It is a point of order; it is utterly untrue. The Commissioner was before the agriculture committee and he told the Government to get its own toolbox to do what it likes, so this is totally false.

It is a fact.

Ar an chéad dul síos, I wish to give notice that I intend to move amendment No. 1 at a later stage. This is utter folly. The last speaker and several other Government speakers turned up. Some of them ran to the hills to hide and did not even take their slots. Here we are again betraying the Irish people. Since October just past, the EU Commission has been telling member states that they could do anything possible to bring down the cost of excise, and the list of countries that have done it includes Spain, Hungary, …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete paragraphs (1) and (2) and substitute the following: “(1) THAT for the purposes of the tax charged by virtue of section 95 of the Finance Act 1999 (No. 2 of 1999), that Act be amended, with effect as on and from 10 March 2022, by substituting the following for Schedule 2 to that Act (as amended by section 42 of the Finance Act 2021 (No. 45 of 2021)): SCHEDULE 2 Rates of Mineral Oil Tax (2) IT is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public interest that this Resolution shall …

Not agreed.

I was very disappointed with the Taoiseach's response to Deputy McDonald earlier. We need action now. We sleepwalked into this crisis. Blaming Ukraine and what goes on there is horrific. There is no excuse and the public know it. There is 64 cent in excise and carbon tax on every litre of petrol and 54 cent on every litre of diesel. This can be wiped away with the stroke of a pen. I demand a full debate. The Rural Independent Group has been on this for a long time. Anyone could have seen it coming. We need a debate…

People cannot afford to work, live, play or produce food. It is a crazy situation.

The Taoiseach will go off for Paddy's day and I wish him well on his travels. I have no objection to it. He will leave the people languishing. The people are furious.

They cannot heat their homes or anything else. We need a debate on this matter. We need a Dáil motion. We can do it-----

I am sorry but it is such an important issue.

The Government needs to be awoken from its slumber on this.

What is 13 days old? This has been going on for years.

What he is saying is not accurate. The Government does not want to know about any crisis. The only thing that is going up is carbon tax.

When is the Taoiseach going to support the men and women, the postmasters of Ireland, who did sterling work during the Covid period? Post offices were some of the only places that stayed open and looked after people. The postmasters are on their knees, and if they do not get some package by this summer, they will be gone. Beidh siad imithe. The Taoiseach knows this better than I do. They have been 20 years telling us here about this. Hundreds of post offices have closed already and many more will close if postmaste…

The Government has a death wish against the post offices. Will the Taoiseach please support them?

Ar an chéad dul síos I compliment you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. You have been a wonderful role model since you were first elected to this Parliament. I love to listen to you when you speak. I am blessed to have five wonderful daughters and six granddaughters. Indeed, they are my support team. I also wish to thank my staff and helpers in the office, without whom I could not manage, including Geraldine, Vivienne, May, Cathy, Triona, Mairéad, Councillor Máirín and Caroline, who all do tremendous work for me daily. Whe…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor - to discuss the number of community gardaí in Carlow-Kilkenny; (2) Deputies Éamon Ó Cuív and Mairéad Farrell - to discuss remedial work on a bridge near Kylemore Abbey on the N59 to stop flooding; (3) Deputy Chris Andrews - to discuss public safety concerns in Dublin’s inner city in light of ongoing street battles and the…

I too thank Deputy McNamara for introducing this timely and important motion. We are just dehumanising people. That is what is going on under the Government. I have been up here for 14 years now and note that is the case in respect of everything we have done. When the NDLS was first established, I could not believe that three private companies would have a part to play before a driver got a licence. One of them could not get the materials to make the licences and there were delays as a consequence. It is a shambles…

How do we raise it? I have written to all the agencies and got no or little response. It has been very vague. This man needs justice.

The Taoiseach got it.