Last weekend marked 50 years since the terrible slaughter of Bloody Sunday, a day nobody will ever forget. Having learned about it as we grew up or through various different formats, it is a day that will be always etched in our memories. On behalf of the Labour Party, my colleague, Deputy Duncan Smith, laid a wreath in Derry on Sunday. The day's events were a powerful and moving ceremony for all those who were killed and injured. Despite half a century having passed, the impact of that day is so raw. It is a date …

I, along with many others, had one of those moments this morning when everything just stopped as I listened to the radio and heard Maurice O'Connell talking about his son Jason. It was heartbreaking to listen to. The raw honesty meant it was something that one just had to listen to. He spoke of how his son lost his personality and lost his smile. It was one of those moments when one had to not just stop and listen, but also digest. Collectively, we all have to digest what has happened here. Imagine being in the roo…

I want to ask the Tánaiste these questions. Will the audit that is being carried out be a Scally-type review? What is the Government going to do to deal with the massive issues relating to resources and resource gaps around the country? Finally, what process will the Government put in place to deal with the issue of compensation for these families?

It cannot just be an audit to see if there are more rogue operators. The audit has to be based on the issue of resources around the country and the fact that CAMHS operates in silos. Most of all, the checks and balances are not there from a clinical point of view. According to the report, "The service has not implemented many of the recommendations of the CAMHS Standard Operating Procedure 2015 or the subsequent CAMHS Operational Guideline 2019." Why? Who is accountable for the fact that this was actually pointed o…

Will the Tánaiste confirm that any audit will deal with the broader issue - not just how operations happened but the lack of checks and balances and the lack of resources across the system geographically?

I wish to share the remaining time with Deputy Bacik.

Last Friday, the Taoiseach asked us all to get back to what we are good at and what we should be doing. What the Minister of State should be doing now is dealing with this issue because it is going to be the biggest issue by far facing the country. We accept a percentage of the colossal level of inflation is due to international factors, but when we break it down to the level of ordinary people's lives, between the rates of increase in diesel and petrol, home heating oil, the basic staple diet of bread, butter and …

Yesterday, I asked the Taoiseach about the Russian naval exercises off our coast that are planned for early next month. He did not answer my question, so I will ask him today. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is also the Minister for Defence, is sitting beside him. This is a serious matter for Ireland. We all know what is going on in Europe at the moment. We heard clearly the concerns of our fishermen in the south west about the impact that the exercises could have. Mr. Patrick Murphy, whom I spoke to yesterda…

I agree. That is why I am asking.

I accept that.

Will the Taoiseach answer my question, please? This is the second day in a row.

The Taoiseach never answered my question. I will ask it again tomorrow. That will be the third day.

This is just extraordinary. An investigation was ordered into the leak. The Taoiseach tagged it onto a bigger investigation. We have no date as to when the report will be done. This was so damaging to the families and survivors and had a very significant impact. The contents were in the media days in advance. Let us get to the bottom of the following. Will the Taoiseach tell the House when this investigation is over? If he cannot find out what happened, he should just say that, as bad as that would be. These people…

I thank the Taoiseach. I understand that over €9 million was spent on Covid-related advertising last year. More than €500,000 of that was spent on social media advertising. By and large, this is a huge level of expenditure by the Government. While it is absolutely necessary, I posit that it also gives the State a huge power when it comes to media. The Government is a huge contributor to media advertising, which we all know with the changing media they are very dependent on. With most restrictions lifted, the prospe…

It was the only question I asked.

I honestly do not think that the Taoiseach is living in the real world. We all know international factors are at play, but that is not the whole story. It is the Taoiseach's job to deal with them international factors impacting families and workers in this country and with what is real. The €113.50 credit that has been announced is a joke. It is tokenistic and is actually insulting. Inflation is at a 20-year high of 5.5%. Let that figure settle in, and its impact, especially the impact it will have over the next fo…

Speaking with deep honesty, I do not think the Taoiseach gets it. He has to deal with what I have shown, namely, an increase of €3,000 to €4,000. That is not debatable, but what he is proposing is meagre and will not deal with it. People watching this debate will suffer.

The Government has to deal with rent. It can be done, so do not tell me it cannot. I did it. Rent freezes can be introduced. The Government also has to deal with VAT. The Taoiseach keeps repeating that the Government cannot apply for a derogation but it can apply for a one-off derogation. Of course it can. The Taoiseach spoke about inflation. Workers have every right to look for pay increases to deal with inflation because the Government will not deal with it. He cannot sit there and say that they should not. They …

Deal with it, so.

Unfortunately, the delayed right to request flexible work law comes too late for many workers. What many want is to continue the flexible arrangements that were put in place. With the flexibility over the last two years, statistically more women were in full-time employment than ever previously, moving from part-time work to full-time work. This is an important factor in the Government's decision today. The Government has outlined 13 reasons whereby employers or bosses still have the upper hand. What has emerged fr…