I thank the Deputy. This is a sensitive matter. Perhaps we can try to deal with it in the way he has mentioned, that is, through correspondence with the Ceann Comhairle and other engagements. I acknowledge that things happened during the Civil War that should not have happened. Atrocities were committed on the side of the National Army and the Government and on the side of the Irregulars and those who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Indeed, many atrocities have been committed more recently than that by people who d…

I very much agree with Deputy Bruton on this. It is something the Government is very much seized of. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, have engaged with Dublin Airport Authority and the Irish Aviation Authority on the matter. It should not be the case that a person remotely controlling a small drone can disrupt people's lives and disrupt air travel. That is not acceptable. It is not fair on people. It disrupts people's lives and it disrupts families and businesses. The Ministers…

I have discussed this matter with the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner, who was one of the first people I met when I was reappointed to the office of Taoiseach. They have plans in place to ramp up recruitment dramatically this year. Funding has been provided for an additional 1,000 gardaí. If successfully recruited, this will mean more new gardaí than retirements or resignations. A recruitment campaign is due to launch quite soon.

I do not believe so. Planning decisions are made by local authorities in the first instance and final decisions on appeals are made by An Bord Pleanála. The only recourse is a judicial review in the courts. I do not believe the Minister has the power to intervene.

I appreciate the matter the Deputy raises will be of real concern and interest to people living in Dublin South-Central. These are, of course, matters for the Minister for Transport and the NTA. I know that, when such issues arise in my constituency, it is sometimes a question of a trade-off between a more convenient service that picks you up closer to your house and a more frequent service that requires you to walk a bit of a distance. It can be hard to convince people that this is an improvement. Indeed, sometime…

The Deputy is right; the energy companies do have a part to play in this. It is welcome that Pinergy has reduced its prices. It was one of the more expensive suppliers in the market in the first instance. There is, of course, an interplay between wholesale prices and retail prices and hedging forward. I understand, as we all do, how the energy market works. It would not be acceptable to see energy companies recording massive profits this year while saying that, for some reason, they cannot reduce their retail price…

I am not sure what the reason for the delay is. I will certainly raise the matter with the Ministers. I am aware of the dispute. As the Deputy has said, it is a dispute between tutors and the education and training boards that are their employers. We have an industrial relations process to resolve matters such as this. I certainly hope the dispute can be resolved and that these workers can have their terms and conditions regularised.

I thank the Deputy for his question and once again recognise his interest in and advocacy for taxi drivers in Dublin and elsewhere. I do not know why the scheme has not been reopened yet. I will need to make inquiries with the NTA and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, but I will do that.

The level of sexual violence in our society is truly shocking. The amount of violence against children and sexual violence against children is even more shocking. Some of the court reports in recent weeks are hard to read, quite frankly. It is almost impossible to listen to reports that people could commit such crimes against children. Sometimes it is their own parents or their parents organised it. It really is shocking and almost unbearable to try to fathom why these things happen. I think it is increasing. I wou…

I am informed that drafting is ongoing. I am afraid I do not have a definitive timeline for legislation yet but we hope to make meaningful progress on it in this calendar year.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on the economy and investment was established in January 2023. The first meeting was scheduled for 16 February, but was subsequently postponed. The meeting has not yet been rescheduled. Membership of the committee is comprised of the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence; the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and for Transport; the Minister for Finance; the Minister for Publi…

I thank the Deputies for their questions. I was asked by Deputy Gould about the IBEC report on the housing crisis. As I have said before, the housing crisis is holding us back as a country in many different ways. Yes, it is about people having to pay very high rents, first-time buyers not being able to become homeowners and rising homelessness, but it is also holding us back economically. IBEC acknowledges this in its report and that it is an issue for employers and would-be investors thinking of creating jobs or e…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 16, inclusive, together. Deputies will be aware that, as provided in Article 30 of the Constitution and in the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, the Attorney General’s role is to advise the Government in matters of law and legal opinion. The Attorney General also attends meetings of Government. I maintain regular contact with the Attorney General and meet with him in the normal course of Government business and at Government meetings. I have met him since the publication of h…

I thank the Deputies for their questions. The Attorney General's report was his own but, as Deputy Jim O'Callaghan pointed out, we asked him to prepare it. It was commissioned by the Government in that sense and we published it because I made a commitment in the House that we would. It was a very solid and comprehensive report. Above all, it pointed out that at least in the view of the present Attorney General, and I believe it would be the same for any Attorney General that I have worked with, the State's interest…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 22, inclusive, together. The national risk assessment has been prepared since 2014 and provides an opportunity to identify and discuss significant risks which may arise for Ireland. A draft list of strategic risks for consideration as part of the 2023 national risk assessment was published for consultation on 7 December 2022. This provides an opportunity, as has been done in previous years, for the public, stakeholders and Oireachtas Members to contribute their views on the pr…

On that final point on drug debt intimidation, I agree it is something the citizens’ assembly needs to examine as part of its work. On the issue raised in regard to air PSOs by Deputy Cathal Crowe, we have had a few air PSOs in the past, for example, there was Dublin-Kerry, which we no longer need because it is a commercial service; Dublin-Donegal, which is still there; and Dublin-Derry, which is gone. In the past, to my knowledge, they have always been internal flights. I know they do not have to be internal fligh…

The mandate of Coillte should be all of those things: to produce timber for housing and building, for leisure and tourism and for climate and biodiversity. It should be a multiple mandate, not a single mandate, and that is the mandate, in my view. I very much agree with what Deputy Gould said about us not seeing a wage-price spiral. That is not happening in Ireland. Inflation here is being caused by other factors, including monetary policy, that is, quantitative easing and a prolonged period of low interest rates, …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: — strongly condemns without reservation the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation which commenced on 24th February, 2022; — expresses its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders; — firmly believes that the actions of the Russian government in invading the territory of a sovereign independent state are conducted with flagrant disregard for international law; — condemns indiscriminate attack…

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an costas maireachtála fós an-ard agus go bhfuil brú ar theaghlaigh. Tá go leor teaghlach faoi bhrú. Tá gnóthaí faoi bhrú agus tá an Rialtas ag cabhrú. Tá béim mhór ar theaghlaigh le mac léinn ar scoil, ar ghnóthaí beaga agus ar dhaoine gan mórán, mar shampla, pinsinéirí. The Government decided earlier today to agree another cost-of-living package. We are experiencing a major cost-of-living crisis in Ireland and globally. Many people are struggling to make ends meet and businesses are grap…

There is one thing I agree with the Deputy on; rents do need to come down. Rents in Ireland are very high and are out of kilter with comparable countries, cities and regions. There are ways that we can do that. One such way is the rent tax credit, which was only introduced eight weeks ago. Nearly 200,000 people have claimed that credit already. It amounts to €500 per renter this year and next year, €1,000 per couple and €1,500 for three people renting. For many people, it is the best part of a month's rent back in …