At the end of Covid, there was a day in the civic centre, when everybody was not coming out, to show maps etc., but there was no consultation on the infrastructure.

This motion is a piece in a jigsaw. It does not really do anything on its own. It is part of a wider jigsaw and relates to the EU migration pact that probably will be voted through later today. We have quite a few problems with it. When the rhetoric is stripped away, what is going on here is the strengthening of fortress Europe and increasing the power of Frontex and others to keep migrants out of Europe. That is basically what it is about in giving power to agencies and claiming we are dealing with criminal gangs.…

I also think it is a good idea to prepare for an unexpected future. On the surface, these two proposed savings funds provide some sense of security for the future. They take the form of refurbished rainy day funds, but what the Government is unable to and incapable of recognising is that it is already raining heavily for many people. We need access to the windfall tax revenues to which the legislation refers right now in order to tackle the multiple crises in our public services and in the areas of health, housing,…

As the youngest Taoiseach at the age of 37, good on the Taoiseach that he can afford his own home. That is good for the Taoiseach and for anybody who can, but what about the tens of thousands of people of the Taoiseach's age group who cannot and who are, like the Taoiseach acknowledges, forced into the boxroom of their parents? Now the Taoiseach says he will move heaven and earth to get them out of there and into their own home, but he has never once, in all the decade plus that he has been in the Fine Gael Party i…

On the same theme, I was out earlier with Martin Leahy who comes up from Cork every Thursday to sing his song, "Everyone Should Have a Home", outside the Dáil. I want to let people know that on 18 April, after we return from the Easter break, it will be his 100th week. All of us who are concerned with homelessness and the crisis of immigration and the homelessness of immigrants should be outside to sing that song with Martin on 18 April as a form of protest. I will stay on the question of empty State properties. I …

That is not what any of the reports say. It is brand-new information to us that there is asbestos in the hospital. Until now, all we have been told is that the State does not own it. It is owned by the HSE, which, it transpires, is the biggest land hoarder in the State, with over 300 empty properties, some of which I know of in my constituency. People have been described as racists and there are those who are trying to stir up trouble, and they certainly do so. I see their bile and hatred all the time on social med…

Hear, hear.

A Government Deputy said earlier that Ireland had been most staunch on the question of Gaza. That may be true, but it would not be very hard because Europe has been so poor on the issue. In fact, the image of Ursula von der Leyen running into the arms of Benjamin Netanyahu after 7 October and declaring her undying love for him and his regime will remain with all of us right-minded and humane people in Europe who care about the people of Palestine. Germany has frozen aid funding for Gaza in the most awful circumstan…

Before Christmas and after the House had shut down, the results of a competition none of us, I think, knew about were released. Indeed, the people who had applied for it did not know until they had sent in the applications that it was a competition. It was for grants in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, education. There were over 2,700 applications from schools around the country. That is a great thing. It indicates both the enthusiasm of the teachers and the relevance of those subjects in tod…

In line with what the last speaker had to say about the pay of Defence Forces personnel, the conditions under which they have lived and the housing they have had over the years, with many not being given houses and living in the backs of their cars in order to operate as soldiers or naval personnel, I marvel at the Government's attempt to spend more money on defence but not on the Defence Forces themselves. The idea that we would join PESCO and increase the proportion of our budget that goes towards military hardwa…

I just want to hear the Tánaiste say it again-----

-----and I believe the Women of Honour want to hear him say it again. This has regard to term of reference (iv), "To investigate whether Complaints of Abuse were actively deterred or whether there was a culture that discouraged the making of Complaints of Abuse". Will that term of reference allow everyone-----

-----to be included in the tribunal, including those who did not engage? The Tánaiste's answer is "Yes". That is most welcome. The other question relates to the last recommendation on page 91 of the independent review group report commissioned by the Department, which states: The Minister [that is, the Tánaiste, Deputy Martin] should consider a complete review and replacement of the redress of wrongs procedure under Section 114 of the Defence Act, 1954 and Administrative Instruction A7, Chapter 2, in light of moder…

In his engagement with religious leaders, did the Taoiseach or officials from his Department have any discussion with Archbishop Eamon Martin? It may have gone under the radar but just before Christmas, after the Dáil had wound down, the archbishop made a statement on the safe access zones Bill. Can the Taoiseach hurry this legislation up? There have been protests outside abortion clinics this morning in Limerick, and they are pretty intimidating protests by men carrying rosary beads and aggressively approaching wo…

I am the leader for the new year, okay?

I want to put it up to the Minister and to the entire Government that the problems we have seen over the past few days in Roscrea and beyond are not the fault of asylum seekers; they are the Government's fault. I am pointing the figure at the Government because I really mean this. I am so angry, as is everybody, about the scenes of women and their children being frightened and bullied, and harangued and harassed, as well as the scenes of violence that ensued from that and them having to witness it. It is happening,…

I will have that debate with the Ceann Comhairle again but I stand over my right to say that they echo the sympathies of Nazis.

I can.

They are not the facts.

To repeat, I am actually standing here to say the far right are liars and Nazi sympathisers. They spread bile and lies, first of all about single men, and then it extends to all refugees, including the terrified women and children we saw in the videos the other day. It is the far right that are spreading the riots. They are Nazi sympathisers and they see racism as a tool to deflect from what is going on in society. Unfortunately, however, it is deflecting against the Government and the problems it has created. The …