I am glad to get the opportunity to speak here today. I believe the climate change, but I do not agree with others about what is causing the change. Climate has changed dramatically over the centuries and decades. In the 1740s, Ireland went through a desperate famine and we lost a third of our population due to hunger, cold and rain. People could not save turf, had no hay for their cows and cattle starved over the winter. The country was burned out of it for 100 years in the 13th or 14th century. In the 1890s, ther…

The agricultural community is totally and absolutely against Mercosur. It has been referred to the European court. What legal aid do we have or who is representing us at that court? Do we have representation there? We surely should have representation to put forward our case and that of farmers the length and breadth of the country.

Yes.

That is not the question I asked the Minister of State. Who is representing us? Do we have representation?

A Cheann Comhairle, under-----

Under Standing Order 35(3)-----

Under Standing Order 35(3), I believe I am entitled to say a few words.

I have.

My amendment is that I be allowed stay on the committee on agriculture. My understanding is that I was appointed as an Independent member rather than a Government or Fianna Fáil member.

Many people got packages over the past week or so. People with machines involved in the construction industry and the provision of services, whether pipelaying for water, electricity or telecommunications, use a lot of green diesel. To my understanding, they have not been included in any package. The cost of building and construction is going up every day but this has been exacerbated a lot further. I ask the Taoiseach to consider looking after those involved in services provision and the construction industry beca…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion. It is the biggest wonder of the world when a baby is born to a loving couple. They look forward to raising the baby, bringing them up and giving that child the very best. Equally, it is devastating when they discover that something is the matter and that the child needs an assessment or whatever, and they have to wait so long. That is very hurtful for them because they have to fight for everything. They have to fight for primary school education and special needs t…

I am glad of the opportunity. It has been an awful time for the people of Ireland and it is not getting much better. Indeed, it has been an awful time for elected politicians, their families and workers. We were pegged around the place by friends and people of whom we thought a lot and people who thought a lot of us. We have been working for them for many years. I think it was what happened here on 24 March that kicked it off. There was a reduction of only 3 cent to help people with the cost of green diesel, which …

The Government's response to all the people of Ireland who are in trouble is to provide €755 million.

RTÉ is only one organisation or one company. It is not fair what is happening, or what has happened, to our people.

Did they help us when we were in trouble starving in the Famine?

See after our own people first, please.

I am saying enough is enough. We are not in the war with Russia.

I stood here on 24 March when the Taoiseach and Government announced just 3 cent of a reduction in the cost of green diesel and 2 cent on kerosene. I begged the Government from where I am standing now to listen to me and to come in and address it the following week. I said if it had forgotten or did not understand, I was pleading with it to rectify it. It was allowed to carry on and it went from bad to worse when a Minister gave €40 million again to Ukraine in the middle of it. It was like throwing gallons of petro…

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak about An Garda Síochána today. I thank it for its great work in Kerry. It is a massive county and the distances are very great around all the peninsulas and everything. We have to thank it especially for making progress in connection with the murder of Michael Gaine. We welcome this and hope that it continues to bring this to the conclusion desired by many people because Michael Gaine was loved and appreciated first of all by his own family but also by the vast number of fr…

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak again on this very important and emotive subject. While I thank the Government for the positive elements with the increases and the help it is giving to some of the haulage industry, a great portion of hauliers will not benefit from the tax rebate because they do not have a haulage licence. Even the live exporter members who were in our committee a while ago will not benefit from the rebate. They will benefit, of course, from the reduction at the pump, and I asked for that…