Results 1-20 of 207 for going forward speaker:Thomas Pringle

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 May 2024)

Thomas Pringle: ...the capacity of the Defence Forces. The complement is 7,500. At LOA 1, capacity should be at 9,500 so we are not even addressing that yet at LOA 2, capacity will be built up to 13,000. How are we going to get from 7,500 to 13,000 when we cannot get from 7,500 to 9,500? It does not make sense. There is a wider agenda here and that is something we will see develop over the next couple...

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2024)

Thomas Pringle: ...Abuse Bill 2024. The State has repeatedly let down survivors of residential institutional abuse and this legislation is yet another example. It is interesting that this legislation is being put forward by the Department of Education. We had the Department of children previously. It shows that this is a whole-of-government approach to actually perpetrating the wrongs that have gone...

European Union Migration and Asylum Pact: Motion [Private Members] (1 May 2024)

Thomas Pringle: ...I am against the introduction of the European migration and asylum pact, it is not for the reasons the Rural Independent Group outlined in the motion, so I will not support that motion. The Government will probably bring forward an amendment, which I will be happy not to support because I do not expect it to go anywhere near satisfying the concerns I have. I am disappointed at some of...

Housing Targets and Regulations: Motion [Private Members] (6 Mar 2024)

Thomas Pringle: I thank the Acting Chair for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding housing targets and regulation. I thank Labour for bringing the motion forward. I support this motion and its calls for the Government to increase its housing targets significantly. It is clear that Housing for All, the Government's strategy to address the housing crisis and end homelessness, has been an...

Protection of Employees (Trade Union Subscriptions) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (28 Feb 2024)

Thomas Pringle: I thank Deputy Joan Collins for bringing forward such important legislation and to her staff for all the work they did on this. I fully support this legislation to oblige employers to make contributions from the wages of an employee to a trade union of his or her choice if requested just as they already do with pension payments and other voluntary contributions as has been outlined by the...

Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022. I thank Deputy Gino Kenny and People Before Profit for bringing forward this legislation. I fully support this Bill, which will decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use. Treating the possession of small amounts of cannabis as an offence is nonsensical and...

Planning and Development Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Dec 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...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...

Special Report by the Ombudsman for Children on Direct Provision: Motion (30 Nov 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...since 2022 and which HIQA is not tasked with inspecting. Tusla's audit also showed a high rate of non-compliance with respect to child safeguarding in permanent centres. How can the Minister ensure that, going forward, these breaches will be addressed and that children in permanent centres and emergency sites will be safe? It is shocking that only 10% of children seeking international...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 Nov 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...and no clarification was given. Families in defective-block homes have been forgotten time and again and they continue to be let down by the Government. The Tánaiste has a chance to change this going forward. Will he liaise with the banking sector on whether the various remediation options will restore mortgageable conditions to the homes affected?

Palestine: Motion [Private Members] (22 Nov 2023)

Thomas Pringle: That is the way it is going to be so the Acting Chair had better get used to it. I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for bringing forward this motion. I wholeheartedly support its calls for Israel to immediately cease all settlement activity, restore food, water, electricity and medical supplies and remove all other forms of arbitrary restrictions of movement of people that result in...

Home Care Workers and Home Support Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (8 Nov 2023)

Thomas Pringle: I thank the Labour Party for bringing this important motion forward. I support this motion and in particular, its calls for the immediate reversal of the recruitment embargo on health workers for a guarantee that home carers are paid, at a minimum, the new living wage rate of €14.80, for payment for mileage expenses and travel time between care locations; as well as for guaranteed...

Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2023)

Thomas Pringle: I am supposed to be sharing time with some other Deputies. If they arrive, they arrive. If they do not, I will keep going. There is plenty of information here to keep me going for another while. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the opportunity to speak today. I thank my colleague Deputy Connolly for bringing forward this motion. It is a very detailed, well-written and...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2023)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023. This is one of the largest Finance Bills put forward for some time, mostly due to the implementation of the EU minimum tax directive and the OECD model rules regarding pillar 2. Despite being the largest Finance Bill in a long time, it does very little for the ordinary citizens of the country....

Investment in Healthcare: Statements (19 Oct 2023)

Thomas Pringle: It was interesting listening to Government Members before I came into the House and hearing their take on what is happening with the health services. In the same breath we hear that they have got extra money - a record amount of money - and then we hear about all the problems. There should not be any problems because they have this record amount of money. The reality is that the record...

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...to arbitrary constraints determined by Government and the move to the centre by some parties to meet these arbitrary constraints is particularly disappointing. The reality is that, if we are going to deliver the change that this country so desperately needs, we need to completely break down and restructure entire Departments and entire systems. This is something that cannot be done bit...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Second Stage (4 Oct 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...services for victims; and ensuring consistency in service delivery. It is extremely important that victims feel supported and protected. This is key if we expect victims to take that first step in coming forward. When victims come forward to disclose a sexual assault, they are frequently met with more questions than support. This has to change. One of the biggest issues is that the...

Eviction Ban Bill 2022: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...the opportunity to speak on today’s motion regarding the suspension of the scrutiny requirement for the Eviction Ban Bill 2022. I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for bringing this motion forward. I absolutely support this motion and the Bill on which it is based. It is essential that we accelerate the passage of the Eviction Ban Bill so that tenants are given proper...

Reversal of Planned Fuel Price Increases: Motion [Private Members] (26 Sep 2023)

Thomas Pringle: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding fuel increases. I also thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion. I fully support this motion and its calls for the Government to reverse its plans to increase the price of petrol and diesel on 11 October by a further 2 and 2.5 cent and a further 8 and 6 cent per litre on 31 October. These are...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...would wonder what Fine Gael did to local authorities at any stage. They participated in the fiasco that we have in terms of local authorities - Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party and every Government - and that is the problem. Out-of-government control would make a big difference to it. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. There is...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Thomas Pringle: ...to speak to this motion on what is an extremely important law, the nature restoration law proposed by the European Commission. This is the most substantial nature legislation that has been put forward by the EU in decades and it comes as a result of the environmental crisis we have been facing and will continue to face for years to come. Because this legislation is so important, it is...