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clear: Sinn Féin will ensure their voices are always heard in this Chamber and not left outside the gates of Leinster House. The Mercosur trade agreement is not some abstract trade policy. It is a direct attack on Irish agriculture, our family farmers and rural communities. Farms like … banned growth hormones and genetically modified feed. It will devastate the rainforests. Hundreds of thousands of acres are being cleared in South America right now, specifically to produce more of this cheap beef for the EU market. This undermines everything we stand for. Food produced in Ireland

feel it. However, it would make a huge difference to working people who are struggling to pay their bills and extortionate rents or house prices and to the many young people who are just deciding they cannot afford this and are going to leave. Some 68% of young … film industry in this country. By the way, I want to see investment in the film industry, and I think it is right that our tax system is used to try to support the development of things like the film industry. What I find shocking and unacceptable

president and his wife. Whatever the Taoiseach thinks about that regime, and I do not think much of it, he has no right to attack that regime. Trump has defended the execution of a 36-year-old mother and writer, Renee Good, by ICE agents, and has sent … through the list. Will the Taoiseach stand up to the bully? He is not seriously going to go to the White House with shamrock this year and celebrate our national day with them. Surely he is going to tell US troops to get out of Shannon Airport

have happened. Zigimantas Gridziuska, the man responsible for the hit-and-run incident in which Shane was killed in August 2011, had no right to be at liberty. He had more than 40 previous convictions. He was on bail for multiple offences, had breached his bail conditions … accountability, and through their persistence, they have forced the State to confront uncomfortable truths. I pay tribute to colleagues from across the House who stuck with the family and their campaign for justice over the years, particularly the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy John McGuinness, who consistently raised

simple question I asked. Now we have a situation where I am asking another question. The Tánaiste said on record in this House that most Ukrainians are working and contributing to society and that all the Ukrainians he knows are working. If that is the case … previous Government and that is being continued by this one is not acceptable. We have to means test people. It is only right that everybody is treated equally. If everyone is treated equally, that means that everybody should be means tested

need to be very careful with this Bill. The Minister needs to get this right because there are legitimate concerns about it. The purpose of the Bill is to give effect to the EU directive 2017/541 on combating terrorism, which is to a large extent directed … convention we signed 17 years ago. More than six years ago, on 5 March 2019, the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, reported to the House that he and other heads of government at the EU-League of Arab States summit had committed to working together more closely to address

greedy capitalists. The danger he alluded to in that brilliant film remains with us today. There is a Deputy elected to this House who had to be suspended from his party because he was associated with, and a shareholder in, a company called Palantir that was providing digital … care about the benefits to society. They certainly do not care about workers. Artists, performers, writers, directors and so on are rightly very worried about what is already happening in the arts industry. Essentially, copies of them are being made. They are being moved out of the process

this motion on such a sensitive issue. It is important to see such strong support for making sure that accountability, which is rightly sought by survivors via the commission of investigation, is delivered. This is an issue of profound importance to our society. This is an issue that … even start looking at a redress scheme. They will happen in parallel. I am committed, as I think all colleagues in this House are, to working toward making sure those who are responsible pay financially. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, made specific mention

fact those extensions are full. We have sight of what is needed for September 2026 and are working extremely hard. There were meetings right up to Christmas and again last week, when we announced the first tranche of special classes. We will be announcing more than 600 classes … will work to find solutions for those who notified after 1 October. I am open to the Deputy and to Deputies across the House. We will try to work on any cases raised. We do not have magic wands. They have not been given

going to comment on our President, because we do not do that in this House, other than to congratulate her on her election and wish her well. I also thank all of those involved in the inauguration this week. It was a moment of immense pride … couch - and they took a decision to spoil their votes, which is a democratic act that they had every right to do. I do not think there is one homogenous reason people did it, but people found the field narrower than they expected. Quite frankly, it was narrower

from grants, allow people to improve comfort in both winter and summer, and prioritise older residents living in inefficient homes, especially in social housing. However, we also need that vision extended beyond a single budget cycle. We need a serious national investment programme focused on offshore wind, grid … need to act for Ireland. We need to be bolder, bigger and build the infrastructure future generations will thank us for, because right now, they are going to curse

Glas in Monasterevin because it was badly needed. As I said, I have been saying this for such a long time in this House but, unfortunately, the 18 places available in Ros Glas school have now been totally oversubscribed. We have three different classes there: ages four … diagnosis. He is our son, and he deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, build friendships, develop independence, and reach his full potential. But right now, Jack is at home, not because he does not need or deserve school, but because we have been unable to secure

additional we put on it is going to cause problems. Professor Hannah Daly, a professor in sustainable energy at UCC, was in Leinster House last week and she has written a blog post on data centres and the risks. I do not know if the Minister of State … Democrats asked for a moratorium on data centres. We called for one because we said it is really important to get our facts right on this. We need to know how many we can have and at what cost. How many can we afford from price, energy demand

sport and politics should not mix. Quite frankly, what a farcical situation we find ourselves in. The political cowardice on show in this House on this issue is utterly shameful. Where is this Government’s bravery? Where are its values, the very principles that should underpin its politics … left up to these players or staff to boycott. That is a position they should not find themselves in. Doing the right thing is not always easy but at least for us it is our job. It is not their job. That is why we are here. While

nurse's fault but the HSE's fault in terms of governance - have ever used a hoist prior to coming to her house to, as she puts it, "allegedly" care for her children. She provides the training. The woman has made recommendations to the agency … result, it is getting nurses who are not suitable or qualified in this specific area. They are excellent nurses in their own right and in their own areas, but they are not suitably qualified to provide the level care. This is replicated in many other instances across Wexford

what it was like for the people on the Muckross Road in Killarney when 70 or 80 asylum seekers were put into a house alongside elderly women on that road. They were not vetted and nobody knew where they were from or why they were there. That … securely, and collect and process payments. While not all international protection applicants are working, many are. It makes sense and it is only right for these people who are earning an income and paying tax to also make a contribution to the State for their accommodation costs. Other

forward. We will be opposing the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill. We need to get a few facts right here. Foxes are classified as a pest species. Whether we agree or disagree, that is the fact. There are 150,000 to 200,000 foxes … birds and young lambs. We need to have controls for foxes and hares. We should not be afraid to say that in this House. Independent Ireland will certainly be opposing the Bill going forward. If we can at some stage put in further protections, we should do that

raise an issue with the Minister that has gone unaddressed in this House for far too long. It is a blatant discrimination built on the taxation regime targeted squarely at citizens with no children in this country. I ask her plainly if it is acceptable for the Government … groups b and c up to €400,000, we could picture the outrage on the streets of Ireland of those parents, rightly so, because that would be deeply unfair. The hypocrisy is when childless couples and citizens face the reverse scenario, they are told to sit down, shut

place full of strong families and deep roots, but it is a community that can often be overlooked and is struggling right now. The residents of Cabra have asked, in recognition not just of the problems but the opportunities that exist in the community, that a family resource … Cabra West A and B is classed as well below the average or worse with regard to deprivation. Families are facing precarious housing and isolation. Parents of kids with additional needs have a lack of safe spaces. People have to walk past visible drug dealing and there

which there is an increasing number on the road. I do not think we should ban them, but we need to get this right. What is required is proper regulations for these mechanically propelled vehicles - that is what they are - and for the gardaí to have the training … shopper. There needs to be an urgency about this. It is a public safety issue, and the public are demanding action. Can this House bring in legislation as a matter of priority in September? I believe there is support for it across this House and the public would

when those designated regulations will be finalised and whether they could be shared with members of the AI committee and, indeed, with the House. It is a significant and welcome clarification. It gives the office real standing and ensures our framework is firmly aligned with … Estimates process. The Act comes into force on a phased basis out to December 2028 and that gives us time to get it right. Monitoring resourcing across all the designated authorities as those phases are rolled out is crucial because a framework is only ever as strong

piled on. I am seeing it with the number of people coming into my constituency office. Since November-December of last year and right up to yesterday, the effects of those changes have been seen by us at local level. It is piling huge pressure on households … Minister; the hard data tells him this. I told the Minister about the increases in Laois. The average increase for a two-bedroom house or apartment has risen by 34% in the space of one year. Now there is nothing else that I know of that has gone

example of what football should be about, namely, inclusion, community and opportunity for every child. I look forward to welcoming them to the House in two weeks' time. I commend Ann Murray on all she has done. It does not get enough recognition. She recently invited … that we are not delivering. I welcome that the Minister of State held a meeting with me and other Deputies on this issue. Right now, football in Ireland is upside down. I reached out to the chairs of multiple clubs in my constituency over the past three days

move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill. The publication of this Bill meets a commitment in the programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to update … court orders that may be made in respect of alternative care for children. Finally, it sets out principles based on children’s rights to guide decision-making for the Child and Family Agency and others to have regard to in carrying out their functions under

thank Deputy Doherty. It is an absolute priority for everybody in this House that we do not have people waiting on hospital trolleys. It is a key marker of patient safety, but it is also a key marker of dignity and how we treat our people … situation in relation to trolleys this morning. Demand has increased across the board. It has increased in Limerick and Cork. The Deputy is right. He has identified two hospitals where have been particular calls. However, may I point out a couple of things in relation to those hospitals