I welcome the opportunity to address the House today on migration and the continued development of Ireland's migration system, a subject of significant importance, not only for the Government but for Irish society as a whole. Migration has always been part of Ireland's story. For generations, Irish people left these shores in search of opportunity, security and a better future, building lives and careers across the globe while maintaining deep and lasting connections to the country they had left behind. Many of tho…

While I do not agree with what the Deputy said, per se , I do admire that she got here. I heard the breathlessness in her voice and it is important she got to make her contribution. I will begin my reply by saying that we had a debate today that covered migration and citizenship. The difficulty in doing that in one joint debate is that I felt there was quite a lot of conflating of various issues which, unfortunately, did not give any real clarity to people who would listen to this debate. I will not use my prepared…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Federal Republic of N…

To reiterate, and as I highlighted in my opening remarks, a firm, fair and effective immigration system is a central priority for the Government. Fundamental to the system is that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. People must be able to have faith in the integrity of our immigration system and how it addresses individuals who refuse to leave the State when they are ordered to do so. The European Council has consistently highlighted the need for a unified, comprehensive and effective policy on return and…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and the Federal Republic of Nige…

I thank the Senator. Before I begin to give the reply on behalf of the Minister, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Senator's work in this area and in particular the research she worked on so tirelessly over the last 12 months which has contributed hugely to the reforms and changes to the system of school meals that the Minister has introduced. I have no doubt that he would echo that if he was here today. It has been one of the most important things undertaken by any Member of either Chamber in terms of inf…

The Senator is aware that I know she has a real passionate interest in this area. I hear what she is saying. Unfortunately, as any Minister or Minister of State standing here today would say to her, as much as the Senator, the media and everybody would like the budget given out in advance, it will obviously be coming up and the announcements will be made within that. I will relay her concerns and the issues she has raised directly with the Minister, as I have no doubt she will take the opportunity on an ongoing bas…

I thank Senator Tully for raising this matter relating to supports for jobseeker’s allowance customers who become ill or are hospitalised. It is a condition of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme that a person must be capable of work, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Where a person cannot meet these scheme conditions due to illness or because they are in hospital, they may be entitled to support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which …

I will convey the Senator's concerns directly to the Minister. I have no doubt she will engage with the Minister as well. It is important to put on record and to assure the Senator that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is always kept under review to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. Any person who considers that they have an entitlement under the supplementary welfare allowance is encouraged to make contact with their local community welfare service.

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on Irish naturalisation and citizenship. Ireland has been transformed by migration over recent decades. People from every corner of the world have chosen to live, work, study and raise families here. They have contributed enormously to our economy, our public services, our communities and our culture, and they will continue to do so in the years ahead. Migration has strengthened Ireland and enriched our society in countless ways. It is important for me to say clearly t…

I have closing remarks to hand but I am going to speak back to what people have said. The first thing I want to make absolutely clear from my perspective as a Minister of State, from the Government's perspective and that of the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is that we believe in fairness. Absolutely, at the heart of the decisions we try to take day to day on any aspect concerning migration, fairness and how it will impact are always at the forefront of our consideration. What we have looked at in this area with…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am replying to her today on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance. The deemed disposal rule was introduced in 2006 as an anti-avoidance measure. It applies to investment undertaking tax, life assurance exit tax and equivalent taxes in the self-assessed space applying to investment through certain kinds of funds and life assurance policies. Exchange-traded funds or ETFs are among a range of investments to which the rule applies. It was introduced because a patt…

I know from everything she has done in political life that Deputy Currie is definitely a person who looks for solutions. She looks at issues and asks how we can find a solution. The focus of the Tánaiste on the new investment account is very clear and has been outlined. However, he and the Government are well aware of the frustration many investors feel with the deemed disposal rule, as Deputy Currie has highlighted. The introduction of the account does not mean that the broader tax regime for retail investment I m…

I thank Deputy Byrne, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and addressing our climate action challenge, and this Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. In relation to the Deputy’s query on enhancing capacity on the network, in particularly in relation to improvements to capacity to the south of Wickl…

I will, of course, relate the Deputy's concerns to the Minister. I take on board what he is saying. Investment in transport is key to what the Government is doing. We want to realise our commitment in that regard. The Deputy is primarily talking about the service south of Wicklow town but, as he knows, there is a very substantial commitment to investment in terms of DART+, including delivery of new battery and electric units and new rolling stock. For many reasons, people want to move out of their cars and onto tra…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Labour Party's Private Members' Bill on electricity regulation. The Deputy mentioned it in his remarks, but I congratulate him on his first Bill in the House. Unfortunately, having given those congratulations, the Government proposes, as has been indicated, to reject the motion as we are satisfied that the CRU does not require additional powers conveyed upon it to support the furtherance of national climate objectives and that the existing statutory framework is sufficient. …

I thank the Deputies from across the House for their contributions during this debate. The Government remains fully committed to delivering on the twin objectives of decarbonisation and digitalisation in a sustainable and affordable manner. The sufficiency of the powers available to CRU through the electricity regulation Acts to achieve those objectives is demonstrated through the large energy user policy, which imposes a requirement on them of 80% of their annual demand being met by renewables generated within the…

I am going to say #metrosouthwest as well. I think we both agree on that, 100%.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. His dentist obviously did a very good job because he was well able to communicate. I am very much aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. My Department continues to work closely with our colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure we have a co-ordinated national response to this situation. The Irish Government has been at the absolute forefront, particularly among European governments, in supporting Gaza. The genocide that is tak…

Unfortunately, I have to begin by saying what the Senator has heard me say quite a few times. I cannot directly address an individual case. It is unfair to a person who is an applicant. It is unfair to ever engage in that type of scenario. We have to have a rules-based system. I know that can sometimes cause people to ask why and why we are doing that, but there has to be an understanding that there is fairness, clarity and a process in place. It is so that if people can go through that process to qualify that they…