We all acknowledge and warmly welcome the actions of Bohemian Football Club and its hospitality to the Palestinian team. I have welcomed the moves towards Palestinian statehood, the comments of the Tánaiste today and the support for a ceasefire. We need more meaningful steps to be taken on trade. The Minister said the Government's opposition to the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill is based on legal advice, presumably from the Attorney General. When was that advice given? Why has it not chang…

The US Government's policy-----

Yesterday, the Minister for Health said he would love to see talks resume with thalidomide survivors. There has not been engagement by the Government with the survivors for a year. It is more than 60 years since the withdrawal of the drug from the market. Thalidomide survivors need justice. They have called for a State apology and a proper compensation package. I have raised their situation many times in the Dáil. The Government is full of soothing words but it is failing to take action. Last December, the Australi…

I, too, would like to see an urgent debate this week on the Government's plan to provide sustainable accommodation for those who come here seeking international protection. I just came from the canal earlier. Along Baggot Street Bridge, there are now 48 tents. Last week, I welcomed the multi-agency operation. I was down there to observe it. It was inhumane and unsustainable to see so many people who were then camped along the canal at Wilton Place and Percy Place. I was glad to see the Government provide alternativ…

Yesterday, the high court in Belfast made a ruling that parts of the Tories' Rwanda Act cannot be applied in Northern Ireland as they undermine human rights protections under the post-Brexit Windsor Framework and, indeed, that some parts are also incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR. The judgment is under appeal but it confirms the concerns Deputy Ó Ríordáin and I in this House, and the British Labour Party MP, Stella Creasy, in Westminster, have been raising for some months. Our concerns…

Where is the emergency legislation on this that was promised by the Minister for Justice two weeks ago?

I welcome the long-awaited publication yesterday of the three external reports examining governance, human resources and finances at RTÉ. As we review the content of those reports, however, people around the country are amazed and alarmed that our national broadcaster, the organisation to which they pay the TV licence fee every year, continues to be mired in controversy. In more than 400 pages, the reports cover barter accounts, broken relationships, feckless governance and a culture which saw perks for some and do…

I thank the Taoiseach for the response and for reaffirming his commitment to settle this issue in the lifetime of this Government and for providing me with the timeframe for making the decision for the sustainable future funding model by the summer recess. This is very welcome. I am mindful of the concerns expressed by Seamus Dooley of the National Union of Journalists when he responded to the publication of the reports by pointing out the real risks of delay, particularly if there is a legislative change in the fu…

We do need to have statements on the Government's policy to ensure adequate accommodation is in place for those who come here seeking refuge. I was back at Percy Place this morning, having been there yesterday. The numbers of those forced to sleep in tents have increased over those days. I commend the local volunteers who have been providing support. Clearly, this is inhumane and unsustainable, and the Government has failed to offer the coherent plan that is needed longer term to provide accommodation. Today, at th…

As we mark National Bike Week next week, I will be asking Oireachtas Members to get on their bikes and join me outside the front of Leinster House next Tuesday at 1 p.m. with the cycling campaigns to highlight the need to promote cycling and cycling infrastructure. We have seen a recent study by researchers in France showing how much health benefit there is to cycling. For each kilometre travelled by bicycle, the researchers estimate that approximately a euro is saved on social health cost spending. We need to do m…

I welcome this opportunity to debate the issue of housing in this House. Housing is consistently the number one issue of concern in communities throughout the country. It is acknowledged by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, by the Taoiseach and by other Ministers that housing is the single biggest challenge facing the Government now. We often hear from Government benches, even while they are acknowledging that, that progress is being made and we are not unique in having issues with delivery of homes. Instead of…

Today the Residential Tenancies Board index for the last quarter of 2023 has brought yet more grim news for those locked out of home ownership. It shows that new tenants are paying hundreds of euro more in rent than existing renters. This report is just another symptom of poor political choices on housing made by the Government. The decision not to pass the Labour Party's renters' rights Bill is one such decision. The lack of action on enforcing laws against rogue landlords is another. The unjustifiable delay in ra…

They are related.

But ambition is needed.

I wish everyone a happy May Day. I also wish Deputy McDonald a happy birthday today. May Day is a day when we mark progress made on workers' rights and note how much still remains to be done. I raise with the Taoiseach workers' rights legislation that we in Labour brought forward in January. We used our Private Members' time to debate our Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021, which, if passed, would offer paid leave of up to 20 days for women who experience early pregnancy loss…

The recent debate on immigration has been dominated by disinformation. That is regrettable because it is essential we stick to the facts. Because when we talk about immigration, we are talking about people - people who are seeking refuge here in a country that is a welcoming country. Disinformation is making this country less safe for everyone. Communities are suffering because of far-right activity and because of a rise in racism. We all condemn that. However, the Taoiseach needs to get a handle on this because hi…

I raised with the Taoiseach three specific points on which I sought a response on which the Government has failed in its approach. The first was on the provision of accommodation and safe shelter. I am glad the Taoiseach said that safe shelter will be provided to those currently forced to sleep in tents on Mount Street but we need to know when. I have been engaging, as have all the other local representatives, with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on this but we are deeply frustrated, as are residents as well as the …

We need clarity of the issue of accommodation provision, on data and on how he is going to deal with the impact of the Rwanda Bill.

We are deeply concerned by the reports today about the Government’s plans to review or abandon Ireland’s triple lock system. When is the debate likely to take place? I see the Tánaiste is bringing proposals to Cabinet today on the basis, he says, that the triple lock leaves decisions on deployment of Irish troops in the hands of China and Russia. That is not the case because the legislation underpinning the requirement for UN approval specifies that authorisation can be provided by the Security Council or the Gener…

Last week, US President Joe Biden approved €26 billion in new funding for the Israeli regime. He said that funding for weapons for Israel is conditional on compliance with international humanitarian law, yet the evidence that Netanyahu and the Israeli Government are breaking international law is overwhelming as we see that nearly 35,000 civilians in Gaza have now been killed. Gaza's civil defence agency has reported that it uncovered nearly 340 bodies at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. Preparations to send troo…