Who reported that?

Read the motion.

Ah no, I am really disappointed in you now, Mattie.

Well said.

I am disappointed by the Government's response, particularly given how it was conveyed by the Minister of State who moved Second Stage of the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 in the Dáil. The Government’s response smacks of double standards. I will put it in context. On 28 February 2022, the ICC prosecutor, Mr. Khan, announced that he had begun the process of a formal investigation into the situation in Ukraine. It was 2 March that Ireland joined other states in referring the situation …

My question for the Minister is if he will outline the level of additional core funding that will be provided for new developments at Monaghan Hospital in 2024 outside of carry-over and otherwise maintenance of the existing level of services.

Forgive my naivety but I thought the Minister might actually answer the question that was submitted and put to him. I accept there has been increased investment in Monaghan Hospital. It took an awful lot of pressure in order to get it, and it came from a very low base because of the disastrous decisions of previous Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments to remove services. The decisions to remove services had a devastating impact on other hospitals, in particular Drogheda and Cavan hospitals. Could I ask the Ministe…

I would like it if the Minister, in any of his responses, actually answered the question put. We are virtually in the middle of November and it is impossible to provide new developments at Monaghan hospital without a budget allocated. We do not have one. I take it from his response that no additional funding has been allocated to the hospital at this stage. A computed tomography, CT, scanner was to be provided to Monaghan hospital. That has been removed. Will it be returned? As I understand it, the hospital has sou…

When we were here this day last week the Taoiseach commented that more than 5,000 people were reported to have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. That figure now stands at well over 10,000. We should all stop and think about those numbers for a moment. More people have been killed in Gaza in a single week than during the entire conflict in the North of Ireland. Substantially more, in fact, have been killed by Israel over seven days than by all actors to the conflict in Ireland over 30 years. The scale is simpl…

This House has roundly condemned on a number of occasions the British Government's so-called legacy Bill recognising that the Bill and the approach of the British Government has been cruel, callous, and contrary to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement and the words of the Stormont House Agreement, which both governments recommitted to as recently as 2020. For our part, we have been very clear that the Irish Government as a co-guarantor to those agreements has a duty to ensure their protection and to work towards…

The Attorney General's advice in respect of the legacy Bill.

One would not know it from the Minister of State's speech but Fine Gael has been in government for 12 years and Fianna Fáil has been propping it up for seven years. Their record is a housing crisis which has gone from bad to worse. Since this particular coalition with the Green Party was cobbled together the facts speak for themselves: house prices have increased by 28% and rents have increased by 25%, or €3,700 per year. Homelessness, including child homelessness, has increased by 47%. Government targets are too l…

I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will agree that it is not every day a Topical Issue is submitted by people from three different political parties. Three out of the four of us do not come from the constituency of Dan Brennan but I know we have the support of all Members of the Oireachtas from Carlow-Kilkenny, including my colleague Deputy Funchion. Anybody who has heard Dan Brennan give testimony cannot but believe his story because he not only articulates in a very cohesive and strong manner, he also has evidence to …

I join in that appeal. We are and have been members of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and we get dozens of items of correspondence every week and month from people telling us there have been all sorts of injustices and that they were treated badly or whatever. Virtually none of those cases makes it to the floor of the Dáil; the reason this case has is that people across every political party that is represented in this House have heard Dan Brennan's story and have believed what he has said. In ev…

I have outlined before that Sinn Féin's vision is for Ireland to play a constructive role in the wider world and to be committed to diplomacy, humanitarianism, peacebuilding and co-operation with other states on the global challenges we face, including poverty, world hunger, climate change, conflict resolution and migration. They are laudable goals. An independent foreign policy and military neutrality are crucial in allowing Ireland to play that important role in the wider world. We should be proud of our military…

"At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on principles - starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians." Those were the remarks of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, yesterday, and I want to put on record further words of his: Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians – or the launching of rockets against civilian targets [...] The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties, and th…

Hear, hear.

Let us be very clear. Hamas breached international law on 7 October. It targeted innocent civilians in the most callous and inhumane manner and its actions have been rightly condemned by right-thinking people around the world. We should also be very clear, however, that Israel has breached international law, not just every day since 7 October, but virtually every single day for decades. Israel occupies Palestinian land, blockades Palestinian territory, builds and expands illegal settlements, enforces an apartheid s…

I move amendment No. 6: After "utterly condemns the hospital bombing that occurred last evening;" to insert the following: "— calls for full and unequivocal ceasefires by all involved;".

I move amendment No. 7: After "aspirations for statehood and sovereignty, ends the", to insert "illegal".