I, too, offer Deputies Howlin and Murphy well wishes in their future outside Dáil Éireann.

I commend the Social Democrats on this poignant motion. What we are seeing on our television screens every night is almost unbearable to watch, but you have to keep watching, because if you turn away, it will keep happening. The past 13 months have been exceptional in the absolute inhumanity of what is being done to the people of Gaza. The only parallel I can make in the politicisation of the world is the Vietnam War. In the Vietnam War, in the 1960s and 1970s, a huge generation became politicised. During that war,…

Forty-five years ago, children from St. Mary's Youth Club went travelled to Wicklow, to the Glen of Imaal. If the Tánaiste is familiar with that walk, he will know it brings you up to Lugnaquillia, the highest mountain in Leinster. It is a fantastic walk. On that fateful day, one of the children picked up an object which he thought was part of an engine but seconds later it exploded, as it was an unused shell from a tank. It killed three children and maimed many more. In September, thejournal.ie uncovered evidence …

The Joint Committee on Drugs Use published its interim report yesterday. There will be a general election in the next few weeks so this is essentially its final report. This has been a very good committee. It has been very important in looking at different models of drugs policy and saving lives. This is the most important thing. The committee took into account the recommendations of the citizens' assembly as well as our own. There is political consensus on this. There are a variety of views, but many people have s…

There will be a very important debate tonight on the final report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying. As the Tánaiste knows, that report, which made a recommendation for legislative change, was finalised in March this year. Will the Government grant TDs in Government parties a free vote when it comes before the Dáil next Wednesday?

There is a point of order here. Is it possible for somebody other than the Chair or the Vice Chair to move a motion? I say this on the basis that I was the proposer of the motion. This is the first I have heard of this, with no disrespect to Deputy Nolan.

I was the Vice Chair.

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying entitled "Final Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 21st March, 2024. I thank everybody on the committee who was involved in this. It was a very thorough committee on a complex issue, but it was well worth doing. The committee ran for nine months. It had more than 100 witnesses and met, I think, 26 times. It heard from a broad spectrum in the debate. It hear…

Yes, the Deputy is wrong.

I am willing to give Deputy Ó Cuív a few minutes of my time. I have ten minutes and will not use all of it, if he would like three or four minutes.

I probably will not use all of my time. It was a good debate and a reflection on the report itself. There are different views on this issue. Unfortunately, Deputy Tóibín, who is not present now, conflated the issue of assisted dying and suicide. That is extremely unhelpful in terms of this issue and those who do that do so deliberately. I want to put on the record that I am not supportive of an expansion where people can avail of assisted dying in any circumstances. Assisted dying should not be available in the con…

Yes I know, that is why I will finish early.

I will conclude in 20 seconds and then will let Deputy Lahart speak. Is that okay?

This is a complex issue and I hope it is not a divisive issue. I hope it can be legislated for in the next Dáil and I also hope to come back and push this issue. If I am not lucky enough to get back in, then hopefully somebody else will. However, I really believe that assisted dying will be legislated for in Ireland within the next number of years. It is inevitable that will happen. There is public support for it. I believe that a majority of TDs support this recommendation, which is why I will be putting this to a…

I have said it all.

Yes.

I would like to push for a division for next Wednesday.

On 27 September Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the UN. Many delegates left when he spoke. Why did the Irish delegation not join the many people who refused to listen to a warmonger like Netanyahu?

These are abnormal times. Cordiality and protocol should go out the door. If the Tánaiste had been there when this warmonger was speaking, would he have listened or would he have left? Many people from across the world, particularly the developing world, left because they did not want to listen to this man who has killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza, including 21,000 children. If there ever was a situation in the world where people take a principled stand and say, “We do not want to give this man a platform or l…

I acknowledged it.