As committed to in the programme for Government, Ireland is to establish a statutory national security authority that can provide, and is capable of providing, the full range of personnel and facility clearances. Given the current security environment in which we are all operating, this is not just a security issue but also, potentially, an economic one. Certain EU research programmes require those clearances. Can the Taoiseach indicate when the national security authority will be fully operational and whether the …

We need to be able to speak about migration and citizenship calmly, openly and honestly because if we do not talk about these issues in this House, people will talk about them elsewhere and very often without the facts. I represent Carlow-Kilkenny and I listen to people on the ground. People talk to me about migration and about the pressure on housing, schools, GP services and other public services and those concerns should be heard. People should be able to raise reasonable questions about migration without being …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Bill 2026. At first glance, the Title of this Bill probably does not tell most people very much about what it actually does, but the principle behind it is relatively straightforward. People should be able to participate in public debate, report on matters of public interest, raise legitimate concerns and ask difficult questions without the legal system being used as a means of silencing them. At the same time, people have a r…

I welcome the opportunity to speak today in favour of this Bill. At the heart of the Bill are the people we represent. The public expects to be safe in their communities. They expect the Garda to have the powers necessary to tackle crime and expect those powers to be exercised fairly, transparently and with proper safeguards. This Bill helps to achieve that balance. For too long, Garda powers have been spread across a range of laws developed over many decades. That has created unnecessary complexity for gardaí, leg…

Before anything else, let us be clear about what is being debated here. Neutrality and the triple lock are not the same thing. Too often, they are spoken about as if they are interchangeable but they are not. We are all entitled to our opinions in this House, and that is healthy, but we are not entitled to our own facts. A claim does not become fact through repetition. No matter how often it is asserted by Sinn Féin that the triple lock is somehow a neutrality protection mechanism, it is not. No matter how many tim…

As a former UN peacekeeper, I am keenly aware of the proud role Ireland has played in international peacekeeping for almost 70 years. With the nature of conflict and traditional UN missions evolving, what does the Minister envisage Ireland's role in international peacekeeping will look like over the next decade?

I welcome the Minister's response. As someone who has served overseas, I recognise, as the Minister mentioned, that the future of peace support operations may look very different to those that have shaped previous peacekeepers, like me. Looking ahead, does the Minister see Ireland's overseas contribution remaining focused? She has already said that it will always be in accordance with Irish law and international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Does the Minister see that these will be on UN missions, parti…

I thank the Minister and fully support that. Ireland's reputation overseas has been built not only on the professionalism of our peacekeepers but also on the confidence serving personnel and their families have had in the supports and protections associated with overseas UN service. Whether future deployments are UN-led missions in Africa, EU-led peace support operations or other international stabilisation missions, can the Minister assure the serving members of the Defence Forces and, critically, their families t…

As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, can the Minister outline what formal defence and security arrangements are currently in place with EU member states and the UK to ensure the appropriate security resilience and defence mechanisms are available throughout the Presidency?

I agree that the maritime security strategy is a great document. One of the lessons of recent years is that threats to national security no longer come solely in conventional military forms. We have seen increasing concerns around cyberattacks, disinformation, threats to subsea cables, as referenced, attacks on critical infrastructure and vulnerabilities in our energy and communication networks. The Presidency places Ireland at the centre of European decision-making and naturally raises our international profile. A…

Quite rightly, as the Minister pointed out, the Presidency has highlighted both the importance of international co-operation and the reality that Ireland cannot currently provide every aspect of its own defence and security requirements. However, let us be fair about that. There is probably no European country that can completely defend itself alone against every conceivable major threat. We are not an outlier in that regard and that is really important to note. Most European states rely on alliances for collective…

Councillor Pat Dunphy and I visited O'Shea Farms in Piltown, County Kilkenny recently, alongside the Minister, Deputy Heydon. On their behalf and following extensive conversations with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I have a proposal to put forward to help address labour shortages that are affecting businesses such as O'Shea Farms and others across horticulture, manufacturing and hospitality during their peak season. They cannot get the staff to work overtime. This is not because the staff do not want to do the work,…

I ask the Minister his plans for the reduction or abolition of USC in budget 2027, in particular, if there is scope to reduce the USC that is payable on occupational pensions for people aged over 66.

I acknowledge all the work that has been done to date. I am sure the Minister hears from his constituents as regularly as I do that the fact that the USC was first introduced in 2011 as a temporary measure but is still with us 15 years later has made this particular tax a point of contention. I absolutely acknowledge the reality that there are many major investments into public services and infrastructure projects across the country that were only possible because of this tax, which, as the Minister mentioned, will…

It is really hard to argue with that point of view. Above all, I know that the Government is dedicated to delivering on the commitments made in the programme for Government, which will work towards a fairer, more equal Ireland. One of the key components of the programme is a commitment to progressive changes to personal income tax, which I am glad the Minister has recognised will happen, and to ensure that, as we push forward and grow our economy, nobody is left behind. In budget 2026, the Government lived up to th…

With between 4,500 and 5,000 Irish teachers now teaching abroad, it is really important that we facilitate any teachers who would like to return home to do so. I was recently contacted by a constituent who is teaching abroad and wants to return home but has raised serious concerns about how teaching experience is recognised on return which has a direct impact on their salary scales. There seems a clear inconsistency between primary teachers who often have their experience recognised while post-primary teachers do n…

On behalf of the cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Councillor Tommy Kinsella, I ask the Taoiseach about the funding that was promised to repair the rural roads around Carlow that were damaged by Storm Chandra. In south and east Carlow, many rural roads around Borris, Myshall, Clonmore and other areas were left in desperate conditions after the storm. Due to the delay in the receipt of the €4 million that was promised and is required to repair the damage done, Carlow County Council now has to reallocate the bu…

Listening to the debate today it is very clear, even in the modern world, the one thing that remains is that man's inhumanity to man is quite staggering sometimes. I ask the Minister of State for an update on the level of support that is being delivered by his Department in response to the humanitarian crisis that is currently unfolding in Sudan.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for that response. It is harrowing to hear that level of violence towards women and girls. I commend the principled and robust measures Ireland has undertaken in this conflict. The increasing used of armed drones in Sudan and the targeting of civilian infrastructure such as the health facilities and Khartoum's international airport, are indicative of a conflict that is widening at an alarming rate. While the fighting rages, it is becoming more and more difficult to tend to the di…

That is very welcome news. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Latest figures show that almost 7 million people have been displaced by fighting in Sudan; the largest number of internally displaced people globally. Neighbouring countries impacted by this emergency such as Chad, Egypt and South Sudan, are hosting large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people on insufficient levels of humanitarian funding. To compound the problem, there is the downturn in aid funding from other countries. I acknowledge th…