Search the record

ordinary people forced to ask for help? How many motions, votes or speeches are needed? What will it take to break through the callousness of a Government that would leave disabled people cold, hungry and impoverished? What should I tell them about their Government? What defence is there

Government has refused to concede. There is no money for disabled people. There was no money for SNAs until people power forced the Government back. There is no money for electricity credits. What is there money for? There is money to develop an Irish arms industry … public money to defend the infrastructure of big tech companies. The strategy refers to "our responsibility and commitment to support the security and defence of Europe". When did we sign up for that? That sounds awfully like a mutual defence pact, when the protocol associated with the Lisbon

defence such as radar systems and anti-drone jamming devices. The reason I mention those specific things is that these are the request of the Ukrainian Government. They are what the Ukrainians need to stop the bombs falling on cities like Kyiv and on forces on the front

exploit the vulnerabilities of people, posing threats to the health, safety and fundamental rights of our citizens. The Al Act, which entered into force in August 2024, is the first ever legal framework designed to address these concerns while simultaneously fostering innovation of responsible and ethical … risk-based, horizontal regulation. It applies across all sectors of the economy, both private and public, with targeted exemptions for national defence, national security and purely personal use. Crucially, its measures are proportionate: most Al systems will give rise only to minimal risk and can be marketed

renters and a gift for big landlords and vulture funds. It will mean huge rent hikes, increased pressure for renters, more young people forced to choose between emigrating and moving home with their parents and, shamefully, it will mean more families and children pushed into homelessness … renters will be hit by a huge rent hike every single year. That is the hard truth. Of course, the Government's defence of the Bill is that six-year tenancies will protect renters, but they will not. A total of 25% of tenancies in any given year

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 is very strong to be fair and is practical … recover his or her full legal costs as the default position unless the court decides otherwise for good reason. As regards paying for defence, while we are not saying that it should be paid for and are not arguing in favour of for-profit funding of litigation

Even though we will retain a central policy of military neutrality, we can work with European partners to make sure security and defence are there, particularly with the Council's urgent call for efforts to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness, protect critical infrastructure and prevent, deter and respond … hybrid attack on our health system not that long ago. In respect of migration and following on from the entry into force of the EU migration and asylum pact on 12 June, despite Deputy O'Flynn's charges this is something that was voted on by the democratically

towns and villages I thank all those involved in flood preparations and response - local authorities, An Garda Síochána, the HSE, civil defence and many more. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage leads national co-ordination through the national emergency co-ordination group. Stage … Éireann now provides daily flood guidance to local authorities and State agencies. Stage II is now under the Government task force on emergency planning. It will deliver more detailed and accurate forecasts and community flood warnings. Climate change will bring more storms and extreme weather and flood risk

acknowledge and thank all the staff involved in dealing with the storm and its aftermath, including in county councils, the ESB, the Civil Defence, Irish Water, the Garda, fire brigades, ambulance services, mountain rescue, local committees meeting in community halls and sports centres, local shops and the many … still have some 18,000 ESB customers without electricity. To deal with events like this in the future, we need a task force that includes all stakeholders. It must be set up immediately and must report urgently. There are actions that need to be taken immediately in advance

emphasis on conscious investment and more on short-term returns. This is a worrying trend. Given their scale, pension funds should be a force for positive change, not contributors to environmental destruction or poor labour standards. Quite likely influenced by Trump’s "greed is good, regulation … Certain large US institutions have reduced emphasis on climate commitments and some European pension funds are revising their exclusions to include companies with defence business. In addition, proposals under the EU’s corporate sustainability reporting directive could, if adopted, remove a significant proportion of companies — potentially

foot, used pitches as detention centres, shot 114 children in the head with single bullets, and justified this with a concept of self-defence that is unknown to jurisprudence and that would be ridiculous if it was not so unjust and enraging, would the Minister of State compromise … trapped in a car alongside her aunt, uncle and four cousins who had all been shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces, IDF. She spent five terrifying hours on the phone with rescue dispatchers pleading and begging for her life. Paramedics were killed when they tried

given great cause for hope. Very substantive figures have been appointed to senior posts. I met the ministers for foreign affairs and defence. There is a new President and a new Prime Minister. Finally, a Government is in place. They need help as well. They have just agreed … likes again, because we need to help the Government of Lebanon build up its public services and also build up the Lebanese Armed Forces, LAF. The primary purpose of UNIFIL being there is to support the LAF in protecting the peace, so we need to do everything

people's genius and creativity. This motion calls for the Government to use its influence in our Presidency of the European Council to force attention on the protection of copyright of artists from generative AI. State funding for art must not be used to fund or spent … that it shall be restrung and reheard. It is now time to hear the voice of our artists, to come to their defence, and to stand up to protect their rights and livelihoods before we lose them to generative AI machines forever. I ask all TDs to support

Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, GREVIO, has talked about this being an instrument of secondary victimisation. The Minister was forced to amend his own amendments to legislation in this regard because he came back with something that just was not satisfactory. I have only caught … issue in a trial. There will still be the chilling effect for survivors and raw records being passed on to judges and defence teams

Deputy is quite right that certain member states are cutting development aid and saying they need to put it towards security and defence. I do not buy that argument for an instant. If you are serious about security, including energy, food, political and domestic security, and managing migration … misnomer and false argument to say we are taking money from development to put into security. By taking money from development, you are forcing yourself to put more money into security. It is why the Government has not only not cut our development budget but is committed

Lebanon, bombing at will and displacing tens of thousands of people, all while Israeli settler terror groups, fully supported by the Israeli security forces, continue a policy of creeping annexation of the West Bank. The Bible says Israel shall be a blessing to all the peoples … energy around the world has been disrupted and price rises and inflation will follow. We in Ireland need to look at our own defence and security. Our geographical location has protected us and we have been protected to a great extent by the NATO alliance. Our membership

said the European Union is worth fighting for. The first issue that the Danish Minister for European Affairs raised today was security and defence because they are terrified. It is a topic that the Minister of State has referred to previously. I recall him saying that every house … reality out there. The freedoms we take for granted are not under attack from the European Union; they are under attack from forces such as Russia. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for his forbearance

price. I want to speak about protected disclosures in An Garda Síochána. I commend the members of An Garda Síochána who serve the force and this country with dignity and dedication. A constituent reported domestic violence by a serving member of An Garda Síochána and a criminal investigation … impartially investigate cases of domestic violence. What followed exposed the deep inadequacy of our legislation. Every single time the protected disclosure progressed, the defence made a disclosure order. The criminal trial was delayed again and again. Fiosrú had to put the protected disclosure investigation in abeyance

Tánaiste has given no effort to actually describe how the General Assembly could be engaged to fall back. It is in the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006. It is part of the triple lock and the Tánaiste is completely ignoring it. Constantly referencing other countries denies our history … something is consistent with the UN Charter until we are blue in the face but the charter is clear around the use of force without consent and the backing of the United Nations. Everyone claims to go to war for peace, love, security and human rights

Three years ago this week, Vladimir Putin unleashed a brutal and criminal invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people deserve great praise for their defence of their country and its sovereignty but the price they paid has been costly. Some 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since … closer to 1 million. An end to the bloodshed is required. The war must end and we need the full withdrawal of Russian forces from sovereign Ukrainian territory. We need the return of every abducted child. For there to be any chance that a peace is sustaining

position to send any troops, any CSDP mission from the European Union, for example, which could be used to support the Lebanese armed forces in terms of training and so on, or to keep a monitoring role in south Lebanon. There are discussions under way by other member … also cohesion. A lot of the countries on the eastern flank in particular are strong on cohesion, but they also want defence now in, or protection of the eastern flank because they feel their situation is existential in respect of Russia. In the Baltics, in particular, and Poland

that reflect our neutrality. That means we still need a statutory reporting requirement to the Oireachtas, whether it is to the Committee on Defence and National Security, with regular updates by the Minister in the Dáil or Seanad, or something similar with the same level of agreed scrutiny … Does it have anything to do with Russian submarines or security equipment for EU Presidency events? Does it mean giving the Israeli armed forces a leg up, even if only to help them with their HR systems? We need an independent oversight mechanism. I listened to the discussion

Israel for it? It represents a flagrant breach of international law and US constitutional law. This is not a war of self-defence on America's part. There was no imminent threat. This is a war of opportunism. Benjamin Netanyahu saw an opportunity to take out the Ayatollah … repressive. We have seen it murder thousands of Iranian people just in recent months. We in the Labour Party have been consistent and forceful in our condemnation of that Iranian regime and in our support for pro-democracy movements and women's rights campaigners, and no one more

behind our proud tradition of Irish neutrality and to hollow it out until there is nothing left of it. By way of the Defence (Amendment) Bill and all the other legislation it is trying to push through, the Government is, in effect, trying … good. Going back to my earlier point, even in the consultancy part of this, we are drawing our talent away from positive forces in Irish society and positive advancements in science and technology and towards war. This issue is so fundamental to us, but the Government is willing

problem is that we have been hearing the same thing for the past ten years regarding task forces, multi-agency groups and the rest. That is all fine. We have to do some of that work to get the results and ideas. However, the Minister of State talks … with the CEOs of insurance companies and told them they should improve the level of cover for areas with demountable flood defences. Let us park demountable flood defences, however, because only 4,500 people use them in the first instance. The vast majority, 250,000 people

update in respect of the introduction of long-service increments (LSI) to the pay scales of all ranks of enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces; the date on which the awarding of the increment will commence; if the payment will be subject to backdated payments; and the number

will review the fast accrual (uniformed) single public service pension scheme for members recruited post-2013 in An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, Fire Service and Prison Service, in light of the fact that the scheme does not include a supplementary pension to bridge the gap between early

current pension arrangements for post-2013 uniformed public service recruits on long-term recruitment and retention within An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, the Fire Service and the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17776/25

National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department has engaged with trade unions or staff associations representing Gardaí, firefighters, prison officers, and Defence Forces members regarding the restoration or introduction of a supplementary pension benefit for fast accrual pension scheme members; and if he will make

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of new recruits admitted to the Defence Forces for each of the past five years, by gender; and the number admitted from each county, for each of the past five years, in tabular form [17024/25

Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the criteria for a person to be inducted as a member of the Irish Defence Forces legal services club. [17042/25

Connell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to report on his Department's work to encourage female participation and recruitment in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17305/25

Maeve O'Connell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to report on the current gender balance of all serving members of the Defence Forces in percentage form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17306/25

Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he intends to review or update the integrated pension scheme, not only for Defence Forces personnel but also for other frontline public sector workers, including Gardaí, firefighters, and nurses, given ongoing concerns that younger members of these professions

Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department has engaged with representatives of the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána, fire brigades, or prison officers since January 2024 on the issues with the fast accrual (uniformed) single public service pension

content to e-college that might encourage people to pursue careers in the areas of public sector recruitment shortfalls such as the Gardaí, Defence Forces or healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15485/25

Deputy John Lahart asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is aware that in previous times, the Defence Forces used to make available marquee community organisations for family and community day events, and also erected and removed such marquees for the group; whether such a facility

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of indoor and outdoor firearm shooting ranges (excluding shooting ranges owned by the Defence Forces) to which armed Gardaí have access for firearm training practice, in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [13843/25

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the amount that the Defence Forces spent on purchasing military equipment from Japanese companies in each of the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [13137/25

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the amount the Defence Forces spent on purchasing military equipment from Australian companies in each of the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [13139/25

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the budget allocated in 2024 and 2025 for purchasing new horses for the Defence Forces equitation school; and the percentage of the 2024 budget that was actually spent. [13140/25

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the amount of unspent allocation for Defence Forces staffing in each year since 2018 based on the revised estimate for each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11317/25

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to outline each UN peacekeeping mission the Defence Forces have served on since 1960; the UN mandate that sanctioned each; the number of peacekeeping missions Ireland currently participates in; the number of personnel assigned to each, in tabular

Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the procedure for former members of the Defence Forces to get access to their full military record; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11443/25

initially in receipt of flying pay who were subsequently awarded the payment following interventions of the court and or the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, from 2015 to 2024 and to date in 2025. [11649/25

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the last time the stables at the Defence Forces Equitation School were refurbished; when those stables are next scheduled to be refurbished. [11860/25

Deputy James O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for a detailed breakdown of costings for the way in which the Defence Forces can get from level of ambition 2 to level of ambition 3, which he referred to in a Dáil debate on 26 February

Defence the unit in his Department which he has tasked with providing a detailed breakdown of costings for the way in which the Defence Forces can get from LOA2 to LOA3 which he referred to in a Dáil debate on 26 February 2025; and if he will make

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of proposed peacekeeping missions involving the deployment of Defence Forces personnel that have been vetoed by a vote of the United Nations Security Council in the years 2001 to date; and if he will make

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of proposed peacekeeping missions involving the deployment of Defence Forces personnel that have been vetoed by a vote including a vote from the United States on the United Nations Security Council in the years