That is very condescending.

This is not parliamentary.

I would like the House to look at the citizens information centres and how we might go about ensuring the continuation of these vital service providers. There are a number of these centres around the country offering a diverse range of services to anyone who is in need of them - tax and money services, free legal advice, immigration assistance and Workplace Relations Commission issues. The importance of these centres cannot be overstated yet many fear they are going the same way as the humble post office, with peop…

I second the amendment.

Last week the European Parliament established a special committee on the Covid-19 pandemic. The committee includes in its title, "lessons learned and recommendations for the future". While many times we might be well served by keeping an eye on the EU, in this case, we best take a leaf from its book. The Covid pandemic was the most impactful global health crisis of our time. Are we just going to move on as if nothing happened? Are we not going to seize this opportunity to look back, assess and critically examine ou…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I welcome this Bill and commend the Members from the Green Party who have brought it forward. The plastering of our towns and cities with blown-up images of incumbent and prospective politicians has long been the most immediately apparent hallmark of an election. Even this tradition must be examined as we strive to be more conscious of the waste of materials and energy and to move beyond a throw-away society. A general election can see as many as 200,000 posters produ…

Hear, hear.

This morning saw the publication of the first quarter Irish rental report by Daft and it paints a stark picture of the housing situation in Ireland. Market rents are at a record high, with inflation close to record rates since 2005. The average market rent per month rose from just over €1,400 a year ago to €1,567 in the first quarter of 2022. This level of rent is over twice the low of €765 per month of just over a decade ago in late 2011. It is more than 50% higher than the Celtic tiger economy peak of €1,030 per …

Later today, the European Commission is set to publish its draft law on so-called chat control, which will oblige providers of digital correspondence platforms to search all private chat messages and emails automatically for suspicious content. This searching will be done by way of algorithm artificial intelligence, AI, and carried out in a blanket manner. Everyone's messages will be scanned all the time, which will result in the end of secure online communications within the EU. If an algorithm considers a message…

I welcome that this amendment removes the causing of offence as a reason for broadcasters to remove content. In many ways the speaking of truth always risks offence but this should not be a reason for truth not to be spoken. Many excellent pieces of media deal with difficult and divisive topics such as films or documentaries that may well cause offence to some but there is no right not to be offended. We must ensure that free speech remains free and that the messages found in art are available to the public to be a…

How do I follow that? It was very passionate, as always. We know how heartfelt the Senator is about the gambling industry in this country. I must support what Senator Malcolm Byrne has said. I take slight issue with this amendment. I welcome so many provisions of this Bill, which advance gambling regulation. However, I think that decentralised blockchain currencies have a role to play in the digital and financial future of the world. It is education rather than censorship that is key in this area.

I am calling for a debate on the content of the interim report from the UK Government on the Cass review and the implications it has for Irish children being sent to UK-based clinics. The Cass review is the UK's independent review of the gender identity services for children and young people that have been offered there since 2011. The HSE has sent 234 Irish children to the UK for treatment for gender dysphoria in response to the recent unexplained exponential rise in young people experiencing severe gender distres…

Have I mentioned somebody who is not here?

I have not made any allegations.

This is documented.

I understand the Cathaoirleach's concern. I would not be coming in here to voice any untruths that have not been stated in a report elsewhere. I assure him of that.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. Second, there has not been routine or consistent data collection, which has made it impossible to accurately track the outcomes of clinical intervention in solving gender dysphoria. Third, due to the explosion in demand, the clinic has not been subjected to best practice quality controls, which are usually required before a new treatment is approved. This interim report has prompted a call for an urgent inquiry into the service from the British Secretary of State for Health and Social Car…

Do I not get extra time?

May I finish briefly?

I was made aware of an incident in this country a few weeks ago where a teenage boy came out as gay in confidence to a group of his female friends. They responded by saying that, if he liked boys, he must be a girl and, therefore, must be transgender. He rejected this, saying that he had never felt like a female and that he was simply attracted to men. As a result of his not accepting his friends foisting a gender identity on him, his female friends in whom he had confided broke contact and refused to speak to him.…