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That is not what EirGrid said. We have to put the facts on the floor of the House. EirGrid is the transmission system operator responsible for managing our power system at all times. It is independent of me as Minister but I meet and engage with its representatives … other jurisdictions, believes additional measures are needed to ensure grid stability is not compromised in the short term. That is being looked at right across Europe. EirGrid has submitted new timebound requirements for large energy users to CRU for assessment and a decision. I have engaged directly with

since seen appalling atrocities at Bucha, Zaporizhzhia and Mariupol, attacks on civilian infrastructure and the barbaric abduction of children. Sinn Féin and this House have been emphatic in our condemnation. The people have responded commendably in supporting Ukrainian families and through contribution to various charitable causes. The past … with our position as a militarily neutral State. The EU was never meant to be a military alliance. We recognise and accept the right and prerogative of individual EU states to enter military alliances as they see fit but the EU is not that, was never meant

needed. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, but they continue to fight for all children like Harvey. Before coming to the House today, I rang a constituent of mine who has a son with scoliosis who is in a wheelchair. I want to let the Minister know … chaos while parents hear about scandals over springs and hip operations. How can parents trust the clinical decisions they are hearing about right now? The woman’s son is losing out because he was born in Ireland, and he is also losing out because he was born

middle of a housing crisis? At a conservative estimate, there are probably 10,000 of these properties. We have a fierce housing crisis and we are supposed to be throwing the book at it with all hands on deck. However, the Government is going to delay the legislation … colleagues, none of whom, I would say, ever employed anybody in their lives. However, they are good at threatening and bullying people all right

some contribution made in some pre-election rally in some part of the United States; this was a White House briefing, a White House press conference. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Trump was the Prime Minister of Israel, who commended the American policy. It is beyond absurd … like many in this country, are unequivocal in our unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine. Their struggle for self-determination, basic human rights and, for now, food, water, electricity, heat, safety and freedom of movement should demand the commitment of every person in the world with

issue that has arisen as a result of the publication of the independent review of the Offences Against the State Acts. The House will be aware that the majority and minority reports of the independent review group were published in June 2023. The majority recommended the repeal … basis for an effective State capacity to deal with terrorism and organised crime on an ongoing basis, while also being compliant with human rights and the rule of law. As the Deputies know, the majority report recommended we replace it with modern legislation. As part of this

genuinely disappointing. We have to pull together and do our best. What I would say to those the Deputy has highlighted in this House, the nurses and those in other professions, is that the actions we have taken are real. There is €750 million worth of measures … insulate people. We also have to keep some firepower for the winter. I have no doubt but that the Deputy will, quite rightly, have many ideas on what we should do to help people through a winter challenge. An energy crisis in the winter is even more challenging

doubt the level of engagement that took place, which I welcome. It is the right way to do consultation and engagement. When a plan such as this that is of such importance to the future of rural Ireland is being put together, it is vitally important … aspiration but it lacked substance, vision and, crucially, as I have discussed with the Minister in the Chamber, an emphasis on housing. I imagine that came through very clearly to him in his engagement with young people, as did the demographic collapse, as mentioned in the previous question

Older Persons (resumed) (not to exceed 1 hour and 32 minutes) Tuesday's private members' business shall be Motion re Presidential Voting Rights, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998* - Motion re Criminal Justice (Amendment … division claimed to be taken immediately) Wednesday’s private members' business shall be the Motion re Legislative and Structural Reforms to Accelerate Housing Delivery, selected by the Independent Technical Group. Thursday's business shall be Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded

second time was at my request because I wanted to meet them, together with the HSE, to ensure that we had the right people around the table to be able to make progress. I would also like to take this opportunity to mention a group … through the capital plan that I mentioned earlier. We are also investing in better collaboration between the HSE and the Department of housing because local authorities have a role to play here also in terms of providing and building houses and homes that can become respite and residential

child victims of sexual abuse as well. I wanted to stress that because I wonder about what he has come back to the House with. The easiest thing to do was to revert back and take away the waiver. It is not enough. I want to quickly make … should be. There is a way to address this within the bounds of our Constitution. The Oireachtas can weigh up the conflict of rights. The Minister mentioned only the right to privacy, but people have other rights. He is restricting his consideration to the right to privacy

construction phase. We in the Department will always assess any application that comes in from local authorities, be they turnkey housing units, regeneration projects like this or Part 8 plans that the councils put forward. We are open to applications from every local authority in this State … that. We want the local authorities, Cork City Council and Cork County Council included, to bring forward schemes to us. The Deputy is right. He represents that area in the same way I represent working class areas in Waterford that have gone through regeneration and still have

both of them go through. That is not the issue. The issue is that there is a whole clatter of houses. As most houses cannot engage with this scheme, they cannot be knocked down because either they are not eligible or the owners cannot afford … will talk to both the Minister and the Minister of State when we are older men and they will say I was right that this will come back to haunt them in five years. Maybe their time in politics will be over then but it will come back

Disability Act 2005, and that the assessment must take place within six months; and — the motion regarding Assessment of Need passed by this House in May 2025; notes: — that the law is still being broken with respect to the 18,097 children whose Assessment of Need … term sustainable solution, including an urgent workforce plan to recruit, train and retain enough staff to finally end this breach of children's rights once and for all; — fund special needs services including speech and language, physio, and occupational and behavioural therapies; and — provide appropriate school places

that she feels the need to do this in storm conditions because of the failure of the Government to vindicate the legal rights and entitlements of children with additional needs and disabilities. It is absolutely shocking that she has to go these lengths. It is obviously beyond disgraceful … regressing because they are on waiting lists and their parents are in absolute despair because their children are deteriorating. It also overlaps with housing. If you have the double problem that you are also in a precarious housing situation, in overcrowded conditions or in a homeless

energy upgrades and 55,000 of those are B2 upgrades. We have to look at B2 or B2 equivalents and where the house is going. To improve the energy and heating in a home, particularly in older homes, the cost of getting to B2 can be substantial … reduced energy bills and more efficiency, it is a very good proposition. I want to improve it further and I am assessing that right

opportunities of tomorrow. Support for Irish businesses is about more than industry. It is about supporting sectors and sustaining jobs and communities right across our country in both urban and rural settings. Tourism remains a key contributor to regional economies across our country, with over 46,000 SMEs … capacity to assess the certification of modern methods of construction products and systems. The NSAI will play an important role in ramping up housing construction at scale. I am also providing additional current funding to strengthen a range of regulatory and labour market institutions, including the Competition

have intentions to further strengthen the powers of the CCPC and we look forward to working with people across this House in relation to that. I agree with the Deputy on that point. I also agree with him on there not being a need for a universal energy … detail, it is not comparing like with like. The data centres have to pay significant fixed costs for the infrastructure, as is right and appropriate. The tariff might be lower but the actual amount they are spending on the energy infrastructure is a hell of a lot higher

falling behind countries like Spain and Portugal that have much more robust right to work from home legislation as well as the right to disconnect. This Bill brings it to the next level. We definitely need to have more opportunities. There are certainly different circumstances where people cannot … shops to stay open with people working from home. That is because planning is done badly. We need to actually build more houses in Dublin so people can actually live and work here and replace that type of commuter

properties and the €140,000 plus a €5,000 grant for assistance to support the owner to design a project. The Deputy is right in saying that we need to make sure that the local authorities prioritise this - in other words, that they put a project manager … Club. I was recently with the Land Development Agency, LDA, on the southside, where an existing boxing club has been incorporated into a housing development. A new boxing club is being built in the housing development. That is the way to go. Is the local authority involved

even though there is no bus coming. They are going to pay more just for the privilege of living in a house. They are going to have to pay more for groceries, which have gone up by about 30% in the last number of years and now there … need a break and a cost-of-living package. They need to make provision for their retirement but this is not necessarily the right way to do that. I qualify my remarks, as I did at the start, by saying I am someone who believes in decent pensions

reflecting on the Grace case. We had very lengthy debates in this House over a number of days last week, as the Minister knows. Grace was an adult for 12 years of her time in that home. As we know, she suffered very serious neglect and abuse … well and fine. I am not in any way dismissing the importance of what is being done by the Minister. Legal frameworks, legal rights of entry and mandatory reporting are very important because in their absence, we have more failures and issues, and we then have

conscious failure of political will. There is no accountability for the Government's failure either. Last week, the Taoiseach told the House that he had noticed, I think from the Opposition, a "deliberate attempt" to present this Government as rowing back on climate change. The Taoiseach said there … climate law sets a 2030 target for reducing emissions by 51%. Crucial to achieving that target and setting us on the right pathway are our three five-year carbon budgets. This process is very important and it envisages review by the Oireachtas on an ongoing basis. It makes

Green Paper on the cost of disability in 2023. We had an ESRI joint report with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2025, and we had another consultation in February of this year. We have been waiting over 30 years for a decision. I wonder whether … overturned on appeal. The cost of means testing should be assessed, and consideration must be given to a move to universal payments. Housing is another cause of huge difficulty for people with disabilities. Many continue to live at home with their parents. Parents often are carers and care

read the two of them together to understand what this legislation is doing. It is a consistent disservice that we do in this House to the citizens of this country that we cannot, in amending a section, essentially repeal the old one and restate it in this Bill … section 35(6). There is no need for that. We should allow the courts to do their job. Judicial review is a constitutional right that citizens have. We should not water that down. If they want to challenge it, let them challenge it. It is the same with