There is the proposal to increase the bulk buy stamp duty.

That is a complete misrepresentation.

The Social Democrats are very supportive of the principle of marine protected areas. As a former marine biologist, I am keenly interested and want to see that legislation progress as quickly as possible. It was first mooted by Government in 2019. The heads of the Bill were published in 2022. It is going quite slowly considering the potential impact and the biodiversity loss that we are seeing. Can the Minister give me an update on when he anticipates the Bill will be before the Dáil? It is important that it is pass…

We need the Minister to come in urgently to outline the Government's plans when it comes to housing asylum seekers and Ukrainians across this country. What we have seen over recent days is a ripping up of Government policy. We have seen U-turn after U-turn, which will make it nearly impossible for the Government to house refugees when they come into this country seeking refuge. I also remind the Minister that 600 very vulnerable men are on our streets in sub-zero temperatures who have no protections from the State.…

I support the Labour Party amendment. The amendment seeks to remove the language from the Constitution that defines marriage as being the basis on which the family is built. It seems a very practical, clean and simple amendment to make. It is important to note that these amendments do not undermine the value of marriage or traditional family structures. They acknowledge and validate the diverse forms of family that occur in our society today. Thankfully, Ireland is a very different place from what it was 20, 30, 40…

On the point on the definition of "durability", under the Constitution the version as Gaeilge of an article takes primacy when it comes to the courts. The Irish definition of the word means lasting, enduring, constant, firm and persevering. To me, that seems to actually grasp what the Minister is trying to achieve through the use of the word "durability" in a way the English-language version does not. That is something I came across I was doing my research.

I move amendment No. 3.

I will speak to it.

The amendment that I and the Social Democrats have tabled proposes to insert the words: "The State recognises that the provision of care by members of a family, and within the wider community, gives Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved, and shall take reasonable measures to support such care both within families and the wider community." Similar wording has been put forward by a number of Opposition parties, including the Social Democrats, the Labour Party and the Rural Independent Gro…

That is a conversation we might have outside perhaps. My proposed amendment is to recognise the provision of care that we see in families, with the family still being the primary caring unit for many. It also seeks to recognise the care provided in the wider community. The Government's wording makes provision for the gender-neutral element, which is obviously welcome and something we will support. However, it still restricts the value of care to the family, making it far too narrow in my opinion. Care is not just s…

I also wish to refer to the discussion on the use of "endeavour" versus "strive". When we look at the dictionary definition, to endeavour is to try hard to achieve something, while strive is defined as to make great efforts to achieve something. The difference is to try hard or to make great efforts. To be honest, I do not see a huge amount of difference between those two definitions. If the Minister really wants to strengthen the language, rather than say "shall strive to support", he would have said "shall suppor…

Would the Minister be prepared to publish and provide the legal advice? The language has deviated quite far from what was recommended. Given the significance of constitutional amendments, would he be prepared to do that?

I acknowledge and thank Deputies Pringle, Collins and Connolly for this really important motion, and for the previous work they conducted on this in 2018. It was a landmark Act and a game-changer when it comes to Ireland taking seriously our climate actions and where investments go. What I find particularly good about this motion is that the Independent Group has done what should actually have been done by the Government, which is the continual review of how legislation is operating to see whether or not it is meet…

I have been contacted by a number of constituents in Wicklow who are unable to access GP services. They are unable to register or have lengthy waits for appointments. I did a survey in Wicklow and 70% of the GP surgeries I contacted in the area are not accepting new patients. One GP in Arklow has more than 200 people on the waiting list. Surely the fundamental principle of a health service is that people can easily access a GP. What is the Minister for Health doing to ensure that people in Wicklow and across the co…

This question concerns the shortfall of second level school places in Greystones in Wicklow. We had a Topical Issue debate the other night where I welcomed the Minister's guarantee that all children in the Greystones area would receive a school place for September 2024. I would like to specifically look at the accommodation builds that are being planned, particularly for Greystones Community College. On 3 October, the Department said the anticipated handover of the works is at the end of quarter 2 of 2025, which me…

I, too, want to thank Deputy Pringle for using his time this evening. I also thank the ombudsman and his team. Since becoming involved in politics, I have seen, over the past few years, several robust reports coming from the ombudsman that really show the gaps children are falling into in Ireland. Unfortunately, when the reports come out with those strong recommendations, I do not see a sense of urgency in the Government to implement those recommendations. That is a lost opportunity by the Government. I hope in thi…

I thank the Minister of State for attending and representing the Minister for Education. In early October, the three principals in the town of Greystones in Wicklow came together in an unprecedented fashion to issue a press release telling parents that there was a high likelihood that, between the three schools, sufficient places would not be provided for pupils from local primary schools who would be first year students in 2024. They stated that there were significant pressures on the infrastructure and accommodat…

I thank the Minister of State. Parents will be very relieved to hear the guarantee that there will be a school place for each of the children. We now need this to happen quickly so parents will know a solution will be put in place quickly if they receive refusals at the end of this week or early next week. In Greystones, and indeed in the north Wicklow area, these solutions have taken an awfully long time. It can be the following May or July before parents actually know what school their children will be going to. …

Climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation are the biggest issues facing not only this country but the world. Reports from the UN say that we are not doing enough. In Ireland, even if every single element of our climate action plan was implemented to the full, it would not be sufficient for us to meet our targets and the targets the Government has set. I ask for statements in the Dáil this week on climate action and how the Government will expedite those measures.

The Taoiseach should not forget climate change.