On the same issue and the Government's approach to it, we have heard that resources are going to be provided to deal with these arson attacks. The best deterrent is probably seeing people brought to justice, that is, detected and prosecuted. However, that will require a strategy. The social media platforms play a huge role in the spread of information and disinformation. I have some questions about the policing approach to that. Before we see someone hurt or injured - the buildings may be empty but we are asking fi…

Road safety must remain an absolute priority for all of us. I welcome most aspects of the Bill. I have some difficulties with elements of it, which are not terribly different from the ones that have just been highlighted. Part 2 of the Bill seeks to overhaul the way penalty points are applied, or certainly the number of them that can be imposed at any given time. Under the new regime, a person who is alleged to have been detected committing a series of offences will incur cumulative sanctions. That is an important …

There are 15 second level schools in Kildare North. Almost all of them are completely full. There has been substantial growth in the population but school places have lagged badly behind. This year, it is worse than ever. There is panic among parents and students are understandably upset. Parents do not want reassurance from the Minister; they want to know how and where accommodation is going to be provided. They want a comprehensive overview of that. They know the situation on the ground. They have had multiple re…

The Social Democrats will support this Bill, even though it is an interim measure. Ideally, we would want the main legislation to be brought forward as quickly as possible. The Bill before the House is designed to provide, in the short term, for the continuation of the appointment of temporary coroners in the Dublin district to continue working through their day-to-day caseloads. It is appropriate that we should give sanction for that by way of legislation. That is what the Bill facilitates. Deputy Ó Ríordáin highl…

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Shortall. It relates to the change in law by way of statutory instrument last year that, effectively, shut down transparency when it comes to the central register of beneficial ownership of companies. This change came on foot of a Court of Justice of the European Union judgment, but we have interpreted it very differently from other jurisdictions.

It is having an extreme impact in the way it was handled by way of the statutory instrument. We are aware there is a great number of investment funds. We are also aware of brass-plate companies in the financial services sector. Huge contracts are being allocated by the likes of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE, and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I am certainly well aware of people who I do not believe are the beneficial owners of the companies getting some of thes…

I am aware that things are moving in Brussels, but they move very slowly. In the meantime, we will have a problem with transparency. An over-the-top approach has been taken. In this regard, consider what is happening in other jurisdictions. The likes of France and Latvia have completely ignored the approach. The measure has been interpreted differently in various parts of Europe. We have taken a very conservative, extreme approach that is sheltering people. The vast majority of people who own companies will have no…

I am not a member of the committee so I did not take part in the Committee Stage debate on the Bill but I find common ground with both Deputies Nash and O'Reilly and I am supportive of amendments Nos. 3 and 9. People who are most at risk need to be most protected. I can see why the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has expressed serious concerns. Not only are people here for a very short period and, as Deputy O'Reilly said, would not be able to orientate themselves with the rights under employment law, but very often …

This motion is aimed at a practical measure that this country can take to bring to an end this slaughter of children, women and men that is happening in Gaza, with women and children making up the majority of those slaughtered. It is not just about revenge for the appalling acts on 7 October by Hamas. This is not just about revenge. It has gone beyond revenge, with the denial of the basics of life, like food, clean water, medicine, fuel and shelter. It is about the further killing of people. Time is absolutely of t…

The Social Democrats support this legislation. Before getting into the detail of it, I want to wind back the clock to April 2023 when the general scheme of the Bill was before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It sets the tone for where I want to take my contribution. I am not a member of that committee and, as such, I did not have the benefit of assessing the merits of the Bill in pre-legislative scrutiny. The introduction of the pre-legislative stage is one of the better reforms …

Despite the huge housing emergency, the staffing levels at An Bord Pleanála have been insufficient to deal with appeals. This has caused unacceptable delays and it has caused a huge bottleneck. In the "RTÉ Investigates" report last night, we saw a situation where those delays were disgracefully exploited for financial gain. Go-away money was being demanded couched as consultancy, which really looks more like extortion. One of the key issues is staff shortages where there is permission to have a complement of 300 st…

Keeping people safe is one of the key functions of government. I characterise it as a critical civil liberty. Just saying the city is safe, as the Minister has done several times, does not mean it is. What was particularly shocking about the riot in Dublin was the lack of preparation for such an eventuality or, better still, a plan to prevent it from happening in the first place. On "Prime Time" on 28 November, Niall Hodgins of the GRA said there was no plan and that members turned up simply because WhatsApp messag…

On the same topic, it is welcome that there is to be a debate this afternoon, but it is very much a reaction to what happened last Thursday. We believe there should have been a back-and-forth discussion. There may well be agreement to make a change in that regard. In the absence of that, there needs to be a further debate next week in order that we can take stock. There should be a back-and-forth engagement with the Minister for Justice in order that we can see what proactive responses are possible in the context o…

The riot in Dublin last Thursday does not represent who we are. Most of us felt incredibly sad for our capital and our country. Media images were beamed across the world, with the consequent reputational damage. A small group of far-right activists seized on an appalling incident that had occurred earlier in the day. Our thoughts are with those who were injured outside the school and especially with the little girl who is still fighting for her life. Far-right groups weaponised what occurred and have been building …

The Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities completed a review of local government, the report of which was adopted on 25 October. It was absolutely scathing of Ireland. It ranked Ireland just above Hungary, the Russian Federation and Moldova. We were poor right across the board. The review described our system as being more akin to local administration as opposed to local government. Local elections are due to be held next year. Will the Government respond to the findings and recommendations…

The events of 7 October and the response in recent weeks have focused the world's attention on Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. The crimes Hamas inflicted on Israel on 7 October were utterly appalling and I have no hesitation in condemning those atrocities. The crimes were of such magnitude that they have left the people of Israel traumatised and frightened for their safety, lives and future. The atrocities have been compounded by the taking of hostages, most of whom continue to be held. Our motion calls for their r…

I thank the Minister for bringing forward this legislation, which is intended to provide workers with better protection over the course of the collective redundancy process in cases that involve insolvency. There appears to be a caveat in the language of the official briefing, which states that the protections for employees do "not unduly impede enterprises in the conduct of their business". I ask the Minister to expand on that when he is wrapping up. I am not quite sure where the balance will lie there. While any …

I take the point regarding the Long Title of the Bill, and this is more a legacy of Covid-19 rather than about Covid-19. There were positive things that we could see out of Covid-19, and one of those was that people socialised outside. I know that it has to be the Department of Justice but it is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that really should have the input into this. The planning issues are some of the obvious ones. It is not satisfactory that we are at a point where we are still extend…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate and it is obviously a follow-on from a debate last week with regard to driver testing times. I mentioned in that debate that it is the clearest way of showing that people have earned the competency to drive on the road safely. However, we also have to be acutely aware that drivers are not the only road users. Obviously, there are pedestrians, recreational walkers and people on bikes. Increasingly we are seeing e-scooters, e-bikes, cargo bikes and everything in betwe…

I am sorry; I did not know I was over time.