I fully support Deputy Crowe on this. A solution has to be found. The Department has a role to play here, as have the school, the patron body and the religious authorities, but a solution must be found.

We need updated wind and solar farm guidelines. The wind farm guidelines are in draft form since 2019 and the last full version was in 2006. There is a commitment in the programme for Government for solar farm guidelines but recent responses say they are at a very early stage of a scoping process. When will they be ready?

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important topic. The digital world is our children's playground, their library and their public square, yet for too long, it has been designed with profit, not protection, in mind. The current approach of light-touch or self-regulation has failed. As fines go uncollected and promises go unkept, we cannot accept the illusion of safety. We must move beyond blunt, reactive tools like blanket bans, which isolate children from education and community. Instead, we must target th…

With the school secretaries and caretakers pension dispute now referred to the Labour Court for 12 January, these dedicated staff are deeply anxious. They engaged in the process in good faith and ended their strike on the promise of a resolution. Given the recent breakdown at the WRC, the fundamental commitment to a fair pension comparable to teachers and SNAs and all their long years of service, will the Tánaiste give a direct assurance to these workers now that the Government will engage constructively with the L…

I raise the regulation of social media companies in the online space, particularly as it relates to children. The criticism that has been levelled at Coimisiún na Meán's online safety code is that an earlier draft had a recommendation that social media companies turn off recommender systems and it has been removed. Recommender systems profile people who are using apps and then drive them down often hateful and dangerous rabbit holes. It is not healthy for them or society. Will this be looked at?

Ireland has some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, way above the EU average. The typical Irish household is paying hundreds of euro more per year than its European counterparts. This is a scandal and a direct result of Government failure. When energy companies were making record profits after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this Government refused to apply a strong and effective windfall tax. Instead, it allowed profiteering to continue unchecked. It continues to do that. Decades of Governments led by F…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. My colleagues have outlined Sinn Féin’s serious concerns with the provisions of the Bill. Its fundamental flaws must be addressed. It is clear that the defective concrete block crisis has devastated thousands of families across the State. The Government’s response to date has focused on counties Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Sligo. While that is understandable and absolutely necessary, it is not sufficient. We need 100% redress - nothing less - for all impacted …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important and timely motion and thank Deputies Kenny and Newsome Drennan for tabling it. The purpose and intent of the motion is to send a clear, unequivocal message that Ireland must stand up for its farming families and rural communities by opposing the Mercosur trade deal. This agreement is a bad deal on every front. It is a bad deal for Irish agriculture because it threatens our world-class standards with an influx of substandard imports. It is a bad deal for consumers…

Why does the Government not say it "has examined" this deal, not that it "continues to examine" it? Why does it not state it will stand up for farmers and rural communities, defend their livelihoods, oppose and reject the deal, and build the blocking minority to ensure it does not pass?

I welcome the opportunity to speak on statements on Science Week, the annual celebration that highlights the important role that science, technology, engineering and maths play in our lives. This week is more than just a showcase of innovation. It is a vital spark, igniting curiosity in the next generation and reminding us all of the power of evidence and inquiry. From the smartphones in our pockets to the medical advancements in our hospitals, science is the bedrock of our modern society and economy. It provides t…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I thank the Social Democrats for tabling it. Votes for 16- and 17-year-olds is a matter of fairness. In my opinion and that of my party, it is a matter of the future vitality of our democracy. For too long, we have clung to the arbitrary line in the sand drawn at 18. We tell our young people that on the eve of their 18th birthday, they are disengaged, uninformed and unprepared for the solemn act of voting. Yet, on the morning of that birthday, by some miraculous over…

Four survivors of residential abuse remain on hunger strike outside these buildings. Miriam Moriarty Owens, Mary Donovan, Mary Dunlevy Greene and Maurice Patton O'Connell are now on day 47 of their hunger strike. Their health continues to deteriorate. This is a very serious situation. It is dire. They are absolutely determined and, after a meeting yesterday, cautiously hopeful but they have nothing in writing to say the Government will agree to their very reasonable demands for access to a HAA medical card and a St…

It can be resolved with the stroke of a pen.

It is very straightforward. We-----

Hear, hear.

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss this matter despite the relevant Minister or Minister of State not being here. I ask that anything we discuss be relayed to the Minister and the NCSE. This is incredibly important to all concerned, to the school community, staff, parents and most of all to the children who will not be able to avail of SNA support because a review has indicated that they were not successful. I will run through some of the timeline and give context and emphasise some of the frustrations on…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I hope we can take this as a point for raising this case and for follow-through. I know there is a plan to submit for a focused review. The timeline is very short in relation to that. I hope when it goes in that it will be considered favourably. Regarding the interim review, which I mentioned earlier, it is deeply concerning. As I said, this school made a really comprehensive submission in relation to it and only received a written response a couple of days ago. Nobod…

Our international protection system is not fit for purpose. It does not have the confidence of the people. This is a situation created and compounded by the failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government. The system, as it stands, is dysfunctional and it lacks public confidence. Why? In the first instance, the basic principles of a rules-based system are not being followed. Decisions and appeals are taking far too long and there is a systemic failure to enforce the rules, particularly at the final stage. This …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I will be sharing time with colleagues. It is clear that the cost of sending children school is rising and pushing more and more parents into significant financial hardship. Budget 2026 has failed to deliver the investment and vision which our education system so desperately needs. The Irish League of Credit Unions has reported that the cost of sending children back to school this year has increased since last year. It says that the costs often reach up to €1,560 f…

I thank everyone who contributed to the debate. Deputy Mythen put his finger on it when he said that the Government amendment is an elaborate way to kill the Bill, essentially. It refers to consultation, collaboration, engagement and further review, but the substance of the issue is this: what difference is the Government's approach going to make to parents sending kids to school next September? Zero. None. It will be of no benefit to them at all. If the Government enacted the Sinn Féin legislation, it would make a…