I am aware there is a motion before the Dáil as we speak, so I will be very careful in what I say in order to respect our Standing Orders. However, I have to say that today's motion is an embodiment of the extreme situation our nation has come to. It is this extreme situation that I wish to speak about. A number of political commentators have said the protests were somehow unexpected and came out of nowhere, but this is totally incorrect. I have mentioned twice in recent months the threat of the collapse of the hau…

I think Sinn Féin voted in favour of many taxes over the years.

We will start with the carbon tax. That will be enough.

Well done Acting Leader.

Hear, hear.

We are in extreme situations. People are desperate and we have been driven to desperate measures. The crisis of these protests is entirely self-inflicted by Government policy. According to the AA, the average Irish driver is paying extraordinary levels of tax for a full tank of fuel. If a fill of diesel costs €117.70, approximately €56.65 goes straight to the State. If a fill of petrol costs €95.50, roughly €54 is tax. This is what the average driver faces filling up every week or more often. It does not even accou…

The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is welcome to Seanad Éireann this morning. I rise today because this House cannot meaningfully discuss international protection or the functioning of the process of the International Protection Office, IPO, without access to the most basic operational data. Right now, we do not have that data. The matter I raise is the need for the Minister to provide the annual number of applicants who fail to attend their scheduled international protection interviews, to explain why this inf…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I am not filled with confidence in relation to the question I asked about how the data is kept on non-co-operative people that turn up within the international protection application process and who are taken out of the system. Are the taxpayers in this country still paying the daily allowance for that individual? Are they still paying for housing for that individual? Are they still paying for the medical card for that individual? I refer to cases where the person is non…

I want to speak on the vicious and horrific attack on Scarlett Faulkner, a young woman and mother from the Traveller community, in Birdhill in Tipperary last weekend. The footage and descriptions that have emerged are absolutely harrowing and worse still is the result that Ms Faulkner is now in hospital fighting for her life. I believe I can speak for everyone here in this Chamber in saying all our thoughts and prayers are with Scarlett and we hope with the help of the doctors and the help of God she will pull thro…

I rise today because this House must confront a pattern of incidents that raise serious questions about public safety, national security awareness and the State's capacity to respond. Most recently in Navan, County Meath, a woman claimed to have a bomb strapped to her during a children's confirmation in a church. While the details are still emerging, the targeting of a place of worship fits into a broader and troubling pattern. Last year, two gardaí were attacked with a knife on Capel Street with the attacker shout…

I support the amendment, which simply requires that, within 12 months of the enactment, the Minister lays before both Houses a report stating how the Act has functioned. It is reasonable and entirely in keeping with the oversight responsibilities of this House. On Committee Stage, many of us highlighted concerns about the practical operations of the legislation once it left this Chamber and entered the real world. We spoke at length about capacity, transparency and the risk of legislating without clear mechanisms t…

I second the amendment.

I rise to talk about amendments Nos. 21 and 22.

The amendments I put up my hand to speak on are Nos. 21 and 22.

They are the ones I put up my hand to speak on.

I 100% had my hand up.

They are out of order.

Why are they out of order? They are down to be discussed.

That is okay. No problem.

I have a point of order while the Minister is on his feet. If an applicant refuses to give their biometric data and the State detains them, how long can they be detained for and what happens to that applicant?