The Lough Neagh-Bann river basin extends into Louth, north Meath and Monaghan. Lough Neagh is a toxic mess now. Any living thing that goes near it will either die or get sick. It is one of the biggest environmental disasters to have ever happened in Ireland, North or South. The farm nutrient management scheme was introduced in the North of Ireland where £200 million was spent to fund animal waste storage. Aontú has seen internal documents from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the Nort…

Before I was elected as a Deputy, I worked as a management consultant. I worked with about 2,000 small businesses either training them or consulting them on how to operate their businesses. I also worked as a sole trader so I know what it is like to be self-employed. At the heart of being self-employed is actually the fact that one is living hand to mouth. The contracts that a person wins this month will pay the mortgage and electricity in three months' time, and the contracts that are delivered this month will put…

On 18 June 1994, Ireland played Italy in a World Cup match in Giants Stadium. The Irish team astonished the world by defeating the Italians on that day. Most of the country was immersed in celebrations of that shock result. Loughinisland is a small village in County Down. On 18 June 1994, like practically every small village in the country, people piled into pubs to watch that match. On that night, at 10.10 p.m., two UVF men in boiler suits wielding Kalashnikovs went into that pub and fired 25 shots. Six people wer…

The Taoiseach is correct in saying that the rule of law is a key part of any country being a liberal democracy and a part of the international community. However, there are still key questions in relation to the rule of law in the North of Ireland. June is also the anniversary of the death of Noah Donohoe. Three years ago, Noah Donohoe, a 14-year-old boy, was found dead in a storm drain in Belfast. The PSNI called off the search for Noah within 24 hours of the boy going missing. CCTV footage taken 14 hours before N…

I want to address Ireland’s relationship with the EU and how this plays into that relationship. Currently, I believe the biggest threat to the EU is more EU. The creep of democratic powers from nation states towards Brussels is creating great resistance in societies across the European Union. If we look back, not all of Ireland's relationship with the EU is positive. That has to be outlined. The economist Paul McCulley stated that the former Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, had a loaded gun pointed to his ear w…

There are spot checks happening in relation to-----

-----people coming across the Border at the moment, and it is pointless. It is window dressing. There are 290 roads North to South. There are 10,000 fields North to South. Bringing people back to Newry does not mean they are not going to find another route into the State. The fact that Sinn Féin has supported that particular element of the Government's policy is also incredible as the raison d'être of the party was supposed to be to erase the Border, yet four times in the recent European election campaign, Sinn Féi…

They feel that the chaotic arrangement of the Government has actually led to the breakdown in cohesion in recent years. Aontú believes that the colour of a person's skin is of no more significance than the colour of their eyes. We believe that all citizens must be treated equally and fairly in this country. During the recent election campaign, I talked to many people who are from different countries and who are not white. They told me of their children who were born in Ireland, who are playing hurling and who are s…

Euro-critical. I am not looking to come out of the European Union.

The Minister of State is calling names; he is not addressing anything at all.

Again, he is calling names.

What about sovereignty?

But sovereignty does-----

Will you not be in it?

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to promote the welfare and education of children by prohibiting use of smartphones by students in primary schools; and to provide for related matters. I am delighted to introduce the Education (Smartphones in Primary Schools) Bill 2024. This Bill is key to child protection. Powerful technology has been developed in recent years by large tech companies for commercial interests. This technology has become really central to the lives of very young child…

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

Two months ago, the Government disastrously lost two referendums. It spent €23 million to run the referendums. At the time, we in Aontú, the only party that opposed the referendums, stated clearly that the Government was misleading the people in respect of the tax elements that would affect the people, what was meant by durable relationships and how the courts would see it, and what was meant by the immigration elements. Since the referendums, we have found that the Attorney General agreed with us and stated there …

If anybody has a thesaurus I can use that will give the understanding that the Government did not tell the truth, I will use a different word, if necessary. It is important that the Government takes responsibility, investigates why Ministers were misleading the people and comes clean and apologies to the people of Ireland for the information it shared at that key moment.

They were advised in one way and gave advice in the other direction.

That is not the case all the time. I have heard the Minister say the opposite at times.