I begin by acknowledging the presence of all those in the Visitors Gallery. They are all very welcome. I thank Deputy Carthy and Sinn Féin for bringing Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill 2025. It is fitting that we are discussing it on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I also acknowledge every woman who has survived domestic, sexual or gender-based violence who has ever had to walk into these halls and ask the State to care. They should not have had to do that…

The Taoiseach's office oversees the north inner-city task force in Dublin. I imagine this week he was as proud as anyone else in the country when a young man from the north inner city captured the nation's heart by scoring two goals against Portugal and three against Hungary, namely, Troy Parrott. Whenever we have these heroes from the north inner city – I assure the Taoiseach we have many of them - inevitably, the conversation turns to the lack of facilities. Once again, when we talk about soccer, there are no foo…

That is what you are supposed to do.

The Taoiseach oversees the task force.

I commend Deputy Farrelly on bringing forward the Bill and on the work he has put into it. Deputy Farrelly has dedicated a lot of his life to youth work and youth empowerment, and that shines through in the work he brings to Dáil Éireann every week. In relation to the timed amendment, the idea does not carry much weight for me any more. Deputy Byrne referred to John Collison. Following an article by Mr. Collison a couple of weeks ago, we were told that decisions should no longer be made by bureaucrats and that this…

Urgent and deeply troubling concerns have been brought to me by the staff of Casa Caterina special school in Cabra, a school that provides critical education and care for children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. I understand the Minister of State is stepping in tonight for the Minister of State with responsibility for special education. I feel that this issue is also directly related to the Minister of State's own brief. Casa Caterina is not just a school. It is a lifeline that serves 36 of the …

I am really happy to hear that a meeting has taken place between the Department and the school, Casa Caterina. It is incredible. I walked into that school about a month ago and, to my own shame and detriment, I did not actually know the school existed. Then I walked up to the shut gates. They open up and you are initially met by the kids who are playing in the playground. Who you meet are 36 children for whom mainstream education was very clearly not built. You see they had to remove themselves from the supports of…

I thank the Minister for bringing forward the Bill. It is a technical one that tidies up provisions across our courts and civil law system, and we will, of course, be supporting it. However, I want to use the opportunity, when we have a Bill that is to do with the appointment of more judges, to talk not about the structures of the courts but about the culture that exists within them, particularly when it comes to sentencing and rehabilitation. If we are serious about justice and the administration of it in this cou…

I thank Deputy Sherlock and the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. The opportunity to discuss decriminalisation can never come too soon. I welcome the opportunity to speak on it today. The motion states that we recall the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, the interim report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use and the Misuse of Drugs Act. All we are doing is recalling them, because all of these measures, debates and conversations have been had, but the same policies remain largely in place desp…

I completely welcome the debate. I am conscious it could be happening in a very different context, given how fortunate we were that the horrors we saw too viscerally in Drogheda last week did not materialise in an outcome that would have been most devastating with a loss of life. It was a scenario, however, where a person with hatred in their soul placed petrol on stairs. You cannot imagine any other outcome was intended but death and loss of life that would have included children and a baby of just 20 days. I am a…

I consistently hear the Minister of State talking absolute drivel and I do not interrupt him. So, who are we actually taking out of sectors? Is it students? Regardless of who is taken out, that will prove another area where this Government has failed. Removing students would actually destroy the education sector. Does it want to take people out of the healthcare system? Where is it? Migration pressures undermining public confidence is another argument that is made, but public confidence has been undermined by a Gov…

The Tánaiste said nothing.

Hear, hear.

I thank Aontú for bringing forward the motion today. Listening in to this morning's proceedings, it has been quite an interesting discussion. The motion includes some worthy measures. I fully stand over extending the voting rights to Irish citizens in the North of Ireland and even having a discussion about how nominations happen is something that we should do consistently but I cannot separate that from the fact that the reason we are discussing this today - it hangs like a spectre over the discussion - is ostensib…

He was wrong.

That is pure arrogance.

The last resort of the desperate.

There is best practice. It is not good form

I ask for a debate on the co-ordinated attacks by Government parties on the legal profession. It is a dark week in this House and it is important that Members of the Government reaffirm their commitment to the rule of law, which they have undermined this week in a shoddy attempt-----

The Government took away the eviction ban.