Beidh mé ag roinnt ama leis na Teachtaí Crowe, McGuinness agus Bennett nuair a thagann siad.

We mark Europe Day today, which reflects the history of and how the European Union came to be, and the very significant role it has played in Irish politics and history. We reflect on the positive elements of our relationship with the European Union as well as the areas of concern that require to be addressed. It is Sinn Féin's view and policy that Ireland's place is in the EU, but it is also our view - I see the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, smiling.

Perhaps he would like to clarify.

Is there a particular point the Minister of State would like to make?

I would like the Minister of State to elaborate.

I invite the Minister of State to comment because I have heard him and some of his colleagues attempt to make mischief with Sinn Féin's analysis of the European Union. It is not terribly complicated: it is possible to be in an organisation and to criticise it. It is possible to retain the view that Ireland should be in the EU and to say that things could go better, for example, in terms of foreign policy or the balance between sovereignty and international co-operation. It is not terribly complicated. Perhaps the n…

I emphasise once again that the European Union must play a much stronger role. It was a source of great concern that it took so long to get a meeting to discuss the EU-Israel agreement. The fact is that favourable trade arrangements remain in place. I note the role of the EPP in voting against stopping the flow of arms to Israel. The Government's approach to the triple lock neutrality protection puts our neutrality at risk. The EU should respect Ireland's neutrality. It has always explicitly stated that is the case…

Families are absolutely broken and struggling with the cost of childcare. Very often, I am not sure people in this place fully understand the pressure the cost of childcare puts on families. That is if families even can get a place. There are some people for whom money is no issue but they simply cannot find a place because of the underinvestment in childcare. For those for whom money is an object, if one is paying a mortgage or rent and on top of that one has two children in full-time childcare or early years educ…

What parents will have heard from the Minister in her response is a lot of reasonableness and trying to empathise with the situation. I suppose that is better than denying there is a problem. The reality for parents on the ground is that reasonable words will not put a single child inside the door of a school. I am dealing with the families of 13 children who do not have a place for this autumn. I was contacted by a parent just last night. One of the things I cannot understand is how we have this debate every year.…

The Taoiseach will be aware that there is a special emergency meeting of Cork City Council tonight to discuss the closing-off of the tenant in situ scheme. It is a scheme that allows people who are on the housing list and are facing eviction to be housed by the council with the council buying the property. The tenant in situ scheme prevented 100 children from becoming homeless last year in Cork city alone. It is a no-brainer of a scheme. It is to the benefit of landlords who wish to sell, to the council and, most o…

It is closed off.

If it is closed to families, then it is closed off.

These families are facing homelessness. The Taoiseach should just go ahead and allow the local authorities to purchase the houses.

Tacaím leis an rún agus tréaslaím leis an Teachta Cullinane as an méid atá déanta aige. Is léir ón méid a tuairiscíodh nach raibh aon ghá le líon an-suntasach na n-obráidí seo agus go mbeadh impleachtaí fadtéarmacha agus dáiríre do na leanaí atá i gceist. The most common Irish phrase to describe an operation is "dul faoi scian", which is literally to say "to go under the knife". Whether or not that is always the most appropriate phrase, what it conveys is the fact that it is not something anybody does lightly. In t…

Tá an plean atá ag Uachtarán Mheiriceá, Donald Trump, gan loighic, gan chiall, gan phlean agus le himpleachtaí an-dainséarach agus an-dáiríre do mhuintir Mheiriceá sa chéad áit, ach do phobail thar timpeall an domhain freisin. The imposition of tariffs by President Trump are illogical, arbitrary and, in many respects, without any basis in reality in respect of talking about retaliatory measures without any evidential basis. Most importantly and fundamentally, it will have serious negative consequences for citizens …

I will raise a point of order. I say this with the greatest respect for the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, and it is not any reflection on him. He is doing the job he has been asked to do but it was the custom - I acknowledge this is the general responsibility of the Office of the Ceann Comhairle - that where a Minister or Minister of State from the relevant Department was not available, the Deputy would be asked if he or she wanted to proceed. The first I learned of someone from the relevant Department not b…

That is a very different point.

It is not against the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, it is against the Department and its failure to provide a relevant spokesperson.

It is important to make the point. I will set the context first. The small numbers coming to the Cork city division from Templemore from each cohort has been a source of significant contention in Cork for a considerable number of years. On some occasions it has been as little as one, on others two or three and sometimes it has been none. On one recent occasion there was an increase comprising 11 individuals, as against the 96 members who went to the Dublin division. In the most extreme example I came across, from D…

I appreciate that. I will make a couple of points and I hope the Minister of State will take as much of this as possible back to the Minister. I welcome the fact that the Minister was in Cork recently. I understand he also met the chamber of commerce and that is a good thing. It is important that the Commissioner meets with public representatives in Cork. The business organisations in Cork make the point that we are all very keen for the city centre to be a place in which people can live, socialise and work. One of…