I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Labour Party on this Bill, but I will speak predominantly about what is not in the Bill, more so than what is in it and the effect of its provisions. Day in and day out, we see the impact of the cost-of-living permacrisis of the past few years. The Minister of State knows only too well - all the evidence shows this - that the impact is felt most acutely by those who are on low and middle incomes and those who depend on the State for their small incomes. We know the outside or …

It is important that the Opposition keeps the Government honest on public spending. It is important too that reliable figures are given to the Opposition ahead of the annual budget so we know exactly what it costs to fund education, health and other important services. That has not been the case in recent years. We need to know exactly what it costs to fund existing services, the extra money that is needed to keep the show on the road and what money is needed for new measures. We in Labour believe honest politics m…

That commitment to engage honestly and transparently should extend to Government Ministers and the Departments being required to come back to the Minister for public expenditure and reform well before 17 July with their very clear plans as to how these levies will impact services in their respective Departments. The reality is that the Dáil is rising on 16 July, and I do not believe that it is a coincidence that the deadline of 17 July was set. We do need accountability in this House. We know that, for example, the…

I had to leave to speak here, actually.

I also thank Independent Ireland for tabling this motion this morning. It is a well-intentioned motion that is designed to put forward some solutions to the real challenges households and business are facing at present. It provides us with another opportunity to tease out the respective positions of parties in this House in that regard. It would be remiss of me not to remind Government that just two weeks ago, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independent TDs who support the Government voted against a Labour Party motion …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill because it affords me the chance to put on the record some concerns I have, which I believe can be addressed through amendments to the Bill in relation to sustainable transport planning in the Drogheda area, an area that the Minister is very familiar with. In his remarks, the Minister referred to the fact that this particular legislation aligned with the overall objective to ensure that the NTA managed transport initiatives into the future in Cork, Galway, Limerick an…

I am seeking an update on the number of applications or inquiries that have been made with the Revenue Commissioners in relation to the living cities scheme since its expansion to cover Drogheda and Dundalk. I appreciate that it was only a month ago that this happened but this is a critical scheme for the area to address vacancy and dereliction. If the Minister has an update, I would it if he put it on the record of the House.

Vacancy and dereliction is an absolute scourge that is affecting every town, city and village across this country. For many years, I have sought the expansion of the scheme to areas such as Drogheda and Dundalk. Drogheda, especially, as the Minister will understand, is a very ancient area with sensitive architecture. That being said, one of the main aspects of this scheme now is that it applies, at least from the point of view of commercial premises, to properties that were developed before 1975. It previously pert…

One important aspect is that this is user-friendly and accessible. The Revenue Commissioners and the Department have taken on board some of the critiques of the scheme over the past few years. Certainly, the enhancement of the scheme will make it more attractive. Clearly, it will become more attractive to enterprises that are engaging in redevelopment given the expansion of the value of the relief from €200,000 to €300,000. In reality, with some of the sensitive and large-scale buildings we are talking about in are…

Fifteen brave Irish people took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, putting their own safety at risk to once again bring the eyes of the world back to Gaza. I commend the courage of the activists, and in particular Caitriona Graham. Her inspiring peaceful resistance, chanting "Free, Free Palestine" resulted in her being violently forced to the ground. We always knew those detained were treated despicably but this video that has emerged has shocked the world. It shows clearly the disgraceful actions of Israel and its…

If the vote at EU level does not go the way of Ireland, Slovenia and others - I am assuming our colleagues in Spain will support that initiative as well - what will the Minister do? Will she take action to work unilaterally towards the aim she has expressed, namely, the suspension of the trade element of the EU-Israel agreement? We are at the point now that the mere suspension of the trade element simply does not go far enough. This is an apartheid state that does not share the same liberal, democratic values as th…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. At least I am keeping it in the county. It is a seamless transition. I am pleased to speak on this Bill. While the Bill's provisions are mostly technical and procedural in nature, the import of NAMA and the IBRC, the history attached to these institutions, and their purpose, certainly were not and are not. Seventeen years on from its controversial establishment, NAMA is today being given a decent burial. Thirteen years on from the effect of tearing up the IBRC promissory notes, this zom…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Insertion of section 12B in Principal Act 8. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 12A: “Exchange of public service data 12B. (1) A person specified in subsection (2)— (a) may, where he or she considers that it is necessary and proportionate for the performance of his or her functions pursuant to this Act, request any other such person to supply him or her with such information as the…

A Cheann Comhairle, I am finding it difficult to hear.

I too direct my plaudits at Deputy Ardagh. This is very much her initiative and something that was well supported along the way by the Irish Cancer Society and other Deputies and Senators across these Houses. It is one of those evenings when we can all say a job has been well done. It shows the utility of this House as well. We try to do it all of the time but it is more explicit on occasions like this when we are reflecting the real, everyday needs of the people who elect us. We do not know ourselves the day on wh…

There are jobs now.

The current public sector pay deal is due to expire over the next few weeks. Trade unions looked at the Government response to the fuel protests in recent weeks and understood that the package that was developed for those who were protesting did nothing whatsoever for PAYE workers, despite the Taoiseach's protestations to the contrary. He is opening the Fórsa conference this week. What will he say to the public sector workers represented by Fórsa and other trade unions, both in regard to their expectations about a …

It was accidental.

PAYE workers need a mini-budget, and they need it now. Last October’s budget, the first of this Government’s new term, managed to pull off a quite extraordinary feat. It committed to spend over €9 billion more than the year before, yet left working families even worse off. This is an unparalleled achievement and all because of choices the Government made. Even before Trump and Israel’s war on Iran, the ESRI, in its post-budget analysis, said working families would be 2% poorer this year, with those who depend on th…

With respect, nothing the Minister has said on the record in response to my question will make it any easier for PAYE workers between now and the budget to get some respite and help with the high energy costs and so on she directly referenced. We can trace all of this back to the poor decisions the Government made in budget 2026. The Government will have an opportunity to make amends for that this afternoon by withdrawing the countermotion and ensuring it sends a signal to PAYE workers and the self-employed that it…