I welcome today’s debate on men’s health. Ireland was the first country in the world to adopt a national men’s health policy in 2009 and we have followed through with action plans in 2017 and again in 2024. We have seen progress, with the number of premature deaths down, stronger partnerships across voluntary, academic and health sectors and a far better evidence base to guide what works for men. However, there is more to do because men in Ireland still die younger than women. The life expectancy for men is 80.5 ve…

Given that Ireland is a maritime nation, our waters are a strategic asset. Our fishing communities are a living heritage and our policy choices now will decide whether the next generation will be able to make a livelihood from the sea. I welcome today’s debate and the Government’s continued investment in the sector. Since 2020, over €180 million has been invested in seafood, with a further €50 million for local piers and harbours and €157.7 million provided in budget 2026 to keep that momentum going. That money mat…

With all the shouting and roaring, I thought there was an election happening this week. This debate involves examining the Finance Bill and many of those concerns have already been raised but are being rehashed here today. I welcome the opportunity to examine the Finance Bill, which gives effect to the budget’s targeted tax measures and supports for businesses, jobs and housing while modernising many parts of the tax code. It is important to note that this is the first of five budgets expected in this Dáil by this …

I welcome this debate to mark World Mental Health Day. The simple truth is still the strongest line: there is no health without mental health. Today is about removing stigma, yes, but also about showing that the services are there, close to home and getting stronger year-on-year. Since 2020, funding has risen sharply and budget 2026 builds again on that. I want to commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and her team on securing a record allocation of almost €1.6 billion, the sixth increase in a row. It adds 3…

I welcome the opportunity to examine measures taken in budget 2026 on Tuesday, the first of five budgets expected in this new Dáil term. It aims to steady the economy in challenging times, invest for the future and improve services that families rely on. It attempts to balance day-to-day pressures with long-term capital investment in housing, hospitals, schools and safer streets. Housing funding will reach over €11.2 billion in 2026, up a massive 20% with €5.19 billion allocated for capital investment and €2.02 bil…

I welcome the opportunity to raise the ongoing situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza is enduring a man-made humanitarian catastrophe. Civilians, children, health workers and journalists have been killed in unconscionable numbers. Hospitals and UN facilities have been struck. Food, water and medicine have been used as levers of war. Starvation and disease are not collateral; they are the predictable outcomes of blocking aid and destroying life-supporting infrastructure. That must end. The targeting of civilians …

I welcome the debate. Investing in sport and sports infrastructure is one of the wisest choices a state can make. It pays back in terms of public health, safer communities and confidence in young people, a confidence they carry into schools and their working lives. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, we are already seeing the benefits. Our area received €1.5 million under the community sports facilities fund in 2024 to improve council facilities at Loughlinstown, Meadowbrook and Stonebridge Road in Shankill. Of course, sign…

I have spoken on auto-enrolment previously, but I welcome these statements. I thank the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Dara Calleary, and his officials for getting this long-promised reform over the line. My Future Fund is about one simple idea: if you work, you should build a pension automatically, with your employer and the State helping you every day. From 1 January 2026, every employee aged between 23 and 60 who earns €20,000 or more and who is not already in a scheme will be enrolled by default. Contri…

I welcome the Government’s proposals to protect young people from the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction. As the party that delivered the first workplace smoking ban in the world, Fianna Fáil knows that smart, proportionate regulation saves lives. We have already raised the age of sale to 18 and tightened advertising near schools, on public transport and in cinemas. Now we must go further because the evidence is clear. Brightly coloured devices, confectionery flavours and cheap disposables are hooking a new gen…

I share the concerns about, and condemnation of, the attacks about which we have heard in recent months. In response to the Minister's opening statement, I welcome this debate. It is good that we are having it. I commend the Minister on the focus and urgency he has brought since his appointment in January. His approach has been, frankly, a breath of fresh air: practical, evidence-led and rooted in fairness to applicants and to communities alike. I echo his sentiments in respect of the rules-based system, which is e…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and welcome him back. It is good to be back in the Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to examine the Government's National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030. This strategy will only matter if it changes the daily lives of people with a disability. As the Minister said in her opening remarks, those challenges are there to be met. The strategy must turn rights into real solutions, including accessible ramps, usable routes and services people can depend on. A few yea…

I thank an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, the Ceann Comhairle's office, the ushers and all the staff here in the Oireachtas for their assistance to the Members over recent months and during this term. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill 2025, which is vital legislation that strengthens our national ability to disrupt, dismantle and defeat serious organised crime. Let us begin with the facts. The scale of criminal profit is staggering. Across the European Union, it is estim…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2025, which is a timely and necessary step to strengthen governance, transparency and accountability in our health service. This Bill delivers on a core commitment in the programme for Government to embed productivity and ensure full transparency in how healthcare services are delivered. It recognises that strong, accountable structures are essential if we are to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population and deliver better health o…

I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak in support of these two important motions, which authorise Ireland to opt in to two EU agreements with Iceland and Norway on the transfer of passenger name record data. These agreements are more than just legal instruments. They are vital tools in our shared European effort to prevent terrorism and combat serious transnational crime. In a world where organised crime networks and terrorist threats are increasingly international in nature, the ability to share key data across …

I welcome the establishment of a commission of investigation into historical child sexual abuse in schools and the opportunity to discuss the matter. This is a long-overdue step in the pursuit of truth, accountability and justice for survivors throughout our country. However, it is not just a national issue, it is a local issue too. In Dún Laoghaire, in my constituency, the impact of abuse by religious orders in day and boarding schools is deeply felt. The names of schools and institutions may vary but the stories …

I welcome the publication of the all-island strategic rail review. This transformative plan sets out 32 strategic recommendations that would almost triple the number of people using our rail network, from 65 million journeys a year to 180 million by 2050. Critically, it would bring 700,000 more people within a 5 km radius of a railway station, boosting access in communities North and South that have been underserved for decades. With faster trains, more frequent services, new routes, and electrification, the plan a…

I welcome the publication of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025. I have listened to some of the Opposition speakers about it and wanting a longer time to discuss it but, in essence, this Bill is about extending the existing permissions and we should not want to take longer to do such a thing because if those permissions expire, it will be the same people who are objecting to the amendment Bill who will also condemn the Government. It is important for us to keep a focus on that. This is a practical a…

Like many colleagues in the House, I rise today with a heavy heart. The situation in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, is an ongoing humanitarian disaster that demands our attention, our compassion and, critically, our action. Let me begin by recalling the horrific events of 7 October, the appalling attacks and murders of innocent people. I reiterate what the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said: all hostages must be released unconditionally and without delay. Their prolonged captivity serves onl…

I welcome the opportunity to support the motion before us to renew the provisions of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 for a further 12 months. These are exceptional measures but also necessary measures designed not to restrict freedoms but to protect lives. The core purpose of this legislation is to give An Garda Síochána and the justice system the tools necessary to deal with a persistent and evolving threat: the threat of terrorism and …

In recent weeks, distressing footage from "RTÉ Investigates" and "Prime Time" has brought into stark relief the vulnerability of many older people in residential care. What we saw was not just a breach of trust; it was a breach of decency. We must acknowledge that the vast majority of front-line staff in our nursing homes and community services do remarkable work. They care for our parents, grandparents and neighbours with compassion and dignity, often under huge pressure and without sufficient resources. However, …