What does it say about our society, Government and State if there is, in the middle of a storm, a 15-year-old girl who is to sleep outside the Dáil for 50 hours? What does it say that she started her sleep-out around the same time as a protest by a large number of disability organisations that were crying out to the Government not to make them poorer, as the Government has just done through the budget, and crying out for a winter emergency payment? It points to the utter failure of the State to vindicate the rights…

It is a simple question. We have all seen the horror and genocide in Gaza over the past two years. Despite the so-called ceasefire, it continues. There was an attack on an apartment block last night, with children murdered again by Israel. We have all been contacted by people who have connections to Ireland in various ways and who are looking to get out of Gaza and become refugees to resettle in Ireland. It has been difficult to help those people. We have had sympathetic responses from the Minister and the various …

When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Irish Government was clear in its welcome to Ukrainians who were fleeing a brutal invasion and war. The Palestinian people for two years - longer in reality - have been facing absolute horror and they continue to face it. It is fine to say the information is all on the website, but the Minister and I know that many of these cases are quite complex. We write to the Minister and then we are told that, for example, guidance cannot be provided on visas applications that have not yet been…

I accept entirely the point about Israel's role, and the Jordanian authorities have also presented an obstacle to this. I have met with many Palestinians who are here who have family members, be it brothers and sisters or whatever, stuck in Gaza in this absolute horror. I agree that we do not want to facilitate the ethnic cleansing of Gaza but we also do not want to say "No" to people who want to come and join their families here. These people come to us, and I am sure the Minister has also heard many awful stories…

There is quite an incredible display of cognitive dissonance here. The Tánaiste went to the media and told them he is going to put money back in people's pockets. He then comes in here and he is asked on behalf of disabled people who are crying out for this to put money back in their pockets via a winter emergency measure, with a one-off payment, and he just bats it away. He did not engage with it at all. These are the people that the Government made poorer, not just a little bit poorer, but a lot poorer. They are …

He was wrong though, was he not?

Do you know who builds houses? Workers build houses, not developers.

Whataboutery from the Tánaiste to avoid-----

-----the point. Can the Tánaiste answer a yes-no question? Did his budget make almost everybody in the country poorer, "Yes" or "No"? Did his budget affect those who are poorest the worst by the budget, "Yes" or "No"? Did his budget leave disabled people substantially worse off? The answer to all of those questions is "Yes". I am interested in hearing the Tánaiste try to spin how the answer is "No". He asked what I want him to do. He has a substantial budget surplus and in that context he should not be making disab…

They are not snide.

Can we get some answers?

This Saturday will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Aoife Winterlich who was a 14-year-old girl. She went on a trip with Scouting Ireland. The trip went on an unplanned excursion to Hook Head during a storm, which was not properly supervised. She fell in the water and drowned. A report commissioned by Scouting Ireland found there was no failure in its duty of care. Last year, however, after a long time, Scouting Ireland finally settled a court case that Aoife’s mother took against it and accepted liabilit…

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this important motion. We in People Before Profit will, of course, support it. My thanks also for the tireless activism of many trans activists, including those in Transgress the NGS, Trans Healthcare Action and TENI, who are pushing for rights to mean something and for decent healthcare in this country for trans people. Last weekend, I saw a TD who wanted the public to pay for a €1,000 La-Z-Boy chair for him suggesting that investing in trans healthcare is a waste of r…

Will the Taoiseach withdraw the very cruel cut that has been imposed on Defence Forces reservists? Up until September, they were not paid a large amount; it was €92 per day for the vast majority of working operations in which they were involved. However, from September of this year, this was withdrawn. It makes no sense. It comes in a context whereby there is a target of increasing the number of reservists to about 4,000, given there are less than 2,000 currently. Like I said, it is only €92. This is not a huge amo…

A new defence co-operation agreement with Britain is to be signed soon. Members of the House of Lords are saying it will mean a stronger defence relationship between Ireland and the UK. The Taoiseach himself has said there must be very close co-operation with the British when it comes to security. Does he really think that is what Irish people want? Has he forgotten that our neutrality originates from an anti-imperialist struggle against Britain, a struggle Fianna Fáll once fought for? Can he tell us what will be i…

The forum was not about consultation either, was it?

That does not make it terrorism.

When was it named Herzog Park?

When was it named Herzog Park? It was ten or 20 years ago.

That is not history.