Simon Harris

As the Ceann Comhairle said in her letter yesterday, which I read-----

As the Ceann Comhairle said in her letter yesterday, it is up to the Members of this House, the democratically elected people of this Dáil, to decide the Standing Orders. It is absolutely in line with democracy after an election for Government and Opposition to put forward amendments and then have a vote on the floor of the Dáil. That is what we intend to do. We are going to do it next week. We ar…

The Deputy asked about missions.

I will do my best. I was asked a question as to what missions we could not participate in.

Let us check the transcript. I heard the Deputy ask clearly where-----

-----I would like to send people on missions. It is almost impossible. I am just trying to answer the question. I am allowed to answer. Am I allowed to speak? Is that okay? I know the Opposition does not want the backbenchers to speak but am I allowed to speak?

Thank you. I would really like to speak. I have given the Deputy four examples and nothing to do with 25 years ago. Last time I checked, 2022 was three years ago; 2017 was not long ago and nor were 2015 or 1999. Let the people at home know the following. This Government and I are in favour of military neutrality. What we are not in favour of is Vladimir Putin having a veto over where our peacekeep…

First, on the issue of speaking rights, my numbers may be off so correct me if they are, a Cheann Comhairle, but in a Leaders' Questions slot a speaker gets three minutes to ask the question, there are three minutes to respond, there is one minute to ask a follow-up question and then another minute to respond. We are having a row here for about eight minutes twice a week. That is eight minutes twi…

-----the Opposition does not lose a minute.

To all these people who are at home-----

People at home watching this, who are busy with their actual lives and the real issues that matter to them, are wondering what this row is about in the Dáil.

What it is not about-----

What it is not about, a Cheann Comhairle-----

In my experience the Opposition does not seem to have any challenge speaking, including speaking over me. What this is actually about is not taking a minute of speaking time off Sinn Féin, People Before Profit, Labour, the Social Democrats, Independent Ireland or anybody I have left out but saying that, twice a week for eight minutes, we will allow people who got democratically elected with thousa…

That is the truth. We see here during Leaders' Questions that the Opposition does not want any of us over here to be able to speak. There is a new tactic since the Dáil came back. It is studs up, shout them down, put up the video on Twitter and misrepresent the position.

We are not going to take it anymore. I am going to speak on behalf of my democratic mandate as well.

I love the fact Deputy Louise O'Reilly thinks everything is so hilarious. I do not think it is hilarious that the Opposition is continuing to misrepresent people in here having a chance to ask a question. People who got elected in the Deputy's constituency who support the Government-----

-----have every right as well-----

On the second part of Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, on section 39 workers, I agree that these individuals do incredibly important work in our health, disability and social care services. I also agree that we need to address the issue of pay with urgency. That is why, this week, my Cabinet colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, updated the Cabinet on t…

There is the arrogance.

The Deputy must be exhausted from all that shouting at me. There is no need to shout at me. I am listening to him very clearly here.

I am hearing and listening. Please listen back.

I have said very clearly we are going to go to the WRC, and yes I am going to say "WRC" because, as the Deputy's constituent would know and as everybody around the country knows, that is where we sort out pay issues.

We do not sort them by shouting and roaring at each other. We sort them through the established industrial relations mechanism of this country.

The Government sets the mandate for that. I have already told the Deputy and, much more important, people at home that the Cabinet was updated on this matter this week and the talks are going to progress at the WRC on Monday.