I second the motion.

I wish to raise the humanitarian disaster in Sudan which has been going on for two years. The Deputy Leader raised it yesterday. More than 12 million people have already been displaced and many millions face severe malnutrition and famine. It is an extraordinarily severe humanitarian situation. People are facing starvation and dying for lack of food and medicine while conflict carries on with no indications that the two sides, the Sudanese government and the RSF, or the respective international backers, including t…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in again. He is always very engaged and open, and that is appreciated by everybody in the House. The investment is very welcome. Ireland does overseas aid really well, and that is very important. As the Minister of State said, investment in the global south affects communities here. I am not sure how we can get that message across. It is a case of delivering that message because it is really important and it is linked. The overseas aid is so important. Last month's so-called…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I acknowledge and welcome Shelbourne's new 250-year lease on its grounds, which is positive and will secure the club's future. I believe it signed the lease yesterday with Dublin City Council. It can develop the way a club of its standing should. It is a great community club. I also want to wish the Irish under-17s, with Colin O'Brien as manager, good luck in the World Cup. Their first game today is against Panama and I wish the team well. Last month, the Gover…

The investment is welcome. My concern is that if you look at many of the sports capital projects, clubs put in an application for €100 million and they get €50 million. The reality is that they cannot deliver that project because they do not have what they need to deliver out on the project. They were looking for €4.5 million to make the project work. My concern is that the €3 million will not allow them to finish out that project, the development of academies, in the way that is required to make it work into the f…

First, I acknowledge the victory by Zohran Mamdani in the mayor of New York election and congratulate him on it. It is a victory for positive, fact-based politics and is a rare light of hope in a very depressing political world. I wish him well. It is important for all of us that he is successful. I wish to address the State's continued uncritical willingness to grant Exchequer funding to Greyhound Racing Ireland in spite of rampant animal welfare abuses and a complete lack of transparency. Greyhound Racing Ireland…

Could I just clarify?

Regarding the debate on the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, that motion will go to the committee, but will it come back to the House for a debate?

Just about itself, not mixed in with lots of other issues. Will there be a debate on that motion?

So that will go to committee and will come back to the House-----

-----for a separate debate?

I thank the Leader.

It has to be said that Colm's score yesterday is disputed.

I am not making any allegations. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I previously raised the issue of Rathmines post office being sold off, as well as the closure of the post offices in Baggot Street, Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Kevin Street in recent years. Over the past decade in south Dublin city, a string of post offices have been closed, with no consideration for the effect on local residents. This is having a devastating impact on communities that rely on them. The record of this Government…

I also extend my sympathies on the passing of Sr. Stan. She always backed the underdog and she advocated for those in homelessness and those newly arriving in Ireland. Those are two very important things she did in her life. Sr. Stan always put those on the margins first. She loved people who may not have seen much love during their life. She has left a huge legacy, something that we as a society need to build on. On another issue, as the evenings get darker, public parks are closing at 5 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. In effec…

I extend my condolences to the family of former Senator Michael Calnan and to the Labour Party. Breaches under the Animal Health and Welfare Act area beyond disappointing. They are absolutely shocking. They are not a deterrent at all. Recent cases highlight how ineffective and lenient the courts and legislation are on animal abusers. Dog Law Ireland, a group of solicitors who are dog and animal welfare advocates, has made recommendations to address the leniency in sentencing for animal abusers. The first is that li…

As a Shamrock Rovers supporter, I support Senator Ní Chuilinn's congratulations to Pico Lopes. Let us hope he does the league and cup double this year and adds to his great year qualifying for the World Cup. The Government is going to miss its social and affordable housing targets this year. There is too much red tape holding back councils and approved housing bodies. This is why house prices, rents and homelessness keep rising. Three and a half thousand new homes are due to be built - it could be 3,800 new homes -…

Earlier this year, Pearse House residents were devastated to hear that the regeneration plans for their flat complex were going to be pulled. The Government said the plans were pulled because there was no additionality on the site. On a superficial level, one would think that is reasonable. However, the Pearse House complex was built in the 1930s. The flats are absolutely tiny. There is also a preservation order on complex. It was impossible to get additionality on a tight site that is subject to such an order. Thi…

I very much welcome the respite for Palestinians in Gaza. However, I most definitely do not want to be associated with the congratulations to Donald Trump, who is a genocide enabler and a psychopath, in my view. I also extend my sympathies to Senator Teresa Costello on the loss of her father. We are thinking of her. Today, a group of TDs, Senators and MEPs visited Dublin city dog pound in Newcastle. I thank Dublin City Council's Richard Herlihy and Barbara Jackson, who work in the pound and, clearly, care for the d…

I thank Senator Comyn.