I thank Labour for tabling this motion. Despite me pointing it out in the Chamber a number of times, the fact that the number of people who are classed as homeless is an under-representation remains unchanged. If the Government's figures are based on those who fit the criteria to be considered homeless by local authorities, it is falling short of the mark. In Tipperary alone, the county council is doing its best to provide for people in need of emergency housing, but there is a feeling that we are just treading wat…

I am raising the issue of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, ARFID. I have raised the issue of young Riain from County Tipperary before. He cannot get proper treatment within the health service.

Sorry. I am speaking about ARFID and about Riain, a boy from County Tipperary whose case I have raised previously. He cannot get proper treatment within the health service, but he is not alone. More families are presenting with their own accounts of difficulty in accessing services, or even a pathway to treatment. Many get shoved from pillar to post between child and adolescent mental health services and the children's disability network teams, which just do not have the skills to treat people with ARFID who may al…

Will the Minister of State meet the families?

Recent attacks on members of An Garda Síochána and other instances in which gardaí have been engaged in crowd control, given heightened tensions at certain events in recent times, have reinforced the case for body cameras to be deployed and used. We are talking about enhancing the ability of gardaí to effectively and safely carry out their duties, which include ensuring the safety of the public and of course, their own safety, deterring any potential illegal or criminal behaviour and providing evidence where necess…

I congratulate the Minister of State on his new role. Also, this is my first chance to send condolences to Private Seán Rooney's family on his untimely death. I will focus on just two things that came out of the European Council meeting. One was the call on the Commission to present in early 2023 a strategy at EU level to boost competitiveness and productivity. That call was being made at the same time we had a Minister and a junior Minister appear before us on Committee Stage and say nothing at all about Coillte b…

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. At the start I would like to thank all the undertakers in Tipperary, just in case I forget them later on.

I will not mention all the towns, just all the undertakers. This is an important Bill. It would have always been so given its nature and the matter of dignity, self-determination and of course the life-saving consequences of organ donation. The purpose of the Bill is brought into even sharper focus given the revelations we have become acquainted with involving the improper retention and disposal of organs. The Madden report of 2005 found that doctors stated that they did not tell parents about organ retention for t…

Since the Coillte and Gresham House arrangement first emerged, it became clear that more was known by the Department than was being let on at the time. While the Project Woodland working group was convening, the arrangements with Gresham House were being put in place. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, was aware of this as far back as March 2021. She and the Minister appeared before the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on several occasions and totally disrespected us by not informing us or t…

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this Bill. The general scheme was discussed in some detail at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. As such, the needs of the various organisations have been expressed and discussed. For too long, our farmers have had to navigate a market in which they have been expected to accept the prices they receive and the conditions to which they are subject. The purpose of the Bill is to address that and give producers of agricultural products the certainty they nee…

The measures and powers proposed by the Minister in this legislation are extraordinary in nature. They reflect the current challenges we face as a consequence of the illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine. We must, however, be aware that among the factors that make the introduction of this Bill necessary is the Government's poor policy choices and its failure to invest over the years. Like Deputy O'Rourke, I wish to raise the worries we have about this legislation being rammed through like this. There was no pre-leg…

I thank Solidarity-People Before Profit for bringing the motion before the House. This Government has led us to a situation where it has failed to prepare this country for the increase in electricity usage. It speaks fine words, but looking at its actions, they do not add up. It is a natural consequence of all this that we find ourselves discussing the renationalisation of the energy system, as this motion proposes. We face a heightened risk of blackouts this winter, which are due entirely to the failure of success…

Does the Minister intend to reopen the fodder scheme to new applicants? The purpose of the scheme is to incentivise farmers to have enough fodder for the coming winter. Would it not be prudent to take measures to maximise participation by not restricting it to those in the scheme last year? Why was the scheme devised in a manner that excludes so many farmers?

The Minister has made it clear that it will be open for people who did not qualify last year. For example, someone who took over a farm would not have submitted the application in time. They may apply in the spring. I agree with him that the majority of farmers plan ahead and ensure they have enough fodder for their animals. Did he say that payments went out this week and the new applicants need to wait until spring? Can that not be brought forward? Is it possible that those who lost out last year might be able to …

There is just one other category on which I would like to get the Minister's thoughts, namely, dairy farmers and hill farmers who would have lands classified as category 1 under the areas of natural constraint. They also fall outside the new peer group. This group is also not immune to the increases in fodder, feeding costs, etc. They are also food producers who are trying to make a living. The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, INHFA, estimate that a very significant number of dry stock farmers could find …

The establishment of an all-island wool council was a recommendation of the wool feasibility study. We are supportive of that. I understand the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, has reached out to stakeholders. Will she outline if she intends to follow through with this on an all-island basis? Will she also outline the timeframe she is setting for that?

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I suggest that the timeframes to date have been anything but satisfactory. A review of wool-based products was promised when the programme for Government was being put together, but it took until July 2021 for a tender to be put out in the first place. It was not until December 2021 that it was confirmed that a tender had been awarded and the report was published seven months later. Why has it taken nearly half the Government's term to commission and receive the repor…

I asked about the establishment of the all-island wool council. I note that in the Seanad the Minister of State spoke about stakeholder engagement, but there seems to be a lack of clarity on the all-island aspect of that. The Sinn Féin spokesperson for agriculture in the North raised the matter and was told that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, is considering the review and plans to engage with the Department here. What level of engagement has the Minister of State had with DEFRA and w…

Is the Minister of State engaging with DEFRA in the North? What stage are the discussions at?

Will the Minister of State please do that and let me know what stage the discussions have reached?