Inis Oírr.

Bheadh sé tábhachtach soiléiriú a thabhairt dom.

Táim sásta leis sin. Tiocfaidh an tAire ar ais chugam.

Táimid ar ais arís go dtí na hOileáin Árann agus an uair seo Inis Meáin agus An Caladh Mór. An cheist atá agam ná has the independent consultant been appointed and can the Minister give us details? I will use the 18 seconds to ensure there is no confusion between this question and the last question. It has clearly been reported they are about to start their work on the céibh in Inis Oírr in the autumn. The Minister might clarify that in due course if he can today, ar eagla na míthuisceana.

I thank the Minister. The previous Minister took a hands-on approach on this and I am sure this Minister will too because of the utter frustration at the delay. If my frustration is evident, the Minister can imagine what we are enduring on Inis Meáin with business there - a number of businesses - and with the people on the ground. This was to be completed years ago and we are still at it. I welcome the fact there was a public meeting. That was on 19 March of this year just gone.

That is very welcome. The meetings that have taken place have been as a result of the previous Minister pushing the whole matter and taking a hands-on approach in relation to it. For my understanding, is it the position that the consultants have been appointed and are doing a preliminary business case all over again regarding this project? When will that preliminary project be ready? You cannot imagine how many times I and colleagues from Galway West have stood up on the floor of this Dáil and then gone to meetings…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Luaigh sé An Caladh Mór agus Céibh an Chóra, agus tá an ceart aige, ach ní thuigim cad atá tarlaithe. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil castacht i gceist. Tá a fhios agam é sin agus ní saineolaí mé ach táimid ag dul timpeall i gciorcal an t-am uilig agus ar ais arís anois go dtí an tús agus an preliminary business case. Ar a laghad tá sé ráite ag an Aire anois gur naoi mhí atá i gceist. Nine months - a woman cannot hear the words nine months but we think of a pregnancy. Hopefully, at the end …

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this timely motion, which I support, but it is probably too late. Judging by the Government's behaviour yesterday, when it rammed through Standing Orders, it appears that it will do exactly the same with this legislation. I have no faith in the Government and I say that as a committed democrat in the Dáil. I will quote from the Transnational Institute, TNI, because I could not put the words any better. It stated, "This is a fundamental policy shift that will serious…

I return to the change to Standing Orders that was rammed through yesterday. I have no doubt it was carefully choreographed and directed by the Taoiseach and the Government. That happened notwithstanding a solemn promise given by the former Government Chief Whip that the Government would work with the Opposition to come to an acceptable solution. The Government did the complete opposite. Instead of coming up with a solution, it used the situation. The change it brought was the result of an Opposition that was as un…

I welcome the opportunity - two and half minutes - to speak on this and I will choose words carefully and with focus. We have 17 pages from the European Council meeting conclusions and I have failed to find Israel mentioned in any of those pages. Does that not tell you something? These are the conclusions of the recent European Council meeting and Israel is not mentioned. Genocide is not mentioned. Gaza is referenced regarding the deploring of the breakdown of the ceasefire but it does not tell us who broke the cea…

Will he read the figures for Palestine, Gaza and the occupied territories? Will he look at Sudan? Will he look at what is happening in Yemen as we speak, with American planes flying from England over to Yemen? Who is backing all of this? Who is pushing an open door for the arms industry, for Lockheed Martin and all the other industries? The Minister sits there and shamefully shakes his head. How could anybody stand over 17 pages that shape the narrative to dull us from thinking for ourselves?

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and I thank the Minister of State for her speech. I especially thank the Library and Research Service that serves us well and that produced the abstract for us and educated us. The Bill itself is short. The Schedules attached to it are somewhat longer. The context of this Bill is important and previous speakers referred to it. We are talking about a period between January 1821 and January 1861. I was going to say this Bill is going to get rid of spent or obsolete seco…

That period of time from 1821 to 1861 has already been referred to. It hits all of us. We are talking about Daniel O'Connell and emancipation during this period of time right up to the Famine. It is hard to look at this and realise that we are still dealing with famine in the 21st century. I will come back to the body of this quickly. I will not speak for long on it but there is a feeling of awful frustration that we learn so little. While this is a technical Bill, with statutes and regulations that we do not need …

Fáiltím roimh an mBille seo agus go bhfuilimid faoi dheireadh na dála ag an bpointe go bhfuil muid ar Chéim an Choiste. Is maith an rud é sin. Mo bhuíochas leis an iarAire, Éamon Ó Cuív, a chuir tús leis an bpróiseas seo. Tá sé tábhachtach é sin a aithint. Lean muidne ar aghaidh, agus seisean freisin. Ní raibh sé ina bhall den choiste ach d’fhreastail sé go mion minic ar na cruinnithe. Ní mór dom é sin a rá go poiblí. Ach táimid anseo anois. Is é an rud is dearfaí ná go mbeidh toghchán ar ais. Is é sin an rud atá a…

Maithfidh an tAire dom é, ach tá a fhreagra beagáinín lag agus é ag cur in iúl go mbeidh an bord i bhfad níos éifeachtaí más rud é go mbeadh deichniúr tofa agus seisear ceaptha i gceist. Ní aontaím leis sin. A mhalairt atá i gceist sa Teach seo. Tá méadú ollmhór tagtha, 174 Ball, agus ní raibh aon chaint faoi mhí-éifeacht. I nGaillimh tá 39 comhairleoir ar an gcomhairle contae. Is méadú mór é sin le cúpla bliain anuas. Ar an gcomhairle cathrach, tá 18 comhairleoir. Ní ghlacaim leis sin. Ceapaim go bhfuil sé lag. Ó …

Ní mór dom a rá go bhfuil sé beagáinín íorónta, cé go bhfuil neart cainteoirí ann agus nuair a chuireann tú san áireamh go bhfuil 174 Teachta Dála i gceist, go bhfuil cuid acu ar na meáin chumarsáide ag gearán nach bhfuil deis chainte acu ach níl siad anseo anois lena gcuid guthanna a chloisteáil. Ní mór dom é sin a rá. Maidir leis an leasú seo, níl m’ainm ar an leasú ach aontaím leis agus tugaim tacaíocht dó. Tá sé thar a bheith réasúnta agus praiticiúil. Bhí mé chun fanacht le freagra an Aire mar b’fhéidir go bhf…

Tá m’ainm ar an gcéad leasú. Arís, tá sé thar a bheith praiticiúil. Tá ciall ceannaithe againn anois agus ba chóir go mbeadh caighdeán anseo. Phléigh muid é arís go mion ar an gcoiste. Ní raibh muid ag iarraidh ualach mór a chur ar dhaoine ach amháin a chinntiú go mbeadh ar cibé duine atá ar an údarás a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge, tuarascála a léamh agus mar sin de. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil muid go léir ag foghlaim an t-am uilig agus níl sé éasca. Ag an am céanna, áfach, tá dualgas orainn a bheith in ann ár…

Fanfaidh mé go dtí go gcloisfidh mé an freagra ón Aire.

Níl m'ainm leis an leasú seo. Is dócha go bhfeicim an dá thaobh. Arís, tá sé mar mholadh ón gcoiste. Phléamar é seo, agus bhreathnaíomar ar an dá thaobh. Is dócha, i ndeireadh na dála, go bhfuil an leasú seo stuama, ach ní mór dom a admháil go raibh mé idir dhá chomhairle ar feadh tréimhse ag smaoineamh an raibh gá leis. Ceapaim i ndeireadh na dála go bhfuil an leasú stuama. Má táimid i ndáiríre faoi údarás nua le cumhacht, le fís agus le hacmhainní chun díriú isteach ar na fadhbanna atá ar an talamh sna Gaeltachta…

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Táim ag díriú isteach, a Thánaiste, ar an gcinedhíothú atá ag tarlú. Agus muidne i mbun cainte, tá cinedhíothú ar mhuintir na Palaistíne ar siúl. Táimid ag fáil na mílte aighneachtaí, gach Teachta Dála anseo, ag cur brú orainne ceannaireacht a thaispeáint agus rud a dhéanamh de réir ár mbriathar. There are many things I would like to engage with the Tánaiste on today but the ongoing genocide is uppermost in my mind, our colleagues' minds and, more importantly, in…