As I have done several times before, I wish to raise with the Taoiseach today the issue of funding for the local improvement schemes in Kerry. As I said, I raised this several times last year. I even got the Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Griffin, interested in the scheme as well. We have had a new list since 2018, which includes applicants since 2007. We got 19 roads done last year. At this rate, it will take 34 or 35 years to complete or to exhaust this list. These are public roads, not private roads like the Departme…

It does not do much good to double it from eight to 19. That is what happened last year.

What is the Government doing?

I am calling for a full and comprehensive debate on the proposed Shannon LNG terminal in the Shannon Estuary. We need to have a frank and honest debate here about the provision of energy. At present, we are importing coal from Russia and Europe is importing gas from Russia and we are then talking about sanctioning Russia. We need to have a frank and honest debate here about the provision of energy into the future. We need to be able to buy gas from other entities like the United States and places like that which mi…

No. It is not agreed. We need a full debate on this.

I am glad to get this opportunity to support the people of Ukraine, who are going through a terrible time, and to support unequivocally all of those poor people who are suffering so much – men, women and children. We welcome those who are seeking refuge here in Ireland and those who have already arrived here safely, especially one girl I know of who arrived in Killarney late last night after travelling from the very first moment of the attack all the way to the Hungarian border, where she was met by her Killarney b…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this debate to the floor of the Dáil tonight, as it is very important and urgent. The HSE system is failing many sick and vulnerable people all over the country, young and old. Starting with older people in University Hospital Kerry in Tralee where people have been waiting on trolleys for anything up to two or three days in recent months. I refer to people over 80 years, including some who are 90. These men and women have given their lives to rearing families and working all their liv…

I am asking the Minister to do something about the escalating cost of fuel and energy that people must now bear. I am asking for a mini-budget or for the Minister to do something to give back some of the extra tax that has been accrued as a result of the increase in the base cost of the fuel that is coming into the country. The Government is taking in a greater amount of tax so I am asking the Minister to give back some of that extra tax.

I appreciate all the measures the Government has taken. However, many people have not benefited from those gestures from the Government. That is especially the case for people who are on the road and going to work, and families who are taking children to school. The costs for commercial lorries and others in the transport industry have gone up steeply. I am also talking about industrial contractors who are transporting materials for roads and building houses. School buses are tied into contracts. It may be construe…

I thank the Minister. I appreciate all the things the Government has done but it must do more to help people. The Minister has vast experience. I know the Government wants to create employment. However, we must protect the employment we have. We must protect people who are going to work. We must protect the farmers who are suffering. It is the domestic users who will suffer in the end. Perhaps food will become unavailable. Perhaps it will become too costly. We must ensure that life goes on. As the Minister said, pe…

I want to raise with the Tánaiste the provision of the Shannon liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal on the Ballylongford Landbank on the Shannon Estuary. A planning application is being processed at present by An Bord Pleanála. We need this terminal to have energy security into the future. We are leaving ourselves very exposed - given the current situation in Ukraine - importing coal from Russia and Europe importing 30% of its gas from Russia. We see now what this is doing to our fertiliser costs. Wind turbines are…

All those ideals are fine. It is like live horse, and you will get grass. The Tánaiste talked about ten years down the road, but what are we going to do in the meantime? I am in favour of wind turbines in the right place, not near houses. Like everything, there are objections to them, and I support the people who object to wind turbines near their houses, but the wind does not blow all the time and we cannot store the energy that is created by the wind. It is very clear to everyone that since Bord na Móna was close…

In the meantime, we are exposed.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important topic. Families and workers in Kerry and all over Ireland are suffering because of the increasing cost of fuel. Many cannot carry on and will not survive. If diesel prices rise further, work will stop and wheels will grind to a halt. The Government did not recognise it two weeks ago but it needs to publish a mini-budget to deal with the problems. The Government cannot increase the carbon tax any further. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communication…

You have the wriggle room. You are taking in more money.

We know that the carbon tax is hurting the people in rural Ireland who have to drive a car to work and the Minister knows that too.

They are doing it in other countries.

They are doing it in other countries.

The Minister is insulting everyone. He does not know what is going on around him.

What about those who are getting no fuel allowance? The people on benefit payments who paid contributions are not getting anything. The Minister is talking here and these poor people are suffering.