There are no objections.

I know the Minister met a group of businessmen from Clonmel recently, including David Burke, Richard Gleeson and Nuala Hickey, regarding the situation concerning Uisce Éireann in the town. It is just abominable. For three or four days again this week there has been no water in Ballingarrane, Cherrymount and other parts of the town for businesses and houses. No information has come from Irish Water. Local staff on the ground are trying to do their best but Irish Water is coming along, installing pressure reducing va…

The Minister knows I have admiration for her, but it is disappointing and an insult to this House that neither the Taoiseach nor the Tánaiste is here today after five weeks. One is in Davos, and I do not know where Deputy Martin is. I refute out of hand the allegations that Deputy Bríd Smith made about the Rural Independents and me misleading the Dáil and our voting record on votes of confidence, the eviction Bill and so on but that is nothing new. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is present. He has made a mess in Ro…

Hear, hear.

There is a huge issue with delays in driving tests. I was contacted over Christmas by a driving tester who is one of seven due to be made redundant by the Road Safety Authority, RSA, in February and March. At this time, the average waiting time for driving tests has been as long as 28 weeks in Clonmel. In some parts of the country, the waiting time is as long as 51 weeks. It is beyond belief that the RSA would make testers redundant. It is my understanding that the RSA was to recruit 75 additional testers. We were …

It is affecting work, businesses, education and schooling.

More than brief.

I will not take 38 minutes.

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I will outline our amendment, which states: I gCuid 1, Leathanach 6, líne 5 go 8 a scrisadh an méid soe a leanas a chur ina n-ionad: “Admhaíonn an Stát go dtugtar taca don Chomhdhaonnacht, ar taca é nach bhféadfaí leas an phobail a ghnóthú dá éagmais, de bhíthin cúram a bheith á thabhairt ag daoine de theaghlach dá chéile toisc na snaidhmeanna atá eatarthu, agus beidh an Stát ag dréim le tacú leis an gcúram sin a thabhairt. Mar sin de, déanfaidh an Stát iarracht a chinntiú …

Not agreed.

I, too, am delighted to speak to the motion. The Ceann Comhairle commented on county development plans. He was in a county council and mé féin freisin. We had some hope. Now matters are obviously dictated by management. The planning and development agency and other agencies are overruling the decisions of councils. Power is being taken away from councils. A video was sent to me by a 30-year-old Irishman called Cian who has worked on building sites. There is a GoFundMe page for an excellent documentary, but I do not…

It is happening.

You would make a poor Santa Claus.

I join in the earlier remarks. I thank the Ceann Comhairle, An Leas-Cheann Comhairle, the staff, including the ushers, the gardaí and everyone else. I wish gach duine a very happy, holy and peaceful Christmas. I will go back to the issue of the knackeries. It is distressing enough to lose a fallen animal, but for that animal not to be collected from a yard is terrible. I received two calls to my office this week about it. One person has had two animals lying there for two weeks and the other case is lying for ten d…

Serious intervention is needed to get this resolved so that animals can be moved off farms immediately.

So say all of us.

Europe is more important than Ireland, obviously.

Aspect is a service in Cahir, County Tipperary, that seeks to support people with autism and intellectual disabilities to enhance their lives. It falls under the auspices of the larger SOS Kilkenny CLG organisation. Last year, SOS got once-off funding of €540,000 from the HSE to provide services around the south east. If it does not get similar support this year, the Aspect service in Cahir, which is a wonderful service that provides valuable supports to children, will close. Other services will also be diminished.…

I always accept the bona fides of the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, and I have worked with him over the years. I do not accept the bona fides of the Government that is producing this kind of legislation, although it is necessary to control harmful content, and especially for our daoine óga. I have ten wonderful grandchildren all under the age of nine. The Minister of State has young children himself. The young people need to be protected and ordinary people need to be protected as well. Things are running amo…

I hope he stays there.