Search the record

over €755 million. This is proportionately the largest package of supports provided by any EU member state. I am pleased to inform the House that the details of the scheme to support the haulage and coach sector have been agreed by Government. I can now provide a detail … representatives of the haulage sector, the coach and the bus operators on the really constructive way in which they engaged with the Government right the way through the course of this year, and they continue to do so, representing their members exceptionally well. The RTSS will provide direct

That is absolutely right. We have to keep the means test under review so they do not become mean. That is why we took a number of steps in the budget, particularly around carers, to make sure more people qualify because, ultimately, we want to phase … credits, I am learning in this job not to speculate on every potential measure. Lots of good ideas come up in this House. Tax measures are considered in the context of the annual budget. We have the work of the tax strategy group. I will be asking

Council on 14 November, which requested the fact-finding mission to conduct an urgent inquiry into the violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in and around El Fasher, is a positive step. It is also a very real example of our diplomats … taking place, the world is not doing enough and not acting with the urgency this crisis demands. Ireland's voice, people in this House, our diplomatic corps, every sinew we can strain diplomatically and internationally must be calling for a durable and just peace in Sudan. Ultimately, resolving

this time was to protect the economy and support jobs while targeting those who need help most. If we do not take the right measures now, we will pay for that miscalculation in years to come. An area that has been heavily focused on is the VAT reduction … business, that is the best possible outcome in terms of cost reduction and retaining jobs. This Government is also prioritising the delivery of housing, with €11 billion allocated to the Department of housing, a 20% increase on last year’s budget. This will provide 10,200 additional social

next week in the first instance is an ability to make sure we keep our country safe. When I came into this House, unemployment was around 15% and the IMF was in town and not just as visitors. We have all worked really hard to get our country … home heating oil and gas. There will obviously be a personal income tax package. The Government is clear about that. The Deputy is right. Childcare is a social issue and an equality issue but it is also an economic issue. I am meeting lots of people across

believe that this Bill goes anywhere near close enough to upholding their rights. They contend it will continue to violate their rights and continue to cause significant psychological harms to survivors. To continue to allow the perpetrator to read the private, personal counselling notes of victims is inhumane … hand information. I ask the Minister to accept any amendments that the Opposition proposes as this Bill progresses through the rest of the House, and to bear in mind the opinions and real-life experience of survivors and victims

Seán Sherlock who was a TD for 17 years, and year on year he would tell me about the significant issues being faced right across the constituencies by those who cannot access dentistry. If a constituent comes to me seeking my support in accessing a dentist who will … itself and the scheme being provided. It is simply not working and it is unacceptable for us, as politicians, to stand in this House and to speak about it year after year, from Dáil term to Dáil term, without actually fixing the problem. We have a system that

they are able to engage fully with their education. In all those contributions, I do not think anyone on any side of this House would say that we should go backwards or that we should constrain the SNA to the role they used to have at the outset … needed. The Minister is shaking her head but that is how it was communicated. That is how it was understood. That is true right across the State. Where do we need to go from here? A pause is not enough. I hope the Minister understands that from this

There is a strong pipeline of future developments, with over 5,150 additional affordable purchase homes approved for support from the affordable housing fund across 22 local authority areas. From budget 2026, cost-rental homes will be exempt from corporation tax, making projects more viable and ensuring … struck down by the Supreme Court there. The Residential Tenancies Acts provide tenancy protections for both tenants and landlords. The constitutionally protected property rights of landlords have to be respected by the balanced provisions in both this Bill and the Residential Tenancies Acts. A landlord has the right

offer comhghairdeas to the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, formally on the record of the House. I welcome the opportunity to speak on Sudan. It is very important and my colleague, Deputy Shane Moynihan, and others have raised it several times. It is very important that this discussion … images and testimonies emerging from El Fasher and surrounding areas are harrowing. They point to widespread breaches of international humanitarian and human rights laws, including acts which, if verified, amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ireland has played an important role in ensuring these crimes

assessed. The engagement I hope to have with the campaign will also help to inform me on this. Deputy Ó Snodaigh is also right that as two distinct political parties in advance of the election we made commitments on this. I am sure Deputy Ó Snodaigh will acknowledge … hearing the suggestions of the Opposition and I will engage with spokespersons, including Deputy Ó Snodaigh, off-line and outside of the House on their views on this and how the scheme could be changed, altered and improved

real and look at the Irish fishing industry, which has not done well out of EU membership. All sides of the House can agree that our fishing industry has been a sacrificial lamb since the 1970s when it comes to our place in Europe. We have … agenda to strip Ireland of its cherished position of military neutrality. As a State, we have never been neutral on oppression, social justice, rights and humanitarian issues but we have been militarily neutral because we understand what it is to be a colony. We need

roof really does make a difference. We have set out our commitment in the programme for Government to further developing this Ireland House model. The programme for Government commits the Government to further strengthening Ireland’s place in Europe and around the world. Under this, the Government will … building stronger bridges with our diaspora. When it comes to the United States of America, from my memory, and I think I am right, we are second only to France in terms of the number of consulates we have there. That is going to serve us in good

presented until 1 July of this year. We do not have a good track record and the Minister of State should tell the House when she expects the Act to be brought into force. The Bill promises a bit more than it delivers. The language in the Bill … protecting the values set out in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union, namely, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, including protecting democratic processes against disinformation. In the defamation provisions, that example applies only to cases within the scope of EU directives, which

thank everyone for their contributions and Deputy Byrne for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the House. As Deputy Ó Cearúil says, Deputy Byrne was way ahead of the curve in relation to this. When they mention art imitating life, the Deputy's Bill came before the issues … Covid, namely, that we had to act fast, comes into play here. When we are drafting legislation, we obviously have to do it right, but we also have to act rapidly because the technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that it is hard for us mere

reasons we tabled amendments in respect of the common travel area, which the Minister rejected. I have been rightly critical - and will be vindicated as such - of the fact that the Minister is prioritising this legislation rather than pursuing a bilateral agreement with Britain. However, we need … originally came on an education, employment or tourism visa, but the fact he will not collate that makes it more difficult for the Houses of the Oireachtas to analyse whether there are areas in public policy that need to be addressed to ensure we have a migration system

point the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, made about the humanitarian assistance scheme, HAS. We had Storm Éowyn last year in Mayo and right across the west. It affected thousands of families, and many of those families came to me with the application form. The application form clearly … bringing in livestock. That needs to be looked at. We need to assist them in terms of compensation for additional fodder and housing, etc. The flood defence system and the planning system for flood defences are incredibly bureaucratic, and that red tape needs to be removed. There

balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable sectors and ensures that international agreements uphold the highest standards of sustainability, environmental protection and labour rights. Supporting open trade does not oblige us to support every trade agreement in any form. This is the approach we have taken throughout … Irish agriculture, the need for robust trade and sustainability commitments, and the importance of our rural economy, which every Member of this House accepts. In that context, the Government will not oppose today’s motion. The Government is committed to continuing discussions and engagement with other member states

increase in domestic electricity tariffs beyond inflationary adjustments, and shall publish an annual statement confirming compliance to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.”.”. While we agree with the need for more borrowing and we agree that there should be more investment in the grid, this should … with the suggestion that there is a panic that we have to do it all in a hurry. We should be getting it right before we agree to all of the legislation without what we feel are necessary amendments. Due to the constraints on the grid, there

will continue to push for addressing the gap in cadets' pay to ensure Óglaigh na hÉireann is supported to fill out right to the edges of its potential and get the full opportunity to do what it does best – protect and defend our State. One cannot speak about … State has a comprehensive security clearance regime in line with EU and international obligations is reassuring to see. As we all know, housing is the number one challenge facing people in Ireland today and a central means of addressing that challenge is through tackling vacancy and dereliction. Therefore

sharing time with Deputies Kelly and Nash. I thank my colleague Deputy Smith for bringing this motion before the House. We have been here many times before. The reality is that we have almost 500,000 women, men and children now being starved to death in front … irresponsibly dictated", "a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians." Those words are an understatement of what is happening right now in Gaza. Over recent months, any of us who have criticised the Israeli Government have been accused of anti-Semitism. I defy anyone

Right through the election campaign, the Taoiseach and Government Ministers claimed that 40,000 homes would be built in 2024. We now know that this was a wildly exaggerated claim. In fact, the actual number built last year was almost 10,000 short of that figure. That … without changing Government policy, which has patently failed. We in the Labour Party put forward constructive proposals to ramp up housing supply but the Taoiseach rejected them

degree of co-ordination in Cork city in the docklands. The LDA and Cork City Council are working well together in terms of housing and residential developments in the city and in the docklands, in particular. I take Deputy McGrath's point about Cork Airport. There … that. This is communicating with the public. Sports clubs have articulated real concerns about the proposed route. We have to get the route right first and we have to get it agreed. That public consultation has ended but issues have arisen arising from that consultation. It will

thank the Deputy very much for raising this important issue. Just this morning before I came into the House, I attended an event in the Accenture offices in Dublin, sponsored by IBEC, where it had a conversation on AI and future skills needs. It was a wide-ranging … point in life education, when a person comes out of school or college, but it is about ongoing lifelong learning, as the Deputy rightly raised in his question. We are making significant and sustained investment across a number of initiatives to make sure workers, jobseekers and employers have

this Bill and somewhere in the order of 900 amendments have had to be dealt with as the legislation has gone through this House and the Seanad. The Minister of State’s own personal commitment to the Bill is very clear, and I very much welcome the improvements … number of children in adult psychiatric wards is to be welcomed. We all know, however, what the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has said with regard to that practice. Even if it is one child, there remains a concern that the legislation, as drafted, remains