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this State learned anything? Tomorrow we will have a debate in this House on whistleblowers. When we speak about people working in our health service raising legitimate concerns and then the possibility of facing repercussions, what is that telling the staff in our health service? My colleague, Deputy … Sherlock, also referenced the legal basis of the Minister's new recruitment sanction controls. This exposes the fundamental contradiction in the Government's approach. The Minister cannot demand that hospitals improve patient flow while restricting recruitment. There are serious issues in our health service, but I emphasise

getting involved in operational and day-to-day matters. That is wrong. There is no legal basis for that. I would like to hear from the Minister of State on this issue. The second key issue is that it is reckless and is going to endanger both patients … minimum amount required to deliver safe care. It states that without those posts, the system will not be able to function effectively. Those posts are considered essential in the context of maintaining safe, effective and sustainable services across the south-west region. Those 154.5 posts are for older

exposed to multiple accusations because under section 102B a formal investigation into the Commissioner requires the explicit approval of the Government. It states the ombudsman commission may at the request of the Minister or of its own motion but "subject to the consent of the Minister given with … recommend an investigation into the former Commissioner, Drew Harris. It decided the high bar was not met and that it was not legally required to activate or pursue the route at all - it was completely optional. If the Minister did not recommend a GSOC investigation, what statutory authority

unacceptable. The pendulum has to move, whereby the laws of our land are updated to ensure that these companies meet our legislative and legal requirements and regulatory rules, rather than engaging in self-regulation and using their own form of managing their content. If they cannot do that … consequence, then the executives of those companies can be held criminally liable in this State. I believe we have to go down this route. If anyone in this Chamber produced a product or service that was harming people and it could be proven to be harming people

that the legislation specifically targets the creation of AI-generated intimate images made with the use of tools available on a social media service. The Attorney General's office has observed that criminal offence provisions containing rebuttal presumptions require very careful consideration and may give rise to constitutional … this purpose. Ireland, alongside fellow member states, was a strong and determined advocate for the introduction of this new prohibited Al practice. The Regulation of Al Act 2026 is domestic legislation which has recently been enacted. It gives legal effect to national implementation measures, establishing a regulatory framework

Síochána Inspectorate) and Fiosrú; — the Act was designed to enhance governance, oversight and accountability in relation to the delivery of policing and security services by An Garda Síochána; — An Garda Síochána have emphasised that they encourage and support employees in disclosing wrongdoing and that all allegations made under … independent consideration, and the Government is satisfied that there are robust procedures and protections for those who make disclosures; and — several ongoing legal processes and investigations should be allowed to progress and conclude and so consequently, a public inquiry is not under consideration at this time.". The family

history of the State on the lines of the Government’s commitment to delivering the infrastructure our country needs. We have allocated €5.5 billion to the Department of Transport for next year to enable a record level of investment in public transport services and the road network throughout … reform of our delivery systems so that critical projects and programmes are completed as efficiently and as quickly as possible. This includes many legal, regulatory and process reforms such as the introduction of a scale of fees for environmental judicial review, which provides a clearer cost framework

collection and sharing of relevant information. Together, these measures will provide a more comprehensive understanding of short-term letting activity across the State and support effective regulation of the sector. The benefits of this approach are significant. It will provide clarity and certainty for hosts regarding their obligations … pressures. In that regard, the Bill supports both tourism and housing policy objectives. Under the Bill, all hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services will be required to register with Fáilte Ireland, which will issue a unique registration number for each registered unit. Registration will be straightforward

think every person in this House has said today, namely, that Colm Horkan was an exemplar of public service and his contribution to serving and protecting this State will never be forgotten. The family of Detective Garda Colm Horkan suffered a devastating loss when he was murdered while … particular following the airing of the RTÉ programme, several claims have been made about me, including in this motion. I have sought legal advice and based on that legal advice, I will today outline the action I took in relation to one specific protected disclosure. I want

effective embargo on staff recruitment, with most posts now required to be approved by the Department of Health. I wonder how legal or legitimate is that requirement. There is such a paperwork trail now ending up with the Department that there is, in effect, an embargo … with emergency departments. There are significant bed capacity deficits throughout the country. As has been noted, the Government's own bed capacity plan states the need for an additional 3,000 beds. We also need fully funded hospital-based winter plans. The lack of provision of what used

critical issue the Horkan family wants to know. After the Ed Connell incident, GSOC took primacy of the scene, GNTB provided forensic services to GSOC and the exhibits from the incident were delivered to GNTB for forensic examination. Subsequent forensic analysis of the holster identified significant defects. That … Garda Síochána, thereby usurping the OPDC's statutory direction and revealing Brian O'Reilly's identity. In doing so, she acted without legal authority and directly interfered with a serious and significant protected disclosure. Since then, the Minister has argued - and she is now supported by the Minister

Union Support Mission in Lebanon, EUSM Lebanon, are intended to contribute to stability and security in Lebanon, they differ significantly in their mandate, legal basis and operational tasks. Nobody is suggesting otherwise. They are different and I am saying that very clearly. UNIFIL operates under the authority … crucial part of that overall commitment to our State. Furthermore, I reassure this House and the general public that the upcoming end to our participation in UNIFIL does not mark the end of overseas service opportunities. One of the things the troops asked me repeatedly when

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of buildings owned or leased by the State that have been wholly unoccupied for more than 12-months, broken down by county, responsible public body and duration of vacancy; the total … those properties in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the number subject to unresolved title, planning or legal difficulties; and whether he will publish an annual register of the carrying cost and proposed future use of long-term vacant State property. [75899/26