Again, if the Deputies to my right keep interrupting, it means I am saying something that is hurting them very deeply. I have my opinion and I am here to help anyone who is in whatever situation they are in, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. This is what I am talking about. Everyone in this country deserves healthcare - end of story - regardless of their circumstances or whatever else. They deserve healthcare, and that is what the motion is about. It is about caring and giving healthcare to people regar…

Last week, Independent Ireland tabled a Private Members' motion relating to the protection of whistleblowers. Part of our motion was to remove the protection for civil servants who are knowingly acting outside of their remit whereby they would not get protected by the State if they are knowingly acting outside the remit of their work. I asked at the time for an open vote from Government on the motion and it did not allow it. Why are we protecting people who are knowingly breaking the law within the Civil Service? T…

What about this question?

Agreed.

It is the minority I am talking about.

No, it is the minority. I praise the ones who are doing the good work . It is the minority who are doing bad work.

Christmas is approaching. When we were growing up, we were told by our parents that if we were not good for Christmas, Santy would fill our stockings with coal. How many people in this country this year will be hoping that Santy brings them a bag of coal? How many? Have we not turned full circle? It is not that long ago that we heard it. We will now see people go cold in their houses this year. I have been trying to figure out what is wrong. The Government has run out of ideas. The Minister's Department has absolut…

I will provide it.

It is a breath of fresh air when I hear that people over there agree to something I suggested five years ago. One Member said he is a young person representing Fianna Fáil representing that generation. I have four sons. I started out in Fianna Fáil, until it tried to put me in cotton wool and would not let me speak. The Deputy is part of the Government that is part of the problem because it did not listen. It is now listening, after listening to people with experience. I am in construction all my life. We know how …

However, I will look at it and support the people from Clare. The lads are all singing from the one hymn sheet now and they are agreeing on it.

They will go home and tell their constituents that they spoke up for them today. However, they did not listen for five or six years to the people with experience who could have helped to address the problem. As I have said, I will give them praise all day, every day, if they deliver what we have asked.

I am delighted that the Government is now taking the advice of an Independent who is giving it the roadmap so it can deliver infrastructure, on budget and on time. I am delighted that the Deputies are speaking from my book. They might bring this to their parties and drive it home. I will provide the rocket they are looking for, and as Deputy Crowe said, he can light it but he would want to light it under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael first.

I said to the Minister earlier that I would pray if somebody would start to listen and I am going to give him a small bit of prayers. This is from the point of view of the part in the Bill that brings in developer-led infrastructure. Why am I so glad that is going to be introduced and that Government is looking at and encouraging this? I will tell you why. When you bring a business model into a development, you can then use the costing of that delivery of infrastructure and put it against the likes of Uisce Éireann…

I welcome any additions to the scheme but the scheme is not right. The scheme we are talking about includes counties Limerick, Clare, Sligo, Donegal and Mayo and other areas. The latest data shows that 3,022 homeowners are at various stages of the scheme. Of those, 326 applicants have completed remediation works with a further 1,057 applicants having notified their relevant local authority. I welcome the 10% increase. I would like to read from a letter. As everyone knows - if they do not, they will now - I am in co…

What cost would the Minister of State put on life? That is the question. If it was in different circumstances and the Minister of State needed something, what cost would he put on his own life? When it comes to our search and rescue personnel, all I can say is "Thank you." They are absolutely unbelievable in what they do. If they work for 24 hours, that must be recognised. The Government is brilliant at putting in place regulations for different people. If people are driving trucks, the Government will tell them ho…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, as amended, was enacted to give effect to the European Union's Whistleblowing Directive and to protect persons who, in good faith, report wrongdoing in the public interest; — despite these statutory protections, numerous whistleblowers have faced retaliation, career destruction, delay or suppression of their disclosures through misuse of process, non-investigation, or coercive confidentiality agreements; — the persistent failure of …

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle.

Before I start off, I thank John Campbell, Mark Nolan, Emma Corrigan, my colleagues here in Independent Ireland and, most of all, the whistleblowers who gave us the details and information on this to make sure that we could bring a Private Members' Bill to the Government on which it is after delivering 20 minutes of waffle outside of what we were talking about. I want to make quite clear what we are looking for is a review of the statutory protections afforded to civil servants and - this is where the Deputies from…

A letter was sent from Revenue's VAT interpretation and litigation branch of its taxes policy and legislation division to the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, stating that broiler-house chickens must be registered for VAT this year. Revenue is now saying they do not have to be registered but the Department of Finance is saying they do. A total of 83% of broiler-house chickens are on farms that are subject to zero VAT. If their owners register for VAT as another identity, that cannot be done under the one tax number.…

Yes.