They are assistant positions, not national director.

I mentioned to the Tánaiste before that I am a proud son of a retired Defence Forces veteran. My dad spent 25 years in the Army, both at home and abroad. Growing up as his son, I was aware of some of the problems in the Defence Forces, mainly in relation to pay and conditions. My father had to work three jobs at one stage, his Army job and two other jobs, just to keep shirts on our backs and food on the table back then. I was aware of those problems growing up but I was not aware of those outlined in this report. I…

I wish to ask the Tánaiste, in this role as Minister for Defence, about the review carried out by the independent review group into the very serious allegations made by the Women of Honour. Has the Tánaiste seen the report? When will it be published?

I will put on the record that I am the son of a retired Defence Forces man. My father was in the Army for 25 years. I will point out all the hard work he and his comrades did, some of whom are in today. Retired United Nations veterans will be coming in this afternoon to visit the House. I extend my admiration and support to the Women of Honour group and all the survivors who came forward, so bravely, to tell their stories. Abuse and harassment are unacceptable in any workplace and we must show zero tolerance as a s…

The last time I spoke on this, I called on the Government to establish a full statutory inquiry into the allegations of abuse, harassment and sexual harassment. I said at the time that the proposal to hold a review was far short of what was needed and that a full statutory inquiry was needed. I also called for re-engagement with all stakeholders including the representatives of the Women of Honour to create fit-for-purpose terms of reference for an adequate scope to deal with these issues. Has this happened? What t…

Will there be a statutory inquiry?

It will be no surprise to the Minister of State that I will talk about children's mental health, the crisis in children's mental health services and the false promises made by the Government. In May 2022, 11 crucial CAMHS beds were closed in Linn Dara. The Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and the then Taoiseach said that they would be reopened in September 2022. We are now in March 2023 and there is no sign of these beds being reopened. These were more false promises. There is an impact due t…

I too want to talk about the situation in Palestine and the ongoing immoral and illegal landgrab by Israeli settlers. Since 1967, Israel has established approximately 140 settlements on Palestinian land, accommodating more than 500,000 settlers, and groups of settlers have also built scores of other illegal outposts on Palestinian lands. I had the privilege to visit Palestine last year. The people are wonderful, welcoming and very resilient. When people think of settlers, that may conjure images of travellers on wa…

Sinn Féin will be supporting this Bill. There should be no restrictions or deterrents for people accessing healthcare. Sinn Féin has long campaigned for the abolition of inpatient charges so it is very welcome to see that this is finally happening. The €80 charge a day has been a barrier for people presenting to hospitals. There are so many individuals and families who simply do not have the means particularly during its current cost-of-living crisis. One issue which I wish to bring up, which I have raised with the…

I have been listening to the Minister and other Government Deputies and Ministers on the radio and television during the week trying to defend the indefensible action of not extending this eviction ban. They are far disconnected from the reality of what it is like to be homeless. Do any of them know what it is like to be homeless and to experience that trauma? Do they know what it is like not to have a roof over your head or a place to call home? I know what it is like and it was through no fault of my own. The Min…

South Dublin County Council has moved to an online system for residents to report housing maintenance issues. They are not taking calls or emails. They are not adequately responding to elected representatives. The local authority states there are high levels of digital literacy in the county. I was wondering where they got that figure. How can people, who have not the capacity or the money to use this system, report these faults? Can the Minister outline his views on this system?

Okay.

We gave the Tánaiste nine months to get his act together.

The decision to end the eviction ban just shows how out of touch the Government is with the reality of the housing crisis. What has been done is inhumane and has put unnecessary pressure on thousands of families across the State. I refer to the case of a young mother in my area and her two young children who, through no fault of their own, presented as homeless to South Dublin County Council. They were told that there was no room in emergency accommodation and that they would have to self-accommodate. There were no…

I asked about the next mother.

I will go first because Deputy Ó Murchú does not trust himself with the time. Tá mé ríméadach an deis seo a fháil chun labhairt le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge. Níl mé líofa agus ní raibh mo chlann líofa sa Ghaeilge nuair a tógadh mé. Nuair a bhí mé sa bhunscoil agus sa mheánscoil, bhí an Ghaeilge ina rud a bhí le fulaingt gan taitneamh le baint asti. Is ar éigin a d’éirigh liom i scrúdú na hardteiste. Nuair a d’éirigh mé níos sine, d’fhoghlaim mé an luach, an áilleacht agus an dúchas a bhain leis an teanga. Níl mé ag…

I was given the opportunity to send my children to Gaelscoileanna in Clondalkin and it is probably one of the best decisions I ever made. To hear them speaking Irish is absolutely fantastic. Go raibh maith agaibh.

Domestic violence is paramount in people's thoughts on International Women's Day every year and, sadly, this year is no different. I always find that a really sad reflection on Irish society. As leaders, Deputies in this House have a responsibility to do everything possible to end violence directed towards women and girls. When a woman comes forward after surviving an incident of domestic abuse, she is entitled to and deserves to be heard and fully supported. That is why it was so disappointing to hear the Minister…

The electricity bills dropping through the letter boxes of ordinary workers and families in my area are pushing people into poverty. The Government is out of touch with the cost-of-living challenges. The Taoiseach even questioned the validity of research published by Barnardo's that claimed that one in ten parents had used food banks in the past year. He went on to state that he wondered about the scientific basis of such a survey. I invite him and the Minister to do some qualitative research in my area and to meet…

I thank the Regional Group for giving me the opportunity to discuss this important motion on pre-hospital care. The Minister of State will not be surprised that I will focus on children's mental health in the limited time available to me. We all know that early intervention is key. When children get the care they need when and where they need it, they are less likely to need moderate and acute mental health care as they go on. They are less likely to arrive at emergency departments. I received a response to a parli…