I commend my colleague Deputy Kerrane on introducing this important legislation. It is unfortunate that the Government has decided to kick the can down the road for six months. I understand that there is the child maintenance review group. While it is welcome that something is being done, these people need help right now. The Government has form, in that when practical measures are being proposed by the Opposition, they often fall on deaf ears. From our clinics and speaking to our constituents, family members and n…

Is léir go bhfuil muid i ngéarchéim i leith costais mhaireachtála. Feiceann muid ar fad go bhfuil na billí tar éis ardú, ach tá a fhios againn go bhfuil brú ar leith ar cheantair thuaithe ina thaobh seo. Tá praghas leictreachais tar éis ardú 22%, tá peitreal ardaithe 30%, tá díosal ardaithe 32%, tá gás ardaithe 28% agus tá ola don bhaile suas 50%. Níl ioncam na ndaoine atá orthu na praghsanna sin a íoc tar éis ardú ar chor ar bith. Is léir nach bhfuil cliú dá laghad ag an Rialtas faoin mbrú atá ar dhaoine agus chon…

I previously raised in the Dáil the issue of the funnelling of €118 billion through the International Financial Services Centre, IFSC, by 106 Russian-linked shell companies availing of section 110 of the tax code. These shell companies pay no tax and have no employees. I raised this issue not once, not twice, but three times with the Government. I raised it in the Chamber in September 2020, I raised it with the Minister in front of the finance committee on 6 May 2021, and I wrote to the Minister for Finance on 27 M…

What has been done in respect of this?

What has been done since I raised this issue?

I got no response from the Government.

I got no response.

Why has it not been mentioned by the Government since I raised it in 2020?

It has not been mentioned once by the Government.

I recognise that the Ukrainian ambassador is with us in the House today. I spoke earlier, as my colleague Deputy Brady alluded to, on the use of section 110 of the tax code in the IFSC and the funnelling of money. What I am speaking on now is broader and concerns security situations within Europe. One of the things that the EU Commission will have us believe is that halting climate change is its top priority. Of course, the impending climate catastrophe has to be stopped. However, in the summer of 2021, it decided …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Connolly as ucht na ceiste tábhachtach seo a chur chun cinn. Tá sé go maith go bhfuil cruinnithe rialta ar siúl leis an gcomhairle contae ach is mór an trua é go bhfuil daoine ag fanacht le fada an lá agus nach bhfuil amlínte ann faoi láthair mar tá amlínte tábhachtach. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil Stoirm Eunice ag teacht amárach agus b'fhéidir go mbeidh tuilleadh damáiste. Táthar ag rá go mb'fhéidir go mbeidh stádas dearg ag baint leis sin agus léiríonn sin arís eile cé chomh tábhac…

It is great we are talking about protected disclosures again. Indeed it is a very topical issue. We have seen reports recently in the Irish Examiner in regard to reported problems in the Matt Talbot Adolescent Services, MTAS, in Cork. It reported that the HSE commissioned a major review of the operations on foot of a number of protected disclosures. From that it is my understanding that the review was conducted by two external social care consultants but that their final report was not published. Some concerns were…

It has been great to see everyone working very well together on this particular Bill. I look forward to seeing that continue on Committee Stage. It has been a really good example of how everyone in this House can work together. The whole issue of retrospective application will form a massive part of our debates in the committee. I understand that the Minister needs to get advice and that we will need to see how it works out. I hope it will be possible to apply the Bill retrospectively because many people have suffe…

Galway Educate Together Secondary School opened in August 2019 and has absolutely flourished since. It has 135 children now from first to third year as a result of the cap of 48 that had been imposed but there will be an intake of 72 students in first year. The school has outgrown its current accommodation and the Department of Education has advised that it is close to finalising a new place for it which, of course, will only be an interim solution. With only six months left for the reopening for the next academic …

It is important to note that this Bill came about not because of a desire necessarily to improve our existing protected disclosures regime and it was not inspired by the need to give further protections to the many whistleblowers whose concerns have been raised in this Chamber or to set a new standard in whistleblowing protection. The reason the Bill is before us today is to satisfy the transposition of the EU's whistleblowing directive and its mandatory reporting requirements. However, the crafting of the Bill gav…

Would it help if I spoke again?

I so move.

This time last month The Connacht Tribune carried a story that reported that a vulture fund - not just any vulture fund but the country's largest - was circling above my home county of Galway. The article stated that IRES REIT was "planning to roll out its highly profitable ‘buy-to-let’ model – a move that will drive up rents and house prices". This news was not welcomed by anyone who came into my clinic. These are people who are struggling to pay rent and just last week saw that rents have increased yet again, by …

Ba cinneadh mí-ghnáthúil a bhí ann deireadh a chur le toghcháin do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Sin cinneadh a thóg Rialtas de chuid Fhine Gael agus cinneadh a bhí páirtí an Aire Stáit i gcoinne. Ba cheart go mbeadh muintir na Gaeltachta in ann a gcuid ionadaithe féin a thoghadh díreach chuig an mbord. Tá sé sin fíorthábhachtach mar phróiseas daonlathach agus chun cinntiú go mbeadh an stuif a theastaíonn ó mhuintir na Gaeltachta á phlé ag an mbord. Ba chóir go mbeadh sé de chumhacht ag gnáthmhuintir na Gaeltachta a …

Ní bhfuair mé soiléireacht ó shin, caithfidh mé a rá. Dúirt an tAire Stáit go bhfoilseofaí an ceistneoir go luath. Cén uair? Deirtear go bhfoilseofar é go ríghairid. Bhí an t-eolas sin amuigh san iomaíocht cheana féin. Táimid anseo chun an cheist seo a phlé. Táimid ag labhairt díreach leis an Aire Stáit. Teastaíonn freagraí uainn. Tá sé á phlé mar go bhfuil daoine fíorbhuartha faoi seo. Cén uair a sheolfar an ceistneoir seo? An bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag rá, go soiléir, linn inniu go mbeidh toghcháin ann do bhord Úda…