I, too, am glad to speak today to statements on these pre-European Council meetings. Ar an gcéad dul síos, I warmly congratulate my namesake and good friend and colleague through the years, the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, on his nomination to the position of Commissioner. I welcome that nomination. I hope that the different political machinations and interactions with colleagues all over Europe on the fringes of the European Council will ensure he is given a high powered and prestigious economic post because …

You get your way all the time.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an iarAire, an Teachta McGrath agus leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Chambers. I congratulate and compliment the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, on his appointment to the European Commission. It is a wonderful day and time for him. I wish him well. I also wish well his wife, Sarah, Tom, Jack, and the lads, and his mother and brother, Séamus, and the entire McGrath family. I came into the Dáil on the same day as the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, soon to be Commissio…

The Rural Independent Group wants to be associated with the remarks and call for a debate on the situation regarding Natasha O'Brien, which is horrific. We are objecting to today's Order of Business because of the flippant and laissez-faire way the Government has handled the migration pact. It has been back and forth. It should have been debated in several different segments, as it was in the European Parliament. We should have had more scrutiny, discussion, debate, and questions and answers in the Chamber, which w…

Since 28 January, I have been asking about the situation regarding Hearn’s Hotel in Clonmel and the team at the Department of integration. Finally, yesterday evening at 4 p.m., we received a notice that 87 IPAS individuals and families are going in there. It is in the centre of our town. Hundreds of people are protesting outside Dundrum House Hotel because that has been changed from a Ukrainian centre to an IPAS centre. Where is this going to stop? There is absolutely no engagement with anybody in Clonmel - elected…

None.

Níl.

Ar laethanta saoire.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae will follow. I am not supporting the retention of these provisions. There are lots of issues the Minister could deal with rather than having this wheeled in every year. I support the Garda. I am aware of a Garda member at home in Cahir, County Tipperary. He is one of the finest community gardaí ever. He had to go to a case last Wednesday on his own. It was a dangerous case and he was almost killed. This is shocking. It is under the Minister's watch. It happens every day under the watch of t…

I normally thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward a motion, but I cannot do so on this occasion because this is a trick-of-the-loop job. As Deputy Michael Healy-Rae stated, I did call for that vote during the debate on the Finance Bill. I called earlier, in the convention centre, for a vote against that proposal. You were all mad to jump on the wagon of the climate action legislation. We all know there is climate change but the people here are finding out too that this is a very costly experiment for them. Deputy Nol…

To paraphrase the famed song for Kilcash, cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan uisce? Water, and the work of Irish Water, is an appalling problem in Clonmel, south Tipperary and all over the country. I welcome to the Gallery Geraldine and Paddy, one of my office staff, who is on to Irish Water continuously. All our staff are on to Irish Water, but it is like writing to the North Pole. The company is totally ineffective and disrespectful. I do not blame the staff in there but the organisation does not have a clue what is go…

No value for money.

They cannot wait until the budget.

No response.

No response.

We did.

Good job they are not here or the Minister of State would be in real trouble.

I thank colleagues for their contributions. Ar céad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas leis an iar-Seanadóir Brian Ó Domhnaill agus Triona O'Flynn in our office for putting together this motion. Tourism is a vibrant, dynamic sector that plays a vital role in Ireland's economy, as has been stated. It is the lifeblood of rural communities, providing employment and economic activity, including in locations where other industries may be absent. I also thank Adrian Cummins and his team for providing us with an up-to-date, as of…

The Government has been doing this for 18 months. It is political. The Government parties are not accepting the motion, yet-----

It is not agreed. They are accepting the motion mar dhea and then talking against it. We will have to force a vote.