Under Standing Order 35(3) I wish to move an amendment such that, for Thursday's business, a proposal No. 4 be included, on the establishment of committees. We have waited far too long for this. The idea that we wait until the middle of May before we have committees up and running is unacceptable at this point, and I believe it can and should be remedied. We have a lot of very important issues arising-----

-----some of which have been raised today.

And we need functioning committees very quickly.

It makes no sense.

I moved an amendment. The Ceann Comhairle needs to take a vote on my amendment.

The number of schools in financial distress has soared. In the 2022-23 school year, five schools were referred to the financial support services unit, but the number has jumped significantly to 34 schools this year. Nearly half those are DEIS schools and special schools. The sharp increase in operating costs sees many schools struggling to keep the doors open. Since early last year, Rutland National School, which is in my constituency, has been pleading with the Taoiseach's Government for help with soaring insuranc…

What action does the Taoiseach propose to take on this matter?

Later this evening, the US President is expected to announce widespread tariffs on imports into the United States. While the severity and scope of these tariffs are yet unknown, it is clear that what is about to happen will present a significant economic challenge to Ireland. The hard reality is that our economy is particularly exposed. The United States is Ireland's largest export market, and there are real concerns about the impact on our pharmaceutical and tech sectors. As the European Union formulates its respo…

The seriousness of the situation is not in question nor is the need for collective action. I ask for a response to my suggestion that the Taoiseach convene a meeting of all party leaders across this House. That needs to happen as a matter of urgency. It is helpful to recall that Ireland is and will remain a very attractive location for investment. The Taoiseach has acknowledged that the era of tax deals, some of which were questionable and controversial, is now behind us, not least because of the evolution of the g…

I was referring to Apple.

Today, parents of children with special needs from across the country will again begin an overnight sleep-out at the gates of Leinster House. These parents cannot find suitable school places for their children. It is a deep and long-standing crisis. Notwithstanding the Taoiseach's answer to Members earlier, the fact is that hundreds of children are locked out of the education to which they are entitled. When I raised this crisis with him in February, he said he would do everything to ensure that every child waiting…

Hundreds of parents are today living the nightmare of the prospect that their children were operated on unnecessarily. On foot of whistleblower allegations, an audit was carried out into paediatric hip dysplasia surgeries at three Children's Health Ireland hospitals. The audit, which has been published in full on The Ditch website, found that hundreds of children who were operated on between 2021 and 2023 did not meet the threshold for this surgery. It recommends that 561 children be recalled and independently asse…

It is important to acknowledge the trauma to any child undergoing a surgery but the very idea a child would be put through that unnecessarily is doubly traumatic. Parents are now faced with the scenario of not knowing. The audit may only be in draft form but the letters have been issued. They are arriving to families. This stress and distress is very real in the here and now and the Taoiseach's argument that we simply need to wait and wait will weigh very heavily on those families who want answers now. The Taoiseac…

When did the Minister know?

He does not know when the Minister knew.

This motion of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle is a response to a concerted and co-ordinated plan by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael; a plan to run roughshod over the democratic rules of the Dáil for their own political gain.

Last Tuesday, not alone did the Ceann Comhairle put herself at the centre of that Government plan, she led the charge.

In an unprecedented, and frankly breathtaking display of bias, the person charged with safeguarding and preserving democracy in this House helped to tear it apart. The Ceann Comhairle actively and enthusiastically fulfilled the bidding and the aims of the Government, acting, not as the impartial Chair of the Dáil, but more like a loyal Minister under political instruction from the top.

She was acting as the Government's Ceann Comhairle, signed, sealed and delivered by Michael Lowry. What we witnessed was an unrivalled partisan display. The Ceann Comhairle forced through the Government agenda, showing blatant disrespect and contempt for the mandate of the combined Opposition. In forcing through the Government's plan, Verona Murphy took a wrecking ball to the long-established democratic procedures of the Dáil and ripped up the rule book that underpins its functioning. This marked a fundamental depa…

There were also a raft of junior Ministers with big pay hikes, more super junior Ministers and, of course, the prized position of Ceann Comhairle to boot. Nobody with any respect for the position of Ceann Comhairle would ever have been party to such a disgraceful arrangement. A deal was struck by Micheál Martin and Simon Harris with Michael Lowry, a man whose actions the Moriarty tribunal found to be "profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking". The Taoiseach once described him as a rogue…