I did not interrupt you.

A unilateral refusal to participate in fixtures could have serious implications for Irish football. It could affect our players, our supporters, our future participation in competitions and even Ireland's reputation as a host nation for international sporting events. Those consequences would not fall on politicians. They would fall on athletes, fans and sporting organisations. Our amendment takes a balanced approach. It acknowledges the genuine concerns expressed by many people regarding the conflict. It recognises…

Over the past number of years, I have raised Keelbeg Pier in Union Hall with the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and other Ministers on numerous occasions, and the urgency of commencing works on this pier. Several Ministers have come and gone after visiting the pier. Even the Taoiseach visited the pier recently. They all made promises to the local people but not a shovel has been turned in the many years that I have been involved. We have the Department pointing the finger at the council and the council pointing it back at…

I thank John Campbell and Marc Nolan for their assistance in putting together our motion. We have brought it forward because people across the country have been pushed to the edge. The only reason we are now having serious conversations about costs is that ordinary people had to take to the streets to be heard. The recent fuel protests did not happen by accident. They happened because people felt ignored and because workers, families, farmers, fishermen and small business owners simply could not take any more. It t…

I welcome the continued support for outdoor seating and dining, which has proven to be one of the most practical and successful measures for our hospitality sector in recent years. This is not just about tables and chairs on a footpath. It is about breathing life back into our towns and village across Ireland, particularly in rural and coastal communities. Outdoor dining has created a vibrant atmosphere that attracts visitors, supports local jobs and keeps small businesses viable. When the 9% VAT rate was introduce…

The summer programme or July provision is essential for children with special educational needs. This year, schools were given just one week to apply with late notice from the Department. Many schools missed the deadline through no fault of their own. I call for a debate on this issue and for an extension to ensure no child loses out.

This is a short Bill on paper, but one that carries significant consequences for how transport is planned and delivered across the country. Nobody on this side of the House is against better public transport. Far from it. For far too long, rural Ireland and regions like west Cork have been left behind when it comes to investment in transport infrastructure. People in our communities have been crying out for reliable bus services, safer networks and real connectivity for decades. In principle, any effort to improve …

I am not blaming the Minister of State. He is not the NTA. I will sit down with him, though. God Almighty, I would be delighted to do that. I appreciate his offer. I take-----

I am onto the NTA. I am on the board. I should not have to come to the Minister of State. I am there as a volunteer to deliver for people through the right channels, not to be running to the Minister of State's door every five minutes. I will go to the Minister of State, though. I appreciate that and anyone who offers an open door. I am not coming here to criticise. I am coming here to create solutions. There are solutions there. There is not a need to be blowing a budget here and there because we cannot get every …

Let us stop pretending that we do not understand the problem. The Government has had evidence for decades now, but what has changed for people with disabilities? The answer is very little, and the proof of the failure in this regard lies in the figures. Disabled people are far more likely to be living in poverty, not slightly more but multiple times more. We are talking about poverty rates of over 30% in some cases when disability costs are taken into account. We are talking about consistent poverty rates four time…

Independent Ireland supports Deputy Stanley's motion. Some people in politics today are trying to paint neutrality as old-fashioned, outdated or somehow weak. The people of Ireland do not see it that way at all. The people understand neutrality because it is about independence. It is about Ireland making its own decisions, not taking orders from Brussels or NATO and not being dragged into conflicts that are not ours. For generations, neutrality has served this country well. We are a small nation, but we have earned…

I will start where Deputy O'Donoghue left off in his excellent speech. I will just give an overview of where people stand in relation to NAMA. This Bill marks what the Government will present as a final chapter in the State's response to the banking collapse. We are being asked to wind up NAMA and transfer what remains of the IBRC into the NTMA to close the emergency structures created during one of the darkest periods in our financial history. In principle, that is the right thing to do. These bodies were always m…

I want to speak on behalf of ordinary decent people out there who did the right thing all their lives. They worked hard, saved carefully and tried to put some money aside for their retirement. The problem is what happens when they are struck down with cancer, which is a very serious ailment that can in some cases lead to life-threatening situations. In more cases, it does not and they make a good recovery. There has to be some leverage there for these people who have gone back to normal life and deserve that unders…

I have been looking for a debate about short-term lets in the Dáil for the past two or three months. Yes, the can has been kicked down the road, and that is different from what the Government was saying for long enough, but the public needs to know what the future for them is in relation to short-term lets. A debate is warranted immediately.

It is now taking anything from four to six weeks for Garda vetting to be returned by the national vetting bureau. This is having a very real and immediate impact on the early years sector, a sector that, frankly, should be an absolute priority. Services are operating strict staff-to-child ratios and because of these delays, some are being forced to close rooms. That, in turn, is creating a huge knock-on effect for working parents who rely on these services every single day. We clearly need a more efficient, portabl…

Earlier this year, the Minister launched an important report in Clonakilty on wintering waterbirds. It highlighted the important good data habitat protection and the work being done by local communities. However, we also need to deal with the gaps. We still do not have a national bag data collection system. That has been an issue for years. The National Association of Regional Game Councils, which represents thousands of people in rural Ireland, has repeatedly offered to work with the Department to provide that dat…

I have been in the House for over ten years and in that ten years, the Government has got it wrong. That is the bottom line. It does not matter where it is; whether it is urban or rural, the Government has got it all wrong in relation to housing and the crisis has gone from bad to worse. I hear a lot of Opposition Members shouting and attacking developers. I would not be in that attacking mode at all about the people who build the houses in the first place because we would not have the houses without them. There is…

On 15 April, I raised with the Taoiseach this issue about patients of the highly respected Dr. Fiona O'Reilly in the greater Clonakilty surrounds, who are not being seen by SouthDoc after-hours services, due to Dr. O'Reilly discontinuing her membership with SouthDoc. On 23 April, I received what I would call an angry reply from SouthDoc management, telling me that I failed to seek clarification on the issue from the SouthDoc regarding the facts. What South Doc management does not realise is I am a TD and a servant …

This Bill will widen the grounds for abortion after a baby is diagnosed with a life-limiting condition. Currently, the law allows abortion if the baby is not expected to live longer than 28 days after birth. This would be changed to allowing abortion if there is a fatal condition affecting the foetus, which is a more broad and general phrase. It is hard for most of us to imagine just what it means for parents who had been happily looking forward to the birth of a new baby to hear that something is seriously wrong. …

Local Link has been a game-changer for many communities throughout the country. I pay tribute to all those who have helped to deliver the service but, alarmingly, in recent times, new services where tenders were sought and received have been unable to run due to funding constraints. Services from Dunmanway to Clonakilty, Grange to Timoleague, and Bantry via Kealkill to Macroom were put out to tender seven or eight months ago. They were tendered for and now they have been told there is no money to run the services. …