It is important to acknowledge the dire circumstances many of those seeking protection in Ireland have experienced, both in their home countries and on their journeys here. We need to remember these are people seeking protection and safety. They have come to our country for help because it is too difficult or dangerous to stay in their own for many reasons, such as violence, war or extreme poverty. Many are forced to leave because of their sexual orientation or gender, or because of the consequences of climate chan…

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for the opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill. I welcome the legislation and its intention to change the social welfare means test so that child maintenance payments will no longer be assessed as means. It is totally inappropriate to ever treat child maintenance as a household income when it is intended specifically for the child. This change is long overdue. In 2022, CSO figures showed that 43.5% of one-parent families were living in…

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I fully support this necessary legislation to provide for a period of paid leave upon miscarriage for the purposes of availing of reproductive healthcare. I was glad to see this Bill passed in the Seanad and was very disappointed to read the Government amendment to kick the can down the road instead of allowing for women, upon miscarriage, to have up to 20 days of paid leave, and allowing ten days leave for workers undergoing fertility treatment. I do not see …

I fully support the call for a debate on Gaza and for Ireland to support South Africa in taking the Israelis to the ICJ because that is vitally important. It is important that the Government reflects the views of the Irish people. The Irish people are way ahead of the Government on this and it is time the Government got behind the people and supported this case.

The recent announcement that Donegal's only child and adolescent counselling service has been forced to close because of a lack of funding has sent shockwaves through many Donegal communities. It is an absolute disgrace. Not only has the counselling service been used, it has grown hugely with more than 15,000 counselling sessions provided in the past six years alone. There are 26 counsellors across seven outreach centres, including in Letterkenny, Dunfanaghy, Stranorlar, Buncrana and Creeslough. The Government cann…

I would also like to be associated with the remarks wishing all the staff a very happy Christmas on behalf of the group. On 18 May 1988, former prison officer Sean O'Brien overpowered and apprehended a prisoner attempting to escape from Portlaoise prison, while under a hail of fire from Irish Army personnel stationed on the roof. Attempts were made in the aftermath to get Officer O'Brien to sign a false statement about the events of that day and a number of inaccurate records are in existence. At the time, he was t…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act 2018 is something that Ireland should remain proud of in its capacity of setting a global standard; — the purpose of the Act was to mandate the movement of financial investments by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) away from fossil fuels, thus encouraging continued future investment in renewable energy and infrastructure; and — the United Nations (UN) reports that fossil fuels, namely coal, oil and gas, are by far the largest …

Yes, yes.

I thank Members for their discussion of and support for this Private Members' motion. I also thank those who do not support it because it is vital that we have informed debate in the House that leads to having better policy in the long run. It is important as well that debate should be conducted in a way that reflects what is actually in the proposal under discussion. What this motion talks about is fossil fuel undertakings in the agricultural industry, which are basically the manufacturers of products used by farm…

A recent statement from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland regarding the mortgageability of homes remediated under the flawed defective blocks scheme says assurances regarding the future mortgageability of properties remediated under the grants scheme cannot be given by the banking sector alone, that future mortageability is dependent on the sign-off and certification by others of remediation works under the grant scheme, and that it requires assurances by engineers, valuers, surveyors, insurers, conveyancing …

This question relates to how the Garda pursues unsolved Troubles-related crimes, such as murders, in the South and what co-operation it has with the PSNI or the British state regarding the sharing of information that might be relevant to those crimes.

The Minister of State referenced cases that remain open. What active investigations are taking place in that regard? Will the Minister of State outline what steps have been taken to keep victims and family members informed about what is happening with those cases? That is vitally important. The Minister of State also said that no formal processes or formal requests have been made for information but he is satisfied that the information does come across as required. The Minister of State outlined that formal process…

With all due respect to the Minister of State, I do not believe that last part was relevant at all to the question I asked. My question was on Troubles-related incidents but the Minister of State has outlined ongoing investigations taking place now, as far as I can make out. It is important to acknowledge that Troubles-related incidents and murders have taken place that should continue to be investigated. The question is whether they are or not and whether the families are actually informed in relation to it. A co-…

It is clear to me that this motion has malicious intentions. I see no other purpose in it than to stir up hate and division in this country, a shameful and reprehensible pursuit that the Rural Independent Group has been engaging in for a while. It has gone on far too long and needs to be called out. I highlight the fact that there is a racist element of this motion. The first two lines after "notes that" highlight the fact that the motion relates to "non-Ukrainian International Protection Accommodation Services". T…

I wrote to the Minister for Transport on Wednesday, 8 November, asking for members of the Opposition to be briefed on the detail of the exemptions being granted under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order. Over two weeks later, having not received even an acknowledgment from the Minister, I put down a parliamentary question to see if it would get him moving on this urgent manner. The question was answered on 22 November but the response did not answer the question, onl…

He made no order.

What continues to come out in relation to this Bill is that it is rushed and maybe deliberately complicated. We are hearing now that the explanatory memorandum does not even comply with the Bill, which is shocking for the House here, because it is disrespectful to put forward a Bill of this nature to the House for consideration. Many Members are not members of the housing committee and would not be intimately involved in the pre-legislative scrutiny, yet we all have an important role to make sure that the legislati…

There is a growing demand for healthcare services in this country and a severe shortage of primary care providers in many areas. There is no doubt that community paramedics bridge this gap, providing a vital service in communities across Ireland. A recent study by the National Ambulance Service has shown that 55.6% of patients responded to by community paramedics were discharged to an alternative care pathway by those paramedics. This shows just how important community paramedics are in alleviating the pressure on …

It still has not happened.

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Special Report by the Ombudsman for Children entitled "Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 16th October, 2023. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to lead out on this important debate, and the Business Committee for taking a positive approach and allowing it onto the agenda, which is timely and important. The Ombudsman for Children is on his way to the House to watch the debate fr…