I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It is not an ideal way to process legislation but it is important that we are dealing with it as the alternative would be chaos. Sinn Féin supports the Bill. We have tabled an amendment to ensure that Garda court presenters are not below the rank of sergeant. This allows prosecuting gardaí to focus on serious crime in higher courts. Gardaí need to be utilised in an efficient and effective way. They play such an important role in communities across the country and the…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important matter. As the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, may recall, it is not the first time I have raised this particular issue and the concerns I have around St. John Ambulance Ireland in the Dáil. Most people will be familiar with the positive image this organisation aims to promote. When we see them at a wide range of sporting events, including GAA, soccer and rugby games in the RDS and at various community events, it is important to remember that the…

I acknowledge and appreciate that the Minister has been very engaged with the process and has met survivors. They have all spoken very highly of the Minister's role in this. I accept that he does not have a direct role in the report and its publication but when does the Minister think the Shannon report will be published? It is essential that it be made public and that survivors have access to the report. If, for some reason, it is not made public, will the Minister commit to having his own investigation carried ou…

I thank and commend the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for its work on this report. Regeneration is particularly important in the south inner city, in particular the constituency of Dublin Bay South. When we talk about regeneration and derelict sites, we have to consider that Dublin City Council has residents living in overcrowded conditions every day on what can only be described as derelict sites. The Government has given approval to stage 1 of the project relating to Pearse House. Pear…

I acknowledge the motion and congratulate the Regional Group. These grants have a huge impact on the quality of life of many older people and individuals with disabilities. These grants are important in keeping people at home. It gives them a chance to live independently and it also keeps the pressure off the hospitals. It is a win-win for everybody. We only have to imagine what the hospitals would be like if it was not for this grant. The number of people over the age of 65 is expected to reach 1.4 million by 2040…

Unsurprisingly, I agree with my colleague Deputy O'Rourke, who said the Minister for Transport should have come in here today and briefed us on the shambles that is Dublin Airport and the queues there. It is horrific for people planning to go away. There is no clarity. It is an absolute shambles. The Minister of State himself would know that. It must be embarrassing to be working in the Department of Transport and to have to try to justify what is happening, because there is no justification. I welcome this opportu…

Over the past few decades we have seen the crucial role played by journalists in conflict zones. They constantly put themselves in harm's way to report the facts on the ground. They do not merely accept the narrative put out in a military or government press release but seek the truth at source to broadcast to the world. In Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 1980s, journalists helped to expose the worst crimes of government death squads. There are countless examples from Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Ukr…

Yes, but there are no consequences.

There are no consequences for Israel. It can commit whatever terror it likes. It executed Shireen. What were the consequences for this? Nothing. There are no consequences because the Government is not willing to stand up to Europe and the Israelis and face them down and state we will pass the occupied territories Bill. There have to be consequences for Israeli terror. This is not what the Government is about. The Government is about appeasing Israel. This is something we have to address. When will the Government go…

Built in 1893, the Royal City of Dublin Hospital on Upper Baggot Street, more commonly known as Baggot Street hospital, was a main centre of care for a large part of the south-inner city for almost 100 years before the acute services were transferred to St. James's Hospital in 1986. Despite its current state of disrepair, this building stretching 5,600 sq. m is still stunning to look at. It is an excellent example of Victorian architecture in the city. Its striking red-brick facade and high spires make it the most …

The Government did not need a report to tell us the building is uninhabitable because a cursory look confirms it is not fit for anybody to live in. There is a development company that is willing to give labour for free and make it habitable. It wants to work with fire safety people to ensure it is habitable and safe. It could be used on an emergency basis and it is not a long-term solution for anybody for accommodation purposes. This is certainly an emergency and the Government must act accordingly. I guessed that …

It could have been redeveloped for Dublin's homeless population.

A Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was executed by apartheid Israel. Israel knew that the eyes of the world were on it. Yet, it still executed Shireen. The Government has condemned this act, but what is the point of condemnation without consequences? It is because of the reluctance of the Government and the EU to impose consequences on Israel for its terror, that the latter carries out acts like the execution of a journalist. The reality is that the Government is complicit in the murder of Shireen. That i…

The Government did nothing to prevent it.

What has the Government done to-----

What are the consequences?

Last week, news broke that the next round of training for the Garda armed support unit, ASU, had been cancelled. I raised the matter in the House during questions on promised legislation. The competition to fill places on this course was completed back in 2019. Those selected gardaí have been waiting since 2019 to take part in this armed support unit training. These gardaí effectively have had to put elements of their personal lives on hold while they wait on standby for their start date. It now appears that with a…

I thank the Minister of State for that response. I did anticipate that he was going to say it was an operational matter and, of course, nobody expects the Government to get involved in the day-today running. When there is an armed support unit, however, which is vital to the safety of communities throughout the country, and no more so than in Dublin Bay South in the inner city where, like I said, there is serious violence using knives and where guns are being shot, Government must intervene, not in how its personne…

Amnesty International, B'Tselem, Al-Haq and many others have documented the crimes of apartheid inflicted on the Palestinian people by the state of Israel. I welcome the fact that the Jewish Voice for Peace and Amnesty International will be giving a joint briefing on Israeli apartheid in Leinster House tomorrow. Five United Nations special rapporteurs have endorsed the recent report by the UN which found that Israel is inflicting the crime of apartheid on the Palestinian people. When will we see Ireland standing up…

Israel is a terror state.