It is very important at this juncture, when Russia and its dictator, in particular, are behaving like a wounded, cornered animal, and are capable of doing things that would not have been considered as being on the agenda only a relatively short time ago, that there needs to be a heightened sense of concern regarding infrastructure that is now vulnerable. I see that particular submarine cable, and those cables we have, as being the crocodile's belly in attacking Ireland, Europe and those that Russia sees as enemies.…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. I echo his words on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and I express my condolences to the citizens of the UK and to all those around the world who mourn her. The four weeks since the appointment of the new Prime Minister have been eventful, to say the least. It would make an episode of "House of Cards" look dull. It makes me grateful for our level of stability and the good budgets we have over here. I encourage the Taoiseach to keep up the good work as regards engage…

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this issue. It is the most pressing issue facing the country at the moment and has been for a number of years. It really is proving extremely difficult to improve. I acknowledge the pressures in respect of the rapidly growing population and the war in Ukraine, but I certainly feel that much more can be done and needs to be done. I welcome the positive measures that are in Housing for All but we need to go further. A lot more needs to be done in respect of Government housing …

This is about An Blascaod Mór. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, for visiting An Blascaod Mór in recent weeks. True to the Minister of State's word, when I raised it in the House earlier in the year, he said he would visit. I want to ask about the future of the landing facility, if a safer one can be put in place, and if there is any progress on that. Perhaps the Minister of State could update the House on the need for public conveniences for the island and on a conservation and heritage plan.

Fáiltím roimh an nuacht seo. Bheadh sé an-tábhachtach cé níos sábháilte a chur in áit do gach aon duine, ach go háirithe na daoine atá ag tabhairt cuairte ar an oileán. Chomh maith leis sin, as the Minister of State will know, on the island there are also concerns about conservation issues and, particularly, visitors to the island who, whether unwittingly or not, disturb the seal population. I ask that signage be erected at the point of entry to the island, at the quay, in order that people would be aware that the …

I raise with the Tánaiste the issue of the format of letters currently going out to people on rates valuation. First, the format is very misleading. The multiplier is not included on the front page and the valuation is. For example, a man contacted me this morning who thought initially that he had a €1,200 rate to pay. When the 0.227 multiplier for Kerry is applied, however, it was down to approximately €272. Similarly, yesterday, a very hard-working woman contacted me and thought that she would have to pay up to €…

I thank the Tánaiste for visiting County Kerry last Friday. It was a long day with many engagements and he met and listened to a lot of people, which I appreciate.

We missed Kilgarvan on this itinerary but we will get to it the next time. We visited Fitzgerald Stadium, which is the home of Kerry football. We did not get to meet the Sam Maguire Cup on this occasion but I assured the Tánaiste that the people of Kerry are giving it the best of hospitality. We did meet the Clifford brothers. The Tánaiste saw the condition of the stadium, which requires substantial investment. In that context, I want to ask him when the next round of the large-scale sport infrastructure fund will …

In the forthcoming budget, will serious prioritisation be given to reducing the personal income tax burden on householders? As far as I am concerned, we live in an economy that has far too high of a burden of personal income tax on people who are working hard and are trying to put bread on the table and to keep the lights and heat on. Certainly, there is an opportunity to reduce the burden of the universal social charge and to look at bands and the potential introduction of a third rate. Is this a priority of the G…

The cost of doing business for farmers has spiralled out of control in recent months, making life very difficult for them, their families and the wider farming communities that benefit from the income generated from agriculture. What further measures can be achieved, both in the budget and beyond, to help farmers as they struggle with the cost of inputs?

I thank the Minister very much for his response. He may have noted that in my question I used the word "further" because I acknowledge very much the interventions that have been made to date. Current political discourse too often ignores the interventions that have already been made and that is not positive for anybody. We must acknowledge when things have already been done. I very much welcome the fodder, pig, tillage and horticulture interventions, which are very important. However, the Government must consider e…

I encourage the Minister's work. In the context of budget negotiations - I have been there - Ministers have a responsibility to consider matters that are directly related to their Department and secure the best possible package. The Minister has already done that and I have no doubt he will do it again. However, I encourage him to also look at the bigger picture with regard to income tax and the universal social charge, USC. Taxation has a major effect on our farming families as well. The people who work hard on ou…

This question relates to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impacts on Irish agriculture. First and foremost, I utterly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is an appalling, barbaric act and has caused untold misery, death and destruction all over Ukraine. The impacts are also felt here in a very different way, however, and are causing great difficulty for people. How does the Minister of State plan to continue to respond to this?

I certainly would not like to be a Minister with responsibility for agriculture at present because this is something that is massively challenging for any Minister. In fairness to both the Minister and the Minister of State, they have worked very hard and have done their best in what are very difficult circumstances. That effort needs to continue because the three Fs - fertiliser, feed and fuel - are killing farmers right now. The impacts pale into insignificance in the context of what is happening on the humanitar…

The planning relating to this matter needs to be more medium-term and long-term too. Unfortunately, the Russians, and we know their form, appear to be dug in for a war of attrition. They do not care how long this goes on or how many people die. They do not care about the destruction and the death they cause. This could be a situation that we will have to deal with for quite some time, so that has to be part of the Minister's and Minister of State's thinking and rationale certainly with regard to the forthcoming bud…

For over six years now, Brexit has been a massive issue in this country and in Europe. At the same time, I long for the days when Brexit was the biggest crisis we faced. However, it is still a crisis. It has caused significant difficulty, particularly for the agrifood sector. I ask the Minister of State to update the House on matters pertaining to Brexit in that regard.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I acknowledge the very significant effort that has been made by the Irish Government and by officials both in the Minister of State's Department and across the whole of Government since 2016 in formulating a response to the Brexit crisis. I do not think any of us in 2016 envisaged we would still be talking about this in the Dáil Chamber on the last day of the summer term in 2022. Unfortunately, we are where we are. While we can start talking about the blame game and t…

I acknowledge the efforts that are being made in sourcing new markets and we have come a long way since we were a neocolonial economy dependent so much on Britain. Those efforts need to be further intensified. For example, if there is one positive for us to come out of the current situation it the exports to the US, which is a market of great importance for us. It is something on which I would encourage the Minister of State to maintain his efforts. The sooner we can have closure and certainty on the protocol and B…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his wise philosophical words earlier. As Whip of the Fine Gael group, I thank everybody for their contribution to the running of the Parliament and I wish everyone on all sides of the Houses happy summer holidays. Please come to Kerry and spend money there. Members are more than welcome. We may have lost Fungie, but we have gained a greenway recently so I guarantee Members will have a good time. I ask about the burden of income taxation on working individuals and families. That burde…

It is not.