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Before we proceed, I wish to remind Members of the standards expected in the Chamber. This House must be able to debate legislation and reach decisions. The Opposition has every right to challenge, object and oppose. Equally, every Member … right to be heard without interruption. However strongly we disagree, we must respect one another’s right to speak. That applies equally to both sides of this House. Members must make their case through the strength of their arguments within the time allocated, not through shouting, displaying placards

thank the Minister. It is right to say that huge progress is being seen on delivery of transport infrastructure across the country. The Liffey Valley to city centre bus corridor that he mentioned is the route I cycle to Leinster House most days. I see the active progress … Minister, I am a TD for a Dublin constituency where population density is increasing at a rapid pace, and rightly so and it is important that we provide housing for our people but it also important that we provide the transport system to underpin that. Progress on MetroLink

Ceann Comhairle in her role because all of these issues need to be debated in a constructive way in this House. All of the Members deserve the right to have the time to have the necessary forum available to them to bring forward their own views … bring forward what is of concern to them and their constituents. The rights of Members must be defended all of the time. We must always consider those whom we represent in terms of priority to them. As they look in at the debates in the Dáil, we have

Second Time." I am delighted to be able to introduce this Bill in the House today. It is a good-news story. The Bill simply seeks to extend the democratic franchise, the right to vote, to all Irish citizens across the country in presidential elections. This … that the power for this change lies not in Westminster or Stormont, but here in Leinster House. It is we who can make the change in law to create the constitutional right for people to have a referendum on this issue. This is in our gift. If there

that. End this practice. That this Government has failed to do this when we are this far into a housing crisis is absolutely shameful. Ordinary workers and families right across the State have no chance competing with these funds. They hoover up homes and they drive up prices … much they save, the hope of ever owning their own home keeps being ripped away from them. When these vultures snapped up a housing estate in County Kildare back in 2021, people's blood was boiling. It was that anger that forced the Government's hand. I know

Lives report told the Government this had to end. Adults with intellectual disabilities are facing another heartbreaking housing crisis because of the State's failure to uphold their human rights. That injustice is what sparked the Before We Die campaign which, in turn, has inspired this motion … entitled to. The Government cannot even tell us how many people are waiting for appropriate housing and supports. How can you solve a crisis that you refuse to even measure? You cannot. Right now, when people's parents become too ill, die or simply can no longer cope

going through. What is the Government doing? She has worked all of her life and has done everything right. Another 50-year-old lady cannot get on the social housing list because she is just over the limit and cannot afford to rent. She is caught … have done everything right. I went to college. I worked hard all my life. I am 50 years old and they are putting me into homeless accommodation". That is on the Minister. He is the Minister for housing. The buck stops with him. What will

right political will it can be, especially in respect of health reform. If the Minister gets it right, she will get support on this side of the House. It is not about politics or throwing stuff back and forth. It is about getting the right healthcare

Dáil Éireann and say they want housing to be provided while at the same time, when somebody comes along and puts in a planning application in their area, they object to it and think that is all right? They object for various reasons but, to be honest, those … action. I believe the measures taken over the past couple of weeks are the first steps in the right direction, but we need to grow confidence in the housing sector to ensure that more and more houses can be built over the coming months and years

with delivering a rights-based approach to ageing policy and services. This would include not just health but housing, transport, income, connectivity and education. Ultimately, I fear this rights-based approach to ageing policy and services will remain purely notional. We need to get down to work

House who have contributed to the debate on what is an extremely important topic. It is only right and appropriate that it gets attention and consideration in this House and that we work collectively to address the massive challenge AI can pose to our creative sectors … relation to AI, and consent and remuneration for works used are basic principles of copyright law. Important steps to protect intellectual property rights in the age of AI are being taken and these will continue during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. At EU level

possible, and to try to make houses as affordable as possible, while also addressing viability so that we can drive on the supply as well. We need the homes. We need to significantly increase the number of homes right … across the country as well as in Meath and Galway East. I am sure the Deputy will agree that right across Galway East there are now significant housing schemes going on but I want to see even more. I have been up there on a number of occasions

Fianna Fáil manifesto, it promised reform. The programme for Government, approved by this very House, committed to reform and action. Ireland is an independent State. Our right to set our own foreign economic policy was hard won and developed step by step from the 1930s under the leadership … Charter, and any contingent of more than 50 personnel needs the approval of this House. This brings Ireland in line with our European partners, including neutral Austria, and it is entirely within our rights as a sovereign member of the United Nations. This Bill facilitates our proud tradition

proud member of SIPTU and have been a union member and representative all my working life. I commend the unions represented in Leinster House today promoting the benefits of union membership. I was also happy to stand with the early years childhood groups in calling on the Government … campaign for divorce, marriage equality and a woman's right to choose. They took the lead on the right to water and the Raise the Roof housing campaigns. I urge the unions to work with political parties and reorganise the Raise the Roof campaign. We urgently needed

people of Craughwell and Clarinbridge, the local environment and housing. How are we going to solve the housing crisis if we cannot get basic things like this right? I ask the Minister to address this. We need this cofunding requirement to be taken away to ensure that these

housing, which in itself is a form of critical infrastructure. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have treated housing as a market problem for far too long, rather than as the right it should be. The fundamental difference between the attitude of the Government and our attitude to housing … this infrastructure, if you could call it that. Development cannot take place and communities cannot grow. In an era where one-off housing in rural areas, particularly under significant urban influence, is more difficult than ever to achieve, people cannot move into towns and villages and they cannot

national housing plan will be delivered in the coming months to ensure we put in place the right policies. Many of the items in the motion before the House are items that we as a Government are working on extensively. I assure the Deputies that as we move

Deputies McLoughlin, Byrne, McGreehan and former Deputy Thomas Pringle, who all introduced similar Bills on extending voting rights to those aged 16 in recent years. The Bill before the House is a little different, however. The advice from the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, tells … seize this opportunity to ensure voting rights are extended to 16-year-olds. Adolescence is often a time of transition, a time of changes and a period of progression from childhood to adulthood. Some of the recent discourse in this House about young people focused on challenges associated

closely connected to associations have been arrested, including founders and members of associations whose houses have been raided and digital equipment seized. The targeted associations include seven LGBTQI human rights organisations and organisations working with people with HIV. The fear is that the government is trying to collapse … evening at 6 p.m., over 20 Irish LGBT organisations will gather outside Europe House to call for urgent action in response to the reported crackdown on LGBTQI civil society in Türkiye. LGBT activists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations are facing detention, prosecution and repression. Nobody should

including counselling records, can have on survivors of sexual violence. One of the most difficult things that this House has to do is to resolve issues around conflicting constitutional rights. The disclosure of counselling records is a complex and highly sensitive balancing of individuals' rights … rights and trial in due course of law. In the event of such a challenge, it appears highly probable that this proposed amendment would result in a finding of constitutional invalidity. I reassure the Deputy that the Government intends to address the serious issues raised in the House

family are looking out the door when they are caring for their father and there is a dementia unit right there, 200 or 300 yd from his house. Another lady has to stay miles away because there is a shortage of dementia units and beds where people

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 … officials in the division lobby. When you have finished casting your vote, please come back to the floor of the House via the side stairs to my right and left. You may either resume your seats or leave by way of the doors behind

same in Cork. The conditions are horrendous. These are proud people from proud communities who keep their houses immaculate. They try to do everything right but if the windows are falling out, the doors are loose and there is no insulation or proper heating, what are they supposed … never voted for them. They have abandoned and betrayed them for years. I live on Cathedral Road. Behind me is Mary Aikenhead. The houses are freezing cold. In Blackpool, Castleknock or Baker's Road, there are freezing cold homes. What is the Minister doing? He is blaming everyone

across this country already knew. Whistleblowers in Ireland are not protected. In fact, they are destroyed. The Tánaiste stood up in this very House and told it our laws are among the best in Europe. He said the Government values these people. Since then I have sat with … blocked for the whistleblower and the full financial strength of this State is used to grind those people right into the ground. Every Member of this House knows the truth. A law is only as strong as those who implement it. Let me give an example. I welcome

which she has presented it. It is not all at the door of the Government. We had a good presentation at the housing Cabinet subcommittee meeting earlier this week, which illustrated the complex factors behind homelessness and different categories of people becoming homeless for different reasons, requiring … increasing. People coming out of direct provision, for example, and family reunification are creating challenges. It is the right thing to do. Our challenge is to provide housing solutions. Let us not pretend it is all just because of wanton neglect or that someone does not care. Since