The Taoiseach is acknowledging the need to abolish the means test for carers, from what I can gather. There is a commitment to abolish it over the term of this Government. The question is this: why wait? The Taoiseach says we do not acknowledge the work being done. I am acknowledging that this kind of work - these incremental reforms and the piecemeal things he is talking about - are bureaucratic. Carers deserve better. They deserve fair pay and dignity now. They deserved it yesterday. They deserved it years ago. T…

I will ask again: will the Government support the Social Democrats motion tomorrow on abolishing the means test for carers and will it be done in this budget?

I welcome the families of the brave Irish citizens on board the flotilla, who are in the Gallery today. I cannot imagine how proud they must be, and how scared they must be for their safety. We are all here today united in our demands that the genocide in Gaza must end, that the blockade must be lifted, that aid should be allowed to flow freely, and that no harm should be done to those on board the Global Sumud Flotilla. On Saturday, 42 boats and 532 citizens set out to do what governments all over the world should…

On behalf of all of the Social Democrats team, I also want to thank Julie for everything. I wish her huge congratulations on her retirement. Before I begin, I want to say my thoughts are also with all those on the Global Sumud Flotilla, including Members of the Oireachtas, who were hit by drone strikes overnight. This is just another example of Israel operating in blatant breach of international law. There has to be consequences. My question for the Minister is quite simple. What is he doing about large supermarket…

However, the Government has done nothing.

What will the Minister do to address this issue?

The fact of the matter is that the Dunnes Stores operation in the North has recorded a 44% increase in profits. Let that sink in. The Minister cannot tell me what Dunnes Stores' increase in profits is in this jurisdiction because Dunnes Stores, the country's biggest supermarket chain, does not have to be transparent here. In an interview with the Sunday Independent in July, Simon Harris said that supermarkets should publish their profits. He said, "The more transparency, the better. Why wouldn't they be transparent…

-----narrating the problem instead of actually doing something about it?

You are the Government.

For two years, the people of this country have been watching a genocide unfold in Gaza in a complete state of disbelief, wondering how this can be allowed to happen and how so-called world leaders can stand idly by as that genocide is livestreamed before our eyes. I am not dismissing the fact that Ireland recognised the State of Palestine; it was welcome. It is also welcome that more countries are doing the same now, but, ultimately, there is barely anything left to recognise. Gaza has been reduced to mass graves a…

As the Minister said, we all welcome the fact that countries are now recognising the State of Palestine. We welcomed it when Ireland did so too. The point I am trying to make and the point the Minister is ignoring is that this is literally the bare minimum and that there is hardly anything left to recognise. The bar is literally on the floor when we are talking about Ireland being held up as an example. Unless the international community acts, there will be literally nothing left to recognise. The Israeli Governmen…

I did not say that. I asked-----

As this is my first time addressing the Dáil since my maternity leave, I hope the Ceann Comhairle will indulge me in saying a few "Thank yous". First, I thank my colleagues in the Social Democrats for their ongoing support. I would like to say a special "Thank you" to our deputy leader, Cian O'Callaghan, for stepping in during my maternity leave. I would also like to say a heartfelt "Thank you" to the people of Cork South-West for re-electing me. I would also like to acknowledge the loss last weekend of Councillor …

The Taoiseach tells us about increased investment and that disability is a priority, but even when it comes to something relatively simple, if we use the example of recognising the cost of disability and addressing it, his Government manages to somehow spectacularly miss the mark. A 2021 report calculated the additional cost of disability to be at €236 per week. What was the Government's response to that? It was a one-off payment of €400, as if having a disability is some kind of a one-off, minor inconvenience. Acc…

This is the view of the disabled people with whom I have met.

Will the Taoiseach answer the question?

A year into this slaughter, what has changed in the Irish position? After nearly 44,000 dead, including nearly 17,000 children, after more than 100,000 people injured, after 10,000 people missing, buried in the wreckage and the rubble, after an expansion of the conflict to Lebanon, nothing has changed. We still maintain normal diplomatic relations with Israel. We still maintain normal travel relations with Israel. We have actually increased our trade in dual-use technology with Israel. We continue to allow military…

That is a very low bar.

I want to start by thanking all of the staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is a uniquely fraught and adversarial working environment and it is somehow made pleasant by all of them, so I thank them very much. On the last day of the Thirty-third Dáil, as we prepare for an election, people will be thinking about who they are going to vote for. I hope people will be wary of political parties that have a track record of broken promises. For example, in the last election campaign you promised to deliver 50,000 af…

I think the Tánaiste can probably understand why people feel such a huge disconnect between the picture he paints and the reality they experience when they try to buy a home. Every year since the Government has been in office, the cost of an average home has gone up by more than €20,000. I asked the Tánaiste about the delivery of affordable purchase homes and he spent three minutes talking about everything apart from affordable purchase homes. He does not answer the question and he paints an entirely different pict…