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heard from legal experts who, time and again, told us that there is no legal distinction between goods and services when it comes to fulfilling our obligations. The Government's own analysis stated that "the only reasonable reading of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion is that … tied it to the impact on US multinationals. This tells us that it is not that the Government cannot ban services, as many legal experts showed us it could do during the pre-legislative scrutiny, but that it does not want to. Spain is home to many

their representative in this country. We made her an ambassador by recognising the State of Palestine. On the occupied territories Bill, let me be clear. There are legal issues about services. We will tease through them and, if we can make progress on them that is what … about performative politics and actually about helping to save lives in Gaza, today we need to call on other EU member states to join us and bring forward their own legislation and stop waiting for EU unanimity. Let us get on with the job. I must give

walking away from the proposition to ban trade in services. The Minister of State has not addressed that. I have heard the Minister of State and the Tánaiste speak about technical issues and legal issues, and trying to create some kind of distinction. I have no problem … navigating issues. Of course it has to be legally sound. That is not the objection. The Minister of State has not addressed the objection here. A euro, a dollar, a pound or whatever that is gained in trade in services is the exact same as a euro

implementing all elements of it. The Minister also has to accept the failure of the State in resourcing disability services. Going back to the 2005 Act that provided a legal right to an assessment of need, the logic of that made sense. Each child would have an assessment

realise their own rights because the State is failing them so badly and because they are not able to access the appropriate services, the seirbhísí cuí, that they should simply have available to them by virtue of the legal status provided for in our Constitution. Time and again … realise their rights. Where there is not one there should be one, and it should recognise the power dynamic of the State having a lot more legal power to bring to those battles and what it is doing by fighting tooth and nail against people who are simply

years. Even more, when a child gets their assessment of need, they can be left waiting years for services and supports which often never materialise. The State is failing children and their families. This is creating huge stress and pressure. Children are being left behind during these critical … providing an assessment of need through contracting a private service. Families who do not go down this route are left at the back of the queue while legal costs for the State are mounting. Instead of the State forking out money on legal fees, would

crimes being carried out. Over 400 prominent lawyers have stated that we can ban trade in goods and services with the occupied territories but the Government said there are legal issues, that it is complicated and referred to the Attorney General's advice. They say the banning … Government should publish the Attorney General's advice. Spain has been able to impose a ban on goods and services and the advertisement of services. Other EU states are taking similar steps. There are clear parallels here with the boycott against South Africa and it may have been

legislation which prevented legitimate claims being heard by the FSPO regarding conduct that occurred before the authorisation of a credit servicing firm. The role of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman is vitally important. It is a piece of legislation that I have amended successfully in terms … that existed in the legislation since the FSPO was established in 2018. The legal loophole has resulted in people whose mortgages are with a vulture fund having no access to the State's financial services ombudsman. That was a scandal. It was a disgrace. We need to recognise

practicality and legality of implementing that. There are more than 120 subcategories of services and that makes it incredibly complex and difficult to implement. People have referenced Spain and I note Spain has not banned trade in services but the advertisement of those services, and I would support … legislation. I note also that there are people in this House who have voted for a full boycott of the entire Israeli state. We have to be conscious of what a sanctions regime should do. Government must act in a way that holds in law and does

estimated that someone who purchased goods or services in 2006 with €100 would have to pay €250 to €300 today, which means that two of every three people this State judged eligible for legal aid because of their financial circumstances would no longer qualify. I have been dealing

need to be told that because of the legal interpretation of a State agency they now have to pay commercial rates, but that is what is happening. In 2015, the law was amended requiring that services must be established and operated on a fully not-for-profit basis

were to enact the amendment, service providers would still remain obligated to execute orders. That would be without oversight from directors. For the reasons I have stated, I simply cannot accept the Deputies' amendment. We cannot rewrite the regulation. There is no legal basis for Ireland to include … offence in the issuing state committed by a person who resides in that state. Execution can be refused. Article 12 sets out the grounds on which they may be refused and Article 10 provides a channel through which the service provider may alert the Irish enforcing authority when

that is passed without the inclusion of services is not what the Irish people want nor is it what the majority in this House wants. Most importantly, it will not meet the legal obligations of Ireland and other member states under international law, which were set out clearly

matter is currently the subject of a legal claim which is being managed by the State Claims Agency on behalf of my Department. Since the most recent allegation referred to above, the victims' unit of the Probation Service has put out several communications to encourage any relevant victims

table for member states to vote on. This is a vote that could be put forward at the Trade Council because it is a trade matter. At our last Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the EU legal services gave us a clear legal direction that this was possible. There … trade because of different reasons. The EU legal services have been very clear that this is possible and that we could vote to suspend trade in the occupied territories. Following that discussion, I, along with at least 17 member states, if not more, asked the Commission to bring

have over 20 pages of independent, robust legal opinion clearly stating that the Bill is compliant with Irish law, European law and international law. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, stated the Bill would step outside the EU financial services legislation. That is bogus. The Minister should know that Ireland

last year, The Irish Times reported that former health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, had sought legal advice on whether the State had power to take over the running of children’s hospital services in Dublin, and that advice was reportedly sought due to concern over issues around scoliosis surgery

counsellor has electronic records of counselling notes. An order is received by a service provider in Ireland that provides online storage facilities. Is the Minister of State willing to stand over legal protection for survivors of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence that is less than what

instead of "and". Both the Department and the Oireachtas Library and Research Service use "and" in their briefing documents. The Bill digest states that "a vape will only be considered reusable, and therefore legal to sell, if it is both rechargeable and refillable (not just … breaking the law by selling vapes to children. Following the passage of the legislation, the HSE's national environmental health service role will increase. Will the service's enforcement capacity and budget for authorised officers be expanded to ensure the ban can be enforced on a national basis

deciding to exclude services from the content of the Bill before us today. This is despite the original draft presented by Senator Francis Black. This is despite the very detailed recommendations of the joint Oireachtas committee. This is despite the legal view of many legal experts … despite the very clear legal opinion from the International Court of Justice from July 2024. Let us recall that decision. Let us recall what the International Court of Justice held was a state's obligations. It said all states are under an obligation "to abstain from entering into

came in mentioned the lack of plurality in the media in Ireland and said the fact that RTÉ was a public service meant that there was not enough plurality. He was not talking about the lack of working-class voices in the media, the lack of women … ability to challenge power, to challenge corruption, to challenge institutions, to challenge states and to challenge the Government. These are real life impacts if there is no budget and no legal power in a public service broadcaster to withstand libel threats. Without the resources of RTÉ, creators will

excluding services is. He said we have a narrow legal pathway identified by the ICJ and the Attorney General. However, the ICJ makes no distinction between trade in goods and trade in services. It says that states are under an obligation to abstain from entering into economic … Ditch, and which Deputy O'Gorman has referred to, says there has been no reference to an issue around services in his very detailed legal advice. People can check that for themselves. Not including services seems to me to be a policy choice. The Tánaiste has said

commercial service. That means the roll-out of publicly funded and delivered childcare services, better pay and conditions for early educators, who should be paid directly by the State, and a guaranteed legal right to affordable, accessible and universal early education for every child

into the handling by schools, religious orders, State bodies and law enforcement of allegations, is both welcome and essential. So, too, is the appointment of Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath as chair of the commission. His legal experience, including his service in the High Court and the Court … authorities and the State? The inquiry will not only look into what happened, but how it was handled or, indeed, mishandled. That includes failures to report abuse, the shielding of abusers, the moving of individuals between schools and dioceses and the use of legal processes to silence

goods and services. They were clear that the legal advice received by the departmental officials was to the effect that the ICJ was referring to trade in goods and services. As such, if Ireland passes a Bill that excludes services, we will not meet the requirements … give me a convincing argument on that point. I believe that by proposing a Bill that omits services, the Government is setting it up to fail a legal challenge. This weakness can be solved by including services in the Government's Bill

contracted by public bodies, local authorities, or State-funded companies to maintain and service heavy-duty mechanically propelled vehicles possess the specific qualifications required under Irish and EU law to work on such vehicles; if he will outline the minimum legal and regulatory requirements in place under Irish

breakdown of legal costs for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 incurred by the state arising from the defence of cases taken by members of the public against the HSE on issues of alleged medical negligence or other forms of alleged service failure; the number of cases

Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by his Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies

State within our legal framework, if he accepts, and if he will ensure, that protection of citizens' health and safety is, therefore, assuredly paramount across his entire Department's priorities, policies and programmes, thus reflecting application of the principle of 'citizens first' across all Government services and activities

user’s government identity; whether An Garda Síochána or any other State body will have the legal power to access identity data generated through the scheme; whether the State intends to log, record, or audit which social media platforms a citizen accesses using their “digital wallet” or rather … digital ID” under the auspices of simply protecting children from negative content and to facilitate the use of public services for Irish citizens; his views on the implications of the Government holding this data which the citizen has always considered private or at least anonymous on the internet

legal and policy rationale for requesting a change of use exemption (details supplied); the reason this exemption is being requested for a privately owned facility; the way in which his Department justifies applying the same planning approach to this site as the State-linked Citywest Reception Centre … intended duration of use for the facility as International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation the projected and maximum occupancy levels for this specific location; if these figures and the "scale and intensity" of the development have been formally evaluated in a community impact assessment to determine the cumulative

dose codeine stating that low dose paracetamol ibuprofen are no more effective than paracetamol or ibuprofen alone for the management of pain; to instruct that low-dose codeine products should not be stocked routinely in clinical areas in any HSE or HSE-funded service, to remove from stock … stock lists if present, and to complete by 5 June 2026 including the evidence relied upon, the legal or policy framework underpinning the instruction; to confirm the reason such an instruction was issued prior to the completion of the HPRA review of over-the-counter codeine medicines

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the rationale for extending Specific Purpose Contracts where the stated purpose of those contracts has now been fulfilled; if legal advice was sought regarding the appropriateness of using the same contractual mechanism after the original purpose has been achieved … upon successful completion of Year 3 and registration with PHECC, transitioned directly from Specific Purpose Contracts to permanent posts within the National Ambulance Service; if she will confirm that no paramedic within this cohort will experience a break in service or interruption to pay or employment status arising

Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department or the Office of Government Procurement collects or maintains data on public procurement competitions that collapse without a contract award, either due to lack of submissions, failure to meet requirements, or legal challenges … abandoned competitions over the past five years, broken down by year and by contracting authority type (for example, Government Department, local authority, State agency). [33629/25

Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1018 and 1019 of 20 January 2026, if she will clarify the way in which the State's public-protection obligations are met where CORU has confirmed it regulates individual fitness to practise only and has no statutory remit to examine systemic … across multiple practitioners or services; whether consideration has been given to introducing a statutory function within CORU, or an alternative regulatory body, to examine organisational ethical environments where professional judgement may be compromised; and if she will provide the policy rationale and legal advice underpinning her decision that

asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1405 of 17 September 2025, which stated that his Department’s quarterly procurement-related payment reports ‘were originally prepared in Excel and subsequently converted to PDF’, the reason the underlying machine … provided in open, machine-readable formats; in view of the commitment given by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to publish such reports in CSV/Excel on a quarterly basis; when his Department will publish Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2025 in CSV/Excel retrospectively