The Labour Party welcomed the establishment of a formal public debate on Ireland's security stance when it was announced by Government. At that time, I called in the House for a proper forum on the model of the citizens' assembly, which has proven so successful in so many areas at teasing out the detail and complexity of difficult issues. The Government chose not to go down that path and instead set up a forum consisting of four days of 16 panels and 80-plus speakers. The Irish Times summed up the forum as having e…

We want to make sure it is put to bed by enshrining it in a constitutional amendment.

If we put it in very clear terms, there cannot be any talk about it. There is no point in paying lip service and saying that neutrality is beyond doubt if we do not really mean it but I think it is beyond doubt. I sincerely hope so. As I have said, the issue should be put beyond doubt so that we can then discuss our domestic defence requirements in a rational way without the issue of neutrality always hovering above the debate. I have repeatedly stated that being neutral is not the same as having no defence capacit…

That is the additionality the Government is talking about. It is 1%. In truth, we are not serious. In this country, we are really good at developing and devising policies. I hear the Tánaiste is going to have another document produced in the next couple of months. We will have had a forum, White Papers, discussion documents and reports. If we are ever invaded, we will have enough reports, documentation and White Papers to barricade our ports but, based on the way things are going, we will not have much in the way o…

We should give a few more minutes to the Opposition.

I tried that. It did not work out well.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for his indulgence. I wanted to make a few comments on the legislation before the House and the fact that this is the product of a new entity, the Electoral Commission, that we have been long promised and has been long talked about. It is great to actually have it in existence. All other electoral boundaries that were presented, and by convention passed without amendment, were proposed by an ad hoc commission, though always of a very eminent kind. This is the first time…

Or there might be another Deputy to speak.

I have only two minutes and then I will adjourn the debate. I have witnessed many electoral commissions presenting their findings to this House over the years. Up to now they have been an ad hoc committee of disparate individuals with important tasks brought together simply to determine the constituency boundaries for an election. This is the first time we have actually had an Electoral Commission on a statutory basis with a much broader remit. As Deputy Matthews rightly said, we have only seen the very beginnings …

When will the debate resume?

I thank Sinn Féin Deputies for tabling this motion and allowing us another opportunity to address this issue. This is my third time to speak on the unfolding horror that we are witnessing in Gaza. Last week, I said that the carnage we are witnessing daily is sickening. The only thing that has happened since is that matters have become even worse. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science told the Dáil earlier that this is a war on children. The State of Israel is waging war on …

Well, pay them.

I compliment my colleague, Deputy Duncan Smith, on his long advocacy for home care workers and home care support, and for tabling the motion. No Member of this House has not struggled with difficult cases from constituents desperate to continue living at home or families desperate to have loved ones come home from long-term hospital care, only to be told again and again that there is no home help service or that what is available is inadequate to allow the loved one to be treated at home or to remain living at home…

Clearly, one issue dominated the European Council and, indeed, dominates all our thoughts in this House, in this country and in Europe and beyond. The carnage we are witnessing on a daily basis in Gaza is truly sickening. Our first priority must be to halt the killing, to have a ceasefire. This House united in that regard when the vote was put. I welcome the efforts of the Taoiseach to build support for a ceasefire within the European Union. Although a position was arrived at among the EU 27 which managed to find a…

Is the Minister of State going to answer questions?

I see. I think we are all of one mind that the first imperative, as I said repeatedly in my contribution, is to have a ceasefire to stop the killing right now. I am interested in hearing the Minister of State's view on that. It is clear the Taoiseach's efforts at the European Council to achieve a consensus calling for a ceasefire from the EU 27 have not worked. There are strongly held views in other countries. It is well and good for us to have a strongly held view and demand that others share that view. However, i…

What is the alternative?

I suppose if the Minister of State could talk about quad bikes it is all right to talk about Louth in the same motion. This is a simple motion but an important one because it impacts on every community in the country. As the Minister of State outlined, it provides for the continuation of what we all agree is desirable and wanted across the country, that is, the ability to have outdoor dining and to sell alcohol - if one likes, to replicate what happens as the norm across virtually every village, town and city in Eu…

Income tax was introduced as a temporary measure, for example.

They can be moved later.