I am deeply concerned about the fraudulent activities by vulture funds that include the Irish courts and, indeed, the Land Registry. Over the past few weeks, I shared crucial details with all Deputies, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, outlining misconduct in the banking system. This misconduct has significantly affected our economy, the lives of many homeowners, family farms and small businesses. The documents provided by Mr. Edmund Honohan, Master of the High Court for many decades, hav…

I am very disappointed at the Minister's reply. Since I issued a statement two weeks ago, my office has been inundated by calls from families from all over the Twenty-Six Counties. The Minister and his colleagues all know about these. Why are they not dealing with them? It is shocking that we can transpose any kind of directive from Europe which relates to the environment or is anti-farmer. However, this is an EU directive that has not been transposed and must be transposed. It is shameful for the Minister to stand…

On the same topic, the issue of calendar farming in this country is a nonsense. We have had such a wet year this year and now 1 December is fast approaching and we have a cutoff for the final derogation, I am told, for burning of scrub and bushes. Farmers have to maintain their hedgerows. The roads will be closed in if this cannot be done any more. They also have to have sensible burning on the mountains, as do very many gun clubs that manage their stocks. This derogation has to be extended because you cannot go in…

That is not true.

When the weather suits.

That is disgraceful.

The Minister has sold out the farmers. He is a shame to Donegal.

There are cheerleaders behind the Minister.

Pathetic.

The answer is "No" then.

I compliment the Independent Group on putting down this very timely and important motion.

The Labour Party, excuse me. Gabh mo leithscéal. It could not be more timely, facing into the winter with the long nights, the loneliness and the isolation, especially for people with disabilities. When I see what goes on in the HSE, I saw a headline this morning that it has hired 800 managers and administration people this year already despite the ban. That is where the problem is. We cannot hire home helps. In recent times, during the past eight months, one could get a home help approved with no bother but there …

The Minister of State heard me here at pre-Council statements last week, and I begged and pleaded with him that we go to Europe, raise our voice and have our voice heard as a neutral country. We are a small country that has punched way above our size and our strength by being peaceful and neutral. Our neutrality has stood to us well. I mentioned our peacekeepers back in the Congo and I also mentioned Jadotville. I appeal again to the Minister of State to give the Government's recognition to the men and women with r…

Hear, hear.

The people of Cashel in County Tipperary were bewildered last Thursday evening, as were all of us public representatives, when we got a note from the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman's Department - the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth - about a homeless hostel, which is a major plank of Tipperary County Council's effort to house homeless people. People were told they must be out by yesterday and that they must give way to house 74 international migrants, all male. A public meeting was co…

They are using these people as economic cash cows to get money from people. This situation must be dealt with. We must call a halt to it. I want a full debate, including questions and answers because this has to stop. We cannot keep doing it in other communities. Cashel is a wonderful community.

The people there are great but this is not fair to them.

They are not agreed.

The N24 Cahir to Waterford project has been further delayed. We were supposed to get news of the preferred route by quarter 2 of 2023 but that has now been put back to quarter 1 or 2 of 2024. This is unacceptable, especially in light of all of the road deaths and the information Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has given to the Minister for Transport about the number of deaths and serious injuries that will occur on this route. Coupled with that is the fact that the whole area along the proposed routes is ste…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle. We could stand here and talk about housing, as we are doing every second week. I was a member of the housing committee for five years - the most frustrating five years I ever spent. We can talk and talk and talk. We just have lost the ability to build. I am a member and vice-chairman - I was chairman - of a voluntary housing association. We set about building 14 houses 15 or 20 years ago. We were told it would take forever. We built them in 18 months. Eleven laypeople on t…