Deleting obscure, outdated and often bizarre laws is something we are pretty good at in this country. We are world beaters, in fact. Between 2003 and 2016, we got around 60,000 of them off the books and this legislation will remove over 3,000 more laws and proclamations that remain on the Statute Book as a legacy of empire and a reminder of some of the country's darkest days. The orders and proclamations that are being removed from the Statute Book by this long-overdue legislation date from between 1821 and 1861 an…

Independent Ireland will support this Bill and the idea of simplifying the law to make it more accessible to the general public. The aim is to reduce compliance costs for businesses and bodies which interact with our legislation regularly. It is the stated policy of our party to achieve this across the public sector and beyond. I wish to record our admiration for the sterling work of the Law Reform Commission on the statutory law revision programme in bringing forward this seventh Bill on the area. With 3,367 instr…

All this just for Deputy Michael Lowry.

I would like to talk about infrastructure in north County Dublin. As the Tánaiste knows, Fingal is the fastest growing and youngest local authority area in the country. Rush has doubled in size and Lusk has quadrupled in size in 20 years. I was delighted to invite my former students from St. Joseph's Secondary School here. They are a genuinely lovely bunch. However, they and the teachers are using buildings that are decades old and not fit for purpose. We are lucky enough to be at the planning permission phase at t…

I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Mark Wall, on bringing forward this important motion. I stand here on behalf of thousands of young carers throughout Ireland, children, teenagers and young adults who take on immense responsibilities at home, often at great personal cost. They provide essential care for family members with disabilities, illness, mental health conditions and addiction. Their contributions too often go unnoticed. This year's Young Carers Action Day on 12 March carried the theme "Give me a break". T…

Is mór an onóir dom a bheith ábalta labhairt faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Gabh mo leithscéal nach bhfuil Gaeilge líofa agam. Is cúis náire dom é nach bhfuilim lán-ábalta mé féin a chur in iúl tríd ár dteanga dhúchais. Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste mar a deirtear. Is ceiliúradh ár dteanga náisiúnta í Seachtain na Gaeilge. Anuas ar sin, tugtar deis dúinn an Ghaeilge a chur chun agus tacaíocht shuntasach don Ghaeilge a lorg ón Rialtas. Seachtain na Gaeilge is a celebration of our national language but it sho…

Members should make no mistake; we are now living in a different world. The vote in the UN this week and the sidelining of both Ukraine and our EU allies in the talks in Saudi Arabia have put a definitive end to the idea that history ended with the downfall of the Soviet Union. The world has changed and we should not ignore that. America's pivot to Asia flagged that guaranteeing common European security was no longer the priority it might once have been. This is being exacerbated by the current US Administration, w…

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his new role. It might seem odd that the Labour Party spokesperson for agriculture is a Dublin-based TD. However, I assure members that I am from Rush in the north county. It used to be known as the market garden capital of Ireland because of the importance horticulture played in its economy. I have picked every fruit and vegetable under the sun during the course of my life and also worked in the supply chain for Fyffes for three years, so outside of those Members who are…

Go raibh maith agat. As this is my first time speaking in the Dáil, I would like to take a moment just to thank my family, my ma and my da and my three brothers, the Fingal Labour Party branches and my friends who helped me to campaign during the recent election to get here. Most importantly, I thank the good people of Dublin Fingal West who have put their trust in me for the duration of this term to advocate on their behalf for the essential services they need. Fingal is the youngest and fastest growing area in th…

I refer to the tenant in situ scheme, which provides critical funding for the likes of Fingal County Council to purchase homes to protect people at risk of homelessness. To meet that end we need sustained Government funding and it is essential that this must remain a priority. I am surprised that the allocation of that funding and unit acquisition numbers have not, as far as I am aware to date, gone to our local authorities. I am dealing with a growing number of landlords and tenants being put at risk as a conseque…