They are not agreed.

Cashel town in Tipperary has a proud history of medical care in Our Lady's Hospital. We lost major services to Clonmel in the early 2000s after a long battle. We also have St. Patrick's Hospital, which is a wonderful institution. The assessment unit there does tremendous work to this day for people who need rehab. We have been promised a 60-bed community nursing unit for the past decade. Recently, maybe six or eight months ago, we were told the site was not suitable. There was ample time over the years to check the…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. I did not think I would get in but I am delighted to speak on the Bill today. This is a difficult and trying issue on which we have around the houses, with investigations over the decades. I have often said how sad it was that people were put into these homes. To hear the stories related today in the Chamber is also sad. I had a lovely neighbour who I will call Peig. She lived less than a kilometre from where I was born but I never knew she existed until her late brother h…

I also compliment Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion that will try to deal with the cost of living issue for people and in this case, excise on fuel. The Government made a big hoo-ha about giving the excise rebates and they were very welcome. However to put the excise on now, especially for rural Ireland, the farming community, hauliers and everybody else is heartless and intolerable. Tomorrow is Lá Bealtaine, the first day of May. It is a very special day in the church calendar. There are a lot of piseógs …

The Minister present is the Minister for agriculture. We are talking all the time about the crisis in agriculture due to the weather. The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors of Ireland has been appealing to the Minister and the Minister for Finance not to go ahead with an increase of 2 cent per litre, plus VAT, on agricultural diesel on 1 May, which is next week. The estimated cost to the farm contractors is €10 million. The association added that it will not be possible to pass on the increase to farmers …

I welcome the family carers who are in the Public Gallery. Some are from my own county, such as Sophie Hannon, Andrew Rooney of Family Carers Ireland, Councillor Richard Molloy, who is manager of south Tipperary carers, and their supporters and friends, including John Hackett, Dennis Holland and Joan Looby. Indeed, Joan recently lost her sister, Tina, for whom she cared so lovingly, and her late mother and father and Auntie Kit. The group there exemplifies what carers do. The carers association does tremendous work…

In a reply to a question in the House last week the Taoiseach told me there was now a net outflow of Ukrainians from State accommodation. At the same time we find in Clonmel that the Department of Education is putting in 82 modular homes for Ukrainians in Haywood Road. This is without any information whatsoever being provided to me as a directly elected Member and with very little information to anybody else. There is no public consultation or engagement. What is going on in that Department? We are told all the tim…

In ainm Dé, buíochas le Dia, the weather, tá an aimsir tirim inniu. We have had good weather for the past week and it is so badly needed, praise the Lord, because we cannot do anything without God, in my opinion. The weather helps everything. I just spoke to my neighbour Diarmuid McGrath, who is setting the potatoes today. We will have potatoes for Christmas dinner. We will not be eating lettuce or something like that. I plead with the Minister to cut out the red tape and cut out the baggage. Farmers are being stra…

They are.

I mean dogs metaphorically.

I, too, will support the amendment. The Minister of State will be killing small clubs. Small clubs are the backbone of the community, whether they be GAA clubs, as they mainly are down the country, soccer clubs or any other type of club, organisation or community group. The lottery is a big thing, with a split-the-bucket or whatever. They are in every parish and they are very well supported. The Minister of State is saying they will not be able to be advertised or that they are the cause of some people starting to …

Who will enforce it?

I welcome the families in the Gallery, some of whom I met outside and on the street. I met people from my constituency - Alison and Heather. Her mother was unable to come today. They are weary and tired from fighting for justice for so long. I salute them. The disaster has been a long-standing symbol of injustice in our country and not the only one. Some of the 48 people who lost their lives in the Stardust were just teenagers. The youngest victim was only 16 while the oldest was 27. The families of the victims hav…

I question the previous judge, Mr. Keane. Who appointed him? Can we find that out? I know who appointed him. I know who his friends were. That is what is going on to this day. The judges are appointed and there is cover-up after cover-up. Shame on the major political parties that continue the farce.

I ask the Minister if the Government intends to hold a referendum on whether the people agree to opt in or opt out of the EU pact on migration and asylum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

As I said, Ireland has the opportunity to opt out or opt in thanks to the people voting a second time on the Lisbon treaty, and we achieved that the last time. Even a moderate like the Polish President, Donald Tusk, is saying he will not take any. The legal basis for Ireland to opt out of the migration treaty is contained under Lisbon, as I said. I believe this is a serious violation of our national sovereignty. The decision on who we want to accept would be made neither by the Irish authorities nor under Irish law…

Ireland or any EU country can opt out of or opt into the pact. The stark reality of the EU migration pact, which is designed to streamline so-called migration policies and address the challenge of asylum seekers, is that Ireland is ceding control over its borders and, of course, immigration procedures. Slovakia has done an estimate of the cost if it does not take in the migrants and is forced to pay €20,000 each, and it estimates it would be €7.5 billion annually. Ireland's GDP is strong at the moment, thankfully, …

Will the Minister provide an update on the latest departmental activities in the management of international protection and make a statement on the matter?

Following criticism, we have seen an increase in recent months in the Department’s activity in terms of deportation orders and so on. However, the extent of the flow of asylum seekers into Ireland, the majority of whom have previously successfully crossed the EU’s external borders elsewhere, is by no means clear. The State’s capacity to respond effectively could be affected. The new normal, according to the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, is 15,000 to 20,000 asylum and international protection seekers annually. Have we …

It is clear that the Government is hellbent on opting in with no discussion. It took eight years to come up with the pact and the Minister is telling Deputies that we had ample opportunity in that time to come up with solutions, questions, Topical Issue matters or whatever. The Government is hellbent on ignoring the Irish people. It got its message from them loud and clear in the referendum, so why rush this through? What kind of discriminatory feeling does the Government have towards the Irish people? We are going…