I am the people of Ireland and I am frightened by the level of militarisation the EU is pursuing. The fact that the multi-annual financial framework has pivoted towards rewarding arms manufacturers over small and medium businesses and that the countries that will benefit most from that are the largest countries in Europe that have those weapons industries is so far removed from the social cohesion and promotion of democracy this Union was started for. Of course, I am afraid and fearful, and it is absolutely right t…

The Ukraine reparations commission that this Government proposes we join is a very welcome idea. It is a means of showing solidarity with Ukraine and I fully accept that but I believe we can go further than just showing solidarity. I want to speak to this concept of solidarity because it is so crucial. What does solidarity mean? It is real and serious action. It is acting with justice in mind and taking meaningful steps to help the people who we mean to help. We will always stand with and support Ukraine in its mis…

I welcome this debate, and the motion put forward by Deputy Gogarty. I have provided two points within the amendment which I have tabled to the motion. The first one is around a bench book, which essentially is a manual for judges to help them with the specifics of family law. The Minister spoke about the unique nature of family law and how difficult it can be. That is essentially what this is. On the Minister's comments around the separation of powers, that is not the intention of this amendment. Of course, I reco…

This Government has been talking about short-term lets since 2022 and the regulations that were required. I may not share the same position as Deputy Collins on it but I do share his concerns about fresh delays arising today out of Cabinet disagreement over it. This is in the context where, in some counties, there are 25 times as many short-term lets as there are properties available on the private rental market. We need a debate about this issue and it to be resolved and clarity around it immediately.

I wish everybody in this House a happy May Day this Friday. I particularly extend that to the staff in Leinster House who work so hard to allow us as representatives to do our jobs and work so hard. Of course, many of the staff here are union members. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, which succinctly captures the four key issues we need to address and strengthen workers' rights in this country: recognising collective bargaining, giving unions access to the workplace so they can recruit and organi…

My question is in light of the current fuel crisis, which there is no sign will end any time soon.

I thank the Minister of State. I apologise. I forgot to thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for facilitating my going first. I heard similar words from the Minister of State's colleague a short while ago when we were discussing the strengthening of workers' rights under the Sinn Féin motion and it rings hollow, I am afraid. What we know about and what we have seen is just headline after headline about people being called back into the workplace. People are dealing with a cost-of-living crisis and now a fuel crisis and there …

Essentially, what I am hearing is that the Government responded, it built a solution that is working and that there is nothing to see here. I am saying it is not working. I looked at the report by the Department. Although its conclusion states everything is working, which is what we heard again today numerous times, a few pages earlier it talks about the toothless tiger critique and states: "The qualitative findings clarify that this is not a vague or general complaint, but a specific and targeted critique of the p…

I welcome and commend the fact that Ireland was one of the voices in recent days to put forward the suspension of the EU-Israel Association agreement. It is insane that that has not happened to date. Europe is operating with hypocrisy in sanctioning Russia but not Israel. I remind the House that the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement does not involve sanctions. Rather, it is the revocation of a privilege. Israel enjoys a preferential status in trading with Europe and to suspend the agreement is not t…

Earlier, I referenced three topics: the digital omnibus, the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ECHR. I welcome Ireland’s moves on the EU-Israel Association Agreement but I want to know what more is going to be done. How are we going to keep the pressure on to suspend the agreement and bring Europe's response to the Israeli genocide into line with our actions against Russia? Second, I wish to ask about the digital omnibus. Last week, in error, I referenced the Fianna Fáil grouping as the EPP. I apologise for t…

I am asking what we are doing.

Reports of double- and now triple-tap strikes are coming through from southern Lebanon. This is when the site of an initial air strike is hit again while medical personnel are in attendance. Four medical personnel were killed yesterday in Mayfadoun. These included two paramedic volunteers: a young man of 22 and a boy of just 16 years old. These are war crimes being committed by Israel and they are chillingly familiar as the tactics it has used in Gaza for the past two and a half years, with the death toll now risin…

I thank the Minister for being here this morning. I am very proud to support this motion. It embodies what the Social Democrats stand for - targeted supports which support the people in society who most need them at this point of crisis right now, and a long-term vision for how we can work our way out of these crises and inoculate ourselves as a State against the next one to come along. While I appreciate the Minister acknowledging our calm and civilised manner in the delivery of this motion, I can tell him that we…

Picking up on the last speaker's comments, I too express my solidarity with Deputy Byrne and acknowledge the very difficult period she has been through and how well she has held herself throughout. I congratulate the Republic of Ireland women’s team on their win yesterday against Poland in the World Cup qualifiers. I will speak about sportswashing, grassroots facilities, the League of Ireland and supporting the women’s game at this critical juncture. Football is the largest participation sport in the world and the …

Sadly, I too would like to start by expressing my absolute disgust that this debate will be guillotined after just an hour. It railroads any meaningful analysis of the Bill. I am under no impression that most of our amendments are going to go undebated tonight and undiscussed. That a mere hour has been dedicated to discuss what will ultimately be a transformative agreement for this economy and for our future trading partnerships is deeply disturbing. From the beginning, this Government has demonstrated carelessness…

For me, that is exactly what is happening here, so I support this amendment and look forward to debating further.

In response to the Minister of State's comments on Deputy Ó Laoghaire's remarks, a single vote under Article 29.5.2° is sufficient to ratify and the Government planned to do that on CETA after less than two hours of debate in a situation where such a ratification would have had multiple breaches of our Constitution. The Supreme Court, in response, identified a potential but unvalidated path to ratify, but not to protect Ireland. I agree with others that the Minister of State's allegations of fearmongering are compl…

I will pick up on a couple of the comments from the previous debate which apply to this amendment as well. I am still dumbstruck that we had no pre-legislative scrutiny. There is virtually no debate tonight, or not enough. I agree with Deputy Gogarty in that as much as I value the debate on football, it could have been pushed back for a week and we could have had more opportunity to properly analyse this. We should have had experts giving their opinions on this. We have had so many expressions of concern regarding …

Does the Minister of State understand the ability of the CETA joint committee to amend the text of CETA, which is effectively what Mr. Justice Hogan described as "quasi-legislative" capacity bypassing the Oireachtas? If the Minister of State is wrong, we will be exposed for 20 years even after we signal withdrawal and possibly more given that the whole EU may need to withdraw. The CETA joint committee can amend elements of the text, adding to interpretations on areas where we will be exposed. I will read from parag…

The nub of the issue, in terms of the outrage currently being experienced within the survivor community, is the treatment by this Government and successive Governments of victims of State wrongdoing. The Government needs to display compassion, humility and understanding, but that is not coming through and has not come through in the context of the survivors of industrial schools, Magdalene laundries and symphysiotomy. The list goes on. Instead, what we see is a litigious, legally minded and legally focused response…