Eight of the largest oil companies have made war profits of more than €79 billion in less than three months. This is at a time when workers and families are struggling with fuel prices. In 2008, the price of crude oil reached record levels of $145 per barrel. The price today is $101 per barrel, almost one third cheaper, yet consumers are paying exorbitant rates for their fuel. The biggest driver of cost is tax. Ordinary workers are being forced to dig deeper and deeper into their pockets to pay for these profits. I…

At this time of year and with the great weather we are having, families should be planning holidays or spending days at the beach or elsewhere. Instead, for a growing number of families, this is a time of stress. They are already worrying about the cost of their children going back to school in September. On top of spiralling rents, mortgages and food and energy costs, they must also pay for school books, uniforms, school bags and shoes and make the so-called voluntary donation. The list is endless, and the burden …

I strongly support this motion which seeks to provide clear, identified and funded pathways for people with intellectual disabilities to move from home to a suitable residential placement and which supports the campaign by Before We Die, a family-led advocacy group seeking urgent ring-fenced Government funding for residential care and housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. Their needs are threefold: purpose-built housing; establishment of a clear, gradual transition plan rather than emergency placement;…

Ireland's largest summer festival is on this weekend in Newbridge House and Farm in Donabate. Flavours of Fingal is in its 14th year and has been very successful. Between 65,000 and 75,000 people attend over the two days. Part of its success has been down to shuttle buses that bring people to and fro. This year, however, due to cost cutting by Fingal County Council, there is to be no service, which is a real blow to businesses, vendors, etc. Thousands of extra cars on the road mean extra pollution and add to the ex…

It was subsidised.

I was hoping the Minister could help.

I acknowledge the work that an Teachta Kerrane has put in on this important motion. Affordable childcare is a real challenge for families in my constituency, Dublin Fingal East, one of the largest and fastest growing areas. We are seeing large developments being built delivering thousands of much-needed homes but there is little effort being put into planning good quality affordable childcare facilities to meet the needs of families. Those childcare facilities that are being built are not fit for purpose. They are …

Pride has grown from a small gathering in Dublin to a nationwide celebration of diversity and inclusion. While it is very important that we recognise and celebrate progress, we must not become complacent. There are those who would roll back the progress and drag us back to the dark and less inclusive times. Pride has its roots in the struggle for equality and human rights but now these human rights are under attack. According to Amnesty International, attacks and hate crimes against our LGBT+ brothers and sisters h…

As a an island economy, Ireland's connectivity is essential and, to maximise the benefits to our economy, we need an ambitious aviation strategy. That does not mean that all roads lead to Dublin Airport, which is just as well considering the traffic mayhem there at the moment and the lack of a sustainable transport system. A successful strategy demands balanced, connected infrastructure that leads to sustainable rural and regional development. There is an all-Ireland dimension that also needs to be addressed. Brexi…

Removal of the mandatory three-day wait period for abortion in early pregnancy is a hugely step forward for women the length and breadth of this country. As it stands, it affects women's access to healthcare right across Ireland; women from all different backgrounds who have made their choices for many different reasons. We have to put the health of women to the forefront and this is key to the Sinn Féin legislation. This Bill supports and trusts women. It allows women access to healthcare in a respectful and under…

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion. I also congratulate Teachta Ennis on his maiden speech. Sinn Féin fully supports the motion to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures. We also stand with the Stop the Game campaign, which includes a huge number of organisations and individuals across Ireland, from football clubs, fan clubs and trade unions to students, players and pro-Palestinian groups, all of whom are united in making sure Israel's genocide is not legitimised or sportswashed, in a coal…

Public transport is vital for families and communities. A decent, reliable and sustainable transport system connects people with each other, work, education and recreation. The Minister will know that Fingal east faces systematic and long-standing deficits in public transport. The lack of infrastructure is now constraining economic growth and worsening climate outcomes and residential development. This has led to a dependency on car use. The OECD concluded that Ireland's transport system is structurally designed to…

The much-needed additional gardaí announced for Swords and Malahide are very welcome. However it does not address the need for a fit-for-purpose station in Swords. The station we currently have was built when Swords was a village. We now have a population of over 41,000 and growing. It services the areas around it, including Portmarnock, Donabate and further afield. The gardaí are doing the best they can with limited services, including working overtime to deal with antisocial behaviour, etc. An upgrade has been pl…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on an issue that affects women's reproductive health right across the State. I acknowledge that we have come a long way. We have a lot done but there is a lot more to be done. We are in a society now that is far more caring and considerate than the one I grew up in, but we had to fight every step of the way for what we have. From the contraception trains in the 1970s, the campaign against the eighth amendment in the 1980s, criminalisation in the 1990s, right up to the campaign for…

The Government has to deal with the crisis relating to school places in Fingal East. What is happening is very serious. I have a 13-year-old boy who is non-verbal and who has ASD. He is meant to be starting first year. His mother is a single parent and she will be forced to give up her job if she cannot get a place for him in September. In Loreto College Swords, 16 have been left without places for transition year. Their parents are at their wits' end. This is causing serious upset and anxiety for the girls in ques…

The Government may have won the confidence vote yesterday, backed by Independents, but I can assure the House that I and the public have lost all confidence in it. The Government still has not taken the necessary steps to make fuel affordable at the pumps, and it did nothing on home heating oil. This is despite the fact that heating oil has hit the highest price on record. The last-minute proposed package does not go far enough. Coach companies do not know what the support scheme offers them. Where are the details …

I begin by acknowledging all the great work done by thousands of volunteers who ensure our young people have an opportunity to play football every week. We owe a deep gratitude to all the coaches who turn up week in, week out in all weathers to train our young players to be the best they can be both on and off the pitch. The Dublin schoolboy league is the biggest football league in Europe and without the volunteers it simply would not function. I have seen the great work done by the coaches and board, with a specia…

I acknowledge the work done by serving members of An Garda Síochána, particularly community gardaí, who do their jobs under very difficult circumstances. Tackling the causes and consequences of crime is not just about law and order and it cannot be left entirely to gardaí. It is about having sufficient Garda numbers, adequately resourced, to work within the communities they serve. Community safety requires whole-of-government responsibility and an inter-agency approach. Gardaí have to battle not only against crime …

I welcome the opportunity to mark International Women's Day. The aim and theme this year of Give to Gain was really strong. The point was collaboration and collective action to drive opportunities for women and girls. When women drive, everyone thrives. As an active trade unionist for all of my working life, I see the link between the struggle for women’s rights and workers' rights. When we improve pay and conditions for women, everybody benefits. Families and communities benefit when women get fair pay and better …

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion, which we fully support. It is an issue we all deal with every single day. For most people, their GP is the first port of call when they have illness in their family. However, GP practices are struggling to deal with demand. We have situations where people have to plan to be sick before they can get an appointment. The primary healthcare system has to support quality, scheduled and urgent access to clinicians in order that patients and their families can…