I am wondering why the NCSE is to spend up €100,000, reportedly, not on extra help for schoolchildren or on research but on researching why there is an exceptional increase in the demand for special education. It is quite incredible the council is going to outsource finding that out to a consultant. I will give the Minister some of the reasons now without her wasting the money. The reason for the increase in demand is massively increased awareness of neurodiversity, additional needs, disability, people asserting th…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. What are the Taoiseach's intentions in relation to the traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to the White House? This morning, we read that the Taoiseach intends to send a high-powered delegation, particularly focused on business. Is there anything that President Trump can do that will change that and prevent the Taoiseach from going? Is there any fresh hell President Trump can actually unleash in order for the Taoiseach to decide-----

Is there some reason the Taoiseach cannot hear me? I said "fresh hell" that he can unleash.

President Trump actually announced his intention to unleash hell on Gaza over the weekend. Ireland does not have a lot of power globally. However, we do have the power not to give President Trump a photo op on an important day for Ireland globally and not to normalise what he is doing. Does the Taoiseach agree that what President Trump is proposing for Gaza is ethnic cleansing and that it would amount to a war crime? If he does agree and if he goes on St. Patrick's Day for a business-as-usual, traditional trip, he …

The Taoiseach did not answer the central question I asked. Does he agree that Trump's plan for Gaza is ethnic cleansing? Yes or no. Can he answer that question? I do not agree that we should have an economic policy that is dependent on staying silent on genocide. An economic policy which requires that is a flawed one. When the Taoiseach refers to consolidating the ceasefire, what Trump has announced does not consolidate a ceasefire. Rather, it makes it much more likely that the right-wing Zionists will not keep to …

The Taoiseach pointed to the roof after 7 October.

Is Trump's plan ethnic cleansing or not?

The Taoiseach has six second left. Is Trump's plan ethnic cleansing or not?

The Taoiseach is refusing to answer the question.

He has all the time in the world today.

That is crystal clear.

He is a member of Fine Gael.

It is unfortunate the Minister for Justice had to leave because I wanted to ask him and the Government what laws they will bring in to stop the relentless parade of misogyny we see in the courts. Yesterday, a woman said she was broken twice after she watched a garda who carried out multiple sexual assaults against her and falsely imprisoned her on the job in a Garda station when she was seeking help. She had to listen as his wife testified and 35 character references were pasted up in defence of him. We have had co…

I welcome the workers here tonight. It is not easy to come here after being on a picket line for two days in the cold. BIMM is exploiting the talent and creativity of these musicians and lecturers. The BIMM website boasts about unrivalled industry connections, experienced tutors and how the institute opens doors into the music industry. The restructuring that is happening is classic race to the bottom, Uber-isation of skilled workers, to drive their wages and conditions down and make more money for the college. It …

In his reply the Minister said that TUD has engaged with BIMM on a number of courses but quality assurance, blah, blah, blah, is all interlinked. How can there be quality assurance if people's pay and conditions are driven down? This is the Minister's responsibility. TUD could employ the staff at BIMM if the Minister gave that direction and made it happen. He could make that happen. A lot of the Minister's answer seemed to be trying to find ways that would prevent him from getting involved. The Minister needs to be…

Publicly.

I will stick to one topic, namely, the issue of special education and its provision generally. Two words not in the programme for Government are "teacher shortage". The Government does not seem to realise this is a problem. It is an emergency and a crisis. I do not have time to develop that statement, but it is incredible that it is not mentioned or dealt with. We have a phenomenon in Ireland, which does not arise in any other EU country, where people have to go out and campaign for a school place and a school buil…

The ones that have agreed to take the classes should be funded.

The compensation for the people who have been suffering for two weeks must come from the vast profits of the ESB, not from increased prices for customers, as has been talked about in the media. We need investment to ensure it does not happen again that people, in 2025, are waiting weeks upon weeks to have their power restored. I raise the situation of schools. In many areas, children, particularly those with additional needs, have been suffering through not being able to attend school due to a lack of electricity a…

I think everybody found it surreal and, I am sure, bloodcurdling - anybody with a humanitarian bone in their body - to hear the President of the US sitting beside his open fire, announcing his intention to carry out the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and announcing the intention of the US to get a slice of the action in Gaza for his real estate profiteering, with Netanyahu, the wanted war criminal, sitting beside him. It is critical that we do not allow the normalising of genocide, ethnic cleansing and increased oppressi…