I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

A number of weeks ago, I raised with the Tánaiste the plight of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition figure who at that time was incarcerated in an Arctic penal colony. We now know tragically that he was killed in that colony and his funeral has taken place. What is the Tánaiste's response on that? Other political prisoners have also been incarcerated by President Putin, in particular Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin. Does he have anything to say on their plight?

It was six weeks ago that we discussed the plight of Alexei Navalny and his incarceration in the Arctic penal colony. At that time, I said that President Putin deals with his political opponents by either imprisoning them or poisoning them. I should also have mentioned at the time that when those two options do not work, he takes a further step and kills him. It gives me an opportunity to salute the bravery of Alexei Navalny in the bravery he disclosed not only nationally within Russia but internationally. I also c…

The violations of human rights in Russia and the stamping out of political opposition are important because Russia as a country exerts significant influence throughout the world. There are very many other countries around the world which do not comply with the principles of human rights that we respect in this country but they are of limited influence. Unfortunately, globally, Russia's influence is extending beyond its borders and it is having quite an impact in other countries. That is why it is important we keep …

Arson is an extremely serious criminal offence. Under section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act 1991, any person convicted of arson on indictment can face a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The reason we impose such a serious sentence upon those convicted of arson is because we recognise the danger associated with it. It is remarkable and extremely lucky that, to date, no one has been killed in any of the arson attacks we have seen in the last six months. I regret to say, however, that i…

It is now two and half years since the Minister introduced the Housing for All plan. What is his assessment as to how the plan is working, by reference to the key indicators in respect of housing such as planning permissions, constructions and commencements? Second, the reason the Minister and the Government introduced the Housing for All plan was that we recognised that we needed to really speed up the process of building houses. How are we doing in terms of the factual number of units that have been built since h…

I thank the Minister for his answer. Two things have been apparent. First, a new plan was needed. When we came into government, we recognised that something needed to change. That is why the Government deserves to be commended on spending time on putting together a new plan, namely, as the Minister said, Housing for All. Second, it is difficult and it is a slow process to turn around but, based on the statistics the Minister has given the House, it appears to be the case that things are improving. It is a difficult…

I thank the Minister for his answer. It is clear that this is a problem that cannot be solved without State investment. That is why underlying the Housing for All plan is a commitment that we are going to invest significant amounts - €5 billion per annum as he indicated - in trying to increase housing in the country. There is another sphere, which is the people who have not been able or who do not want to get on the housing ladder. Not everyone wants to commit to buying a house at certain stages in their lives. The…

The Tánaiste will be aware that continuing to provide funding to Ukraine has become quite a contentious political issue. In the United States, hardline Republicans are opposed to continuing to fund Ukraine. As the Tánaiste indicated to Deputy Howlin earlier, it appears that there are some within the European Union who are concerned about providing €50 billion in funding over the next three years. Has consideration been given to providing financial support to Ukraine by using the Russian assets that have been seized…

I welcome that response. In fact, this is something we discussed at a Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting early last year so I am pleased to see there have been developments in respect of it. We need to take into account that it is calculated there are approximately $350 billion in Russian Government assets that have been frozen since the invasion back in February 2022. Of course, these are enormously significant funds. We know from a Belgium-based financial services company, Euroclear, that it holds approximat…

I am pleased to hear that response. There has to be a financial consequence. We have seen from other international disputes that where financial sanctions are imposed, it has a significant consequence. I have no doubt the very broad range sanctions that have been imposed upon Russia have affected President Putin and his support base, even though it may not be apparent to us at this stage. It is worthwhile to look at the proposal that has been advanced in Belgium. There is a recognition of the question that if asset…

President Putin deals with his political opponents either by poisoning them or imprisoning them. In the case of Mr. Alexei Navalny, he did both. He had him poisoned in August 2020 and imprisoned in January 2021. I am conscious of the limited powers we as a country have, but what are the views of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs in respect of the ongoing detention of Mr. Navalny and other political prisoners in Russia?

I thank the Tánaiste and welcome his response. It is also important we point out that, in February 2021, the European Court of Human Rights directed that Mr. Navalny should be released immediately. Of course, that direction was completely ignored by President Putin and the Russian regime. It is important we keep highlighting the continued detention of individuals in Russia who are detained simply because of their political beliefs. Many of us with an interest in history look back at the Stalinist period and wonder …

I am conscious we are limited in what we can do but the Russian people are suffering as a result of this regime. Historically, I do not think any people have suffered as much as the Russian people. They had 300 years of the tsars and the Romanovs, then they had 70 years of deranged Marxist-Leninists who controlled their thoughts and their operation, and that has been followed by 25 years of a dictator. We are limited in what we can do. All we can do is express our support for political opposition. People have to be…

This is the first occasion on which this Dáil has had an opportunity to consider passing resolutions for the establishment of a tribunal under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Acts 1921 to 2011. It is a significant occasion for any Dáil to pass such a resolution because, to a large extent, once a tribunal of inquiry is established by the Houses of the Oireachtas we sort of lose control of how it operates. This is why it is so important that we pay careful consideration to the terms of reference and we ensure whe…

The tribunal also seeks to establish whether there have been systemic failures. I know some Deputies say they want to ensure the tribunal is entitled to hear every allegation of abuse. The tribunal is being permitted to hear evidence in respect of complaints of abuse dating back to 1983. In my opinion, though, it is not feasible that we would say to the tribunal that everything - every allegation of complaint since 1983 - should be heard. This would mean that we would, in my opinion, have a tribunal going on for mo…

It is true to say that if this amendment is passed by the Irish people, it will have more historic and symbolic significance than legal significance. This is not a reason to say we should not have the amendment and it is not a reason to categorise it as meaningless as some individuals in the House have done. It is, however, a recognition that there are certain parts of our Constitution that are outdated and anachronistic and need to be updated. I am one of the strongest defenders of the Irish Constitution. It is a …

The complexity of our planning system is evident from the fact that we are putting a Bill through the House which runs to 741 pages. I believe it is the case, but to what extent does the Minister of State believe that the new Bill will improve alignment and consistency within the planning process? It is an issue on which, as TDs, we are consistently receiving representations on behalf of our constituents.

I welcome the Minister of State's answer. I think it will improve alignment and consistency, as he has outlined. One of the issues that I frequently receive representations on is from constituents who are concerned about delays coming from An Bord Pleanála. As every person in this House will know, in the recent past decisions of the bord have been extremely delayed not just in respect of larger developments, but even in respect of smaller developments in the constituency. I have been contacted by people who are con…

The Minister of State has correctly identified the criminal sanctions that are in place for individuals who seek to abuse the process in a criminal way. The point I was trying to make in respect of An Bord Pleanála is that it can be very difficult for the bord to identify if an appeal is vexatious or abusive. Perhaps the Minister of State and the Minister could give consideration to introducing a requirement that an affidavit to be sworn by any appellant bringing an appeal before An Bord Pleanála, setting out that …