Thankfully, we do not have that many deaths in custody.

Well, I am.

Just like the Taoiseach's answers.

I think it is not.

No. I think that when there is a death in the custody of the Garda there should be an investigation that is entirely independent.

Covid, probably more than anything else, has shown us how people, particularly workers, are our best resource. Workers, not only those on the front line but also others of all hues, beaver away doing essential tasks and allowing society to tick over. While we sit here debating the greater things in life, we rarely think of the centrality of workers in our society. We rarely think of them as a resource that could make our society much more efficient. In this regard, what does the Taoiseach think of the Fórsa campaig…

I want to pre-empt my question by acknowledging that childcare was one of the first industries to be severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic when services shut down on 12 March last year. Workers and parents were affected but there has also been an impact on the provision of care. My question is not getting at anyone; it is about the massive increase, by as much as 20%, in childcare fees for parents. In parts of Dublin 8, such as Islandbridge and Rialto, which are in the constituency I represent, one provider in t…

I accept all that. The problem is that despite the fact that it should not be happening, it is happening. That presents an immediate problem for parents. They have been saying to me that Covid has made it obvious that childcare needs to be a priority and that while inflation sits at 1.6%, childcare costs are being increased by 20% by the provider in question. Ireland has the second lowest rate of expenditure on early childhood care and education in the OECD. Faced with having to choose between a career and caring f…

I want to repeat my question. Why is it that our system, which we accept, involves a patchwork of providers at this level of care and education? We should not accept a patchwork of providers, some public and some private - and without proper regulation - and a system whereby prices can be increased and workers can be paid and treated so badly in many cases. I accept they are not treated badly in all cases. There is a great benefit to a publicly funded and run system. The international evidence is jumping out at the…

People Before Profit welcomes this timely motion tabled by the Rural Independent Group. One section of the motion in particular is most welcome, specifically, "that small farmers and factory workers are being exploited by some Irish beef processors; and that beef producers are routinely penalised by processors through the targeted operation of stealth and opaque price fixing practices". The lessons of Covid in particular have highlighted the extreme exploitation and failings in many areas of society. The failings i…

If the Taoiseach drives back and forth from here to Cork, he must frequently pass through Inchicore, which is in the constituency of Dublin South-Central. The constituency is a great area in which to live but also has one of the deepest socioeconomic disadvantages in the country. There has been a service, Hesed House, operating in Inchicore for people with mental health difficulties for 28 years. Approximately 80 to 100 people pass through its doors each week and it is a vital service, particularly for local youth,…

Will the Taoiseach follow up on that?

Thank you.

I should start by noting that since the emergency of the pandemic began, the vast majority of people have followed public health guidelines and have got us to where we are today, or at least have helped in large measure towards that. When emergency legislation was passed in March 2020 in an urgent situation, there were huge unknowns about the virus. There were unknowns about the right approach to take, in respect of how the virus might spread and what was immediately required in terms of action to protect life and …

My colleagues and I are very disappointed that our amendment was rejected. I would like to say a few words on the Bill before it passes. We do not intend to oppose it but I would like to make some general points and ask a number of questions. I acknowledge that the Building Momentum deal has been accepted by a large majority of the workers and trade unions that were balloted on it. We are told this is a technical Bill that will allow for some fairly small pay rises to be paid to our public servants, many of whom we…

Earlier the Minister spoke about the third anniversary of the vote to repeal the eighth amendment and the questions around the national maternity hospital. He said he has no evidence that there is any difference between his position and that of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, other than what we and all in government want. According to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, there is no disagreement on a full guarantee on an absolutely independent national maternity hospital. We do not have e…

Much of the blame for this crisis can be laid at the door of the pandemic and the public health restrictions that ensued because people across the planet were forced not to fly and to maintain public health restrictions. In our case, much of the blame for the crisis can be laid at the Government's approach to support for the industry. We also believe that much of the blame for the crisis in aviation can be laid at the doors of employers, who slashed and burned employees' rights as a response to the crisis, with who…

I attended the two very large demonstrations in Dublin city during the last two Saturdays along with the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and many Palestinians who live here. I also have a friend who lives in one of the towns that was under attack for ethnic cleansing by the Zionist militia when the latest phase of ethnic cleansing broke out. I telephoned him to see how he and his Palestinian wife and children were. He said: "It is unbelievable, Bríd. If you could imagine, in your homes in Ballyfermot, maraudi…

At the weekend thousands of angry people marched in counties Donegal and Mayo to demand justice over the use of mica and pyrite in the construction of their homes. Their demands are most reasonable and must be met. They are victims of light-touch self-regulation without oversight, recourse or penalties during the building regime which dominated this country during the Celtic tiger boom. Ironically, the brick supplier in the case of the mica-contaminated bricks in County Donegal, Cassidy Brothers, still supplies Don…

It is kind of hard to believe, in hearing the Minister of State's response, that the Government is not being shamed into admitting that these families - all 5,000 that are affected - deserve 100% coverage and redress for what has happened to them. They could not be compensated enough. An Oireachtas committee report has been mentioned and in 2017 that committee, in its mission statement, indicated that ordinary owners who purchased in good faith should not be liable for costs of remediation caused by incompetence, n…