I, too, am surprised, although I am not sure why, that ten of the 11 amendments have been ruled out of order. We are trying to reinvigorate our tourism industry. There are many good holiday home operators. While we will always have some cowboys, the vast majority of them are good. I am talking about a fear uasal i nDún Garbhán. People need to get out into the sun and the water, and get their space. They are so hard-pressed and at the pin of their collars. Some recognition should be allowed for that. This is why I s…

Why can we not exclude people who have enormous incomes? Surely there must be some way to do that? We used to use the peann luaidhe, but now we have computers. When PUP was introduced, I pleaded with the Minister concerned to address that. Anybody who is an employer knows that PRSI is now paid weekly. All of that information is on a computer. People could have been given what they were earning. Students and others working one or two nights a week who earned €100 or €120 ended up getting €350. Trying to wean people …

Inflation is currently at a 21-year high in Ireland. The country is now contending with the cost-of-living crisis on multiple fronts. It is causing widescale financial pain for every citizen. It is due in no small part to the Government's climate action policies. The carbon tax is the key contributing factor, with the cost of motor fuels up more than 22.6% and the cost of home heating oil up a staggering 70% in the last year alone, not to mention road diesel and agricultural diesel. For example, soaring petrol and …

It is not dishonest; it is a fact.

Taoiseach, it is you that is being dishonest with the people and they know it. When was the last time he pulled up at a filling station and filled his own car? He has a driver. He had one when he was leader of Fianna Fáil and he has State drivers now and everything else. He is out of touch completely. I asked the Taoiseach to do an immediate reversal of the carbon tax as well as an impact analysis, and he is flatly refusing to do that. I am also asking, given that there are such inflationary policies here, that we …

It is basic support and not a cushion they want.

It is obvious to everybody, Pontius Pilate.

You should join the Green Party.

It is.

Dance to the tune-----

I am glad the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is here. The NTA did not get one penny, aon phingin, to continue work on the N24 road from Cahir to Waterford and the N25 road to Dungarvan. All the politicians in the south east are at one on this issue. A meeting has been requested with the Minister to emphasise the importance of this project and the continuation of the different aspects of this endeavour. If it goes off the Richter scale, the consultants will have only another month before they leave. Will…

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy Healy-Rae has the floor.

Order, please. We will have to put back the time, to be fair.

I hope so.

I call Deputy Richard O'Donoghue.

Tá an t-am caite.

I thank the Cabinet yesterday for ensuring there was parity of esteem with the south east regarding the air rescue service. England has disposed of masks in schools. Will the Taoiseach please look after our children? Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí. These masks are unnecessary and uncomfortable for children. Some children cannot wear them and there is a lot of angst about them. Will the Taoiseach please lift the wearing of them in our schools if he can at all?

I would like to say a few words on these statements. The Taoiseach told the Dáil earlier and again yesterday that the Government could not do anything about the price of fertiliser when it was raised with him by Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. That conflicts directly with the evidence of the EU Commission representative given to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine last week, as referred to by Deputy Collins. Of course we can. We blame Europe all the time, saying that we cannot do this or we cannot do th…

There is nothing personal in what I am going to say but the hypocrisy on display here tonight is quite rank. In Clonmel, we have an organisation called Clonmel Suicide Awareness Workers, C-SAW, with which Joe Leahy, Elma Walsh and many others volunteer. We also have a River Suir rescue team and there are many other voluntary groups across the country. I thank my own staff in the office for dealing with problems every day that neither they nor I have the skills to deal with. I know a lady in Clonmel, Bernadette Hugh…