That is an awful commentary on the Mail on Sunday.
Sentiment score: -0.46
I agree with the Deputy that tariffs are bad all round. Essentially, they represent a tax on people. They will be a tax on people's groceries and medication in the US. Europe will not respond prematurely or in a knee-jerk way. Europe will engage in a strategic response. The objective of the European Union's response will be to encourage the United States to the negotiating table in order to get a mitigation of whatever tariffs are announced tomorrow. No one is precisely sure how high these tariffs will be. It does make sense that there would be a negotiation to try to get a reasonable resolution. It will not be satisfactory to everybody but at least it could mitigate some of the damage that undoubtedly will be done as a result of the imposition of these tariffs.
Sentiment score: 0.02
Absolutely. We have a very strong aid programme that is conducted by Irish Aid and a number of well-established non-governmental organisations in this field. We will have to provide aid to the people of Myanmar following the earthquake. The slaughter in Gaza continues. We have been one of the biggest supporters of UNRWA; I believe we have provided about €58 million in core support to it. Our overall support to the people of Palestine since 2023 is over €71 million. By any yardstick, and in comparison with anything that went before, it is a substantial aid programme for the people of Gaza and the West Bank. We are not forgetting Sudan. There is appalling violence in Sudan, and huge displacement of people, starvation and hunger. We also want a ceasefire in Ukraine. The evidence is that Russia does not seem to be up for a ceasefire right now. It is continuing to bomb and has put in belated conditions to the latest announcements around the potentiality of a ceasefire.
Sentiment score: 0.06
Those are wrong assertions. It is important that the Deputy engages properly on the issue and finds out the facts.
Sentiment score: -0.03
I will go through it here. I have just been on to the Department about the matter. It is not accurate at all that the increase is related to Gaza, and it is wrong to assert that. It is just plain wrong to assert that. Basically, the Department did see an increase in applications for exemptions from October 2023. However, these were representative of an increase in applications for Irish-registered civil aircraft operating outside the State.
Sentiment score: -0.00
There was no connection to the United States military or to Israel. Correlations have been drawn between the initial Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and the increase in applications for exemptions from that month. The two are unrelated. Applications for exemptions predominately fall into one of two categories, namely US civil air operators contracted to carry US military personnel with their unloaded, standard issue weapons, which require an exemption if they operate in Irish sovereign territory, or scheduled flights in Europe by Irish-registered aircraft operating outside Ireland. There was one particular case that has given rise-----
Sentiment score: -0.10
That case has nothing at all to do with Gaza or America. People just deliberately jump to conclusions to paint the wrong picture about the objectives or intentions of the Government. That is wrong.
Sentiment score: -0.32
I met with the President von der Leyen last week in Paris on the margins of the meeting on Ukraine. At the EU summit the previous week, I also met her to discuss the matter. On Sunday, I had a phone call with President von der Leyen to discuss it further. As stated, we have not had the EU's substantive response yet because the tariffs are only due to be announced tomorrow. On bourbon, those were already measures that had been enacted but suspended on a previous occasion when US tariffs were also suspended. The US tariffs were restored and, as a result, the EU simply implemented what had been paused. There will, however, be a fresh assessment by the EU after the announcement tomorrow. Europe will then decide how to respond. We are already in discussions. The Tánaiste has been in discussion with Commissioner Šefčovič. Our officials are working with the officials in the Commission in respect of its response.
Sentiment score: 0.03
The Tánaiste has been in touch with Secretary of State Lutnick. That communication will continue.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is fair to say that over the past three decades, there have been very extensive inquiries into sexual abuse in this country in almost all settings and it continues. We have to evaluate that experience as well. There have been very extensive inquiries. There has been horrific abuse, which has visited trauma on thousands of people in different settings, including in healthcare settings, institutions, church environments and indeed education. It was across the board. It is a real stain on Irish society. I am meeting the group and I pay tribute to it for its work and advocacy. I will engage with it. I am not making any commitments in advance of meeting it. I will work to determine the best method of getting to the truth in a timely manner. I am also conscious that on previous occasions, people might not have been entirely satisfied with the outcomes of other types of inquiries that took place.
Sentiment score: 0.06
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I pay tribute to An Garda Síochána for the outstanding work it does to keep us all safe and protect society and our citizens. I pay tribute to the Deputy’s family on their distinguished contribution to An Garda Síochána. We are recruiting more and more gardaí. As we recruit more, we will be in a better position to deploy gardaí to Kildare and indeed farther afield.
Sentiment score: 0.31
This has been an ongoing issue. I am aware that Deputy Paul McAuliffe led on this, and legislation was passed at the time. Implementation is very important. I will ask the Minister for Justice to engage with the Garda Commissioner. As the Deputy knows, the deployment of gardaí is an operational matter. We are told that repeatedly. If you establish more units, you reduce the number of gardaí available for broader duties. What is happening in the two parks is unacceptable. Ordinary life cannot continue because of the dangerous practice in question, which could endanger life and limb. It is unacceptable. Some people have had horrific injuries because of this.
Sentiment score: -0.09
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. My understanding is that number has been reduced, but 9,000 still waiting is too many. What happened was that the scheme was expanded to accommodate everybody. When the Minister paid out what the Deputy suggested, he made advance payments. Some of them were over what people might have been entitled to, and then people were concerned about having to make payments back. In any event, I will talk to the Minister for agriculture in respect of how we can expedite payment and get this concluded.
Sentiment score: 0.19
The situation in relation to Daniel is unacceptable in many respects. I have read the article. My understanding is that there is engagement, and the clinical nurse specialist is engaging with the family today.
Sentiment score: 0.16
No, but there has been engagement. My understanding is that there is a pathway, but I would obviously prefer if the team in CHI communicated with the family. My understanding is that prior to coming in this afternoon, progress was made in respect of the case. I will follow up on this, and I know the Minister is here as well. There is a pathway, hopefully in the shorter term. In the first instance, the clinical nurse was in touch or will be in touch with the family today - hopefully by the time I have spoken today - and there will be follow-through. I do not have the full background to the case or its complexity.
Sentiment score: 0.33
More and more hotels are decanting in respect of IPAS and the beneficiaries of temporary protection, BOTPs, over the last while. Obviously, we will do everything we possibly can to increase numbers. There are significant issues globally in terms of confidence in the world economy - that may be a factor playing out - but again, it is early days yet to be writing off the tourism industry. Our tourism industry is very resilient and very robust. We have a very good product. We have some very big events coming that will swell the numbers, give us a good start to the spring. Hopefully, we can improve on those numbers. I will ask the Minister for tourism to engage with the Deputy on the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.48