I would not mind getting a copy of the Minister of State's speech to compare it with that of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. I think they are the same bla, bla, bla as Greta Thunberg famously said about how we deal with the climate crisis. We are no strangers to having to use Private Members' time to pursue Bills that just sit and wait and have nothing done with them. The same happened to a climate emergency measures Bill which was passed by the Oireachtas. We had to use Private Members' time to insist it …

There is a terrible legacy of this State relying on charity to deliver care for the most vulnerable sections of our society, particularly those with disability. We have perpetuated a situation where 5,000 workers in 30 organisations have been forced to serve strike notice of three weeks on this date. This is an indefinite strike in the section 39 sector. I want to make a very simple argument. These workers took massive pay cuts during austerity. Other workers have had their pay restored, but these workers have not.…

I welcome the chance to speak on this Bill. Anyone would recognise that a shift to move powers from unelected individuals into a democratically elected office is a positive thing. However, that power then needs to be accountable to the people who put those people into the position to make decisions. We think this Bill is a missed opportunity to undo the effects of Ireland's weak and wanting local democracy. This Bill has been drafted in response to a plebiscite held in 2019 in which the people of Limerick narrowly …

I do not know how the Minister reacted to it, but I found the bombardment by the National Dairy Council’s campaign around World Milk Day recently, particularly on television, alarming. It was nothing other than a greenwashing exercise. I was alarmed that it portrayed a need for us all to consume more and more dairy on the grounds that it was efficient, good for the planet, made everyone look happy-clappy, green and healthy. Will the Minister comment on this? Is he worried about it? Has the Government funded any of …

I certainly will be making a complaint to the ASAI. In fact, I think it has already gone in. This advertising of dairy and the manner in which it was done is absolute greenwashing and it is disgraceful. It is interesting it came in the same week RTÉ did the exposé on the level of cruelty to animals that takes place in that industry. Every year, the industry slaughters 35,000 male calves because they are absolutely useless and those that are exported for the veal industry are treated like they are vermin. Nobody in …

I do not agree we have very robust measures to prevent cruelty to animals. If we had, we would not have seen that report. It is also extremely cruel to separate the male calves from their mothers at birth and to slaughter so many of them. It is an outcome of the industry itself and the fact we are producing such a large dairy herd. We are increasing our emissions from dairy year on year. I remind the House agriculture accounts for the most CO2 emissions and we are not challenging ourselves at all to bring them down…

The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, gave a commitment in the House to another group of essential workers, the water workers, that there would be a referendum on the control and ownership of water and on keeping it in public hands and that there would be a guarantee made over their jobs and conditions, in particular their rostered overtime and extra allowances. They have never, ever received that in writing from the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, or the county and city management association, CCMA, who …

If it guaranteed, why is the employer not engaging with the union?

I welcome the workers from Iceland here today. They are up in the Gallery. I hope everyone welcomes them. They have been busy campaigning, unionising and some of them occupying their stores where they are losing their jobs. We have just learned that five more stores have pulled down the shutters today without any consultation with workers. The issue of the Iceland workers has been raised several times by us and others on the floor of the House. The frequent answer which the Taoiseach gives me is that they have to w…

Like the Government did with Tara Mines, it could expedite talks.

I am sharing time with Deputy Barry.

I do not believe Deputy Gino Kenny is taking his time, so it is just the two of us.

That is what I like to hear. I am delighted this Bill is before the House. I congratulate the campaigners in Together for Safety, who have relentlessly pursued this issue, driving us all to keep coming back to it. While repeal was not an easy win and was hard fought for before being won, you could sit back and say it is done and dusted and we no longer have to worry about it. However, we were recently reminded during questions with Dr. Marie O'Shea and her team at the Joint Committee on Health that protests against…

I am thankful for the opportunity to talk about this subject again. It seems to me that there is a bit of a competition in the House on the nature restoration law with various groups wanting to prove they are the ones most opposed to it. This is the second time in a week we have had a lengthy motion essentially calling for an outright rejection of the proposed nature restoration law. One must wonder what nature did to deserve such attention. At least this motion differs from last week's motion where we had a conjur…

I raise the latitude or discretion afforded to local authorities when making decisions about the allocation of social housing and the purchase of housing under the tenant in situ scheme. Mr. Denis Murphy and his family were offered a home before Christmas by South Dublin County Council. The family's means were assessed and the income was over the threshold. The reason was that Mrs. Murphy had worked as a carer, as asked and called upon by the Irish State, over and above the call of duty during the Covid crisis. Dis…

I do. I did not realise we were on section 2 already. One of my amendments was ruled out of order. That was to argue for 100% of the tax to be taken. That has been ruled out of order because apparently it would have a cost to the Exchequer. There are many problems with the Bill and much that we did not foresee when we saw the heads of Bill. I hoped it would be quite a progressive Bill and would do something really meaningful. It has actually given a sort of veneer or makeover to a thing the Government does not real…

Fair enough.

Apologies for being late for the debate. I listened to the previous Deputies, all of whom spoke clearly on the issue. I am really coming here as an alternative to Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett, who is at another committee. I wish Deputy Boyd Barrett was here because, as we know, he was born in a mother and baby home. It is one of the many things that are excluded from this scheme with which the Minister has come up. I cannot say how utterly disgusted I am with what we are doing in this Dáil today. If it was not for t…

What about false records?

It has changed. Why did the Government bring it back to us if we will not get to vote on it?