Yesterday was a seismic day in more ways than one in Leinster House. The Joint Committee on Assisted Dying made 38 recommendations in its report, which was published yesterday. One of the main recommendations from the report was to legislate for assisted dying. I believe that this issue transcends politics and ideas and that now is the time to give a commitment and make preparations in the lifetime of this Government to legislate for this issue. Can the Tánaiste give a commitment in the lifetime of this Government …

The Minister will agree that nobody should be homeless, regardless of where they are from. That could be Dublin, Cork, Belfast or Galway. Nobody should be homeless in this day and age. We can all agree that for decades the policy has been free-market ideology that has normalised homelessness. It has put people on the street and without shelter. At the moment, there are 14,000 people in emergency accommodation. Some are Irish, and others are not from Ireland. That is a scandalous situation. More than 4,000 children …

I commend Sinn Féin on tabling this very important motion on public health. There is no doubt there are deficits in public health throughout the country. Some areas are worse than others. There are circumstances as to why there are deficits. which can come down to a lack of recruitment and the retention of staff. A big issue with keeping people in the health service is the price of housing. Pay and conditions in the workplace are also big factors in filling posts in our health service. Throughout the country there …

Given the cataclysmic circumstances in Gaza at the moment, has the Tánaiste spoken to his European counterparts with regard to sanctions on Israel and what will the European Union and this country do about the terrible events that are going on in Gaza at the moment?

What we are witnessing at the moment and have witnessed in the past six months in Gaza is and has been almost unbearable to look at. I do not know if the Tánaiste saw the report on the BBC the other day where 15 children died basically of malnutrition. It was unbelievable just to see that. Imagine being there and being the mother or father of that child. This is being done in real time by a state that we call a friend and that has an ambassador not too far from here. Over 75 years, what has this country ever done t…

I have been, Tánaiste.

I was there.

I acknowledge what the Tánaiste says. I acknowledge that Ireland has done more than the rest of the European Union in calling out what Israel has been doing, and not only in the past six months. If you go to the Middle East, you will find that people from Palestine are very generous in their comments on what the Irish people have done and the empathy we have shown, but we have not done enough. A good example is the occupied territories Bill, which the Tánaiste's party supported in the previous Dáil. Now it does not…

Try it out.

People said that of South Africa in the 1980s.

The same-----

In recent weeks, there have been quite startling reports regarding accommodation for young people and Tusla. These facilities have been deemed inappropriate and unsuitable. Enormous amounts of money, up to €50 million a year, go towards these providers. Some of the providers have been struck off in the context of the service they provide. This is a very serious issue. Obviously, it involves very vulnerable children. Is it now time to reconsider the model of outsourcing and privatising services, especially those for…

My question is about the optional protocol to the UNCRPD. Many people who have been following this issue, not only in this House but outside it, have been frustrated by its non-ratification. I would like to hear the Minister's thoughts on whether it will be ratified within the term of this Dáil.

I agree. The process of ratifying the UNCRPD was very protracted. It was done six years ago, with Ireland being one of the last countries to ratify. It does not really make sense that we did not ratify the protocol at the same time. Other countries in Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand ratified the protocol soon after they ratified the UNCRPD. It does not make sense that we did not do the same. It would make sense to ratify the protocol because it would make the convention much stronger and make way for legi…

I understand it is a process. It is very important that the protocol is ratified. If not, the process will drag out further. I do not doubt the bona fides of the Minister of State on this matter. A lot of people have been observing the non-commitment of the State to ratifying the protocol. It is really important that we ratify it because it will enhance other things, particularly around assisted decision-making. That legislation is one of the best Acts put forward by the Dáil. There is a referendum on care taking p…

There is no doubt that far-right extremists have become emboldened, not only vocally but also physically. This has become evident in the past seven or eight months in the targeted attacks against buildings that have been proposed for use in housing international protection applicants or others. It is incredible to think that when a building is designated to meet what is a basic need of any human being by providing shelter, another human can feel it must be set on fire in order to ensure the people in question are n…

I congratulate Deputies Ward and Cullinane on the Bill. It is a timely and topical Bill. A few months ago, a number of organisations came before the health committee, one of which was the Mental Health Commission. Recently, Families for Reform of CAMHS also came before the committee. The picture they painted, which was very stark and concerning to say the least, was of a service that was dysfunctional and did not provide timely intervention for children. There is something very dispiriting when we see a family comi…

A crisis is looming in respect of service users, families and staff at St. John of God. We were here a number of years ago in the context of huge deficits in the service. In six months' time, those seeking community services will have to go to either the HSE or a voluntary body. As a former employee of St. John of God who has a lot of friends who work there, I know they are extremely concerned about what is going on. They were only told when it was reported online last week. This is no way to do business. What meas…

On putting a question to the HSE regarding CAMHS inpatient beds in the State, I received a reply that was slightly alarming. Out of the 72 registered beds in the State, only 51 were operational and, as of October last year, 30 were occupied. The main reason for this was staff shortages. What has the Government put in place to address these staff shortages that are having a detrimental effect on children's mental health?

I ask the Minister for a debate on the Children's Rights Alliance annual report card. It is quite damning that 4,000 children find themselves in homeless accommodation. The effects on those children who do not have a voice here is incalculable. It is very important that we have a debate very soon on the effects on children who are in homeless accommodation.