Sorry, before the Chair calls the Minister of State, I wish to point out that Opposition Members have spoken for an hour and a half without addressing one amendment. They have wasted an hour and a half. I still ask for a Bill not to-----

They have had three-----

I commend the Minister on his great efforts on this Bill and his wholehearted determination to resolve the housing crisis. I am struck by a couple of points. A statistic I heard yesterday was that over the past ten years, we have built 220,000 houses in this country. That is the equivalent of rebuilding Galway, Limerick and Cork. That is phenomenal output over a ten-year period. We accept that the right to a house is a basic and fundamental right. No party has ever been more earnest in the delivery of housing than …

I thank the Minister for coming into the House to address a hugely important issue across the country. I have a degree of sympathy for him as when he was appointed to his Ministry last year we had Storm Éowyn and he has just had another major storm event. It had major ramifications in his area and I congratulate him for the way he spoke so openly and candidly about that and about having first-hand experience. If we compare Storm Chandra and Storm Éowyn the one consolation - though there is no consolation for the pe…

In recent weeks, Horse Sport Ireland, HSI, was back in front of the agriculture committee. Once again, its CEO, Denis Duggan, stated that there have been no HR issues in the organisation over the past two to three years and that there were no legal fees associated with any HR issues. He was certainly convincing and resolute. However, in the Sunday Independent at the weekend, Mark Tighe confirmed what the equestrian sector has known for several years, namely, that Horse Sport Ireland is involved in a series of HR di…

I thank the Minister of State. I understand Senator Curley is taking over from me here. I thank him very much.

Ar dtús, I know we lauded the successes of many people in soccer at the outset but before I get to the important business of my Commencement matter, I wish to single out the heroics of young Donegal man Dylan Browne McMonagle over the weekend, who was crowned Irish Champion Jockey. He unseated six-time winner Colin Keane with 95 winners. Not only that, on Saturday night, he went over the US and recorded an historic Breeders' Cup win for Willie Mullins and is now heading off to Tokyo for the off-season in Ireland. H…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that he is probably restricted in much of what he can say, but he has to understand the frustration being felt across rural Ireland that we have an independent State agency that is seemingly answerable to nobody. The fourth site to which I refer lies across a number of townlands. The EPA, Longford County Council and everyone living in the areas surrounding the site are aware that there was no peat harvested there from as far back as 2020, and at least 2022. The EPA is awa…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue. I wish to advise him, and I am sure he will share the sentiments expressed for his fellow county man, that we congratulated Dylan Browne McConalogue - my apologies, it is McMonagle, but it was close enough - earlier today on his heroics in winning the title of Irish Champion Jockey. Another champion jockey held the title for six years but Dylan took it with 95 wins. More importantly, Dylan won an historic race in the Breeders' Cup last Saturday night for a nation…

Yes, put him on a stamp. The Minister of State has ten minutes to make an opening statement on the important issue of the post office network.

The Minister of State looks like a jockey but is just too tall.

Gabhaim buíochas mór leis an Aire Stáit. Rachaimid ar aghaidh go dtí an Rialtas. Glaoim ar an Seanadóir Comyn.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Thank you very much, Senator. I was delighted to hear you mention John Major, the erstwhile grey man of British politics, but a man of impeccable taste, because he visited County Longford a number of years ago. I am sure you can agree with his sentiment to visit that county. Tá na Seanadóiri Evanne Ni Chuillin agus Gareth Scahill ó Fhine Gael ag roinnt a gcuid ama. An bhfuil sé sin aontaithe?

I welcome Colm O'Brien from Tallaght. A frisson of excitement swept the House today when we heard he was coming in. Seemingly, he scored 55 in a game of golf yesterday. Everybody here claims scores like that but I do not believe most people believe it. I congratulate Colm on his achievement. He is a guest of Senator Andrews and I hope he enjoys his day in this every important and historic House.

It is on the record of the House now.

Thank you very much, Senator Byrne. We have just one more speaker offering. Before I bring in Senator Martin Conway, I might just make some observations myself. The €15 million for the post office network was a huge part of the budget and was very much a key plank in our programme for Government. It underpins the absolute commitment of this Government and previous incarnations of it to the post office network and rural Ireland generally. It is also important that we pay tribute today to the management of An Post, i…

I thank Senator Conway. He has brought us a few more speakers, so what he said was obviously very important.

Good man. You can have a rest now.

Are you sure you do not need a defibrillator?