Ba mhaith liom iarraidh ar an Aire Stáit cén dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir le toghcháin Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Is í an cheist a cuireadh i ndáiríre ná cén uair a bheidh sé seo ar fad déanta. Tuigim na deacrachtaí a bhí ag an Roinn maidir leis an athbhreithniú ach is dócha go bhfuil go leor daoine amuigh ansin a cheapann go bhfuil a fhios acu céard ba chóir go mbeadh ag teacht amach as an athbhreithniú sin agus a chreideann go dteastaíonn toghchán le haghaidh bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá cúpla ceist agam i gcomhair an Aire Stáit. Tuigim go bhfuil sé ag rá go bhfuil píosa oibre le déanamh maidir le téarmaí sainchomhairleach…

Tá sé sin go hiontach. Ní raibh sé iomlán soiléir sa chéad fhreagra a thug sé. Tá sé sin go maith. Sílim go mbeidh muintir na Gaeltachta sásta a chloisteáil go bhfuil amlíne de chineál éigin ann. Tá ceist amháin agam ionas go dtuigfidh mé i gceart é. Dúirt an tAire Stáit sa chéad fhreagra a thug sé go raibh fadhb ann sainchomhairleoireacht a cheapadh. Tá an próiseas inmheánach nó an próiseas comhairliúcháin phoiblí críochnaithe agus tá an Roinn ag oibriú ar seo anois. Caithfear athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ina dhiaidh …

Luann an rún seo an costas atá ar bhreosla. Tuigim go bhfuil an rún níos leithne ná sin ach mar atá ráite ag mo chuid comhghleacaithe, caithfimid a thuiscint gurb é an bealach is fearr le déileáil leis an gcostas seo agus leis an ardú sa chostas seo go fadtéarmach ná infheistíocht chuí a dhéanamh i bhfoinsí inathnuaite. Sin an rud a chaithfear a dhéanamh go fadtéarmach agus tuigimid freisin nach raibh dóthain déanta ag rialtas i ndiaidh rialtais le 20 bliain anuas chun infheistíocht chuí a dhéanamh i gcúrsaí inathn…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an nGrúpa Réigiúnach as an rún seo a chur os comhair na Dála. It is very welcome we are having this discussion because we all know the benefit of these grants. I have to say in particular that I often come across the big difference the housing aid for older people grant makes in people's lives. In many cases it involves small simple things that need to be done but they make a massive difference to those people who are getting older. They need small little jobs done to be able to access their h…

We know that the cost of living is rising. We know the severe pressure that people are under to heat their homes as well as to put fuel in their cars in order to get to work and do the bare minimum that most people need to do. However, we are facing a new part of the cost of living crisis, that being, food poverty. People are finding it increasingly difficult to put food on the table. More than 60% of people say that they are now making choices in terms of food. This is a crisis point. No spin can be put on this. I…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 180.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an deis an rún fíorthábhachtach seo a chur os comhair na Dála. Déileálann sé le rud an-mhífhéaráilte atá ag dul ar aghaidh le blianta fada. I thank the Deputies on my right for bringing forward this very important motion. I also welcome the medical scientists who are here today and who are witnessing this discussion. I commend them on their strength and on standing up for what is right. I hope the Minister and his Government will also stand up for what is right. As the Minister …

The British Government's so-called Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill has been nicknamed the Bill of shame by victims and survivors of the conflict. That is absolutely no surprise. In 2014, the British Government was a co-signatory, with the five main parties in the North, to the Stormont House Agreement. That agreement was the first sign that there would be a human rights-based, legally compliant approach to the outstanding matter of victims' rights following our conflict. The Good Friday A…

George Orwell famously said that in times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. I was reminded of this when I saw the cold-blooded murder of Shireen Abu Akleh. The European Union said in a statement that it strongly condemns the killing, occurring as it did just days after world press freedom day. This was an absolute travesty. It reminds me of another ongoing travesty, which is Julian Assange's continued imprisonment in Belmarsh prison. The UN special rapporteur on torture described h…

It seems at this stage the Government is completely tone-deaf when it comes to the crisis in the rental sector. I and, I believe, many people were shocked when they saw nothing was done in the budget for renters. I am equally shocked nothing has been done for renters since. We have a completely crazy situation in Galway city where there are in excess of 1,500 Airbnb properties to rent but only 44 places or properties to rent long-term. That is greatly impacting people. We also have a situation where the average ren…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Ossian Smyth, as an cheist seo a thógáil. Táimid ag iarraidh ceist LEADER ar na hoileáin a ardú leis. Bhíodh sé á thaifeadadh i ngrúpaí do na hoileáin ar fad ach athraíodh é seo roinnt blianta ó shin nuair a socraíodh é a dháileadh ag aon ghrúpa amháin in aghaidh an chontae. Is í an fhadhb atá againn ná nach bhfuil na hoileáin aitheanta mar áit faoi leith ach go bhfuil siad clúdaithe i bpleananna contae. Is minic a bhíonn na hoileáin i gcoimhlint le pobail na mórthíre…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit maidir leis an gceist a fhreagairt. Dhíreoinn ar rud eile atá ag cur as dó seo agus ar na deacrachtaí faoi leith atá ag na hoileáin, is iad sin na costais riaracháin freisin. Má táimid ag iarraidh go n-úsáideann daoine LEADER agus gur féidir le daoine cur isteach air, teastaíonn an t-eolas freisin ón bpobal áitiúil. Mar a bhfuil a fhios againn ar fad, tá costas faoi leith i gceist chun dul amach go dtí na hoileáin. De bharr go bhfuil an costas nó an méid airgid riaracháin a fhaig…

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the murder of the crusading South African journalist, Henry Nxumalo, a man whose pioneering reporting helped to document the horrors of apartheid South Africa. Nobody was ever held accountable for his death. It is obvious why Mr. Nxumalo was murdered. It is equally obvious why another apartheid regime, Israel, last week murdered the brilliant Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, as she helped to document in detail the atrocities carried out by that regime. Her protective…

A lease.

Answer the question.

The housing crisis is crippling my generation. Thanks to the Government's policies, the possibility of owning a home or renting an affordable apartment has become a pipe dream rather than a legitimate aspiration. Young people in Galway, like those in most other counties in Ireland, are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The figures do not lie. According to research published by The Times , Ireland edition, the number of Airbnb listings in Galway is 1,574. This compares with the number of rentals available on daft.ie …

This is the reality of the Government's housing policy. It is devastating for my generation-----

-----and no amount of spin can change that.

What has it done? There are only 44 rentals available.