12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach the engagements he has had with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group in the days before, during and after Storm Éowyn. [15506/25]

Sentiment score: -0.08

I note the poor oppressed Government backbenchers are getting plenty of opportunities to speak today. As of tomorrow, they will have half the time to raise important issues like our response to storms, despite the Taoiseach's claims that he is standing up for their rights. One group that we will not be able to talk about as much is the ambulance drivers of the National Ambulance Service, who are critical to responding to emergencies. Storm Éowyn and the Covid pandemic should be warnings about having the capacity to respond to emergencies where lives can be at risk. Before Storm Éowyn, I met representatives of the National Ambulance Service. These workers said that Ireland had about half the ambulance cover that Scotland, which has a similar population, had and that there were not enough paramedics, so even if ambulances got there in time, they did not have the paramedics to deal with incidents. There are also threats to the helicopter emergency medical service arising from a lack of staffing and to the emerging threat team due to a lack of funding and staffing being provided by the Government. Will the Taoiseach engage with the representatives of the National Ambulance Service and their unions? This service provides the emergency services. Will he ensure it has the proper funding, staffing, infrastructure and cover to save lives when we have emergencies?

Sentiment score: -0.11

It is less exposure for the Taoiseach.

Sentiment score: 0.00

We have not.

Sentiment score: 0.00

The Taoiseach did not answer the question.

Sentiment score: 0.00

16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach how he intends to increase the coordination role of his Department in national security. [12374/25]

Sentiment score: 0.19

I strongly advise people to read George Orwell's book 1984 in which the world is divided into three blocs and governments tell people to live in fear of the others all the time to justify increasing authoritarianism and more expenditure on arms and weapons while working people are kept down and denied the money that is going into weapons and arms, which should go into health, education and housing. That is what is going on - project fear. The Irish Government is trying to pull us into it. I wonder has this sort of hysteria and fearmongering now descended to the strip-searching of peaceful women protesters outside Dáil Éireann. The group Mothers Against Genocide was on a Mother's Day protest to show solidarity with women and children in Palestine and Lebanon who have been slaughtered over the past 18 months. They had a peaceful sit-down protest and were arrested, very violently in some cases. In some cases, it included Palestinian and Lebanese people who actually suffered the horrors of the past 18 months. Some were strip-searched. According to one description: I was stripped completely naked and was asked to remove my underwear. When I questioned the necessity of this, I was told I would be forced violently if I did not comply and that they did not want any trouble. After removing my underwear, they looked inside my private areas and touched all my sensitive parts.

Sentiment score: -0.34

It is absolutely disgusting. These were peaceful women protesters on a Mother's Day protest. Does the Taoiseach condone that kind of treatment of people who were a threat to nobody? It is absolutely outrageous behaviour. Does the Taoiseach condemn that? Is that where we are heading? Is that the sort of society we are heading for? They were protesting about our continued complicity with the genocide because of US troops in Shannon Airport, Israeli war bombs being sold and the failure to impose sanction on Israel.

Sentiment score: -0.35

They said they were going to leave after one hour.

Sentiment score: -0.05

Do not compare the two.

Sentiment score: 0.00

These protesters were sitting down.

Sentiment score: -0.23

They said they would leave after one hour.

Sentiment score: -0.05

Israeli war bonds. That is complicity. Absolutely it is.

Sentiment score: -0.20

Israeli war bonds.

Sentiment score: -0.60