The Minister of State spoke on the issues I raised earlier relating to the parallel Bill signed off on by the Cabinet yesterday. I would support the vast majority of that Bill, or of what I saw reported of it. Banning the sale of pouches to under-18s is something I would support. Colour images and packaging geared towards children should be banned. Vapes that resemble toys and all of that should absolutely be banned. I have a slight concern about limiting the sale of flavours to just nicotine. I could give a number…

I commend Deputy Rice on tabling this motion. GP care and GP services are an important issue. This motion is about something very simple but also important, namely, that when people need to see a GP, they should be able to see one, and they should not have to worry about whether they can afford it or not. GPs are the backbone of our health service. The GP is the first person most people turn to when they are sick, worried, pregnant, struggling with their mental health or managing a long-term illness. I am a great a…

Previously and over the course of a number of hours last week, we spoke a lot about the asylum application process itself and the need for transparency in that area. We spent a lot of time today and last week as well on the previous amendment that was taken in relation to the community impact assessments, which the Minister did not accept. Again, that was about transparency and making sure communities were at least consulted and had a voice in relation to what was happening in their communities. We have a similar a…

Which is why there should be transparency.

I think the Minister is confusing providing information with transparency. He said earlier that there is a high level of transparency. It depends on what information he is providing. If the information is vague and does not provide what should be provided, I am afraid the transparency is not there. In relation to the profiteering that we certainly see in this area, I will get to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report shortly, given that it was very clear about what it uncovered. There are also issues in relat…

The Taoiseach mentioned the HSE capital plan announced earlier. I welcome the €50 million for the surgical hub adjacent to University Hospital Waterford. However, there is also a need for a new adult mental health unit in Waterford, a multi-storey car park at the regional hospital and a new medical school in South East Technological University, SETU. Unfortunately, plans for a primary care centre in Lismore have been put on hold. I also want to ask the Taoiseach about the need for 24-7 cardiac care, specialist care…

They would be recovery beds. If you have a hip replaced, you need a bed to recover.

That we were promised.

Over the last number of weeks, children, SNAs and parents were put through mental torture because of a decision made by the Ministers' Government. What happened was disgraceful. The Ministers had a plan to cut SNAs from schools and to deprive some children of the supports they had. They thought they would get away with it. Over the course of the last two weeks, I listened to both Ministers doubling down because they thought this would blow over and go away. They were asked time and again on national media whether a…

That is not what was happening.

It should have been done first.

This is an absolute joke.

Communication was not the problem; it was the Minister's decision.

Hear, hear.

I was first elected to Waterford City and County Council back in 2004. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself that it has been 22 years since I was first elected to the council. I learned a very harsh lesson very quickly in the first number of weeks I was elected. In the biggest working-class housing estate in the ward I represented in Waterford city, there was a plan to put in place a service in a house right in the middle of the estate by an organisation that supported people with drug and addiction problems. There wa…

Hear, hear.

It is-----

You are right about that.

The Government made a mess of this. Why does the Taoiseach not admit it?

Hear, hear.