The Minister is not ruling it out.

What about the therapist? Is the Taoiseach okay with that?

Why do we bother?

The EU has decided to do absolutely nothing about the genocide being heaped on the Palestinian people. Yesterday, an attempt was made by Spain, Slovenia and Ireland to raise the issue of not just trade but the special trading status that the EU has. The EU is the largest trading partner with Israel, bar none. It is some indictment on the EU that it is now lining up four-square behind an imperialist power that is heaping such misery on the population, such as the death penalty being introduced, gendered violence and…

The Taoiseach mentioned child poverty. There are a quarter of a million children in forced deprivation, 8% in consistent poverty, and one in five workers is low-paid in an economy that has vast wealth and a budget surplus. The Taoiseach mentioned DEIS plus. In Dublin 15 and much of the constituency I represent, there is huge anger among principals that so many schools have been left off the DEIS plus list. Earlier I raised the two primary schools in Corduff left off DEIS plus even though it is an area where princip…

Two years ago the parents of Dublin 15 took to the streets, or took to autism-friendly protests in parks, to highlight the dire situation whereby they could not get proper education for disabled, neurodivergent or autistic children. Two years on, we had a special task force in the area, which, as the Taoiseach well knows because it has been raised several times, did a huge review, but that review has not been published. We have 19 secondary school students who do not have school places in the area as well as many p…

Hansfield, in Ongar. It will have to consider putting students on shortened school days, which is reprehensible. The school knows it will get flak for it but feels it has no alternative. It asked for an ANA and SNA review for an increased allocation and it was refused. It has seven new students who need SNAs. Only one student left. It also has 13 emerging students who need support and it has two autism classes in which at least two students have been told by the professional care team that they need one-to-one SNA …

I want to start with the Dublin 15 special education task force that was clearly set up to box the issue off the agenda during the general election. The report has not been released. It is becoming like the third secret of Fatima. Will the Government release it? Many parents had to take to the streets and we want to see the recommendations and what the Minister will do about them. Who dreamed up the inclusive special schools the Minister announced? Why would the Minister announce a new model of special classes with…

I am raising the issue of DEIS plus, which is a new scheme announced to give enhanced supports to the most disadvantaged schools in the country. Obviously, I am all in favour of enhanced supports for schools, but there are a number of problems. I bring to the attention of the Minister of State the Corduff area of Dublin 15. I have been contacted by the principals of St. Patrick's Senior National School and St. Patrick’s Junior National School in the area. They will be in the DEIS band 1 scheme but have been exclude…

Obviously, the schools should appeal the decision. Hopefully, they will be brought up to the level of supports needed. There has been a huge problem in this regard. There has been a 500% increase in the number of schools contacting the financial support services unit of the Department because of the rising cost of living. It affects every school. In areas of severe disadvantage, parents do not have the same resources that more middle-class areas have. Are the schools supposed to drop the nurturing and well-being su…

That is okay. Before the break, I raised at Leaders' Questions the toxic, misogynistic culture in the National Ambulance Service and I have spoken further to workers and clients of the service, including another worker who was raped and sexually assaulted and whose career was ended by complex post-traumatic stress disorder as a result. Inappropriate conduct and grooming on the degree course in Tallaght between older tutors and younger students reported to me. Very worryingly, two people have told me about the unnec…

Will the Minister investigate?

I would like to ask the Taoiseach about the consistency of his approach to world leaders and dictators. While the Taoiseach was in China, which was some time ago, the attack on Venezuela took place. The Taoiseach condemned the terrible regime in Venezuela while he was actually in China, which I did think was somewhat ironic. China is not a democracy and there is severe repression. The Taoiseach mentioned the solicitor representing Jimmy Lai being targeted. Were Irish journalists who were part of the Taoiseach's del…

Would you stop.

Not officially.

There are calls today for an all-island response to the epidemic of gender-based violence. In Northern Ireland, 30 women have been killed since 2020. It is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. A woman is more likely to be killed by her own son than by a stranger. The family and the home are very dangerous places. ROSA in the North has called a protest in Belfast for Saturday, 25 April to respond to the fact that 30 women have been killed and to say not one more should be killed. Two women we…

I echo the comments about grassroots football and the dire lack of funding. The way the clubs manage to provide a service is incredible. I will start by condemning the carry-on of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in stopping the funding for the entire League of Ireland based on one event, which was a flare being thrown on a pitch. He thinks that flare is a declaration of war but he is fine with what the Israelis are doing apparently. I will focus my comments on the Ireland-Israel game. Of all the things that have ha…

The Dáil agenda has been obliterated to minimise the Opposition's chance to question the Taoiseach about what happened last week, his inept and arrogant handling of the protests and also to debate the package of measures that his Government brought in. We all feel huge sympathy for the Healy-Raes. I do not know if Danny is back from the top of a tractor somewhere. We all feel for the suffering of Michael having to resist the temptation to join him. We have an absolute obligation on behalf of the workers and the dis…

The Government just gave €500 million to them.

It has been excruciating listening to the Government talking about misery and missed hospital appointments. The housing Minister has left the House. There is a tsunami of evictions in my constituency. Two thirds of the under-35s are living with their parents. Need I go on? This Government leaves vast wealth untapped and untouched. Eleven billionaires own 85% of the wealth in Ireland. The protests last week were peaceful. They were certainly forceful and impactful. On the idea that critical infrastructure should be …