I strongly welcome this motion. The Government’s last-minute decision to vote against the Mercosur deal was a cynical and opportunistic move. To take a decision only once it was certain the vote would pass shows an utter lack of political spine when it comes to standing up to the European Commission. This failure of leadership is at complete odds with the people the Government claims to represent. On Saturday, almost 30,000 people from every corner of Ireland rallied in Athlone to say “No” to Mercosur. Many of thos…

After all the health warnings and after seeing the evidence, would the Minister of State be happy to feed this crap to his family? He has sat on his hands for far too long. It is time to take a stand and ensure Ireland actively supports this legal challenge.

Do not forget. Human health should matter as well. It is serious.

As the Minister of State is well aware, our maritime territory is one of the largest in the EU. It is a vast resource ten times the size of our landmass. Given this scale, Ireland should be a leader in European fisheries. Our beef and dairy farmers have set the golden standard on the world stage. There is no reason our fishing industry should not be the same. Yet since the 1983 Common Fisheries Policy, our coastal communities have been relegated to second class status within the EU. We have seen preferential treatm…

We need to be frank: this is a cold and ruthless move by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. To announce this charge just before Christmas, at the most expensive time of the year for many families, is nothing short of cruel. While the Government has stalled it for a few months, leaving a weight of uncertainty over many families, this policy decision goes far beyond a simple financial blow to some of the most vulnerable in our society; this is an attack on their independence. For over 20 years I worked as a carer for adults …

This week Brazilian beef on sale in the EU and the North of Ireland has been recalled due to the presence of banned cancer-linked hormones. The Mercosur trade deal will not only impact the health of farmers and their livelihoods; it will also impact the health of the general public. It is about what the Government is willing to let the public consume. The thoughts that children in Ireland could be eating beef containing these banned cancer-linked hormones should be setting off alarm bells. It is the Taoiseach not w…

I know but all the tests-----

They are not-----

Numbers speak of a harsh reality facing so many Irish households. Ireland has the third most expensive electricity prices in the entire EU. This has been no gentle increase. It has been a shock to the system. In just five years, the average price has rocketed from €37/MWh to a staggering €114/MWh. This statistic is not abstract; it is the grim reality for tens of thousands of households struggling to pay their bills and for the 300,000 households currently in arrears. What was the Government's response? It was to s…

It is important to be absolutely clear that a wind farm is no small undertaking. These are vast developments that have an enormous impact on communities and the local environment from the moment construction begins throughout their entire lifetime up to the day they are decommissioned. It is beyond me that for projects of this scale we have no up-to-date regulations or guidelines. Frankly speaking, it is an insult to communities across Ireland that have been left high and dry by the Minister of State and her collea…

Every year, this item comes before the Dáil and, too often, it presents as a black and white issue. As someone who grew up surrounded by greyhounds, was then involved in the thoroughbred sector for over 30 years and worked on stud farms across Ireland and England, I can tell you it is anything but. Animal welfare is an issue that is rightly raised. For the vast majority of us, these animals are treated as an extension of our own family. The children the Minister of State spoke about were like me as a child, and the…

I want to raise with the Minister the urgent case of Roxanne. She is suffering with a range of complex medical issues, including the onset of scoliosis. Over 2024 and 2025, Roxanne has undergone three operations at a cost of nearly €200,000, all of which has been paid for by family-run fundraisers. I ask that the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health urgently review Roxanne's case and assist this beautiful little girl in accessing the life-changing surgery she desperately deserves. We have sent on the details of th…

I welcome everyone in the Visitors Gallery and say to them that their voice matters. I strongly welcome this motion and opportunity to speak on this critical issue. I thank my colleagues Deputy Matt Carthy and Senator Maria McCormack for all the work they have done on this Bill. The Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill 2025 is a small but profoundly important step. Across Carlow and Kilkenny, organisations providing a lifeline to victims are being stretched to their limits. As calls for help rise…

I have looked over the reporting on the recent European Council meeting. While the situation in Gaza was touched upon, it is striking how lightly it was addressed. The Council reiterated its opposition to settlement expansion and Israel's military operations, but where is the action? Why does the European Union continue with business as usual, trading with a state that operates a system of apartheid? Let us be clear; Israel is not a normal state. It is an apartheid state. Since 10 October, it has violated the cease…

I express my deep condolences to the family of a Waterford man who tragically lost his life in a farming incident this week. It is a stark reminder that farming remains one of the most dangerous occupations in Ireland. I welcome the people in the Public Gallery who represent different farming organisations. I commend my colleague, Deputy Martin Kenny, and the wider Sinn Féin team on their work on this motion. Most important, I commend them on listening to the deep concerns of the farming community and bringing thei…

It is a pity your brother is not here.

I strongly welcome this motion. Let me be perfectly clear; the vast majority of families and workers in counties Carlow and Kilkenny cannot get through their day without a car. This is not a lifestyle choice. It is the direct result of policy failure by consecutive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments. The Government has failed to provide public transport that is either viable or effective and it has failed to put in place adequate transport infrastructure. Every week, I speak to workers who commute to Dublin. The…

As the Minister is probably aware, an outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in County Carlow. This flock of about 500 birds will have to be euthanised. We need to see adequate compensation packages for farmers affected and biosecurity measures must be stepped up. As a preventative, I am calling for a housing order to be implemented as we know wild birds play a huge role in spreading avian influenza. We saw this recently in Fota Wildlife Park. I call on the Government to introduce an a…

I support the intent of this Bill but it cannot be pushed through without the necessary safeguards. People in counties Kilkenny and Carlow are paying a heavy price for the consecutive failures of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, and his colleagues to invest in our energy infrastructure. It is an issue my constituents continually contact me about. There is a question I would love to see answered. Is your top priority for energy residential housing or is it data centres? Which of these is at the top of the Minis…

When we read the stark figures on men's health in Ireland, they should be ringing alarm bells across the Government. The statistics we have are not just numbers; they are a national crisis. Every one of those numbers represents a family member, friend or loved one. Let us be clear about the reality facing men in Ireland. Men account for four in every five suicide deaths in Ireland. Men are 34% more likely to die from cancer than women. Behind these figures are tens of thousands of men suffering in silence. The hars…