There has been a welcome emphasis over the past number of weeks on the environment and what we need to do to protect it. One of the things we need to do is to introduce legal protections for the environment. An ecocide law would do that. A legal definition of "ecocide" has been proposed by the independent expert panel. We now need a head of state to formally propose an ecocide amendment to the Rome Statute. Will the Government take the lead on this issue and work with the panel to progress the definition of ecocide…

This is a very important motion and I thank the Rural Independent Members for tabling it. It is very timely as obviously we are heading into winter and this issue will impact people significantly over the coming months. I had previously called for the Dáil to set aside time for a debate on the surging energy prices and had requested such a debate from the Business Committee but unfortunately it was not provided for. It is unfortunate that we need to rely on Opposition motions to raise this because it is an issue th…

I have worked in the environmental sector since I was 17 years of age, as a scientist, a policymaker and now within the Dáil. I can be absolutely clear with the Taoiseach that I and the Social Democrats want him to achieve when it comes to the climate as we need him to do so. We have worked constructively with the Government on this issue since the Taoiseach entered office in this Dáil. The reality is that agriculture accounts for one third of our greenhouse emissions. Farmers will have a very significant role to p…

The Taoiseach needs to talk to them-----

Farmers have-----

They want supports and they want targets.

Be honest with them about what they will need to do.

I raise the issue of scoliosis in children again, which the Ombudsman for Children has stated is a children's rights issue. While I think the whole country was relieved and delighted to hear that Adam Terry received his appointment, thousands of children are waiting for their first consultation with their orthopaedic surgeon and 179 children like Adam are waiting for surgery. I recognise there have been issues with Covid and the cyberattack but what will happen for those children? What additional measures has the G…

Before I start, I wish to congratulate my constituency colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and his wife, Caoimhe, on the birth of their new baby. There is a lot to be discussed. When I was working on my speech and deciding what I was going to cover, I concluded there are a few key areas that come under the remit of my spokesperson role, but there is also a more substantive issue to discuss. On climate, I do not believe the Government is doing enough to address…

I thank People Before Profit for tabling this timely and important motion. For some families this matter is critical. In recent weeks, there have been many motions and speeches and much discussion in this Chamber, including on parliamentary questions, on the issue of energy security, management and prices and what the Government is doing to address the crisis we are facing into this winter. My own party, the Social Democrats, put forward a motion on the data centres and those issues were debated quite robustly at t…

I thank Deputy Funchion for bringing forward this important motion. It is important and timely. It would also have been timely a year ago or two years ago, because this issue has been with us for so long. Many parents and families have struggled through the current system. I have found that when parents are able to pay for their childcare, they put their heads down and spend. They know that they will have two or three difficult years. Usually, it is the mother who ends up not being paid because her salary goes stra…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss climate action, what we have been doing, what our future is, what our plans are and what the Government's plan and vision is on it. Initially, I had anticipated it was statements on the climate action plan but we do not yet have that. I ask the Minister to make sure that, when that document is published, we have sufficient time to discuss it in full as it will be an incredibly important document for us. I will use this opportunity to reflect on Ireland's role in the UN General A…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the data centre sector in Ireland is undergoing a surge in development, with approximately 70 data centres constructed, representing a 25 per cent increase on last year, a further eight under construction and between 25-30 more in the planning stages; — a substantial amount of public funding has been spent on construction-related investment for data centre and large energy user growth and the sector expects €6.7 billion in investment between 2020 and 2025, adding to the €6.2…

The fact is we are in an energy crisis and are facing blackouts.

You bring that back to your constituents and tell them that you were-----

It is no way to actually deal with that point.

He has made them all right.

In his speech earlier, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, made quite an astounding admission. When talking about the challenges of the electricity and the security of supply, he said, "The increase in data centre demand was forecasted and is increasing in line with forecasts." I thought the Government had taken its eye off the ball with this and fallen asleep at the wheel when it came to managing data centre increases. It seems this was actually quite a conscious decision, however. The Government consciously allowed data c…

I very much welcome this very important initiative from the Ombudsman for Children regarding child poverty and homelessness. I acknowledge and thank Dr. Muldoon and his team for all of the great work they have done as advocates for children in recent years. It is almost exactly a year since I introduced my first Private Members’ motion, as Social Democrats spokesperson on children, calling for a very similar initiative to the one the ombudsman has put forward in the document, A Better Normal. In our Dáil motion, we…

I would like to raise the issue of spiralling insurance costs for small businesses, especially recreational businesses. In particular, I want to talk to about a company in north Wicklow, called Squirrel’s Scramble. Squirrel’s Scramble is an extremely successful business in north Wicklow. It has operated for many years. It provides a key part of family life in the north Wicklow area. I would imagine most children have been through the facility. Those who own it offer a fun and challenging outdoor experience for chil…