On behalf of the Labour Party, I want to express my solidarity with the communities across Cork, notably east Cork, and west Waterford, today living with the utter destruction of yesterday's flooding from Storm Babet. I want to echo the sentiments of my colleagues, Deputy Sherlock and Councillors John Maher and Cathal Rasmussen, in paying tribute to all those who took such efforts to help people in the wake of those awful floods, including the statutory agencies, first responders and volunteers. This was no normal …

We have all been watching the violence escalate in Israel and Gaza over the past 11 days with grave horror and distress, as civilian deaths have mounted. Late last night, we learned with increasing horror that an air strike on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in besieged Gaza has killed many hundreds of people. An image which will stay with all of us is that of the press conference held by hospital staff surrounded by such appalling scenes of carnage. The Taoiseach has described it rightly as an atrocity and it clearly is…

I thank the Taoiseach for the response. The response of Ireland and the international community clearly matters. It is time for the international community to call stop. While I agree with the three calls the Government has made, we need to do more. Ireland must do all we can, not only to bring about a ceasefire, to bring about, what the Taoiseach has described, the release of hostages and the restoring of power and of water to Gaza, but to ensure also that Israel is held accountable. I have already written to the …

Today, more than 70,000 students are getting their junior certificate results, which is a record number of students. I wish them well. For many students, the education budget announced last week will have been a serious disappointment because once-off supports for schools have been cut to only €60 million, compared with €91 million last year. There was no permanent increase in capitation until September next year, 11 months away. For schools struggling with increased costs this winter, the once-off grant is lower a…

Does that include the amendments that were not moved now? We also have an amendment.

As Deputy Howlin has said, over the past 11 days, we have all been shocked and horrified to watch the unfolding violence in Israel and Gaza. Indeed, it has shocked the world. Last week, we in the Labour Party condemned the horrific killing by Hamas of so many Israeli civilians, including women and children and, of course, the Irish citizen, Kim Damti, and the young daughter of an Irish citizen, Emily Hand. Since then, we have seen the horrific escalation of violence and an increasing death toll among civilians in G…

I move amendment No. 4: A. After "bombing that occurred last evening" to insert "and calls for an independent investigation by the International Criminal Court"; B. To insert the following after "the appalling consequences of violence;": "— unreservedly condemns the indiscriminate bombing of residential areas in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces; the collective punishment of civilians through the restriction of basic humanitarian supplies including food, water and electricity; the restrictions placed on entry and …

I too take issue with the Order of Business so that a Government-crafted motion on Palestine and Israel would be taken tomorrow without debate, a motion we have only just seen. It was supplied to us, I think, just half an hour ago. I agree that we should have been able to come to a consensual position on a cross-party basis, which would have been a far preferable way to approach this issue. We all share an outright condemnation of the brutality of Hamas. However, we also share an outright condemnation of the escala…

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle, there was no engagement with Opposition leaders on the text of this motion, certainly not with us and, I believe, not with other Opposition leaders.

At 3 a.m., at the eleventh hour, plans for indefinite strike action by section 39, section 56 and section 10 workers in the community and voluntary sector were called off, following a late agreement being reached at the WRC. Why did the Government let this go to the wire? In recent weeks, we have all been contacted by care staff, traumatised at the notion that people who rely on them will be left without a service. We have been contacted by many individuals and parents of children who need these services and have b…

I want to join others in offering sincere sympathies to the family of Kim Damti on the awful news of her death during the brutal Hamas attack at the weekend. We are all thinking of her and her family. Today is the last sitting day before strike action is taken by community and voluntary care workers in section 10, section 39 and section 56 organisations. They do not want to go on strike. At a briefing organised by my colleague Deputy Duncan Smith yesterday, Martha Buckley, who is a carer for older people, said, “I’…

Will he avert strike action by guaranteeing pay parity for community and voluntary workers before next Tuesday?

Like others, I want to speak about the terrible events unfolding in Israel and Palestine. On behalf of the Labour Party, I condemn outright the appalling slaughter by Hamas of civilians at the weekend. The targeting of Israeli civilians, of women and children, by Hamas was appalling and horrific to see. We believe the hostages must be released, as my colleague Deputy Howlin said in a statement on Sunday. Since Saturday, we have all watched in horror as we heard more detail about the attacks. We heard of attacks on …

I thank the Taoiseach for his response and agree that it is good to have a level of consensus in this House, and indeed in the country, on the appropriate response to the horrific violence we have seen unleashed. It is very positive to see Ireland as a voice, at both EU and international level, calling for restraint from Israel following the events at the weekend and a voice for the continuance of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and Palestine. That is very positive. It would also be very positive to see Irel…

-----where those two statements I made are seen, somehow, in some quarters as contradictory, in order that it is not allowed to undermine efforts to achieve a peace settlement for the sake of all of those children in Gaza and all of those children and civilians in Israel too.

We all want the same things for ourselves and our families: a secure home, a decent job, clean air to breathe and a healthy environment. We want to know that if we or our family members get sick or injured, we will be able to access the care we need. We want to know that everyone in our community will have a guarantee of the decent standard of living which should be so achievable in a country like ours, which has resources the envy of so many of our neighbours. However, that is not the reality in the Ireland of 202…

Section 39, section 10 and section 56 workers have been denied pay parity for far too long. We are going to see a massive impact on the community and voluntary sector and on the people who rely on that sector from next week if this is not resolved. It is a glaring gap in this budget. There are glaring gaps on housing, pay provision and on health, but there are also two other glaring gaps. One is the lack of any overall provision for public sector pay increases. At least €1 billion extra will be needed next year for…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.