Garret Ahearn
Administrative Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No.”
“I am very conscious that No. 10 is to be taken at 11.30 a.m. and it is now 11.30 a.m. I will be brief. I will make a note of any contributions relating to debates for when we come back in September. There were a lot of calls for debates.”
“We have been here for a number of years and she is correct; a lot of it has come through in July. Technically, it is for the Leader to set out the timeline of debates but I understand the frustration when it comes late or when there is little scope for debate. The motions, in fairness, were referred to committee for debate.”
“9, whichever is later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 75 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government, the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister at th…”
“5, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 4) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 4 without debate; No. 6, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“We will have a busy time coming back in September with an expected by-election to this House, which will create more work for them. To all colleagues across the House, on a personal level, I thank them for the last number of weeks since I took over as Leader of the Seanad. It has been a busy number of weeks for all of us.”
The complete record
Every one of 712 lines we hold for Garret Ahearn, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 15.
“They have had actually no involvement in terrorism, yet they are being murdered on a daily basis. Israel is hitting hospitals and schools, and has said this is being done because there are underground tunnels. Some 36 hospitals have been blown apart by Israel and there has been no evidence whatsoever of Hamas having secret tunnels or locations in these schools or hospitals. The Tánaiste said we need to do more, and everyone needs to do more. From our perspective, it is about influencing other countries. I understand that this cannot be done in front of TV screens, but at every private meeting we have with other leaders of other countries I ask the Tánaiste to continue to do more to support these people.”
“For the life of me, I cannot understand how leaders in other countries and those in leadership roles cannot come above politics and see the moral obligation that we have. The current and previous administrations in America could have done more. The line is always that Hamas started it and is a terrorist organisation, which, obviously, it is. However, 50% of the people in Palestine are under the age of 16. They have no involvement whatsoever in any terrorist organisation or anything that has happened during the war. Since Israel took action after 7 October, 17,500 children have died in Palestine. The very first week the war started, the Tánaiste spoke about the children of Palestine as innocent people being murdered. Of the 17,500 children killed, 1,700 were under the age of one. They cannot even walk.”
“Some people say we are not going far enough and we need to go further and that these are token measures. I do not think most people in the two Chambers here do not genuinely believe that. These decisions are not easy. You might think they are easy. Most people in Ireland are very supportive of decisions that are being made in support of Palestine but there are people who lobby saying we have gone too far, that we should support Israel and we should do this or that. I have witnessed at first hand people come to the Tánaiste directly to say that what he is doing in terms of supporting Palestine is disgraceful and wrong. I have seen him respond unequivocally to say that he will not change, on behalf of the people of Ireland, his views on the people of Palestine. In other countries we are seeing the influence of pro-Israel lobbyists working.”
“In the programme for Government we stated our intention to have an occupied territories Bill, something which was first introduced by Senator Black and I note the excellent work she did. However, if we had said two years ago that those things would have happened or that we would have said we intended to do them, it would not have been seen as credible or that it might happen. As the Tánaiste said in his opening remarks, it is welcome that many EU countries have followed suit. That has not happened by accident. It is because of diplomacy behind the scenes by countries like Ireland and Spain trying their best to influence people to do the morally right thing. When these things happen, which are called for by the Opposition and supported by the Government, people have different perspectives and views. There is no problem with that.”
“I am sharing time with Senator Kelleher, if that is agreeable. I thank the Tánaiste. He is very welcome to the Chamber and thank him for being here. When we first talk about Palestine, Gaza and the conflict there, it is always important that we put on the record that what happened on 7 October was terrible. There were 1,195 people murdered by Hamas and 251 hostages taken. No one can possibly justify that. We call on those hostages to be released immediately. Reflecting on Ireland’s response since then, we can say we were one of the leading countries in the world in our support for Palestine. We joined the South African court case. As the Tánaiste just noted, a year ago yesterday we recognised the State of Palestine and we now officially have an ambassador from Palestine to Ireland who is doing impressive work.”
“He wins the competition. We were having a discussion about businesses. We have in the Gallery a very good business owner from Cork, Donagh Tarrant, who would have been interested in the contributions.”
“I thank the Minister. I welcome guests in the Chamber - guests of mine, actually. They are: Aidan Hanrahan, Brian Harrington, Donagh Tarrant and my brother, Liam Ahearn, who is up here this evening. I have told Liam to be on good behaviour today. He is the last one on the right.”
“What we do not want is for it to go into or past the summer without a decision being made. I know the Minister recognises the urgency of it. The Government is aware of the importance of security. We cannot have a situation where we are able to sort out things for TDs and Senators in 48 hours but not for councillors.”
“I thank the Minister of State. He is right that 23 councillors out of 949 applying for the scheme means that there is something wrong with it. This has been recognised by the Department of housing and it has acted quickly. The Minister of State noted that the business case is being considered by the Department of public expenditure. I acknowledge the importance of this. However, councillors would say that there was a business case put forward for Oireachtas Members before Christmas. That was reviewed and decided upon within 48 hours. If the Department of public expenditure can make the decision for Oireachtas Members in this building in 48 hours, we can certainly do it quicker than four weeks. The business case has been with the Department for the past four weeks.”
“This needs to be signed off on. LAMA wrote to the Minister, Deputy Chambers, outlining the need for this to be finalised as quickly as possible. On behalf of LAMA and my fellow Fine Gael Senators, I ask that this be done as quickly as possible.”
“They are waiting because they want to see what the new scheme will be, whether it will be a higher amount and a 100% rebate and if it will be backdated to the start of the council term. These are all concerns that LAMA raised with Senator Kyne and me. I raise this issue on behalf of all 17 Fine Gael Senators. It needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. We cannot have public representatives across the country waiting to do things that are a necessity simply because they do not know when the scheme will be signed off on. I would really appreciate getting some clarity on this today. In fairness, the Department of housing has acted very quickly on this and it just needs the Department of public expenditure to sign off on it. I do not see any reason it should not when it is about security and people's safety while carrying out their work.”
“Senator Kyne and I met LAMA to discuss a range of issues, including pensions. This was one of the main issues up for discussion in terms of security for the 949 councillors across the country. In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, they have acted very quickly. A proposal has been put forward and now just needs to be sanctioned by the Department of public expenditure. I call on the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, to do this as quickly as possible. I know a number of councillors across the country, at the moment, who are looking to do work on their home or office or something in terms of security and protection.”
“Measures were put in place a number of years ago and they have not been ideal. One of the main reasons for it was that a councillor could pay for security for their home or for their office if they had one, but it was just a 50% rebate and there was a €5,000 limit. Take-up has not been as much as we would like it to have been, and similarly that was the case with Oireachtas Members. Before Christmas, there were changes made for Oireachtas Members, with the allowance being increased and, importantly, a 100% rebate on it. Since this new Government has taken office, the Minister for State at the Department of local government, Deputy John Cummins, has been in this Chamber speaking on it and knows it is a priority. He has worked on it along with the Minister, Deputy James Browne. They have put a proposal together.”
“I wish to also be associated with the condolences on the very sad passing of the Minister of State's sister. I hope he is well and it is good to see him back. We are all thinking of him. As the Minister of State is aware, a number of years ago there were new security allowances put in place for public representatives. This was in light of the change in society, the change in the workload for councillors and Oireachtas Members and essentially to make sure people could go about their day and do their job without fear of anything happening. We have seen instances in the UK but we have seen minor incidents in Ireland. As a Government and as politicians, we have an obligation to try to encourage people to get into public life. It is important to do that and part of that is making sure they are safe to be able to do their job.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I welcome guests of Deputy Jennifer Whitmore from St. Kilian's school, Bray. They are very welcome. I hope they enjoy their day here. They have been listening to a debate on mental health and, in particular, mental health of young people. We have been discussing it for the past hour and a half. As is tradition in the House, the teachers are to give the students no homework tonight, and if they had no homework tonight, it is tomorrow night they are to get no homework. Since I have been here for the past hour and a half I have given no homework to half the country.”
“Before I ask the Minister of State to respond, I welcome St. Canice's Girls National School from Finglas today. You are very welcome to the Chamber. You are here for a timely debate. We are talking about mental health and what we as a Government and Members of the Seanad can do to support mental health. The Minister of State with responsibility for mental health will respond to the debate. What we can do to help your well-being is to tell your teachers that you have no homework tonight or tomorrow night, whichever suits. I hope you have a lovely day.”
“And they should have no homework as well. Senator Andrews requested that and it has been approved by everyone in the House, I suspect, so they will not have any homework tonight, or if they do not have any anyway, it applies tomorrow night.”
“To do that, however, we really need to wake up as a country and certainly regulate it more. Senator McCarthy raised the issue of Lyme disease, which is something I am not hugely familiar with. He gave the example of someone who had a bite and then had a very serious reaction to it. The fact is that these are preventable if caught early. The Senator is correct; if we can invest in early intervention kits to simply stop something as serious as what could happen from contracting Lyme disease, I certainly think we should do it. I suggest that the Senator raise that as a Commencement matter for the Minister.”
“I was debating during the week what we can do for under-16s in particular. I was actually amazed to discover that 93% of kids aged between eight and 12 have a smartphone, which is absolutely crazy. Young people cannot get access to awful lot of social media companies until they are aged 13, and then they need parental guidance between the ages of 13 and 16. There is no rule in place for every single one of them, however. They are all different. We need to be real. Young people are able to get on to these sites and are influenced by them, and they do have a detrimental effect. We are very lucky at the moment to have good weather outside. Senator Scahill has two young daughters and I have two young boys. The last thing we want them to be doing is to be on social media all day. We want them out playing and enjoying their youth.”
“I remember two or three instances in the past two years when we were asked to put on these flights to bring people back to the countries from which they came. That is what is happening with the Minister. In saying that, the Senator is right; we need to do more and it needs to be fair and transparent. More people are coming in every single year. That means we have more approvals for people who are allowed to stay here, but it also means we will have more deportations, and we need to be able to facilitate that if they do not leave voluntarily. Senator Scahill raised the issue of the UN report which indicated Irish teens are the least happy and the suicide rate is above the EU average. I agree with the Senator; how we manage social media for young people is one of the biggest challenges we have as a Government.”
“Exactly. This issue is really important, however. The people of Kerry need to receive the sort of service they are used to receiving. I agree with the Senator that the HSE needs to consult with all public representatives in the area to make sure that a satisfactory agreement is put in place. Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the issue of deportation orders. There are an awful lot more people coming into this country. There is absolutely no doubt about that. Changes have been made by the Minister for Justice in the months since he has been appointed. We have seen a number of flights on which people have been deported. Many people leave voluntarily; that has always been the case. We need to do more of it. We need to enforce it. The Senator said that these flights are just done to show that the Government is doing something.”
“I was down in the Senator's county a couple of weeks ago doing a cycle around Dingle. One of my friends made the strange decision to take his hands off the handlebars while he was cycling up a mountain. He fell and I ended up having to drive him to the SouthDoc in Dingle to get nine stitches. The out-of-hours service was not on but, in fairness to the GP, he came in and did nine stitches for my friend. He should not have taken his hands off the handlebars, but anyway.”
“That means the quality of coaching and training needs to be up to a standard right across Europe in order that those players have top-quality international coaching during those important years of 16 and 17 to prepare them for when they move to the UK a number of years later and become Premiership players and players at international level. I take on board exactly what the Senator said. He made a very good point. The Minister for sport should come into the Chamber. I will ask the Leader's office to try to arrange that in the coming weeks. Senator Kennelly raised the issue of Listowel Primary Care Centre, and the need for full restoration of out-of-hours SouthDoc services. I know he is very passionate about this. I suggest that he table a Commencement matter and bring the Minister for Health into the Chamber to discuss it.”
“In saying that, as the Senator knows, I am a very good supporter of the FAI and Irish football, and we need to invest more in grassroots football. The Senator was at the briefing two weeks ago with the FAI. It has put forward a really credible plan that can transform Irish football at youth level over the next ten years. As a result of Brexit, young, talented Irish soccer players cannot go to England until they are aged 18. I know the Senator is aware of that because he is very passionate about the issue. Damien Duff and people like that went to clubs there at age 15 or 16 but people now cannot go until they are aged.”
“All decisions that are made in a hospital are made by people working in the hospital in terms of who is seen first or second, but it does seem utterly unfair that someone who has severe disabilities would not be prioritised in some way in terms of being looked after. I ask the Senator to write to the Minister on that issue. Senator Andrews raised the positive news that the NFL is coming to Dublin. The Government is investing a significant amount of money in it. As a person who is from the city, I know the Senator sees the financial benefit of that coming to Dublin from an economic and tourism perspective. The Steelers and the Vikings are quite popular teams. I am an NFL fan. The event will be quite popular and I am sure it will be a very good weekend.”
“It is an incredibly distressing time for those people and their families in particular. Unfortunately, I am aware of one or two people in County Tipperary who actually died by suicide because of the stress that was caused by vulture funds putting immense pressure on them and their families. That is something that certainly needs to be addressed. However, it is important that shares have been bought back by AIB. It has been a long time coming from where we were back in 2008. I take the Senator's points, however. Senator Boyle referred to the fact that he was with his daughter in an accident and emergency department and witnessed a woman with disabilities who had been waiting for 10 hours. That is utterly unacceptable. I suggest that he write to the Minister on it.”
“In fairness to the Minister for housing, that is why he is looking at ways to speed up processes, and An Bord Pleanála is one of them. The Senator is right; an awful lot of funding has been put in place to try to speed this up and there have always been delays in terms of objections. That needs to be looked at to a certain extent. However, we cannot have a situation where we are seeking to build houses, particularly for young people right across the country, and waiting 14 or 15 months for An Bord Pleanála just to make a decision. I will raise that with the Minister. Senator Craughwell raised the issue of AIB shares being sold. He touched on the stress many people have suffered over the past 15 years in terms of loans or mortgages they had that were sold to vulture funds.”
“It is important that changes have been made, but I agree with the Senator that it cannot be the case that some areas in the country receive the top-quality service they need but other areas do not receive the same type of service just because guidelines have not been updated and they are not as informed on or included in the health strategy. That needs to be improved. I will talk to the Minister about that issue. Senator Tully spoke about the delays on appeals to An Bord Pleanála. Every one of us in this House has examples right across the country where we see delays. We all have different perspectives, but everyone acknowledges that housing and the building of houses is the number one priority for all of us.”
“I was probably the only Senator - actually, Senator Clifford-Lee was another - who used to raise hyperemesis gravidarum in this Chamber. In fairness to the previous Minister for Health - most Ministers for Health receive a lot of criticism, and rightly so, although sometimes unfairly - he did an awful lot for women's health, and one of those things he did was to make Cariban available to women who suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum during pregnancy. As the Senator said, it is an incredibly debilitating illness. People think it is just morning sickness or normal pregnancy, or sometimes that people are overexaggerating how much they are suffering from it. It is something I am quite familiar with, however.”
“I think everyone who heard the story of that murder from number of years ago would be heartbroken that innocent children were murdered by their own father. Senator O'Loughlin also raised the issue of electronic health records and sought an update from the Minister. I will ask the office to do that. I was in hospital for a number of weeks a year and a half ago after an infection. It is all done through paper. It would be so much simpler for all hospitals across the country if it were done electronically. It is something we have waited a long time for, and it would help the patients, doctors and nurses, and GPs in particular. I will get the office to do that. I smiled when Senator Ní Chuilinn brought up the issue she raised.”
“I thank all the Senators for their contributions. Senators O'Loughlin and Tully spoke about the tragic case of Clodagh Hawe and her three children. First, I acknowledge the incredible bravery of Jacqueline to be able to speak about this tragic incident that happened to her sister and her nieces and nephews and to write a book about it. Senator O'Loughlin raised the serious crime review findings. They need to be released. There is an opportunity for the Minister for Justice to come to this Chamber. The Minister, in fairness to him, has always been accommodating to come to this Chamber since his appointment as Minister for Justice. If there are 212 recommendations, it is important they are put in place as quickly as possible.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on mental health and suicide prevention, to be taken at 12 noon and to conclude at 1.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed seven minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, all other Senators not to exceed three minutes and time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate. On the conclusion of today's business, the House shall stand adjourned until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 20 May 2025.”
“That kind of spin has been put out for the last 50 years by political parties in opposition. In the 1970s when we were joining the European Union, one of Sinn Féin's main reasons for not joining was that it would take away our neutrality. That is clearly not the case. People have different views on it but if we are going to have a debate, we need to do it respectfully and not go down the road of scaremongering and talking about how we are going to lose our neutrality. Everyone in the country knows the importance that Ireland places on being neutral and we need to continue that.”
“The leadership in America has changed and Europe cannot depend on America from a security perspective any more, as it could have done previously. The European Union needs to re-evaluate how it manages its security and Ireland has a role to play in that. We should be able to have a discussion without talking about losing our neutrality because there is no one suggesting that. No one on the Government side is suggesting that. When we talk about things like the triple lock, that does not mean, as has been suggested in this House, that we are joining NATO and sending our citizens to war. None of that is happening. I absolutely respect people's view and understand that they might not be in favour of it or they are concerned about it but it has nothing to do with taking away our neutrality.”
“We need to continue our support for Ukraine. Ukrainians have been very appreciative over the last number of years of the support the Irish people have given them as well as the role the Irish Government has played within the European Union in trying to fast-track the country's membership of the EU. We should continue being vocal on that, along with other countries like Moldova. The Minister of State also mentioned security, which is something we really need to wake up to. Senator McCarthy has left the Chamber but in his contribution he talked about the fear of losing our neutrality. There is literally no one talking about losing our neutrality. The only people who talk about it are people in opposition. We need to wake up. Most people in the country will agree that we have learned over the last number of months that America has changed.”
“I am a member of the Council of Europe, along with Senators Murphy and Stephenson. That council comprises 46 member states who focus, essentially, on human rights. The European Union has an obligation to improve upon and be more vocal about the legal requirements on all countries to uphold human rights and protect people who are fleeing countries across the world. It can become very political, as we have seen in the UK, here in Ireland as well as in France and Italy. Instead of countries individually trying to manage it, the European Union as a whole needs to take a stronger position, not in terms of blocking people but in terms of what the EU can do to support people who are fleeing conflicts and coming in legally, while also having a good border. I note the Minister of State's comments on Ukraine.”
“While it has been challenged over the last number of years and while member states have different perspectives, as long as the European Union remains united with the single goal of remaining peaceful within the Union, we can have a very positive future ahead with our partners. My party, Fine Gael, has played a very important leadership role in the European People's Party, which is the largest party in the European Union and has the largest number of prime ministers in it. I congratulate my party colleague, Ms Mairead McGuinness, who was elected yesterday as a vice president of the European People's Party. I know she will use her influence within that role to benefit the citizens of Ireland. There are lots of challenges at the moment and obviously migration is an issue that is very difficult for countries right across the EU.”
“It has been transformational for us as a State. Before we were a member of the European Union, we were probably seen as a country that was very reliant on the UK from an economic perspective. We were seen as the little brother of the UK who could not fend for itself. Look where we are now after 50-plus years of membership of the European Union. We have the fastest-growing economy among the 27 member states. We have full employment and are in a position that a lot of other countries would like to emulate, from an economic perspective. That is really positive and it is because of leadership and decisions that were made back in the 1970s. They could see the opportunities that were there for us as a country. Obviously, the European Union was set up initially as a peacemaking exercise, which has been very successful since the 1940s.”
“The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber. I appreciate his being here. As most Senators have said, the European Union has had an incredibly positive impact on this State for the past 52 years. Ireland has been a beneficiary during its membership. We have, financially, been a net beneficiary for a long time. I remember driving on roads and seeing the signs for motorways that were built with investment from the European Union. We thought we were doing wicked well by convincing them all to give us money to build roads around the place. It worked, and Fianna Fáil benefited from it in elections during the 1990s. Our membership has been very beneficial. Even more beneficial has been the ability of our citizens to travel throughout Europe for work and education. Businesses have been able to open up new markets.”
“Before I call the next speaker, I welcome guests from Roscommon of former Senator Mary Seery Kearney. I see David there. They are in good hands. I hope they have a good day in Leinster House. I wish them well. They will be interested that the next speaker is from Roscommon, Senator Scahill.”
“They have faith in him to do it and to support and protect them. This is their livelihood. They love what they do. Some of the excuses that have been given about why things cannot be done and trees cannot be cut relate to habitat, birds and wildlife. Yesterday I drove through Mary's land. In the area affected by ash dieback, there is no habitat whatsoever. In the area where the trees are growing perfectly, you can hear birds, see rabbits and see everything going the way it should be going. That is not is happening, however, where the trees have ash dieback. I ask the Minister of State to visit Tipperary in his time in office, but also to listen to these people who have been vocal for the past number of years with the Department but feel as though they have not been heard. They are holding out for him to make a real difference for them.”
“She has been growing trees for years. It is a livelihood. She and her family absolutely love it. However, she has been dealing with ash dieback for the past ten to 12 years. It has been a real strain on the family. They feel as though no one understands it and no one listens. Mary told me yesterday that the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, has been vocal on this in recent years, he understands it and he gets it. Today he has said he wants to be someone who delivers. These people feel that they have been forgotten about. They do not believe the scheme is enough or that the Department really cares about them and their issues. They are looking for someone to show leadership on this issue. I am calling on the Minister of State to do just that. They have been crying out for this for ten years.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. In the limited time I have, I cannot talk on every issue I would like to address. There is a particular issue I wish to raise, however. In his opening contribution, the Minister of State spoke about wanting to be a Minister of State who delivers and that if he does not deliver, then forestry fails, he fails as a Minister of State and the Government fails. That is true and the right way to look at it. There is one thing he can do that will differentiate him from previous Ministers and the Department in general and it relates to ash dieback. We still have people throughout the country who rightly feel they have been let down by the Department over a number of years. They believe they have not been heard. Yesterday, I was on the land of Mary McCormack, just outside Killenaule in County Tipperary.”
“Before I call Senator Noonan, I welcome Teresa Murphy, a sister of Senator P. J. Murphy, to the Chamber. As we all know in this Chamber, you cannot get elected without the support of your family, so I hope the Senator is looking after you today.”
“She has been a professional as long as I have known her in her role and I am sure she will carry on the same professionalism Martin showed throughout his career here.”
“It was a tragic accident to happen to a young 18-year-old just before sitting her leaving certificate examinations and to be thrown upon the family. I hope that as a House we might be able to pass on our condolences to the English family and to Ann and Donie in particular. I also wish to be associated with the comments about Martin Groves. We were all surprised by the email. I second the motion that we should do something appropriate, when the time allows, and speak on his contribution to the State over many years. We have all had interactions with Martin as Senators. He helped and guided me along the way in the past and I am sure he did that for numerous people in the House. I wish him the best. I also wish Bridget Doody the best in the next few months covering for him.”
“I would also like to be associated with the comments of the Leader about the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. I send my condolences to everyone who is upset and grieving at this time. We also had a bereavement through a tragic accident in Tipperary a few days ago. A young 18-year-old girl, Bronagh English, passed away. It might not be realised by those in the House that she is connected to the House. Her grand-aunt was the former Fianna Fáil Senator, Ann Ormonde from Waterford, and her grandfather was the former Fianna Fáil TD, Donal Ormonde. Can we pass our sympathies to Ann and Donie? I met Donie yesterday and, as people would understand in such a tragedy, the family are in shock and are mourning. They are getting great comfort and support from their community and friends.”
“Before I call the Senator to respond, I welcome to the Chamber the guests of former Minister of State Damien English: Mark Convery. Conor Sheridan, Adam Mulligan and Brian Mannion. They have come on a very good day. We had a debate with the Tánaiste this morning on international relations. Leaders' Questions will take place in the Dáil in a couple of minutes. It is a very interesting day to be here and I hope they enjoy it. It is great to see our former colleague.”
“We have gone above and beyond most countries. Obviously, there are criticisms and different views from different people in this House and others, but we have done a lot. We have recognised the ambassador and joined South Africa in its case. You get an awful lot of pressure and criticism from people from Israel about being too pro-Palestine and pro-Gaza. I have witnessed that but we have a moral obligation to support Palestine. I hope we can continue to do so over the next number of months.”
“We are potentially losing companies coming into Ireland because we do not have a base there. Over the last number of weeks, we have looked at the impact these trade tariffs can have, particularly on the drinks industry and on Irish whiskey. Taiwan is the third biggest importer of whiskey across the world. This is an opportunity for us to be able to delve into that market. It is something we should do. On the two wars in Ukraine and Palestine, I think we need to remain strong in our support for Ukraine. We have done that from the start. Last week, we passed a Bill to give hosts an opportunity to continue housing Ukrainians for the next year. It is important to do that. As the Tánaiste said, we need to work with Zelenskyy and support the people of Ukraine. In terms of Palestine, we have done an awful lot.”