I acknowledge more grants and money are available to young farmers now than have ever been previously. However, there is a missing piece regarding the lack of a succession scheme, which Macra na Feirme has called for many times. Has the Department looked at the possibility of a retirement scheme for farmers? There is lots there for young farmers, but to enable older farmers to leave the enterprise to the next generation, they need to be supported financially. Is this something the Department has looked at?

There are chronic shortages in general practice right across the State, including in many of our rural communities. They have been worsening in recent years. I see it throughout many towns and villages in Roscommon and Galway. People are unable to see their GP and are waiting for weeks for an appointment to see their GP and more and more GP surgeries are running waiting lists and are unable to take new patients. It is obvious that the situation is getting worse and that the Government is not doing enough. There is …

I was listening to "Liveline" as I drove in. Two women were on speaking about a Government decision made today to cut the products provided to breast cancer patients post-surgery, including a change that provides one post-surgery bra to women instead of two. The allowance is to be cut by more than half. I am sure the Minister will agree this is a very small support at a very low cost to Government for cancer survivors. I am raising this issue in the hope that he will correct it and confirm it is not the case. The i…

For the past 12 years in Roscommon there has been an advanced paramedic on the rapid response vehicle on a 24-7 basis. This was committed to by both the HSE and Fine Gael after the accident and emergency unit in Roscommon was closed in 2011. It was specifically to ensure there would be advanced life support always provided, given the accident and emergency unit was no longer there. At that time, a specific and separate roster filled by advanced paramedics for the rapid response vehicle was put in place and stayed i…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I thank him for taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. I have two points to counter the one that keeps being thrown back that RRVs everywhere are routinely crewed by either a paramedic or an advanced paramedic. That is well and good but the point is the commitment was made that an advanced paramedic would be there 24-7 to cover Roscommon, specifically because of the closure and loss of the accident and emergency unit. It has been in place for 12 years and…

I met with local retained firefighters in my constituency last week. They are still waiting for the increased retainer that was promised to them last year. This was to be agreed before the public service pay talks commenced. Counties such as Roscommon and Galway, which I represent, are heavily dependent on the retained fire service. The delay in this increase is making the recruitment crisis across the retained fire service even worse. There are 27 vacancies in Galway alone. When will the increase be agreed, announ…

There is real anger in Roscommon town following the announcement by An Post to close the post office building in the heart of the town. It was built in 1911 and it is 112 years old. The building means a great deal to the people of Roscommon. They do not want to see it closed or sold. It appears that Roscommon is the first county town to lose its An Post-run post office. The plan is for the service to move elsewhere, probably to a local shop or wherever the new postmaster decides. This really is not good enough. We …

No.

It is safe to say we would rather not see these new custom controls coming into effect. We would rather not have seen Brexit come to pass, but now that these new controls are here and happening in a matter of days, the Government and the Minister's Department have a major role to play and a responsibility to make sure the requirements now needed are as straightforward as possible for those they will impact. That will not be easy. The Minister will know there is already concern about the additional red tape that the…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important topic. It is very timely that it be debated here this evening. Late last summer I met with farmers and representatives from the Save Our Shannon Organisation, with which the Minister of State is probably familiar. This was in the midst of devastating summer flooding in the Shannon Callows. Farms from Athlone to Meelick were devastated. Not only do farmers and others living in those areas have to contend with winter flooding, they now have to contend with summ…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. The first issue I wish to raise relates to the Minister of State's reference to the Shannon Callows SAC. Nowhere on the Government website, where this scheme was announced, along with the details of how to qualify for it and what is required, does the term "SAC" appear. I would like to think that is not an attempt to reduce the amount of compensation to be paid out to farmers whose lands have been flooded and that, all of a sudden, farmers must have lands within the S…

Hear, hear.

I am delighted to see this legislation progress in the House today and I commend the Minister on making it happen. It is very important legislation that will make a real difference to the lives of lone parents and their families. When I took up the role as the party's adviser on social protection back in 2016, I knew very little about lone parents and how they access or, in many cases, do not access child maintenance. The many changes to how the system works since then will make a difference. These are issues that …

I wish to ask the Minister about his engagement with the forestry sector in respect of the new forestry programme. There are significant concerns regarding the restrictions and limitations in that programme which the sector believes will greatly limit the amount of ground that can actually be afforested in the first place.

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that she has met with representatives from SEEFA. In the context of the extensive engagement she had, I presume those she met raised with her the concerns that exist regarding the significant area of land that is ineligible, particularly when it comes to peat soils. The latter removes a large chunk of the west of Ireland from consideration. We have obtained various maps from the Department to show where each of the restricted areas is located. I would like to see th…

In regard to the maps and restrictions, the Minister of State previously indicated that a full map of Ireland showing the restrictions layered on it will be published. We need to see that map. The response to a parliamentary question I tabled on the matter indicated that it will be published. I do not see how that map can show the vast areas of land that include peat soils. Did the restriction relating to peat soils originate here or was it insisted on by the European Commission? We need to know. This is going to l…

I wish to ask the Minister about the recent changes that the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, ICBF, has made to the beef index and, in particular, the impact this will have on the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, for suckler farmers. He will be aware that significant concerns have been raised in regard to the manner in which this has been done and what it will mean for farmers, breeders and pedigree breeders. The ICBF was before the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine yesterday. While it …

Has the Minister engaged with the ICBF, particularly in the past week when much of this has come to the fore? Some farmers bought 5-star bulls because they followed what the ICBF told them but those bulls are now 2-star or 3-star. This will have a significant impact on those farmers. I spoke to a farmer who lost more than €100,000 overnight. He had to tell his daughter she will not be able to go to college as the family will not be able to afford to send her there. That is the real-life impact of this decision. Whi…

That, in itself, is not really following the science. If a farmer has a 5-star cow and is in SCEP, the cow will remain 5-star, but if the farmer sells the cow, it is not 5-star. That does not make sense. There has been a lack of engagement in respect of these changes. For the third time, what engagement has the Minister had with the ICBF? Has it contacted him? Its representatives were clear at the committee yesterday in saying there has been an impact on farmers. The Minister keeps referring to the 84%. I am talkin…

I listened carefully to the Minister's speech and, unfortunately, she never once mentioned the Government's responsibility to provide additional practical supports and services to communities where populations have increased due to new arrivals. The first thing that most people in these communities will tell you is that the existing services and supports are already under pressure. They will almost always mention the local GP. As I have repeatedly said, the frustration and tension this causes in communities would b…