First, on behalf of the Labour Party, I want to express my deep sympathies to the family of Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and just to say what a truly iconic voice he had and how much of a contribution he made in so many ways, in the GAA and sports commentary but also to the Irish language and active retirement. He will be sorely missed. I also want to wish Deputies Michael McGrath and Jack Chambers well in their new roles and, of course, to express my solidarity with Natasha O'Brien. I was privileged to speak with Nata…

In particular, what criteria are judges using in operating a full suspension of sentence in cases where there are crimes of violence committed?

I also express my deepest sympathy to Ceara and the family of Tommie Gorman, the former RTÉ correspondent, on the sad and shocking news of his death, which has just emerged as we have been in this Chamber in the past hour. I hope we will have the opportunity to pay tribute. He was a tremendous journalist and correspondent for RTÉ for so long. I welcome the news that both IALPA and Aer Lingus management were before the Labour Court, although separately, to discuss the state of play regarding the ongoing pay dispute.…

I express my thoughts and good wishes to all those who have been victims or survivors of atrocities on this island. In particular, as the Minister said, I think of the victims of the Omagh bombing, that horrific bombing that took place in 1998. All of us of course want to ensure there is no return to violence and atrocities on the island. Before I speak to the motion, I declare my interest as a former practitioner in criminal defence practice before the Special Criminal Court. I acted in a whole series of trials in…

Tomorrow night on the-----

I will move that amendment tomorrow night during the voting block. I thank the Ceann Comhairle. That is useful. I will speak to the amendment in any case, if I may. It is important to stress that the motion is not about the Special Criminal Court, or renewing or confirming the existence of that court. As we all know, that court was established on foot of a Government proclamation in 1972 and will continue in being regardless of how we vote on the motion or any amendments to it. The motion is about the need for annu…

I acknowledge that today is United Nations World Refugee Day when we stand in solidarity with those fleeing war and persecution. It is all the more timely, then, to raise today the ongoing failure by the Government to provide accommodation for those who have come here seeking refuge. In recent weeks, I have repeatedly raised the plight of those international protection applicants left with no choice but to sleep in tents along the canal or in public parks and streets. These people have been left with no option but …

No answer.

I want to return to the issue of disability rights and autism services. As the Minister knows, Deputy Alan Kelly, our Labour Party colleagues and I have been working for some time with the amazing young autism campaigner, Cara Darmody, and her family. Indeed, we put down a motion in Private Members’ time last year on the need to address the appalling delays in assessments of need for children who need autism services. Cara is outside the front of Leinster House today. I am glad the Taoiseach has agreed to meet Cara…

I begin by acknowledging the resignation of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, as leader of the Green Party. I wish Eamon and his family well on this momentous personal decision. I also wish Eamon’s colleagues in the Green Party well. I acknowledge his immense contribution to public service and environmentalism. Without a functioning planning system, we have no hope of achieving our climate targets or housing targets. The Planning and Development Bill, which was heralded by the Government as the solution to chaos in …

There was extensive consideration on Committee Stage, that is absolutely right, and I commend Deputy Matthews on steering the debate there with such patience and good will. However, there was not ample time in this Chamber to debate it on Report Stage, and that is the point. More than 800 amendments were tabled on Report Stage and I think we were at about amendment No. 200-and-something when the Bill was guillotined last Wednesday night. None of my amendments were reached. Among the amendments the Labour Party put …

Yesterday, the Taoiseach said the consensus was emerging among many EU leaders to back Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term. I listened carefully to his comments a few moments ago. It will be a concerning development for people in Ireland, notwithstanding what he said about Ursula von der Leyen. She has not rowed back from her initial unqualified support for the Netanyahu regime, as we see the genocidal death toll in Gaza rising. I ask that we have a debate on her reappointment as Commission …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Labour Party in this debate. Recent debates on immigration have been dominated by disinformation. This is regrettable because it is essential we stick to the facts. It is important to state unequivocally that seeking asylum is a human right and that under international law, everyone has the right to apply for asylum if they are fleeing conflict or persecution nor can any state opt out of that fundamental international legal obligation. One might not think this was…

On 27 February, we witnessed a historic vote in the European Parliament. MEPs in Strasbourg voted to approve the first-ever EU-wide nature restoration law to tackle the existential climate and biodiversity crisis. The Socialists and Democrats group, in which we in Labour are deeply proud to now be represented following the election last night of my dear friend Deputy Ó Ríordáin, was instrumental in seeing through the passage of this important directive. It was the first major new EU biodiversity law since the 1992 …

Yesterday, the Low Pay Commission recommended the abolition of sub-minimum wages for workers under the age of 20. I cannot say that any of us were surprised by the recommendation because maintaining a discriminatory system for young people could never have stood up to scrutiny when evaluated on the evidence. We all know that young workers have rent to pay and other living expenses. They are affected by price hikes and increases in the cost of living, including in respect of everyday goods, travel and transport. Tho…

As the Taoiseach knows, we have always acknowledged any steps forward on workers' rights. We are, however, concerned to guard against any rowing back of workers' rights. As the Taoiseach acknowledged, I have engaged extensively with small businesses in my own constituency and elsewhere. I am conscious that the Low Pay Commission is statutorily obliged to have regard to the impact of its recommendations on businesses. That is already built in so any attempt to review further or to build in some other review mechanis…

He is.

A September or October budget?

Workers from the national advocacy service are striking today. They provide an essential service for disabled persons and for adults with disabilities, and yet these staff do not receive fair pay. They have exhausted all means for addressing their low-pay issues. They have been to the Workplace Relations Commission and to the Labour Court. A recommendation for a pay rise has been made and yet we understand that management is refusing to implement it. We know the strike will have a major impact on disabled people wh…

I support that call. I do not believe the Planning and Development Bill should be guillotined tomorrow night. It is a really important Bill. We have seen great concern about it. There are over 800 amendments down on Report Stage. The Minister has put down an amendment based on an amendment Labour put down on Committee Stage that will require a good deal of debate. It is an amendment to criminalise abuse of the planning process. We are seeing this amendment from the Minister for the first time on Report Stage. The M…