We should be clear on why we are having this debate now because I think some Deputies on the Government benches are confused about it. We are having it now because the Government tabled this motion. The Government chose to put down the motion of confidence this week in what is clearly, blatantly and openly an attempt to avoid scrutiny of its appalling record, especially on children's health, right before the presidential election next week. That is what is in the papers and that is what we can read. That is why we …

The Government may win this vote; that is likely-----

-----but the people will have a chance to pass their verdict in nine days' time-----

-----and I am not sure they will have confidence.

I will focus on the tax break for developers in the budget. The reason I want to focus on it is that it is outrageous. It is a transfer of wealth from the public to those who are profiteering from the housing crisis. I heard the Taoiseach say the day after the budget during Leaders' Questions that this was not a tax break for developers. His saying it was not a tax break for developers reminded me of being down in the convention centre and hearing him say we did not bail out the banks. The VAT cut for the sale of n…

Irish households are being ripped off by electricity companies. That is not just how they feel about it; that is a fact. We have it black and white from the International Energy Agency and I quote its report, which states the disparity in Ireland, talking about the gap between wholesale electricity prices and retail prices, was the largest in all of Europe, with the energy component of retail prices three times higher than wholesale prices. In plain language, the reason we have the highest electricity prices in Eur…

Earlier the Taoiseach posed the question as to what we were proposing to do to pressurise the energy companies to lower their costs. We have a Bill already to have price controls to stop the blatant profiteering. I put it back to the Taoiseach: what is he going to do? The answer, it appears, is "Nothing".

He mentioned a bunch of things that have already been done. He is standing over the withdrawal of the cost-of-living supports, the impact of which will be deeper poverty. The budget was spoken about as a budget for child poverty. It absolutely was a budget for child poverty - increased child poverty. The Taoiseach should look at the report of the Parliamentary Budget Office, an impartial office, which states that income poverty rates nationally will have risen from 11.7% in 2024 to a forecast level of 13.2% in 2026…

-----and the Taoiseach is saying we will do nothing about it and we will not have price controls.

He has power, under the Consumer Protection Act, to introduce price controls to stop this profiteering and people want him to act.

Tax them.

Tax them more.

I have written to the Business Committee about, and raised with it, the need for statements and questions and answers with the Minister for justice on the scenes of Garda brutality we saw the Saturday before last, with the indiscriminate use of pepper spray and batons against peaceful protesters at the docks - people protesting in solidarity with Palestine. We need to hear whether the Minister for justice agrees with this or if we are going to go down the road of Germany and other countries.

Other Deputies have already raised the case of the elderly, vulnerable people on hunger strike. I think they have been 22 days on hunger strike outside Leinster House. They are survivors of industrial and reformatory schools who are putting their health on the line to try to access justice for themselves and their fellow survivors. They were failed once by the State when they were committed to these heinous institutions and they are being failed again now. Their ask is very simple and very modest, to access a full …

Education is crucial to competitiveness. We will not have it without teachers, yet many schools are in crisis situations. I will give one example from my constituency. St. Mary's Boys National School in Rathfarnham is set to lose another teacher next year, having lost one in September, unless the Government commits to reducing class sizes. I have been contacted by many parents, one of whom wrote to say: My son is already in a class that exceeds the national average size. Without intervention, he may soon be placed …

I welcome the ceasefire. Any relief for the Palestinian people facing genocide is obviously welcome. I emphasise that a lasting peace will only be built on the basis of justice and there is still definitely no justice for the Palestinian people. My question relates to Government policy in this context. I am concerned that the various commitments that have been given in the context of pressure of a massive solidarity movement and massive public support for the Palestinian people will now be forgotten or kicked down …

Can we get answers on the occupied territories Bill?

No, we are asking questions.

The disposable income threshold for civil legal aid is only €18,000. Incredibly, it has not been updated since 2006. Think of all the cost-of-living crises and everything else we have been through since then. How much additional funding is provided for civil legal aid in the budget? Will it allow for the raising of the threshold very significantly and for abolishing it entirely in cases where domestic violence is a factor?

I agree this is a question of access to justice. Some people are being denied justice because they are just over the threshold and therefore cannot afford it. A woman has come to me whose daughter is dealing with an abusive ex-partner and is fighting for full custody. She is €50 per week over the current threshold and has therefore had to spend €45,000 on a custody case, which is horrendous. I note the Minister mentioned the figure of €23,500, which obviously comes from the majority report reviewing the whole schem…