The brutal murder of George Floyd in the US last week was heartbreaking to see on television. The fact that such racism exists in the US in 2020 is both heartbreaking and a cause of deep frustration. For a country such as ours that has such deep ties to the US, to see it burn night after night with such violence is distressing. It is radically important that there is justice for George Floyd and his family and that racism is systematically rooted out in the US and in every other country. Aontú is an Irish republica…

The Minister will have his time. Could he give me a second?

The Minister mentioned the increase in the number of gardaí in County Meath. Yes, the number of gardaí in County Meath has increased in the past couple of years but the population of Meath is skyrocketing so the same point stands. Per capita , the Minister is not maintaining the same pace of growth with the number of gardaí. It is very frustrating as well because the Minister says he has no operational hand in determining where gardaí are located but the Minister for Justice and Equality in this country can set pol…

I encourage the Ceann Comhairle to get one of those Zoom mute buttons for the Dáil in the future to make his life a little bit easier. It is 110 days since the general election and still the Dáil remains in a democratic twilight zone. I do not mean this in a personal way - I do not imagine the Minister is particularly comfortable or satisfied with the situation either - but it is startling that these Estimates are being presented by a Minister without a mandate. Some 110 days after the election, these critical deci…

I am sorry. The situation is not the same as for typical, normal Estimates. These are in direct contradiction to the Government's commitment to continue the Covid payments. By definition, these Estimates are hocus pocus. We in the Opposition are being blackmailed. We either stand over these hocus pocus social welfare Estimates or the whole social welfare system grinds to a halt. What other element of society would organise its business in such a deliberately dysfunctional fashion? The Government is on the record as…

The reason I am convinced that the Government is going to make changes to the Covid payment in the future is that both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have stated that it is not logical for the payment to compensate certain workers for more than the income they actually lost. There is no doubt in my mind that we will reach a situation where some workers will receive the Covid payment in the same fashion in which they currently do but where the payment others receive will be altered. We are being asked to back an Estimate…

I note the same conversation was had five years ago in this Chamber and we are no further along in that regard. The matter I raise was also raised five and ten years ago in this Chamber and we are still no further along. Moore Street is the birthplace of the Irish Republic. The lanes and buildings that surround the street reverberate with the heroism of the people who were out in 1916. The Moore Street battlefield site was the location of the final stand of many of the volunteers who fought in the GPO in 1916 and t…

Not the report I quoted.

For digital finds.

Overseas in Belfast.

I start by paying tribute to and thanking teachers around the country. Covid-19 has been an eye-opener for many families with regard to the work, skill, dedication and patience involved in educating young children. The gratitude that has been displayed by the political class should not be forgotten about when this crisis subsides. I mention that in the context of equal pay for teachers and contracts of indefinite duration, CID, for teachers that need to be addressed, and I hope he will address them. I say to studen…

I raise the shockingly slow pace of Government formation in this State. Tomorrow will be 90 days since the general election took place. In the teeth of one of the largest crises the country has ever seen, we have a Taoiseach with no mandate and a Cabinet comprising some Ministers who are not Deputies. We have a Legislature which cannot legislate and a Dáil that has little ability to scrutinise the decisions of the Government. That struck me last week when the Taoiseach made his decision around the complex elements …

I join with other Deputies in extending my deepest sympathies to the families and friends who have lost loved ones during this shocking crisis. The country reached a shocking milestone yesterday; more than 1,000 people have died from Covid-19 on the island of Ireland. I thank all the men and women who are on the front line. They are working beyond the call of duty and are putting their own health and lives at risk for the most vulnerable. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude we should not forget when this cris…

I recognise that the Government is working around the clock and is under massive pressure. I also recognise that this is a gargantuan task and there is little or no rule book on decision making for the Government to follow at this time. However, while we should all put on the green jersey, that does not mean that the Opposition should delete scrutiny. Oversight of the Government's actions is more important now than it ever was. I believe the response of the Government to the financial impact of the virus at the sta…

I pay tribute, first and foremost, to the men and women in the healthcare services who are working day and night at the coalface of this crisis. This relates to the issue of personal protective equipment. It goes without saying that it is no easy task to procure personal protective equipment internationally at present. However, it is really important that we take care of our healthcare professionals. They are extremely exposed. Right across the world, healthcare professionals are far more likely to catch this illne…

It is 25 days since the election, yet there is no Government with a mandate in this State. This is a scandalous situation. The urgency in the voices of all Deputies before the general election has been replaced by a political establishment that is now an urgency-free zone. It appears that the political establishment is ambling along as if there were no rush whatsoever regarding the crises relating to housing, health, crime, transport and the coronavirus. We are being represented at European Council meetings by a Go…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus guím gach rath air freisin. I hope the goodwill demonstrated to you by Deputies in the Chamber today will last for more than just today. We must ask ourselves exactly what we are doing today. Many people will watch this event and see well-paid Deputies involved in a fruitless, pointless episode. We will achieve absolutely nothing today with regard to the election of a Taoiseach, and this is an example of the dysfunction that exists in the political system. All the Memb…