Can I get a response? The remark is against Standing Orders and I want it withdrawn.

The Minister of State just accused us of being Putin's puppets.

Salient ruling of the Chair 417 states that Members may not say that another Member is taking orders or instructions from outside interests or its representatives, or speaking for such interests. That is what "Putin's puppets" means.

This is the salient ruling of the Chair. I am asking that the Acting Chairman get the Minister of State to withdraw the remark. It is very clearly against the rules.

Please adjourn the debate and check the rules. Salient ruling of the Chair 417 states that Members may not say that another Member is taking orders or instructions from outside interests or its representatives, or speaking for such interests. That is what "Putin's puppets" means. It is very clear.

I raise a particular issue related to the health of those who live in the shadow of the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick. It dates back to 1989 when animals began dying on farms in the area, after which there were increased incidences of serious human health problems, including increased rates of fatal foetal abnormalities, cancer, upper respiratory tract issues, eye inflammation and so on. Later, there was an investigation into this involving the Environmental Protection Agency, Teagasc, the Department of agric…

Last week, during this session, I raised with the Taoiseach the arson attack on St. John's House, which was due to house families who are seeking international protection here, and the Taoiseach correctly condemned that. Unfortunately, there was another arson attack on the same building this morning, which is two arson attacks in a week. Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach the need for private security for these buildings to ensure they are not targeted because there is clearly an orchestrated campaign of terror…

We had a debate this morning on our motion to defend the triple lock and will have a vote this evening. Is the Taoiseach still committed to scrapping, ending, modifying, getting rid of - whatever you want to call it - the current triple lock in the term of this Government, without a new democratic mandate and without going to the people to allow them to decide through an election or referendum? If he is, will he admit the idea the triple lock allows a veto of Security Council members is a red herring? That is not t…

No, they have not.

We tried at the Business Committee and you voted against it.

All eyes are on Rafah. The Taoiseach spoke earlier about the horrific scenes that the world watched - children being burned alive who had fled from elsewhere in Gaza, like a million other people, to Rafah before being targeted by Israel. Can the Taoiseach tell me whether any Irish-exported technology was used in the preparation of that massacre or in the close to 40,000 other deaths? Regarding the AI targeting that is happening, is any technology exported from Ireland being used in that? We know that more than €70 …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to introduce emergency price controls for petrol, diesel, electricity, natural gas and home heating oil. We in People Before Profit are seeking leave to introduce the Emergency Price Controls Bill 2024 today because increases in the cost of living have not gone away. The media is not covering them any more. The Government is trying to sweep them under the carpet, but when I am out talking to people while canvassing or in the shops, it comes up consta…

I move: "That Second Stage be taken in Private Members' time."

The people of Tallaght are up in arms about the plan to close the post office in the Square, Tallaght, to privatise it and to reopen a smaller post office with fewer services in a different location. Almost 2,000 people have signed a petition that was delivered to the GPO last week, where An Post informed the campaigners that it intends to proceed. I have been doing a lot of work on this and have been speaking with a lot of people. I have not come across a single person who has anything bad to say about the staff i…

Yes.

I agree entirely. A very high proportion of those who are signing the petition or who are getting involved in the campaign are older people. It is a community focal point for many people who go to the post office on a weekly basis to get their bits and pieces done, and to meet and chat with people. Again, everyone speaks so highly of those workers, who are now being put in a very difficult situation. As I predicted, the Minister of State read out a sentence about how An Post has indicated that nothing will change i…

I welcome the motion. The fact the Government is going to allow it to pass and do nothing about it will not change the fact that on the Dáil record, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will be named and shamed for their chronic underinvestment in public dentistry. The record will show, without opposition from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, that over decades when one party or the other was in power, public dentistry has been allowed to go to rot. It is part of their general neoliberal strategy of privatisation by stealth. They ru…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to establish a Grocery Price Caps Commission to set maximum prices for basic foodstuffs and to provide for related matters. I am very happy to introduce the Grocery Price Caps Bill and thank all those who have worked on it. We in People Before Profit are introducing the Bill because food costs are a massive issue for hundreds of thousands of families across the country. An annual survey of food poverty carried out by Barnardos shows that food poverty…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Last night, there was an arson attack on St. John's House, Tallaght, which is due to be used for international protection applicants. This is about the 30th arson attack over the past few years. It fits the same pattern as the others, pointing to the same far-right agitators coming in and spreading lies, hate and division. This results in the sort of horrific attack that has happened. St. John's House is not just for housing international protection applicants because it also houses Jigsaw, a young people's mental …