I am glad to hear the Minister mention rural transport because that is often a key factor in accessing pubs in rural Ireland. It speaks to the need to see this not just as a matter of taxation, licensing or enterprise support but, rather, as a matter of safeguarding and maintaining rural community infrastructure. Has the Minister raised this directly with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Burke? Has he had a specific conversation about this issue? Will he seek targeted measures or a packag…

Cuirfidh mé ceist ar an Aire faoi mholtaí an Rialtais maidir le tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht agus faoin ráiteas nó straitéis pleanála Gaeltachta atá geallta le fada. Tá géarchéim thithíochta ag brú daoine óga agus teaghlaigh óga amach ó mo cheantar féin. Gan tithíocht, ní bheidh pobal inmharthana againn. Gan pobal inmharthana, ní bheidh todhchaí ag an nGaeilge mar theanga bheo phobail. Cathain go díreach a fhoilseofar na moltaí agus an ráiteas pleanála?

Tá sé ráite ag an Aire go bhfuil obair idir-rannach ar siúl agus is léir go bhfuil. Tá cúrsaí pleanála, údaráis áitiúla agus an Roinn tithíochta luaite aige. I dtaobh na fianaise ar an talamh, tá pobal na Gaeltachta tar éis fanacht rófhada cheana féin. Cé go raibh sé geallta arís ag deireadh na bliana seo caite sa phlean tithíochta, níl tásc ná tuairisc ar an straitéis nó ráiteas sin. Níl sé feicthe againn. Tugaim faoi deara nár thug an tAire aon dáta daingean dúinn faoina mbeidh sé foilsithe. Glacaim leis go mbain…

Is cúis le frustrachas sna pobail Ghaeltachta seo an mhoill ar an straitéis nó an ráiteas, mar a dtugtar air anois. Ba cheart go mbeidh roinnt mhaith oibre déanta idir an dá Roinn le blianta anuas mar bhí sé seo geallta blianta ó shin. Athghealladh é anuraidh. Tá an tAire ag rá nach bhfuil sé éasca agus tuigim é sin ach cad iad na pointí easaontaithe? Muna bhfuil sé aontaithe idir an Aire agus an Aire tithíochta, cad iad na pointí nach raibh siad in ann aontú orthu go fóill? Cad iad na coimhlintí atá ann idir an dá…

If invitations to the Minister and the Minister of State are what gets things done and gets investment happening, they are both very much invited to Dungarvan, hopefully with-----

-----a load of funding to build a community centre. If it is big enough, we might even name it after the pair of them. An cheist ba mhaith liom a chur ar an Aire ná mar gheall ar phobal láidir Gaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tá pobail nua ag fás ar fud na tíre, mar is eol dó, go minic bunaithe ar Ghaelscoileanna agus ar eagraíochtaí pobail. An bhfeiceann an tAire acmhainn i scéimeanna nua tacaíochta agus in aitheantas foirmiúil do phobail den chineál sin, áit a bhfuil an Ghaeilge á húsáid mar theanga phobail a…

Aontaím leis an Aire go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht lárnach agus go bhfuil pobail Ghaeilge breá bríomhar fud fad na tíre seo ó Thuaidh agus ó Dheas. Caithfimid an Ghaeltacht a chosaint, a chothú agus a neartú. Níor cheart go mbeadh cosaint agus fás curtha i gcoinne a chéile. Tá gá le seasamh cosanta cinnte mar gheall ar an 100 bliain d’fhaillí an Stáit seo i dtaobh na Gaeilge agus na bpobal Gaeltachta. Tá gá freisin le fís fháis - fís atá uaillmhianach. Ní leor a rá go gcaithfimid an méid atá fágtha a shábháil. Caithfimid…

Cé go bhfuil an dualgas orainn an Ghaeltacht a chosaint agus tá an Ghaeilge rófhada faoi chosaint ar pháipéar agus faoi bhrú sa saol fíor amach ansin, tá gá anois an chéim uaillmhianach chun tosaigh a ghlacadh. Tá an-taithí agam ar na scéimeanna, na tionscadail agus na heagrais ar leith atá ag obair ar an talamh agus atá ag fás an phobail sin agus ag tacú leis an bpobal leis an nGaeilge a bheith mar theanga chumarsáide inár dteaghlaigh i mbailte, i sráidbhailte, i scoileanna agus sa phobal i gcoitinne. Caithfimid a…

I ask the Minister of State about the farmers' yard initiative developed - in this country in any case - by Dr. Shane Conway and Dr. Maura Farrell, and piloted successfully in Mountbellew mart. I met recently with Dr. Shane Conway to discuss the model. It uses marts as trusted social spaces for older farmers, combining peer-to-peer support, information sharing, social contact and discussion around issues such as succession, ageing, isolation and farm life. As we discussed earlier, social isolation, particularly in …

I would welcome that engagement. The strength of this initiative is that it is not asking anybody to go where they would not ordinarily go or to go outside their comfort zone. It is meeting people where they are at, where they feel comfortable and where they are turning up anyway. It is not just about isolation among older farmers; it is also about connecting younger farmers and giving people who are still farming but would love to retire a way to find somebody who might take on the enterprise. They can share skill…

I raise the mobile maternity unit fundraised for by Gaeil ar son Gaza in west Waterford. It is now stuck in Egypt, prevented from entering Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces. I understand Irish diplomats in Egypt are seeking a resolution but will the Minister urgently intervene with Egypt, the UN and all relevant agencies to get this Irish-funded and much-needed mobile maternity unit into Gaza? In the same week that we saw the Global Sumud Flotilla illegally interdicted and humanitarian volunteers including 14 I…

As Israel continues to thumb its nose at the international community, bask in its impunity and gloat in the face of the deepening humanitarian crisis it has created-----

-----will the Government finally concede that it is time for us to take unilateral action?

Our so-called European partners are continuing to enable and protect Israel in its colossal crimes against humanity.

Can we sustain the current evictions and homelessness figures?

Sinn Féin will not oppose this legislation progressing to the next Stage. We support the orderly winding down of NAMA and the completion of the IBRC process, but we have serious concerns about accountability, governance and the extraordinary salaries that will be paid, which are utterly out of kilter with public sector norms. Sinn Féin will bring forward amendments on Committee Stage to address those concerns. Before we close the book on NAMA as a State, a people and a Government, serious questions have to be answe…

This is an extraordinary salary that is part and parcel of the winding up of a State agency.

I will continue with that noted. Last year, the so-called housing tsar plan collapsed under pressure and now the Government wants to fold an individual back into the NTMA while preserving the same extraordinary pay package. Contrast that for a moment with the National Ambulance Service workers who have been forced onto picket lines simply to secure modest improvements in pay and conditions and address chronic recruitment and retention problems. Front-line workers are told there is no flexibility, no urgency and no …

Whose job is it to bring legislation?

The scenes in Tycor in Waterford over the weekend have been devastating for residents, businesses and workers. I commend the firefighters, emergency services and front-line workers who responded. On Sunday morning, my colleague, Deputy David Cullinane, and I visited the area to meet those residents, the workers and the businesses affected. While the immediate danger has passed in many respects, enormous concerns remain around livelihoods, the clean-up operation, asbestos, air quality and long-term safety. I welcome…