I thank the Ceann Comhairle and all the staff for their friendship and help during my term here. South Tipperary has been failed by this Government and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments over the years. The St. Michael's unit in Clonmel has been closed. We have no mental health beds in south Tipperary. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who is seated behind the Tánaiste, closed St. Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir and has refused to reopen it. On 25 October, I asked the Minister of State about the communi…

It was.

I know that. I asked about Cashel.

It is in Clonmel.

Some €200,000 has been wasted.

I thank the Minister of State for attending, but this shows how little interest the Minister for Education has in children with special needs. We are here to discuss Scoil Aonghusa in Cashel. It is a fantastic school of 150 students with complex special needs. In 2015, school management reached out to the Department concerning the capacity required to meet the growing population of children with special needs. The school purchased 5 acres like it was told to do to provide for the necessary expansion. Twelve modular…

The Minister of State can talk all he likes about priorities, but this is not a priority. The Government has let down Scoil Aonghusa and other schools. There are 150 pupils in the school. Ms Keyes Ryan and all the staff should be applauded for what they are doing. They have to teach the children in hallways, staff rooms and the sensory room. The Minister of State referred to four extra classrooms for Scoil Aonghusa, but the school has stated that it needs 16. Four are no good to them. During the week, the Minister …

When I hear of a carryover of expenditure of almost €130 million related to transport, I have to ask why are the people of County Tipperary who live along the route of the N24 faced with continuing funding uncertainty regarding the N24 project? Both parts of this project have in recent years been subject to uncertainty. Tipperary County Council has been forced to write to the Department expressing concern at this. In recent weeks, I attended the design update for the Limerick Junction to Cahir project, but it is ag…

Workers have had it bad enough with the cost-of-living increases, rents and house prices, increased fuel costs and the LPT increases imposed by Government parties and others who choose to align themselves with the Government parties, such as Labour and some independent councillors in my own constituency. We need to see the abolition of USC for the workers whose means are not sufficient to adequately handle the cost of everyday life and the rising cost of essentials. The measures taken by the Government are insignif…

I appreciate the introduction of this Bill. For too long, our farmers have had to navigate a marketplace that is not designed with their needs in mind, while at the same time having to comply with measures that are outdated and schemes designed and rolled out by the Department in a manner that can, at best, be described as inefficient. Farmers are workers too. They are involved in one of the most important sectors in this country, yet they find themselves in a situation which calls for Bills such as this to be intr…

It is the graveyard shift.

I also thank the Labour Party for bringing the motion to the House today. Members of the Fórsa trade union are due to join their colleagues in SIPTU and the INMO to protest on the Western Road in Clonmel on Thursday. I call on anyone who can attend to do so, and to show their support and solidarity between 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. While I suggest that Government representatives should attend, I assume they will not, as they are fully briefed on the damage that has been inflicted on the health service as a result of…

I see the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is there. I would appreciate if she or the Taoiseach could find out more for me about the community nursing home for Cashel. The latest information from the HSE, 20 months since indicating it was considering other sites outside of St. Patrick's, is that no decision has been made. It is now nearly 17 months since Palmer's Hill was confirmed to be considered. There is €184,000 spent on consultants' reports and the HSE has nothing to report but a vague commitment that someth…

Is it going to be used in the next couple of weeks as an electioneering promise by some of the candidates?

Come down to south Tipperary, to Cashel.

We welcome the Labour Party amendment and will not oppose it, as it is similar to the one brought by Deputies Kerrane and Mythen last year. The same review was sought by Sinn Féin last year and the Minister committed to carrying one out. He also committed to it several times at committee meetings, but no results have been forthcoming. There is little room for doubt about the fact that horse and greyhound racing is of benefit to many rural communities. As a proud Tipperary man, I have no doubt about its benefits to …

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter. A number of catering businesses in my constituency have fallen victim to the high cost of doing business that has been prevalent in recent years. Each loss is a blow to the business owners, employees, their families and other businesses that trade with the business that closes. The loss of these businesses impacts on the local economy and the sense of vibrancy of the area in which they are located. Measures must be examined and, where appropriate, taken, to assist b…

I want to raise the issue of the Rock of Cashel, in my town. It attracts just under 400,000 visitors every year, but locals and tourists have complained about foliage, weeds and so on growing at a height which are not accessible from ground level. This vegetation can be seen from a distance and takes from the look of the site. We hope to get it on the list of UNESCO sites in the next couple of years. The OPW has spent €336,000 on a bicycle shed. Perhaps some of that money could be redirected so that we can get the …

Sinn Féin's approach to the budget was one that had fairness at its heart. Our proposals sought to provide for people based on need at a time when they are hardest hit by the increased cost of living. This is why, unlike the Government's focus on enabling the better off to benefit from additional tax reliefs, we focused on those who need the most assistance and on providing for them. One example was our intention to abolish USC on the first €45,000 earned, starting this year with the first €30,000. This is where th…

I also commend Deputy Tully on bringing this motion before the House. The need to deliver rights-based services and supports for people has never been more pressing due to the Government announcing €336 million in additional funding for disability services. As €290 million of that was for existing levels of service, this left just €46 million for new development measures and capital developments to be spread thinly across respite, day services, children's services and of course the 11,000 children waiting for an as…