I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding the genocide in Gaza, and to the Social Democrats for bringing it forward. This is an incredibly important issue for the Irish people. The marches, vigils and protests calling for a ceasefire that we have seen across the country over the past year have shown once again that the people are ahead of the Government on this. We have been shown this week, through the response to the FOI request published by The Ditch , which mainstream media tried to ig…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding the abolition of the carer's allowance means test. I fully support this motion, particularly its calls on the Government to put in place a pay-related carer's benefit scheme and to abolish the means test for the carer's allowance. This Government, in its most recent budget and its four previous budgets, has failed, time and again, to recognise and acknowledge the invaluable work that carers do. Not only do they provide vital care for thousands of p…

On behalf of the Independent Group, I echo the calls by the other groups on the occupied territories Bill. In order to facilitate a debate on Committee Stage I put forward a procedural motion for it to be taken after the Order of Business, which would allow Committee Stage of the Bill to go ahead. The Taoiseach should do the right thing and allow the Bill to proceed through Committee Stage in the next few days and make sure it is passed before the election because I know, unfortunately - as does the Taoiseach if he…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence pursuant to Standing Order 180. Even at this late stage, it is vitally important that any barriers to the passing of the Bill be removed. This can be done through this motion. There is still time for the Government to have a change of heart. It is not likely but there is still time. It is very important.

Anyone who watched the RTÉ documentary "Anorexia, My Family and Me" will have seen the devastating impact of eating disorders. There has been a terrifying rise in eating disorders in this country, and it requires a lot more attention than it is being given. In Donegal, 17 young people in child and adolescent mental health services were being treated for eating disorders in 2020. That number rose significantly to 47 in 2021, and 41 people were being treated in June of last year. This number reflects only those who c…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Family Courts Bill 2022. I broadly welcome the Bill and its intention to provide for the establishment of a family High Court, family Circuit Court and family District Court. This legislation is well overdue and I have been following its progression for a long time now as a member of the justice committee. There is no doubt that Ireland is an outlier. Unlike many other European countries, we do not have a specialised family law court system, with…

With great patience. I thought the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, came in especially to take my matter. I did not realise it was Deputy Durkan's matter that got him in here.

I hope I will get a response as well. This matter relates to an issue in respect of which the Minister of State has answered questions from me previously. It is important to acknowledge that. It relates to coastal erosion that is taking place between Inver village and Fanaghans. It is mostly on private property, although in some areas it appears to alternate between private and public property. Inver is a community that has an affinity with the sea. The community is located adjacent to Inver Bay. There is a long hi…

The crux of the problem is that Donegal County Council says that if it does this work that is funded by the OPW, it will have to maintain it in the future and the responsibility will be on it to do that. It says it will not do that for private property, as private land is affected too. There is a public walkway across the land, which has been concreted by the council to facilitate the public. The landowners have no problem with that at all, but if it is the case that it is left to them to maintain and protect this …

Yes.

If it was on public land, I think that would not be a problem. The council claims that because it is on private land, the issue it has is that it would then be stuck with it. I do not know if that means it could in future apply to the OPW for additional funding if works were needed. From what the engineers say to us and the landowners, they are not going to take ongoing responsibility for this land in the future. That is really the crux of the problem because, apparently, the money is there, which is welcome, but t…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding public health service staffing. I fully support this motion, particularly its call on the Government to lift the recruitment moratorium, commit to restoring staff positions abolished in 2023 and 2024 and fund the additional recruitment needed for appropriate staffing and the expansion of services. I thank the Labour Party for putting forward the motion. Our public health service is at breaking point. Hospitals are experiencing record-breaking overcrowding.…

I add our voice on the need to have the occupied territories Bill passed through the House. It is vitally urgent. It is time we went beyond rhetoric and took some actions to ensure the Bill is passed to hold Israel accountable for the slaughter it is carrying out.

I am pleased to speak on this motion regarding the VAT rate for the hospitality sector. I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice and the team for bringing forward such an important motion. I fully support and have cosigned the motion. I particularly highlight the motion's call on the Government to permanently reinstate a lower 9% VAT rate on food sales in Ireland, to recognise the critical contribution of the food sector and prioritise the protection and sustainability of the sector. I fail to see the reason behind not doing so.…

I also fully support the opposition to the guillotines that are being used this week. I also call for a debate on the occupied territories or on the transfer of munitions through Irish airspace to Israel. That is very urgent and pressing. The Government should recognise that it is happening at this stage and should do something about it.

I thank the Ceann-Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare Bill 2024. I agree with everything the previous speaker has said in relation to the energy credits and so on. It is shocking when one sees that the Government has, again, given an energy credit to us in this House and to many millionaires in this country who can well afford it. If I owned five houses and was making €1 million a year I would be getting five energy credits and the people who are dependent on social welfare are getting one.…

One-off payments will not do anything to benefit people in the long run. That is the reality of the situation.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding disability services. I thank the Sinn Féin party for tabling it. According to the most recent census, 22% of our population are living with a disability. Despite this, disabled people are too often left behind and not given adequate access to the services they need. I support this motion, particularly its call on the Government to set a date for the ratification of the optional protocol of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabil…

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Harkin. This question relates to the two previous priority questions on LNG facilities and the recent planning Act that just went through. What are the implications of the amendments made in the planning Act for the upcoming An Bord Pleanála decision on the LNG facility?

I take what the Minister has said that that is the question that needs to be answered. In reality these amendments came forward on Report Stage in the Seanad and came back to the Dáil. We did not even get to debate them because the time ran out. If that clarity needed to be given in respect of planning applications or the planning Act, surely it was known about a year ago or six months ago. It could have been in the Bill that was put before the House here rather than being lumped in as a Government amendment in the…