On transport.

Last week, yes, but not-----

Yes.

He has not.

You would not think it listening to him.

No, he is not.

Not agreed.

I raised the matter of the pig industry with the Taoiseach several weeks ago. The Irish Farmers Association and other farming organisations as well as individual pig farmers are protesting at four processing plants today. When is the Government going to do something meaningful to rescue our pig industry? We only have a certain number of pig farmers now and, as I said previously, the Taoiseach will not act until there are no rashers for his breakfast roll. He talked about lettuce to me the last day. These people hav…

He has not.

I remember helping as a buachaill óg - I was 13 at the time - the enthusiastic Fianna Fáil team that was pushing to join the EU. We did join it. We got benefits from it, let us face it, but they have dried up. Now we have regulations and sifting and Ministers going over to Europe to ask, "How do you want us to jump today?". We are the best boys in Europe; that is the fact of it. We are getting penalised. Punitive measures are being imposed on us by Europe, yet we are the best boys in the class and take what we get.…

I compliment the movers of the motion here tonight. I know the Minister of State is new and I cannot blame him for all the ills but we are punishing farmers and other people. We saw Glanbia on the border of Kilkenny and its petition to An Taisce. The single biggest polluters in this country are local authorities right from Mizen Head up in Donegal down to west Cork. They are the biggest polluters everywhere. I could name 25 villages in Tipperary waiting for sewerage infrastructure. They are belching raw sewage into…

Will the Minister of State increase the current income limits to qualify for social housing immediately given the ongoing rising inflation and the difficulties experienced in meeting the rising costs of rent within the current income limits? Will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter, lena thoil?

There is a state of disconnect in respect of the current income limits to qualify for social housing. The Tipperary County Council cap is €25,000 for a single person and €27,500 for an average family comprising two adults and two children. These figures have not been reviewed since 2011. Given the significant increase in rent, and the massive rate of inflation and increase in the cost of living, it is simply not in any way realistic to expect a family of two adults and two children to meet their housing needs and l…

Some of the NGOs come up with acronyms. Housing for All is a totally inappropriate name. In the face of significant increases in rent across County Tipperary and, as I said, a considerable increase in the cost of living, the income limits are wholly inappropriate. I call on the Minister to act as a matter of urgency. We keep talking about aspirations and good intentions, but they will not house people. People cannot afford their rent and cannot avail of HAP. According to information on daft.ie , just 60 properties …

Sure he can load it.

Nationally, 20,437 people are waiting for ophthalmology appointments, with 9,500 patients having been waiting for one year. Some people have been waiting up to four years. It is clear that there is no proper co-ordinated regional approach to funding or staffing. The Mater hospital under the guidance of Professor David Keegan in collaboration with CHO 9 started a waiting list initiative prior to Covid. Through this initiative they have managed to drastically reduce the waiting list in the last two years, even throug…

I totally concur with Deputy Carthy. As I indicated to Deputy Denis Naughten, who was deputising for the Ceann Comhairle at the meeting of the Business Committee last Thursday, we have been asking for several weeks for a proper debate on agriculture and the many issues relating to agriculture and food supply, such as the cost of fertilisers, oil and everything else. The Government last night announced some paltry, ha'penny scheme. We need something worthwhile. Is the Government so far removed from the land that it …

Maith an fear.

Are we having a debate on agriculture next week?

I welcome that.