The spirit of Christmas.

I too welcome many aspects of this legislation. It is very important that the Minister is making efforts in many areas, but we have a lot of strange things happening as well. Like Deputy Healy-Rae, I want to ask about the granny flats and modular units in the back garden. I will again mention Seán Meehan who is being prosecuted. He is being dragged through the courts for having his own little mobile home, which is encased in a lovely timber structure and doing no harm to anybody. There are no complaints from his ne…

When St. Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir was closed, the people of Carrick-on-Suir were shocked. They were also promised that a primary care centre would become a hub for chronic disease management. A centre of excellence was promised. Instead, we are now seeing the removal of vital services like the diabetic clinic and the cardiology care from the primary care centre, all because of reports of a lack of space. At the time, the Taoiseach met the former Deputy, Jackie Cahill, and Councillor Kieran Bourke, and p…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I thank him for explaining his departure at around 3.30 p.m. We understand the committee is on as well. Bogaimid ar aghaidh le Sinn Féin anois.

Gabh mo leithscéal, Deputy. Just be careful with naming specific companies.

They are not here to defend themselves.

I was listening to the Minister when he delivered his speech earlier. I was in the Chair and I listened to him and heard what he said. The problem is that the Government has given up on ordinary families, totally and absolutely. The multinationals and oil companies are gouging the people. Every party in this House voted for carbon tax. Sinn Féin wanted more carbon tax a few years ago. The Rural Independent Group was the only group to oppose it. The Government then gives the nod to come in here. I want to speak abou…

I am glad to be able to speak tonight. I welcome the proactivity of the Minister, Deputy Browne, and his junior Minister from Port Láirge. Is the Minister going to extend the situation whereby commercial properties can be used for housing without planning permission? That is so important. Is he going to do something about backyard developments behind houses, which are not mentioned this plan at all? What about a case in which a man houses himself in a mobile home? Seán Meehan from outside Clonmel in County Tipperar…

Is Santa Claus coming?

Is Santy coming early or something?

Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an gCeann Comhairle as ucht na saincheiste seo a ghlacadh. I am delighted that the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, is here because I know that he is an understanding man who travels rural roads every hour of every day of the year. He knows how important this project is. He travelled on this road recently on his visit to Cahir. The N24 from Cahir to Waterford is a massive project that is at a critical juncture this year. Only €80,000 was given in…

From a road safety perspective, the situation is stark. The 65 km stretch, which is through Tipperary, is 1% of the county's road network yet accounts for 25% of road fatalities, which the Minister of State will agree is an alarming and unacceptable statistic. The proposed route bypasses Mooncoin and Carrick-on-Suir and provides a flyover for Kilsheelan, yet it inexplicably continues through the existing congested Clonmel bypass, the only urban area with daily traffic bottlenecks. We have to re-examine this and go …

I welcome all the whistleblowers and their friends in the Public Gallery. I am supporting this motion. We all remember former Sergeant Maurice McCabe who exposed corruption and malpractice within An Garda Síochána, and the treatment he faced as a result. It led to the disclosures tribunal. On the recent protected disclosures Deputy Toole mentioned, I also raised these here in this House, including one from a healthcare professional. It raised deeply serious concerns about systemic failings during the Covid-19 scam-…

I am glad to be able to speak today. I thank both Ministers for the funding for Horse Racing Ireland and the greyhound industry. It is money that is well spent on something embedded in the rural communities and urban communities. From listening to the debate, you would think that greyhound tracks were something awful. Greyhound tracks in Clonmel and Thurles host fund-raisers for many clubs, schools and other organisations; it is part of our fabric. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, for being so vocif…

They have a vindictive issue to try to stop jobs in rural Ireland and destroy families who look after their animals. I do not ever support any cruelty to animals. I was reared with animals, so we understand that too well. The people who are here are all for abortion. They want abortion up to nine months, full gestation-----

-----and they want to save the greyhounds and save the hares.

The coursing festival will start again in February in Clonmel and beidh fíorfháilte roimh na Teachtaí go léir. They will all be welcome to come to the coursing. There will be thousands from all over England, Northern Ireland and Ireland for a wonderful weekend and a huge investment in Clonmel.

I, too, am glad to speak on this issue. It is timely that we have a debate on it. As we know, the migration pact has been signed and there was no debate. For the last five years, certainly over the last three years since the war broke out in Ukraine, and with the other issues all over the world, we could not have a debate here. I stood up at meeting after meeting of the Business Committee for a year and a half. We finally got a debate. The Government did not even have to come in. The Minister came in to introduce i…

I thank An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Quaide, for his forbearance and allowing me to speak. I am very disappointed the Taoiseach is not here because this is a huge Vote and a huge amount of funding. There are many different aspects to it, in particular it deals with NAMA and Project Eagle, as was mentioned. There is also funding for the Moriarty tribunal, for which we are paying 30 years later. Some €850 million were supposed to be saved in one area with NAMA and yet we fail to see where those savings were tea…

Let the Minister of State answer.