Vacancy and dereliction is an absolute scourge that is affecting every town, city and village across this country. For many years, I have sought the expansion of the scheme to areas such as Drogheda and Dundalk. Drogheda, especially, as the Minister will understand, is a very ancient area with sensitive architecture. That being said, one of the main aspects of this scheme now is that it applies, at least from the point of view of commercial premises, to properties that were developed before 1975. It previously pert…

One important aspect is that this is user-friendly and accessible. The Revenue Commissioners and the Department have taken on board some of the critiques of the scheme over the past few years. Certainly, the enhancement of the scheme will make it more attractive. Clearly, it will become more attractive to enterprises that are engaging in redevelopment given the expansion of the value of the relief from €200,000 to €300,000. In reality, with some of the sensitive and large-scale buildings we are talking about in are…

Fifteen brave Irish people took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, putting their own safety at risk to once again bring the eyes of the world back to Gaza. I commend the courage of the activists, and in particular Caitriona Graham. Her inspiring peaceful resistance, chanting "Free, Free Palestine" resulted in her being violently forced to the ground. We always knew those detained were treated despicably but this video that has emerged has shocked the world. It shows clearly the disgraceful actions of Israel and its…

If the vote at EU level does not go the way of Ireland, Slovenia and others - I am assuming our colleagues in Spain will support that initiative as well - what will the Minister do? Will she take action to work unilaterally towards the aim she has expressed, namely, the suspension of the trade element of the EU-Israel agreement? We are at the point now that the mere suspension of the trade element simply does not go far enough. This is an apartheid state that does not share the same liberal, democratic values as th…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. At least I am keeping it in the county. It is a seamless transition. I am pleased to speak on this Bill. While the Bill's provisions are mostly technical and procedural in nature, the import of NAMA and the IBRC, the history attached to these institutions, and their purpose, certainly were not and are not. Seventeen years on from its controversial establishment, NAMA is today being given a decent burial. Thirteen years on from the effect of tearing up the IBRC promissory notes, this zom…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Insertion of section 12B in Principal Act 8. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 12A: “Exchange of public service data 12B. (1) A person specified in subsection (2)— (a) may, where he or she considers that it is necessary and proportionate for the performance of his or her functions pursuant to this Act, request any other such person to supply him or her with such information as the…

A Cheann Comhairle, I am finding it difficult to hear.

I too direct my plaudits at Deputy Ardagh. This is very much her initiative and something that was well supported along the way by the Irish Cancer Society and other Deputies and Senators across these Houses. It is one of those evenings when we can all say a job has been well done. It shows the utility of this House as well. We try to do it all of the time but it is more explicit on occasions like this when we are reflecting the real, everyday needs of the people who elect us. We do not know ourselves the day on wh…

There are jobs now.

The current public sector pay deal is due to expire over the next few weeks. Trade unions looked at the Government response to the fuel protests in recent weeks and understood that the package that was developed for those who were protesting did nothing whatsoever for PAYE workers, despite the Taoiseach's protestations to the contrary. He is opening the Fórsa conference this week. What will he say to the public sector workers represented by Fórsa and other trade unions, both in regard to their expectations about a …

It was accidental.

PAYE workers need a mini-budget, and they need it now. Last October’s budget, the first of this Government’s new term, managed to pull off a quite extraordinary feat. It committed to spend over €9 billion more than the year before, yet left working families even worse off. This is an unparalleled achievement and all because of choices the Government made. Even before Trump and Israel’s war on Iran, the ESRI, in its post-budget analysis, said working families would be 2% poorer this year, with those who depend on th…

With respect, nothing the Minister has said on the record in response to my question will make it any easier for PAYE workers between now and the budget to get some respite and help with the high energy costs and so on she directly referenced. We can trace all of this back to the poor decisions the Government made in budget 2026. The Government will have an opportunity to make amends for that this afternoon by withdrawing the countermotion and ensuring it sends a signal to PAYE workers and the self-employed that it…

Working people cannot wait any longer for support.

You keep introducing €750 million packages without any-----

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Budget 2026 failed to provide for indexation of income tax credits and bands, providing instead untargeted Value-Added Tax (VAT) cuts for the hospitality and construction sector; — despite clear evidence of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the Government withdrew energy credits and cut pre-election once-off payments, that in recent years had cloaked the inadequacy of existing social welfare payment rates; — the analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute of Budge…

It is a jammy Government.

Hear, hear.

When push comes to shove.

In my concluding remarks I will counter one or two of the points the Minister of State made, the first being his claim that nobody likes talking about fiscal responsibility and that it is not sexy. Well, it is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night, and the Minister of State touched on one of the reasons. In an economy that is not managed responsibly, we know there is no future for working people and there is no future for small businesses. This is why it is very difficult to sit here, take lectures and be …