That is disgraceful.

The Taoiseach knows the reason.

The Taoiseach is well aware of the reason.

The Taoiseach is utterly disingenuous.

The Taoiseach should not abuse his position in that way and go unchallenged. It is outrageous.

The Taoiseach has previously remarked that the commission has been constituted as an expert group rather than a stakeholders' representative body. This observation is to miss the point of the concerns raised about the breadth of the commission's membership in terms of addressing the limitations of the goals set for its work. There is no reference in the terms of reference to the consideration of declining employment prospects, media plurality or media ownership. Their inclusion is crucial if the stated purpose of t…

What about accountability?

The Taoiseach would be better to focus on his own performance.

The Taoiseach challenged Deputy Murphy.

First, I am increasingly at a loss as to what this liaison unit is doing. The Taoiseach has cited its efforts - no doubt they are legion - to effect Dáil reform. Yet, not 40 minutes or an hour ago we had an exchange in which the Taoiseach steadfastly refused even the current accountability mechanisms not to mention any new innovation. I imagine we will all take that with a grain of salt. Second, I have raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the need for provision for remote learning for children living with a medic…

Not on this issue.

We previously discussed the programme for Government commitment to developing and protecting Ireland's biodiversity. An important component of this work is the National Biodiversity Data Centre programme, established by the Heritage Council 14 years ago. This programme collects data on Ireland's biodiversity and, thanks to the ecological commitment of its staff, the all-Ireland pollinator plan has been a tremendous success. As the Government has acknowledged, despite the centrality of the programme's work to Irelan…

Dearie, dearie me. Jesus, that is good.

I am sharing time with Deputy Cullinane. This year has tested us all. It has tested our mettle, our resolve and our resilience. None of us could have expected that we would live this reality, with our people and our communities robbed of the simple everyday things that make up our lives. It has been a year of stress, worry and uncertainty brought by a global pandemic. People have lost. People have missed out. Thousands have lost their jobs and their incomes. Many have lost their businesses and their plans for the f…

The Taoiseach is not really into people answering questions.

"I'd gone from being a strong, independent woman to this quivering wreck with no friends, no job, and no confidence. I felt so low, I searched the house for pills for an overdose." This is Siobhan’s story, and her story told and retold thousands of times across the land because domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is an epidemic in our society; it is an insidious form of abuse that takes place all around us. The Victims’ Alliance has uncovered the leaking of thousands of personally-explicit images of Irish wo…

I know. It is indicative that it is short, is it not?

Yesterday, the Taoiseach's Government voted to block the Dáil from putting questions to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, regarding the appointment of the former Attorney General, Séamus Woulfe, to the Supreme Court. His claim that this would impinge on the separation of powers is utter nonsense, as he well knows. In the Dáil in 2017, the Taoiseach said that any attempt to use the separation of powers as an excuse to avoid accountability in respect of a judicial appointment was "bogus". He will know that, o…

The Taoiseach's response is incoherent gibberish and he knows it. The Taoiseach has changed his tune from when he sat on the Opposition benches and correctly challenged the Government of the day to give an account of itself and challenged the then Minister for Justice and Equality to give an account of the process by which a selection for a judicial appointment was made. The standards then are the standards now. The responsibility of the Oireachtas to hold the Government to account remains paramount. The Taoiseach …

I raise the issue of Dublin Zoo. Zoos across the island are under pressure but Dublin Zoo is in big trouble and we woke this morning to the news that it might face closure. I need not tell the Taoiseach that a closure would be devastating for local employment and the economy, as well as for tourism. Dublin Zoo is one of our key tourist attractions and has occupied a special place for children and families right across the island for generations. The director of the zoo, Dr. Christoph Schwitzer, was quoted today as …