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focus on this. It is very important. We need more and more skilled employees in our workforce if we are to build the houses we desperately need. I particularly welcome the shift in mindset we have seen in the past decade on apprenticeships in this country. I think … abilities. We are seeing an historic reform of the leaving certificate, which is very important and welcome, but it needs to be done right. It will bring enormous benefits. It will bring critical thinking skills and analytical skills to young people. We need to constantly move away from

porn. It is a damning failure of Government that nine counties remain without a refuge for women fleeing violence. That must be put right urgently. We need an all-of-government response that changes the story, that challenges and changes the misogynistic culture that sees women and girls … step backwards. If things are ever going to change, the message must be a women's place is here in Leinster House and real and consistent action must follow that message. We fight the battles of today in the hope our daughters will not have to fight them

delivery of Garda training for all members of An Garda Síochána. This work will also recognise that there will be increased training needs right across the organisation as it continues to meet new challenges and deliver on its mandate. Late last year, following the review of the national … allows An Garda Síochána to respond to the challenges it faces. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 is progressing through the Houses. Once enacted, this legislation will save Garda time associated with reviewing vast amounts of video footage and images. It is not acceptable that gardaí

will be cut or scaled back? Which planned new services will be stalled? All of us who are health service users have a right to know. It is more money, not less, that our under-pressure health services need, and there is a limit to the efficiencies … service this year and next? Will he confirm that there will be no further asks through significant supplementary budgets being brought to the House this year for various Government Departments? I directly ask him the following question and I expect a response. What kinds of cuts does

colours, appealing flavours and sleek modern designs. Let us be very clear: this is not accidental. It is absolutely deliberate. The Government is right to respond strongly through this Bill to protect our young people, not just from current harms but also from future ones. It is important … efforts in raising awareness of the dangers of vaping, particularly among younger people, have been invaluable. The briefings it has provided in Leinster House have been both informative and sobering. Its advocacy plays a crucial role in ensuring that we, as policymakers, remain informed, responsive and grounded

financial position to undertake a complete energy upgrade. The new heat pump system grant will reduce the costs associated with a whole house heating system upgrade and accelerate the uptake of heat pumps. A fixed amount grant for installing a heat pump system will be introduced. This grant … already meets, a specified minimum performance standard. Many homes already meet this standard. We estimate that approximately 200,000 homeowners can apply right now for windows and doors grants of approximately €4,600. That is €800 per door and €3,000 for windows. They are significant amounts

Deputy rightly points out, there is significant additional funding for homelessness in yesterday’s budget. As the Deputy knows, budgets are always broad strokes. You are dealing with multiple Departments and within those Departments there are multiple areas. I will, through the Revised Estimates Volume, work out exactly … critical to bringing us in line with the rest of Europe, but there are also other measures to increase delivery on social housing by as much as possible and as quickly as possible. As that will not end homelessness immediately, we will also have funding for those

attention. Care for older people must be reframed as an essential part of our social infrastructure, on a par with education, health and housing. Nursing homes should not be the default solution for ageing. Instead, they should be reserved for situations where end-of-life or intensive medical … person who needs the care in later life. We cannot and should not put a monetary figure on dignity, well-being or the rights of older citizens. Caring for older people is not a cost to be calculated; it is a fundamental responsibility of any decent society

knows it - the Central Bank has facilitated the sale of Israeli war bonds. That is a fact. Nobody in this House disputes that. The fact is the Governor said that to stop that, he needs national restrictive measures. The fact is the Minister's Government will … happen. It is not a minor issue. It is not an issue about words. It is the fact that genocide is happening right before our eyes and the Minister and his Government have made a decision to not intervene in areas where they can intervene and where

affected. That will allow us to ensure that supports, where needed, can be targeted, and that we can ensure we are developing the right instruments to deliver those supports. We can say with some certainty that the agrifood and dairy industries could be especially hard hit, with many … Trump Administration gets to bully its so-called allies and get everything it wants. To that end, it is vital that across the House, we see what the proposals from the EU are before they come into being. This is not a situation where the US holds

Dundrum village, but in the whole west Tipperary community. That turns the Department policy on its head. We have the wonderful Cahir House Hotel in Cahir operated by Robert Scannell and David Walsh, its two co-owners. They provide a great service. They have often told me they … huge part in the War of Independence, with the first shots fired. Here we are now, with a vein of our hotels right through the middle of the county being taken up and the Department's subterfuge. The biggest farce of all is we are now 120 days

cost-of-living crisis has been building in this country since Covid. It is now at gale-force strength, battering families right across the country. The Government made the crisis even worse by withdrawing the cost-of-living supports in the last budget, costing families … litres of home heating oil is €100 more costly today than it was two weeks ago. A total of 700,000 houses, mainly in rural Ireland, are affected by this. It is another indication of the discrimination against rural Ireland. Carbon tax must be removed from home heating

Deputy is very much right. That is the reason we set up the Government trade forum. We have in the room now all relevant Departments, including mine, along with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, public expenditure, agriculture and enterprise. We also have the IDA and Enterprise … SMEs. It is why we took the decision on the VAT rate on hospitality. It was not popular with everybody in this House but it makes a real difference in supporting cafés, restaurants, hotels serving food and the rural pub. It is also why, through

Uisce Éireann and gets it going. What is happening at the moment is not acceptable. I want to raise housing adaptation grants and housing for older people. They are designed to support older people and those who live with disabilities to live safely and comfortably in their … towns I represent. I implore the Minister to continue to invest in that particular scheme because it makes a massive difference to families right across the constituency

cowards and must face the full weight of the law. Yesterday, my colleague an Teachta Joanna Byrne shared on the floor of this House just how unsafe that particular IPAS accommodation had been prior to any arson attack. Those poor people were doubly failed. The sexual assault … grounded in fair, reasonable and enforceable rules, mindful of the need to safeguard social cohesion, respect communities, protect people's rights and command public confidence. That means those whose applications are successful and have leave to remain here must lead full lives, enjoy opportunity, contribute to our society

thank Deputy Dolan. He is entirely right on this. I remember vividly the day the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, in his former role brought these proposals to Cabinet. It was seen as a reforming step to identify that there were a number of relatively small villages and townlands … east Galway because I read some data about a number of townlands and villages there where, as a result of this, no houses can be built in the middle of a housing crisis. Directly in response to the other two points, as a result of the NDP. investment

when it comes on stream, the Minister and the Government have ultimate responsibility for the delivery of housing, but local authorities are the housing authority. That is their role. They often object to being stripped of powers. The power they have is the ability to deliver, and they … bundle did not prove good value for money for the taxpayer. As a member of the public accounts committee, I think it is right for Ministers to protect public money but what is not right is to not have an alternative plan. If the price that has come

protection currently benefitting from the scheme, where those beneficiaries of temporary protection have satisfied a means test, similar to those applicable for other housing assistance payments; — new applications who propose to host a beneficiary of temporary protection in their property, which is also their own primary residence … money spent on the scheme to date, because if she now believes the payment can be reduced to €600, people will rightly ask if there was ever any justification for having paid a rate of €800 per month since December 2022. Until now there has been absolutely

extension of the fuel subvention scheme. People who applied before and received money will be able to apply for further funding, and rightly so. However, there are people for one reason or another who did not actually get to apply or might have not qualified at that time … fill of oil at a time when the cost of fuel is so high. I have continuously asked in the House that this and future Governments look at the taxation of fuel. We need to understand why we have to take so much tax out of every

provide additional services. In the context of this specific event, Flavours of Fingal, which is arranged by Fingal County Council in Newbridge House in Donabate for this Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 July, the council has provided a private bus shuttle operation each year of this event … capacity to put on additional services to Donabate because they will be servicing other, larger events in the city centre. As the Deputy rightly said, there will be between 65,000 and 75,000 people there, so a shuttle bus would be needed. It has to be noted

know how the Taoiseach has done it but he has pulled off an amazing feat of illusion. Somehow the Taoiseach has normalised the housing crisis. I want to be clear that it is not normal for people to be still living in the back bedrooms of their parents … done. It has tied the hands of local authorities in relation to the tenant in situ scheme. The Government actually got something right in the last term by introducing this scheme. What does the Government do when it gets something right? It pulls the plug. I ask that

that a broad range of views and perspectives are being heard. The Government is committed to progressing the legislation. The views of the House on this legislation are well known and have been broadly discussed. At the same time, there are other voices and perspectives that … matter of such importance. The importance and relevance of addressing the illegal settlements was outlined in stark terms by several Israeli human rights organisations this week in a letter addressed to the EU High Representative in advance of the Foreign Affairs Council, which took place yesterday. Among several

atmosphere in this country has changed and it is entering into uncertain times. People are at their wits' end with regard to housing, public services, the lack of facilities in their communities and just feeling left behind by this Government. What should be centre stage for this Government … believe that at least somebody is listening to them and maybe somebody might act in their best interests. That is how the far-right playbook is operating and developing. Now there is fear, dread, violence and intimidation based on people's skin colour or where they are perceived

Bill protects employees from penalisation for exercising, or proposing to exercise, their entitlements. Section 9 of the Bill states that employees’ existing rights under employment equality legislation are retained but redress cannot be granted by the WRC under both pieces of legislation. Section 10 makes it an offence … support longer and fuller working lives and facilitate older peoples’ engagement in economic and social life. I commend this Bill to the House

very much a team here who are here to work with Members as a team. I thank the House for the acknowledgement that, when we all do well together, it is the people who benefit. That is the way we will work here. I say this on behalf … January. Of course, where we have additional pressures, either from RSV or other pressures, appointments and surgeries are getting cancelled. The Deputy is right that this is precisely why the new elective hospitals have not happened yet and they must happen. This was linked to what Deputy John