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played out here from one side of the House to the other and I regret that. I regret that we have not within us the drive to ensure that the reform so needed right across the State is put in place. Lucia and Jim O'Farrell and their … your life and live it out in memory of Shane. You have left an everlasting impression on all of us in this House who were willing to listen and to act. Thank

security but also that of our European partners. These agreements are built on a strong legal foundation. They uphold the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and incorporate stringent safeguards around data use, retention and privacy. Personal data must be depersonalised after six months and deleted … similar PNR agreements with Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and, most recently, Canada. I have spoken on these before in the House. These agreements have proven their value and it is both consistent and prudent that we extend the same co-operation to two close

frustration. The retrofits have also been mismanaged. At the current rate, it will take Cork City Council 200 years to retrofit all its houses. It is utter madness and it needs to change. It needs greater investment. A land price register is another recommendation. The Social Democrats … Ombudsman published a damning report of abuses of the rights of the child with regard to the accommodation for Travellers, which need to be addressed. Finally, there are good recommendations regarding climate. We need climate-informed housing policy and homes that are fit for the future. I hope

move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I appreciate the Minister coming to the House to discuss the Bill. I am pleased to speak to my first Private Members' Bill. I note the Government has opted to delay the Bill using a timed amendment … society right now. Hundreds of journeys that up to this point took place on our roads are now being transferred into the skies over our homes and gardens. Many members of the public are asking how many drones flying over their house or gardens is too many

have tried to put quite a lot on the record of the House in terms of the various information and methodology that we are following in terms of public finances. We want to get this right but the threshold

regime and in our support for pro-democracy movements and women's rights campaigners, and no one more so than my colleague Deputy Smith, who has been the loudest and most consistent voice in this House in calling out the brutal Iranian regime. However, as our party leader

something that could command the support of a large majority in this House but this Bill is not that. The legislation seems, as Deputy Ahern suggested, more concerned with limiting established and well-understood rights of asylum seekers in ways that are concerning and have been well ventilated

sector, which is very important, but also the societal need for housing. The challenge is getting the correct balance here. I absolutely commit that we will work the Deputy and others to try to get the right policy. We will consider the pre-legislative scrutiny report from

issue and that it has not provided them with the family rights other people enjoy. A decade on from marriage equality it is really frustrating that the work has not been done in these Houses and Government Departments to iron out the detail of the law to provide

over 18. If the Deputy is now saying that a person's rights with regard to their privacy trumps a child's age online, that is the start of a very big problem in the House

very clear that developers are part of the landscape of how housing is developed in this country. However, it needs to be to a much lesser extent and it a much more even and balanced way. Right now, the State is effectively being forced to hand over money

White Papers, the preparation of legislation and a debate in the House of Commons. In my assessment, the introduction of a UK digital ID card is a long way off. The Deputy may be right in terms of it having an impact on Ireland. However, I cannot

five children is now living below the poverty line once housing costs are factored in. There is one thing that the Minister can do. Will he please reinstate the tenant in situ scheme? Right now, there are children that I am dealing with in my constituency

suggested that hate speech could be turned against political parties in this House. Many Members are foolish in thinking that hate speech is for other people. The hate speech laws are a threat to the right, the centre and the left. They are a threat to democracy

thank the Deputy. He is right. I have been in the Chamber since the news emerged. I join the Deputy and everybody in extending the sympathies of the House and country to all those affected, to the people of India and to those likely to be affected

General of the Department of the environment, Uisce Éireann and the approved housing bodies - the list goes on and on - all say the Government is failing on the basic issues. As Deputy Ó Broin has rightly pointed out, Uisce Éireann has been looking for money for a year

Right across Dublin Bay North and, indeed, the entire country, vacant and derelict buildings are sitting idle while people are crying out for housing. Hundreds of people email me weekly. They are dying to get into these houses on the same street they are in in north Dublin

fulfil this part of the declaration – maintain order and uphold the rights and privileges of Members. As I did this morning, I would appeal to you all for respect for each other in this House, respect for the Ceann Comhairle and for me, who, after all, are just

their own nuance on it. We are all in here trying to work together and come up with solutions. There is a crisis right now in apprenticeship. The Minister pointed out there are 78 different types of apprenticeships, which is great. People are studying courses now that were … fellow buying a house out there in Kerry Pike for €500,000, or the bones of it. He told me he is working every hour God sends and asked me if he was doing the right thing or if he should head off. He has got a partner

House that we were playing politics. I have been in this House since 2020 and I have never played politics on any issue, ever. I called for the Dáil to return because it was the right thing to do, and it was on the back of the anger … done so much in recent days, especially those across Roscommon and Galway. I have never been prouder to represent them here in this House. Yesterday, I listened to the CEO of the ESB on the radio. He was asked about compensation and supports for his customers

have more to do. We have a new housing plan being published in the coming weeks. We will have significant infrastructure reforms being published in the coming weeks, all to enable greater delivery of more homes and more infrastructure right across our economy. That … that, if we can embrace that in the public service and also across all elements of the economy. When it comes to housing delivery, if you look at the national development plan, you will see that next year we will have over €11 billion between current and capital

that has to be answered here in the House. How is it when we see elections being called around Europe and in further places that we see citizens of other countries - European and non-European countries - have voting rights? They can go to their embassies or post their … that the majority of the 80,000 who are living in Australia are anxious to come home but have no jobs or no houses to come home to. Perhaps they would register their disappointment with this Government at elections. Perhaps those who are living

rapidly and start providing an additional financing stream for affordable housing that would actually help to deliver homes. The reality is that we are in a catastrophic situation. The level of homelessness that we are seeing right now is unprecedented but, unfortunately, it is becoming normalised by this … tackled rather than properly tackling them. There are some fundamental issues at play here. The proposal we made to zone land for affordable housing is not in this plan. I do not understand why we are not zoning land for affordable housing as has been done in other

light of the fact that so many people affected by that scandal had to take to the courts to pursue their rights. The Minister of State will recall that successive Cabinets had consistently resisted awarding repayments to holders of medical cards who had to pay for care … claim of public right. In many cases where public bodies or the State are being sued, the Attorney General's relationship to the Government is that of lawyer to client. This of course entails no accountability to the Houses of the Oireachtas and involves advising the Government

wrong in relation to our housing figures. I made the point about duplication and how you can report homelessness in more than one area. That did not suit the Deputy so he switched his argument for the next stage. The Deputy is right. We are coming from