I have been listening to the debate today and a great deal of sense has been talked but I think there is a little bit of speaking out of both sides of the mouth from Members in this Chamber who opposed water charges and think that is the end of the world but then complain that there is not a dependable funding stream for Irish Water or Uisce Éireann and the work it has to do. At the end of the day it is a major infrastructural element of Ireland and it needs to be funded. Yes, that money has to be provided but ther…

-----for the greater Dublin area. In fact, we depend on Blessington and other places for huge amounts of water. The point he makes is absolutely right, however, in that there is going to be an increasing demand on that water supply. We need to be putting in place measures now to ensure the water will be there. There are so many ways in which we can do that. Obviously we can find alternative water sources. Deputy Ó Muirí mentioned the plan to move water from the River Shannon, where it is in abundance, to serve the …

First, I add my voice to the support for Deputy Boyd Barrett and Councillor Melisa Halpin in Dún Laoghaire as they begin their journey to recovery. Almost ten years ago, we voted for marriage equality and proudly so. We have made great strides down that road but there are still families who do not have familial equality. Children born into same-sex couples - depending on the means in which they were born - do not avail of the same rights and have issues relating to citizenship rights, succession rights, social prot…

I welcome the Bill. It makes a lot of sense and we have all been waiting for it. I note it is one of 21 Bills flagged for priority under the first months of the new Government. That is reflected in the urgency with which we are bringing it in, and I welcome it. As the Minister of State will know, the purpose of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 is to deliver a statutory provision which sets out that an employer may not enforce a commercial or contractual retirement age which is below the State …

Can we not pass legislation that is more easily read by people without reference to lots of other pieces of legislation?

Ar dtús báire, ní féidir linn a rá cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an t-ábhar seo agus an luach a bhaineann le polasaí éifeachtach anseo ach an oiread. The importance of diverting young people away from crime cannot be overstated. It is a deeply important thing and the underlying principle has to be that prevention is better than cure. Although it does not mean that people are beyond the scope of policies if they have been involved in criminality, the reality is that it is increasingly difficult to undo the damage of b…

I understood this was a motion of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle, yet almost everything I have heard in this debate has been about ancillary issues that are not relevant to confidence or otherwise. This is why this discussion feels genuinely insincere. I do not believe those who profess a lack of confidence actually have a lack of confidence. What this feels like much more is an attempt to drag on this issue, raise it over and over again and stop this House from doing the business it wants and needs to do. All o…

It is interesting we are having these statements on the day the Schengen Agreement turns 30. The Schengen area is 30 years in existence today. It started with seven countries and now comprises 25, plus four non-EU countries. It is a union that has made us somewhat complacent about crossing borders because, as part of its operation in the European Union, it makes it very easy for citizens to travel around the European Union. Unfortunately, Ireland is not part of the Schengen area for understandable reasons, given th…

I welcome this Bill. The statute law revision project is hugely valuable which has been going on for more than 20 years. When I worked as legal adviser to Enda Kenny TD, as he was then, when he was leader of Fine Gael in opposition, the first of these Bills, the Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Bill 2004, which became the Act of 2005, was being dealt with and I had more time to peruse the 18th century and older legislation that were being deleted or expunged by that legislation. It is a hugely important project. To …

This is a matter I raised with the Minister on 4 March by way of a question for written reply. It relates to the mandated requirement for two parents to give consent for certain processes or assessments, even passport applications, in circumstances where one of the parents is either absent or estranged from the family. It can be very difficult for both parents to sign those forms. This disproportionately affects women. Can this be reviewed?

The Minister hit the nail on the head with what he said at the end. Much of the answer relates to the situation set down in law where there is an agreement between parents but that is not the circumstance I am envisaging. For example, if a child needs a medical or educational assessment or the renewal of a passport and one parent is simply not present, it is not a matter that the parents do not agree - one could almost assume that if a parent were present, there would not be a difficulty - it is the notion that a p…

I appreciate that commitment. I will engage with the Minister. I do not know if this is something that is applied in a way that is intransigent by different State agencies. I do not know the answer to that. I also do not know if it is the case, for example, that a parent, now in the situation where a child needs a particular assessment goes to the District Court, can make that application in circumstances where he or she could not serve notice on the other parent of the application being made because there is no co…

Tairgim: Go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear Acht chun an Bunreacht a leasú. I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Constitution. Tá mé ag iarraidh cead an Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Mionn Oifige Breithiúnach), 2025 a thabhairt isteach. I seek leave to introduce the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judicial Oath of Office) Bill 2025. This is a short Bill and it addresses the judicial oath of office which is contained in Ar…

Tairgim: “Go dtógfar an Bille in am Comhaltaí Príobháideacha.” I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. That is true as much of trade as it is of defence. Listening to some of the contributions today, one would think that for many in opposition this is a cause for regret. In fact, it is something that has benefited Ireland immensely. In the context of trade, for example, being part of the European Union has afforded us an opportunity to really come of age as a country. Since we joined the European Union we have had an opportunity genuinely to bloom as a country, to bec…

I am very glad to be able to make a contribution to the statements on International Women's Day. It is important to recognise the extent to which women contribute, despite the fact that it is more and more difficult for them to contribute, at whatever level it might be. What is also important about these statements is that it is not an opportunity to score political points. I am disappointed that Deputy Réada Cronin chose this opportunity, instead of talking about the actual issues, to start to make political attac…

Instead of selectively and smugly choosing statistics to show how wonderful they are, look at actually-----

I was going to say that laws that are brought in to encourage female participation in politics and gender quotas have definitely achieved results, but they have not addressed the issues that discourage women from getting involved in politics. In that regard, I would much rather see us pursue positive, progressive policies that make it easier for people from every walk of life to get involved in politics and to make it less difficult for them to contribute at that level. In that regard, we definitely have a great de…

Aontaím leis na cainteoirí a dúirt go bhfuil tábhacht a bhaineann leis an teanga náisiúnta agus ár dteanga dhúchais. Ní aontaím leis na ráitis a dúirt go dtiocfaidh bás ar an teanga i gceann 100 bliain nó mar sin. Ní aontaím leis in aon chor, ach is féidir linn a fheiceáil go bhfuil feabhas ag teacht i gcónaí ar an nGaeilge agus an méid daoine a labhraíonn í gach lá, cé nach bhfuil an líon céanna cainteoirí dúchas ann. Tá a fhios agam, agus táim ag labhairt anois mar dhuine arb as Dún Laoghaire dó, ceantar i mBaile…

I congratulate the Minister and wish him the very best in what is a tough role. I welcome the statements that have been made in the Chamber about support for, investment in and resources for An Garda Síochána. However, I was dismayed to hear on the news today that the bulk of new gardaí are going to Dublin city centre. We in Dún Laoghaire need gardaí as well. One of the complaints I hear from people locally is that they do not see gardaí on the beat or the Garda presence in the community that is necessary. Kill O'T…