Talk to Brian Hayes.

I raised the issue of Tipperary town and its task force with the Tánaiste several times last year and the year before. Thankfully, he set up a task force, which is now chaired by Alison Harvey. The task force is doing its best with the Jobs4Tipp and March4Tipp initiatives and the creation of the chamber of commerce. However, the county council is proposing to do another two years' work on Main Street, which will effectively close down the town for two further years. We welcome the funding but there needs to be enga…

Tá sé taobh amuigh den doras.

I do not think that is allowed under the Covid restrictions. I am serious. That is what I was told last week.

Is the Ceann Comhairle now being censured or lectured? He is doing a fine job, as always. I always find him to be very fair. This is extraordinary. The whole timeline in respect of this situation is utterly unsatisfactory and extraordinary. I am worried and concerned about the people at home looking at, or reading, this debate. They are under the floor in debt, are living in fear and have anxiety and trauma as a result of what is going on in respect of Covid. We can look at this side by side with what is going on h…

I am not going there; I am just saying what is going on. We say this process is not going on. We are hiding that murky business.

There will be an avalanche in the new year when the moratorium relating to the banks is lifted. We can see Fine Gael's friends in the banking industry, the poachers who have become gamekeepers. Former Ministers of State have been given powerful jobs in that industry. We know this; we have seen it. In addition, unregulated thugs are going around the country. Some have been brought before the courts and fined for carrying on like the heavy gang. Some of these are mercenaries from other countries who have murky pasts.…

Why was there a seven-month gap to fill retired justice, Mary Finlay Geoghan's position followed by a frenzy of activity at the time of the general election, when Séamus Woulfe had applied for the position in January?

Why was there a 14-week gap between when the then Minister, Deputy Flanagan, received Séamus Woulfe's name from the JAAB and it coming to the new Cabinet? During that time Ms Mary Irvine was appointed President of the High Court, during the interim Government period, yet Mr. Woulfe's appointment was kept back for the new Government. Cén fáth?

I wonder would it be anything to do with the presence in Cabinet of former Minister and former Minister of State, Shane Ross and Finian McGrath then. Let the people be the judge of that. The judicial complaints board has an office rented and it is staffed, and has everything bar a doorman. When will it be in action and when will Joe Soap be able to make a complaint to the board that was set up under legislation passed by this House and signed by the President into law seven or eight months ago? When can the public …

This is like the former presenter of "Céilí House", Kieran Hanrahan: "Around the house and mind the dresser." We have to mind things during the debate and I know we cannot stray but this was passed, why is it not in action? Why is this the case for the public today, many of whom feel aggrieved? Deputy Connolly mentioned that they cannot access it but some who have accessed those places, especially lay litigants, have complaints to make and there is no complaints process, even though these Houses have passed legisla…

That is strange because we passed laws here about vulture funds and to remove the prohibition on hearsay evidence, and it is implemented immediately. Why do we have to wait for nearly a year to have this body, which is set up and staffed and has rented buildings at great cost to the taxpayer? Denying taxpayers the solace of making of a complaint, regardless of how it goes or how far they get, is farcical. The House spent a lot of time on it and I thank the former Minister, Shane Ross, for all his work on it. It was…

This motion is kind of cynical. It is a serious time, with Covid-19 and people on their knees all over the country with the way the economy is. I would love to see a motion being brought forward to support an industry. This industry and its spin-offs are vital to rural and urban Ireland and to many families. There are 40,000 jobs in the horse racing and greyhound racing sectors. It is great to listen to the contributions from the parties of the left here. Where are they going to get the money from to have some othe…

What about Máire Whelan?

We are not.

No, we are not.

On a point of order, on behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I welcome that. I ask the Ceann Comhairle to stop the clock and allow the other Deputies who want to speak to do so. We have spent ten or 12 minutes on this issue which has taken up all the time. That is not fair to all the Deputies from all parties. We should add more time because this has gone way over time.

Take the battery out of the clock.

The people of Ireland have suffered greatly with Covid-19. They have been magnificent. Self-employed and ordinary people need guidance. The Taoiseach promised the leaders two and a half weeks ago at a meeting that he would have a further meeting with us to give notice to people of how they could recommence their business. The people will, in the spirit of Charles J. Kickham, the people of Mullinahone and T.J. McInerney, rise up because they are fed up with this and with being dangled on a string. The Taoiseach neve…

How dare the Taoiseach?