There would be hell to pay.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As I understand it, it is about raising the aggregate amount that Screen Ireland can give out, presumably because we are near the limit of €500 million. The Bill proposes to raise this to €800 million. I have long and repeatedly argued that we should increase the amount of money that we put into artistic and cultural endeavour generally, and into film. At one level, I welcome an increased commitment to support the film industry but I also, as the Minister of State, a…

The Taoiseach said he discussed Gaza and Palestine with Keir Starmer. A standard tactic of the Israeli state has been to say that anybody who criticises Israel for genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing or the persecution of Palestinians, is somehow antisemitic. Keir Starmer, of course, has a record of going along with that nonsense and attacking people like Jeremy Corbyn, who is one of the most long-standing anti-racists and an absolute opponent of antisemitism. It is an outrageous accusation. We have now seen an i…

The Taxi Regulation Act 2013 clearly gives the Minister the power to impose regulations around the activities of dispatch companies. Today, for the third time in two weeks, taxi drivers in Dublin are protesting. There is a widespread protest against this across the country by taxi drivers over the behaviour of Uber, a multimillion euro company, that is trying to undermine the livelihood of nearly 20,000 taxi drivers by introducing a fixed fare system. This will undermine the regulated fare structure and therefore t…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to prevent and address the commission of the international crimes of genocide and apartheid by the State of Israel, by providing for the establishment of economic sanctions. This Bill, in line with our moral and legal obligations under the Genocide Convention, international conventions on apartheid and international law, calls for a complete boycott of all economic relations with the State of Israel for the crimes of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, geno…

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

I do not often thank the Government but I will do so for facilitating this important debate on the horror that is being inflicted on the people of Sudan. The genocidal horror they are enduring at the moment has led to at least 150,000 people being killed, more than 21 million people, which is 45% of the population, facing hunger and famine, 12 million people being forcibly displaced, and the horrific scenes involving the RSF in the siege of El Fasher, to name some of the atrocities that have taken place. This is co…

I thank Independent Ireland for bringing this motion forward, which we are happy to support. I got an email back in 2024, and I have been out sick for a few months so I am not sure to where this has developed, but it gives an indication of the despair and the consequences for those who make protected disclosures. It is a case I raised and about which I submitted parliamentary questions. This is an email to me after we followed up an issue for her. By the way, she was working in a children's residential institution …

The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach should stop the clock if he is going to interrupt me. Stop the clock.

Stop the clock.

Lastly, on foot of comments from Deputy O'Reilly about workers, it is connected to protected disclosures but it is more generally about workers facing problems in particular industries and the punishments they suffer. I have raised again and again the fact that film workers working in the film industry in this country have been blacklisted out of the industry - people who have worked for 20, 30 and 40 years are gone from the industry and left with nothing - because they raised questions about the failure to impleme…

Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach - I want to do so again because it is important - the fact that, as part of a wider attack by the British Government on those standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine and against Israel's genocide in Gaza, people in the North are being arrested and charged, including one of our councillors, Councillor Shaun Harkin in Derry, for indicating supporting support for Palestine Action. The designation by the Starmer Government of Palestine Action as a terrorist group is ou…

You should speak out against Starmer's policy.

It is a disgraceful policy.

I think you will find the Israelis are the transgressors.

David and Nicole have a five-year-old son with autism, and an older son. They live in a maisonette, which is 29 sq. m. It is absolutely tiny and rank with damp. Because of his autism, their son has serious sensory processing issues. He is a flight risk. I know these flats well. They have very dangerous concrete steps, which are a serious risk to him. Occupational therapists, medical professionals and people in school have said that he has to be got out of there as he cannot develop or do his occupational therapy if…

I would like there to be an intervention on that.

The Taoiseach cannot really answer questions that have not been asked.

Minister-----

Minister-----