That is not what I said.

I pay tribute to the courageous Women of Honour who spoke truth to power in highlighting abuse experienced in the Defence Forces. Members will recall the shocking findings of the independent review carried out into the culture in the Defence Forces. The report detailed just how abusive certain experiences of many members were. When that kind of systematic and misogynistic abuse is exposed, it becomes incumbent on the Government to act. The Women of Honour have warned that a toxic culture will fester unless the prop…

Along with my Labour colleagues, I am glad to support this motion and I commend Deputy Cian O'Callaghan on bringing it forward. It is the latest in a series of Opposition motions and proposals to address the housing disaster, the chronic housing shortage and the Government's failure to address it. We in Labour have put forward constructive proposals of our own to begin the path to secure and affordable housing and to effective provision and delivery. Among the measures we have proposed is a Bill to prioritise the n…

I join colleagues in welcoming the publication of this landmark report into familicide. I commend Ms Maura Butler and her colleagues on it. I express my sympathy and that of my Labour colleagues to all those families affected by this dreadful phenomenon. An féidir leis an Aire a admháil gur botún a bhí ann? Can he admit that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage made a mistake in failing to extend the temporary no-fault eviction ban? Can the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Pl…

I thank the Minister for his response, but the figures he has provided are cold comfort to the more than 4,700 people who received notices to quit between January and March. The State exams are beginning next week and we all wish those sitting their junior and leaving certificate exams the best, but it is a particularly difficult time for the parents of children who are sitting those exams who are among the more than 4,700 people who have received notices to quit and, therefore, lack housing security. Last Friday's…

It is a drop in the ocean.

The health committee heard today of the shortcomings in abortion provision in Ireland. One woman in the west had to contact seven GPs before being able to access a termination. Another migrant woman, who is a victim of sexual assault, had to attend the same GP three times but was unable to receive care. These obstacles compound the trauma of a crisis pregnancy for far too many. I commend Marie O’Shea, who chaired the independent review of our abortion law, and ask the Minister if the Government will agree to take u…

We need a debate about the pay and conditions of retained firefighters. The Taoiseach will be aware that there was a breakdown in negotiations between the National Retained Firefighters Association and Government agencies earlier this month. We know that retained firefighters have very onerous conditions. They must be on call for 24 hours a day for a minimum 48 hours for 48 weeks of the year. The average wage for retained firefighters stands at only €13,000 approximately, and SIPTU, which represents retained firefi…

Friday's homelessness figures marked yet another shameful milestone, with 12,259 people now recorded as homeless, including more than 4,000 children. This morning, stark testimony was given to the housing committee by representatives of Threshold, the Simon Communities and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, which reminded Oireachtas Members that the 12,000 plus figure recorded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage excluded the many people in hidden homelessness who face the insecurity of co…

-----in the allocation of housing. Will the Government support the Bill, as Focus Ireland has sought, and ensure it is brought into law?

Is any investigation planned or proposed into the immigrant investor programme? This was otherwise known as the "golden passport" scheme. It closed to new applicants on 15 February this year. Quite a number of concerns have been raised about how it operated, to whom it applied and so on. It was often referred to, as I said, as a golden passport or a passport for investors. What brought about its closure? Was there an investigation, the results of which gave rise to the decision to close the scheme? Is there any pla…

I have to raise the slow pace of delivery on social and affordable housing. Some progress is being made and I welcome the announcement that the Land Development Agency, LDA, has received planning permission for more than 800 homes in Dundrum in south Dublin. However, there is concern about the capacity to deliver on announcements once they are made. I refer in particular to an issue in my constituency because there was a clear commitment to 900 social and affordable homes on the Irish Glass Bottle site in Poolbeg. …

I raise two issues related to energy usage and climate. Does Ireland have any plans to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, which is being used by companies internationally to thwart climate action? We have seen other European countries now signalling their intention to withdraw, including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, especially following a landmark case where Italy was forced to pay more than €200 million in compensation to a British oil company after it decided to ban offshore drilling. I under…

Yesterday came more bad news for those who work in the tech sector with the announcement that there will be almost 500 job losses at Meta's operation here in Ireland. Wen mortgages and rents are at an all-time high and the cost of everyday basics continues to rise, this is very difficult news for all those affected, many in my constituency of Dublin Bay South. I express my solidarity and that of my Labour Party colleagues with all of those who are once again in the dark as to whether they will continue have jobs in…

I thank the Tánaiste for acknowledging his concern for the employees affected. We all share that concern. We are all thinking of the workers and their families who are awaiting the news as to who will be affected by the announcement from Meta. The question for the Government is what to do next in the context of a massive budget surplus. Certainly kite flying from Ministers in the Tánaiste's partner party in government has not been helpful to people now looking for certainty as to what sort of protections will be in…

Today marks five years since the result of the referendum in which the people voted overwhelmingly to remove the eight amendment from the Constitution. We saw a very welcome change in the law to enable women to access abortion services here in Ireland. Five years on, however, too many women are still not able to access abortion here. We know that more than 770 women have travelled to Britain for abortion services that they cannot access here since we changed the law. For those women, therefore, the problem has not …

I am delighted to have the opportunity to address the House on biodiversity during National Biodiversity Week. I have spoken previously about hearing, back in 2021, what was a very poignant programme on the BBC World Service, which will have been heard by other insomniacs who tune into the radio late at night. On that programme, a really haunting recording of the song of the ivory-billed woodpecker was played. It was haunting because at that point it was thought that this was a bird that had become extinct and that…

Yes. Hear, hear.

I commend Deputy Bríd Smith and her colleagues on bringing forward this Bill and giving us the opportunity to discuss and debate the issue of access to abortion services in Ireland five years on from the historic result in the repeal referendum when 66.4% of us voted "Yes" to repeal the eighth amendment and to ensure that women in Ireland would have access to the abortion healthcare we so clearly needed. For those of us who campaigned for many decades to see abortion law change, it was a momentous result. It showed…

"Nobody is treating this like the house is on fire". Those are the words that 12-year-old Cara Darmody used to describe her frustration at the lack of supports for autistic people and children in Ireland. She used them when addressing the Joint Committee on Autism in November alongside her dad Mark, when they spoke about their experiences seeking services for her brothers. I welcome Cara, Mark and so many other parents and activists on autism to the Public Gallery. As Deputy Duncan Smith said, since this Government…