Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the Order of Business. I wanted to welcome the news overnight of the conclusion of the COP28 summit and the fact that, for the first time ever, an agreement has been made that commits to a transition away from and a phasing out of fossil fuels. This is an historic agreement. It is the first time that COP has managed to reach this agreement. We know it is not perfect and that more must be done, but it is a good basis from which to move forward. I wanted to congratulate all those who participated in COP28. I particularly encourage them to continue to face down the fossil fuel vested interests and to push forward for a sustainable future for us all.

Like Senator Doherty, I also call for unanimous support for the Tánaiste and UN's renewed call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East. The inhumanity that we are all witnessing being perpetrated on the Palestinian people is unsupportable. It must be rejected. We must insist on a humanitarian ceasefire.

I want to conclude with a more local issue. This week, we saw the announcement from Respond, the approved housing body, of the delivery of 2,900 new social and affordable homes in Dublin. This is the biggest number of social and affordable homes to be delivered in Dublin in one tranche in decades. It is strong evidence of Housing for All working in practice, where Government, local authorities and approved housing bodies are working together to use all of our resources to deliver not just social homes but affordable homes as well. This is a really welcome development. The 2,900 homes will be delivered in Finglas, Tallaght, Clonburris and Donaghmede. It is a strong vote of confidence in the Housing for All plan and the potential for the State, partnering with approved housing bodies, to deliver social and affordable homes, including affordable cost-rental homes at scale for the very first time. It is also a really strong vote of confidence in Dublin. I encourage everybody, over the festive season, to believe in Dublin, and to come back into the city. Our retailers and entertainment providers are all ready to meet, greet and welcome them back into the city.