Ashling Murphy was not the first woman to die in a random violent attack as she went about her business in broad daylight on the banks of the Grand Canal. Others have met violent deaths going to work, coming home, in daylight and in dark. The outpouring of grief and anger across the land is a powerful expression of solidarity with the Murphy family who now face the unimaginable heartbreak of coming to terms with life without Ashling. The streams of stories, personal experiences and traumatic narratives that flood o…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach. We all send our sympathies and condolences to the Murphy family at this awful time. There are not words really to describe the trauma and grief that family and, as the Taoiseach said, the entire community is experiencing. An ocean of tears has been shed for Ashling and the hundreds of women who have lost their lies in a violent manner. The systemic nature of male violence towards women has now been identified and called out in a powerful way and so it falls to us as legislators, …

I will endeavour to. I want to return to the Police Ombudsman's report into Operation Greenwich, which my colleague has just raised. We have known for a long time that collusion between the British state and loyalist death squads was rife. Indeed, it was a central component of Britain's dirty war in Ireland, a concerted campaign of murder that targeted the nationalist community, its leaders, its human rights lawyers and Sinn Féin members and elected representatives. As the Taoiseach knows, the 19 killings and two a…

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh le clann, le cairde agus le pobal Ashling Murphy. Ba bhean eile í ar tógadh i gcás uafásach í. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis. Over the past week, many words have been used to describe how the women of Ireland feel following Ashling's horrific murder, including "frightened", "angry", "worn out" and "tired". All of these things are true. We are again overwhelmed by the violation, pain and loss caused by the epidemic of male violence that blights our lives …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a national social problem; — the majority of violence, abuse and coercive control of women is perpetrated by men; — over 244 women have died violently since 1996; and — 99 per cent of suspected offenders of detected sexual violence reported in 2019 were male; recognises that: — women are not afraid of their surroundings, they are afraid of violent men; — everyday sexism, harassment and misogyny remain systemic across Irish…

I have dressed in red for the occasion. I thought it would be a bit much to don the beard and the hat so I left them.

However, I might get a more positive response from An Taoiseach if I were attired in that manner. In any event, happy Christmas in advance to all. I wish to raise with the Taoiseach his Government's management of the Covid booster roll-out. This morning, on his way to Cabinet, the Taoiseach said it is now a case of all hands on deck because of the Omicron variant, but his urgency comes late in the day. The truth is we needed an all-hands-on-deck approach over two months ago, long before the emergence of the Omicron…

The Taoiseach does not have to convince anybody in this House or beyond in respect of the booster. All of the evidence is that people wish to receive their boosters. We have a highly vaccinated population. Therefore, the issues that arise are operational. There is a question mark over the management and leadership of the Taoiseach's Government in rolling out this booster campaign. We have had huge confusion, as I have said, about appointments, we have had long queues, and we have had people being sent away. Now we …

So we are not getting more vaccinators I am assuming.

How many and when?

How many vaccinators? The Taoiseach does not know.

If the Taoiseach does not know how many he should just say so. I would appreciate an answer. It is a very straightforward question.

They are not agreed. I have been asking the Taoiseach to take action on soaring energy bills for months and Cabinet has now responded with a €100 credit for electricity, which is modest but welcome. People are facing record levels of inflation and skyrocketing prices not just for electricity but for oil, gas and other fuels. This credit will bring some small relief. I ask the Taoiseach about the timing of this initiative. It is crazy and unacceptable that people are required to wait until February or March to get t…

That is no help to people on low incomes.

With respect, that is no help to people on low incomes. That is insane.

I wish to press the issue, Taoiseach. The intervention of €100 relief is modest but we welcome it. The Taoiseach cannot ask that this takes effect in February or March. Where is the sense of urgency in this?

I ask that the necessary legislation goes through the House now, before Christmas. People are struggling out there. The Taoiseach knows this.

The least they can expect from the Dáil is some recognition and a sense of urgency to deliver this relief.

Why not?

Carers have had a particularly difficult road during the Covid crisis. In the early days of the emergency, respite services were withdrawn and they are still not back operating at full capacity. Before this virus ever came carers were under enormous pressure, but the curtailment in supports during the past two years has forced many of them to face real burnout. This morning carers took to the airwaves again to highlight their plight. Incredibly, the Government has failed to prioritise carers for the booster. That h…