Four years ago, the Rural Independent Group tabled a motion to stop the madness of the black hole that is the national children's hospital. The motion gave the Dáil an opportunity to vote against what was going on. The confidence and supply arrangement was in place at the time and the Taoiseach's party supported and voted with the Government to continue the madness of a project that was meant to cost €400 million but which is now reaching €2 billion or more in a location with no access for a helipad, no parking spa…

The Taoiseach had not-----

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. This is nothing to do with counterfeiting but if the cap fits, someone must wear it. It is a pity when personal attitudes come into the situation.

I thank the Acting Chair for his indulgence.

He might have to yet so I thank him in anticipation, if that is all right. I will make a number of brief comments on this Bill. I have questions to ask the Minister of State. Is í an chéad cheist ná cén fáth go bhfuil an Bille seo ceithre bliana déanach? Why has it taken four years and are we four years behind? I know that the current Minister of State was not in office then but Departments seem to be lagging behind here. The Bill provides for the transposition of outstanding elements of Directive 2014/62/EU on the…

Of course it has. The community will get information-----

It has of course because if the community guards stand in people's kitchens and get to know the families and the people, and who is a bit dodgy in an area and garner other information like that, they will be able to pass it on. It is important to know where someone has a lot of cash, when people are wondering about how those people have that money and their means of getting it. That is very important, and goes back to basics and solving crime. Whether in the context of counterfeit notes or daylight bank robbery, it…

Early last year, I asked the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, what supports or provisions had been put in place for students for the academic year 2020. All present know the trouble students are going through. Will the Government provide a financial support package for struggling students for this academic year, which began in September 2020? I refer to the students who cannot receive refunds for private accommodation, as well as other students. What provisions is the Minister for Education,…

Several months ago, I asked the Minister about the roll-out of the flu vaccine. I put it to him that 2 million doses had been supplied but the Government could only account for 1.4 million of them. I ask him to provide me with an answer in writing, stating whether that was right or wrong. I asked how we were going to be prepared to roll out the Covid vaccine, given the number of vaccines involved, when the HSE and the Department are totally unfit and not accountable to anybody, not even the Minister. When will care…

I too would like to speak on this important issue. I salute all of the Tidy Towns groups up and down the country, and the angling clubs and game clubs, including those in the three parishes in my area. They do excellent work for habitats through restocking and so on. I am currently assisting a group of small independent farm plastic recovery operators in circumstances where they perceive the existence of a non-competitive structure and behaviour in the farm plastics recycling sector. We all want to recycle and enco…

The real problem with the Labour Party approach is that a zero Covid strategy will kill off the entire domestic economy. Interestingly, it will not impact on the largest companies in the world today, some of which operate out of Ireland, including Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Google and the large multinationals. Ireland's small and medium enterprises account for approximately 45% of GDP and they employ 70% of the workforce. The lockdowns are having a severe impact on those sectors. I cannot understand that the Labour …

Last June, we debated at length in the House the issue of forestry and tree-felling licences. The situation has got worse. People cannot get forestry licences to sell their trees, whether from private forests or through the national afforestation programme. This has a significant knock-on effect on the building industry, the haulage industry, farm and forestry contractors and people who supply firewood. People cannot get timber for essential construction jobs and it has to be imported. Will the Taoiseach please ens…

I am sharing time with Deputies Michael Healy-Rae and O'Donoghue. I will bring the Minister on to Tipperary from "Clonakilty, God help us". A wonderful exposé was aired by RTÉ last week and I hope the Minister saw it because he is due to hold a Zoom meeting next week with Jobs for Tipp, March4Tipp and the chamber of commerce. I thank him for that. We want to do in Tipperary what happened in Clonakilty and we want him to assist us. The M20 reaches from Limerick to Cork. Joe McGrath, the Tipperary county manager, put…

Like Deputy Nolan, I wish the Minister of State well in her work in this vital and important area. I will ask the Minister of State a number of questions. Deputy Butler will not have time to reply but she might write to me. The first is about the current stage of the Crisis House in Clonmel, a commencement date for that house and where it is at, and also about the Jigsaw roll-out in Tipperary. Is the headquarters of the latter in Thurles procured and is it being fitted out and ready to start? When will we have a st…

We all expected teething problems on 1 January with regard to Brexit. Irish Road Haulage Association hauliers and many private haulage companies and car importers have been on to me and many other politicians about this issue. There are anomalies in the 300 page document and nobody in Revenue, who are doing their best, can give people an answer as to why they must pay the import duty at the point of entry. When they bring in cars they pay the VRT when they sell them and register them. That should be done now with t…

It is affecting all kinds of transport but particularly cars coming in here. Cars and packages-----

-----such as foodstuff and so on are being affected. I ask the Tánaiste to please try to get this resolved because it is causing huge problems.

I am very happy to speak on the important matter of connectivity with the rest of the world. I wish the Minister of State well with her brief and thank her and the senior Minister. I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on a meeting on Zoom tomorrow that I requested, about issues in Tipperary town, which I appreciate. The aviation industry is very important. People can criticise Ryanair and its chief executive's style but it did transform the industry and introduced competition into it. People were …

Our group is unhappy with the Order of Business too but coming onto this floor every week and wasting time on Questions on Promised Legislation is very unfair to Deputies as well. I ask the Taoiseach to ask the Chief Whip, Deputy Chambers, to be more flexible and understanding at the Business Committee, to try to get things sorted out like we used to and not to have time-wasting on the floor of the Chamber. We could be here for two weeks and the Taoiseach would not answer any questions anyway so it makes no differe…

The clock is ticking on.