On Friday last, I got an update from Dublin Bus on the performance of three of the main bus routes that serve my constituency. It states that the H1 route has unfortunately not achieved the target of punctuality in recent months. The H2 route has also has not achieved the target of punctuality in recent months, and I received the same answer for the H3 service. The Minister of State is telling commuters who are annoyed at being late to work, college or appointments that they need to pay more for a service that is e…

I welcome the motion. Many families in my constituency contacted me ahead of this debate. Listening to their stories, it is clear they go above and beyond for their sons and daughters. Many of their sons and daughters have moderate, serious or profound intellectual disabilities. Some parents find it so difficult to find the time to campaign and advocate on this issue which is why it is up to everyone in here to do that on their behalf and address these issues head on. Over 2,300 adults with intellectual disabilitie…

One of the best ways we can address the cost-of-living crisis for families with young children is to bring down the cost of childcare and make it more accessible. In my own constituency of Dublin Bay North, we have a lot of new housing estates with young families and the waiting list for childcare places is simply huge. The fact is it is stopping many people from returning to work. The cost for those who manage to secure a place are still way too high. While I welcome the progress that has been made in this area, t…

As has been said, this is a fantastic school. It serves a disadvantaged community. As has been said as well, 40% of the students in the school are from the Traveller community. This school has children attending from Darndale and the wider community around Priorswood. The decision that has been taken, therefore, is absolutely ridiculous. The school was short just one pupil by a specific date, and this means it is going to lose a teacher. It was already said that all five TDs met the school community. This school co…

By one.

I am frustrated by the Minister of State's response. St. Francis school was mentioned only in the last two paragraphs that he read. I cannot understand how the Minister can award a school DEIS plus status and then, on the other hand, remove a teacher. This was resolved in 2020, and the five TDs here are asking her to do so again. The Minister of State is going against his own programme for Government. It states the Government wants to reduce class sizes but, given what is happening, classes are going to have to mer…

It has taken the Government eight years to finally bring this version of the occupied territories Bill before this House - eight years of delays, eight years of dithering and eight years of blocking the Opposition. During those eight years, Israel has gone on a genocidal rampage in Gaza, murdering 70,000 people: men, women, children and babies. It has established dozens of illegal settlements and moved tens of thousands more settlers onto Palestinian land in the West Bank. After all that, the Minister comes in here…

I want to raise the case of St. Francis Junior School in Priorswood. It is a school that is at the heart of the community and a source of great pride to the area, yet it is losing a mainstream teacher for being one pupil under the quota back in September 2025. The school has had more pupils enrolled since then but its appeal has been rejected. There is huge anger in the community. This is a DEIS plus school. It serves a very disadvantaged area and 40% of the pupils come from a Traveller background. The Minister sai…

It is a mainstream teacher.

However, it is DEIS plus. We are getting it on one hand and losing it on the other.

It is 35 years.

Here we go again. The Government comes in here and pats itself on the back for everything it is doing on housing while families face evictions and rent hikes and we have record homelessness. When Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents introduced the rent hike Bill last summer, we warned that all it would do was push more families into homelessness and - surprise, surprise - that is precisely what has happened. The Minister of State and the Government sided with institutional investors and big landlords and thr…

Is that not what that means? It is about----

That is not what the question was.

I want to raise the planned Garda headquarters at Northern Cross. As the Taoiseach will be aware, this was announced eight years ago. I and many people in the constituency are getting frustrated because we are getting mixed messages. Last week, the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW said he hoped that this would commence in 2028 but then he went on to say that no site has been identified. The elected representatives for the area have been told for the past seven years that a site had been identified …

We largely support this Bill. For far too long, vaping products have been on display at shop counters, on streets and even on stand-alone stands in shopping centres, very clearly targeting teenagers and young people. It is very welcome that this Bill closes the loophole that allows the sale of nicotine pouches to under-18s, and it regulates the advertising of nicotine products in retail outlets, similar to what is already in place for cigarettes. It is good to see that this legislation is also future-proofed agains…

One of the main issues raised in my constituency office is the lack of appropriate school places for children with additional needs. Every year, it seems to be getting worse, with more parents upset and worried about their children's future. Recently we had the announcement of the new inclusive special classes, which appears to be a plan to increase class sizes without a similar increase in staff, funding and support. I find that very worrying. I want to raise with the Minister the case of Strapolin Educate Togethe…

Come on.

I have no confidence in this Government. I never had confidence in this Government. Over the years, I have watched as the concerns of ordinary people and workers take a back seat so Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can please big businesses, lobbyists and vulture funds. The thing that gets to me is the unfairness of it all. Thousands of children are homeless. At the same time, we have seen this Government throwing families to the wolves with its rent hike Bill. We have seen houses and apartment blocks being snapped up by …

They are still giving the two fingers to the ordinary people. I do not have confidence in Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and I do not have confidence in the so-called Independents.