short period, I reiterate my support for this earlier introduction of the ARP. I also commend my former Green Party colleague, Deputy O'Gorman, on his work in this regard. It is hugely important that this scheme continues. I note the Minister said today that all we are doing is extending it for a year and it is not about the wider discussion, so I take that…

Trade and security are intermingled. In an Irish context, we face many challenges. Issues relating to Brexit have not gone away but these are small issues compared with the deterioration in EU-US trade relations in areas such as tariffs, subsidies and digital trade rules. We have challenges too with China in the context of market access, intellectual property issues, etc. The supply chain disrupti…

For sure.

I thank the Labour Party for bringing this very important issue onto the agenda for discussion. I note the Government side is not opposing it and thank it for that. There have been quite a number of studies carried out on this area in Ireland, but the research has not really been acted on. Family Carers Ireland has provided a wealth of information to Members here today and have provided a lot of …

I congratulate the Taoiseach on surviving a diplomatic balancing act at the White House last Wednesday. I am sure he will agree the decision to invite a thug in a suit on our actual national day to what in effect was a rapists' convention was a gross insult to the people of Ireland and especially to the women of Ireland. In one context, we can shrug it off but at another level, this represents a d…

They gave it to him, talking about him on our national holiday.

Do not forget wave, Taoiseach.

We have come to this housing debate God knows how many times now. I think we have had about six or seven debates on housing. In one sense, it recognises the importance of the issue. However, as Deputy Tóibín said, we are having a lot of statements. We are going around in circles without actually moving forward. The Housing Commission's report, for example, has been going for some time at this stag…

The tenant in situ acquisition scheme may have been a temporary measure initially but it is one that has proved absolutely necessary in protecting some of the most vulnerable in our society. It was by no means perfect but bureaucratic ineptitude at national and local level led to it being a lot less than it could have been. I have had multiple examples of small landlords with long-standing tenants…

We import in excess of €6 billion in energy every year. From a strategic point of view, given the dangers that we are facing in the world, energy self-sufficiency is more important than ever, yet there is nothing tangible in the programme for Government and we have done very little on wave energy investment. We are lagging behind Scotland, Australia and Portugal. There are huge untapped resources.…