In parallel.

I spoke earlier about the major crisis in our public infrastructure that is clearly delaying progress on the construction of housing and, indeed, delaying progress towards meeting our climate targets. In particular, I speak about difficulties with energy and water infrastructure. I want to focus on water infrastructure because just at the end of May, the Government was warned by Uisce Éireann that house building in Dublin would stall within three years if the greater Dublin drainage project does not progress. Of co…

I asked about a contingency plan.

What is the contingency plan?

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am sharing time with Deputy Ciarán Ahern. I welcome the fact the Minister of State is here and I thank Deputy Ahern, who will speak alongside me. This is a Bill that we in the Labour Party introduced some time ago. It was drafted in the wake of the nursing home charges scandal. A key purpose of the Bill is to clarify and reform the role of the Attorney General by providing a mechanism for both acknowledging and accommodating public interest concerns in State liti…

A Cheann Comhairle, might I ask if there is a copy of the Minister of State's speech available? I am conscious there was a lot in it.

Sorry, is it me-----

I thank my colleague Deputy Ciarán Ahern and Deputy Mairéad Farrell for their words of support. I should also have thanked Deputy Ged Nash, who co-sponsored this Bill with me, at the outset. I also thank Deputy Farrell for her kind words about my background. I should have declared my interest at the start. As a practising barrister, I represented both the State and individuals suing the State. I have had some experience on both sides of the courtroom and have worked for and with Attorneys General on defending litig…

I thank all those who spoke in support of our Labour motion on nursing homes and care. I thank in particular my colleagues Deputies Marie Sherlock and Mark Wall for leading on this motion. We in the Labour Party have put this forward with one key purpose, namely, to ensure dignity for those of our citizens who are ageing. Everyone in Ireland should be supported to age with dignity. We have set out a series of constructive steps to achieve that dignity that we speak about. In particular, we speak about three things:…

I join others in expressing condolences on the death of Brother Kevin Crowley of the Capuchin Day Centre. I had the pleasure of meeting Brother Kevin, witnessing the immense work that he and his colleagues were doing and experiencing his great sense of humour. He will be sadly missed. When the idea of a housing tsar was announced some months ago, the question on everyone's lips was the same: what can a tsar possible do for housing that the Minister cannot achieve? The bizarre tsar proposal appears to have been quie…

The Government seems to be content to express disappointment and say that the measures it is taking will have an effect. The reality for people across the country facing eviction is that there is no hope and no lifeline. The Minister said that increasing supply was the key priority. Of course it should be; that is right. Instead of seeing a ramping up of construction activity, though, we have seen delays and pauses in the building of social homes. In the last week alone, we have seen further delays announced. We ha…

-----a failure to act, a lethargy that leaves people in despair. People are telling us they have no hope of any prospect of owning-----

-----or even of being able to rent their own homes because there is so little out there. What is the Government offering now to people facing eviction?

No-----

When?

We talked about them.

Ireland has long and historic ties with the US. Some half a million Irish residents visited last year and more than 30 million Americans claim Irish heritage. However, increasingly an authoritarian Trump government is causing real concerns, in particular for those who are undocumented Irish in America. We think about 10,000 such people are there. This is placing a strain on the relationship. Last week, I raised the alleged unlawful detention of a Norwegian student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, in thi…

It seems this week we are seeing yet another screeching U-turn from the Government. After its recent U-turns on rent pressure zones and tax and spending priorities for this budget, this time the change of tack relates to the announcement by the Minister, James Lawless, on college fees. On Sunday, the Minister took to the national airwaves to say there would be what will amount to a massive hike in fees this year, apparently from the €2,000 students paid last year to €3,000 this year. As the Minister will know, this…

I listened carefully to what the Minister said but, with respect, it is a somewhat Alice in Wonderland approach for parents and students listening in because what I think he said was that people may think that this is an increase but really it is a reduction. That is not the reality. What people will feel in their pockets this year is that they will be paying an extra €1,000. That is the reality for people, no matter how it is sugar-coated or explained away. The Minister said that last year's reduction was just for…

I want to mark the sad passing of Jacqui Browne, who died yesterday. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jacqui as an activist on Thalidomide over many years and was very sad to hear the news. May she rest in peace. With its report today, Women’s Aid has highlighted the reality that we have an epidemic of violence against women in Ireland. We, of course, acknowledge that progress has been made in recent years. Ireland does now have the agency Cuan and a suite of laws designed to institute zero tolerance …