Is that agreed? Agreed.

I call Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, who is sharing time with Senator Flynn. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The Minister of State has to be called to reply at 6.20 p.m. but he now has to go for a vote in the Dáil.

I call the Acting Leader.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I propose, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders or the Order of the House today, that statements on fuel protests will conclude at 7.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, and No. 2 shall be taken at 7.30 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 1, whichever is the earlier.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity. I am sharing time with Senator Lynch; we are taking two minutes each.

Absolutely and why should not it be on a day on which the Government is actually passing Financial Resolutions in relation to €500 million? If that is a Government that is not listening and acting, I do not know what it is. I went to the protest last Tuesday morning in Portumna. There were tractors on the bridge in Portumna. I was able to walk over to every one of those farmers there and shake their hands. I knew them by name. I dispute what Senator Flynn said that they were infiltrated by the far right. These are …

The visitors are very welcome. I want to raise the issue of meals on wheels. At its meeting earlier this morning, the social protection committee had representatives from a number of the LEADER companies before it. They were setting out their strategy for the next five years. Representatives from the Offaly Local Development Company raised the fact that it is providing meals on wheels and that there is a shortage of funding for it. When we are having the conversation about the cost of fuel, we also need to be cogni…

I would like to request that the Minister for Transport come before the House so we could have statements on transport matters. I totally agree with what Senator Collins has said. I also agree completely with what Senator Kennelly raised in his Commencement matter this morning. We all understand that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. Once the funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Irel…

I raise with the Leader an issue he has heard me speak about before. It relates to Portumna Forest Park. Regrettably, in the past two weeks, Coillte has decided not to include it as part of its strategic master plan. It has chosen other sites in Roscommon, Wicklow and Cork as its top three. Regrettably, we have been left off the list. Coillte walked off the pitch in Portumna 20 years ago when it was to do a strategic investment. It has only been recently that it started working with the local authority, Galway Coun…

I welcome this debate on the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) (Work Equipment) Bill 2026. I, too, compliment Senator Murphy. Coming from east Galway, the Senator and I both understand the plight of tradespeople who have been victims of these offences that have been going on not just for weeks or months, but continuously. I would go one step further than Senator Murphy and extend the Bill beyond construction tools. I think of musicians and the only tools they have, be they the harp or their ge…

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Minister, Deputy Foley, and welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins.

With that, we will move to Senator O'Loughlin. We have six speakers. If it is agreeable, will we give them three minutes each in order to let everybody contribute. Every voice is important here today. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Before I go to the next speaker, is it okay if I take off time from the Minister of State's speaking time, so I can give everybody more time? The Senators cannot say it in one minute. They need the two minutes.

It is really good. Do not tell the officials.

The Minister of State will have eight minutes to respond. That two minutes was well stretched.

I thank the Minister of State and everybody else for their co-operation. I know I may have cut some people's time short, but I thank everyone for their co-operation and for their very lived and passionate contributions that were brought to the floor this afternoon.

I thank the Minister for being in the House this evening. I, too, support the motion and welcome the publication of the accelerating infrastructure report and action plan. Coming from rural east Galway, which the Minister knows having visited Portumna many times, I stand in solidarity with my colleague Senator Murphy when it comes to the wastewater treatment plant. The largest town in our county, which is outside the constituency of Galway East, is Ballinasloe and after that it is Tuam and beyond that everything is…