At the weekend, the towns of Portarlington and Mountmellick were flooded again for the umpteenth time. There are flood relief schemes planned in both towns. These were decided on after the serious flooding in both towns in 2017, which was eight years ago. Work is ongoing, and Laois County Council is playing its part in trying to advance those schemes as quickly as possible. However, because of all the different hoops that these schemes have to go through, schemes are taking between 15 and 17 years. I think we can a…

That is a crazy situation. A huge amount of study needs to be done.

The studies need to be done in parallel. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to move on these schemes.

I am asking the Taoiseach to take this up with the Department of public expenditure and the OPW to try to get these schemes under way. I was with two pensioners last night.

Their house was flooded again at the weekend-----

-----and again last Friday.

I raise the issue of the Fastway workers. There is a large section in the programme for Government regarding enterprise and employment. The Fastway workers have been caught in an awful mess and treated disgracefully. One of the main depots is in Portarlington. Hundreds of workers and contract drivers are affected. Some workers who are owed wages got no warning whatsoever and cannot apply for a job because they are not officially redundant yet. They had no notice or have no opportunity to sign on. They cannot sign o…

Fastway had tangible assets of €5.2 million at the end of 2024 and €28 million, also at the end of 2024, in intangible assets.

It had €10.6 million in cash.

This Bill keeps those who are on low pay and those who are compelled to live on social welfare in further poverty for another year. I will first deal with the auto-enrolment system, which leaves out those earning below €20,000. It may be the case that they will not accumulate a huge pension over their working life, but people earning below €20,000 are entitled to have the same rights as those who are earning €100,000. I fail to see why they have been excluded. They have been left behind. The worker puts in €3, the …

I wish to raise the many problems in the National Ambulance Service. Staff are doing their best but there are problems beyond their control. I will outline some of those problems. There are not enough staff or ambulances. We have approximately 1,500 staff. Scotland, which has a similar population, has more than double that number. We have 675 operational ambulances in the service. Scotland has more than double that number. There is a problem with so-called dynamic deployment, and I really want to push the Taoiseach…

The Taoiseach is correct about the investment, but we will not get the benefit of it because of the way the system is configured. The Taoiseach used the word "evidence". I will tell him what the evidence is. A county has no cover because the ambulance that is on call has to go to an emergency two or three counties away. That cannot be allowed to continue. That is the way Laois has been left on two nights each week. If a person is injured or is in a life-threatening situation only a mile or a half mile from the hosp…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate. It has been 27 years since the Good Friday Agreement was endorsed, north and south, and over 100 years since partition. A lot of us at the time of the Good Friday Agreement, if we are being honest, were reluctant supporters of it. I will read out one line in it. "The Government [meaning the British Government] of Ireland Act 1920 is repealed; and this Act shall have effect notwithstanding any other previous enactment." That line in an annexe to the docume…

Minister-----

Could we stop any heckling, please?

Micheál Martin says the time is not right. The Deputy will get an opportunity, I will use my opportunity. Micheál Martin says the time is not now. Full reconciliation has to a precondition but that will mean it will never happen. Yes, we need to advance reconciliation and we should promote it. Of course we should. I have met people from the unionist community in the past, including some loyalists. We should reach out and meet people who were traditionally our opponents. Reconciliation is important and we must conti…

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to prioritise new wind farm guidelines. Wind is important and it is important we are able to utilise it as part of the solution to moving to cleaner energy. Last week I got a reply to a parliamentary question on it. The reply from the Minister stated that the 2006 guidelines remain in force and that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a focus review of the 2006 wind energy guidelines and engaging on all aspects of it…

-----no proper set-back distances from homes and no protection from shadow flicker and noise. Residents feel powerless and very frustrated by this-----

-----and it is disgraceful. I will conclude on this. Every one of the past four Governments promised to do this. Who is putting the brakes on it? I have a Bill before the House, if the Tánaiste wants to support that-----

-----or if he wants to bring in his own guidelines, that is fine. When will we finally have up-to-date wind guidelines that are fit for purpose with these huge, almost 600 ft. turbines?