The Minister of State was misleading the Dáil and that needed to be corrected.

It looks like my colleagues are not here so I will take their time until they arrive, if that is okay with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I and others were looking at the financial resolutions. In respect of the carbon tax, it looks to me as if it will be ring-fenced over a certain period, going forward. It has now been put off. I have serious reservations. I would find it very difficult to vote for anything that would have that effect, if I can prove it. I am looking into it and if that is the case, I will not be supp…

I will conclude on that, which is the point the Government needs to remember.

I listened to Deputy Gogarty with interest, and he is right. There were, unfortunately, a lot of self-appointed leaders involved in protests. However, there were very decent people involved in the protests I attended. They tried their best to weed out those, I call them thugs, who try to get involved. They get involved in everything that is going on. They think they can save the world from their homes, but that is not usually the case. There is a lot of stuff we are going back over here today. In relation to home h…

They fill the drums and put it into the boat and go out for the day and then go back and do the same thing. It is a continuous situation. I also then have those who are out there in the bigger trawlers throughout the country. I have correspondence from one of them. It states: Hi Michael, No word from our leaders. We have serious trouble with diesel. We have burned 2,500 in 24 hours. Our son was out on his last trip for 14 days. It cost him €31,000. It is not possible to keep going at that. We need help now, immedia…

The CAMHS service in west Cork is now in a state of crisis. The entire service is operation with just one psychiatrist and there is no psychologist. There is no mental health nurse, no social worker and no therapist on the team. These roles are essential to any functioning CAMHS service. For years, the HSE has claimed to be recruiting. Yet, no staff have ever been appointed. The situation now is so serious that the sole psychiatrist, who is due to retire in the coming years, may retire early due to the overwhelming…

The Minister's legacy will be what he has delivered. At this present time, if we look at the garda allocations that were released in February, there was not one extra garda given to west Cork. The Minister has to stand before the Dáil and give us the reasons for that. He cannot say that there is not enough gardaí. There were 176. Obviously, there needs to be far more than that coming through. Gardaí have retired in west Cork over the past number of years but since 2022 zero gardaí have been sent to the Bantry divis…

The fuel allowance gave a good rebate and relief to people who receive it. I will always acknowledge something that will yield some relief for people who are under serious pressure, but what went on yesterday leaves a lot to be desired. I spoke to Councillor Declan Geraghty. He has lorries and is one of our councillors in Galway. He told me that while the reductions in excise are welcome to everyone on white diesel and petrol, there is a clear difference between the IRHA and the private operators. Fuel companies, q…

This scheme has been in operation since 2022 and has been extended multiple times since its introduction. It has involved a significant financial commitment from the State, with approximately €438 million issued in payments. Around 23,500 participating households are currently receiving support through the programme, providing accommodation for an estimated 42,000 individuals. The scheme represents an ongoing monthly cost of approximately €14.5 million. There is a clear and growing problem with the way the current …

Ireland has walked blindfolded into an energy crisis, not by accident or misfortune but because consecutive Governments chose to leave our country exposed and dependent on others for the most basic lifeline we have – energy. The price of those choices is now hammering every single household and business in this country. In 2022, during Leaders Questions to the current Taoiseach, I raised the Barryroe oilfield and demanded that Ireland build real energy independence. Later that year, I spoke of a floating gas termin…

I will be a singing a different tune because the farmers of west Cork were disappointed this morning that they are only going to get 2 cent off the green diesel. Those are the facts. The facts are that the Government made these promises to me in 2022 about renewable energies. It has not delivered. That is the bottom line here. Ireland's energy security is hanging by a thread. We cannot keep relying on imported diesel in global markets we have no control over. The Government's promise in 2022 was more offshore wind …

I agree with my colleagues that 60 minutes is not enough time to speak about the crisis this country is going through at the moment. We need a proper debate in here and I call for that proper debate. Farmers, the hard-squeezed middle, fishermen and other people are facing a serious crisis. People cannot put heating oil into their home heating tanks this evening. They expected a proper break but they did not get it and we need a proper debate on that this evening.

Regarding the proposals put before people today, first, we did not get enough time to debate the issue. Second, the measly bit of money the Government is throwing to the people is like crumbs off rich men's tables. It is not good enough, and the people of the constituency I represent and the people of Ireland are outraged to think farmers are only going to get 2 cent off a litre of green diesel and fishermen are the same. What does Government think they are, slaves to the people of this country? Does it have any re…

We are talking about whether people in this country get seen, get treated and get a fair chance or whether they are left waiting, worrying and wondering if the system will fail them again. We have a national cancer strategy but only one out of 23 objectives has actually been delivered. Many Deputies have spoken today about personal tragedies when it comes to cancer. A cancer diagnosis is a dark moment in a person's life. It is not always a very dark journey but it certainly is a dark moment and a great difficulty. …

I have been in contact with the road hauliers last Thursday, yesterday and this morning. They were taken to the end of their tether before this announcement and they are responsible people. They have made it very clear to me that they considered going out on strike but they did not want to go on strike on the basis of the effect it would have on the people they deliver the goods for. At the same time, however, there is only so much they can take before the Government could be faced with that crisis. While this fina…

There are elements of this Bill that deserve recognition and support. At its core, it seeks to strengthen something that is fundamental to any healthy democracy, namely plurality in our media. In an era when media ownership is increasingly concentrated and when global platforms hold unprecedented influence over what people see, read and hear, it is right that we take steps to ensure diversity of voices and opinions and the protection of editorial independence. The intention behind this legislation to prevent undue …

I am asking my colleagues in government and in opposition to support this Independent Ireland motion for one very simple reason. When it comes to protecting children, there can be no confusion about who is responsible and right now there is too much confusion. When something goes wrong in child protection in this country, what happens? The Department points to Tusla and Tusla points to the procedures and the Minister points to the fact that they do not deal with operational matters. The families are left standing t…

We have a deep energy crisis in this country with the price of fuel skyrocketing. We need a debate. We need the Ministers for energy and Finance before the Dáil. The seriousness of it surely evident in everybody's constituency. It surely is in mine. People are in desperate situations. The Government seems to be kicking the can down the road as if it is an issue that can be sorted down the road. Measures are urgently needed now. We have farmers who use fertilisers which is going to drive food prices and haulage comp…

The proposed transport projects in Dublin and Cork cities, with the Swords-to-Dublin city route and Ballincollig to Mahon, will cost billions of euro when completed. Of course these projects are to be welcomed, but not if they mean that Local Link services will not now go ahead or will be withdrawn. Last week, I found out that a route already tendered for months and months ago for Dunmanway, Clonakilty and Timoleague via Grange in west Cork cannot now go ahead as the National Transport Authority, NTA, says it has n…

I echo the sentiments of Deputy Lawless on Dolores Keane. She was a truly great singer and my sympathies go to her family on her passing, which is a great loss to the country. I also pay tribute to three extraordinary Irish women who continue to lift the country's spirits, namely, Jessie Buckley, Katie Taylor and Katie McCabe. Jessie Buckley made history just days ago by becoming the first Irishwoman ever to win the Best Actress Oscar for her powerful performance in "Hamnet". She stood proudly on that world stage, …