In the last section, I was just getting to asking the Minister of State to ensure that the export of dairy-bred bull calves will continue because there was an article in yesterday's paper suggesting this may not happen and that these environmentalists in Europe are trying to stop such exports. That would be a disaster for the Irish beef and dairy industry because it would increase the stock of beef animals and destroy the farming situation entirely. I appeal to the Minister of State to fight for the continuation of…

With the way we are going, ours must be the wealthiest country in the world.

There is no doubt about it; this is a deeply anti-rural budget that will do nothing to support the rural economy of the family farm. Costs for those operating family farms or living in the countryside will be substantially increased. With blatantly voiced discrimination, the budget of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens, whacks consumers, motorists and homeowners through regressive carbon tax hikes, while rewarding banks with massive tax cuts. I appreciate very much the extension of the help-to-buy scheme. The co…

These exceptional powers the Government has introduced have many people in Kerry, especially youngsters, very upset with those powers, which are being dictated in respect of sports for youngsters. We had Sport Ireland come out late last week saying children and youngsters attending all basketball playing would have to produce vaccine passports. This is very wrong in places like Rathmore, Gneevgullia, Killarney, Firies and all the various places where all the youngsters and all the clubs had paid their membership, a…

I thank the Acting Chairman, but this is a very serious matter. I am appealing to the Minister and the Government to rectify this.

That is wrong.

Every man is entitled to his opinion, and we are elected by people too.

How many times did the Minister say that?

We want to call a vote.

We are calling a vote.

I am glad to have a chance to talk on this very important motion. I thank Sinn Féin for allowing us to do so. We have to support our nurses. It is very clear that nurses are leaving their places of work every day. On one particular day in Tralee hospital, six nurses left together. Donie Doody of SIPTU says that we need 100 new nursing posts to be filled in University Hospital Kerry. There has been no elective surgery carried out since the first week of September. Can the Minister of State imagine that? The corridor…

Although I have only a minute, I am delighted to get this opportunity. I come across this issue daily. Young couples who love their children, care for them and want the best for them are having difficulties in getting them assessed in time. If they are not assessed in time, it is not known what intervention is needed. It is a question of early intervention but also of intervention at every level. It is heartbreaking when we hear that a school will only get a part-time SNA. That is ridiculous. Education is the most …

I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the serious crisis in University Hospital Kerry, UHK. Three weeks ago, eight senior consultants at University Hospital Kerry wrote to general practitioners and elected members stating: "Our hospital is in crisis since the second week of September." The letter went on to state that elective surgery has been cancelled, there are high numbers of patients on trolleys in the emergency department, there are staff shortages and staff burnout, that no surgical day ward is operating and th…

Not in September.

We do not have them in Kerry.

I thank the Taoiseach. He mentioned that the Minister, Deputy Foley, brought this matter to his attention. What has the Taoiseach done since the Minister brought it to his attention? On behalf of the people of Kerry, I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that action is urgently taken to address this crisis to prevent people from dying unnecessarily. We need a resumption of elective surgery for the many people who are waiting and suffering in severe pain. We need an external and independent review of what has gone wrong so …

They are not working.

It needs to be sorted out.

There is no service now in most places.

The Taoiseach has been quoted as being in favour of a reduction in the national herd. Without accounting for all carbon tax that farmers are sequestering-----