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Attorney General regarding the legal permissibility of an EU member state introducing restrictions relating to trade and services with a third country or a territory. There are two principal issues in relation to services, namely the legal basis under EU law and the practical challenges relating … allows member states to adopt restrictions for public policy reasons. However, there is no equivalent broad public policy basis in EU law in relation to external trade in services. Trade in services also differs fundamentally from trade in goods. Services are digital, they cross borders, they are intangible

scrutiny. Even that would have been entirely inadequate because, as the Minister knows, there is very considerable concern both from our homeless services providers and legal organisations which advocate for and represent people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and indeed, the statutory body that is the Irish … competence of individual officers in local authorities. We have long experience of the real challenges in taking decisions around entitlements to State services and habitual and legal residence in the social welfare sphere. We know from that that it takes a level of experience and deep knowledge

table for member states to vote on. This is a vote that could be put forward at the Trade Council because it is a trade matter. At our last Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the EU legal services gave us a clear legal direction that this was possible. There … trade because of different reasons. The EU legal services have been very clear that this is possible and that we could vote to suspend trade in the occupied territories. Following that discussion, I, along with at least 17 member states, if not more, asked the Commission to bring

waste in this country, I want to see the State take control of this vital public service. Ultimately, I see this legislation as a stepping stone towards local authorities providing this public service. For a variety of legal and practical reasons, however, we believe our Bill … believe the game-changer now is the 2014 EU concessions directive, which allows for tendering by a state, or an agency of the state, for services of general economic interest or general public interest, of which we believe waste is one. As we all know, waste management

commissioned, completed, analysed and then incorporated within a proposal for a unitary state within 18 months. All analysis and proposals about the economy, education systems, health services, public service pay, the replacement of sterling, legal systems, policing, legacy, culture, identity and constitutional structures must be completed

special areas of conservation and 36 natural heritage areas, addressing legal action against the State and protecting peatland sites of unique ecological value for future generations. Through this scheme, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has demonstrated that significant ecological restoration is possible through fair and sustainable community

that international law does apply. We have an International Court of Justice decision that states very clearly that trade with the illegal settlements is illegal. That includes goods and services. Plainly, trade in services is just as morally wrong as trade in goods. It is against … services, thereby bringing themselves into the same realm the Government and the State would be in if we ensured this legislation amounted to a ban on services. We should ban trade in services. I think the day will come that we do so. I hope it happens

Simon Harris says that he is on the side of the people and would love to do it but cannot legally, but then cannot explain why legally he cannot, whereas Micheál Martin comes out and says the truth, which is that we do not want to damage … ruling changes everything because it says that all states are under an obligation to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings and prevent trade or investment relations with the settlements. For the Government's legal argument, that is the turning point. The problem with the Government

barriers are all advantages and allow State bodies to plan for infrastructure, higher education and skills delivery on an all-Ireland basis. However, the non-financial obstacles are equally severe. There are two parallel administrative systems. There are the healthcare services that others have referenced. Obviously, people … Service. Merging that with our health service in terms of Sláintecare will require a huge amount of money. The other angles would be the democratic implications of a vote. As I have mentioned in the House before, if a border poll passes by 52% to 48%, the legal

suffering that was endured but we can do better and we can learn. The report illustrates clearly that the Irish State, through its laws, its services for children and its sex education and awareness but, more than anything else, its combined culture of protecting the powerful, was blind … shock and confusion of abuse. I note that the report also recognises that changes in legislation, services, and understanding of child exploitation have been profound. The approach of statutory services has changed beyond recognition. I also want to say that those changes came many decades later

opinion. This did not have to happen. The issue of services was introduced by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael after the 2024 general election. The concern about services did not originate in the legal advice given by the Attorney General to the last Government. This is a political … everyone here accepts that action at an EU level on restricting trade for goods and services with the occupied territories is the better approach, and I welcome the statements the Minister of State, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Taoiseach have made, we have no certainty of success

legal advice. That distinction only arose in the programme for Government that was signed in January 2025. The argument that there is a public policy justification to limit goods but not services does not stand up. There is a clear provision within EU law where member states

decisions must always be open to challenges where genuine legal issues arise, but we must recognise that lengthy and complex court procedures can delay housing, public infrastructure and investment projects for years and years, as the Minister of State can see himself. I welcome the reforms … housing delivery. This measure strengthens the State's ability to support local authorities, approved housing bodies and wider housing initiatives. Of course, legislation alone will not solve our housing challenges. We must continue to address issues relating to infrastructure provision, the servicing of lands, construction capacity

transport system in Wicklow and Wexford. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss reform of the Taxsaver commuter ticket scheme to include shared mobility services. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the use of periodic payment orders in the courts. Deputy John Connolly - To discuss the provision of appropriate public … McGrath and Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the State acquiring the Bessborough site in Cork city to provide a memorial. Deputies Gary Gannon, Ruairí Ó Murchú· - To discuss issues being created in the courts system by the new legal aid model. Deputies Ciarán Ahern, Seán Crowe, Paul Murphy

Ukraine, Gaza and other global conflicts like Sudan but what President Costa said today is only lip service when other EU member states refuse to stand up to the Israeli genocide because of their historic guilt or their geographic proximity. We are only talking the talk unless … occupied territories Bill passed during this term, and also for the Government to try to stretch it out to services. Let the legal eagles come in and show why it cannot be done, but let us push the boat rather than saying we are not even going

They prey on vulnerable people and they encourage them into irreversible decisions. The problem is not a lack of legal or regulatory powers. We have the Digital Services Act, the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, and the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act. What is missing here … Government will take alongside Coimisiún na Meán, An Garda Síochána and the Internet service providers to block access to these sites? It is the Government's responsibility to ensure that every State body with a role is acting with urgency. Passing responsibility from one organisation to another

called commercial mandate for An Post. An Post has to legally behave like a company that is solely focused on profit despite the reality that it is a public and community service and should be seen as such, and that should be its priority. Because … Post. One is the relocation of sorting offices and the other is the treatment of An Post pensioners. The Minister of State took a Topical Issue from the TDs in our constituency. I had to miss it for some good reason. The Topical Issue was about the move

welcome the opportunity to speak on the Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Bill 2026. I am glad to support its passage. This is a short Bill with a single purpose. Section 1 raises the amount the Minister can make available to An Post for the post office network … welfare payments made on behalf of the State. Let us consider what those figures mean in practice. They mean a pensioner collecting their payment from someone who knows their name. They mean a carer paying bills through the household budget service. They mean a family buying a Leap

exodus of criminal law practitioners from the legal aid panel. I do not believe it will. Approximately 825 solicitors are on the criminal legal aid panel. This number has gone up significantly since 2023, when there were only 672 solicitors. This means there is a significant number … panel. Three emails came into the Department from solicitors stating that they would be resigning. As the Deputy knows, however, in order to resign from the panel, solicitors have to contact the section of the Courts Service that deals with this area. I will be keeping a very

court system by the new legal aid model. Deputy Tom Brabazon - to discuss the proposed new Garda station at Northern Cross. Deputy Barry Ward - to discuss removing the means test for carer's allowance. Deputy Séamus McGrath - to discuss the State acquiring the Bessborough site in Cork city … Hearne - to discuss the cessation of the financial contribution scheme in Dublin North-West. Deputy Mark Wall - to discuss the provision of youth services in Newbridge, County Kildare. Deputy Pa Daly - to discuss measures to prevent the spread of harmful content on social media platforms. Deputy Colm Burke

financial advice as opposed to being calculators. My own view is that as technology continues to evolve, we as a training system and State must remain ahead of and on top to it and embrace it in some cases. One initiative I recently launched which … recently. I had a technological round table event last week at the Vodafone office. Later this month, I will bring together professional services including accounting, legal and consultancy-type firms to ask what changes they are seeing in their workforce and how the training system education systems

major urban centres. Rural roads, water services, electricity networks and community infrastructure must receive the same priority if balanced regional development is to become a reality. The Government says that these changes will reduce delays, increase housing supply and improve legal certainty. Those are worthwhile goals. However … thing we have to be careful of. I met a group from Wexford last week. Its members want clarity. The Minister of State might be able to give it to me today or at a future date. Precisely what grant of planning permission exists for new railways overbridge

centre. Almost 30% of all properties are used by the Department in the operation of the harbours, providing facilities for net mending, pier service areas, storage for fishing gear and weighbridges, for instance. The remaining properties are occupied by a variety of public and private sector tenants under … harbour such as car parking, marina and boat houses. The Department works closely with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor to progress the often complex and protracted legal aspects relating to property leases. A solicitor is employed by the office at the Department’s request to deal

competitiveness funding to include military spending and defence industry support, respectively. This will have the effect of benefiting our most developed member states, which are home to the arms factories where this funding will be funnelled. This is all while small businesses operating outside the military space will … charity. These are our legal and moral obligation to act, and Europe has utterly failed in that legal and moral obligation towards the people of Palestine, instead continuing to be complicit in occupation and genocide. The refusal from this Government to ban services in the occupied territories Bill

have the same right as every other citizen to live with dignity, safety and independence and the Government has a legal and moral obligation to provide these services. There are so many basic things we are not getting right. The lack of data collection on the needs that … address this crisis is also an issue. Parents deserve so much better as do the adults with intellectual disabilities. The Minister of State needs to listen to families, support the motion and, crucially, make the changes necessary to provide safety and security to families

Irish intended parents seeking to return to the State with a child born through surrogacy in Canada in December 2026, where Irish legal parentage has not yet been determined in respect of both intended parents; whether the Passport Service will provide advance case management to families in this

inhaling products submitted by the National Environmental Health Service to the State Laboratory for testing of nicotine content and liquid volume in 2024, in 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of those samples that failed to meet legal limits in each year; and if she will