I have attended meetings with local residents, councillors and TDs from every party about the world famous Dunsink Observatory. The Dunsink urban plan will see a new town built that will have a bigger population than Longford and there are serious concerns. Even though every person we met wants to see housing on the site, there are serious concerns. Promises of new bus and Luas services are met with deep scepticism and concern, even from the National Transport Authority, NTA. Irish Water stated that there is no cha…

I welcome the motion. The matter to which it relates is something in respect of which Sinn Féin has been campaigning consistently for many years. There is no doubt that costs are rising and putting families under severe pressure over the summer months. At a time when children and young people are at home and with the good weather, constant demands on parents' budgets are causing massive concern. We need to see the end of the so-called voluntary contributions. I understand why schools look for them. They are trying …

I met with the parents of Grace Lynch. I commend them on their advocacy on road safety and tackling scramblers and illegal e-bikes and scooters. On Monday, hundreds of residents in Hartstown marched around Hartstown Park to highlight the issue of antisocial behaviour, scramblers and illegal e-bikes in the parks. People are saying there are a couple of things that can be done. The first is a change in legislation to allow gardaí to actively pursue those on scramblers. The second is that resources be given to the Gar…

I welcome the Bill and the opportunity to speak on it. It is critically important. AI is something we use every single day, whether we know it or not. Many of the applications we use have a major component of AI. In many areas it has a really useful purpose. Students and workers use it, and people in here use it on a daily basis. As I said, AI has a really useful purpose. I have watched a number of programmes on the use of AI in medical and pharmaceutical applications. This technology is driving real innovation and…

They speak for themselves.

This week, I met the wonderful students of the National Learning Network in Parslickstown in Mulhuddart. It is a place that has shown a way for people with different abilities to learn the social and work schools to enable them to build their own personal skill sets and possibly enter the workforce. Unfortunately and sadly, we have the lowest number of people with disabilities in work and this must be challenged. Due to funding cuts, they have a waiting list, and each person on that waiting list is losing time and …

This is people with disabilities.

The K district is one of the busiest policing districts in the State, covering Blanchardstown, Cabra and Finglas. Unfortunately, we were short-changed with regard to the number of Garda recruits we received until the last batch, when we got 20 new gardaí, which was very welcome. However, I am informed that 18 gardaí are being transferred to the city centre for the next six months for the EU Presidency. This is a shocking decision for the people of Dublin West. We have had a decade in which we lacked gardaí and just…

As we look at the history of sports, we see how politics has shaped football when it suits. The usual cry from those who do not want to stop the game is, "It is a game and we should not politicise sports." Let us think back. In Ireland we stood proud as a country when we boycotted the South African apartheid regime. Did this have an impact? Of course it did. The Irish Government of Fianna Fáil blocked the Serbians from playing here when there was a genocide going on in Bosnia. In a few weeks, we will commemorate th…

I appreciate the opportunity to raise this extremely important issue. It has been pointed out that last week alone, over €15 million of renewable wind energy was wasted. According to EirGrid, 18% of wind energy was wasted in 2026. For people who do not know, EnergyCloud is delivering free heated water to thousands of people over 120 nights a year and will be helping thousands of homes by the end of 2026. It is demonstrating the link between surplus renewable energy and energy poverty in a very practical way. It is …

I welcome the report from the Minister. One of the key things is the national energy affordability task force report which is due to be published late this year. My concern and that of EnergyCloud is that it will come too late for the next budget because it will need investment. Although there is investment in the smart grid and all the things the Minister of State just outlined, I am unsure where it makes the connection between the 550,000 homes where people are living in energy poverty and how that connects with …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It is our understanding of the Bill proposed by Deputy Rice that the intention is to restrict the advertising of low-alcohol and zero-alcohol products where the effect of such advertisements, regardless of intent, is to also promote alcohol drinks. The Bill seeks to do that by amending the definition of advertising to include low-alcohol and zero-alcohol drinks and by creating a distinct provision for trade descriptions, trademarks, emblems, logos and marketing image…

You just said it. Now you have said it.

Stop the bombs. Stop allowing Shannon to be used.

Really, how do you know? You do not check.

I live in Dublin 15. It has a population of over 120,000 and it is predicted to go to 140,000 in 2029. Yet, we do not have the long promised direct bus to the airport. I can get a direct bus pretty much from anywhere in the Thirty-two Counties but if I want to head to the airport, I have to pay €50 for a taxi or get two buses. This is not an option for the hundreds who work in the airport. Can the Minister get onto the NTA and ask about it? It has been promised for every single year since 2024 but has not turned up…

I welcome the appointment of Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin's Dublin MEP, to the security and defence committee. She will be a powerful voice in the EU for Irish neutrality and against a militarised Europe. Irish Army personnel are renowned for peacekeeping missions around the world in war-torn countries, not for going off to fight other people's wars. They are renowned for bringing peace to areas where truces and ceasefires are brittle. We have a proud history of peace and conflict resolution but the Government is asking …

The Taoiseach had his chance.

There is a crisis in biodiversity. We have seen a deterioration over decades, with bad planning and destruction on a huge scale during the Celtic tiger era and before it. Ironically, Ireland is known across the world as a green place, where trees, lakes, seas, beaches and countryside is pristine in terms of biodiversity but the facts do not bear that out. A substantial proportion of our EU-protected habitats and species are deemed to be in an unfavourable state. There is a 40% drop in the number of water birds sinc…

My blood is boiling after listening to that speech. Fine Gael has been in power for 15 years and Fianna Fáil supported the party for 11 of those years. It has been the same absolute waffle. Who has done great out of this in all of that time? It has been the bankers, bondholders, developers and vultures - the corporate interests. They have all been paid. They have all got their deals. This Government will go down in history, and in shame. Multiple Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing Ministers presided over the worst h…