The NCSE guidelines need to be updated to ensure there are no further worries about what people believed were the changes introduced. We do need to look at some element of flexibility in dealing with specific children like Tiernan. He is registered blind and has a propensity to break bones. We can all imagine the difficulties that exist and we are talking about a four-year-old child. The circumstances could improve in the future and he may need fewer resources. At this point in time he is lucky that the ASD class h…

I take this opportunity to pass on my condolences on the death of Mark, Louise and Evan O'Connor, a family who suffered absolute devastation. I do not have words for the shock that that family and the wider community have suffered. Superintendent Andrew Watters said that he would maintain engagement with the family and would also ensure that those supports that are needed would be provided, which is absolutely necessary. Mark and Louise were instrumental in setting up Drogheda ABACAS special school. I know Mark was…

There will be a need, at times, to deal with the issues relating to social media. I would ask that people desist from any speculation and leave the investigations to the Garda. We need to make sure the supports are provided. I am aware there is a candlelit vigil tonight at Stonetown community walking track at 9 p.m. and I have no doubt the community will come together on this.

I just went onto the RTÉ website and saw a headline: "Israel issues 'last' warning for Gaza City residents" to flee. Israel Katz followed that up with: "Those who remain ... will be considered terrorists and terrorist supporters." The article states: The intensification of military operations in Gaza City has forced the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to temporarily suspend operations at its Gaza City office and relocate staff to ICRC offices in southern Gaza to ensure staff safety and operational c…

We must do it whether it is by getting a number of countries working together or by getting the EU to do it properly by qualified majority voting. We need to make sure we take the agreement apart because Israel was given a prize it should never have been given-----

-----because of what it has been doing since 1948. We are looking at genocide. We have seen the western world absolutely fail. It is an utter disgrace.

I am just after running over from Hodges Figgis, from the launch of The Irish Unity Dividend by Ben Collins. Everything that should be done from sport right through should be done on the basis that we are one single island, eventually delivering a 32-county unitary state that delivers for its people. Coming from Dundalk, it would be impossible not to mention how proud we are of Kate O'Connor in the heptathlon. Supports must be provided for those like her who can go on to do great things. We have seen great strides …

Very tetchy today, Taoiseach.

I remember as a councillor - Gerry Adams was still the TD for Louth - we met with Michael D'Arcy in relation to public liability insurance and a particular issue we had. I will give him one thing: at the time he said that this was not taken seriously enough at Cabinet level and, even beyond that, even when determinations were made, that you could not trust the insurance companies. The duty of care in legislation has all been carried through. We know some of it will take a period to bed in, but the fact is that unti…

We are all happy that we are having a conversation about national social enterprise policy. However, it is the case that seeing is believing. Like my colleagues, I know there have been many successful but also some unsuccessful social enterprise operations within our constituencies. Some of that is due to the fact that supports and the framework have not necessarily been in place as we would like to see them. In fairness, the Minister of State plans to visit my constituency. Muirhevnamor community centre is one of …

Yes, but I think there were more people on the list to speak.

Deputies O'Reilly and Bennett have laid out our particular issues with auto-enrolment. We would all like to be here in support of an idea my party has always been in support of, but the system the Government is talking about is not that. I do not know how many debates there have been since the resumption about the fact people out there are absolutely suffering in a cost-of-living crisis, especially those who are at the middle, and even more so those at the lowest end, when it comes to earnings. We are talking about…

This is another of these circumstances where we are going to have agreement there are absolute dangers with vapes. You do not ever have to go very far to find them. At times I probably do not even have to leave my own house, and that is the thing. We have seen the prevalence of vape use among young people, as well as other nicotine-related products such as nicotine pouches. We have also seen something that is far more nefarious, which is HHC vapes. It is like synthetic THC. We have seen the huge damage that happens…

My colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, put it well when he said we had this every year. The debate about school transport is a matter of rinse and repeat. I think the Deputy used the term "a new low". That was the idea. We have all spoken about families who had bus routes confirmed and tickets issued only to get a refusal at the last minute. In my constituency, there were issues in Blackrock and Haggardstown, heading to Dundalk, and the Tullyallen to Drogheda route. I dealt with a number of our councillors, including Counc…

I wish to ask the Minister the means by which, under the national human rights strategy for disabled people, the delivery of therapies and assessments will be achieved. When I first put in this question, I actually asked a bit more that obviously related to other Departments, such as the cost of disability that relates to the Department of Social Protection, or issues that relate to transport or housing. We all know the issues that exist with regard to therapies and assessments. While I have received some figures b…

No one is going to have a difficulty with the pillars or the strategy, but we have had many well written strategies before. This will come down to the roadmap and the actual action plan. We will be waiting until approximately November or December for that. Can the Minister provide me with that timeline? It will come down to the specific points in that. If we deal with the CDNTs and replies to my parliamentary questions, in April, there were 445.3 positions unfilled in the CDNTs. At the end of June, we were talking …

We agree that, obviously, the figures I have are not acceptable. If I am wrong or those figures have been updated, I would appreciate if I could have them, whether that is now or later in writing, because we need to know the depth of the issue. My fear is if those 445.3 positions were filled, the CDNTs would still not be able to deliver on the basis of the need. Cara Darmody has been a strong advocate for the position that, whatever legislative changes the Government proposes, the right to an assessment of need wit…

Anois, tógfaimid Ceist Uimh. 10 in ainm an Teachta McAuliffe ach tá an Teachta Daly ag glacadh leis ar a shon.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss waiting lists for speech and language therapy in CHO 9. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the expansion of access to Irish language medium primary and secondary schools. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the closure of the local training initiative in Youghal, County Cork. Deputy Paul Donnelly - To discuss the national policy …

Obviously, we remember the sacrifice of Seán Rooney. We also remember the case where Joshua Phelan, Nathan Bryan and Shane Kearney were injured. We are all absolutely shocked by Mohammad Ayyad not being there in court and by the pitiful sentences. These are being re-examined and there is a promise, to some degree, of more action. What have the Tánaiste's engagements been with the Lebanese authorities? Is there any news about where Mohammad Ayyad is? Is there any follow-up on where those cases are?