Aontaím leis an Teachta O'Callaghan sa mhéid is go raibh sé ag tacú le muintir Northside Home Care. I fully agree with Deputy O' Callaghan in relation to Northside Home Care issue. It is really important that the considerable and important work done by these people is acknowledged by the Government and that they at least get equal pay for equal work. With regard to the Finance Bill, my constituents in Dublin Bay North are really feeling the pinch, and particularly with rising energy costs. I have spoken with many w…

We are the only country in the world to have a continuous presence on UN mandated peace operations since 1958. Our peacekeepers have served with distinction and pride, and in particular with their deployment in Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission there. It is very disappointing that this mission is to come to an end and especially in light of ongoing hostilities in south Lebanon. Will the Minister please advise the House on the engagement her Department has had with the UN and international partners in relation t…

Our peacekeepers have been operating in very difficult circumstances in recent months, as the Minister has outlined, with air strikes, drone strikes and ground operations in the Irish area of operation. The escalating hostilities and recent deaths of peacekeepers is extremely concerning. We need to make sure that the Irish peacekeepers are given every necessary protection. On top of that, the local Lebanese population has a great trust in our peacekeepers and respect for them. This is down to the peacekeepers' exem…

Our responsibility is essentially twofold in that we have to continue to support the people of south Lebanon, who are at real risk, and we must make sure that each Irish peacekeeper returns home safely to his or her family. I will finish by thanking all those who served in UNIFIL and particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of peace in that area. They have worn the Tricolour and blue helmet with distinction, courage and honour.

I am absolutely sick and tired of coming into this Chamber to complain about basic services not being delivered correctly or being removed to satisfy a corporate need rather than a public service. It seems to be a constant. I am in here every other week giving out about various emanations of the State. I am fed up with it and my constituents are fed up with it. Here we are once again and I am back to give out. This time it is about An Post threatening to close its sorting office in Harmonstown and relocate it to Fi…

I am not happy with this hand-wringing exercise to say there is no statutory function. As a shareholder in the company, the Minister has some influence over decisions that are being made. If a State-owned body or a semi-State body in which a Minister has a shareholding is not influenceable, there is a serious issue. I welcome, however, the Minister of State's remarks that he will bring the concerns to the attention of the line Minister. I look forward to hearing further in that regard.

I raised with the Tánaiste a few weeks ago the issue of the Irish Water works on James Larkin Road.

Those works continue at a snail's pace. I will raise today, in the context of the bank holiday weekend just gone, that DART services were suspended for maintenance works. At the same time, we also had the Dublin City Half Marathon take place in which 13,000 athletes were running. This caused transport chaos, particularly across the northside. I witnessed up to 30 people standing at several bus stops when the buses were caught up in traffic, we had no DARTs and the roads were chock-a-block. There was no alternative …

I want to raise the ongoing works by Uisce Éireann or its agents at James Larkin Road. These works are causing severe disruption to residents of Raheny, Kilbarrack, Bayside, Howth and Sutton. Tailbacks on the road are a mile long and, most frustratingly, residents are seeing little or no activity on the site of the works. They regularly report to me that there is plant and equipment lying idle on the site and that these vehicles are parked along vast tracts of the James Larkin Road. Along with some of my Oireachtas…

At its core, education is about providing opportunity and allowing every child to reach their full potential. This is no different for children with special educational needs. Across my constituency in Dublin Bay North there is significant demand for additional special classes in schools. One school in particular, Stapolin Educate Together in Baldoyle, has been working tirelessly to secure approval for an additional special class. I urge the Minister to impress upon the NCSE the very real demand that exists and to …

I wish to raise the Land Development Agency's phase two plans for Clongriffin. A lot of these issues will also affect the neighbouring area of Belmayne. On the phase two plan that the LDA has consulted with locals on, locals are telling me - and I agree with them - that this is not being handled correctly. There is a huge investment in housing in this area. It is unprecedented. We all agree that we need housing. However, at the same time we must put together the surrounding infrastructure in terms of parking, commu…

I thank the Minister of State for the response but it appears the LDA has given him its party piece in respect of this particular development. I know there has been engagement but the engagement has been more or less window dressing. The plan has not changed in any way as a result of the consultation with the local community. I attended a meeting before Easter with some of my Oireachtas colleagues and several councillors from the area, and there was palpable anger among all the public representatives in respect of …

I welcome the recent introduction of Grace’s Law, the intention of which is to make scramblers illegal in public places. However, these vehicles are still causing havoc in my community and in communities across the northside of Dublin. I am inundated with correspondence from constituents who are sick to their back teeth of these vehicles speeding up and down roads and footpaths in a reckless and dangerous manner, putting the lives of the riders and other people at risk. To combat this, I am asking that a statutory …

Like everyone here, I was disappointed that our boys in green did not qualify for the World Cup on this occasion, but they made us proud and reminded us of what it is like to dream. I wish the girls in green the best of luck as they progress in the campaign for the qualifiers. They are inspiring young girls up and down the country. The key to this debate is investment in our young people, our clubs and our communities. Throughout my constituency are a number of excellent soccer clubs that are very well organised. T…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this vital issue. Garda resources are one of the most consistent and pressing concerns raised with me by constituents. Day in, day out I hear from my community that the Garda presence in our communities is simply not strong enough or visible enough. Across my constituency of Dublin Bay North, there are areas crying out for more gardaí. These are areas whose populations are increasing on a daily basis. People are telling me they do not see the same presence on the streets anymor…

Every day I am contacted by a member of my community who says either they, themselves, or a member of their family have attended the accident and emergency department in Beaumont Hospital. They invariably describe it as being like a war zone. That department is bursting at the seams with elderly people left on trolleys and on chairs while staff have to try to care for patients in an overcrowded and overrun emergency department. We are a wealthy modern country and there is no excuse for people in their most vulnerab…

I raise the provision of care for those with additional needs when their loved ones can no longer provide this care. This is a source of enormous concern for families up and down the country and within my own community. Families have a deep and persistent worry about what will happen to their family member or members when they are no longer able to provide them with the care that they need. These are families who have devoted their lives to providing care at significant cost to themselves, personally, financially a…

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. It is very evident that the care that these families provide to their loved ones is unmatched. It is not easy for them but they do it, get on with it and do not complain. They do not have a clear answer about future residential places and supported living options. They do not have clarity. That is what we have to bring to this whole space. The State must step up and give these families the peace of mind that they deserve. We need to ensure there is a clear pathway for the provisi…

As we all know in this House, members of the Irish Defence Forces serve the State at home and overseas in often high-risk and demanding roles. The level of commitment from Defence Forces must be matched by fair and sustainable working conditions. The Minister will be aware Ireland was recently found to be in non-compliance with the European Social Charter as regards the workplace conditions of Irish Defence Forces personnel. Will the Minister please advise the House how the new strategic framework for the transform…

I thank the Minister for her reply. She will be aware that Defence Forces members frequently work irregular and extended hours. Compensation arrangements for overtime and public holiday duties have been a long-standing concern for members and must be addressed. Fair remuneration for additional hours worked is central to improving morale and retaining skilled personnel. The bottom line is that a lot of work needs to be done to ensure our members have adequate working conditions. Members of the Defence Forces sacrifi…