I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I know he probably had a late night last night. It is interesting to hear him talk about his memories when he was young. Like myself, they must be quite hazy at this stage. Last week, the extensive lobbying efforts on behalf of several multinational giants by the consulting firm Teneo were revealed. Leaked documents showed the massive efforts these companies and their lobbyists put into gutting EU laws that would have enhanced corporate accountability. It seems pointless…

I am very concerned by the level of lobbying at EU level and how decisions are all too often being made behind closed doors without any real democratic input or transparency. Those with money should not be the ones who write our laws and regulations and I find it very disappointing that the Irish Government is unwilling to stand up for workers' rights and the environment when it goes against corporate interests. It is interesting that the Minister has met Hanover Communications. Will the Minister of State clarify w…

The Government votes with them.

I welcome a group of students and staff from Scoil San Treasa, Mount Merrion, who are guests of Deputy Shay Brennan. They are all very welcome and I hope they are enjoying their tour. The tradition here is that students do not get any homework today. They do not have any homework today or, even better, tomorrow. I call Senator Lynch.

I wish to raise the matter of St. John Ambulance Ireland. The Minister's written reply to survivors and my colleagues in both Houses on the implementation of Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's report is procedurally detailed but lacking in any real conviction. Throughout, we are repeatedly told that St. John Ambulance Ireland is an independent organisation outside the Department's aegis and that the State has no governance role. Survivors do not experience abuse in organisational silos. They do not distinguish between a State …

I would also like to acknowledge the horror of the attacks on Bondi. Extremism, wherever it comes from, is a concern. On a positive note, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, said he did not see any rise in antisemitism here in Ireland. That is something of which we should be aware and conscious. It is something to note when the Minister says that. On another note, there is a complete lack of planning in Ringsend and Irishtown associated with the Glass Bottle site development. Residents will start moving into the deve…

The FAI and the education and training boards, ETBs, run a player development programme in Ringsend, in Cabra and five other such programmes right across the country. It is a training course and the ETBs fund the bulk of it. Because of the type of course it is, they need a partner and the FAI is that partner. In Ringsend the course has been really good for the community over many years. I know it is the same for all seven communities in which the course is based. The programme has produced some incredible League of…

I welcome the Minister to the House. He has ten minutes for his opening speech.

Before we proceed, I welcome the pupils and teachers of Kilberry National School, County Kildare, guests of Deputy Mark Wall. I hope they are enjoying their visit. This is a really interesting place to visit. I am told that the law is there is no homework for the rest of the day.

There will be no homework for the rest of the week.

Next up is Senator Stephenson. Is she sharing time?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I acknowledge Cara and Mark Darmody and the amazing advocacy work they do. It is inspiring for everybody here. Some 3,500 new homes are being built at the Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend, which is expected to house around 8,000 new residents. The first apartments are due to be occupied early next year and prospective tenants are finally being given the opportunity to view the new apartments. The vast majority of people, however, are completely priced out of this site. A one-bedroom apartment costs upwards of €2…

I acknowledge the presence of Councillor Joe Malone, who does Trojan work and advocacy for local councillors. It is a well established fact that local authorities in Ireland are ineffectual. The Irish State is one of the most centralised democracies in Europe. City and county councils have not been given powers to address the issues facing their communities, much less the funding to deliver what is needed. We only have to look at the thousands of residents living in the flat complexes and people living in the inner…

If we fast-forward to budget 2026, €670 million was allocated to the same fund. It is clear that we are underfunding the services we desperately need at a local level and centralising spending at a local level. An OECD report in 2019 found that Ireland had the lowest level of decentralisation and local government spending relative to GDP. The Council of Europe publicly warned in 2023 that local government in Ireland was excessively centralised to the detriment of democratic representation and service delivery. Like…

I remind Senator Ahearn-----

I am sorry, but I did not interrupt Senator Ahearn, so he should give me the same respect, if he does not mind. A long list was read out of what still needs to be done. Fine Gael has had 14 years to do it and the party has been sitting on its hands and letting councillors in local authorities down.

It was suggested that I said councillors are ineffectual and I would appreciate if that was changed. Obviously, they are very effective.

There is increasing antisemitic sentiment in Ireland, which is completely unacceptable. It is a cancer in society. There are so many members of the Irish Jewish community who have made such a positive impact on society and they should be celebrated. Chaim Herzog was not one of these. Israel's crimes did not start on 7 October 2023. Israel's crimes started decades before then. People can argue the merits of renaming Herzog Park, but to hear our Government Ministers refer to a man who perpetrated ethnic cleansing of …

Ireland has the unfortunate status of being the puppy farm capital of Europe, with a massive industry of underground breeding establishments continuously producing puppies under appalling conditions. This has all happened under the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Ireland falls far short of what most dog lovers would recognise as an acceptable environment for puppies and their mothers. The breeding and sale of pets urgently demands stricter regulations to combat issues such as puppy farming and irresponsible bre…