-----and of being out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people.

If anybody looked at a recording of the past 20 minutes of the debate, they would point to that.

This is the Minister's first time in the Dáil Chamber since the incidents of the weekend. He is the Minister for Transport. The people of Ireland are looking to the Minister and his Department for leadership on this matter. The Minister can take it or leave it, but my opinion is that to neglect that, not reference it and not provide confidence and comfort to people who either went through the experience of Dublin Airport at the weekend or who will be travelling next weekend or further into the future, is incredible…

I welcome the Minister of State. I know that the Minister for Education is not available, but the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, is my constituency colleague and the Minister's party colleague. I know he is familiar with this issue, but I will lay out some of the detail here. We need to discuss the need to secure the future of the site and buildings of Clonalvy national school. This was a national school in rural County Meath that was closed in 2019. It is important to say it was not closed due to a natura…

I know the Department prepared some notes for the Minister of State on this topical issue. That is the bit I am hanging on for.

Exactly, yes. The mood music is not great. It says that it will keep the demand under review and it mentions the potential implications of incoming Ukrainian refugees. The Minister of State knows that time is of the essence in this. If we are going to do something, it cannot be a case that we keep it under review. It will either happen or it will not. If it is going to happen it needs to happen soon. We need to see something from the Minister and the Department. I wrote to the Minister seeking an engagement with lo…

I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for tabling the motion and commend the MLSA executive and officials on the leadership they have shown. We had some of the team in the audiovisual room last Tuesday, before the first day of strike action. Most of all, I commend medical scientists from right around the country on the resolve they have shown. Others have talked about the fundamental issues at play here, including pay parity, the 20-year claim and the expert review. The present Taoiseach was the Minister responsi…

The Minister of State said he was committed to universal access and that it is crucial. The rest of his response reflects how from this Government and at European level there has been fudge, kicking it down the road and the line in relation to there being no single solution. Previously, it was suggested that the answer was not a TRIPS waiver and compulsory licensing might be a better option. Delay, delay, delay. All that delay denies people access to vaccines. The presentation at the Oireachtas committee from Profe…

Clearly, the position of the Department and the Government has been about holding the line. It has been holding the line at European level with an eye to interests there and pharmaceutical interests in Ireland. That is what it has been about. There has been fudge and the use of language to kick the ball down the road. If we wait long enough, supply will not be an issue. What we wanted from the Government was urgent action and intervention. We wanted it to show leadership and be brave in this regard. These are the b…

I welcome these statements. They take place on the day of the publication of another major report outlining the damage global warming is doing to our planet and all its inhabitants. The State of the Global Climate report from the World Meteorological Organization, WMO, shows that the four key climate change indicators - greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification - broke records in 2021. The WMO said this is another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale c…

The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn is staffed and funded by 34 countries, including Ireland, which is classed as a sponsoring nation. The central steering committee consists of one voting representative from each of the sponsoring nations, the membership status available to what are termed as "NATO allies". Can the Taoiseach clarify if Ireland is represented at the steering committee meetings that are held biannually and if our participation in and funding of the centre has any impli…

In response to questions raised by my colleague Deputy Mac Lochlainn last month, the Taoiseach agreed to engage with the Minister for Transport on the restoration of Government funding to the City of Derry Airport. If the airport is not eligible for funding from the Irish Exchequer under the regional airports programme, the shared island initiative is an obvious option to explore. I know the Taoiseach is aware how significant connectivity is. The Departments of an Taoiseach and Transport recently committed to a rev…

I want to raise the scoping exercise established over three years ago into the death of Shane O'Farrell. That was expected to take weeks or possibly months but it was never expected to take years. It is clear that the only way forward remains the establishment of a public inquiry into the death of Shane O'Farrell, as supported by the Taoiseach and his party. Will the Taoiseach progress such an inquiry before he leaves office on 15 December?

I wish to raise the issue of the viability of the school bus transport service. Providers are under huge pressure with costs. The Minister is aware of this. The Coach Tourism and Transport Council has indicated that 95% of providers are under pressure to deliver services until the end of year. We have seen flexibility from the Government as announced in recent days around construction costs. School transport providers are similarly locked into contracts that are unviable for them. We want to see school bus transpor…

Medical scientists provide essential diagnostic services for our hospitals and general practice. They are essential workers and are expertly trained. They deliver a 24-7 service 365 days a year. Next Wednesday, in frustration at long-standing pay and career development issues that are affecting recruitment and retention in the sector, they are taking industrial action. They have engaged in negotiations but these have been unsuccessful. The Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, MLSA, which represents medical sc…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, will be familiar with the issues in County Meath. She attended a meeting with parents of children with disabilities on 3 May in Pillo Hotel, so she will have heard the case articulated and spelt out clearly far better than I can do now. Similar to Deputy Ó Murchú, I have replies to parliamentary questions. There are four children's disability network teams in the county and every one of them has vacancies. In some, one in …

In the first instance, I commend Siobhán Campbell and Rachel Martin from Families Unite for Services and Support, FUSS, Ireland, who have been energised, despite everything that is going on in their lives and all their responsibilities, to organise and agitate with parents of children with disabilities in County Meath. It is a huge undertaking. They have clear requests and I will put some of them on the record. In child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in County Meath there is no specific learning disa…

This week the World Meteorological Organization warned there is a fifty-fifty chance we will breach 1.5°C at least once in the next five years. The alarm bells cannot ring any louder. The energy transition to renewables is the foundation on which everything will be built. The renewables industry is also ringing the alarm bells. It also states there is a fifty-fifty chance we will reach our ambitious 2030 renewables target. It points to a number of factors and I want to raise several of these with the Taoiseach. One…

Is carbon tax paying for An Bord Pleanála? It is not.

It is a deflection.