The blue and gold of Tipperary.

I was studying the report from this Council meeting. I am extremely disappointing that no solutions were found or even sought to support our pig industry. The European Commissioner for agriculture came here some months ago and told us to use every tool in the toolbox. We have used nothing. The pig industry is still waiting for some support before it disappears. We lost our fishing industry and did nothing about it. We lost our beef industry under a Fianna Fáil Government too. I am disappointed about that. Something…

I also want to thank the Regional Group for bringing forward this timely and long overdue debate. We are talking about different incentives to take over shops and return them to high-street trading. Tipperary town was mentioned earlier and every town and village is suffering from a lack of regeneration. Two things will happen if we get a shop that has been closed for years opened or get people living in it. We will get a living town back and footfall will be brought to the shops that are trying to survive there. I …

Is the Deputy going to sing?

The Acting Chairman told me earlier that it was his first time in the Chair and I wish him well, but we will not take any such clandestine lectures before we start our contributions. He will need a lesson in chairing if he wants to take up the role again. We are opposed to the proposal. We are ten Deputies, as Deputy Verona Murphy said earlier, and we are regarded as laggards, blackguards, backward, gombeen men and whatever else. What have we seen since the Government came into power? It can blame the Ukraine war o…

Hear, hear.

Globalists. It is globalists.

Fudge. Every day in this House.

I would say the Government has three weeks left.

Not agreed

Not agreed. Vótáíl.

On a point of clarification-----

Excuse me, I will take no more insulting comments from a buffoon from Wexford. A buffoon, that is what the Deputy is. Can I have clarification from the Leas-Cheann Comhairle please?

I am not going to stand for ignoramuses like that insulting people.

Vótáil.

Excise duty.

Does the Taoiseach know what sensible is?

April showers.

Not agreed.

On the same question, earlier the Taoiseach asked us and other speakers to be meaningful and honest. We opposed this carbon tax two years ago when the Government put forward its ten-card trick. There was talk about a three-card trick. We want a full and meaningful debate, and we want it today. We are challenging the Order of Business for that reason, to ensure that people can live and that they can survive, given the increases in the costs of ESB, gas, excise duty, etc. The Taoiseach dances around like on the head …