I move amendment No. 49: In page 20, to delete lines 26 to 31.

I move amendment No. 59: In page 24, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: “Information relating to contact preference 17. In every case where an applicant is provided under this Act with a copy of the records that contain the birth information to which the application relates, or with a statement setting out the birth information contained in those records, the Authority shall send to the applicant, by prepaid registered post or other recorded delivery, a statement by the Authority setting out, in so f…

I welcome this series of amendments. I referred to them previously, as the Minister said. They provide for important new mechanisms for a person who has reasonable grounds for suspecting they are the subject of an incorrect birth registration to initiate the conduct of inquiries by the agency or authority. They also empower the Minister to conduct a review. I acknowledge the work of the special rapporteur, Dr. Conor O'Mahony, and those very brave individuals who themselves were the subject of illegal adoptions and …

I, too, welcome this amendment. It provides for a more inclusive approach, which is very welcome. So much of the Bill is welcome, and so many of the amendments are welcome. We have welcomed all the Minister's amendments, I believe. There is just the one sticking point left, namely, the provision in section 17. It is a very significant difficulty for us. This is a Bill that my party and I really want to support. Undoubtedly, it will result in considerable progress regarding the rights of adopted persons to know thei…

I welcome amendments Nos. 75 and 76. They illustrate the complexity of the situation and the history that lies behind the Bill. They show why so much thought needs to be put into transferring records and the sources for records and information, given the very piecemeal history of adoption legislation and practices in Ireland. I want to refer to the Minister's comment on my use of the term "outlier". That word was used in our pre-legislative scrutiny report. When we spoke about the mandatory information session, the…

I raise with the Taoiseach the issue of ongoing concerns about the independence, ownership and governance of the new national maternity hospital in light of recent reports by Jennifer Bray and by Justine McCarthy that the HSE board has approved the legal framework and constitution of the new hospital, yet two members of the board have dissented from that decision due to unresolved concerns. I note Dr. Peter Boylan, who wrote today in The Irish Times, has suggested that the term “clinically appropriate” will be used…

That is agreed.

I thank the Taoiseach for confirming the process.

I note the importance of the shared island dialogue. Indeed, we recognise the merits of this initiative. I note, as the Taoiseach said, that an important all-Ireland women's forum was held under the auspices of the National Women's Council in March, aiming to address the under-representation of women in politics on the island. I should say as Chair of the Joint Committee on Gender Equality that the committee will be addressing this issue when we seek to ensure the implementation of the 45 important recommendations …

I previously raised with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste the urgent need for an increase in the national minimum wage to address the cost-of-living crisis confronting households. With inflation rising, it is clear Ireland needs a pay rise and that people need to see the pay in their pockets go further. The 30 cent increase in the minimum wage that came into effect in January has simply not been enough to address the rising costs facing our lowest paid workers. Ireland is a high-cost and low-pay economy, and this is …

We know the spike in the cost of living is hurting households throughout Ireland as inflation has surged to a 22-year high of 6.7% and looks set to continue its increase. We see the cost of fuel, food, housing and basic services is now out of control. Everyone is feeling the pinch, most of all those who are already struggling to make ends meet. The horrendous war in Ukraine has undoubtedly added to this crisis, but many of the reasons underlying this spike are structural in nature, and measures such as the untarget…

The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, revealed today that inflation has surged to a 22-year high of 6.7%. The Central Bank of Ireland has projected that inflation is set to continue rising. Households are already squeezed financially and look set to be even further squeezed by this rise in inflation, given the rising costs of fuel, food and other commodities. As ever, these price rises and this increase in inflation will hit those on lowest incomes the hardest. The Labour Party, however, believes the St…

I will agree with the Tánaiste on one thing, which is that statistics can be used in all sorts of ways. Relativities are important. When one quotes statistics on wages, the key issue for everyone feeling it in their pockets is purchasing power, the actual relativity between take-home pay and the cost of living. Let us not forget that in Ireland we are paying for many things that other European countries provide for free, such as early years education and care and healthcare, particularly for children. We have highe…

Gabhaim buíochas. A Cheann Comhairle, we have been honoured to listen to President Zelenskyy's powerful address on behalf of his people today. On behalf of the Labour Party I pay tribute to his immense courage under fire and I also want to pay special tribute to our friend, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, for her steadfast advocacy on behalf of her country. Fáilte romhat, Ambassador. As the brutal Russian invasion continues, we learned this week about the carrying out of horrific war crime…

Gabhaim buíochas. A Cheann Comhairle, we have been honoured to listen to President Zelenskyy's powerful address on behalf of his people today. On behalf of the Labour Party I pay tribute to his immense courage under fire and I also want to pay special tribute to our friend, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, for her steadfast advocacy on behalf of her country. Fáilte romhat, Ambassador. As the brutal Russian invasion continues, we learned this week about the carrying out of horrific war crime…

We are calling for strong support for Ukraine's expedited accession to the EU; a full embargo on Russian oil and gas to join with the welcome move on coal; urgent initiation of investigations into Russian war crimes against civilians, including crimes of sexual violence against women about which we are hearing such appalling reports; the speedy passage into law of Deputy Howlin’s Magnitsky legislation that we in the Labour Party pushed for and brought forward in this House last December; the exclusion of remaining …

We are calling for strong support for Ukraine's expedited accession to the EU; a full embargo on Russian oil and gas to join with the welcome move on coal; urgent initiation of investigations into Russian war crimes against civilians, including crimes of sexual violence against women about which we are hearing such appalling reports; the speedy passage into law of Deputy Howlin’s Magnitsky legislation that we in the Labour Party pushed for and brought forward in this House last December; the exclusion of remaining …

In his powerful address to the House this morning, President Zelenskyy made clear that there is more Ireland can do to support Ukraine, and that our leadership does matter. We know that we can expel the Russian ambassador from Ireland. I ask the Taoiseach again to do so. We also know that all Russian banks should be excluded from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, SWIFT, and an embargo should be placed on Russian oil and gas. The Ukrainian ambassador, Ms Larysa Gerasko, also highlighte…

Can the Taoiseach please be allowed to respond?

Our global climate and biodiversity crises are existential and fundamental to our capacity to live and to the survival of our planet, but it is not all doom and gloom and we should never feel powerless. It is good to have this opportunity to debate carbon budgets, given that we have just seen the IPCC's report with its chilling prognosis but also a reminder that we can still act to avoid a climate catastrophe. We have many of the solutions already. From agriculture to transport, we know what we have to do. The firs…