As this is the Taoiseach's last Leaders' Questions, I also wish him well. For weeks, we have seen growing numbers of men sheltering in tents around Mount Street, which is a stone's throw from here, many of them in appalling conditions. Many of us found it very difficult when we went down to visit them over recent days. I pay tribute to the many volunteers who provided help and support. I very much welcomed the fact that the men were moved at the weekend to what we hoped were better conditions in Crooksling. Unfortu…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Government housing targets are simply too low, and not delivering the necessary number of affordable homes; — as we approach the one-year anniversary of the lifting of the temporary no-fault eviction ban, Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) data shows 19,011 eviction notices were issued in 2023, and 61 per cent of these were due to the sale of the property; — homelessness continues to reach record highs, with 13,531 accessing emergency accommodation in January, 4,027 of them c…

On a point of order, could we get a copy of the Minister of State's speech? He is rattling through it and it would be great if we could a copy of the speech.

Two days is how long the son of pharmacist Niall O’Sullivan waited on a trolley in University Hospital Limerick emergency department before receiving treatment for a fracture. Mr. O’Sullivan spoke powerfully of his son's experience on RTÉ radio this morning. This is not the first time I have raised the human impact and dangers of hospital overcrowding with the Minister. We spoke about this just last month. Clearly, nothing has changed in UHL. Indeed, the crisis has worsened, as the Minister has acknowledged, effect…

The Minister's response could be characterised as "Nothing to see here". That is clearly not an adequate answer for all the patients who are languishing on hospital trolleys, for the overworked staff and for those whose procedures at UHL have been cancelled without any indication of when they will actually take place. Every time we raise the reality of overcrowding in hospitals and understaffing, the Minister and his Government colleagues respond with metrics, figures, details-----

The patent fact is that the spending is not enough to meet the demand. That is evidently true from HIQA reports and from the experiences of patients and of overworked staff in understaffed hospitals. Where is the sense of leadership? Where is the sense that somebody is steering this ship, that it will be all hands on deck to ensure the crisis in hospitals is addressed and that we can retain and recruit enough staff to support consultants to supply the teams that are needed to ensure the procedures can take place? W…

Reports from Gaza this week reflect the utterly horrific and worsening suffering of people there. It is not only the 30,000 dead under the brutal Israeli bombardment but now we are seeing children in Gaza dying of starvation. It is appalling, a man-made famine unfolding before our eyes in Gaza, with despairing families and aid workers, and stalling on peace talks. We still see this relentless, ongoing, genocidal bombardment by Israel. We clearly must renew our efforts, on a cross-party basis here at home, in callin…

Once again, the RTÉ soap opera is distracting vital attention from the disastrous situation facing those who are at the mercy of our broken housing system. Right now, 13,531 people are recorded as homeless, including more than 4,000 children, and 18,000 homes are being advertised for short lets on Airbnb, while just 2,000 are available on Daft.ie for longer term rents. Rents are skyrocketing far in excess of the legal limits under rent pressure zone legislation. Prospective home buyers in Dublin now need, on averag…

I welcome the news the Government will not be opposing the Labour Party motion. That is welcome. That is constructive. However, not putting down a Government countermotion will be an empty gesture if there is no movement or delivery and no attempt to implement the important measures we have proposed. I agree with the Taoiseach when he says that change is not coming quickly enough. It is good to hear Government acknowledge that, but the Taoiseach is acknowledging it as if he were a bystander. He is the Taoiseach. He…

Yesterday's dramatic statement by the former chair of the RTÉ board, Siún Ní Raghallaigh, clearly raises more questions for the Minister, Deputy Martin, and, indeed, the Government to respond to. I echo the calls that have been made for statements, questions and answers to be scheduled before the Dáil this week so we can finally put this matter to rest, because this has dragged on too long. It is distracting from real business, such as housing and Government failures on healthcare. These are the issues we should be…

Today, more than 1,000 people are seeking international protection here and are sleeping rough on the streets of our capital city, many of them in tents less than 1 km away from here in Mount Street. Leaving people on the streets in poor weather risks lives. Emergency measures were put in place when there was public outcry during the snow last week. However, on Monday, those vulnerable people were told to go out and fend for themselves again. That is shameful in Ireland in 2024, especially when we see so many vacan…

Guím Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan sona ar gach éinne sa Teach. I wish everyone a happy International Women's Day. On behalf of the Labour Party, I am glad to mark International Women's Week and, in particular, International Women's Day on Friday. The need to mark it is self-evident because, while we have made great progress on women's rights in Ireland, we are of course mindful of the enormous suffering and discrimination that women continue to experience around the world, particularly in conflict zones such as Gaza an…

The saga that is RTÉ should not distract us from the ongoing housing crisis and housing disaster. Last Friday, homelessness figures set another new and shameful record for the Government. There are now 13,531 people homeless, including more than 4,000 children - a 17% increase in one year - which is truly shocking. This is a time when, as Lorcan Sirr writes, there are more than 18,000 empty homes available for short-term letting on Airbnb compared to only 2,000 that are available for longer term renting on daft.ie …

The Tánaiste and I agree on one thing, which is the issue of supply. Yet, I am not hearing from him, or indeed from any Government spokesperson, any sense of urgency about tackling that chronic under-supply. Therefore, young people - such as the transition year students who are present in the Gallery, who are very welcome today and who are listening in - are getting no sense of hope that this Government will act to ensure there will be a sufficient supply of homes to meet their needs, as well as the needs of a grow…

We are asking the Tánaiste again: what is his Government now doing to address the serious instability and insecurity that so many renters are now experiencing and to address those crisis figures of homelessness?

That is the scale of ambition we need.

That is going back in time.

It needs to raise the level of ambition.

We need delivery.

The Irish Wheelchair Association launched a report earlier this week reviewing Government plans for bus stops, footpaths, cycle lanes, pedestrian spaces and other infrastructure. It examines how disability access will be included and provided for in public transport infrastructure. It concluded that the Government approach is chaotic and irresponsible, with no evidence of any mandatory requirements regarding disability access and public transport infrastructure to meet international standards. The census tells us t…