Search the record

those very workers. Let me be brutally honest: the Government, including the Minister, has been shamefully untrustworthy when it comes to workers' rights. Before the last election, it made promises it knew it would not keep. There were seven promises to improve workers' lives, amounting to seven broken … them, the Government is retreating from commitments, abandoning workers to cope with the soaring cost of living, rising energy prices and a broken housing system. Let me be clear: the real scandal is how the Government is using economic uncertainty as a smokescreen, a cover

Government is clear. We want to get childcare to €200 per child per month in the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy is right that fees and the cost to families make up a part of it, but there is also building the system and reform. I would … childcare. We have to empower parents to make the decisions that make sense for them. Sometimes it is someone coming into your house to mind the children, sometimes it is your children going to someone's house, sometimes it is your child going to a crèche and sometimes

place, and we are now following through with this legislation. The Minister will have the full support of everyone in the Houses to deliver this and ensure it is in place before the inquiry comes back into session in September. I fully support what is being done here … back over the same process again. Perhaps more space needs to be made for cross-examination, or if that is not the right term, then we must ensure there is a full means of assessing the outcome of a particular piece of information if it creates other questions

going to be zero tolerance of further development on flood plains in the future. The truth of the matter is that thousands of houses have been built in flood risk areas and flood plains, with the permission of the State and local authorities. As a result, the Government … need proper funds to be made available to families and businesses when their homes and businesses are flooded. That needs to happen right

comes here because this is a good country in which to do business. It provides businesses with massive access to 450 million consumers right across the European Union, a skilled labour force, a stable Government and stable business policies. It is a good country in which … going to have to help our small and medium enterprises. There are two figures I will put on the record of the House. Around 32% of our exports head to the United States of America, but around 17% of our imports come from the United States of America

which all those who suffer the loss of a partner are treated with dignity and respect. This Bill is about doing what is right. It is about recognising and respecting the reality of modern relationships and ensuring that our laws reflect the principles of equality, fairness and compassion … commend the Minister and his officials on the work they have done in a very short time in bringing this Bill to the House. The Bill will make our social welfare fairer and more inclusive for all. I join my colleague Deputy Ryan O'Meara in his words

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 … minutes or until all Members intending to vote have cast their votes, whichever is the earlier. Once the ballot is closed, the House will stand suspended until 4 p.m. The ushers will now direct Members row by row to the voting lobby. I ask Members to please wait

years old and in need of updating, so we will not be found wanting in trying to progress it through the Houses. However, as we all know, the legislative reform will have very limited meaningful impact if our mental health services are not properly staffed. I sincerely welcome … major issues with regard to how professionals in this area are recruited and retained. It is an issue the Government has failed on right across the health sector. I am thinking, in particular, of a psychologist I met about six months ago who works

introduced what is either the largest or second largest package of supports in the EU. It was announced on the floor of this House around two weeks ago, and I am pleased to say it is having an impact. While diesel and petrol prices are still too high … would help and make a difference. The scheme for farmers and farm contractors will open as soon as next Tuesday. The Deputy is right to highlight the issue of inflation because the war against Iran - the bombing of Iran - has caused inflation to increase, but it is also

legislative purpose behind the Deputy's Bill. I would like to refer to harassment orders, pursuant to the Sexual Offences Act 2017. The House will be aware that section 46 of that Act, which introduced harassment orders for the victims of sexual violence, deals with the particular circumstances … harassment or unwanted contact by the offender, such as would cause fear, distress or alarm or amount to intimidation. Appropriate balancing of rights is contained in the section and the standard of proof is specifically set out to be a civil standard on the balance of probabilities

needs of working people, be they public sector or private sector, or those who are struggling with the cost-of-living and housing crises facing this country. When the Government refuses to listen to workers, they need to take to the picket lines to force it to listen … because there is still no agreement. The Government does not want to talk about pay with the unions, which the unions are quite rightly demanding. Then we look at the forward projections for inflation and the cost of living. What did the Government say on pay? It said

organising group or committee. Obviously, there is a need for health and safety and we cannot abandon that, but the Deputy is right about the overall thrust of litigation. I am very conscious of costs. In the budget the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I secured an extra … know, our communities are better because of the community and voluntary sector. I look forward to working with all Members of the House to ensure we continue to have this on a sustainable footing, whereby that sector will be creative and we will have the Christmas lights

catchy term - rather than shedsits. The Government is saying that you can rent out your shed to people who will not have any rights as renters. If you evict them, they will not be able to go to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. They are simply licensees; they … reduction in student fees. Something that has not been talked about at all is the increase in defence spending. While capital expenditure in housing is going down, capital expenditure in defence is going up by 13%. This is not an investment in ensuring that soldiers have decent incomes

very basics and one of those is back-to-school costs, the cost of education. Education should be free. It is a human right. However, what it is actually doing is throwing families into even more stress on top of not being able to pay the basic bills … again. Families are finding it extremely challenging. One in five children in this country lives in a family below the poverty line after housing costs. Children and families cannot cover the basics. A second tier of child benefit would lift 55,000 children out of poverty

live their lives in comfort. Neither party should be at a disadvantage. There should be no reason we cannot simultaneously protect renters' rights while bringing landlords into the market. Presenting Ireland's rental market as a conflict between landlords and renters is a false binary peddled by those … effective and may lead to a temporary rise in rents. I am buoyed, however, by the progress being made across government in the housing market. As we now know, housing delivery is ramping up at an unprecedented scale and solutions put in place by this Government are bearing

again. It is not clear to me if the Taoiseach does not understand his Government's proposal, he is misleading the House about his Government's proposal or the press statement issued by the Minister, Deputy Browne's Department is inaccurate. The Taoiseach needs to clarify … gets its nice headlines that say rent pressure zones are to extended to the whole country in a significant expansion of tenants' rights when in reality it is getting rid of the rent pressure zones. I will read it for the third time today and very slowly

those awful parts of having to deal with the situation when somebody passes away - getting rid of the stuff from the house but with nowhere to go. There is the environmental issue but also the awful waste when it is going nowhere. Therefore, it is fantastic that … taken on on a permanent, full-time basis. They have been with the service for many years but they accrue no pension rights. The reality is that they have fought and fought the HSE on this issue but they have made no progress. I will take

done right. I ask that it be done as quickly as possible. I understand that the Minister wants it to be done right and does not want it to have to be revisited. I acknowledge and welcome that. I also welcome the phased implementation plan that … same with many of the matters we discuss. When members of the public cannot see exactly what we are doing in this House and do not understand the decisions we are making, that does not add to confidence among them and it creates mistrust. That

need to make sure we get the best use out of the housing stock that exists in our country, particularly in a housing emergency. We all share that view. We do not want an unintended consequence. This is not about going into small rural communities where they … particularly in larger areas, that for Airbnb and the likes there is some regulation and structure. We are trying to get the balance right. I am happy to engage further with the Deputy

practice complaint, which would require disclosure of her identity. The NMBI requested consent to release her name to protect the nurse's right to fair procedures "as required by law.". This appears to conflict with the spirit and intent of current protected disclosures legislation, as well … point I made with regard to the use of funds by Dublin Zoo to build an extension to the zoo director's house. To clarify, these funds came from unrestricted funds and not a public fundraising appeal. I stand over all the other remarks I made in relation

core areas that will benefit all of us. It will help to get more pressure to have the action we need on housing, the action we need on addressing climate, the action we need on mental health, and the action we need on investment in public transport. Getting … great if everyone voted centre left because they were young? It turns out, however, that young people vote centre left, left, centre right and everything in between, the same as the rest of the population

this gentleman to drive. His wife is in the same situation. They cannot drive in Ireland after paying huge money to buy a house, coming back here and investing in our economy. We have slammed the door in their faces. I was astounded. I gave this … next day or two. It is a huge issue and it is something that is of great importance to people right across the world and not just in Connecticut and Belgium

grocery bills and wondering how they keep going up, feel ripped off and they are right to feel ripped off. They are certainly right to feel ripped off when they are looking at insurance bills that are going up and up from an already high level. The cost … have most of these types of insurance. They cannot go on the road without motor insurance. They are not entitled to buy a house without home insurance. These are things that are required. I have not even touched on businesses and community organisations. So many businesses can barely

would have cost to house the number of households on the social housing waiting lists, plus the households in receipt of the housing assistance payment. The cost for County Offaly and for the county council list was put at €338 million overall. That figure really sums … closing our borders and our services to tens of thousands who are here and who are expected to arrive here without any legal right to be here, but who still claim accommodation. I wonder where Sinn Féin lies on that issue. They have been mouthing here

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