Yes.

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. That is excellent. That was very well said. The only false narrative being spun here is that the housing emergency is the fault of landlords. Let me scotch that. It is not. Responsibility for this emergency lies fairly and squarely at the feet of the Taoiseach and his Government.

That is the narrative. The choice here is between having a roof over your head or not; having rent that you can afford or not; having a Government that will stand up and defend renters or not; having a Government with the basic intelligence and cop-on to know that one does not create more uncertainty for renters at a time when supply is that tight and rents are so high and people are to the pin of their collar. People are afraid now. There are working families who are afraid of what lies ahead. I asked the Taoiseac…

If you believe that, stand aside, call an election and let us get on with the job.

We have plenty of proposals.

Stop it.

Stop it. This is a serious issue for families who will face eviction.

Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, the Taoiseach made a point of order and questioned the democratic capacities or ability of this party. I might remind the Taoiseach that on the last occasion that we went to the polls, this party and these benches secured more votes than his own.

We are perfectly entitled to represent the people we represent-----

-----and to do so robustly. That is at the heart of democratic debate.

Cyra Cahill is three years old and is in need of services. Her mother, Charlotte, has spoken out publicly about her because she is desperate to secure those services. Cyra had an assessment of needs last year but there was no psychologist present. As the Taoiseach is aware, the HSE approach to assessment of needs was ruled by the High Court last year to be in breach of the Disability Act 2005. This means the assessment received by Cyra was invalid and she has been put back on the waiting list. Cyra and her mother h…

On what is International Women's Day, I will take the opportunity to acknowledge the important work of the all-island women's forum and the women from across Ireland's diverse communities who have participated so generously in that work. We support the forum's ambition to be a catalyst for change in seeking substantial reform that will enable women to take our rightful place as leaders in our society. As legislators and leaders in our communities, we have the responsibility not only to work with the forum and other…

Is this the Taoiseach's social media clip for the day?

Presumably that includes the Taoiseach.

One of the challenges identified by the report Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2022 is the need to enhance labour market performance for the purpose of increased productivity and competitiveness. The report finds that increased performance can be achieved by increasing participation and fostering skills and calls for these productivity gains to be shared with workers which is an important emphasis that should be noted by the Government and by employers. Digital literacy and skills are identified as core compete…

I hope we would all accept that the critical building block for a policing service for our future is actually the people working within the service, in other words, the gardaí themselves. The Taoiseach's response did not reflect the fact gardaí are resigning in increasing numbers, with nearly three times the number resigning from the force last year when compared with 2017. Indeed, the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors have raised the difficulty of retaining gard…

I wish to share time with Deputies Funchion, O'Reilly and Kerrane.

I wish a happy International Women's Day to the Ceann Comhairle and to all gathered here. International Women's Day is a time to recognise and celebrate the strides taken by women towards gender equality and to reflect on the road ahead that we have still to travel. In Ireland, much progress has been achieved. This has been secured by generations of women who have stepped forward and demanded change, who stood up to be counted and to secure a better future for themselves, their daughters, and their granddaughters. …

Hear, Hear.

The announcement yesterday of agreement by the European Commission and the British Government on the protocol is very welcome. It marks the end of negotiations to resolve trading practicalities. We always said that a workable and durable solution existed if both parties engaged in good faith and the necessary political will was demonstrated. The protocol represents hard-won protections for Ireland against the sharpest edge of the Tory Brexit. This means guaranteeing no hard border on the island of Ireland, protecti…