My colleagues in the Rural Independent Group and I have been asking for a reasonable, calm and sincere debate about inward migration here, the issues around it and the strife it is causing in communities. I met some people from Lismore, which is a lovely heritage town in County Waterford, outside this House today. They are self-employed and retired people. They are good people. They already have 35 and they have no problem with them. They do not mind 120 more coming if they go into the old hospital that has closed …

We need to try to work together. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

Do I even get an answer?

The men's sheds and, indeed, women's sheds in Ireland are wonderful groups of people. They do so much for people's mental and physical health, well-being and everything else. When a €2 million fund was announced in November, they were delighted that each sheds' group would get €2,000, even though they did not get much time to apply. Some of the Taoiseach's colleagues proclaimed that funding all over social media. However, there is now a problem. In Tipperary, many of these groups are associated with family resource…

I too congratulate the Minister of State and wish him well in his role. He was always good in his last role. Ireland must be a voice for peace, justice and freedom. As a neutral country we should be doing everything possible to bring this horrible war to an end. It is amazing, as Deputy Connolly said earlier, how we can talk about no place else only Ukraine. As horrific as it is, there are wars going on everywhere. Clergymen were slaughtered in churches in Africa recently and there was not a word about it. Did the …

Go raibh maith agat. I asked the Minister of State - I wish him well in his new role - if the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste or he himself had raised the issue of the huge pressure and the weight on our country from our obligations to take in I think 70,000 now, and the huge pressure it is putting on our systems. We are not really able to cope, quite clearly. People here have been gallant in opening their homes and community halls and groups, with a sense of meitheal; ní neart go cur le chéile. However, we have to have a …

I too welcome the people in the Gallery, family members and others, who are in this cruel system. I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. It is so savage. My late brother was a paediatrician of some renown. I want also to mention tonight Professor Michael O'Keeffe, who succumbed to illness and was laid to rest at the weekend and who did so much for patients. There are many good people in the HSE, including doctors, professors, ordinary staff nurses and so on, who do tremendous work. However, there is an issue wi…

There are no free passes here.

This is an introduction.

Please, Deputy. Féach ar an gclog.

The Tánaiste was Minister for Health once.

Brostaigh ort.

I am sorry; I did not see Deputy Ó Murchú indicating earlier. I thought he was joking with me. For Question No. 70 tá an Teachta as láthair so we will move on to Question No. 71.

The Tánaiste should not mention people in their absence. I have given him some latitude but even though they are MEPs-----

You have mentioned them twice.

I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, is here to discuss this issue. In recent days, the announcement that the dairy company Corman Miloko, which employed 31 people at its manufacturing plant facility, is to close at the end of June came as devastating news for the families of those impacted, and the town of Carrick-on-Suir and surrounding areas. A statement by the company said the decision was as a result of a reduction in the volume of business contracted at the facility in recent years and follows si…

I thank the Minister of State for his positive reply. I hope he will engage with the administrative district members. I mentioned Kieran Bourke and the current chair, David Dunne. There is a wonderful plant upstream, the Merck, Sharp & Dohme, MSD, facility. It is often said that foreign direct investment companies come and then go away, but that company has been there nearly 60 years now. It is only a few miles up the river. The Carrick-on-Suir Development Association, COSDA, is a wonderful organisation with great …

Talk to An Taisce.

He is lost in the woods.

The lack of clarity or any concrete commitment from the Government to extend the financial supports for businesses and households, as has just been discussed, and to mitigate the ongoing high cost-of-living crisis means people are now facing a cliff edge, which the Taoiseach said they would not face. The Government has also completely failed to provide on any clarity as to whether the reduced 9% VAT rate for electricity, gas, petrol and diesel will continue beyond 1 March. People need certainty. The lack of clarity…