I am happy to raise this matter directly. There are a number of things we need to do in response. We need to ensure we have enough qualified people and ensure we have enough courses and training opportunities working with our universities. That is happening already through the Department of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, working with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. We also need to consider where legislative changes are required, in particular when it comes to assessments where more OT time is being spent on a…

Obviously, if this is a planning matter, it is something for An Coimisiún Pleanála. If it is about any scheme, the need for funding or investment, I can raise it directly with colleagues. Some €40 billion will be provided over the next number of years directly for housing development and water infrastructure. There will also be additional funding to make sure that grid access or any other type of infrastructure to open any new housing development is developed as quickly as possible. If the Deputy provides me with d…

Our laws are very clear: it is illegal to create nuclear power in Ireland. Any proposal to change that would have to be done with agreement and debate, not just here in the Houses but more broadly. At the moment, there are no direct plans but given the situation in which we find ourselves on a global scale, we should not rule out discussions about things. However, the law is very clear at the moment: nuclear power is not allowed and not applicable. I know this came up yesterday. Whether it is the French interconnec…

No.

No.

I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Article 29.5.2° of Bunreacht na hÉireann, approves the terms of the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, signed at The Hague on 16th December, 2025, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 1st May, 2026. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this motion today. The convention we seek to ratify is about establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine. It is about Ireland supporting and being part of the efforts of the interna…

I join colleagues in supporting this motion of confidence in the Government today. We are living through a period of profound global instability. Across the Gulf, we are seeing not only disruption to energy supply and vital shipping routes but we are witnessing the further appalling and unacceptable loss of life, the human cost of which cannot be overlooked. It is essential that we progress and engage with colleagues to urgently de-escalate and sustain our diplomatic engagement. I will continue with Government to e…

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, if they do not want to listen to the women of the Dáil-----

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. He is right that this something we have debated and discussed many times, and not just the Bill itself but the ongoing devastating conflict in Gaza in the Middle East. That conflict has now, unfortunately, escalated and widened and is now including many more innocent civilians. Everything that this Government and the previous one have done and everything the people of this country have done has been with the sole intention of making sure we can bring about a lasting pea…

I agree with the Deputy that what is happening is appalling. I fully agree that what we are seeing is appalling. The ceasefire is not a proper ceasefire. Over 400 people have been killed since then and proper aid is not being let in. I visited the area myself at the beginning of the year and saw that goods that are by no means, or could ever be described as, a threat are not being let in. Enough food is still not being let in. We are doing our utmost. Our focus, and my priority at the outset, is to ensure that aid …

In terms of the programme for Government commitment, it was relating to goods and we were very clear on that. The Oireachtas committee then asked that we would look at services and it is important that we engage with the committee and its recommendations on any legislation. That was the advice that was asked of the Attorney General and that was the advice that I received soon after coming into the Department, just before Christmas. Questions needed to be asked and those have been asked of the Attorney General. I ex…

I agree with the Deputy that the UN is the best place for all of us to work together and Ireland, as a member and a partner, will always stand up for and advocate for the UN and its structures. We understand how important it has been, not just in this conflict but in many conflicts and, most important, in its resolutions over decades. In relation to the uniting for peace resolution, Ireland will always take part in and be a part of any structure or grouping with member states that can provide a way forward. The res…

I agree with the Deputy. My biggest concern is that the ongoing conflict in the wider region of the Middle East will take away our focus on our priority, which should be trying to find a way forward for the civilians in Gaza. We are, and I am, absolutely determined to ensure that will not be the case. At every meeting we have had, even where it related specifically to the ongoing conflict in Iran, I have raised the situation in Gaza and the need for us to make progress. I have raised what is happening in the West B…

We have not joined the Board of Peace and have been clear in our reason for not doing so. We do not believe that any other structure should be mirroring the work of the UN at all. It is doing work with a particular focus on Gaza. That is why it was established. That was the UN resolution for which we and everybody else voted so that a structure would be put in place to support the redevelopment of Gaza and so that we could provide a clear pathway and future with a ceasefire for people on the ground. We support the …

Ireland has consistently supported strong sanctions in response to Russia's illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, which, as the Deputy said, has been ongoing for more than four years. The sanctions adopted in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine are the most expansive and hard-hitting sanctions in EU history. Over 2,700 individuals and entities are now subject to EU restrictive measures. An unprecedented range of sectoral measures against Russia have been adopted, including measures targeting the trade, finance,…

We have supported and will always support further sanctions. The Deputy can be assured we will continue to support any sanctions package that is brought forward. There are considerations that have to be taken into account. In this particular instance, there are very clearly concerns that have been raised by a number of member states in terms of their own energy security. Nonetheless, even with those issues, 2,700 different individuals and-or companies have been sanctioned. It has had a huge impact. We want to see t…

Apologies; I thought I was clear. We have already supported that. However, there was not unanimity. My understanding is that will not change. We have already supported the progress of sanctions in all instances but there is not unanimity. It is not Ireland's choice at the end of the day. We are one of many member states. We have supported all the packages that have been agreed unanimously over the past number of years. We will continue to support and push for the twentieth sanctions package that is currently on the…

-----but we are focused on the twentieth package. We have a package that we have been working on. We are focused on that and have been pushing for it. While we have not had success at the most recent Council, I hope we will be able to make progress. The sanctions are having an impact and are impacting on Russia's ability to continue this war.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I know he has raised it on a number of occasions. We all agree there is no doubt that the families and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings have waited far too long for answers. We all want to get to that point for them. The Government has long-standing requests in place to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British Government relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. These requests arise from successi…

I will absolutely speak with the Secretary of State on this. The British Government is in no doubt of the desire, not just of this Government but successive Irish governments, to see the release of relevant documents to help the families of the Dublin and Monaghan bombing victims to get the truth of what happened to their loved ones. I and other Ministers have raised this regularly in our engagement with the British Government and our counterparts. At least nine letters have been sent over the past number of years …