Green policies and agendas will cost the country dearly. That is particularly evident in the midlands where many industries have ground to a halt and there have been significant job losses. Here we are again seeing an unfair carbon tax being imposed on people. As the Independent Farmers of Ireland stated today, this is a pay cut for farmers and contractors. It is regressive for rural Ireland, which is being punished for the sake of an aspirational and impractical agenda.

I sincerely hope the EU and the UK arrive at an amicable and respectful agreement, one that does not bring about major disruption in the Irish agriculture sector. I am aware the Council agenda will not deal comprehensively or specifically with agriculture, but I wish to reiterate my concerns, which are shared by the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, and other farming organisations. Among the key Brexit priorities must be the retention of tariff-free access to, and maintenance of the value of, the EU-UK market. The po…

At present in Laois-Offaly, a total of 1,118 children have been waiting in excess of 12 months for occupational therapy while 159 children have been waiting in excess of 12 months for speech therapy. As I am not here to raise the problem but to offer possible solutions, is there any way in which therapists from other regions where there is not such a chronic backlog could be brought into Laois-Offaly to clear the backlog, while continuing with recruitment? I would be very supportive of that and grateful if that cou…

I wish the Minister of State all the best in her new role. I am sure she will be fantastic in the role because she has been bringing great energy and enthusiasm, so I wish her the very best of luck. It is vitally important that we have a sufficiently resourced health service, now more than ever. What is of equal if not greater importance, however, is that we have a significantly escalated plan to achieve major increases in staffing levels right across the services and specialties. I made this point recently when I …

So much for democracy-----

-----if we take a different view.

It is unfair.

We represent the other-----

This is meant to be a democratic Parliament.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this important matter. I have consistently highlighted it through the tabling of a Topical Issue matter last year and many parliamentary questions. I am a Deputy from Laois-Offaly, where forestry is a large sector that creates considerable employment and supports our rural and, indeed, regional economies. I have been in contact with many frustrated employers, forestry workers and farmers who want this issue sorted. It has gone on for too long, and we must ensure that we ha…

I am here as a constructive member of the Rural Independent Group, which has been constructive and has submitted some very good amendments. This all takes time. The amendments are based on the views of stakeholders from around the State. We did not make them up. They are based on what the people who operate sawmills, the contractors, foresters and farmers are telling us. We represent those people. That the Minister is not accepting any of the amendments is very worrying and concerning because he has a duty to liste…

Recent developments in the UK regarding the Internal Market Bill have exposed just how vulnerable Ireland remains in the evolving and unpredictable nature of the Brexit drama. We are aware that the EU has expressed a willingness to engage in legal action against the UK because of the position it has adopted. This approach, while understandable, will add to the delays and the sense of conflict that continues to dominate the end stage of current negotiations. This is why, unfortunately, a hard, no-deal Brexit looks l…

I wish to begin by thanking the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this vitally important issue for discussion. I also wish Deputy Heydon well in his new role, which is now more important than ever to rural Ireland and the rural economy. As the Minister of State is aware, the proposal to implement a new TB herd history risk statement and report system has generated a furious response from farmers throughout the State. I am particularly aware of this reaction in Laois-Offaly and among farming organisations. The proposal …

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response, but the fact is that there was a blatant lack of consultation or agreement on this issue and the TB forum was undermined. This heavy-handed proposal needs to be taken off the table. The Department was heavy handed in its approach. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State hopes to engage with all stakeholders and accepts that that needs to happen, but the whole problem is that there was not meaningful and proper engagement with stakeholders. Heavy-ha…

In 2004, European legislation established a requirement that all veterinary medicinal products intended for use in food-producing animals should be subject to a veterinary prescription. However, a 2006 EU directive allows for an exemption and the maintenance of non-prescription status for a certain number of these products which do not represent a risk to human or animal health. This meant that the rights of what are termed responsible persons were protected and since then, they have been able to continue to prescr…

I thank the Taoiseach for his constructive response and recognition that this will lead to job losses if it is not rectified. I also want to point out that agricultural merchants want to work collaboratively and constructively on this issue. I have spoken to the owners of many agricultural merchants, including Ollie Ryan of Midland Veterinary and J. Grennan & Sons, based in Kilcormac and Rath. They want to work constructively and collaboratively but feel there is no way forward other than this derogation which they…

There is a shortage of ICU beds in both Tullamore and Portlaoise hospitals but there is an additional issue. I have spoken to many nurses already about the situation in Tullamore. Staff are also needed. There is no point in having beds without staff to man them. I urge the Taoiseach to address the staffing issue in addition to the ICU beds issue.

Protecting jobs and supporting businesses is a particularly relevant in the midlands and, specifically, my constituency of Laois-Offaly, which has been very hard hit by threats to employment. These include the just transition process and its dire impact on employment at Bord na Móna and, most recently, the threats to the forestry and tree-felling sectors. All these problems were systemic in my constituency before the Covid emergency. They have affected long term employees and seasonal workers alike. I have been con…

I begin by wishing the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, the very best of luck and every success in her new role. I begin on a positive point by noting the funding for the assessment of need has been put in place. We have the worst waiting list in Laois-Offaly so I am hoping that progress can be made in that regard. The backlogs in terms of children on speech and language therapy and occupational therapy waiting lists is a very serious problem. Currently, 1,118 children have been waiting in excess of 12 months fo…

Tá áthas orm labhairt ar an rún seo. Ní raibh aon ghá leis an rún seo in aon chor ach rinne an Rialtas botún seafóideach agus, dá bharr sin, tá orainn an rún seo a chur os comhair an Rialtais inniu. De bharr an bhotúin a rinne an Rialtas, tá postanna i mbaol agus tá sé ag cur éileamh seafóideach ar thithe tábhairne agus ar bhialanna ar fud an Stáit. The motion, while important, should not have been necessary. It seeks to rescind the statutory instrument introduced last week in the name of the Minister for Health. L…