It is four years since Sinn Féin got unanimous support for our motion on ownership of the new national maternity hospital. I spoke during that debate and said, and it remains true today, that for an order that takes a vow of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor, the Religious Sisters of Charity appear to have a fixation with land and property that would make a property speculator or vulture fund blush. I do not know why we keep having to have these conversations, but I will tell the Minister one thi…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — workers in the State make a considerable tax contribution throughout their working life and should have the right to access the full pension rate of payment when they retire at age 65; — some workers want to retire at age 65, while others want to remain at work, where they are able and willing to do so; — numerous employment contracts stipulate an end of employment date in line with when an employee turns 65 years of age; — since the abolition of the State Pension Transition…

On a point of information, I do not have a copy of the amendment either, so I have not----

I welcome the opportunity to speak at the conclusion of this important debate. I thank all of the Deputies for their contributions this evening. I want to draw the Minister of State's attention to the fact that there is no representative from the NWCI on the Pensions Commission. There are named representatives on the Pension Commission. There is one representative from the ICTU and one from IBEC, but there are no specific representatives from the NWCI that I can see. I just checked it before I rose to speak. It is …

I will finish shortly and give way. People know that we listened and heard their concerns. They know that we are using our time here this evening to keep this issue on the agenda. It suits the Government to have this issue off the agenda. We know from the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government record that when its back is to the wall, the first people thrown under the bus are the minimum wage workers. If we do not keep this issue on the agenda, we know what will happen because we know the history of governments and how…

What is happening at the moment is very much amateur hour stuff from the Government. The Garda issued a statement and then we had the Minister for Justice tweeting about it. The information she gave was not accurate and needs to be corrected. The message was very clear from the Government that we will have an outdoor summer. Restaurateurs and pub owners knew what that meant. We all thought we knew what it meant. To be clear about it, I asked An Tánaiste on 13 May, nearly six weeks ago, whether a plan would be put i…

When I said the position was a shambles, this is what I was talking about. The Minister of State indicated that the Minister for Justice had "committed to taking legislative action, if necessary". In the past hour and a half, the Irish Independent has reported that "Justice Minister Heather Humphreys will bring legislative changes on pubs and restaurants selling alcohol in their outdoor seating areas" in the coming days. That is the message that people who are fighting really hard to save their businesses and worke…

An important report on the deaths of single people experiencing homelessness was published earlier this month. The interim report by Dr. Austin O’Carroll found an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness who died in 2020 compared to 2019. The findings of the report reinforce that poverty and social exclusion are key causes of homelessness. The report makes a number of recommendations including a multi-agency critical incident review of deaths of people experiencing homelessness, greater access to …

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important topic. The north County Dublin coastline is one of the most beautiful and, indeed, productive parts of our island. Its coastal towns and villages are home to great scenery and a vibrant fishing industry, particularly inshore fishing. There are, however, many threats to north County Dublin, its communities and these industries. Those threats include the cost of housing and rents, the failure to extend transport links, a lack of funding …

Time and again I have stood in this convention centre and in the Chamber across the water and raised the difficulties facing the aviation sector. Many sectors were closed by the Government's public health restrictions out of necessity, but those sectors had a plan for their reopening. Aviation was closed and a task force established, but the recommendations of that task force have been completely set aside by the Government without any explanation. There was never a plan. The plan was to close; there was never a pl…

The issue I raise relates to the construction sector. I thank the Minister of State for being here. He will be aware of this because we have spoken of it. I understand the Tánaiste has met with the platform workers. That is a serious issue. I will discuss the use of State money via our local authorities to support the practice of bogus self-employment. I understand that is not Government policy and do not suggest it is. However, it is happening in the construction sector at the moment in local authority projects. T…

That is exactly the issue. There are decent employers and they tell me they cannot get State contracts because they are being undercut by employers who - I am trying to think of a diplomatic word to describe them; the Minister of State probably knows the type of word I would use, but I will not use it here - are exploiting their workers via bogus self-employment and undermining the rate while they are doing work on behalf of the State. When the Minister of State says that some employers are undermining workers' rig…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. As my colleague, an Teachta Ó Broin has outlined, we will be supporting this Bill. I was talking to my dad last night who is a very long-time housing activist and campaigner. I nearly used the word "veteran" but I would be afraid that he might be listening to this and I would be in trouble for that. He laughed when I told him that the proposal that was coming before us was from the Labour Party and he said that it was easy to know that the party was in opposition, …

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this important motion. There are many people watching this evening whose houses have been affected by the mica scandal and I pledge to them my solidarity and that of Sinn Féin. Also watching will be people from north County Dublin whose houses have been affected by pyrite or whose apartments have been affected by defects. I reassure them that we stand with them. The mica, pyrite and apartment-defect scandals are a legacy of the light-touch building regulation which has …

Is Question No. 3 mine?

Yes, indeed I am. I am very agreeable to that.

As ever, my questions are very straightforward and very simple and require very simple answers. Mandate recently launched a campaign along with the ICTU on the future of retail. It is extremely important that we do not give up on retail and that we ensure that we save as many retail jobs as possible. That would be good for town centres, city centres and most importantly, very good for jobs.

Mandate made the call for the establishment of a task force on the future of retail as a matter of urgency following the loss of 500 jobs in The Carphone Warehouse. It followed the loss of jobs in Topman and Topshop and across the Arcadia Group. It happened after the loss of jobs in Debenhams and the disgraceful carry-on by the company in that regard. The need for this task force is apparent by the very nature of the difficulties that face the sector. There is a future for retail, but we must work out what that is …

-----just shrug their shoulders and say retail is changing. Apologies, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I thought I had two minutes.

There is scope for the Government to work with communities, local politicians, the trade union movement and businesses to make towns and cities exciting and enjoyable places for people to spend their time. This is why a task force on retail is essential. We must ensure that towns and cities offer people a great experience. That means a relaxed atmosphere, pedestrianised streets to stroll peacefully through and to be able to look into shop windows and pop in and spend a few bob. We need outdoor dining and drinking s…