While I welcome the attention that is rightly being focused on Ukraine, we must not forget the genocide that is being perpetrated by Israel on the Palestinian people. I support the calls for the Russian ambassador to be expelled, but the Israeli ambassador should have been expelled a long time ago. There have been double standards on the part of many, not least some members of Kildare County Council, which recently unanimously requested the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to expel the Russian ambassa…

Hospitals are at breaking point. Some 1.34 million people are on health waiting lists. These are not just statistics; these are real people. Many of them contact their local Deputies, looking for assistance. It should not have to be that way. Why should it take a letter from a Deputy before action is taken, even if it is only in limited circumstances? A man called to my office before Christmas. He has been on a waiting list for ear, nose and throat treatment in Tullamore for five years. He received a letter approxi…

Where was the question on promised legislation in that?

The growing shortage of carers will paralyse the health system. The Government must take practical steps urgently to address the recruitment crisis. More than 5,000 people are waiting for home care packages because so few carers are available. What is the Government doing to deal with the waiting list for packages and what progress is being made on carers' pension provisions?

An effort to address the decay that is obvious if you travel through many of the towns and villages in south Kildare and the Portarlington area of Laois is long overdue. Portarlington should be a vibrant town, given its population size and transport links. Unfortunately, through mismanagement by successive governments, little has been done to address the widespread dereliction. Councils have tools such as the derelict and vacant sites levy as well as the CPO process. For various reasons, though, they do not use the…

It is all very well to talk about this but at some point there will have to be action. The Irish and British Governments need to take decisive action now. There has been too much kicking the can down the road. They cannot keep making new agreements and not delivering on them. Both Governments are like the boys who cried wolf. It has reached the stage where nobody trusts them. The Government must look at the existing agreements and start delivering on them. These agreements are the foundation stones for the peace th…

I too welcome the ambassador to the House. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We are in danger of living through a very expensive lesson in history if we do not have a strong and unified approach to the latest happenings in Ukraine. My thoughts and prayers are with all Ukrainian citizens, given the recent escalated military tensions. Russia is in breach of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 which clearly recognises the territorial integrity of Ukraine. There must be conseq…

I cannot let this opportunity pass without again mentioning the long delay and the countless announcements about the microgeneration scheme. It must be delivered immediately and it must be meaningful. There has been enough talk and gestures. People in my constituency have spent their hard-earned money and, in some areas, have taken out loans to buy solar panels in anticipation of this much-heralded scheme. It must be introduced without delay. The updated wind energy guidelines are long overdue. The current guidelin…

I thank the Members of the Regional Group for bringing this motion forward. Alarm bells have been ringing since the entire board of the disabled drivers medical board of appeal resigned last October, concerned that a large number of drivers applying for tax reliefs were being turned down. On average, less than 5% of appeals for primary medical certificates, which are necessary to apply for the scheme, are successful. For years Sinn Féin and other representatives have raised the problems with the disabled drivers an…

What will the Government do about the mass closure of indoor play areas? What is happening appears to be due to insurance costs. Can the Government intervene to help commercial operators or will it instruct local authorities to step into the breach, either directly or through social enterprises? These are important facilities in a country like Ireland because the weather here is unpredictable. They are important not just for children, but for the parents who are otherwise isolated.

I welcome the report despite it being further evidence of the failure of successive Governments to address our country's defence needs. The immediate priority for the Government must be to address the exodus of personnel which is challenging the capacity of the Defence Forces to carry out their current responsibilities. I visited the Curragh Camp last week and witnessed at first-hand the absolute state of the place. It has been allowed to decay so much that the soldiers who have been in Lebanon must be very at home…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, the purpose of which is to transpose an EU directive from 2019 relating to the protection of persons who report breaches of EU law. The directive provides for a set of minimum standards for the protection of whistleblowers across the European Union. It was supposed to be transposed by December 2021. Given that this time has passed, the State could potentially incur a fine. This is not the first time I have discussed potential fines because of the Government's failure…

I begin by commending the Women of Honour on their bravery, courage and commitment in sharing their experiences in the public arena to bring about change. Unfortunately, the allegations, while shocking, were no surprise to me. I had read reports on the work done by the former captain, Tom Clonan. I also read the emails that all Deputies receive, almost daily, from retired sergeant, Anthony O'Brien. Many Members will be familiar with the C1 Excel document which details a litany of allegations, including allegations …

This is a short but important Bill, which Sinn Féin will be supporting. It will amend the principal Act to provide for once-off redundancy payments for workers in respect of certain lay-off periods from 13 March 2020 to 30 September 2021. My colleague, An Teachta O’Reilly, became aware of this problem early in the pandemic and has introduced the Redundancy Payments (Lay-off, Short Time and Calculation of Reckonable Service) Bill 2021 to the House to address this issue. An Teachta O’Reilly's Bill seeks to deliver a …

Struggling workers and their families have had enough of token gestures. They have been insulted by an offer of a trip to Leinster House and there have been mixed messages about the pandemic bonus payment. The Government must ensure family carers, workers in organisations funded under sections 38 and 39 and workers in homeless services funded under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 are included. Sinn Féin will support the Bill, although it has tabled amendments. Much more needs to be done to address energy price h…

I commend my colleagues, na Teachtaí Mairéad Farrell and Sorca Clarke, on bringing forward this Bill. The Bill has been developed in close consultation with some of the State's top investigative journalists and transparency campaigners. It will address many of the shortcomings of the current FOI regime, some of which were brought into sharp focus by the events of "Zapponegate" last year. Ministers deleting official Government correspondence, which is subject to FOI, substantiated our concerns. That affair showed us…

I welcome the easing of restrictions but for some in society this is a huge cause for concern. We have already seen our older people left out of Government announcements, particularly those living in nursing homes. The Government has been slow to consider their needs. Those who are medically vulnerable and those with suppressed immune systems have been left to fend for themselves. I urge the Government to be more inclusive and to consider the effect of its announcements on all of our citizens. There must be a publi…

I wish everyone a happy St. Brigid's day. I welcome the pandemic bonus payment. However, when will it be made and will the Government commit to including workers in organisations funded under sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 and those in receipt of carers allowance?

I looked at NBI's website earlier this week and the statistics on it are underwhelming. Almost 300,000 premises have been surveyed; 250,000 completed; more than 150,000 premises are under construction or constructed; and 55,000 premises are available for order. Apparently, 450 BCPs have been installed. However, we have learned from "Prime Time" in the past month or so that there are just 3,335 homes connected throughout the State. Progress has been painfully slow. I spoke to a lady last week who had been searching …

Our higher education system needs reform. Unfortunately, this Bill is a missed opportunity to take the necessary action. It is welcome that this legislation will revoke the existing Higher Education Authority Act 1971, which is now over 50 years old. The legislation is an opportunity to reform the law in this area and to include progressive policies within the objectives of the Higher Education Authority and individual higher education institutes. The Bill contains positive elements but leaves room for improvement.…