Not enough.

We have all been utterly dismayed this week about revelations concerning the safety of certain surgeries performed at Temple Street Children's Hospital. The revelations have also cast a focus on ongoing failings in the provision of surgery for children across children's hospitals in Ireland. There are long delays still in the system years after commitments were made by previous governments to address those delays. We in the Labour Party are seeking a commitment from the Government for a debate on this issue. We nee…

As the Dáil resumes today, the same issue continues to dominate for so many communities across the country and that is the issue of housing. The lack of rights for renters is particularly in focus today in an ESRI report showing significantly higher rents being paid by new tenants compared with what is paid by existing renters. We are told a renter moving into a new home can expect to pay 15% more than someone already renting a similar home. As a former Minister with responsibility for housing, how can the Minister…

It would have helped.

We in the Labour Party welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill. In particular, I thank the local Labour Party organisation in Limerick for its input on the Bill, especially my colleagues in Limerick, councillors Conor Sheehan, Elena Secas and Joe Leddin, who have provided me with a very important input and observations on this topic. As the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will be well aware, the Labour Party has a long history and a proud tradition in Limerick. I think of our wonderful former representativ…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and his staff and all the wonderful staff here in Leinster House for all the immense work everyone does in keeping the House running smoothly. I wish everyone well as we approach the recess. In December I was honoured to present the recommendations of the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality in my capacity as Cathaoirleach of that committee. We endorsed the Citizens' Assembly recommendation to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution to require greater constitutional recognition fo…

No commitment on a date.

I will keep my comments briefer then. I commend Deputy Matthews on bringing forward this Bill. I am delighted to support it on behalf of the Labour Party. As Deputy Matthews says, it is an honour to be able to bring forward Private Members' legislation in this House. It is something many of us have felt inspired in doing. I want to acknowledge that. I also commend him on his vision of a more streamlined process to tackle dereliction and vacancy. All of us are in favour of that and of his town centre first vision. I…

I will start by paying tribute to our colleague, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, for his immense passion and his immense and long-standing commitment to the game of football and for the incredible eloquence of his "Football is Ireland" speech earlier, which everyone has commended. I thank colleagues across the House for supporting the motion. I welcome those joining us in the Gallery from local clubs and our great international players, Niall Quinn, Paddy Mulligan and Turlough O'Connor. I thank the members of my local teams who…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. This week, as the focus has been on other matters in the news, a hugely significant story has gone relatively unmarked. According to the UN, the first week of July was the hottest week on record globally ever. Indeed, June 2023 has blown away all temperature records for that month. The science is clear. All that we hold dear is threatened by the climate crisis. Unless we as a species choose to live more sustainably, we face extinction. I refer to the choice to live more su…

I welcome the Taoiseach's words of support for the Nature Restoration Law and indeed his comments on community engagement. That is the issue with the correspondence he has received this week from representatives of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, from the Environmental Pillar, Irish Rural Link, Social Justice Ireland, Friends of the Earth, and others, who are concerned about the delays in establishing the just transition commission. Indeed, if we look at the great work of the citizens' assembly on climate…

I commend the "RTÉ Investigates" team for its programme last night. It showed very distressing footage of the brutal ill-treatment of bull calves and awful scenes of calves being dragged around, hit with sticks and kicked. It would be worthwhile to have a debate this week, as others have called for, on animal welfare, live animal transportation and, crucially, the enforcement of standards. The Taoiseach spoke earlier about the existing laws and those who were breaking them, but let us look at enforcement of the law…

The Taoiseach spoke earlier about today's Housing for All update for July. He said it showed that the Government is succeeding in meeting targets. The reality, however, whatever the spin, is that the Government is failing. First, targets are simply too low to meet existing needs. Second, on the starkest metric, we are seeing the figures for homelessness rising, with more than 12,400 people now in emergency accommodation. Today's update announced a public consultation on the private rental sector, but there is nothi…

First, on behalf of the Labour Party, I wish to join the Tánaiste in offering sympathies on the loss of Brendan Daly, the Tánaiste's former colleague, to his family and community. I also offer my deep sympathies to the families, friends and all those affected by the tragic deaths of Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall in Ios last weekend. The devastating losses of these two boys who had just finished the leaving certificate examination at St. Michael's College, Ballsbridge, has impacted so many. I offer my sympathies in …

I thank the Tánaiste for the response, in particular his comment that he has an open mind on the plans for the inquiry. That is a very fair response. I agree with him that it would be positive to move swiftly on this. I think he has said he hopes to bring the recommendations to Cabinet next week. I see that the terms of reference for the inquiry are not on next week's Dáil schedule at present. We would certainly be very happy to facilitate their inclusion in order that we could move ahead on this. I listened carefu…

Half an hour ago during Leaders' Questions, the Taoiseach expressed his confidence in the RTÉ executives, but he said that might change the situation changes. Indeed, things are changing at a rapid pace. As Senator Sherlock has said, this constant, ongoing drip-feed of new revelations is unsustainable. Since the statements before this House last night, we have learned about the existence of three barter accounts, we have learned about €2.2 million in losses for the toy show musical and, in the past half hour, the M…

I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Labour Party on this important Bill and to express our warm welcome for it. I thank the Minister for introducing it in the House. As he said, it is in keeping with a long-standing commitment. It is long-awaited and long overdue. We have just marked the fifth anniversary of the repeal vote. The need for safe access zones and the introduction of such legislation was widely spoken about at the time. It was included in successive legislative programmes in 2019 and in the program…

We have seen really despicable tactics being used in some of these protests, including the appalling practice of displaying small coffins. This is taking place outside maternity hospitals and in a context where they may cause obstruction and intimidation to patients who are accessing all sorts of different services, and their families. We should all reflect on that as we see these so-called protests taking place. These protests amount to an undermining of the democratic will of the people in requiring us to provide…

Tá oibrithe agus teaghlaigh ar fud an Stáit seo ag streachailt leis an ngéarchéim tithíochta. Tá géarchéim na ndaoine gan dídean ag dul in olcas. Tá an ghéarchéim chomh scaipthe anois go bhfuil sí ag cur isteach ar chúram sláinte, ar oideachas agus ar an ngeilleagar. There is not a single community, nor a single sphere of our society, which is untouched by the housing crisis. This housing and homelessness crisis is getting worse. It is hampering our health system, our education system and our entire economy. Yet, t…

The Taoiseach has given me indicators of progress, but that is no answer to the 182 additional people in homelessness in the last month alone. This has a real-life effect on people. My office is in touch with a mother of three who has a newborn baby. She is a housing assistance payment, HAP, tenant who is in fear of eviction. She is sleeping on the couch in her rented apartment while her baby sleeps in his pram because they have no space. They are in fear of losing even the limited space they have. Therefore, the G…