Why will she not tell us?

It is ridiculous. It is a simple question.

People are being hammered by the rising cost of fuel. The price of petrol and diesel has increased sharply in the last while. In some forecourts across the country this morning - I do not know if the Minister has seen it - people are being asked to pay €2.20 for a litre of diesel. People have seen these prices go up day after day. They also know that when these prices go up, the Government rakes it in with regard to additional VAT it charges on these high prices. It is not just petrol and diesel; home heating oil h…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the temporary reduction of mineral oil tax on home heating oil (kerosene used other than as a propellent) for the purpose of alleviating cost of living pressures; to provide for the extension of such reductions by order of the Minister for Finance; and to provide for related matters. Tá mé ag iarraidh go gceadófar go dtabharfar isteach Bille dá ngairtear Acht chun laghdú éigeandála a dhéanamh ar cháin ola mianra. Is reachtaíocht éigean…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Gabhaim buíochas le PBP faoi choinne an rún seo a thabhairt os comhair na Dála anocht. Sílim go bhfuil sé ag an am ceart agus muid ag amharc ar an gcáinaisnéis. Week after week, workers and families are being hit with soaring energy bills. We hear it every single day. Unfortunately, we have had company after company in the past two weeks telling us they are putting up their prices again. There are double digit increases. That is another blow to families who are already stretched to the limit. The people out there a…

Military neutrality is a key expression of Irish independence. It means engaging with the world while retaining the freedom to make our own decisions on foreign policy and defence. In a more dangerous world, that independence matters more than ever. When powerful states disregard international law, which has increasingly been the case, Ireland can provide that independent voice for peace, diplomacy and multilateralism. The triple lock is part of that approach and the proposal by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to dismant…

This is an embarrassing climbdown from the Government, one we warned it about back in July. In its arrogance, the Government voted against a Sinn Féin amendment that would have seen us not having to recall the Dáil in emergency fashion. Fine Gael, the Independents and Fianna Fáil thought better and now we are here to clean up their mess. They thought they were going to get away with it but the public had a different mind and intention. The reality is that what the Government is doing today is simply delaying the pa…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 1, in Schedule 2, inserted by paragraph (1), to delete from the row dated “14 October 2026” down to and including the row dated “1 May 2030” and substitute the following:

I move amendment No. 1 to Recommendation No. 1: To delete the text of subsection (2) and substitute the following: “(2) Section 99A of the Finance Act 1999 is further amended, with effect as on and from 1 July 2026, by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (3): “(3) Where— (a) gas oil has been purchased on or after 1 January 2020 and before 1 January 2026, subject to a maximum repayment rate of €75.00 per 1,000 litres, the amount to be repaid per 1,000 litres of gas oil under subsection (2) is…

I move amendment No. 1 to Seanad recommendation No. 2: To delete from the row dated "1 September 2026" down to and including the row dated "1 May 2030" and substitute the following: " " If we needed a reminder of just how volatile, fragile and utterly unpredictable the situation in the Gulf remains, we were handed that stark reminder today with the news that Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire deal with Iran over and has launched fresh attacks. Everyone in this Chamber and everyone across the country hopes agai…

I will press the amendment. To be clear, because the Minister of State would like us to forget what happened, this is the Bill coming back from the Seanad. In case people do not know what has happened here, this Bill has already passed through the Dáil. It is very unusual when a Bill has to come back into the Dáil after it has been passed. The reason is that the Government has had to change what it was trying to put into law, which was the 34 cent increase in August. It had to change that because of the pressure we…

Is the Minister's speech available for circulation?

While we welcome the Bill, many people in my community and the Minister of State's constituency in Donegal will hear his words and say they ring hollow. He talked about how this investment will sustain the post office network across the State and, in particular, support rural and Gaeltacht post offices. At the same time, however, as he knows, in the community of Anagaire locals have come together to fight to try to save their local post office. As the Minister of State speaks in this House about securing the future…

There are moments in the life of every nation when history presents a choice. Ours is the Irish generation that is living through one of those moments. For the first time in a century, the prospect of Irish unity is no longer a distant aspiration. It is a real, democratic possibility. The question before us today is not whether that day will come but it is whether we will prepare for it. Planning is the duty of every government - to plan and to explore the opportunities unity brings in areas such as healthcare, edu…

Tá níos mó ná €50 milliún curtha amú cheana féin ar chóras bainistíochta tráchta Iarnród Éireann, córas a theip ar na tástálacha sábhála agus tá níos mó ná dhá bhliain taobh thiar de sceideal. Gan dabht, is teip iomlán é. Anois, tá sé foghlamtha againn go bhfuil na cáiníocóirí ag íoc suas le €100,000 i gcaitheamh le seachtain mar nach bhfuil cinneadh glactha ag an Rialtas ná an NTA ar cheart deireadh a chur leis an choradh seo ar fad. Anois air sin, tá an Rialtas ag caitheamh €200,000 eile le fiosrú cén dóigh a tha…

This project is not just delayed. Does the Tánaiste not know what is going on here? A sum of €50 million has been written down in the accounts. Irish Rail has formally recommended ending the contract. It has been saying that since last year. It has no confidence that the project can be delivered. This is not just a project that will be delivered in a couple of months' time. The problem is that along with the €50 million that has been written down in terms of the accounts, €100,000 is being paid out on a weekly basi…

This is a serious issue.

You are pathetic. Do you practise that in front of the mirror every night?

Do you stand there saying, "I wonder how this looks"? Honest to God, do you consider even for a minute what the public thinks of it?