I have said on multiple occasions in this House that Israel would continue to do what it is doing until the world forces it to stop. I was actually so far wrong, it is unbelievable. Israel has not continued to do what it was doing. What we are actually finding out is that the failure of the world to say "Stop" has resulted in Israel becoming even more depraved, gruesome and inhumane in its actions. There is now such a moral gap across the world precisely because nobody said, "Stop". It gives me no great gladness to…

The deposit return scheme is the scheme through which people pay extra for their drinks in bottles and cans, to be reclaimed afterwards from machines that are usually in supermarkets. It is described as a circular economy initiative. We are told it is about helping the environment. Why then is so much of the plastic that is collected needlessly shipped out of Ireland? There is a company in this State that can recycle the plastic. It is Shabra Plastics and Packaging, which is based in my constituency. It creates loc…

The capacity is there.

I move amendment No. 1: to insert after "on 14th May, 2025": "provided that future financial contributions under Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) Scheme shall only be paid after the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 has been amended to provide for the following: — existing recipients with respect to the beneficiaries of temporary protection currently benefitting from the scheme where those beneficiaries of temporary protection have satisfied a means test similar to those applicable for other hous…

As the Minister said, the motion regarding the further Revised Estimates for public services, Vote 24, just relates to the transfer of functions to the Department of Justice. Had committees been established in a more timely manner, as they should have been, this motion would have been properly dealt with by the justice committee. Ach buíochas le Dia tá an coiste dlí agus cirt bunaithe anois agus ba mhór an onóir dom a bheith ceaptha mar Chathaoirleach. Bhí ár gcéad cruinniú againn inné agus táimid réidh le dul i mb…

Absolutely.

It is all financial- and budget-related.

The Government you support.

This is a bizarre debate full of contradictions and contortions. Essentially, we are discussing a motion endorsed by the combined Opposition that, in its most simple terms, asks the Government to stop breaking the law. The Government states it will not oppose the motion but no, it will not actually stop breaking the law. Anyone who has interacted with disability services in Ireland will understand the contradictions. When it comes to disability in Ireland, it is Ireland at its best and at its worst. A Disability Ac…

Tonight, we are once again treated to all the contradictions and contortions. The message is very clear: for all the rhetoric, the message from the Government is that the families of children with disabilities will have to keep fighting every day. The message back is equally clear: fight they absolutely will and we will stand with them every single step of the way. Disability rights were hard won. They will not be given up regardless of whatever spin is put on them. The message to the Government is clear: stop brea…

Well said.

The selection competition for identifying and recommending to the Government a person for appointment as Garda Commissioner has been delayed as a result of the Government's failure to enact the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act. This is a crucially important position in our society and particularly in our policing services. Will the Minister give an assurance to the Dáil that a new Garda Commissioner will be in place by 1 September of this year when the current Commissioner's contract ends?

I thank the Minister. I join with him in expressing our condolences to the family, friends and Garda colleagues of Garda Kevin Flatley. The outpouring of grief we have seen from his local community points to the fact that Garda Flatley represented all that is good about An Garda Síochána and its membership. Regarding the new Garda Commissioner, I agree with the Minister that the Commissioner is only as strong as his or her members. Clearly, there has been somewhat of a breakdown in trust - that is putting it as dip…

That is important, and it is regrettable that we have a situation where senior gardaí are saying - if not on the record, then letting it be known - that the position is not tenable for them. Those issues must be addressed. What the public at large wants to see is an improvement in Garda visibility in their communities. We need a clear plan for putting more gardaí, particularly community gardaí, on our streets in our communities. The Minister will know that, in March, the current Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris, said …

The Minister of State knows there has been massive profiteering in the provision of accommodation for those seeking asylum. People have become millionaires overnight providing what is sometimes unsuitable accommodation in what I would call a deeply flawed system, while many communities have lost vital local amenities, including hotels. Will the Minister of State outline the total amount of public money that was spent on IPAS accommodation in 2024, what the projected spend is for this year, and what plans he has to …

I have been raising the issue of profiteering within the IPAS system since I was an MEP almost a decade ago. I raised it as a member of the Committee of Public Accounts. The Minister of State said we spent €1 billion on IPAS accommodation last year. What he did not say was that most of that money was paid to private operations. He did not answer the question as to whether he agreed there was a need for a value for money audit and full scrutiny of those IPAS contracts. There are serious questions. Do we know, for ex…

I have to dispute virtually every single thing the Minister of State has just said. I know this area has just moved into his Department. The State has paid out billions of euro with virtually no transparency. There have been increasing reports of companies with no track record at all being awarded contracts to the tunes of millions of euro. A recent report concerned a company that had been awarded a contract to provide 277 beds for IPAS applicants at Dundrum, County Tipperary. The company, which is named Utmasta Li…

Have any contracts been cancelled?

Have any been cancelled? Will the Minister of State look into the case I asked about?

I wish to ask a supplementary question to Deputy Moynihan's question. It is in respect of an issue that has arisen for many domestic violence survivors who are having difficulty in accessing civil legal aid, those who perhaps want to take out a barring order against an abuser. They have a civil legal aid certificate but are not able to secure representation because, quite frankly, solicitors will not work under the terms that are in place. People who work in this area tell me there is a particular problem, an anoma…