It is good to see the Ceann Comhairle back in the Chair. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this very difficult and solemn debate to which I have listened intently. This is one of those moments when all of us in the House reflect the mood of the entire nation, north, south, east and west, on the sheer upset and hurt caused by the devastating tragedy in Creeslough. We look at the requests and responses that have come from this. As Deputy McHugh said so eloquently, it is about ensuring the support services…

I thank the House for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I look forward to contributing at more length when the Bill is before the finance committee next month. I welcome the Bill. When we had statements on the budget, I said it was progressive and welcome. There are many areas in the Bill that will genuinely be of benefit to so many around the country as they face extremely worrying challenges due to the difficult global circumstances, be they associated with Putin’s war in Ukraine, rising ene…

Yesterday, I listened to the Oireachtas Committee on Health with keen interest and quite a sense of disappointment when the members discussed the fact that every year 15,000 women in this State suffer with perinatal mental health issues. It is something that affects pretty much every family in this State and it is certainly something I am very familiar with. Bluntly, is the State serious about providing the necessary supports and conditions to help the very many families affected by this?

I appreciate the opportunity to make a few points on the upcoming European Council meeting and also the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community, which is long overdue and extremely welcome. It is a forum of aspirant and former member states that is much needed by everyone in the orbit of the European Union at a time when talking has never been this important. Historically, the European Union has, sadly, treated many applicants from accession countries quite badly. It has strung them along and put them…

This week, we have seen the full levels of depravity the Russian regime is capable of in Ukraine. We have also seen the Estonian Parliament and the European Parliament accept motions declaring Russia a terrorist state. Will Ireland join with them and declare Russia a terrorist state?

I strongly welcome this legislation. Indeed, I have just expressed my gratitude to the Minister of State in the Chamber for his assistance with so many different representations received over the past number of years in particular, from employers and workers alike, who are caught in what is quite a Byzantine system. I would like to start by picking up on a point made by Deputy Catherine Murphy on the need, not just within this legislation but more generally, to have a formulised pathway to long-term status for peop…

I welcome the increase in spending. Will the Minister delve a bit more into the capital spend on built infrastructure? In replies to questions prior to the budget, he highlighted a number of issues, including Haulbowline, which he mentioned today, but also, for example, physical training preparation. Second, will there be much or any capital spending on accommodation for members of the Defence Forces, either by way of upgrade or construction of new on-base accommodation?

I am very grateful, as ever, to the Taoiseach for his comprehensive response. One of the many great sadnesses of the political stand-off on these islands is the fact that we do not have the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and running properly, for example, the North-South Ministerial Council, and that we do not have our trade and economic ministers meeting more often and pushing the agenda of closer North-South economic co-operation. North-South trade is rocketing at the moment, which is good. Will the…

I appreciate the opportunity to share a few brief thoughts on this extremely important legislation, which I of course welcome. More importantly, not only do I welcome it, but I sincerely hope we see its passage through the Houses extremely swiftly because it is important that we see this come into place. We think back to 2016 and the establishment of the cost of insurance working group and the 66 actions now being taken in this area. All those actions need to be undertaken and completed to address the very real and…

I am grateful, as ever, for the Taoiseach's fulsome response. I am also grateful for, and strongly welcome, the surprising comments from the minister of state at the Northern Ireland Office, Mr. Steve Baker, at the weekend. They were long overdue, but welcome, and they form a basis for an opportunity to seal an agreed solution to the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol while also allowing us to return to a closer relationship between Ireland and the UK. What are the planned official meetings between the…

I wish my colleague all the best in his analysis. It is certainly an interesting one. I appreciate the time I have, albeit short, to make a few comments on this budget. In a budget of €11 billion, it is impossible to give an opinion on every line and detail. I wanted to choose a few select points and offer a few considerations the Minister of State might take back before we get the finance and social welfare Bills in due course. To quote a former Taoiseach, the late Garret FitzGerald, this is a good budget. That ha…

I am very grateful to the Minister of State for coming in to take this really important debate early this morning. This is an issue that Deputy Cathal Crowe, who is in the Chamber, has raised a number of times under Questions on Promised Legislation, as have Deputies from all sides of the House. As the Minister of State can appreciate, it is something that is particularly close to home for me because I have kids in this age bracket but also because my wife works as a Montessori teacher. I do not know if that is a d…

I appreciate the Minister of State's reply but a couple of things stand out. Some 165 services in Dublin have not signed up to this scheme. Last year, a survey conducted by the Federation of Early Childhood Providers showed that 260 providers that have signed up to this scheme did not know whether they would be able to open their doors this autumn. A number of services that are not included, and to which there is no reference, have signed up to this scheme somewhat under duress. They have no other choice. They know…

Over the past six years more than €41 million has been returned to the State through cash and assets seized by An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau. It is welcome that the Community Safety Innovation Fund is using that cash to plough into communities. Does the Minister agree that the budget next week must drastically increase this fund from €2 million allocated last year to allow for an increase in early intervention and youth diversion programmes?

Like other Members, I begin by congratulating the Minister of State on his recent appointment, or indeed reappointment, to a Department with which he has great familiarity, although it is some time since he was last there. We expect great things and I have no doubt that our expectation will be delivered upon. There are many ways to approach this legislation. On Second Stage, we have relative liberty to approach it in any way we choose but the most important thing in respect of this matter is reputation. It is the r…

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I am well aware that the Minister brought it, at great length, through the Seanad. Having listened in to some of those debates, I will try to avoid the repetition that happened during them and, indeed, in this debate because I only have brief time. I only wish to focus on one area. This legislation is ridiculously welcome. I back it to the hilt. It is long overdue. We will be able to follow from clear case models in other jurisdictions but I have a f…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response and for travelling to Ukraine on behalf of all of us. It was an important undertaking by him and other members of the Government over recent months, at a difficult time in the conflict. It is fundamentally my belief that as soon as this conflict is ended and, crucially, as soon as Russia is defeated, we will be able to draw a line under the serious challenges this is presenting to every household in this country, socially and economically, as well as the extremely worrying sec…

Will the Government consider changes to the PRSI pension system to allow for pension schemes with fewer than 100 members? This is, unfortunately, no longer allowed and we now have a situation in which business owners who could previously use these one-member systems to focus on their pensions late in their career can no longer do so and the pension providers offering to sell them are now being threatened with lawsuits by the Pensions Authority. This issue needs to be sorted as quickly as possible for the business c…

I thank the Taoiseach for that update. I want to focus on one aspect. As we know, today in Westminster, the latest stage of the protocol-busting Bill is making its way, despite the distraction of an ongoing leadership election. We all, sadly, know the consequences of this legislation, if it is enacted, in terms of EU-UK relationships and the pathway that could go down. Was there any discussion with the congressional delegation during this visit or more widely as to what consequences there would be for the so-called…

I will touch on two areas briefly concerning the Taoiseach's discussions. Both concern the ongoing war in Ukraine that was launched by Russia. I would appreciate if it is possible for the Taoiseach to expand on a point he referred to concerning the financial supports Ukraine will need. Does this feed into the wider concept that has emerged subsequently in the EU of a need for a new form of a Marshall Plan for Ukraine? I think a conference in Switzerland is planned on this aspect soon. The Minister for Foreign Affai…