That is news to me.

I will take it if it is going.

I move amendment No. 1: A. To insert the following after "status for European Union (EU) membership to Ukraine;": "— condemns threats of use of nuclear weapons, and condemns all nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit and irrespective of the circumstances; — welcomes the solidarity shown by all EU Member States in hosting Ukrainian people fleeing from conflict under the EU Temporary Protection Directive; — thanks the Irish people for the support and kindness they have shown to the Ukrainian people who…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and, for clarity, I did not make a contribution on the earlier occasion. Does that mean I get two contributions on this occasion? My apologies, as I am being a bit flippant here on such a serious piece of legislation, when it is probably not the best time to be doing that. I put on record my support for these amendments because they are only trying to extend the timeline and limit on the making of decisions which the chief deciding officer will make. The Minister will probably say the in…

I fully support what has been said in respect of the amendments. I will ask for the indulgence of the House for a couple of minutes. I wish to put a couple of matters on the record in connection with the Bill. There are a number of quotes I would like to read. I will not name the people whose words I am sharing but they need to have their stories told. It is important. I beg the House's indulgence to do that. The first states: I would love to give my story to the dail as this really upsets me how things have turned…

I mentioned earlier in the House that Deputy Connolly was not well this evening so she could not make the debate. She asked me to read this out on her behalf. This Bill is divisive and discriminatory. It is excluding completely any child who spent less than six months in a mother and baby home. No reason is given except a bland claim they would not have known what was happening. This is despite a letter signed by over 30 therapists setting out that the first six-month period is one of the most sensitive and importa…

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this motion. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing it forward. I have spoken on the issue of housing more times than I can count. I will, however, continue to raise my concerns and those of my constituents for as long as this Government continues to sit on its hands. Not only are the housing targets of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, shockingly low, they have not been met for three years in a row now. That the Minister cannot even meet the incredibly low standards he set for his…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I thank the Social Democrats for bringing it forward. Last month, Europe's gas prices returned to pre-war levels yet citizens' bills continue to soar while energy companies make eye-watering profits. The Government has not only allowed this to happen but it has actually facilitated it. I warned of this back in September when speaking on budget 2023. I warned that by giving out three instalments of energy credits, we would be putting money straight into the pockets o…

This question concerns the Killybegs Tourism College campus of the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, the Minister's thoughts on its potential to develop within the overall remit of ATU, and whether any funding application has been made specifically in respect of that.

What the Minister said about the regional campus support fund is very welcome. Hopefully, Killybegs will be in a position to avail of that because it is very significant and very significant for smaller campuses. One of the problems in Killybegs over the years was trying to attract funding as a very small part of Letterkenny Institute of Technology but it is a more integral part of ATU, which is very important. That regional campus support fund will be a very useful and welcome development. I appreciate that. As th…

One thing that is very important to Killybegs is facilitating and enabling students to return to third-level education. I know a few people who have gone back into education. People who would not have completed secondary school have gone into further education 20 or 30 years later, which is very significant. It is also very important for Donegal because over the years, it lacked people with third-level qualifications. The ability of people to go back into further education and restart their education is very signif…

I want to take this opportunity to thank Laura, who has been doing work experience of my office, for today’s question. She, like many other transition year, TY, students in my constituency in Donegal, and indeed across the country, are very concerned about leaving certificate reform. On 29 March 2022, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, announced a plan for major reform of the leaving certificate from 2024 onwards. This will mean students will be starting the new course this coming September. However, since m…

Unlike my colleague, I do not think this will be the start of the debate. I would say the Government is hoping it will be the end of it. According to a 2011 Department of Health report, up to 250,000 nursing home residents with medical cards were incorrectly charged for public nursing home care since 1976, yet the Attorney General’s report into the nursing home fees finds that the Government acted prudently and in the taxpayer’s interests. The report also finds that there is no positive legal duty to return proacti…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak to this very important, although apparently only half-written, legislation. I will get to that later. As I understand it, this is the first of three Bills due to be introduced this year that will address reform in An Garda Síochána. There are many issues within An Garda Síochána and there is no doubt that reform is badly needed in the organisation. I find it amazing, however, that instead of addressing the many areas of Garda reform required, the first thing …

I thank the Deputies from the Rural Independent Group for allowing me to use their allotted time given they are not using it during this debate. I thank also the Labour Party for bringing forward the motion. I fully support its calls to begin an emergency public housing building programme using the full resources of the State and to commence a rapid compulsory purchase of vacant properties by local authorities. We all know, however, that is not going to happen. Unfortunately, these proposals always falls on deaf ea…

I want to start by saying that our thoughts are with the people of Türkiye and Syria at this difficult time. I wish to speak, in the same vein as the previous speaker, about the rise in racism in this country. I am sure the Taoiseach agrees the racist sentiment which is growing and has become a lot more mainstream in Ireland in recent months is incredibly concerning and needs to be addressed urgently. The far right is doing a great job of exploiting the public's real and legitimate fears and using them to stoke rac…

The Taoiseach did well for the first half of his reply. I was agreeing with much of what he was saying, but then he went and pulled out these tropes again that have been fired out everywhere, even by his backbenchers, regarding illegal immigrants coming to Ireland. The reality is, and the Taoiseach should check that with the Department of Justice, which is not the most friendly towards immigrants, that anybody who comes here and claims asylum is a legal immigrant. Those people are complying with the law. They come …

The Taoiseach should say and acknowledge that because it is vital. The right is using this trope throughout the country to attack certain people and put an image out there that those people are illegal immigrants who are coming here in hordes and taking over our country.

The Taoiseach should say it straight that that is what it is. Those people are legally here to claim asylum. They work and live here under our system. We are responsible for their safety when they are here. If the Taoiseach could acknowledge that, it would do an awful lot in terms of putting it right. He should say it constantly because it needs to be said. His backbenchers need to say it as well. They have been saying the wrong thing in public and in the media and that is wrong and should not be continued. Everyon…

And asylum seekers.