The closure of services.

In December 2022, I wrote to the Taoiseach, who was the then Tánaiste, and the then Taoiseach, former Deputy Leo Varadkar, seeking updates on the national security strategy and also seeking briefings for Opposition leaders on national security, as is standard in many countries. That was in the context of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine, the cyberattack on the HSE and reports of Russian spies in Ireland. Since then, desperately sadly and tragically, we have seen 20 months of Israel's genocidal bombardment and onslaug…

It is 20 years since we saw distressing footage of conditions at Leas Cross nursing home. Here we are again. The scenes on last Thursday's "RTÉ Investigates" programme were deeply disturbing. Aoife Hegarty's team exposed horrifying practices in nursing homes run by one of Ireland's largest private care providers. I commend the RTÉ team and the whistleblower, Clare Doyle, on exposing those abuses. We saw awful footage of older people being pushed around, forgotten, abandoned and calling for help from their beds or a…

I listened carefully to the answer but I did not hear anything substantive about what the Taoiseach and the Government propose to do following on from those shocking revelations. It is not just about HIQA failures. This is also about ensuring older persons have a voice. There is a blueprint there. We have a Law Reform Commission report from last year about setting up an adult safeguarding framework. Safeguarding Ireland last week again called on the Government to initiate a process which would lead to the enactment…

When?

The Government's rent pressure zone changes have caused fear among renters and uncertainty for investors and the Taoiseach's response to questions earlier provided no clarity. We got poetry - at least, one of the Government Deputies did - but we got no direct response. The Taoiseach said the changes to rent pressure zones will increase supply. Has any modelling been done to show how that will happen? Why did the Government pick March 2026 for the changes to take effect? If they are going to increase supply, why did…

But is there evidence?

Why March?

I join others in expressing sympathies to all those affected by the school shooting in Austria of which we have just heard news. Back in February, someone in the Government was briefing the media about a proposed end to rent pressure zones. For years, the Government refused to contemplate designating the whole country as a rent pressure zone. Yesterday morning, the future of the entire RPZ scheme was in question. We were hearing it on the airwaves from the Taoiseach's representatives. However, by bedtime last night…

The reality is that many of the Taoiseach's own-----

We can all agree that certainty, clarity and consistency are needed for those renting, those looking to buy a home and those looking to build and develop homes. That is precisely what is lacking in the Taoiseach's own Government's policy. He is accusing the Opposition of being caught out but he has caught out his own backbenchers. He has flip-flopped on policy on rent pressure zones, RPZs, and protections for renters. None of us can see how he can say there will be increased protections for renters. Sure, the Gover…

Where is the protection?

There are 15,000 homeless.

Yesterday's arrest by Israel of those aboard the Madleen freedom flotilla ship while in international waters was a flagrant breach of international law. Those taken by Israeli forces are brave activists, bringing symbolic aid to a people who have been abandoned by the world. The activists hold EU citizenship and one is an MEP. I hope the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will raise this kidnapping of activists at international level. I also ask that the Government do more at international level to ensure Israel is subject…

What about the meeting on 23 June?

On Ukraine, I condemn outright Russia's increasingly heavy and brutal bombardment of civilian infrastructure. We have seen more civilian casualties in Kharkiv and Kyiv in recent days. It is appalling to see that and I join with Deputy Malcolm Byrne in looking for an update on a timeline for possible accession. Ireland has been at the forefront of supporting Ukraine's proposed accession to the EU. I raised earlier the plight of the crew of the Madleen and asked the Taoiseach to take steps at EU level to address the …

I welcome the proposals we have seen, which I believe went to the Cabinet today, to create nearly 500 new third level places in key health and social professions, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and more. As I said, this is welcome because we all recognise the enormous shortfall in services. The concern remains that it will take years for these new places to generate more qualified people. As my colleague, Deputy Sherlock, documented last week, children are currently waiting far too long to see a ther…

It was about recognition of qualifications by CORU.

The Taoiseach has outlined some of the work of the shared island initiative. Dealing with legacy is an important part of the work being done. The British Labour Government has committed to changes but no agreement has been reached yet, and there are a number of areas where families have been seeking answers and where the Government here has a role to play. I ask in particular about the issue of Denis Donaldson. His family have been seeking answers and the case has of course been highlighted recently. He was murdere…

I commend my colleague, Deputy Ged Nash, on bringing forward this important Bill. We are all aware of the spike in the cost of living. In four years, the cost of a basket of groceries has risen by more than 35%. This is having a huge impact on families and households. Organisations like Barnardos report that parents are forgoing medicines to put food on their children's plates. We are noticing shrinkflation - the charging of the same prices but with less product. Households across Ireland are having to cope with th…