Farmers feel undermined, ignored and taken for granted. They are angry – in fact, they are livid – because the importation of Brazilian beef represents not only an existential threat to their livelihoods but the way Brazilian beef is produced runs completely contrary to the standards to which they are held. The Government’s late-in-the-day opposition and lukewarm approach to Mercosur exposed its real attitude to it. The regulations that Irish farmers must adhere to ensure our beef and dairy products are the best in…

The provisional application.

Mercosur, Taoiseach.

I was talking about-----

A couple of thousand-----

It is Brazilian beef. I referenced it several times in my question.

It is because I mentioned it in my question.

Tá sé iontach níos mó daoine a chloisteáil ag caint mar gheall ar ghéarchéim thithíochta na Gaeltachta. Is maith an rud é sin. Baineann an cheist atá agam le naíonraí. Tá an-chuid daoine ag éileamh anois ar shaol trí Ghaeilge, mar shampla ar oideachas trí Ghaeilge dá bpáistí, laistigh den Ghaeltacht ach lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht chomh maith. An srian atá i gceist anseo ná srian caipitil chun foirgnimh a thógaint agus spás a chruthú do pháistí atá ag freastal ar naíonraí fud fad na tíre.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an bhfreagra sin. Mar is eol dó, tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis an tumoideachas agus an deis do dhaoine óga freastal ar oideachas d'ardchaighdeán trí mheán na Gaeilge ó aois an-óg, ó dhá bhliain agus naoi mí nó trí bliana suas go dtí an coláiste nó ollscoil, más maith leo. Is rud an-tábhachtach é sin agus tosaíonn sé i gcónaí leis an naíonra. Is dócha go bhfuil naíonraí mar bhunchloch an oideachais sin. Nuair a théann páistí isteach sa naíonra, b'fhéidir go gcloiseann siad an Gh…

Bheadh sé iontach dul chun cinn a dhéanamh maidir le Naíonra Philib Barún agus Naíonra Gharbháin. Ba bhreá liom cruinniú a dhéanamh leo, leis an Aire agus lena oifigigh chun é sin a phlé. Más féidir linn, ba mhaith an rud é obair a dhéanamh leis an Aire, an Teachta Foley, chomh maith chun an maoiniú caipitil sin a chur ar fáil dóibh. Tá na suímh acu, ach is éard atá ag teastáil uathu anois ná píosa airgid chun dul ar aghaidh agus foirgnimh a thógáil ar na suímh sin ionas go mbeidh spás mar ba cheart ag na páistí at…

My question relates to the old chestnut of Our Rural Future, which we have discussed many times in the Chamber and outside it. When does the Minister intend to publish the successor document? I understand there was a period of consultation late last year. I participated in that consultation, as did many others around the country. Will that new strategy include clear, measurable targets for rural services, rural employment, ensuring population sustainability, addressing the demographic crisis and, crucially, the iss…

I do not doubt the level of engagement that took place, which I welcome. It is the right way to do consultation and engagement. When a plan such as this that is of such importance to the future of rural Ireland is being put together, it is vitally important to go out and take the views of people. It is then more important, and the Minister knows this, to ensure that those views are captured in the final document and the recommendations therein are concrete, actionable and, crucially, have timelines and responsible …

One of the concerns and worries I have on this, and I am not entirely sure if the Minister shares this but it is realistic, is the level of engagement he will get from his colleagues in government around the Cabinet table and from State agencies in the local government sector. That is why I am so keen to see clear, responsible persons or agencies attached to every single action and timeline within the plan. The biggest one is the Department of housing, as it covers housing and local government, but there is also th…

I am taking this question for Deputy Clarke. It relates to rural development funding, which is an issue close to my heart. We see all around us in our communities the impact it has on creating and sustaining employment and sustaining community initiatives. Last year, we saw a €5 million cut to the rural development spend in the budget. That seems to be on trend for this Government, and for successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Administrations when it comes to rural Ireland. Is it something we are likely to see repli…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for confirming that. I understand that the LEADER programme is a five-year programme and that there may be peaks and troughs, but a €10 million reduction in the budget this year compared with last year is still €10 million of a reduction. I welcome the fact that that money is not lost. It is not out of the budget and the Minister will bring it back. However, there is a growing sense of disillusionment in rural communities, that it is on the back foot and its days are numbers, and that …

I will start by agreeing with the Minister that there is definitely ambition in rural communities. There is no shortage of ambition and self-awareness within these communities but on my travels and in my engagements, I do not see the confidence the Minister speaks of because rural communities are reeling. They are reeling from the demographic crisis that has already been spoken about this morning. Indeed, Deputies from the Minister's side of the House mentioned that the GAA is very quick to point to, and has the st…

De réir anailíse ó thionscadal One Million Homes, atá foilsithe inné, tá easnamh de 12,635 teach sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Tá pobail Ghaeltachta gan a dhóthain páistí chun scoileanna áitiúla a choinneáil oscailte, gan trácht ar chumainn spóirt a choimeád beo. Ó 2015 i leith, níor tógadh ach 1,250 teach ar fud na Gaeltachta. Ag an ráta sin, léiríonn an anailís chéanna go mbeidh easnamh de thart ar 32,000 teach sa Ghaeltacht faoi 2036. Le deich mbliana anuas, tógadh díreach 36 teach i nGaeltacht na nDéise i bPort Lái…

The Minister's rip-off rent Bill changes how renting is regulated. It is a shift that will make an already broken system even worse, if people could credit that. It will shaft renters. At a time those renters are facing record rents and intense cost-of-living pressures, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Healy-Rae group and the Lowry group have chosen to gut controls when they should be strengthening them. The central change in the Minister's legislation is the introduction of these market rent resets. Under his model,…

Sinn Féin is proposing this motion because the Minister has allowed this scandal to fester and because Fine Gael in particular has circled the wagons to protect their man instead of standing up for farmers. Larry Murrin should have resigned weeks ago. He has not. Instead he has dug in with the blessing of the Government, with the blessing of the Minister, and with the blessing of the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, and the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. He seems intent to brazen it out. It is two fingers to farmers, to the pub…

It is about accountability.