I thank Deputy Devlin for raising this important issue. I recognise the hugely important work and role of medical scientists in the proper functioning of our health system. I pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. The Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, MLSA, has a long-standing concern regarding to the pay and career structure of the medical scientist grade. It wants pay parity between medical scientists and clinical biochemists. Healt…

-----peace would be maintained in the meantime. While the MLSA has agreed to engage at the WRC, it has not agreed to lift its strike action, which is in breach of Building Momentum. I would appreciate it if - and I ask again that - the strike action be lifted in order to allow the process take its course.

The wider Government agenda includes the setting of carbon emissions targets and sectoral carbon budgets. All sectors of the economy, including that relating to the built environment, will have to make a contribution in respect of the State’s overall obligation, under law, to reach those targets. Carbon that is embedded in the built environment will also have to be accounted for. That whole area has to respond, just like every other sector of the economy. It will prove challenging.

I ask that the Deputy withdraw the remark that the Government is complicit in the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh. That is a disgraceful remark.

Through the Chair. That is a disgraceful remark.

Ireland, under successive Governments, has done more than most countries. I have been there, because I served as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Ireland has been one of the strongest European Union countries in condemning Israeli activity.

Not only that, we have challenged Israel at a variety of international fora, not least the United Nations Security Council. The Secretary General of the UN pulled me aside last year when he was addressing the European Council to thank me for Ireland’s role in holding Israel to account at the highest international level. It is just not good enough when Deputies come into the House and throw these statements around like confetti.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am conscious of the trauma that can be imposed on a family in situations like this, where those who have murdered their loved ones can get what could be seen as preferential treatment in being moved or relocated four months after sentencing. I will talk to the Minister for Justice regarding this because we have to bear in mind how families feel about these situations, and those relating to parole, especially those who have been victims of horrific crimes and whose loved …

Yes. My understanding is the pandemic bonus payment has commenced. I will follow up on the issuing of it more broadly with the Minister for Health. On Deputy Stanton's issue, I thank all the schools for the work they have been doing in taking in so many children from Ukraine in so quick a time. Clearly, resources are required in respect of interpreters and English language teaching. To be fair, we are getting closer to the end of the school term. Certainly, we will need to have that situation organised more effecti…

Deputy Costello's idea is excellent. I will talk to the Ministers with the purse strings but some innovation would be a good idea. We should expand that scheme, where possible. On the matter raised by Deputy Naughten, I will talk to the Minister in respect of the review. We are anxious and are now adding to the additional social housing stock at a considerable scale to build up a sufficiency of stock so we will have enough into the future to make sure we do not have the emergency situation we had some years ago, wh…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2022, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 21st April, 2022.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. My visit to Finland and Estonia on Friday, 8 April included meetings in Helsinki with the President Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister Sanna Marin and in Tallinn with the Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Our discussions focused mainly on the impact of the war in Ukraine, including on security and defence, energy policy, and the continuing humanitarian crisis. Because of their history and location, Finland and Estonia offer significant insight on Russia's m…

I thank the Deputy.

Deputy Boyd Barrett again chose his words carefully. When he suggested that the timing was interesting the clear implication was that I was going there because of NATO and Finland's application to join it, which was not the case at all. Both countries offer significant insights and they are both members of the European Union, by the way. I hope there is no problem with visiting fellow member states of the European Union. They are not the Swedish establishment or the Finnish establishment; they are the elected gover…

That language, or the word "establishment", conveys that there is some sort of elite there that has no connection with anybody. Those governments are elected and I met the elected governments.

No country has navigated an extraordinary relationship with Russia over such a long period of time peacefully and in co-existence more than Finland has. The Prime Minister of Finland told me that everything they were taught during their school days about the potential fear and threat of what could happen was realised in the invasion of Ukraine. Given that it is physically on the border of Russia there is a fundamental question that begs to be answered, namely, who will come to protect them if Russia invades. No one…

NATO has not attacked anybody.

NATO did not bomb any town or city.

This whataboutery and attempt by Deputies Paul Murphy and Boyd Barrett to have equivalence-----

-----between NATO and Russia's behaviour is unacceptable and wrong because NATO and NATO states like France and Germany did everything they possibly could to prevent war prior to it breaking out. I would make the same point to Deputy Barry. There is no militarisation of Europe but it will not be foolish in the face of Russian aggression against Europe.