Well, then the Tánaiste will know what I am talking about.

I thank the Tánaiste.

I understand.

Yes.

I very much welcome the fact that Ireland, along with some of our European colleagues, proposes to recognise the state of Palestine before the end of the month. I believe the Minister's work and leadership on this matter has been very positive. However, I want to raise another issue that is very important, namely, the EU-Israel trade agreement, something I have raised many times in the House. I have written to the Commission and spoken to the Minister about it. What are we doing to try to move forward and review th…

I am pleased to hear that by February the Government had moved to this point. I, along with my colleagues in the Independent Group, wrote to the Commission last November. Article 2 of the trade association agreement is very clear and states that the provisions of the agreement shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of the agreement. I voted for that agreement in the European Parliament. We spent a lot …

I thank the Minister. As I said, I appreciate his work on this. At the same time, we are a party to this trade agreement. We signed it and voted for it in the European Parliament, and the Government ratified it. Therefore, the Government has a responsibility to do whatever it can. I know this issue was raised by the Government in February. As I said, I raised it with the then Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, in November. At that point he spoke about agreements between the EU and state of Israel not applying to the t…

Yesterday, the Minister, Norma Foley, announced that she will continue the free primary school book scheme for 2024. She said the funding is to provide, at a minimum, schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks and any surplus is to be used to eliminate the cost of pens, pencils, etc. However, the funding has been cut by 16 6%, from €96 last year to €80 per pupil this year, despite the fact that every single book, copybook and workbook has increased in price since last year. Even where schools made every effort to get sec…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: - quality, accessible and affordable childcare and nursing home services are an indispensable part of the fabric of any well-functioning society, and these services support individuals and families at different stages of their lives, but most especially at both ends of life when they are in greater need of care; - services like childcare and nursing home care are mandated by the State to operate with a certain ratio of staff to each individual accessing the service, and this h…

I was told that I have 20 minutes.

My apologies. I have loads more to say but I will let my colleagues take it from here and I will finish later.

I thank the Minister and Minister of State for being here today. I thank the Minister of State for listening and giving me a considered response. The Minister just arrived - I will come back to his amendment. The Minister of State said that she could work with the content of my motion, broadly speaking, except for the stabilisation funding request. I want to explain where that came from. That funding would be to stabilise nursing homes in counties where fair deal payments are lowest. An issue I did not get to in my…

In my brief two minutes, I will make a few points about the housing situation in the north west. First of all, the ceiling for the first home scheme for Sligo is €325,000. However, at present, there are no new builds in Sligo for €325,000, therefore, there are no new homes in Sligo that are eligible for this scheme. The ceiling price of €325,000 remains unchanged for Sligo since January 2023 yet if we look at the increase in house prices in Sligo and Leitrim for 2023, we can see that it is 7.7%. While the scheme is…

Will the Minister explain the different pension arrangements in place for members of An Garda Síochána who joined the force pre- and post-1995? In particular, I want a timeline as to when there will be a change in the system whereby gardaí who retire on full pension after 30 years are forced to claim jobseeker's benefit for nine months and then jobseeker's allowance until they receive their full pension.

I thank the Minister for that response but, of course, this is the issue at hand. The Minister is liaising with the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Protection to find a solution to this anomaly. Gardaí who joined the force post-1995 seem, at first glance, to receive the same level of pension entitlement. If we look at what they have to do to receive the pension, however, then we can see where the problem lies. To qualify for the supplementary part of their pensions, these gardaí must exhaust all …

I am really pleased to hear that because this requirement applies to gardaí who joined post-1995 and next year all these members will have served 30 years. This issue, therefore, must be dealt with. I say this because many gardaí have told me that when they have tried to explain to the Department of Social Protection that they are not jobseekers and are, in fact, retired members of An Garda Síochána, they have been told that unless they make themselves available for training or work, they will have no entitlement. …

I thank the Minister for her attendance. It is not often that we have a senior Minister at this point of a Private Members' debate. I am glad to see her here. I also give her my personal support in light of the completely unacceptable attacks on her family home. This morning we are discussing the issue of migration. It is a difficult and delicate discussion. On the one hand, we have those seeking asylum and they are not a homogenous group. Some are fleeing war and persecution. Others are seeking a better life, they…

The Taoiseach already will have received an invitation to visit Dromahair to meet the local community regarding the decision to locate 155 IP applicants in the only hotel not just in Dromahair but in the whole of north Leitrim, despite the Government's new policy of not using the last hotel in any town. For context, pro rata , 155 applicants in Dromahair equates to about 77,000 in Dublin city. In my one minute, I only have time to say that I believe there is an opportunity if there was real engagement with the comm…

I add my voice to those who are asking the Minister of State to separate fundraising from gambling. He said there is a difference and that he will bring forward amendments in the Seanad. That is crucial. I know he has heard many examples today but I want to give him one or two as well. Listening to my local radio station earlier, I heard an advertisement for North West Hospice radio bingo, as it is on every weekday. The jackpot now stands at €19,900. If this legislation was in place, such advertising could not be a…

I welcome the motion from Sinn Féin. It is straightforward and goes directly to the heart of the matter. I looked at average petrol pump prices today, which are €1.849 and €1.799 per litre for petrol and diesel, respectively. This time last year, petrol and diesel were, respectively, 19 cent and 13 cent cheaper per litre. I then looked at the figures for April 2020, before the Covid pandemic. I could not believe the figures. Petrol and diesel were, respectively, 58 cent and 63 cent less per litre. When will these p…