2. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent visit to China. [1552/26]
Sentiment score: 0.00
The backdrop to the wars, the genocides and the interventions we have seen over the past number of years is the rivalry between the declining power of the US and the emerging power of China. That is the context in which the Government has tried very vigorously to draw Ireland more and more openly into the US-led NATO camp. We can see now in terms of the war crimes being committed in Iran what that means. It is why the vast majority of people defend our neutrality, want to protect our triple lock and do not want to see us involved in US-led wars. It is why people will be on the streets at 1 o'clock on Saturday demanding the protection of our neutrality. The rubber hits the road when it comes to the question of Shannon Airport. The Taoiseach said, when he was in the US, that there was no strong evidence that Trump was using Shannon Airport to pursue the war in Iran. What does he mean by that? Has he inspected any of the planes? Has he evidence? Every single day, there are US military plans going through Shannon. Where does the Taoiseach think they are going? They may not be going directly to Iran. They are going to the Ramstein air base in Germany and then on from there into the Middle East. It is time to follow the example of other European countries, some of which are even NATO members, and stop allowing the US to use our airports.
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Just home, is it?
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Sure they are using Shannon Airport for a war right now.
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We are involved right now.
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Of course we are. They are using our airport and our airspace.
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How do you know that?
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21. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on justice, migration and social affairs will next meet. [18703/26]
Sentiment score: 0.18
I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I have raised with the Taoiseach before the Northside Home Care Services workers who have been taking industrial action since January. Some of them are in the Gallery. He knows what the issue is here; it is about pay equality. Some of these workers have worked for 25 years and are getting just over €15 an hour. Others are on minimum wage and getting 30% less than others for doing the same job of providing vital care to approximately 500 people on a daily basis. What I raise today is the outrageous victimisation of their shop steward, Sonya Borwick, simply for standing up for the workers she represents. She was suspended yesterday on utterly spurious grounds. Supposedly she breached GDPR by asking people to sign a petition. She did not use any information she had about their data as a result of working there; she was simply talking to clients who support them, given the support they provide for them, asking them to sign a petition and for their address on a petition. Supposedly that is a breach of GDPR. That is blatant anti-union victimisation. I ask the Taoiseach to condemn this victimisation. Ms Borwick is in the Gallery. That she should be suspended is an action that should be utterly condemned by the Government. The Minister for Health needs to meet with these workers and instruct the HSE to treat them properly.
Sentiment score: 0.03