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investment asset for the vulture funds and corporate landlords. We need to treat housing as a home and as a human right. The housing disaster can be solved. We in the Social Democrats have put forward policies that can achieve this. We can look to our past, which

that change but I will do it in a manner that enshrines inclusiveness, equality and sustainability. The first step in that is housing as a right. A radical reset in housing policy is urgently required, as set out by the Housing Commission. We cannot proceed with a policy

elected Taoiseach, we must all work together, constructively, to achieve the change that communities need. We are all aware of the housing crisis, the civil rights issue of this generation. We are all aware of creaking public services, of healthcare delays, of chronic staffing shortages across our schools

While we may differ across this House on policies and politics, every single person in this House is democratically elected and each of us takes our rightful place as a Teachta Dála today. I hope we can find common ground to work together on the issues that matter … amoral and brutal onslaught of innocent people and terrified children, will intimidate or silence anyone in this House or this Government when we seek to speak up for peace, human rights and respect for international law. A Cheann Comhairle, political debate in general and debate in this Dáil

should go to the left at the top of the stairs and members with surnames beginning I to Z should go to the right. The ballot will be counted under the proportional representation single transferable vote, PRSTV, system. Accordingly, you may number the candidates in the order … officials in the division lobby. When you have finished casting your vote, please come back to the floor of the House via the side stairs to my right and left. You may either resume your seats or leave by way of the doors behind

Standing Orders and procedures well enough to vindicate their rights from the get-go. Most importantly, the Ceann Comhairle must be an impartial Chair who, rather than seeking the limelight for himself or herself, facilitates Members across the House coming together in a constructive manner, in the best … people. He or she must unquestionably be independent of government. This is vital to ensure the primacy of the Dáil and your rights as a Teachta Dála, whether as a Government backbencher or Opposition TD, to hold Ministers accountable, defend the interests of your constituents and ensure

worn-out excuses when challenged. All the while, the crises in housing and health and the cost of living have deepened. Spin, soundbites, broken promises and excuses are not the currency of good government. Government is rightly judged on action, delivery and results

with it. In the Thirty-second Dáil, I introduced the Housing Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill and it is my intention to reintroduce that Bill at the earliest opportunity. I salute the young disability rights campaigner, Cara Darmody, from Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, who has done Trojan

very edge of the Government side right now, clinging on for a few more weeks, but I am very aware that a cold wind will soon blow, pluck me up and deposit me on the Opposition side of the House. However, I am pleased to be here … other former member of our parliamentary party regret our participation in government. Green Party Ministers advanced over 40 Bills in the House over the past four and half years and impacted positively on multiple Bills. I always ask what is the point of sitting in these seats

Chamber is a talking shop that achieves nothing. It is incumbent on all of us to change that perception and to make the House more relevant to those who feel excluded. If elected, I want to engage with all Members to explore the options available … conduct our business so that ordinary people feel their voices are being heard. The constituents who elected us have a right to see a fair and transparent democracy in action every time they observe our parliamentary debates and legislative work. In the previous Dáil I served

with a flourishing economy, yet so many of the basics of a modern, prosperous country are not in place. The lack of affordable housing, the neglect of our disability and mental health services and the decline of our natural world are all the results of political decisions over … with business as usual, inequality will become more entrenched and social divisions will deepen. These conditions are fertile grounds in which the far right will thrive. In terms of our international relations, we have a particular responsibility in respect of Palestine because our closest allies

what we can do constructively to build a better Ireland for all and on the priorities that are so clear. We focused on housing as a priority, for example by developing the Land Development Agency into a properly resourced State construction company that can deliver homes directly … care to every child in the State, so no parent has to delay a doctor's appointment due to cost. On children's rights, we put forward a clear and costed vision for a public childcare scheme. We are the party of work and of the trade union

constituency I represent. We need affordable housing for those caught in the middle who cannot get a mortgage or get on a social housing waiting list. We need schools. School capacity is under serious pressure. We need to get Coláiste Dhún Másc built. We need the relief road … need to implement the occupied territories Bill to save the people of Palestine. We also need jobs. This promises to be a very right-wing Government. There needs to be a strong left-wing Opposition to hold it to account

better future are shaped by a belief that everyone should have a home of their own, by the determination to make housing affordable, to bring home ownership back into the reach of working people and to restore the hope of a generation. It was shaped by the need … opportunity abroad. It was shaped by the need to revolutionise services and supports for our citizens living with disabilities, for independent living and rights, and to give a clear unequivocal commitment to scrap the unfair means test for carer's allowance. The election is over but our determination

Assembly committed themselves to the common cause of making Dáil Éireann a force for delivering sustained progress for the Irish people. It is right and proper that this is a place where our primary focus is on the urgent needs of today and the years ahead. It would … enough support to claim a mandate for government. Since the election we have been engaging in good-faith discussions with others in this House who we believe to share at a minimum a commitment to various core values. We are progressing fully in line with the approach which