I believe these games should not go ahead. There has been a call to stop the games. The Palestinians have said that there should be a ban on all sporting engagements with Israel. There should be an outright boycott until such time as the people of Palestine are given the freedom, respect and rights they deserve.

The Minister said that Sport Ireland and the Government had no part to play. That is not accurate. In 1999, the then Government put off a match against Yugoslavia. The precedent has been set, and the Government should step in. It is very unfair of the Government to put all the blame on the FAI and let it carry the can. The FAI has previously made clear its position on playing matches with Israel, but now it has been pushed into a corner. The manager of the team has said: “[I]t's unfair for the players to be in this…

I will finish the quote from Seamus Coleman when speaking to Tony O’Donoghue of RTÉ. He said: “I am a dad, I am a husband, I've got a heart, I know the difference between right and wrong.” The Minister said that the decision was with the FAI, not the Government. It is not. Deputy McEntee is the Minister. She is in the Government. It is up to the Government to make the decision and to take it away from the players and the FAI. A precedent has been set, but it should happen even if there was no precedent. The Ministe…

I did not say that.

The Minister of State spoke about all the necessary preparations if there is to be a referendum. It is nearly 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement. Now is the time to honour and commemorate the 30th anniversary by having these conversations. While I welcome Fine Gael's announcement about a blueprint for a unified Ireland, it is not a united Ireland. I recognise, however, it is a step in the conversation. Bringing forward a united Ireland is not just Sinn Féin's job; it is the job of all political parties and no…

Our Private Members' business next week will move forward the conversation on unity. It will provide that the Taoiseach publish a Green Paper on the means of consultation with the people on the entire island. This would mean the Government setting out ideas on our vision for health, education, public service and the economy. What it would really mean would be the Government outlining the steps we would see for a united Ireland and what it would mean to people, North and South. We are not trying to impose this on pe…

I will finish on this. I know we will never get everyone to agree but if everyone feels they have been listened to and they are part of the conversation, they may think there is an opportunity to move forward. I believe the vast majority of people want a united Ireland.

People are struggling. Sometimes I ask myself whether the Government has any idea what is happening. The Minister of State is from west Cork. How do people who do not drive a car or van in west Cork get to work, school, college or hospital? People cannot depend on public transport. The Government is behaving in a sneaky way. It will put up the price of diesel and petrol while the Government is on holidays. The Minister of State should stand up and be a man. If the Government is going to increase the price, it shoul…

The Minister of State will have received the letter this week requesting a meeting between him and the TDs from Cork North-Central in relation to Scoil Padre Pio. We had a very important meeting on Monday with the principal, Ms Sinéad Elliffe, where she outlined that the school had been waiting and was now caught in limbo. The school’s extension was approved in 2019. The school has now gone through the whole design process and has gone back and forth with the Department, and as far as the school is concerned, it is…

We have a brilliant school that is dealing with some of the most vulnerable kids, both mainstream and special classes. They are being failed by this Government.

I have the printout of the schools here. They include St. Killian’s Special School, stage 2A, Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, stage 2A, Scoil Chroí Íosa, stage 2A, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, stage 1, Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, stage 2B, and Scoil Mhuire, stage 2B. Then there are Cork Educate Secondary School and Le Chéile Secondary School, Ballincollig, stage 1, and Coláiste Choilm, stage 2B. When are these to move on to the next stage? The Minister of State came in here and gave me a list. I have a list, too. All these schools…

Not in Churchfield.

First, I stand in solidarity with the staff and students of UCC who have been locked out of their college and workplace because of the visit of Ursula von der Leyen. Why there was a need for this extreme when people just want to go to work and college, I do not know but it goes to the over-the-top way that Europe and this Government are treating the citizens. Once again, the elites are being prioritised over ordinary people. There will be a gridlock in Cork. There will not be a gridlock for the elites. For the ordi…

This Friday is the closing date for objections to the disgraceful plan to demolish the historic old Cork prison site and to build two new prisons in the middle of a residential area in The Glen and surrounding areas. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are determined to strip away our history and destroy working class communities. They are using questionable legislation - a loophole - that means objections must be sent to Longford by post. I posted my objection last Friday and it still has not arrived. It took nearly a week …

The people of The Glen have enough with one prison. They do not deserve to have three prisons on the northside of Cork city.

Why not a greenfield site?

The Taoiseach knows The Glen well. It is in the middle of the community.

There is a huge issue with scramblers in my constituency. Following the new laws that came in earlier this year in the aftermath of the tragic death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch, communities were hoping that this would see a reduction in the use of scramblers. However, I have had to phone the Garda numerous times in the intervening period. On Monday night last, I had to phone the Garda three times because of scramblers being driven in a dangerous manner in communities right across the northside, including on St. Mary…

Thank you.

I have spoken to the Minister about Paudie Coady. He is 16 years old and has been diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia. His brother passed away from the same condition last year. It is a terminal condition. It is unbelievable that his father, Craig, has buried one son, has another son who is dying and that his wife is now in care because she has Huntington's disease. I cannot even get my mind around the tragedy facing this family. I know why Craig gets up every day. He gets up every day because he wants to do his ver…