Legislation to regulate gambling is long overdue and is very welcome. It is to the credit of the Minister of State and Government that it is being introduced now. Successive Governments fail to act on it every year. It is welcome and commendable that the legislation is in the Dáil now. I commend the Minister of State. As a society, we often fail to address and to see gambling for the cancer that it is for many people. We often view gambling as harmless fun, including accumulators and bets when people go to the race…

Over many years, many couples have scraped and sacrificed and saved the money they needed to buy their dream home. However, a few years into living in their new home, it has turned into a nightmare because they find their home is not safe to live in. Of course, they cannot sell as they cannot afford the cost of making things right. As has been said, they had no hand, act or part in causing the defects. The people who caused the defects are long gone and the Government wants the residents to pick up the tab for the …

I commend Deputy Ó Ríordáin on bringing forward the motion. This is a really important issue and affects every section of society. We need more discussions as to how we approach the use of drugs in this country. We need to hear from everybody. Everybody has to have a voice on this. Whether we agree or disagree with them, we have to ensure that people are engaged in this discussion. The best place for that, as has been said, is in the citizens' assembly. It is really important. A citizens' assembly allows people to …

The devastating impact of global warming is clear for all to see. The vast majority of us realise we have to reduce our emissions and cut our carbon footprint, and urgent action is needed across the State. We have seen much talk with this Government on the action that is needed. I agree with the previous Government speaker in saying that the pace is glacial. We need a fair retrofit plan which will help meet our climate targets and when I say a "fair retrofit plan" I am speaking on behalf of our constituents. I am s…

It is hard to follow that. There are growing concerns that Ireland will not be able to co-host the 2030 T20 World Cup for cricket. Cricket is the second biggest sport in the world. There would be a significant benefit to the Irish economy, millions of euro would come in as a result of it and it would lead to massive exposure for Ireland as a destination. We recently had a great win over England and we are tenth best in the world. In 2018, the Government promised it would build a cricket stadium but four years later…

They are from the CEO.

I welcome the Ceann Comhairle back to the Chamber. It is good to see him looking well. The Minister of State has identified all the challenges and blockages. What we need now is real action and not just observations. We also need a strategy, as throwing money at it is not a strategy. Home care is an essential service, and without a workforce strategy, there will be no improvement in home care delivery. The Government throwing money at it is not a strategy. The failure to put a home care workforce strategy in place …

The energy security problems we face are the product of the Government's failure to prepare and plan in advance. When one looks at the housing crisis, the pressure around accommodating Ukrainian refugees, the mismanagement of our health system and various other issues, it is not surprising that the Government has failed to plan in advance in relation to energy security. The Government has failed to deliver the necessary power stations to deliver significant generation capacity through renewables and gas storage fac…

The number of vacant homes in this city is really depressing. According to new data from the Central Statistics Office there are 37,000 vacant homes in Dublin alone. That does not count Dublin City Council vacant homes. Within a short distance from here, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I could bring you to 50 empty flats that could be used if they were brought back to life. It is painfully clear to all who live in the city and those commuting in and out that many of these homes have been left empty for years. Those years …

Last night, "Prime Time" exposed the grim reality facing the city centre, O'Connell Street, and the communities that live in and call the inner city their home. These communities are being forgotten and abandoned. O'Connell Street, Pearse Street and City Quay need protection from increasing street violence. The local Garda has engaged comprehensively. In the past, we had the Mulvey report for the north inner city but the footprint for that report is very small. I ask the Government to commit to extending its scope …

Increase Garda resources.

Since the beginning of this year, 140 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli military forces in Palestine. There have been zero consequences following these murders. In May, the Israeli high court gave a green light to the ethnic cleansing of Masafer Yatta with a mass expulsion order of more than 1,300 Palestinians from the area. The rate at which Israel has been inflicting a cruel system of apartheid on the Palestinian people has been intensifying. It is easy to see why this is the case following the comments …

Seán is a 13-year-old from Ringsend who has additional needs. As he has additional needs, he cannot get a place in his local school in his community. That means he cannot access the Irishtown and Ringsend Primary Care Centre and needs to get taxis. Seán needs two extractions and two fillings and, for sensory reasons, he needs to be put asleep while that is being done. The HSE treatment will cover his two extractions while he is asleep but it will not do the two fillings at the same time. That means Seán has to be w…

I will take a moment to extend my congratulations on the fantastic achievement of the Irish women's football team and its manager, Vera Pauw. It has given the whole nation a lift. That team did not qualify for the World Cup by chance. It is the result of hard work, dedication and professionalism. I heard Vera Pauw say they are standing on the shoulders of previous generations of footballers, which is true. Those previous generations include players such as Olivia O'Toole, our record goal scorer, and the squad who f…

I was just coming to that. I congratulate the Minister on his Bill. I was intending to congratulate him last. Work-life balance is important. In that context, sports facilities are also important. Sport affects our emotional, physical and mental health. We have for decades under-invested in sports and sports facilities. We need to ensure those sports facilities are invested in. The €35 million the Government has allocated for the energy costs clubs will face is important and welcome. However, that payment needs to …

The Bill is very important. As my colleague has said, it is welcome and a positive step in the right direction. I, too, commend the tireless campaigning of Eve McDowell and Una Ring. These women have shown immense bravery and commitment in campaigning for stalking to be a stand-alone offence. Both of them were victims of stalking. They saw at first hand how the charges stalkers face under the current legislation are grossly inadequate. The same is true of the sentencing options. When one reads the accounts of the t…

Households and businesses must be to the forefront of any debate on the energy crisis and payments. Families are struggling and, as has previously been said, households are having to decide whether to eat each day. Businesses are also under great pressure. However, it is also important not to forget that sports clubs around the country play an important role in improving our mental, emotional and physical health and that they are also under great pressure. I acknowledge the Government's allocation of €35 million fo…

While the Bill is largely technical in nature, it is very much welcome. Many students leave Ireland annually to go to Britain to study their chosen medical degree. It is only right and fitting that the Bill removes the road blocks before people who hold a British medical degree to availing of medical intern posts here. This is the right direction in which we need to move to attract more doctors into the HSE. Our health service faces continuing pressure brought on by inadequate staffing. While the Bill is a step in …

Housing for All is a good name but it is not delivering for all. It is not delivering for families and workers in the flat complexes. It is not delivering for families and workers in the flats who are paying significant rents. They do not get them for free. I know the Minister of State knows this but it will be a surprise to many. There is an assumption that people living in the flats get them for free. That is clearly not the case. They work hard to pay the rent. It is really important to remember that these are t…

Last week, in this Chamber, I raised the urgent need for intervention for the sporting community to ease the enormous burden that sports clubs, sporting facilities and swimming pools are currently facing. I welcome the announcement of a fund of €35 million to help sporting communities to deal with rising energy costs, which are an issue for floodlights, heating and, particularly, swimming pools. Like everything, the devil is in the detail. We need to make sure that this funding is prioritised for community faciliti…