The women in 2012 were actually assaulted by the then leader of the Labour Party. I cannot think of her name-----

-----but she ensured that the women of Ireland-----

-----are still without their proper pension. I am sorry, a Chathaoirligh, for going over time.

I am glad to get an opportunity to talk on behalf of the greyhound owners in Kerry who love their dogs. It is their culture and their sport and they are entitled to have it, like everyone else. To say that it is wrong to give this money to the greyhound industry is totally wrong. These people deserve and are entitled to their sport. RTÉ said that 6,000 dogs were destroyed but that is wrong. I can give an example of a father and two sons who had 35 old dogs between them. They rehomed the animals themselves. They are…

On the same issue, farmers' incomes, we were advised yesterday on "RTÉ News" that there may be a two-way ban next year on a wide range of foods, including sausages, mince and prepared meals, moving between Great Britain and the island of Ireland. Industrial sources have warned that the problem could result in major disruption to existing meat supply chains between the island of Ireland and Great Britain and could reduce the price of cattle with immediate effect. What action did the Taoiseach take yesterday, last ni…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important matter. I have been taking people from Kerry and Deputy Michael Collins has been taking people from west Cork to Belfast to get their sight restored, have hips and knees replaced, have operations on shoulders and other ailments and, for youngsters, to have their tonsils removed. I took a child of eight years of age to get cataracts removed from both eyes so that he could go back to school and I took a man as old as 95. Is the Minister for Forei…

When he was in the previous Government, the Minister for Foreign Affairs promised that he would put in place legislation to allow a bilateral arrangement between the UK and the South of Ireland so that this service could continue. Will the Government put this bilateral arrangement in place? The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, gave an assurance that patients from the North would be reimbursed if they had to be treated in the South, so why can people from the South not get similar reimbursement if they have to be treated …

I thank the Minister of State. His reply was a bit confusing in that I am not so sure that the bilateral arrangement will be secured or about what will be covered. He stated that there is an option to go to mainland Europe. I do not think it is fair to tell someone in their 80s or 90s to get on a plane to travel abroad to get a cataract removed, while it is not an option at all for those seeking to have hips and knees replaced or for children of eight years of age. For such a child that might have cataracts, that i…

I thank the people of Ireland and Kerry for all of the great work they have done to try to control this virus and abide by the restrictive rules that have been placed upon us for several months. I call on the Government to give the hospitality sector a chance and trust it in the coming days. Many businesses opened for only a couple of weeks in September. People all around us have been isolated in rural places. They have not met anybody or been to a local pub for almost six months. That is being reflected in the rat…

As the Taoiseach knows, the coronavirus has blown the social fabric of our country to smithereens. It has been totally decimated. Social engagement, relationships and possible relationships have been put on hold for almost eight months. Young single boys and girls, couples and men and women of all ages are totally frustrated. We cannot blame bars or restaurants for the increase in cases in recent days. However, as far back as two weeks ago Dr. Tony Holohan said there would be no drinking in bars at Christmas. To el…

Since I came up here five years ago, I have listened to how broadband is being rolled out. We have another new broadband plan but it has not hit Kerry yet. They must be rolling it out around the Curragh now because we seem to be as far away as ever from getting broadband in Kerry. Mobile phone coverage is a disaster in many parts of County Kerry. If one got off the plane in Farranfore, when the planes were running, there was no coverage on any of the three roads out of the airport. Places like Mastergeehy and Kilcu…

I am glad for this opportunity and thank Deputy McNamara for tabling this important motion. Money has been announced for regional airports. I hope that Kerry Airport, which is under the stewardship of Mr. John Mulhern and his staff, most of whom are not working currently, gets a fair cut of this money. Shannon Airport is on its knees. It has been a transatlantic airport for many years, but that has been greatly reduced as a result of the cancelling of the compulsory stopover. Previously, Deputies and Governments kn…

The banks were bailed out in this country at a savage cost to the taxpayers and people of Ireland. The Taoiseach said today that housing was his number one priority. However, is he aware that the banks are delaying mortgages for applicants? They are asking if the applicants are being paid by their companies with the assistance of the employer wage subsidy scheme, which is not right. There are people waiting all year - hundreds of them - and some are dual applicants where a man and a woman are involved, and all they…

This is one of the most critical debates we have had since I came to Dublin and Dáil Éireann. What will happen on 1 January is of critical importance. It has significance for farmers, business exporters and importers, hauliers, fishermen and many other sectors of our economy. We were recently told by the Department of Finance that one worker in seven could lose his or her job because of Brexit. I fear it will hurt my part of the country, rural Ireland and particularly rural Kerry, worse than anywhere else. I ask an…

I will just rise to-----

Thank you very much, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I would say that----

I raise again the issue of patients who need cataract procedures, hip and knee replacements and several other procedures. They have been advised today by the HSE that, as of 1 January, patients will not be accepted or cannot carry on with the cross-border directive. There are mutterings of a bilateral agreement with Northern Ireland but nothing has been forthcoming on this. Is the Taoiseach going to let people who have problems with their eyes and need cataracts removed go blind? Is he going to let the people who n…

The people are disappointed and hurt with this duplication this evening. I think of all the things that are wrong. People will be unable to go to the North to get cataracts removed from their eyes. People in pain are not being seen by the HSE and they will be unable to travel to Belfast after 1 January next. What is going on here is very wrong. Sinn Féin knows very well that Fianna Fáil is going to support Fine Gael tonight. They are joined at the hip and they are the one party now. They only have to change the nam…

There is much talk and promises about broadband but will the Minister please give the money and get people working? Nothing has happened in County Kerry in two years. There is nothing at all since Eir stopped. It stopped repairing even simple things. Nothing at all is happening. It says a new company has been drafted in by the Government and yet nothing is happening. Please, get people working. County Kerry is decimated without service and on top of it, we do not even have mobile phone coverage. The whole thing has…

The 300 connection points being provided for the whole country are needed for Kerry alone.