Given all we know about this issue, we need to get out in front of it. We know the prevalence of ash dieback and its inevitable impact on roadside trees. A targeted scheme would also serve as a proactive measure to encourage landowners to engage in inspections and address risks before they become dangerous. There are larger issues in terms of the approach to the situation. Even the improvements to the interim reconstitution scheme for ash dieback do not cover the full costs associated with clearing and replanting a…

First, I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Duncan Smith for tabling this very important motion. I welcome the opportunity to speak about children’s autism and disability services. It is also a sign of a failed Government policy that we are having another motion on this topic. Opposition parties keep having to table motions on disability services and, in particular, on children’s services. Parents of children and adults with disabilities are one of the groups I meet most frequently, and I think all Deputies will als…

I could go on-----

There are so many issues. This is even before children's schools places-----

We do not get to any of the other things. We need an all-of-government approach to this.

Earlier, many of us gathered outside Leinster House to mark the fifth anniversary of the repeal of the eighth amendment. It is an important date to mark for many reasons, for instance, to celebrate that achievement of women getting their rights but also to highlight the shortcomings with the current legislation. We now know that we have an independent medical review of the current legislation. That is information we did not have when we made this legislation. There are some clear asks in that. Something I remember …

I want to condemn the intimidation and aggression outside asylum seeker accommodation in recent weeks. In Dublin, homeless asylum seekers were terrorised and their tents set alight. In Inch, we saw checkpoints set up on public roads with people asked to confirm their ID details before being allowed to walk around and go about their lawful business. In Santry at the weekend, masked people on the far right acted with apparent impunity and controlled entry into an industrial estate. Last night, it was revealed that ga…

We all appreciate that but we need to see more of it. The point is that when there are no meetings taking place the empty void is filled with misinformation and we are seeing the consequence of that. It is too horrific to allow to continue. The Taoiseach mentioned the bigger picture. In her report last November, Dr. Catherine Day urged the Government to develop a long-term strategy to the crisis. Dr. Day said it was imperative that the Government act quickly and build State-run, not-for-profit, reception and integr…

No, this is the updated report.

We have a legal, moral and cultural obligation to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers safely. Ireland has requirements under international law to have systems to receive refugees and allow individuals to apply for asylum. We also have moral responsibilities to help people escape violence or individuals being persecuted because of their faith or sexuality. As a nation with a long history of emigration, it would be beyond hypocritical if we did not try to help immigrants to integrate. It is important to outline t…

I was very struck by a photograph taken by Niall Carson carried in the Irish edition of the Daily Mail today. It shows several asylum seekers leaving Magowna House and walking along a small country road. The caption says they are heading back to Dublin. The men are not lumbered down with many heavy bags. They each have small backpacks and a plastic bag. Their only possessions are crammed into those small bags. It is unclear how they intend to get back to Dublin and it is also unclear where they will stay once they …

Modular housing was supposed to come on stream last November. Not a single unit has been delivered. Is this rapid in the opinion of the Minister?

Accommodation services are in crisis, but when Baggot Street hospital was proposed as an accommodation centre, we were told it would take nine months to do a feasibility study. Does taking nine months to do a feasibility study scream urgency and emergency to the Minister? Nobody is underestimating the task that the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has. This is why we are asking if other Cabinet Ministers are pulling their weight. He and his staff seem to be very much alone in this endeavour. He has had to repeatedly impl…

He has been waiting five months to hear back from the Taoiseach about whether it can be approved.

Fifty-two percent of women have experienced sexual violence in their lives, while this figure is 28% for men. Moreover, 21% of women and 5% of men reported experiencing non-consensual sexual intercourse. The vast majority, almost 80%, knew the perpetrator. The Central Statistics Office Sexual Violence Survey 2022 is a difficult but important report. It presents a grim overview of the sheer prevalence of sexual violence in Irish society. More than 4,500 people participated in the survey, which was administered using…

Yesterday, the Taoiseach said something extraordinary. He said he did not believe there are enough gardaí on the streets in Dublin to protect asylum seekers living in tents. This was an astonishing statement for a number of reasons. First, it was incredibly cynical. It is not the job or duty of gardaí to ensure that people who come to this country seeking safety and support have a secure place to stay; it is the Government's responsibility to do this. It is failing in this legal and moral duty. Second, the Taoiseac…

I am not asking for an update on Garda figures.

I am asking about the Government giving responsibility to them to look after asylum seekers living in tents on the streets.

It should not be up to them to ensure people are safe in tents.

I too will raise the report into bullying and sexual harassment in the Defence Forces. The report was damning and deeply disturbing and found that the armed forces "barely tolerates women" and that there was "a discernible pattern of rape and sexual assault". Moreover, it was a complete vindication of the Women of Honour group and all who were brave enough to speak up. What guarantees do survivors, serving members of the Defence Forces and the public have that things will change?