No, I will not. It is a legitimate question.

There are many women out there in Irish society and people opposed to gender-based violence.

They would like to know if the DPP and Garda do not have anything better to do with their time.

Briefly, a Cheann Comhairle-----

I have more than a basic understanding of what is right and proper. It is a matter the Tánaiste could comment on, broadly speaking. I ask that he do so.

This is a disgrace, a Cheann Comhairle.

What gardaí did in Limerick on Sunday was a disgrace.

It is not the last time this will be raised. I am putting the Ceann Comhairle on notice of that.

It will be raised again.

There is a shortfall of 15 neurology nurses at Cork University Hospital, CUH, which is the State's number two neurology centre according to the neurology clinical programme. The programme made a request last year that the HSE would fund posts for at least two new neurology nurses at CUH this year. The HSE decided not to do so. This underfunding impacts negatively on the lives of people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease and others. It is happening on the watch of the Taoiseach and a…

The Covid crisis has opened up a debate about remote working. When workers won the right to join a union, they did not win the right to request their employer to consider allowing a union. When women won the right to vote, they did not win the right to request the Government of the day to consider allowing them a vote. The Government seems to have a problem with understanding the concept of workers' rights. Coming from the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, that does not su…

A developer was told by Deloitte last year that an apartment project in Cork city would only be viable, or, in other words, profitable, if rents of €2,800 per month were charged for two-bedroom apartments. Perhaps the most famous apartment project in Cork, the Elysium, was left half-empty due to extortionate rents. Why does the Government persist with promoting this build-to-rent strategic housing development housing model? This matter has come up in a number of contributions and it can currently be seen with the p…

The Taoiseach can kiss goodbye to the votes of 60,000 leaving certificate students. As far as they are concerned they have been betrayed by the Minister for Education and the Government and they are not wrong. These students are a credit to themselves for the way they have campaigned, lobbied, gone on radio and protested. They gave the Government every chance to listen but it has decided not to do so. To add insult to injury, the Government is now forcing students to compete between themselves for a limited number …

Does anyone seriously believe that the massacre of 14 unarmed civilians in Derry 50 years ago last weekend was merely down to rank-and-file soldiers losing control on the day? Three weeks before Bloody Sunday, Major General Robert Ford wrote: "I am coming to the conclusion that the minimum force necessary to achieve a restoration of law and order is to shoot selected ringleaders." The Tory Government in London, led by Edward Heath, did not remove Major General Ford from his position. The prosecution of Soldier F ma…

Why did the Women of Honour group feel they had no alternative but to walk out of a meeting with the Minister on Tuesday? Does he agree that, one week after all the contributions in this House about a new culture of tackling sexism and misogyny, this is really not a good look for him or the Government? The women did not just leave the meeting quietly; they said afterwards that they felt they had been blackguarded and disrespected. They said they were not allowed to ask questions at the meeting or to have any input.…

Those women support the Women of Honour group.

The Minister knows how serious these allegations are. For example, one woman with 31 years' service has stated that 27 of those years were stained with harassment, bullying and inappropriate remarks. She has also said she suffered an attempted rape. These women want a statutory inquiry. They want the power to compel witnesses. They want to see the men who did these things to them be made to answer questions. They want an inquiry that can access documents. I support their call 100%. It is a shame the Minister is not…

After all the fine speeches last week, we have to listen to that. It is unreal.

The Taoiseach and his Tánaiste embarrassed themselves yesterday on the issue of the cost of living. Incredibly, the Tánaiste cited a 3% increase in the minimum wage as an example of the Government protecting workers from the ravages of inflation. How can the Tánaiste make such a comment when he knows lower-paid workers are the ones hit hardest by inflation and that inflation is increasing at nearly twice the rate that the minimum wage increased? At a time when Germany is increasing its minimum wage to €12 an hour, …

The Taoiseach referred to a 3.8% year-on-year wage increase for workers. What is the rate of inflation? It is more than 3.8%. It is 5.5% and it is rising. The price of diesel is up 26%. The price of electricity is up 21%. Rents are up 8.3% and a lot more than that for many renters. What we have in Irish society is a de facto wage cut for workers. The Taoiseach is standing over that. I do not hear him saying anything that is going to bridge the gap for workers; €100 off the energy bills is not going to cut it. Let u…