Yes.

The people of Cashel lost their medical services in Our Lady's to Clonmel back in the 1980s. They have been waiting and waiting for a new 60-bed community unit in Cashel. We expected it to be started at this stage, but, hey presto, the authorities decided the site was not big enough at St. Patrick's Hospital. We all believed it was. Now the authorities are supposed to be searching for a new site. Where are the plans and at what stage is the new community nursing home for Cashel? Cashel and south Tipperary, and inde…

I, too, wish to comment on this legislation, which amends a number of Acts to facilitate an increase in the mandatory retirement age for uniformed public servants to 62 years, and for gardaí especially. So much more of this legislation is varnish and veneer. I too have cases that I have highlighted here dozens of times about Pat Esmonde and John O'Brien who lost their lives off Helvick Head, and Michael Kingston is helping out there too. No proper investigation was carried out. There is much veneer with this legisl…

Yes.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for her forbearance. I was at a committee meeting with representatives of RTÉ. Curim buíochas agus comhghairdeas leis an Sinn Féin Party for bringing forward this important Bill. It is time sensitive because students have just finished the college year and are looking forward to their summer break before returning in the autumn. The Minister of State understands this issue because he is from a university city. I met his lovely daughter in Leinster House last week or the week before…

The National Ambulance Service and the south Tipperary ambulance service are in a chronic state of frustration due to a lack of personnel. They were promised some interns but now they are told they will not get them until perhaps August. One night last week two ambulances had to come together as there was only one paramedic in each. One ambulance had to be parked so they could go out on a call. That is happening all the time. In addition, the headquarters in the grounds of South Tipperary General Hospital is appall…

Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an Teachta McNamara. I congratulate Deputy McNamara, who is in the Chamber. It is great to see him here in the aftermath of his being elected as an MEP. I look forward to engaging with him in that role. We fully endorse the motion. It is evident there is chronic underspending by Government on primary schools. I thank Nóirín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh and the other principals who came up last week with their teams to put it bluntly to us how bad the situation is. I commend the Ind…

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I too want to pay tribute to the late Tommie Gorman. He was a wonderful journalist and wonderful person. He visited the Circle of Friends cancer care centre in Tipperary only months ago and gave up his time there. He was in my parish some weeks ago. He was a wonderful man. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. The response of the Government and TDs that the EU will take care of us and that we cannot go it alone on the migration issue is naive in the extreme. There are many measure…

I did not mention it.

I never mentioned the health service but I acknowledge the wonderful service that nurses, doctors and all kinds of specialists give. I have been a beneficiary of that myself, but the Minister is trying to distract me. I never mentioned it today. The people voted on the Lisbon treaty in 2009. They did not vote for this. That is sure and certain. The Government has scant regard for articles of the Constitution or the people's decision, as far as I am concerned. Why are we rushing this? The Minister said there will be…

There were no questions and answers and no proper scrutiny. There was one meeting of the committee, where the Minister was unable to answer any questions. I was there on that day. At the next meeting of the committee, as kind of an add-on, all the NGOs were brought in. They were wheeled out to tell us what we were not doing right. The people who are running this country now are the NGOs. It is a total betrayal of the people of Ireland for the Oireachtas to vote this in without consulting them or testing it in the H…

Six hours.

It took ten years in Europe.

Of course I did.

When-----

It is too late to opt out.

Dress it up any way you like.

Dress it up any way you like.

I would not like to see you at the fair. You would buy a pig in a poke.

I wish to raise the issue of the chronic shortage of gardaí on the ground in County Tipperary. Despite the rising population and the increase in immigration, Garda numbers are in a worrying decline. As of 30 April 2024, the force stands at a total of 14,000-odd members, with just over 11,050 serving as rank-and-file gardaí. This is in stark contrast to the overall strength of 14,750 in March 2020, when the Government took office. Deputy Humphreys has served as Minister for Justice. There are an extra 300,000 people…