I raise with the Taoiseach the ongoing issue of policing levels in our communities. Across the country, we all hear from communities who have immense concerns about the shortage of gardaí on the streets, a lack of community gardaí and problems of low morale within the Garda. In my constituency of Dublin Bay South, this week alone we have seen an appalling incidence of antisocial behaviour and quite serious criminality, with gangs congregating around the City Quay and Pearse Street areas. There is a shortage of Gard…

-----to ensure we have visible and effective policing of our streets.

As we know, childhood is short, and children being failed by the State today do not have the luxury of time. There are massive negative consequences for any child who receives inappropriate schooling or, worse, no schooling at all, yet across the State we see systemic failures in provision for children with additional needs. That is why, once again, we in Labour will be using our Private Members' time tomorrow morning to propose a motion on special education. That motion has nine sensible, simple and strategic asks…

The Taoiseach gave some figures. Of course there are some good news stories throughout the country. I have visited schools that have superb facilities. I acknowledge that. There are some new builds that are really impressive. As the Taoiseach stated, however, there are still immense challenges. In the Dublin area, there are immense challenges. The Taoiseach referred to growth and expansion. There is not sufficient growth or expansion to meet the growing demand and needs that exist. I will provide some figures. Some…

I was curious to read today about apparent opposition from some in the Taoiseach's party and in Fine Gael about the prospect of expanding parental choice in education. I very much welcomed the proposals from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to create more multidenominational schools in Ireland. The Labour Party has always stood for increased choice in schooling. I have campaigned successfully in my own communities for new multidenominational schools. The former Minister, Ruairí Quinn, really led on seeking to expand p…

I join the Ceann Comhairle in welcoming our colleague from London, Mr. Liam Conlon, MP, for Beckenham and Penge, to the Distinguished Visitors’ Gallery. He is here with Donal Sheehan from his office. I commend Liam for his work on bringing forward Philomena’s law in Westminster, legislation that will secure additional justice for survivors of mother and baby homes, many thousands of whom live in Britain despite having been in homes in Ireland. However, we need to do more here for survivors of mother and baby homes.…

There were 233 children on a waiting list for spinal surgery at Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, hospitals at the end of February. Of those children, 43 who had been approved for surgery had been waiting more than six months and 15 of those had been kept waiting for more than a year. These children are in agony. It is a national shame on us all that they are kept waiting so long. This morning, "The Oliver Callan Show" radio programme heard from Louise and Alannah Collins, mother and sister to 14-year-old Daniel Coll…

I thank the Taoiseach for clarifying that there has been engagement with Daniel Collins's family. However, I understand there is still no surgery date. We all wish Daniel and his family well. However, the reality is there are far too many families and far too many children still awaiting necessary surgery dates. Quite apart from the trauma all those families and children are going through, there is a broader issue. Our health spokesperson, Deputy Marie Sherlock, pointed out the broader issue of systemic failure hig…

The horrific killing is continuing in Gaza with reports of 29 more people, including several children, killed overnight in Gaza City by Israeli bombardment. The Gaza Strip lies in ruins with no sign of any renewal of the ceasefire. I support the calls for an independent international inquiry arising from the cold-blooded killing of 15 humanitarian workers at the end of March in Gaza who were buried in a shallow grave and found a week later. We should remember that the Israeli military said first that they were mili…

All of us send our thoughts to the families of the children whose spinal surgery was investigated by HIQA in the report. The Taoiseach has just articulated how appalling the findings are in respect of those children. It is deeply concerning to see them. The chair of the board of CHI has resigned so things are moving very swiftly. I ask for a proper debate on this in the House this week because it is such a serious matter. I express our thoughts with our colleague, Deputy Boyd Barrett, and wish him well in his treat…

Likewise.

It is clear that the big hope is that there will be a negotiation pathway open. It is interesting to see the EU already saying it had previously offered to remove all tariff barriers on industrial goods and to buy more LNG from the US, but those offers were met by what was really a non-response from the US. There is a question about the extent to which there will be a response from the US. Clearly, Trump is looking for major concessions but even with those concessions it is not clear that there will be any move. Th…

The Minister, Deputy Foley, today published the report by Sheila Nunan on negotiations with the religious bodies involved in running mother and baby homes. It is disappointing to see how little the orders are prepared to do towards paying their fair share of redress. The vast majority are dragging their feet and delaying on the issue of redress. I think just one substantial offer has been made by one order, along with two fairly derisory offers from two other orders. There has been nothing at all from the others. T…

What is the Government's view on this matter?

Yes.

The February figures for homelessness showed that 5,653 children are without a home. Child homelessness has deep and lasting impacts on children's lives and well-being. It is associated with childhood poverty. The tenant in situ scheme was a key measure brought in by Government that sought to address the root causes of child and family homelessness and enable people to stay in their homes as social tenants yet it has simply become ineffective in protecting families and children from homelessness. The Irish Times re…

The tenant in situ scheme.

It was the house.

The chilling footage and grim images of children killed and wounded in Gaza shared by Dr. Morgan McMonagle on last night's "Prime Time" will stay with anyone who saw them for a very long time. I commend Dr. McMonagle on sharing those images and that chilling footage with us. I will ask the Taoiseach about an issue affecting children and young people here in Ireland, the crisis in special education. Equality in Education, a group of parents who cannot access suitable school places for their children, will stage a se…

I thank the Taoiseach for the comprehensive response and for making clear that measures are being put in place to ensure that future planning will be improved upon. There is still serious frustration and doubt about whether children will secure the places they need this September. School principals are expressing this concern to all of us. I recently heard from a school principal who told me parents are now enrolling their children in mainstream classes where they hear that a school has secured planning permission …