I thank the Minister of State.

I speak on this legislation for different reasons. My views do not coincide with the views of many of the other speakers we have just heard, but for a different reason. I believe if the State passes legislation giving effect to any service for anything, in any way, shape or form, the public have a right to access that service by right, not at the behest of somebody who wants to protest and not because somebody wants to exercise their right to protest. I strongly object to the notion that freedom of expression carri…

It is not and if the Deputy wants to read his history, go back to the 1930s in central Europe and read carefully what was said. Again and again it was spoken about and where did it lead? It led to conflagration of the most awful type ever known on the face of this earth. It is not true to say freedom of expression should come first or foremost and we can express hate of one another. Deputy Tóibín mentioned hate. Hate speech is an appalling thing.

There was a war in Rwanda. It started because some serious religious person decided he hated everybody all around him. He set up a radio station and preached for six months or so before igniting the cauldron that came about.

You are on the wrong end of the argument. Five hundred thousand people were beheaded.

Half a million people lost their lives in order to prove a point. What point? Freedom of speech, freedom of expression and that one person had the right to hate another openly, which obviously draws a response. That is where the problem is not being addressed by the Members opposite. I have some reservations, though I will vote for the legislation. I have a different reason for having some worries about it. I believe whatever services are available within and approved by the State, whether for people’s health or un…

This is not an exchange of views; this is a reply.

Before moving on, I wish to bring to the attention of everyone in the House the need to ensure the question is asked clearly and that ample time is given for the reply. Somebody attempting to interrupt and provide a reply to their own question will be disallowed.

Again I raise a question I have had to raise on several occasions with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, namely parental alienation and the degree to which it continues to be used in family law. I have gone through this to some extent. Parents – mostly women but in some cases men – continue to have decisions made about them by way of reference to so-called expert witnesses. They are maligned in their submissions. Now a large number of people, maybe up to 200, both women and men, have been condemned to experien…

I acknowledge everything the Taoiseach said and congratulate the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Government on the work they have done in providing houses throughout the country in a measured, reliable and sustainable way. Another issue that is developing, however, relates to the lack of adequate emergency or homelessness accommodation spaces. The question of beds in every area is now one of acute importance. I have never dealt with a situation as serious and urgent, where, in many cases…

Go raibh maith agat.

Go raibh maith agat, a Aire.

Next is Deputy Lawless, who is substituting for Deputy O'Dea.

I will allow a supplementary question from Deputy Ó Murchú.

This question seeks reassurance in respect of indigenous investment and job creation, and also foreign direct investment in both the services and manufacturing sectors, with a view to ensuring we have continuity in the future.

I thank the Minister for his detailed reply. It is precisely in that respect that I am prompted to put this question because reassurance is always important whenever something appears in the media which might perhaps be a warning. In that regard I am anxious, as I know the Minister is, that ongoing steps be taken to predict what is likely to happen in the event of the kind of warnings we heard this morning which may probably be not serious. In particular, we may need to replace the areas which may be under pressure…

I thank the Minister again for his detailed reply. It is important, as well, to emphasise at this stage that this applies to both manufacturing and the service sectors. Every opportunity needs to be availed of to ensure that opportunities which can arise, and which could be helped to arise, in both of those sectors need to be encouraged at the same time and well in advance of any other trends we have been warned about from time to time. This is in order to provide the necessary confidence in the economy to continue…

A simple thing has occurred on a few occasions recently. Work permits and visas have been issued above board to an employer in respect of particular employees who may have had to move to another village or town a few miles away because of housing difficulties. Apparently the whole process has to be started again from scratch. They have to go over the whole thing from start to finish, which could take three months. It is not feasible from the point of view of either the employers or the employees and imposes hardshi…

I thank my party colleague for giving way. My question relates to an ever-pressing subject in north Kildare and several other locations throughout the country, namely, school places, which are much sought after at both primary and second level. The pressure continues. I acknowledge the Minister's important work in this area over recent years, but pressing issues remain.

I acknowledge the efforts of the Minister for Justice and her success to date in bringing forward modernising legislation in the area of family law. In particular, I draw to her attention the urgency of cases whereby children, their mothers and some fathers have been deprived of access to one another for considerable periods, and sometimes for a lifetime, on the basis of evidence provided by so-called or self-appointed experts in family law situations. The issue remains to deal with the situation as and from now. W…