The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 33,500 people, according to the ministry of health there. That means that, appallingly, about 1,500 more people have died since the Tánaiste and I were last here for Leaders’ Questions before Easter. The devastation from the ongoing bombardment and besiegement of Gaza is unthinkable, and children are dying in such numbers. Many children are suffering from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza. This is not due to natural disasters or drought; their hunger is man-made. As we kno…

I accept that there is often a need for countries to act in concert. Indeed, I am glad the Government is working in concert with South Africa. I very much welcome the fact that the former Taoiseach joined with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain in requesting the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to review EU trade in light of this horrendous war. At a gathering of leaders of socialist parties at the weekend, I raised the need for multilateral action across the EU. The situation in Gaza …

I again ask the Tánaiste to act on this.

It sounds like conversations on promised legislation rather than questions.

Tragically, we have seen more than 60 deaths on our roads so far this year, each one a human tragedy for those involved. Those figures exclude those injured or maimed in accidents. Clearly, we need to see more action on this. More gardaí and policing are crucial, as are more evidence-based policies and planning to improve road safety. I wish to raise a specific concern I have. The Road Safety Authority has not been able to share road traffic collision data with councils for six years, apparently due to GDPR concern…

For Labour too, I want to express disappointment that we are not having Leaders’ Questions today. I have with me the original report of the Business Committee for this week and there was originally a very extensive schedule of business to be conducted over today and tomorrow. We have had two weeks of recess and we have had plenty of time to prepare for this. This House is only now sitting at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday when we should normally be sitting all day on a Wednesday, from the morning. It is simply unacceptable …

Debate on the nomination of a third Taoiseach in one Dáil term is unprecedented in Irish politics. I want to start by repeating my personal good wishes to the outgoing Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on the next chapter of his life. I acknowledge that he undoubtedly led the country through challenging times, particularly Brexit and Covid. I also acknowledge, as he said earlier, the need for courtesy and respect in politics. Indeed, in that vein, I also extend my personal good wishes to the presumptive incoming Taoiseach, …

It is important that we are respectful in politics.

As Deputy Harris has acknowledged, however, he does not have much time to change the course of this Government. I hope he has the courage to try to make that change but unfortunately, from what we have heard so far, his elevation today will not deliver the change that we need. That is why we in the Labour Party cannot support the Fine Gael nomination for Taoiseach. The appointment of another temporary Taoiseach by this coalition is just more superficial or cosmetic change, not the radical change that people so badl…

We in the Labour Party have been saying this for more than a year. I wonder how Deputy Harris's colleagues in government have felt about that call, given how quick many of them were to mock our call for 50,000 new builds per annum that we made last year.

I do not want to say we told you so but we do need to see actual delivery of homes. It is not good enough for the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to say you are warming up after so many years in government. Absent from that announcement was any real commitment to increase the State's resourcing to ensure delivery of the supply of public, social and affordable housing that people need across communities. Instead, we saw yet more reliance on the private sector, the staple of the Fine Gael diet. Rather than restricting evictio…

Health is an holistic issue and we deserve a Government which recognises that. We need to ensure that staffing emergency departments, creating healthy workplaces and implementation of disability rights are taken seriously by this Government. It is welcome to see the incoming Taoiseach's re-commitment to ratifying the UNCRPD optional protocol, but we need meaningful measures to make change for people's everyday lives, such as scrapping the Green Paper, ending the means test on the carer’s allowance and ensuring asse…

I am sharing time. On a personal level, I offer my congratulations and good wishes to the new Taoiseach, the new Ministers and the not-so-new Ministers. It is a proud day for you and your families. We do know, however, that these are only very temporary appointments, with less than a year to go until a general election. Even in that short time, I am sorry we have not seen more women elevated to Cabinet. For all the talk of a laser focus, fitting when we hear of “Star Wars: a new energy”, it is hard to see how anyth…

The Taoiseach announced yesterday that he is to resign. I reiterate my good wishes to him for the future. I wished him the best personally yesterday and acknowledged his years of public service. As he said, all politicians are human, and I acknowledge that he has endured some awful abuse personally in his office as Taoiseach. We are all aware of that. We are also aware that it has become harder to enter politics, and to stay in it due to the levels of toxicity in public debate. I acknowledge the Ceann Comhairle's r…

It is delaying important decisions. That is patently the case. It is failing to make, and delaying, important decisions such as the introduction of State-owned accommodation for refugees. It is putting stays on Opposition legislation to avoid having to deal with them – stays that will last just beyond the term of the Government. Only this month, it allowed a Labour motion on housing to pass without saying anything about implementing it. If the Tánaiste is setting his face against a general election, what is he goin…

Perhaps we all will.

The Tánaiste has not answered my question. The Taoiseach said yesterday that there is a need to refocus policies. I agree that it is about delivery, but when are we going to see a refocusing of policies and delivery? If he has set his face against a general election, and if he and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, are determined to keep the ship afloat until this time next year, what are they going to offer people to change things? As one constituent said to me last night, the Taoiseach's decision yesterday was effectivel…

But what will change?

I join others in paying tribute to the late Charlie Bird on behalf of the Labour Party. He was a journalist of immense tenacity, courage and conviction. We all recall his incredible work on the Stardust tragedy, his inspirational courage in facing down motor neuron disease and his activism. He was at one point a member of the Labour Party and we remember him fondly within the party. He was hugely active in the marriage equality campaign more recently and as an advocate working on motor neuron disease, teaching all …

First, I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for acknowledging the sad passing of our dear friend and comrade, Emmet Stagg. On behalf of the Labour Party, I extend my condolences to Mary, Gillian and Henry and all Emmet's family and friends. With the Taoiseach's surprise announcement today - I have wished him well personally already - it is impossible to suggest the Government can simply pretend to continue on the basis that this is business as normal. With his surprise announcement, the Taoiseach has destabilised the G…