We had protests all last week around the country for fuel. Waking up yesterday morning, a lot of these protesters were receiving fixed penalty notices and fines in the post. My office has been inundated with phone calls and messages about the stress and mental health strain they are forced to put up with. They protested because they could not afford to keep their businesses running and now they are being handed fixed penalty notices with fines from An Garda Síochána. It is another slap in the face. These protesters…

I second the amendment.

I know we have a debate coming up but I want to raise the fuel protests. I left my house at 7 o'clock on Wednesday morning and I returned at 3 p.m. on Sunday evening. I spent my entire week in Foynes Port supporting those I consider my neighbours, friends and colleagues. I slept a couple of hours every so often in the cab of my husband's lorry because I needed a bit of rest. Those men who stood there and cried on me that they could not afford to keep going did not want to be there. They gave up a week's work to be …

I am delighted we are having this debate. I raised the matter on the Order of Business. I reiterate that I stood in Foynes for the five days and five nights. I am very proud that I did because I stood with colleagues, friends and family. This did not start with the Iranian war. It has been bubbling for a long time. We have heard about it. We have heard about children not being able to get school places. We have heard about carers and special needs assistants marching the streets. Marching the bloody streets does no…

We are not on the same side as the DUP.

Look at your history. We are on opposite sides. We are not talking about that. I am talking about something that came up in the Seanad only in the past hour, where Fianna Fáil Senators were giving out about a Fine Gael Minister. I find it hilarious. I will leave it at that.

I also wish to raise the issue of petrol, diesel, home heating oil and other fuels. The measures that emerged earlier are not even going to make a dent when it comes to what is happening. Diesel alone in County Limerick went up by nearly 60 cent in some petrol stations. Reducing the cost of a litre of fuel by 20 cent is not going to make the blindest bit of difference to somebody who has to get up and drive to work, never mind the likes of home care help or public nurses. When it comes to rural Ireland, they could …

I move amendment No. 1: To insert the following after "23rd February, 2026": ": provided that this Order shall take effect only after the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 has been amended to provide for the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) Scheme Termination date to be extended only for the following: – existing recipients with respect to the beneficiaries of temporary protection currently benefitting from the Scheme, where those beneficiaries of temporary protection have satisfied a means test …

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. As he knows, we have tabled an amendment to this motion. What began as a short-term emergency scheme has since evolved into a scheme increasingly used by landlords. Let us be fair: renting out under the scheme is more financially beneficial and more attractive than standard renting, especially in low-rent areas like the west, the north west and Border counties. Crucially, the ARP is a non-means-tested, tax-free payment paid directly to landlords, something not avai…

Today, I raise the issue of schools, active travel and safe routes to schools. There is a school in County Limerick that has raised an issue where there is no pedestrian crossing outside the school, none of those lovely coloured crayon bollards for children to exit the school safely. We are coming into the nice weather now where kids might want to be able to walk home from school or cycle. Dromcollogher National School is on a main road through Dromcollogher which is also the main road from Newcastle West to Cork. …

I second the amendment.

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the strength, resilience and leadership of women across Ireland. Today, I want to focus primarily on women in rural areas. As the only female Oireachtas Member living in the county of Limerick and not the city, I am proud to stand and carry the voices of the women who live in rural areas of Ireland. They often feel as though they are undervalued and sometimes invisible. These women in rural areas are farmers, fishers, carers, entrepreneurs, teachers, healthcare workers and…

I welcome the publication of the Government's Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. It is important that the Government has finally acknowledged what communities across this country have known for years, namely that the delays in delivering water, energy and transport infrastructure are structural constraints on housing, economic growth and balanced regional development. While that acknowledgement is welcome, it is long overdue. The motion recognises that Ireland is investing unprecedented levels of c…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. As the Minister of State acknowledged, the primary purpose of the legislation is to facilitate Ireland's opting into the EU asylum and migration pact. Let us be clear: we did not have to opt into this. Under Protocol No. 21, we had the ability to opt out. That safeguard exists precisely because of our unique circumstances, yet Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael chose to discard that flexibility and sign up wholesale. Sinn Féin has been consistent. We did not oppose co-operatio…

Students, farmers, renters, people with disabilities, SNAs, pensioners and working families are among some of the groups that have been completely disrespected and left behind by this Government over the past weeks and months. Students see their student fees increased. Farmers are out on the street for Mercosur and Bord Bia. Renters who can afford their rent are looking at a market reset where their rents are going to increase if they change their accommodation after 1 March. People with disabilities are fighting e…

I second Senator Andrews's amendment to the Order of Business regarding his Bill. I am going to bring up an issue I have brought up in this House previously on the Order of Business and through Commencement matters about the loss of jobs in Abbeyfeale at the Kostal plant. We are looking at 140 job losses. My issue is the lack of investment in our rural towns and villages. We are constantly seeing Ministers and councillors who all delight in taking pictures when a job is created, but we do not seem to see them very …

I move amendment No. 3: In page 13, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister shall cause a copy of any order made under subsection (1) to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made, and the order shall lapse 6 months after the date it is made unless earlier revoked or expressly continued by a resolution of both Houses.”. I am going to be quick and give a synopsis of each amendment as they have been grouped. They are about oversight. Clear language is wh…

I thank the Minister of State.

No. I am happy.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 14, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(d) publish a notice of the request for an exemption, accompanied by the information provided under subsection (1), on a website maintained by it or on its behalf and in a national newspaper, inviting submissions from the public within a period of not less than 30 days, (e) consider all submissions or observations received under paragraph (d) and publish a reasoned report addressing the material issues raised.”.