Yesterday, the Taoiseach described Ireland's economic outlook as positive but in a wealthy country, one in five children lives below the bread line. Nearly 5,500 are now homeless. We are once again approaching a new school year with a shortage of special education places. Tonight's programme "RTÉ Investigates: Inside the Care System" highlights the shocking State failings in respect of children in care. The Children's Rights Alliance has described the haunting gaps in our country's response to children in need of c…

We acknowledge that the Government is spending money. That is not in doubt but our issue, and that of parents, teachers, SNAs and school communities all around the country, is the question of how it is spending it and the lack of a planned approach. The Taoiseach mentioned the €650 million bailout for the Department of education as if it were something to be proud of but the fact that it was necessary is exactly the problem. It shows the lack of planning. Parents are crying out for school places and supports for ch…

Yet we are failing children because the Taoiseach’s Government is failing to plan.

The Government was.

The Government was cutting back.

But it was a matter of how it was done.

Last Thursday, I was in Westminster with Lisa Phillips, the courageous campaigner and survivor of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. We met with British MPs who are supporting Lisa in seeking access to information about the extent of Epstein's criminal activities. Survivors are campaigning for full disclosure of all information held by the US Department of Justice on Epstein's global trafficking network. We know there are hundreds of references to Ireland in the Epstein files held by the US Department of Justice. We know he…

We need to get more information on this.

There are.

I welcome the opportunity to engage on behalf of the Labour Party following the European Council meeting of 19 March. The meeting had an extensive agenda: Ukraine and the Middle East; competitiveness; defence; multilateralism; and democratic resilience. These are all complex challenges which have clearly become more challenging since that date, as the Taoiseach acknowledged. We have, unfortunately, seen further developments in the Middle East, with Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war only deepening there. In Brussels…

I acknowledge Margaret Loftus and salute her courage. Another week has passed, and the cost-of-living crisis continues to heap pressure on families who are struggling to make ends meet. When people look to the Government to give them some hope, it tells them to manage their expectations. They are left wondering what it takes to get the same urgent treatment it affords to sectoral interests. I am left asking the same thing. Every day, the Taoiseach stands in the Dáil lecturing us about prudence and restraint. Of cou…

By all means, let us have an honest debate. The Taoiseach will have to acknowledge, in honesty, that the Labour Party supported the funds. We did not support any narrowing of the tax base. We accept, of course, a renewables revolution requires investment, and requires money to be invested in it. However, if we are having an honest debate, let us talk about the ESRI report which acknowledged that Ireland has the highest energy prices in Europe and that a huge problem, which the Taoiseach must recognise, is that our …

We supported the funds.

Today, a survivor of a mother and home, Rosemary Adaser, along with human rights barrister, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, were in Leinster House meeting TDs, including my Labour Party colleague, Deputy Ahern. They met with the special advocate for survivors, Patricia Carey. They are seeking clarity on Philomena's law. They want to ensure justice for mother and baby home survivors who are now resident in Britain - 13,000 people from Ireland. There are welcome guidelines in place since 9 April but survivors are still concer…

I acknowledge that.

It is the retrospective effect-----

Go raibh maith agat.

The Government has been weakened and damaged over its inadequate response to the energy crisis and fuel protests, with further challenges to come. The Government has now lost a Minister of State, and a backbencher - two Healy-Raes for the price of one, and a high price indeed. The Government won the vote last night but the pressure for hard working families and households in this cost-of-living crisis has not gone away. For hundreds of thousands of PAYE workers, struggling to pay soaring bills, where is their suppo…

We came out on Wednesday morning.

With respect, the Taoiseach has got to stop rewriting history about Government formation. As he well knows, he had done the deal with the Lowry gang and the Healy-Raes before-----