The deregulation of the taxi system in Ireland was brought in to increase the number of taxis on the streets, especially here in Dublin, to bring competition to the taxi industry and, it was hoped, to bring prices down, so imagine the shock I feel when I am sitting in a taxi and the taxi driver tells me that he is renting the plate of an individual who owns about 200 plates and he is paying €6,500 per annum for the taxi plate. When I investigated a little further, I found out that there are a number of individuals …

We have a responsibility in politics to be honest and truthful when we speak. It has suited the Irish way to talk about the 43% increase in the defence budget, which is a nominal figure. It might sound good for our European partners to pretend that we have increased our budget, which is the worst and lowest budget in Europe, and probably in the world, at 0.22%. It might sound good to say we have increased it by 43% over a five-year period from 2021 to 2026. The Central Statistics Office will tell you that consumer …

This morning, I rise to fulfil the second part of a promise I made to Helen. At the beginning of May, having been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach and pancreas, Helen was sitting in the conservatory on a Sunday morning. When I walked into the room, she said "It is time we put plans in place." The first thing she dealt with was music for her funeral. Helen knows, or knew, that I am a deeply emotional person when it comes to music. She picked a piece by Massenet for the church and the piece "Song to the Moon" for…

Yesterday I said I would revisit some of the issues my family faced as my wife faced the end of her life. Helen was an extraordinarily strong person. Once diagnosed, she wanted to ensure that the family was unburdened with respect to making decisions for her. This brought about looking into two things in particular: the enduring power of attorney and the advance health declaration, AHD, form. Today, I want to speak about the enduring power of attorney. Enduring power of attorney, EPA, is one of the most important l…

I apologise for going over time.

I thank the three MEPs for being here. All three of them stand out in my mind for one thing and that is that they do not always observe the party line and are sometimes willing to speak against their parties' positions on different things.

Ms Doherty showed that, particularly when she was Leader of this House. The work of Mr. Barry Andrews on defence has been second to none and I find it somewhat disturbing it does not get more prominence in this country. It really is important. I hate to say this to Mr. Ó Ríordáin that, in speaking about housing we found out yesterday that seven out of every ten 18- to 21-year-olds in this country want to get out of the country and it is down to housing. I see massive amounts of housebuilding around Dublin but someh…

It does not just apply to defence.

I thank everybody for their offers of condolence and in particular my group which stood by me for the three months that Helen was in hospital and the hospice. It is a pretty shocking thing when you get notice and are told you likely have a year ahead of you, when that year shrinks to a couple of weeks. Over the next couple of Orders of Business there are a number of things I want to address. Helen was very accepting of her fate and she set about planning everything to do with the end of her life. That included such…

Wait for the next one.

I omitted to formally congratulate the Leader yesterday on his elevation. I assume there will be bonfires all over Tipperary as he arrives home this weekend. I ask him to please forgive me for not officially congratulating him. I will say a few words at the start at our Presidency of the European Union. My thoughts are with the public servants who have been seconded from Departments all over the place to facilitate the Presidency of the EU. We give the various Departments a bit of a licking now and again over vario…

It is an honour for me to extend my congratulations to the 64th naval cadet class on their commissioning into the Naval Service. Their commissioning should be a moment of unambiguous pride for them, their families and the State they have chosen to serve. They have completed their demanding training, demonstrated discipline and leadership, and earned their place among the officers of Óglaigh na hÉireann. Each has joined the service with a proud and hard-earned reputation for professionalism, sacrifice and excellence…

The rather confused issue of the triple lock is finding its way through the Houses as we speak. During a debate I listened to, it was claimed that the removal of the triple lock will mean that the Defence Forces can never serve in a peacekeeping role again. This is incorrect. Irish peacekeepers have been participating in peacekeeping operations, wearing the blue beret of the United Nations, the Óglaigh na hÉireann beret or the Glengarry caubeen, while serving overseas. That was in an EU mission sanctioned by the UN…

The Minister of State is welcome to the House. This Bill purports to offer clarity, control and enhanced protection within our aviation system. Such aims are both necessary and commendable. However, it is incumbent on us as legislators to look beyond the language and intent and to scrutinise the substance of what is proposed. On that basis, I contend that the Bill is, in its current form, populist in concept and unworkable in practice. At its core, the Bill reduces highly complex international integrated systems in…

There is a vacancy going.

Hear, hear.

Do they get homework off?

I want to be associated with the congratulations to Seán Kyne. Saturday and Sunday were nail-biting and showed the value of the single transferable vote. I am delighted for Seán and his family. A more decent man you could not meet. We will be holding interviews for the position of Leader over the coming days - CVs to me before the close of business this evening. To my colleagues who have spent their time in both Houses crying about the triple lock, Ireland's neutrality and all of that nonsense, yesterday was the st…

I had the honour of attending an event at the House of Westminster organised by Liam Conlon MP. It was to do with the Untold Museum of Belfast. The museum is an incredible place. I know there are many misgivings about Irish people who served in the British forces, and served with pride, as I did. The Untold Museum hosts 350 years of Irish military history. It is an incredible place to visit because you hear the stories not only of the people of the Northern Irish community and the unionist community, but also of th…

As the Cathaoirleach pointed out, there will be a presentation in the audiovisual room at 12.30 p.m. by some of the leading cardiologists in the country and members of related professions. The topic under discussion will be hypertension and its dangers. People tend to think that stroke is something that afflicts people in the latter part of their lives and people in the departure lounge, like myself, who are over a certain age. In actual fact, one of my school friends had a stroke at 37 and spent the rest of his na…