I want to record my disgust that 31 Members of Dáil Éireann abstained in a vote on a motion on the Special Criminal Court.

As 31 Members of Dáil Eireann seem to have no view on gangland crime in this country, I ask that we have a vote other than by electronic means.

That was quite a vexatious remark, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Therefore, Members should not be abstaining.

There has already been a discussion about the passport service this morning. The specific issue I raise is the possibility of a printer being installed in the Cork office to alleviate pressure on the Mount Street office and provide a quicker service to people in the south and south-west regions. In addition, I raise the issue of the stage in the process at which a passport application is checked. Could that check take place earlier in order that any fault or the need for additional information is detected at a poin…

I acknowledge the huge efforts that have been made by the Minister and his Department to try to address the difficulties that people have been facing. To be honest, I have never seen anything like the volume of requests from people in my constituency who have been in contact with my office because of the risk of losing their holidays and flights. Unfortunately, some people did not get their passports in time. Most do, but it is last-minute stuff and it is terribly stressful for people who are, in many cases, lookin…

I acknowledge the efforts of my staff and of all parliamentary staff on all sides of the Houses. It has been very stressful for them and they have borne the brunt at the front line in hearing the stories and taking that stress on themselves to get the issues resolved. If the Minister is considering moving the Cork passport office, he is more than welcome to move it to Kerry, if he so wishes. There is plenty of space and there are plenty of buildings down there. I do not know if he has any information as to what the…

I have a few specific suggestions on housing that would dramatically increase the supply of homes for sale and long-term rent on the market. Will the Minister look at providing better incentives to property owners to make their properties available for long-term rather than short-term rental? In this context, will he look at something similar to the €14,000 rent-a-room disregard? This could dramatically increase the supply of long-term rentals that are currently only available for short terms. The other aspect was …

Representatives from the Irish Hotels Federation, IHF, appeared before the tourism committee last week and we had a good discussion. I have a question about car hire prices. Will the Minister call in the industry? Just because one can charge something does not mean one should charge it. Right now, the gouging that is happening is going to do enormous reputational damage to this country. A select number of hoteliers are doing the same. The reputable hoteliers are providing excellent value for money in most cases, bu…

As the Minister will know, the price of a litre of diesel and a litre of petrol at the pumps is up at around €2.15, €2.20 and, in some cases, even more. I very much welcome the Minister's intervention on 9 March with the financial resolutions that were brought before the House. They made a very big difference at the time and were very important to people. Unfortunately, the prices have crept up again. There is nothing wrong with governments adjusting and adapting as things evolve. I ask the Minister to bring forwar…

My question relates to the war in Ukraine and the impacts it is having on Irish agriculture. Will the Minister discuss what is being done to try to assist Irish farmers at this very difficult time?

I thank the Minister and I appreciate the efforts that have been made to date. They are all very helpful and make a difference on the ground for individual farmers and farm families. I encourage the Minister to keep trying to do more and find more resources to assist our farming communities. The situation for farmers is akin to the situation for the tourism and hospitality sector during Covid-19. They face a major challenge and there has been an enormous increase in production costs. I raise the particular case of …

It is welcome that milk prices are rising, but those who are locked in to prices face an enormous challenge. The stress and fear these people are facing are very worrying. I again call out Ornua. It is my understanding that the company was asked to appear before the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and has not yet agreed to do so. That is unacceptable at this point. This issue is causing enormous stress and worry. The Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, listened to the farmers yesterday. I thank hi…

I raise the important issue of the shortage and price of rental cars. It is a huge challenge for Irish tourism and a particular threat to rural areas. Consider the amount of money we spend marketing experiences like the Wild Atlantic Way internationally, which are predominantly driving experiences. When tourists cannot rent cars in the country, it puts that investment and a huge number of businesses under pressure and at risk. I ask for a whole-of-government approach to addressing the issue and that other ideas, su…

I am grateful this Topical Issue matter was selected. I thank the Minister of State for being present to take it. The matter relates to local improvement scheme, LIS, roads around the country. We know there are thousands of them all over Ireland that are awaiting funding. These are non-council roads and laneways that require improvement works. There are hundreds of them in my constituency in County Kerry. The Minister of State will be familiar with hundreds more in the Laois-Offaly constituency. They are all over t…

Mar a dúirt mé, bhí scéim na mbóithre áise ann roimhe do na ceantair Ghaeltachta agus bhí sé sin an-tábhachtach do mhuintir na Gaeltachta chun na bóithre sin a chothabháil. Anois tá na bóithre sin ag dul in olcas mar níl go leor airgid ann faoin LIS. Tá sé níos tábhachtaí anois níos mó airgid a thabhairt chun gach bóthar, sna Gaeltachtaí agus taobh amuigh de na Gaeltachtaí, a chothabháil agus a fheabhsú. I wish to take up a point in the final paragraph of the response on the cross-Government approach. This is somet…

I warmly welcome the Cabinet's decision today to extend the 9% VAT rate for hospitality. This is something I have called for many times because it is beneficial to businesses and consumers alike. In my constituency in Kerry, it will be welcomed and is much-needed as we try to restart the tourism and hospitality sector. One thing that will very much help us restart that sector and, in particular, to raise our profile abroad, especially in North America, would be a presidential visit. There have been rumours that a p…

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation conference is taking place today in Croke Park. It is a great opportunity for my friends from Cork in the industry to visit the venue. That got the Taoiseach's attention. One of the issues the confederation has been pressing is the requirement for the 9% VAT rate to be retained beyond September. As the Taoiseach knows, the plan is to return to the 13.5% rate from September onwards. The inflationary impact of that will be highly detrimental to Irish tourism and hospitality. I…

I refer to the ongoing atrocious situation in Ukraine. I commend the Ceann Comhairle on his initiative in inviting President Zelenskyy to address the joint sitting of the Houses yesterday. It was a momentous and worthwhile occasion. Further to the remarks yesterday of President Zelenskyy, what additional leadership can Ireland show in respect of this situation? Will we be pushing for further sanctions against Russia to try to help bring this awful conflict to a conclusion? Will we be considering following the lead …

The St. Patrick’s Day festivities last week kick-started the tourism and hospitality season for many operators. They have had a torrid time over the past two years. Hopefully this will be a good year. There are many pressures on them, particularly those relating to inflation and staffing shortages. The return of the higher rate of VAT is looming in the distance. In the context of the inflationary situation we are in and the difficulties the industry faces, can we make an early decision on keeping the 9% rate of VAT…