In regard to working with countries in other parts of the world, would that include the Naval Service being involved in the EU naval presence in the Indian Ocean? In terms of interoperability, it would be interesting to know whether that is envisaged as well. The Minister might expand in the context of how we ensure the EPF budget at EU level is for non-military use?

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter.

No bother. I was going to say that the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, is not the right Minister to answer this question anyway. That has taken away a bit of my thunder.

It is not a matter under his Department. We will see who arrives in the meantime.

I mean no offence to the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, but I am unsure if it is really worthwhile to proceed, a Cheann Comhairle. The Minister was present in the Chamber here this morning on questions so it is not that there is not a Minister about here. I agree with the Ceann Comhairle on the contempt the Government holds for Topical Issue matters. It calls into question whether such Topical Issue matters are seriously looked at. This is an issue which is of great importance for the country as a whole and, in p…

We cannot guarantee that the Minister will turn up, can we?

I will do that, a Cheann Comhairle.

I echo that. It has nothing to do with the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth.

Thank you.

Last week Letterkenny University Hospital saw a significant increase in Covid-19-positive attendances and admissions. There were 84 patients with Covid-19 being treated in the hospital last Wednesday and 11 wards were affected by Covid-19 outbreaks. This will no doubt increase even more following the bank holiday weekend just gone. The INMO has called for the HSE to declare the current overcrowding in hospitals as an emergency situation until Easter at the earliest and I echo this call. It is obvious there is a lin…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I also thank Sinn Féin for putting forward the motion because it is important we debate it. While it is one of a number of similar motions over the past while, it shows the importance of the issue as well. I am fully in support of this motion in its intention to address the rising energy costs. It is completely inexcusable that more has not been done by the Government to address these costs yet. There seems to be a complete lack of aw…

We saw a small acknowledgement of the cost-of-living crisis from the Government. In reality, however, it will not even begin to alleviate the pain and suffering I am seeing on the ground in County Donegal. We need action on rents too, and one aspect of that is the housing assistance payment, HAP. HAP limits have not increased since 2016. Rents have increased significantly in that time, however. In 2021 alone, the average rent in County Donegal increased by almost 20%. I know from talking to people on the ground, su…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the motion. As we all know, yesterday was International Women’s Day, a very important day to recognise the social, political and economic achievements of the women in our lives and societies, and across the globe. It is also an opportunity for us to focus greater attention on women’s rights, gender equality and equal treatment and representation. With that in mind, I was shocked and saddened to see the results of the Indeed's International Women’s Day employment survey …

The EU has activated the temporary protection directive, which is very welcome. It allows Ukrainian citizens to access the EU and that is more than welcome. Irish people have been very forthcoming in offering accommodation, and they never let themselves down in this regard. That is very true. While the focus is on Ukrainian citizens, however, what about the other nationalities affected by the war over there? I wrote to the Minister for Justice last Monday week concerning this issue, without receiving a response. Ar…

I am sharing time with Deputies McNamara and Fitzmaurice. This financial resolution is the Minister's response to the crisis we are facing at present. I have a slight amount of sympathy for the Minister with the current crisis, but it is only a small amount. It is interesting how it has been undermined by all the oil companies before it is even implemented. We have been treated to stories over the past 12 hours about how prices have been increasing in all the forecourts around the country, getting in ahead to ensur…

I fully support the motion and its call to remove the barriers that are currently in place and preventing many children from getting an adequate and timely assessments of need. Early intervention is essential in appropriately meeting the educational and health needs of children with disabilities, yet there are more than 18,000 children on occupational therapy waiting lists alone. This is not acceptable. It is of utmost importance that the long waiting lists are addressed as soon as possible. It is completely dising…

I welcome Senator Flynn to the House. It is great to see her here and I hope it will not be the last time she is here. I thank her and the committee for the important and timely report. It includes 84 recommendations, all of which are important. There are many facts in the report as well, as has been mentioned by many speakers. I will not go back over them but they are important and it is good to have them on the record. Unfortunately, they are facts that no country, government or parliament should be proud of in r…

The issue of a walk-in service for renewal of a driving licence or the contracting out of the NDLS may appear to many in this House to be inconsequential or beneath the usual high-brow issues more becoming of deliberation in the Dáil Chamber. At face value, that may appear to be true but we must realise that these are just two examples of a steady creep of the incessant rolling back of public service provision brought in by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments. Moreover, we need to recognise that these …

Tá áthas orm cur leis an díospóireacht ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Tá mé ag freastail ar ranganna Gaeilge le cúpla bliain anuas mar iarracht mo stórfocal a mhéadú le bheith in ann cur le díospóireachtaí sa Teach. De réir a chéile tá sé ag obair. Is breá liom an teanga ach bhí an iomarca eagla orm í a labhairt i gcónaí agus bhí eagla orm go ndéanfainn praiseach di go poiblí. Táim ag tnúth le go mbeidh mé in ann cur le níos mó díospóireachtaí as Gaeilge agus go mbeidh sé níos éasca dom céim ar chéim. Tá a fhios agam go…

I am sharing time with Deputy Connolly. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the significant Amnesty International report on Israel's apartheid against Palestinians, which Amnesty describes as a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity. Some of us have long known that Israel is an apartheid state, but we can hide from that fact no longer. It is now written in black and white. What are we going to do about it? There are simply no excuses left. We must come out in full supp…