The decision by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to remove Drogheda's only hotel of scale from public use continues to cause anger and frustration locally. This decision, made without consultation with tourism and business interests, is causing absolute havoc among people in Drogheda in terms of how they consider themselves to be viewed by the Government. I have been asked to invite the Taoiseach to visit our town at the first opportunity to meet with business and tourist interests and ordinary people. The decision h…

This is a very important debate. I welcome the Minister of State and the comments I have heard so far. Much more needs to be done because far too many lives are being lost. The more people who die in tragic circumstances, the more appalling the vista for the families affected and the people who are injured as a result of road traffic accidents. Tens of thousands of people have significant disabilities as a result of road traffic accidents over the years. I would like to address two initial issues, one of which is i…

-----and they are a real danger. We have had very heavy rain in the recent past - it has been unusual and exceptional - but the response from the local authorities is not good enough. There is a road out by Termonfeckin. Deputy Ó Murchú might know it if he travels there.

It is appalling. People ring me every day with their tyres bust and nothing in their mind but anger at the lack of conviction of the council to make it safe. As regards road safety, we have a lot more to do. Let us do it.

This is an important debate. When people start talking about pensions, the eyes, especially of young people, tend to glaze over. They do not think about the future until they get nearer to that age, as some of us have. Some of us have passed it. I am ten years past 65 at this stage but I am lucky because I have my health and a good job and I am happy with that, but many people do not have that. The number of people aged over 65 at the last census was more than 800,000 people. While, thankfully, people are living lo…

I have a lot to say in a very short time. I repeat that Drogheda people are extremely angry and dismayed by the decision of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to remove the only remaining hotel of scale in Drogheda, the D Hotel, from public use. The Government has acknowledged that this will not happen in any other town but that means nothing to the people of Drogheda. We continue to be dismayed at the lack of an appropriate and proper impact assessment and appropriate support packages for businesses, communities, tour…

It is not simple. What will you do in Drogheda?

But you have done that.

What happens in the meantime?

That is not good enough at all.

I congratulate the Taoiseach on his work as Taoiseach. I wish him well for the future and thank him for his friendship and his availability at all times. The Government policy on international protection applicants is not working. We have had two fiascoes recently - first, the situation in Dublin with tents on the streets being removed in the middle of the night to a place where people do not want to go; and, second, putting more than 500 people into a hotel in Drogheda where there is now no hotel left. These unfor…

This is a hugely important issue for my constituents in the Louth-Meath area. As the whole country knows, the D Hotel in Drogheda has 113 bedrooms. Apart from the 16-bed Scholars Townhouse Hotel, it is the only hotel in Drogheda now open to new guests. The decision to take over the D Hotel and put 500 IP applicants in there was the Minister's decision and it was made without consultation. The Minister has to be held accountable for this because people are very angry and dismayed. This is not because IP applicants a…

The Minister has not denied that he said on 12 December that the fire certification must be up to date and once evidence of sign-off is received from the local authority and provided to the Department, a contract is signed. Did his Department get a sign-off before he signed the contract? That is what he said he would do in December. In February, it is quite clear that he did not get such a commitment and he signed off illegally. The Minister can shake his head if he wants; the fact is he did not do it. As I speak, …

By the local authority. It was by the local authority.

That is not true Minister. That is not true.

No, your Department told me that was not the case.

You have been misinformed Minister.

They are.

At least 60 of them are available. There are 80.

That is not true.