As the Taoiseach knows, the British Government’s shameful legacy Bill will go through Report Stage in the House of Lords today. If it goes through, it will definitively shut the door on families’ efforts to achieve truth and justice through the courts. It will, of course, give an amnesty to those who are responsible for their deaths. Heartbroken families who have been fighting for years, determined to get truth and justice for their loved ones, have expressed huge concern. Opposition to the Bill is shared by victim…

The children of Ireland need a national children’s hospital. It is an essential piece of infrastructure. Families’ hopes are on this hospital opening its doors and providing the state-of-the-art healthcare their children need. We all want to see this hospital opened without further delay. The project has been mismanaged from the start. It is already cited as the most expensive hospital in the world. Its opening has been pushed back time and time again. Today, The Irish Times reports on information obtained by my co…

The Taoiseach might answer my question on whether these 11 theatres complied with or failed the validation test in March. That is an important question and I would like him to answer it. These are 11 theatres, not 11 rooms. They are not cloakrooms; they are operating theatres. We are talking about 11 theatres. That is 50% of the theatre capacity of this state-of-the-art hospital. Did they or did they not fail validation in March? Can the Taoiseach answer that question? I find it extraordinary that he only became aw…

Well, I do. I have the documents here.

It is not snagging.

You have to get this from me.

Wow.

Women's Aid has recorded its highest number of contacts in the organisation's 50-year history, with just under 34,000 disclosures of domestic violence against women and children. The abuse reported is horrific, broad and brutal. Domestic violence services are creaking at the seams. I am particularly mindful of the 12 women who died violently this year, and their families. Last week I visited the Saoirse refuge in Rathcoole which, like others, faces the intolerable situation of turning women and children away becaus…

The LGBTQI+ community has seen huge progress in the fight for equality in recent times. Ahead of Dublin Pride this weekend, there is much to celebrate. I want to send my support and solidarity to everyone who will be marching and celebrating on what is always a wonderful day of pride and fun, to everyone who will be joining in their local parades the length and breadth of the island this summer in cities, towns and villages. People will be coming together in joy and defiance to celebrate what makes them unique and …

I offer a word of sympathy on the loss of the great Dub, Christy Dignam. I send our solidarity to his family. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann, gan dabht. The news overnight of 650 job losses at Tara Mines has left workers, families and the wider community reeling. The suspension of operations at the mine is devastating, and a body blow that will affect the entire community. Workers are being laid off without pay in a matter of weeks. They are now worried about how they will make their mortgage payments and what the f…

This, then, was not a matter of surprise. The Taoiseach set out what seems to be an extensive range of engagements involving the mine and various Ministers. I am at a loss as to why the Taoiseach is feigning surprise. It was clear to Government that the mine was under significant pressure. As a matter of fact, it has been reported in the media that the company had written to Government on 29 March to warn of the possibility of it ceasing operations. Clearly, the company had done the sums, as the Taoiseach said, but…

It is disappointing that the Government let this happen.

What did you do?

I am not stupid. I can grasp that.

The Taoiseach did not do his job again.

In a report published today, the Ombudsman for public services has criticised what he called a shameful lack of support for drivers with disabilities. These schemes are a lifeline for people with disabilities, ensuring they can live dignified and independent lives as they travel to work or college and go about their lives. However, as the Taoiseach will be aware, the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant were scrapped in 2013 as part of austerity policies during the financial crash. Since then the Govern…

Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce met Oireachtas Members at the end of last month to outline the development and growth challenges for business in Donegal and the north west. I travelled to Letterkenny last week to speak at the chamber's lunch, and the message from its members was absolutely clear, that significant shortfalls in transport infrastructure, the housing crisis and staff shortages are holding back progress in the region. Those challenges are interdependent and are the negative outcomes of historical polit…

It has been reported HSE board members were told the health service needs to recruit nearly 12,000 full-time staff this year but expects to recruit only half that number. Government research tells us job-stay rates are greater in the public and Civil Service when compared with the private sector, yet one in ten staff left the HSE last year to retire or emigrate, and the job churn continues to increase. Despite this, it is only now that senior managers are considering the introduction of exit surveys to understand t…

As I speak, retained firefighters are on strike. Rolling work stoppages will see half the fire stations in the service shut. This will be followed by all-out strike action next week outside of emergency calls. The strike is unprecedented and certainly has not been undertaken lightly. Retained firefighters have been pushed to the very brink by the Government and feel they have been left with no choice. They are the very best of our communities. They do their jobs under incredibly difficult circumstances, acting as f…

I thank the Taoiseach. As he well knows, the discussions broke down on 11 May. He has acknowledged that the retained firefighters are under pressure. As I said earlier, they are on call 24-7. They cannot move further than a radius of 2.5 km without sanction. They make very considerable personal sacrifices. Their retainer, their fixed salary, starts at the huge sum of €8,500 per annum. There has to be movement on that. The Taoiseach has to bring more than hope to the table or offer more than passing the buck. It is …