I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter, which is on the urgent need for approved school building projects in Dublin Mid-West to begin construction. This is something I have raised consistently in this Chamber in my tenure as a TD. As the Minister of State may be aware, we are facing a school places crisis in my constituency. As I said in the Dáil both this week and last week, we have school buildings waiting for the go-ahead for extensions and new builds for years now. We also have students who do not…

I thank the Minister of State for that update. It is welcome news that they will be delivered as quickly as possible but I would still like to know what "as quickly as possible" means. What kind of a timeframe are we looking at? I would like to take this opportunity to ensure that the Minister of State, the Minister for Education and her Department are aware of the primary schools that also need new buildings and extensions in my constituency. These are Adamstown Castle Educate Together National School; Gaelscoil n…

Today, I raise again school places in my constituency. We are facing a school places crisis in Dublin Mid-West. As I said in the Dáil last week, we have school buildings waiting for the go-ahead for new builds and extensions and there are students who do not know where they will go to post-primary in September. This morning I received a reply from the Department of Education on the various stages of planning and delivery for these school buildings in my constituency but as usual, it contained no specific informatio…

I welcome the Research and Innovation Bill and what it represents for the future of Ireland, and I commend the Minister, Deputy Harris, for introducing it. Ireland has always been a land of research, of innovation and of scholars. This Bill is about bringing those values to the fore. Taighde Éireann will be an amalgamation of the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland and it is set to streamline and promote excellence in research to ensure our intellectual achievements contribute to Ireland's economi…

The Department of Education has spent over €10 million in six years posting payslips. This figure does not even account for printing. Optional digital payslips were introduced last year but there has not been a really high take-up, and that is because it is on an opt-in rather than an opt-out basis. Posting payslips is totally out of touch with society and out of kilter with how most people are paid and it is not environmentally friendly. We are all aware postage prices have increased - in fact, they have doubled i…

Supporting the people of Palestine is something I am really passionate about. Last week I organised a meeting for the Fine Gael parliamentarians with Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Alliance, to discuss what is the absolute horror that is happening in Gaza. I brought this and Ireland's participation in the South African International Court of Justice, ICJ, case up on the floor of the Dáil last week, and yesterday I took part in the debate on Gaza. Today, I am formally indicating my support for the Government motion, …

Ireland did so.

Hear, hear.

I start by thanking the Tánaiste, his team and his officials for putting this motion together and giving us the opportunity to have a cross-party debate. Sadly, we are in a much darker place than we were when last we were here condemning what is happening in Gaza. No matter what side of the House we sit on, we are watching horror unfold before our eyes. This is true not just of all of us in this Chamber but of all of us across the nation and the globe. Many of us feel helpless and want to shout "Stop". Ireland has …

We have a slight alteration to the schedule. There was a request to swap Questions Nos. 82 and 79 and I have agreed to that, so we will now move to Question No. 82 in the name of Deputy Colm Burke.

There is a supplementary question from Deputy Mairéad Farrell.

There is another supplementary question from Deputy Gould.

The Minister without interruption, please.

I thank the Minister. That is very helpful.

We all watch in absolute horror as the horrific scenes from Gaza get more and more devastating. More than 23,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the Hamas attack, 70% of whom were women and children. Yesterday, I convened a meeting with my Fine Gael colleagues and Sadaka – The Ireland Palestine Alliance. That group's biggest concern right now is Gaza's newest deadly threat, starvation. The majority of people in Gaza are experiencing famine right now. That is on top of being displaced, not having access to cle…

When I look around my local area, and even when I look around this Chamber, I can see clearly that the family of 1937, when the Constitution was originally written, has changed and that the Ireland of 1937 is no more. We have come a really long way in those recent years. Our small island has become increasingly more tolerant and more welcoming of all sexualities, gender identities and family structures. We are better at celebrating one another and better at acknowledging when we are wrong and when we need to change…

In less than three months from now, the people of Ireland will go to vote in polls on the fortieth amendment to our Constitution. This is a very significant moment because it reflects another crucial step towards advancing women's rights across Ireland. The proposed amendment seeks to eliminate archaic and stereotypical language referring to women in the home. It proposes a modern alternative that acknowledges the significance of the care and support provided among family members mirroring the progression of our so…

Now that we are well on our way to 2024, I cannot help but think of the families in my area who are still struggling to get a public health nurse appointment. Babies in areas such as Lucan, Newcastle and Rathcoole may be showing signs of early developmental delay that are going unnoticed simply because of a lack of service. It is incredibly stressful for first-time parents who simply do not know what to look out for. People are just utterly frustrated at this stage and I can understand why. I am frustrated myself. …

That is not fair.

His interpretation of Standing Orders.