I want to raise with the Taoiseach the very serious issue of long Covid, which I fear will be a pressing issue for our health service and our society in the coming years. Figures suggest that, worldwide, well over 10% of people who get Covid suffer some form of long Covid, and that a minority of them suffer a very severe form of long Covid that can continue for many months and even potentially years, with quite severe symptoms. I met a man, for example, in campaigning to save the Tallaght long Covid clinic, which w…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. The housing crisis is a failure of the market, the State, this Government and previous Governments. We see that failure everywhere when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis. Often when we have debates about the housing crisis, the Government likes to say that those of us in opposition and the left are approaching this from a very ideological viewpoint, that this is why we are giving out about money being given to developers and that the Government is the pr…

I will start by countering the disgusting attempt by some on the far right to divide and rule and to try to blame the housing crisis on refugees from Ukraine or elsewhere. The Minister shook his head when it was mentioned a moment ago and indicated he did not say what he is reported as having said. He should clarify his comments because what seemed to be said on the radio was that a serious cause of the increase in homelessness is that people were coming from EEA and non-EEA countries and immediately going on the h…

Is Dr. Peter Boylan making it up?

The deputy chair of An Bord Pleanála, Mr. Paul Hyde, is under investigation for failing to declare a conflict of interest in relation to a development in Blackpool, Cork which bordered a site owned by his father. This, however, appears to be only the tip of the iceberg for Mr. Hyde. I have been given documents from 2018 highlighting another proposed development, this time in Carrigtwohill, Cork on a plot of land near another site in which he has a share through a company called Blandcrest.

These are fact which are clearly on the public record.

Yet again, he was one of three deciding offers on this application but declared no conflict. The land borders another site that at the time of the 2018 decision was owned by his father and subsequently transferred to his brother. Another development is proposed for the area currently. Blandcrest came under scrutiny in 2014 when Cork County Council broke procurement policy, spending €1.5 million on a railway underpass on land owned by this company. That underpass was completely unnecessary being just 200 m from anot…

Will the Taoiseach make sure there is a full public investigation into this and that the matter that I am raising and others that may come to light in the next days are included in that inquiry?

I ask the Taoiseach to make a clear statement of criticism and condemnation of the US for its threats against the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands has done a security deal with China, which could allow China to establish a military base in that country. Obviously, we are no friends of the authoritarian Chinese regime and do not recommend such a course but it is clearly the choice of a sovereign government. This was the response of the US ambassador: Of course, we have respect for the Solomon Islands sovereignty…

The US is threatening military action.

Does the Taoiseach think that is okay?

The Taoiseach will find us on record speaking out against it.

The Taoiseach will not criticise the US.

It is not whataboutery. The Taoiseach is saying "what about".

No. We condemn it.

Did the Taoiseach raise with Boris Johnson the question of debt cancellation for Ukraine? The UK holds 4% of voting rights at the International Monetary Fund, IMF, which is the biggest holder of Ukrainian debt. It is due to pay over €2.5 billion this year, which is equivalent to 16.5 million average pension payments in Ukraine. In exchange for this money, the IMF imposed conditionalities on Ukraine, including liberalisation and promotion of foreign trade, the removal of price controls on essential commodities, the …

I raise the issue of the incredible exploitation of personal trainers by high-profile gyms. This issue was brought to light in a case taken to the Workplace Relations Committee, WRC, by a former personal trainer with FLYEfit. Another personal trainer, who works for Ben Dunne, contacted me. The situation was the same in both cases. Personal trainers have to pay about €2,500 to qualify as a personal trainer. After that, they must do 12 hours a week of free labour, which involves either cleaning duties or providing fr…

I do not think they are self-employed.

It is now five months since Second Stage of our Workplace Ventilation (Covid-19) was passed unanimously. The Government did not oppose it. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Damien English, said: The Government supports the objective of this Bill. I assure the Deputy that my officials and I will work with him to determine the best approach to achieve these objectives. He also said officials from the Health and Safety Authority and his Department would like the opport…

I ask the Taoiseach to comment on what has been dubbed "CatalanGate". This is a very serious scandal in the Spanish state involving a significant number of Catalan politicians and activists, including the Catalan President, legislators and every Catalan MEP who supported independence for Catalonia, being targeted with mercenary spyware. This happened either directly or through suspected off-centre targeting that involves spouses, siblings, staff or parents. The fact that the targeting coincided with political event…