I do get that it is the first step but it is a very slow process. It needs to be a lot more ambitious and radical. It took long enough for a realisation that the State needed to lead on childcare in Ireland. In other countries, it is par for the course. Things like training schools have to be set up where people would be guaranteed decent pay and conditions. It is appalling what many childcare workers are paid. It would be good if the State was able to underwrite it in the same way it does for education, by keeping…

The FAI released a statement on 12 June justifying playing Israel behind closed doors and outside Ireland. It spoke of consultation with stakeholders, in particular the Palestinian Football Association which the statement strongly implied backed the FAI's position. Today, the Palestinian Football Association has had to release a statement saying it did not endorse or support the decision to proceed with the games: "[O]ur position regarding Israeli football remains unchanged and unequivocal." It stated that: "[T]he …

Today's statement was contradicting the way the FAI used that.

I recall in the Dáil about a decade ago when Leo Varadkar was the Minister for Health. He said that he would almost become a socialist when it comes to the issue of the drug companies and the health industry. It did not quite work, obviously. Here we are again asking why it is taking so long for drugs to be approved in this country. These are drugs that we know are having life-saving impacts. We are a small country so, in some ways, a rare disease in a small country is even more difficult. Cystic fibrosis is very c…

If ever there was a Government policy that was just so reckless and servile, it is this policy of welcoming and allowing data centres at the cost of our environment but also now at the cost of the pockets of ordinary working-class people. For the second month in a row, Ireland has the highest electricity prices in Europe. They are 52% higher than the European average. The average household in the country is paying around €400 a year more for its electricity compared with the EU average and, incredibly, it pays twic…

The world has its first trillionaire, thanks largely to the policies of the likes of the EU and the G7. Should billionaires exist? Should a trillionaire exist? Elon Musk is now richer than 46% of the world's population, 3.8 billion people. He makes $1 million a minute. It has been estimated that $1 million could feed 5,500 for a year. It is wealth you cannot even spend. It is wealth that is not in any way used to further humanity. As we see, he is able to persuade kids in Belfast to throw rocks-----

-----and people to hate trans people. Should such a person exist?

It is very clear what it means.

We have billionaires as well. It is not just an American thing.

We have billionaires. I asked whether billionaires should exist.

The Taoiseach is picking out one example.

It is a yes-no answer.

It is absolutely terrible that women and anybody who can become pregnant have had to wait eight years for this to happen. There has been no Government Bill and no Opposition party one up to now either. It is a crying shame that people have had to endure this. The O'Shea report made it very clear, especially about the three-day wait. I hate that term. It should be called a second doctor visit or something because people get the erroneous impression it just adds three days to the wait. However, particularly if an app…

Apologies, I did not realise my question was grouped.

I have heard the Minister of State say that sport and politics are separate. I thought that was quite amusing since he is a political representative in charge of sport, so obviously they are not separate. The Government, including the Tánaiste recently, has said it has no role whatsoever in the Irish team playing against Israel in the two upcoming fixtures and it is solely up to the FAI. I do not know if the Minister of State received a letter from a legal firm but he will receive one because he does have a role, a…

I keep hearing the Minister of State say "we will continue to do". What has the Government actually done? I know it has talked but here is the chance to actually do something. For example, under the ruling of the International Court of Justice, which this Government has signed up to, all states are obliged not to recognise Israel's illegal acts. Only this week, two Palestinian women footballers were kidnapped. We know ten clubs play in occupied Palestinian territories. We know Israel has killed 1,000 athletes. What…

My position is not that Irish athletes should have to take a decision not to participate. Israel should be kicked out of all sporting competitions, in the same way Russia was. Does the Minister of State agree with Russia being banned? I would like an answer to that question. Failing the authorities taking action, because they are hugely corrupt, players and athletes may have to take a decision, and they should take a decision. I would prefer if they took it as a collective, and I think they will. We already had Séa…

That was four years ago.

We are asking the Government to act.

I heard the Minister of State on the television last night and I have to say it was mealy-mouthed, disingenuous and lacking in any moral fibre. What he said was that the Palestinians think we are great, that we are doing so much. He went on to dispute the idea that this match meant anything. I spoke to ordinary Palestinians who live in my area, some of whom have been the victims of the genocide and were helped out of Gaza by the Minister of State's Department, for example. It would mean a lot to them if this match …