A number of weeks ago, a resolution was before the European Parliament condemning the slaughter of 30,000 people by the Iranian authorities, the use of execution as a tool of oppression of the people of Iran and the treatment of women, and supporting the Women, Life, Freedom campaign. In recent weeks, 30,000 people have been slaughtered by the Iranian regime in an attempt to suppress an uprising. People are being executed in hospital beds. They are being shot in the head, yet two Sinn Féin MEPs abstained on this re…

I did not get to the end of my contribution. I wanted to pose a question on a very important topic. A lot of other Members ran over their time.

What about Iran?

On a point of order, will Ms Funchion outline what other details was------

I am not aware of any other details so perhaps Ms Funchion would outline the rest of the detail of the resolution.

There is a lot of detail-----

Ms Funchion did not answer the question. I want to know what detail was objected to.

I expect my question to be answered.

I want to know what detail Ms Funchion-----

I want to know what detail she objects to.

I thank the Minister of State for very comprehensively outlining what is contained in this Bill. I commend him, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and their officials on their work in respect of this matter. As the Minister of State outlined, the Bill aims to stimulate sustainable development and sustainable economic activity within the licensing system that is designed to protect our environment. We all want to transition to a more sustainable economy. As a result, we need a legislative framework to allow for that to h…

He might prefer not to come back.

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement debate this morning. This issue is something I am very passionate about and I have spoken to him about it previously. There is an urgent need to open more reading classes in north county Dublin for children with dyslexia, and not just in north county Dublin but nationally. Within special education provision, this area is one where we are falling down. Reading classes were first established by Micheál Martin when he was the Minister for education. They are c…

I am happy to hear that the Minister of State is very much aware of the impact of reading classes and schools in transforming the lives of the young people who have been lucky enough to access them. The Government has invested a huge amount of money in mainstream and learning supports but for some children that is not enough. The severity of their dyslexia is such that they require specialised intervention in the form of a reading class. The Minister of State mentioned a report. Will he let me know when he expects …

Now.

I wish to raise the issue of the schools building projects announced last week. The Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, announced 105 projects that will be proceeding to the tender or building process imminently. We were very disappointed not to see the projects promised for Rush. These involve two school buildings on the Park Road campus: St. Joseph's Secondary School and Gaelscoil Ros Eo. These are two schools that have been waiting a long time for new buildings. We worked together for many years to acquire the…

The stark headline in today’s The Irish Times is: “Dublin’s northside needs a maternity hospital that is fit for purpose”. It is a piece written by Chris Fitzpatrick, who is eminently qualified to speak about maternity services across Dublin, having worked in all three Dublin maternity hospitals. The Rotunda is delivering thousands more babies than any other hospital in the State but its plans for redevelopment have stalled. Professor Sean Daly, the master of the Rotunda, recently spoke about the severe overcrowdin…

I welcome this Bill. I thank the Minister for giving such a comprehensive outline of the measures contained within it. Delivery of critical infrastructure is key for the economic and social well-being of this country. This €1.5 billion investment is significant and will help with the delivery of that critical infrastructure. The Minister outlined projects such as extra housing, which is very badly needed, and the MetroLink project. This investment will help to deliver that. Electricity infrastructure is crucial for…

Next Tuesday.

Next Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.