I will get a written response from the Minister. On the Minister's watch and the Government’s watch, military accommodation continues to deteriorate. There are many substandard accommodation blocks, not just at the Curragh but throughout the State. The Minister needs to act. It is adding to the crisis within the Defence Forces and is leading to the continued haemorrhaging of members from the Defence Forces. We need to see a commitment to ensuring that, in the midst of a housing crisis, at least the basic minimum st…

The Minister might adhere to it.

Undoubtedly, the most pressing issue of the moment is the potential for the outbreak of open conflict in Ukraine. Sinn Féin is committed to the principles inherent in the United Nations resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 March 2014 in respect of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This resolution calls on all states "to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and to settle their international d…

Much of the focus this afternoon has been on Ukraine and the naval exercises off the southern coast and, obviously, much of that was aired at the EU Council meeting. What was said about Palestine and specifically the designation last October of the six civil society and human rights groups as terrorist entities? Things have evolved even further and it has now come to light that the EU Commission has suspended funding to these six organisations. On the one hand, I welcome that we are prepared to stand up for human r…

Again?

If the Minister of State was listening, the EU has suspended the funding to these organisations. He should give factual answers to the questions.

The Minister of State did not, because he is giving false information.

I asked about what measures are being taken to reverse the suspension of the EU Commission funding.

The point I am trying to make is that the Minister of State is giving a false answer to the question I asked regarding the funding from the EU to these organisations that has been suspended. The Minister of State said, correctly, that Irish Aid directly funds two of the organisations but he also said that the EU funds them. That has been suspended. That was the question I put to him, which he clearly failed to answer.

I begin by addressing the issue of Brexit. The British continue to behave in the most obtuse and difficult manner possible. Whenever a solution can be found to address outstanding issues, the British have invariably returned to the table with another problem. It has been suggested the Tory Administration is more intent on using Brexit to fight another election rather than to seek solutions to the issues with the protocol. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs held a meeting with Commission Vice-P…

I want the EU to deal with the global apartheid of the vaccine.

The offshore renewable energy support scheme draft terms stipulate that all offshore wind farms developed under the scheme must have a community benefit fund associated with them. This is something I fully support. However, the Department has proposed that offshore community benefit funds be managed centrally on a national level through a combined single fund rather than locally on an individual project basis. This is very different from the approach being taken by the Department for onshore community benefit. Two …

Will the Taoiseach answer the question?

The Taoiseach should ask his councillors about it.

In 2005 firefighters in Bray staged a walkout from the fire station in Bray, arising from concerns regarding the condition of the retained service in Wicklow. As a county councillor at the time I spoke to them, and I was the only public representative to do so. The walkout was led by sub-officer Brian Murray. They outlined a litany of issues within the service that were impacting their ability to do their jobs. Call vetting, recruitment and retention and underinvestment in the retained service were but a few of the…

Last week, we got the good news that Squirrel's Scramble Adventure Tree Park in Wicklow is to reopen in the springtime, following a decision it had to take to close due to escalating insurance costs. The company managed to secure insurance cover in a situation where the previous quote was €88,000. However, without Government action, this is only, as I understand it, a stay of execution. While a number of Government Deputies in Wicklow were quick to welcome the announcement, the irony is that the adventure park had …

I have been given assurances by the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, that the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is giving priority to this issue.

Can the Tánaiste give an update as to when priority will be given and when we will see the legislation and changes?

Last month the Israeli defence minister took the unprecedented action of designating six Palestinian human rights and civil society organisations as terrorist entities. These NGOs are among the most prominent human rights organisations in the occupied territories. They have a proven record of competence, credibility and professionalism. Consistently and courageously, they have vocally acted in defence of the Palestinian people and human rights. They brought Israeli repression, colonial expansion and apartheid polic…

What is the Minister's view on the decision by the EU to grant €100 million in funding for a project, the Euro-Asia interconnector project, which will essentially make Europe complicit in the Israeli annexation of occupied Palestinian territories? What is the rationale for it and why we are being complicit in the annexation of Palestinian territories?