The Government and Tesco have a lot in common. Both seem to operate under the motto: "Every little helps". However, the problem is that often what is needed is not the little helps, but the big and bold policy moves such as making Ireland energy efficient and energy independent. One such move could have involved supporting the Shannon LNG project or other forms of industrial exploration. Instead, all we get is a disconnected and semi-utopian reliance on renewables such as wind energy, which will in all likelihood n…

Will the Minister address the concerns expressed by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation that the recent increase in the VAT rate has eroded competitiveness? Will she agree that, at a minimum, the VAT rate pertaining to the food sector should be kept under review? Will she make a statement on the matter?

As the Minister will be aware, the Irish Hotels Federation has pointed out that Ireland has the third-highest VAT rate in the EU. I know the Minister said she does not have direct responsibility for VAT but with her responsibility for tourism, it is important that the view of the sector is articulated and that the sector is supported. More than 285,000 jobs are directly related to tourism in 46,000 tourism businesses. This is a profoundly serious issue as it is a huge sector. In my constituency, in County Offaly in…

I thank the Minister for her response and I acknowledge the support package. However, this is a short-term measure. We need long-term vision and supports and a way of dealing with the fact that so many contracts that have been signed by Government have made it impossible for hotels. The support package will help them to keep their doors open and that is about it in the short term but what about the long term? As the Minister mentioned, we need a specific tourism support scheme but that has to be a long-term initiat…

The waiting time for driving tests is totally unacceptable, as the Minister of State acknowledged. He also acknowledged that the RSA was brought before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications in September and stated there is now an expectation to see improvement. I ask that it be brought back in if there are no improvements in the next couple of months. There is a service level agreement. We are not getting a service that is fit for purpose. I have many constituents, particularly young people…

As I understand, the NDLS claims that Payzone vouchers can be used but the Payzone website does not list one site from which vouchers can be purchased. That is misleading the public and it is unacceptable for a State service or agency to do that when it is being funded by the taxpayer. I know from my constituent's account that she tried three different Payzone centres in Tullamore yesterday in case the website was not giving the correct information. I ask the Minister of State to follow up and investigate what is g…

Page 84 of the programme for Government states: Community safety is at the heart of the ongoing transformation of An Garda Síochána. The...Government will ensure that this will be a key part of our social contract with citizens. An Garda Síochána is enriched by its resilient links in the areas it works with and protects. In Laois-Offaly, there is an ongoing and serious issue with Garda recruitment numbers. We all know that morale is very low in An Garda Síochána at present but morale will be even lower and we will …

Now that the dust has settled from the political theatre of yesterday, we can all now clearly see just exactly where the deficits and fault lines lie. We can see where the lost opportunities have occurred and what exactly it all means for the general public. I am afraid that the general consensus is, that despite all of the applause from Government Ministers, that this is a budget that has just not risen to the occasion and has fallen flat. Rarely has so much cash been splashed about with so little impact. Indeed, …

Tá áthas orm an deis a fháil chun labhairt ar an mbuiséad seo atá leagtha amach os ár gcomhair anocht. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. In many ways, this is the Goldilocks budget. It is too hot for some, like the ESRI which urged constraint; too cold for others, who believe it did not go far enough; and just right for the Government, which believes it has struck the correct balance. Many thousands of households, farms, small businesses, restaurant owners, tourism operators, pub owners and haulier…

I support the motion and commend the Regional Group on bringing it forward. In particular, I support the call to increase the number of gardaí in the State to 16,000 by 2028. In May this year, I was informed that the Laois-Offaly divisional drug unit of An Garda Síochána has the lowest number of Garda members assigned to it compared to every other county and Garda division in the State. I have raised this in the Chamber. It was also confirmed to me that just one Garda member is assigned to the Laois-Offaly division…

Educational assessments for children with learning difficulties is an area of concern. Many parents are forced to pay €1,200 to have their child assessed because the average school can only get one or two assessments through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. It often falls on a school principal, and I was one myself and know all about it, who has to make the very difficult decision about which child in the school is top priority for an assessment. It does force parents to pay privately for asses…

I welcome the debate on this vitally important issue of sexual offences and human trafficking. This is an issue that needs much more attention and, of course, in Ireland we do need tougher laws and tougher sentencing, and we need it urgently. Two years ago, I and my colleagues in the all-party Oireachtas life and dignity group organised a briefing on countering human trafficking in Ireland where we heard from Ms Sunniva McDonagh, a lawyer specialising in fundamental rights and a member of the Irish Human Rights and…

The fact we raise this problem every year like Groundhog Day is unacceptable. I have been here since 2016 and every year without fail it has come up. It is ridiculous. In a reply to a parliamentary question I put down recently, the Minister for Education stated that Bus Éireann had reported "a small number of families assigned to school transport services [were impacted and] a number of difficulties have arisen in some localities with just under 2% of contracted services nationally affecting less then 1.25% of thos…

At this stage, we are all dizzy from being on the merry-go-round with the Minister on the issue of childcare provision. It has come up so many times, yet there has not been enough resolution from him. I heard directly from the early childcare providers, namely, the FECP. Its representatives were here with us in the audiovisual room last week briefing us on this issue. Many were experienced providers who have been in the sector for 18 to 20 years. They told us they cannot keep their doors open, that they are really …

A few months ago, I attended a meeting in Thurles which was organised by Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners. The meeting was organised to address and highlight the issue of ash dieback, which affects many constituencies, including my own, Laois-Offaly. The Irish Farmers' Journal has reported that 6,000 families are affected and 70,000 acres in total are affected. Will compensation be provided to those affected? I know those affected, including many businesses which are involved in forestry as well as landowners…

While I appreciate that this Bill is largely technical in nature, in that it deals specifically with the need to facilitate the integration of Ervia and Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, and to provide for the transfer of functions and assets from Ervia to GNI, it also raises very serious issues that merit our scrutiny here today, including relating to the delivery of strategic national infrastructure in the areas of water and gas. I would also like to know the reason for its delay given that the Minister, Deputy O’Brien,…

This issue is about as serious as it gets. It represents a fundamental failure of professional care for spina bifida patients. It has been an absolute nightmare for the children involved and their parents. One can only imagine what they are all going through. It is a betrayal of trust on a scale that is hard to imagine or, indeed, quantify. Of the 16 case files reviewed, 13 patients, or 81.2%, required further unplanned surgery. One of these patients, who had multiple procedures, unfortunately passed away. My thoug…

I welcome the introduction of this Bill. It is coming before us late in the day but it will help in clawing back some of the massive profits the energy providers have made. I understand that the estimated proceeds from the temporary solidarity contribution are in the range of €200 million to €450 million and that these proceeds can be put towards financial supports for households and businesses affected by high energy prices. As I have said, this is welcome but many small businesses have already closed. I know that…

Will the Minister outline the discussions and engagements he has had with farming organisations with respect to proposed changes to nitrates limits for derogation farmers from the period 1 January 2023 to date? There are concerns this will inevitably lead to a reduction in herd numbers. At least 6,900 derogation farmers are affected. Assurances to date from the Government have not alleviated the serious concerns and anxieties of these derogation farmers.

I thank the Minister. I see little point in being deliberately adversarial on this point. I acknowledge the Minister has agreed with the European Commission to an interim review of the nitrates action programme 2023. This still means we would default to a maximum limit under the derogation, as the Minister pointed out, of 220 kg, and that is down from 250 kg, from January 2024. We know from the research conducted by Teagasc that one of the reasons Ireland's nitrates derogation is in the firing line is because of re…