I thank Deputy Cannon for putting a very robust case on the record of the House. I will relay that to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his thoughts on the content of the response from the Department on the policy perspective and the delivery of key services to his community. The Minister for Transport believes in expanding the public transport network and increasing service levels throughout the country in the ways set out in policies like Connecting Ireland and BusConnects. The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobilit…

First, our thoughts and prayers are with the young child in hospital, their carer and all the staff at Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. It is so important that they have our support at this very difficult time after what was a horrific attack on innocence. It is also very important that we do not conflate the events that happened later that evening and the anarchy we saw unfold in Dublin city. Attacks on An Garda Síochána will not be tolerated, nor will those on our first responders, local authority workers and so many …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "agrees that: — the Government reiterates Ireland's longstanding policy of military neutrality; — Ireland's neutrality is characterised by non-membership of military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements; — the Government has no plans to join a military alliance or enter into a mutual defence arrangement so a referendum enshrining Ireland's neutrality is not necessary; — Ireland's foreign policy is infor…

I am pleased to join colleagues for this important debate. I will conclude today's session with a few words on the consultative forum and the related next steps. Allow me to thank Deputies for their valuable contributions in the House today. One of the main goals of the forum was to generate discussions on our foreign, security and defence policies. Anyone who has listened to the last two hours of lively, open debate will surely conclude that we have certainly succeeded in that regard. The value of the last four da…

I thank Members for their contributions and the questions they have put forward in respect of the difficult situation that is unfolding before our eyes in the Middle East. It is horrific to see some of the pictures, scenes and videos coming from the Gaza Strip. It is an area that is exceptionally densely populated. It is just over 40 km long and 12 km wide at its widest part. Israel has been bombarding the area since the original attacks in early October. The scale of the attacks in an area that is so densely popul…

-----on vulnerable children and women throughout the Gaza Strip. It is totally unacceptable. We have to work through the UN, as we are doing, to try to achieve a ceasefire. We must also work through the European Union. Deputy Howlin captured the situation well when he went through the result of the vote in the UN General Assembly and spoke about how some European countries have voted subsequently. That shows the scale of the challenge the Irish Government has at EU Council level in the work it is trying to do. Peop…

I thank Deputies for their statements and questions. I will now address further issues that were discussed at the October European Council meeting. A strategic discussion on the situation in the Sahel was held during the European Council meeting in light of the continuing deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the region, aggravated by political instability. Leaders underlined the importance of stability there for the security and prosperity of the people living in the Sahel, as well as for the…

I thank all Deputies for their comments. I will focus my remarks on the Sahel, Serbia and Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, preparations for COP28 and damage to critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. I echo the Taoiseach's comments on the appalling situation in the Middle East. The Government condemns Hamas's brutal attack on Israel and recognises the right of Israel to defend itself but stresses that it must be done within the parameters of international humanitarian law. The needless destruction of life must cease. I…

The Government fully accepts the increase in interest rates together with the general increase in the cost of living is causing real problems for some mortgage holders. We have addressed economic challenges in recent years, in particular, through Brexit and Covid, and we now can address the latest challenges arising from the need to tackle high inflation. The Government is acutely aware that the rising cost of living over the past year has posed significant challenges to households and firms. We have responded swif…

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Éamon Ryan, I thank Deputy Cannon for the opportunity to address this issue and to provide the House with an update on the future all-island strategic rail review. As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Transport, in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, has commissioned the all-island strategic rail review. The two Departments have collaborated closely throughout the review. The Minister for Transport and the Minister for Infrast…

I thank Deputy for his response and commitment to the sector. The Deputy is very passionate about it and I will raise with the Minister the Deputy's comments, which are on the record of the Dáil. This all-Ireland strategic rail review is being conducted on an all-island basis in full co-operation with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive and at official level in the Department of Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. It would, therefore, provide a holistic view of the potential of rail on the island. The …

Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022 to 2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies. In light of the number of landlords exiting the market this year, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions. Local authorities will be funded to deliver at least…

It is critical the Government supports older people to live independently in their community. I will convey to the Minister the queries the Deputy raised regarding measures in respect of the local authority. It is important we keep pace with housing delivery because it is critical for our communities, as can be seen in all our communities, where we as a Government can point to housing developments at scale. Builders are delivering those massive housing developments and that is so important for our communities. Obvi…

I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter and am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the issue of housing conditions in Noonan’s Road in Cork’s inner city. The Government and the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage are committed to ensuring tenants in social housing are provided with adequate housing that meets the standards most recently laid down in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. The Department is actively engaging with the local authority sector to pr…

As I said in my response, the Department has not yet received a funding application for this particular project. Obviously, we cannot ascertain or put a figure on what needs to be done when we have not received the application from the city council. I suggest the Deputies talk to their counterparts in Cork City Council and get that application into the Department.

I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. He quoted from the programme for Government, Our Shared Future, with regard to the specific commitments in this area. It states: From Budget 2022 onwards, in the event that incomes are again rising as the economy recovers, credits and bands will be index linked to earnings. This will be done to prevent an increase in the real burden of income tax, to prevent more low income workers being taken into the tax net because of no changes to the tax system and to…

I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that I am not a Minister of State in that Department. Therefore, it is very difficult for me to come into this Chamber and depart from a script when I am not over the issue. I would appreciate if we could be fair on the issue. On behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people, I assure Deputy Connolly that the Government has been driving important reform initiatives, working to deliver on the objectives of Sláintecare and building the capa…

I thought they were here; my apologies.

I note the Deputy's comments. I will raise the local issues with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, including advising people of the process that is in play. As already stated, the Minister of State announced €5 million for day care centres and meals on wheels. This is pertinent, important and key for the local community. I will bring the matter to her attention. As I am not a Minister of State in the Department of Health, I cannot go into any further detail at the moment.

The Senator made very valid points about how the budget should be framed. It is critical for workers who are doing additional hours or overtime that they do not lose money in their net pay because of increasing taxation rates and going into a different bracket in terms of the standard rate cut-off points. The Government has to, and will, prioritise in budget 2024 people who are working and middle-income earners to ensure they are getting tax back and are protected from that bracket creep through the increase in inf…