Last month, Storm Éowyn rampaged across our country, causing havoc in its wake. Our power grid was crippled, with smaller communities especially devastated and left without power for weeks on end. Despite the best efforts of ESB Networks and international volunteers, getting repairs done quickly proved a challenge. I thank everyone on the front line for their work, but nationally this is another wake-up call and successive governments have been asleep at the wheel for more than a decade. Judging by the final Sinn F…

Where do we start? I will point to a few sections of the document. On housing, there are a lot of aspirations but nothing tangible or deliverable, and given that the previous targets were not met, we have no faith that these ones will be. I mentioned climate earlier in the context of Storm Éowyn. The programme is equally woolly in this regard. We are talking about meeting our 2030 targets but not about how we are going to do it or the step-by-step approach that is required. On healthcare, the people of Ireland are …

It is now more than six years since the occupied territories Bill was sponsored by Senator Frances Black. Before the election, I welcomed that the Government indicated support, in some shape or form, but now, like others, I am extremely worried that this Bill might not proceed further or might be watered down in such a way as to be rendered meaningless. It is one thing to hone the legislation in terms of what is legally possible within an Irish or EU context; it is quite another to amend or abolish it because of co…

I said before Christmas that it looked like this Government would end up like a cold to lukewarm cup of tea with the bag still in it at a convenience store in Thurles. I had hoped that might happen a little bit later but this is far from a visionary programme for government document. It is an insipid artificial vanilla programme for paralysis that is devoid of any roadmap or tangible targets. Tá sé gan fuinneamh, gan treo, gan dóchas, gan chostálacha agus go mórmhór gan chomhbhá. It shows no compassion. This is no …

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, agus comhghairdeas. I thank all the constituents in Dublin Mid-West who elected me and put their faith in me. In the very limited time I have, I would like to recall how long it has been since I was an elected Member here. It is almost 14 years. Back in 2011, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere was 391 ppm. It is now 428 ppm. Our emissions per head of population continue to increase. That is the sad vista that faces us, the big international challenge, but we have so many…