The lack of childcare facilities is truly reaching breaking point. In my own constituency in north Kildare I hear from families who are constantly frustrated in trying to find childcare for their child. In every town in north Kildare the population is growing rapidly but the critical infrastructure for childcare facilities is not being provided. I am dealing with one in Kilcock at the moment. The impact of this failure is devastating, especially for women, who bear the brunt of it. Every day women are forced to mak…

This Bill is a damning indictment of this Government’s failure to properly address our energy security, and this is absolutely essential in a functioning democracy. Two geopolitical events have landed and given us ample warning about the need for energy independence. Yet this is the Government's solution. It has done nothing else. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the American-Israeli war on Iran this year have shown us that we simply cannot continue to rely on imports to keep the lights on and our energy…

I welcome the opportunity to speak about rare diseases today. One of my constituents has a rare disease and is a great advocate. Today, I wish to speak about a condition that affects thousands of people across Ireland, yet remains widely misunderstood and too often invisible, and that is neurofibromatosis, NF. Neurofibromatosis is classified as a rare disease. It is a genetic disorder that causes tumours to grow on nerves anywhere on the body. These tumours are usually benign but their impact is anything but. This …

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Ahern as an rún Chomhaltaí Príobháideacha seo a chur chun cinn. Over 22% of the electricity we currently use is used by data centres. That is up from 5% in 2015, a rise of 531% over that period, the equivalent of almost 400,000 households. This is set to rise to over 30% by 2030 and 55% if projected growth continues. All the while, our grid is creaking at the seams. Major upgrades are needed immediately and well into the future if we are to build the houses and…

Repeal was a movement built by women for women. It was a movement built to trust women, to listen to women and, ultimately, to care for women. It was a proud moment for the women of Ireland who fought tirelessly to ensure equal access and healthcare for all. I remember that we did great work in north Kildare and in the Kildare Coalition for Repeal. I think we knew after the first canvass that this referendum was going to be won. It inspired hope in so many of us and truly turned the page for progressive politics he…

How can the Minister justify banning trade with Israel without including services? Services are such an essential part of the occupied territories Bill, yet the Government continues to downplay their importance. Take Airbnb, for example, on which there are roughly 300 properties listed for rent in the occupied West Bank, homes stolen from Palestinians by Israeli settler thugs who then lease them out for profit. That is utterly depraved and completely illegal. These 300 properties represent only a fraction of the mo…

I am happy that Sinn Féin is supporting this Bill on its way through the Houses. I also want to remember Valerie. I have an older brother, and I am sure that Valerie's three sisters are very proud of the fact that their big brother has led on this. I am sure that it means a lot to Valerie, wherever she is, and to her children as well knowing that they have an uncle who went out to bat for them like this. Regarding the legislation to protect children, it is going to take ongoing efforts from the Members in these Hou…

Colm Byrne, my Sallins constituent, has just been kidnapped an hour ago on a flotilla in international waters on a peaceful mission to deliver aid, medical supplies and food to the Palestinian people. It is a non-violent humanitarian expedition yet the IDF is treating them savagely and illegally. Amidst his mistreatment, in a voice message he sent to me, all Colm can think about is not what the IDF is going to do to them, but imagining what they do to Palestinians - the cruelty, torture and sexual abuse that Palest…

I did not say that.

I said the Government is forcing Irish citizens into direct action because it is not doing enough.

It is the reason. They would not have to do that if the Government were acting.

Another biodiversity week is coming and after all the accolades we gave the Minister of State last year on his appointment, there is a lot his Department still has to address in the twin crises of climate and biodiversity we face. The longer we wait to finally move on this biodiversity crisis, the worse it will get. The biodiversity emergency declared in 2019 was recognition by the State of our rivers, natural habitats and the ongoing extinction of many different species. Little action has been taken to seriously a…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Boyd Barrett as ucht an Bhille seo a chur os comhair na Dála. We are here on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba. I have just come from the audiovisual room where I met Lubnah Shomali, who reminded those on the left in these Houses that our demands are far too moderate and that we should be looking for the world. In May 2024, Ireland finally formally recognised the State of Palestine. Then Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, said then that a two-state solution was the only way for Israel and Pa…

The rip-off legacy of this Government continues unabated. Last week, Eurostat reported what we already knew, namely, that Ireland has the highest electricity prices in the European Union. This is under the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, sponsored by the Independents. In Ireland, we are paying nearly €500 more per year than our fellow European citizens. At the same time, many of my constituents in north Kildare face constant blackouts from a grid that is simply not fit for purpose. Ordinary workers and families…

This week we mark Europe Day. The European Union likes to present itself as a peace project founded off the back of two World Wars in quick succession and built on the promise that never again would Europe stand by while genocide unfolded. It talks about multilateralism, co-operation, solidarity and international law - all the right words but those words ring hollow because when it matters most and when people are being slaughtered the European Union has not led; it has failed. The peace project is taking a batteri…

Is the Minister for Transport aware of the findings of a research paper from the school of physics in Trinity College Dublin entitled Why Rural Ireland holds the key to transport decarbonisation? Has he engaged with himself, as the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, on this matter?

That is great that the Minister has engaged with this and that he will be meeting Professor Caulfield because the need to decarbonise and move to green energy has never been clearly, especially with the illegal wars in Iran, Ukraine, Lebanon and everywhere. The Minister can tell Michéal Martin that we do know about it. People in rural communities depend on their cars and are feeling this the most. One obvious way to protect them from these price shocks is to make electrical vehicles more accessible. The paper to wh…

I am grateful for that because this is critical. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it should have been a wake-up call for us. We should have accelerated investment in renewables and energy security straight away. We have to accept that geopolitical instability is going to be part of the world - certainly for the next few years - and plan for that. Short-term supports certainly are a help but they do not go far enough. This paper offers solutions. We need long-term solutions, such as investing in the grid, expanding rene…

I appreciate that.

The dire condition of another school in my constituency in of Kildare North, this time in Celbridge, is causing distress to students and teachers. Scoil na Mainistreach has had an ongoing issue with a roof over the past few years, and it is only getting worse. The school has had contractors out and they said it should not attempt another patch job after numerous patch jobs given the poor construction of the school in the first instance. The contractors are also concerned that the internal structure of the school ha…