Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

-Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) -Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees (without debate)

-Ráitis maidir leis an Ghaeilge chun Seachtain na Gaeilge a chomóradh (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

-Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 60 minutes)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Tithíocht Gaeltachta, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

-Statements on Post Office Closures (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

-Statements on Scoliosis and Inquiries (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

-Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage, resumed) (to conclude at the end of the first round, not to exceed 2 hours and 34 minutes)

-Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to commence no earlier than 8.30 p.m. and to conclude within 1 hour and 30 minutes)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Second Stage of the Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026, selected by Independent and Parties Technical Group.

Thursday's business shall be:

-Media Regulation Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at the end of the first speaking round)

Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018, sponsored by Deputy Gary Gannon.

Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business:

In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that:

1.notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a)the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and

(b)private members’ business shall be taken following proceedings on the Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business;

2.the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2026 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3.the proceedings on the Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees shall be taken without debate;

4.the Statements on Seachtain na Gaeilge shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across);

(b)following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time; and

(a)the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down); and

(b)members may share time.

1.notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a)the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m.;

(b)in the event that Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 concludes before 8.30 p.m., the sitting shall stand suspended until 8.30 p.m., when the order of business shall resume with the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025; and

(c)the weekly division time shall be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025;

2.notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Online Safety (Recommender Algorithms) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours

3.the Statements on Post Office Closures shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across);

(b)following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time;

(a)the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across);

(b)following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time;

(a)the speaking slots from Tuesday’s arrangements for the first round shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned;

(b)on conclusion of the first-round speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time; and

6.the Order of referral of the Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 to the Select Committee on Health, is hereby discharged, the Bill shall be taken in Committee of the whole Dáil and the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Bill shall commence no earlier than 8.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health.

In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

1.notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:

(a)topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for the Second Stage of the Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and

(b)the Dáil on its rising today shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 18th March, 2026; and

2.the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Media Regulation Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);

(b)where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and

(c)members may share time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Are this week's arrangements agreed to?

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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They are not agreed.

When will the Taoiseach stand up for our fishing communities in Europe? He knows we are in an unprecedented crisis. There is a 70% cut in mackerel and 41% in blue whiting, primarily because of actions of countries like Norway which recklessly overfished. In recent days, Norway was granted 50,000 tonnes of blue whiting access in Irish waters and the Irish Government abstained. It did not stand up and confront what is going on here.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Marie Sherlock.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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When will the Taoiseach stand up for Irish fishing communities? When will he do his job for our communities?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Mac Lochlainn, 30 seconds is all you have. Deputy Marie Sherlock.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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We are calling for a debate on the termination of pregnancy legislation. I want to pay tribute to Deputy Whitmore's niece, who spoke so powerfully this morning about her own experience of fatal foetal anomalies. It is eight years since that legislation was passed. The Government dragged its heels on the review. There has been no action on Marie O'Shea's recommendations, which are now three years old. For women and their families across this country, it is absolutely unacceptable and we should have a debate in this country on the Government's position.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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As we have heard, the implications of the illegal attack of the US and Israel on Iran and the retaliatory attacks are far reaching in terms of citizen safety abroad, energy prices and international law. We need a debate on this issue this week. The Taoiseach has just said we have not debated Iran enough, so please make time for this and debate these pressing issues.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We need an emergency debate on whether our airport, Shannon Airport, is going to be used by the US military to prosecute what is a flagrantly illegal military assault on Iran, which has set the entire Middle East on fire and which is being conducted with a regime, Israel, that is in the dock for two and a half years of genocide.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you Deputy Boyd Barrett. Deputy Michael Collins.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Is the Taoiseach going to allow our airports to be used to facilitate that illegal war? We need to discuss that as a matter of urgency.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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With the outbreak of the war in Iran, energy costs are going to go through the roof. An elderly lady told me she was quoted €950 on Friday evening. She was putting together the money for the weekend to ring them yesterday morning and it had gone up to €1,080. The Minister of Finance needs to come in here and talk about the temporary freezing of carbon tax to give people a little bit of ease in this shocking time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy Collins. The Chief Whip to respond, please.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all the Whips for their comments on the fishing community, the termination of pregnancy, Iran, Shannon Airport and energy costs. The Order of Business stands as set out and as circulated to all the Whips. However, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, will come in during the week to take statements on Iran and I will engage with the Whips in the afternoon.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Not agreed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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A reported 37 families in Hazelwood in Bridgetown, County Wexford, were hit with eviction notices on Friday. These families are panicked, stressed and worried about the upheaval in their lives. There is a serious lack of homes available to rent in the area, and even if they could find a new place, they would be hit with massive rent increases due to the Government's new legislation. People feel that their landlord is taking advantage of the new rules.

Where are these families supposed to go? The Minister for housing has talked the talk about standing up for these tenants, but following meetings with the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, and the council, as things stand today, these families still face eviction. Big talk from the Minister will not keep these families in their homes. What concrete action will the Taoiseach take to protect their rights and ensure they are not evicted?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a matter of very serious concern that a landlord would behave in this manner. The reports were raised over the weekend with regard to the serving of 36 notices of termination by that landlord. The Minister, Deputy Browne, asked the Residential Tenancies Board to engage with the affected tenants and with Wexford County Council to ensure the impacted tenants' rights are protected. He has also been in touch with Wexford County Council to be supportive of those tenants. I have not seen the report back from the RTB yet. I will work with the Minister for housing to get access to that report to see where the situation now lies.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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At the weekend, the Taoiseach's appalling new rules for renters came into effect. To mark that change, we learned of the eviction notices issued to 36 homes in Wexford, all owned by the same large landlord, right in the heart of the housing Minister's own constituency. My colleague Deputy Lawlor has been dealing with the families involved, in excess of 100 people including many children, many of whom will not qualify for the housing assistance payment, HAP, or the council housing list.

The Taoiseach's new law is unleashing fear on the people he is meant to represent, and there is nothing but silence from the housing Minister.

3 o’clock

It seems that the Minister had to wait for his civil servants to come back to work this week to explain his own law to him. It seems the law is so complex that he was not able to provide any clarification to the families affected. There are two questions. If the Minister for housing cannot understand his own laws, how on earth is any renter meant to know their rights now? Second, we are all seeing a real-time surge in notices to quit. The Wexford case is a really serious and extreme example-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Taoiseach to respond now.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Is the Taoiseach monitoring this situation? We are seeing more and more-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The time is up, Deputy.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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-----eviction notices.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Of course, these eviction notices came before the new rules came into place-----

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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It was the same weekend.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I should not have to explain that to the Deputy. She should know that and she did not acknowledge that.

George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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It was on the Friday.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The new laws provide far greater and stronger protection to tenants than the old system did and Deputy Bacik was the very person who alleged that we ignored the Housing Commission. The Housing Commission said that the rent protection zones, RPZs-----

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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A radical reset-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy has had her say.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----could not stay as they were and that we needed to reform them. We bought in the Housing Agency to come up with proposals. It did so and we have taken the decisions to reform. The Deputy will always sit on the fence on this one because electorally nothing else will suit her or suffice. That is the truth.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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That is not true.

George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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Disgraceful.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Bacik calls for reform but when reform happens and decisions are taken - none of this is easy because it is a complex landscape - she will continue to sit on the fence.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We are not-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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What happened in Wexford is unacceptable.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We are not sitting on any fence.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister sent the Residential Tenancies Board down.

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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For a time Bessborough mother and baby home was not just a place where children were born; it was where they died. In 1943, three out of every four babies there died. One of the leading causes of death was starvation. The mother and baby homes commission report stated that 923 children died in Bessborough but burial records only exist for 64. The commission concluded it was highly likely some of those children were buried on the grounds. The State either does not care or does not want to know because there has never been a proper, forensic examination of Bessborough. Unbelievably, Cork City Council has granted planning permission for 140 apartments on the site. Survivors of Bessborough have never received justice. The very least the Government owes them is to find the bodies of their children. Does the Government supports this development and if not, what is it going to do about it?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy makes all sorts of accusations against the Government, which are unfounded. She claims the moral high ground on everything. I have met with survivors from Bessborough and many did not want the forensic exhumation or examination of the site. They want a memorial and they want it to be respected. My own view is that it would have been far more preferable if-----

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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Does the Taoiseach think that is really-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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The Taoiseach can-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not interrupt the Deputy. Do not be so morally condescending, which is her wont. I have as much concern for people as she has but her tone is always one of condescension on these matters. I have spoken to survivors. I was about to say that I would have preferred if the city council had acquired Bessborough, which should have happened many years ago, for amenity purposes, and recreation-----

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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If the Taoiseach could see the anguish-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and memorialisation. We do not have a say as an executive authority in planning applications or planning decisions by An Bord Pleanála or its operations.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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It was quite incredible to hear the Taoiseach at Leaders' Questions again and again refuse to condemn the criminal US and Israeli bombing of Iran. His refusal to tell the very simple truth that this attack is in violation of international law is a shocking illustration of his Government's subordinate position to US imperialism and his moral cowardice in seeking not to irritate Donald Trump in advance of meeting with him.

Over 700 people have been killed so far. Israel has commenced a land invasion into Lebanon forcing 30,000 people to flee. Almost 200 people, overwhelmingly young schoolchildren together with teachers, were killed in one strike alone at a primary school. These were seven- to 12-year-old girls. What position has the Taoiseach gotten himself into where he cannot condemn the murder of children?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have been very clear that the action taken is not in accordance with a UN mandate. I have been equally clear about the powerlessness and paralysis of the international rules-based order as it is via the UN Security Council.

I am also very conscious that for years the Deputy has been very silent in terms of Iranian atrocities.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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That is a lie. Check the record. You are lying, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not interrupt you, Deputy.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I have not been silent.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy was not interrupted. Allow the Taoiseach to give his answer.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have never interrupted-----

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I did not lie about you.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We will be charitable. The Deputy has put many the wrong spin on things I have said over the years and I am under no illusion-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We had Iranian protestors in this House.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Boyd Barrett, it is not your-----

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I had an AV room briefing-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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They do not want the answer, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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They do not.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Tóibín.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Condemn the murder of children, Taoiseach. Why can you not condemn the murder of children?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just did earlier, if you were listening. I did, actually.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Please, enough. I call Deputy Tóibín.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Go back and check.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Tóibín.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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In May 2018, Leo Varadkar stood in this Chamber and promised no woman affected by CervicalCheck would be forced to go to court to get justice. In 2019, he apologised for the disrespect, humiliation and deceit shown by the State to the women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal.

In September 2021, I said in this Chamber, and a number of times since, that the tribunal would not work. Indeed, it has not worked. We have learned the tribunal has been shut down without a single red cent awarded to any of these women. Not only were they failed disastrously by CervicalCheck, but they have been failed disastrously again. Incredibly, €3.4 million was spent on offices, leases and fit-outs for an organisation that did not give one red cent to the women who need it. That so much has been spent on achieving so little for women who were owed so much by the State is a disgrace. Will the Taoiseach apologise for disrespecting these women yet again?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy cannot have it both ways. We did establish the tribunal. That was a commitment a previous Government and former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave. The tribunal was established in good faith. People always have the entitlement to take their case through the courts if they so wish, but that tribunal, introduced by the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, at the time, had a very broad framework in how it was established and the jurisdiction it had and so forth. In our view, it would potentially have been an easier route to go through but people are entitled to take decisions in respect of how they pursue this.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I want to again raise the issue of Aer Lingus taking a unilateral decision to insist that those travelling from the Republic to mainland Great Britain must have a passport. This is creating all sorts of problems for Irish people. There is a presumption that everybody has a passport. I know many people in my county who do not have passports but travel to the UK regularly. To take a practical example, if some of those people have a relative who dies in the UK, they have to get a passport. As the Taoiseach knows, people cannot get an emergency passport if it is the first time. Many of those did not have passports. It is necessary for Aer Lingus to be more practical and to at least give people an opportunity. It is wrong that the company should have done this. Ryanair always had this policy. Ironically, people have to travel with British Airways to get across from Dublin. Perhaps the Taoiseach could raise it with Aer Lingus, or his Minister could raise it with it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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My understanding is the UK Government may have introduced new travel requirements on this. I will pursue this with the UK Government and with Aer Lingus.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is not the UK; it is Aer Lingus.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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No back and forth.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just got some information. I will check it for the Deputy and I will pursue it. I understand many Donegal people travel for different reasons----

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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And people in Cork.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----sporting, especially.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There are practical reasons.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Practical, that is what I am saying.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Ye can engage further in writing.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is lots of to and fro from Donegal.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Timmins.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the issue of spending control, cost control and improved outputs in various Departments. This issue does not get enough of a hearing in this Chamber. We should not assume spending increases should automatically match economic growth. Often when we spend more, we feed inefficiencies. All increased spending must be matched by improved outputs and all existing spending should be justified. This will automatically lead to better public services.

In terms of overall spending growth, I want to draw a clear distinction between current and capital expenditure. There are parallels between capital spending and a company making investments in, say, equipment, machinery or automation. There are real returns. If the electricity grid, rail network or broadband network is upgraded, the economy will run more efficiently.

Our taxpayers fund this spending; who is speaking up for the taxpayer?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If there was a medal to be awarded for the best contributor of the week, the Deputy would be most deserving of it because he is a lone voice among many voices whose only inclination and focus is on spending more money, calling on Government to keep on spending more money and spend as much as we can. He is the first person in a long time who has stood up and said that public expenditure in itself is not something that we should just in a knee-jerk way or automatically applaud.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It feeds inefficiencies.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We should be very focused on outputs, outcomes, value for money and somebody in here supporting the taxpayer every now and again. I salute that. It is an awful pity the Minister for public expenditure did not hear him because he would feel a bit less lonely in the overall scheme of things than he currently does in keeping a rein on public expenditure. I agree with the Deputy that capital expenditure is an investment in the productive capacity of our economy. It does give yields and economic efficiency, and can help economic growth into the future. That is why the budget focused very much on capital investment this year but also through the national development plan over the next decade.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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Today marks World Hearing Day with the World Health Organization focusing on prevention of hearing loss and ear care for children. Almost 14,000 children are waiting on HSE hearing loss assessments alongside more than 13,000 adults, some of whom have been waiting for over a year. One deaf working couple, James and Ruth, have spoken about having to pay €10,000 for essential hearing aids every five to seven years. Their income makes them ineligible for a medical card. In 2024, the Government established a working group to develop a national hearing care plan. The working group has yet to deliver a report while those waiting lists continue to grow. When will we see a national hearing care plan? When will it be implemented? What is the Government doing today to ensure that children are prioritised for hearing loss prevention and ear care?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge that there are challenges with delays here. I will discuss this with the Minister. We had a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on health yesterday. A lot of progress has been made on waiting times and on health in general. Some very significant progress has been made. There is a lot of investment yet to come in terms of capacity on the current side and on the infrastructure side. However, we acknowledge that there are issues here and we need to get these waiting times down.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I want to raise the serious issue of Irish citizens currently stranded in the Middle East. Since the weekend's events, I have been contacted by constituents who are on holiday or working in the region and find themselves trapped. Airports are closed and flight paths are suspended. People are in a frightening and volatile situation through no fault of their own. I commend the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and her team on working around the clock to provide consular assistance to those people. However, the reality is extremely worrying for those citizens and their families in Ireland, at least 14 of whom are in my own county of Laois. At present there are no recommended evacuation routes from the Gulf countries. If this conflict continues, is the Government prepared to implement an evacuation plan for the Irish citizens in the affected region? Those people deserve clarity, reassurance and the full protection of the State.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The advice is very clear: to shelter in place and to register with the relevant embassy for the country in which they are based so that there can be clear communication between our embassies and Irish citizens. All options are being, and will be, pursued to help our citizens. The immediate situation is very challenging because it is unsafe. Emirates and Etihad got opportunities yesterday; they got short time windows to get some planes out. Those were mostly towards the east. We would hope that there might be opportunities in the coming week if that could happen. In the meantime, we are pursuing all options, including co-ordinating with our European partners on any potential evacuation. For the immediate days ahead, the advice is to stay in shelter and register. We will do everything we can with the authorities in the respective countries in the Gulf to support our citizens.

Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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Every day I am contacted by a member of my community who says either they, themselves, or a member of their family have attended the accident and emergency department in Beaumont Hospital. They invariably describe it as being like a war zone. That department is bursting at the seams with elderly people left on trolleys and on chairs while staff have to try to care for patients in an overcrowded and overrun emergency department. We are a wealthy modern country and there is no excuse for people in their most vulnerable moments to be forced to endure war zone conditions in their local hospital. We urgently need the redevelopment of the emergency department at Beaumont and the construction of a new critical care unit. I welcome that the Government has committed over €24 million to the hospital but we need to know timelines for when this work will commence and be finalised.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy said, €24 million was allocated for this facility in the capital plan. We need to work through the design. Under the acceleration of critical infrastructure, we hope that they will follow through on the work the Minister, Deputy Chambers, has done on fast-tracking these developments. Yesterday, I met with the HSE chief executive along with the Minister at the Cabinet subcommittee on health. The north east is the best area in the country with the lowest number of people on trolleys for any length of time. It is in the green zone a lot more than others. Overall, notwithstanding the experiences that some of the Deputy's constituents have articulated to him, a lot more progress is happening in the north east than in some other parts of the country in the accident and emergency story overall. I will talk to the HSE in respect of timelines at that accident and emergency department. We are conscious that HSE infrastructure takes longer than other infrastructure.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Sorca Clarke brought up the issue James Reardon and Ruth McSkane had with costs of almost €10,000 for audiology supports and hearing aids. I brought that issue up previously with the Taoiseach and sent it to his office. It needs to be addressed.

I will briefly deal with the issue of the National Ambulance Service. Debbie McCole and many other members were outside Leinster House protesting today. I have been contacted by fathers, by uncles and by those themselves who had been qualified. One such email said:

- 9th February - received UCC final results

- 12th February - Email from HR saying there was a delay issuing our contracts as they were waiting on college results

- 24th February - HR Email 16 week extension contract and advise us of this new internal recruitment campaign and that we have to apply for our jobs

- 26th February - Teams call with the head of service for the east informing us of the situation

They thought they had jobs. They thought they were working for the HSE and they want to do so. The National Ambulance Service believes it is a problem with numbers. The HSE is playing around with this. We do need to find a solution.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up. The Deputy has had enough time.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We need to find a solution because in other parts of the health service we would love if people would stay on after training, qualifying and working. We have made huge progress on the nursing front in that regard. I will talk to the Minister for Health and get the background to this.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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In 2022, the Government announced a fantastic scheme to provide sewerage services to unsewered villages. Two of those villages, Craughwell and Clarinbridge, are in County Galway, and a sum of €21.9 million was allocated. Subsequently at the end of last year, the Minister, Deputy Browne, increased that to €29.9 million, which was fantastic and it reduced the matched funding contribution from the council from 15% to 8%, which was very welcome. However, we have a huge problem. The council is saying it still does not have the 8% matched funding. That infuriates me because it is sitting on €29 million and it is not delivering significant infrastructure for wastewater treatment to those two villages. I ask the Taoiseach to write to Galway County Council and ask it to progress this project as it has €29 million. As with any large infrastructure scheme where there tend to be overruns and cost increases over time, the council needs to be assured that the Government will be there to support it to finish the project.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I hear the frustration in the Deputy's voice and I share it. The funding has been increased. I recall the council saying that it needed more to reduce the council contribution. That has happened and it is still holding out. It is not good enough. I will meet with the county executive; I have to schedule it. We would like to meet the Galway County Council chief executive and the Galway City Council chief executive to discuss zoning and housing and now this as well. These schemes have dragged on for a long time. They were announced four or five years ago.

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It has been three years and nothing has happened.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There has to be a developmental will, a will to do things, take risks and go for it.

Too many are taking soft options here and are overly dependent on the Government for everything. It is not good enough.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Eight years ago, the Irish people voted to repeal the eighth amendment. Many people voted because of the tragic stories they heard about women who were forced to the UK to have their terminations. Unfortunately, eight years later, far too many women still have to go to the UK for those terminations.

My niece is one of those women. She bravely told the story of what happened to her on this morning's episode of "Today with David McCullagh". She was pregnant and her baby had a severe brain malformation. She was told by all the consultants that termination was the right way to go but none of them would actually sign off on it and let her have that termination here in Ireland. She went to the UK and was looked after so well in Liverpool. When she was leaving Liverpool, the consultant told her to hide her baby in the boot of the car. Éadha was a much-wanted and much-loved baby. There is no protocol for coming home. There are so many gaps. We need to ensure that the 28-day time limit is reviewed. There also need to be support for women-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, there will be further-----

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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-----like my niece who are still facing that awful challenge-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Whitmore, thank you.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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-----of trying to get their babies home to bury them with respect.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Taoiseach to respond. Thank you.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First of all, I did not hear that programme this morning and offer my sincere sympathies to the Deputy's niece and the wider family. I will have to check the background to this but would the consultants not have been obliged under the law to sign? I do not have the full background.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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They could not say whether she would live beyond the 28 days.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Taoiseach is going to need a lot more information.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That was a fairly fundamental part of the referendum, if we are honest, a number of years ago and then the legislation that followed. That would need consideration. The best thing I can do is to replay the programme, listen to the Deputy's niece and hear the circumstances.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Taoiseach will correspond.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Can and will the Taoiseach and the Government provide a clear statement on the future location of the Rotunda Hospital? We are now two and a half weeks on from the decision of An Coimisiún Pleanála. The rejection of the critical care wing proposal boiled down to two main reasons, which were conservation and the 11-year-old policy of colocation with Connolly Hospital. We all know that nothing has been done to make that colocation happen. Nothing is being planned at the moment. Yet we see replies to parliamentary questions from the Minister for Health that still reference Connolly Hospital in relation to the Rotunda Hospital. Department of Health officials were tying themselves in knots last Wednesday at the Oireachtas health committee hearing.

I raise with the Taoiseach the serious concern that unless the Government makes a clear statement on the future location of the Rotunda Hospital, the ambiguity will jeopardise any future planning application by the Rotunda Hospital. For women and babies, we need that clarity and a lack of ambiguity from the Government.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The decision on the Rotunda Hospital was taken less than two weeks ago. The Minister will be making a clear statement on behalf of the Government on the issue. We had a good discussion yesterday at the Cabinet subcommittee on health. A very clear statement will be issued by the Minister. Consultations are obviously under way, which is to be expected to ensure that any statement issued has substance behind it and involves as wide and deep a consideration as possible. There will be that clarity.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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Many thousands of housing estates in this country are unfinished. They have not been handed over to local authorities. Many local authorities state they cannot take them in charge because they do not have moneys available to them. I stood yesterday with Councillor Ger Curley in housing estates in Cobh. The infrastructure needs to be fixed. Lighting needs to be put in place. We are waiting for engineers' reports. That is the case for thousands of housing estates. They are not just from the Celtic tiger days when builders went bust and there was no bond in place. A housing estate in Rathcooney in Cork has not been taken in charge in 47 years. It is a group of houses. The roads are in an appalling condition. Will the Taoiseach commit to instigating a national fund from which local authorities can draw down to take housing estates in charge?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Without commenting on specific cases, the State has been asked to intervene left, right and centre, and everywhere. There is a problem there in terms of sustainability. When estates are developed, there have to be bonds and people have responsibilities. There are different cases, and I accept all of that, but there is an issue for us as a State. People have obligations when they enter these contracts and finish estates and so forth. Forty-seven years is a bit long, and I take that point, but I am speaking more generally. I will ask the Minister for housing for his observations. We are committing unprecedented sums of money to local authorities on housing across a whole range of headings. Only today, the Government decided to provide more funding to the local authorities for retrofitting and voids. The local authorities tend to use it for other reasons or in different ways. They spend an amount on the deep retrofit and refurbishment of houses-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----where that was never the original reason for the allocation of a grant. The money was given to something else.