I will support Deputy Lawless on that. In the past couple of weeks, I have spoken to many people in the legal profession. The consistent problem they kept bringing up, both in civil and criminal cases, was the long delays because of the absence of judges. One of the issues that was raised with me was how courts moving away from the small provincial towns to larger courts in different areas had an impact. Making sure we have enough judges to administer law effectively and efficiently is one of the problems. It is no…

I will ask the Minister about the plans she has to publish the implementation plan for the Garda Síochána Inspectorate report on corruption. I understand that some progress is being made on this but we need to see delivery in this area, as soon as possible.

Many key findings of the report point to there being no strategic analysis of the risk of corruption or the dangers of corruption that may exist in many aspects of An Garda Síochána's work. Like many parts of our public service, the garda's work is based on trust. We have to trust that the person in the organisation will deliver and is doing the best for everyone concerned. Deputies Bríd Smith and Carthy asked a question about Shane O'Farrell, which reminded me of this. In the end, this comes to the core of many of…

I appreciate there has been work and advancement. One area which requires focus is gardaí carrying out work outside of their work as gardaí. Sometimes that has compromised them and others around them. The work that they often engage in after retiring from An Garda Síochána also needs to be looked at. There is a network that has developed over the years that certainly needs to be brought to an end, because it is not a reflection of the kind of professionalism that we should see in a police service that is there to s…

I want to find out the current status of the report on the high-level group considering the role of An Garda Síochána in the prosecution system and would like the Minister to make a statement on the matter.

It is going to be a busy couple of weeks. I am aware of the work done on this. It needs to be considered very carefully because it is quite unusual that the investigating authority or service is also the prosecuting service. That is the case regarding many aspects of what An Garda Síochána does. Other jurisdictions have a different system that has served them better. The recommendation that needs to be examined comes from recognising that the current process has its shortcomings. I look forward to the full report. …

Will the report cover the oversight of investigations? In most other jurisdictions, there is some form of judicial oversight, particularly regarding serious crime, to ensure that everything is done correctly and properly. There is a barrister or other individual in charge of the investigation to ensure everything is done as it should be. The majority of Garda investigations, even the most serious kinds, are carried out properly, but sometimes we have difficulties. Additional oversight in respect of that needs to be…

Sinn Féin believes in and supports the European Union and the prospect of peace, prosperity and unity for all its people. That is at the core of what Europe is about. All of those things come with challenges. When we think of prosperity, which is the promise of Europe, it has been delivered for many people on this island and in other parts of Europe but we cannot ignore that we have also had difficult times. I think of the impact of the Stability and Growth Pact and the rules and regulations that have bound nation …

I also commend the Department on the work it has done. I have dealt with staff in the Department since the beginning of this crisis and have found them to be really helpful and sensible about these situations. In my county, Leitrim, we have a hotel, Lough Allen Hotel, in Drumshanbo, which has been closed for a number of years, since Covid, and is now open and has more than 200 Ukrainian refugees there. I have been there and visited them. It is a tremendous wonder to see people from practically the other side of the…

We will be supporting this motion. It is important we show our support to the International Criminal Court, ICC, in conducting investigations into war crimes anywhere, and certainly in Ukraine. We are aware there are investigators on the ground in Ukraine who are operating under very difficult conditions. Ireland, with all the people from Ukraine who have come here, has been very supportive of the Ukrainian community. There has to be a real sense that Russia will be held to account for what is going on and for the …

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.

I am sure you would not turn it down. I thank the Minister. This is an area that requires reform and we all understand and accept that. The Bill certainly goes in that direction. It is welcome. It is a vast improvement on where we have been up to now. The perception has been that it has been a closed shop. People with obvious connections got into positions that perhaps they would not have got into had they not had such connections. This is what is at the heart of this. It is to come up with a reform process that ca…

The vast majority of people who use turf as their main fuel are those who are in poorer circumstances across the country. They live in rural Ireland and do not have many options. They, more than anyone else, need retrofitting grants that are an awful lot bigger than those the Government is offering. They cannot afford to retrofit because they do not have €25,000. Retrofitting costs €50,000, with the Government providing €25,000. Where will they get the other 50% or €25,000? The Government is now telling these peopl…

Vacancy and dereliction are serious issues in rural Ireland. There is significant dereliction in every small town. Houses are lying empty and shops, pubs and other business premises in once-thriving communities are dying on their feet because of the changes in how people conduct their commerce. They now shop in big towns and so on. We have a huge problem with that in the private sector and a carrot-and-stick approach is needed to resolve it. The problem for a lot of the people who own these properties is that they …

All of us understand and agree that this motion on carbon budgets is about setting the destination to which we want to get. We all share a common bond in our desire to get to that destination. Where we may have disagreements is in the route that we take. There are, of course, difficulties for many sectors when we get into this issue and try to deal with it. There are also opportunities for many sectors and we should not forget that. We all acknowledge that. The farming sector is one of the areas that has the most d…

This proposal is worthy and worthwhile. It will move us in the right direction. Joint investigation teams have been working for many years on a multinational format to tackle organised crime, particularly the drug gangs, etc., that plague our communities. Every community in every part of Ireland can recognise the impact that they have on young people, who become addicted to drugs and who then fall into criminality and all that goes with it. All of this begins with these international tycoons of criminality who cros…

That is the wrong business.

I also welcome this plan today. It is certainly a decision to move in the right direction. As has been said by many others, we have had a chequered past in regard to women's health in this country. Hopefully, we can keep that in the past and ensure there is no reoccurrence of it. I particularly want to raise with the Minister today the issues in regard to menopause services, particularly for women in rural Ireland. The two issues are the lack of services nationwide; and the shortages we are experiencing right now a…

I again express solidarity with the people of Ukraine for the turmoil the country has been put into and the vicious war that has been orchestrated from the Russian Federation which has cost the lives of so many and has scattered people all over the world. Some have come to Ireland. In my local community in County Leitrim, a Ukrainian neighbour of mine, Ivan Tarkovych, worked to get his family here. I have worked with him and many others in our community. Tomorrow he is flying to Dubrovnik, I understand, to bring ba…

The idea of circular economy and waste management is certainly not new to most people who grew up in rural Ireland. My father worked all his life fixing farm machinery. My brother had what was basically a scrapyard. He took in old beaten-down cars. Everyone who had an old banger that they wanted to keep going would come to him. If the radiator had burst, they would get one from him. All of the materials of the car were sent off to be recycled. My brother now leases out that site and does not do that business any mo…