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public childcare service similar to our primary schools. There should be a guaranteed legal right to affordable, accessible and universal early education for ever child. There should be better pay and conditions for early educators, who should be paid directly by the State. Public childcare is also … politics. The biggest obstacles for lone parents entering the workforce are the high cost and lack of availability of childcare. A public childcare service would certainly help in this regard. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, which I support

another very positive step. It creates a space where Departments and State agencies can co-ordinate responses, identify gaps and improve how services are delivered in practice. For families dealing with crises, delay and fragmentation can have lifelong consequences. Better co-ordination means earlier intervention, better outcomes … that as we strengthen the legal framework, we continue to invest in the people and services that make it real on the ground because, ultimately, child protection is not just a responsibility of one agency or Department but a whole-of-State responsibility, a community responsibility

otherwise make operational use of any biometric analysis technology, surveillance technology, software, hardware, dataset, or related service supplied by— (a) a company incorporated, headquartered, or substantially operating in a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, (b) a subsidiary, affiliate, or parent undertaking of such … legal compliance, provided that no further operational use is made of such technology. (5) No biometric data collected, processed, or retained under this Act shall be transferred to, processed by, or stored on any server, cloud service, or technological infrastructure— (a) located in a state engaged

Commission. I would appreciate if the Minister of State could update the House on whether there has been any commission progress to address the legal loophole whereby unincorporated bodies are not obliged to nominate a person to accept service of legal proceedings on behalf of their organisation. Like … This is secondary abuse. Survivors speak of years trapped in procedural disputes, unable to progress their cases. They describe being suspended in a legal limbo that delays healing, impedes meaningful engagement with therapy and causes ongoing retraumatisation. Survivors describe the litigation strategy as a continuing exercise of power

wait for assessments of need. If the Minister of State wants an estimation of just how bad things are, it was reported in The Times Ireland weekend edition that there is now a buy-now-pay-later service being offered for therapies. I have spoken to parents … Minister of State might acquaint herself with this buy-now-pay-later, BNPL, service because I fully intend to raise this every single time. It is disgusting that people would be forced to get into debt for what their children have a legal entitlement to. These companies have

statement of 18 September by the European External Action Service expressing concern about the arrests and legal proceedings in Türkiye. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, decided last Tuesday that, in our national capacity, Ireland, along with some EU member states and like-minded countries, would deliver a démarche, which

including in the context of the National Educational Psychological Service, the National Council for Special Education, special educational needs organisers and the allocation of special needs assistants. Furthermore, many families have had to take legal proceedings against the State in the courts in order to secure school places

have raised this issue a number of times with the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I know there is an international protection medical service serving that centre. However, there is a real problem with access to GPs in south Dublin. The residents … people who can provide a service. Is it the case the State simply does not want to pay for it or wants to avoid paying for it? It should not try to avoid this. In the same way we would provide proper legal representation for people before

Simon Harris says that he is on the side of the people and would love to do it but cannot legally, but then cannot explain why legally he cannot, whereas Micheál Martin comes out and says the truth, which is that we do not want to damage … ruling changes everything because it says that all states are under an obligation to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings and prevent trade or investment relations with the settlements. For the Government's legal argument, that is the turning point. The problem with the Government

street when they could have been helping people. That could have been dealt with in a more timely fashion, which could have helped services that are badly wanted for people with mental health difficulties. We have to get this right. We have to make sure the funds available … euro being wasted on legal challenges that could help people in need. I ask for the Minister of State's help with that. I hope we do not have to wait for seven or eight years for other cases in the health services to conclude when they could

prospectus where the Central Bank has a legal basis to do so. Other than insufficient prospectus disclosures, an example of a legal basis for refusal would be: 1. The existence of EU financial sanctions prohibiting the provision of services or assistance in connection with the issuance of securities … measures. The Government's countermotion states the Central Bank "has clearly stated that an Advisory Opinion of the ICJ, or indeed the processes of the ICC does not constitute grounds for the [Central Bank] to refuse the prospectus". What it fails to state is that the Central Bank

efficiently. The Bill also advances the Government's digital agenda and improves the efficiency of public service delivery. The law on motor tax, vehicle records and speed limits must reflect how services are now delivered and how road safety decisions are now made. There is also a practical … adjusted later in the Bill. Part 2 deals with the national vehicle and driver file, NVDF, and the Check My Vehicle service. The NVDF is the State's central database for vehicle and driver information. It supports vehicle registration, driver licensing, motor tax, enforcement and road safety

authority and to pass this information on to the Attorney General in connection with the conduct of legal proceedings on behalf of the State. In July of this year, I said that when the Government was transposing the EU directive on protected disclosures, I was clear … today's motion. Providing free legal aid and psychological services for whistleblowers, and removing the limitations on financial compensation that whistleblowers can win by way of redress, are important steps in this regard. Whatever the view of the Minister of State or me on the transposition

believe this legislation is the most effective or legally sustainable path forward. The Bill before the House would, in practice, amount to a blanket prohibition on trade in all goods, and certain services, between Ireland and Israel. In effect, it amounts to a boycott, divestment and sanctions approach … occupied Palestinian territory. I thank Senator Black for her work in this regard and for her continued engagement with the Government. Legally, the regulation of services is significantly more complex at an EU level than the regulation of goods. That is why I have been engaging with

levels. Safeguarding in its widest interpretation is about safe services. We all have a fundamental right to feel safe, especially in the case of residents of nursing homes, in what is their home. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people I remain fully committed, working with … play a vital role in the provision of long-term care and other services. It is acknowledged that the nursing home sector has evolved in Ireland over the past 30 years from a predominantly State-led service to a situation today where approximately 80% of nursing home services

those focused on planning, insurance, infrastructure, water services and wastewater and legal costs. We want real outcomes from this forum. The last meeting was only held last week. It was attended by the Minister and the two Ministers of State here, given the political commitment we have

circumstances today. There are changing demands on our services and this Bill ensures our legal framework remains fit for purpose. A very important part of this Bill is the introduction of a statutory duty to co-operate between several State agencies and bodies, including Government Departments and Tusla

helpful if the Government published the legal advice it has received on the inclusion of services. The European Union must also do far more. The EU cannot lecture the world about human rights, freedom, and democracy while some member states fail to take meaningful action and are blocking

them were working on complex financial, legal and property matters under significant public scrutiny and, at times, criticism. They served the State well. The transition to the NTMA should be managed with full respect for their rights and their service. I ask the Minister of State to confirm

goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The programme for Government commits to prohibiting imports of goods. The general scheme, which the committee examined, does not prohibit trade in services with natural or legal persons located in Israeli settlements … certain that the inclusion of goods is permissible under EU law. We need legal clarity on the point on services. We must take into account practical issues with regard to implementation should services be included in the scope of the Bill. It remains the Government’s preference that

doable for them because of the way they were being treated and what they were facing in the Irish health service. Many of them were leaving the country and going to Australia or wherever. All of those issues that the INMO have been campaigning about all of these … place a legal obligation on the State to ensure safe staffing levels, we are back to recruitment embargos. The Government has given no real clarity as to whether these will impact on nurses and the front line and therefore on patients, the quality of services

November, the Taoiseach told this House that legal advice states a Minister cannot read protected disclosures. That claim has caused real alarm throughout the country because if a Minister cannot read protected disclosures, the Minister cannot verify whether the Minister is being misled. It is an extraordinary position … record of this House from 1996, meaning we have known about it here for over 30 years. Yet, when the matter reached the State legal apparatus of the Chief State Solicitor's office, that office told a statutory tribunal that the system did not exist and argued

progress but we have still to take that most important step and recognise that only the State can guarantee access to childcare in areas where private or community services have not been established. A public model of early learning and care is the final step that brings together … legislating to ensure that every child has a legal right to the two years of the ECCE programme? Does he believe that the work childcare professionals do is as important as that of teachers and that the State needs to pay them in a way that recognises this

staff and wish everyone well for the summer break. It is very clear that IBEC is trying to manipulate the Government to exclude services from the occupied territories Bill. We have had more than 21 months of genocide. The EU is now saying that it will keep … close watch on genocide. The EU is worse than useless. At the same time, the EU said that member states should consider the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice in the context of trade with the occupied territories. It is very clear that we need sanctions

have aged out of the paediatric services without ever receiving the treatment they were promised. Separately, any inquiry needs a State-guaranteed transition pathway to be established right now to move vulnerable children safely through the system while these legal reviews drag on. We cannot put everything