As the Minister of State heard from each and every person who made a contribution here, accountability and communication are a massive issue with Uisce Éireann. That is the message that must go back from here. I know that People Before Profit had issues, as expressed by Deputy Boyd Barrett, but I do not see any amendment from its Deputies to this motion. They could have put in amendments. Anyway, that is another story and that is their choice. Looking at the Government's amendment, one would wonder whether we are e…

They are doing a good job.

I welcome the fact that the Irish Government has, on behalf of its people, voted against the Mercosur trade deal. This deal will open the floodgates to Brazilian beef produced to standards far below what we demand here and contaminated with banned growth hormones and antibiotics, as exposed by the Irish Farmers Journal . Our farmers, who uphold the highest food safety and animal welfare standards, will face devastating losses in the beef and poultry sectors. Rural Ireland cannot be sacrificed for cheap imports that…

I asked about the whip on the three MEPs.

I would like to be able to give my time to Mercosur but time is tight and another dirty deal has been done in Europe, at the expense of Irish fishermen. The mackerel quota and the whitefish haddock quota has been pretty much wiped out and it is an absolute disaster for Ireland's coastal communities. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has recommended a cut to just 174,357 tonnes for 2026. That is a 70% drop from 576,958 tonnes last year. Despite that, Norway, the UK, the Faeroe Islands and Icel…

I am going to be like a twin brother to Deputy Healy-Rae because I have very similar questions. The Minister will know, and I have said already, the International Council for Exploration of the Sea has just recommended a cut to the fishing quota, with 174,357 tonnes for 2026. That is a 70% drop from 576,958 tonnes last year. What we want to know is whether the Irish Government is taking a legal challenge. Is the Government going to stand up on behalf of the Irish fishermen and take a legal challenge? Has it met Pre…

Put all the companies ahead of the Irish farmer. You are dead right, boy.

You are heading in the right direction.

It will be in Northern Ireland.

On 12 December we learned about contaminated beef that came in.

I did not say any different. They are doing great, thank God, but I am interested in looking after Irish beef and Irish poultry.

They should not be sacrificed for it.

You are.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are a disgrace.

What is the Government going to do about the fishing? Will it shove them under the trawler as well?

Have you my answer?

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this Bill today. Let me state from the outset that safety must always come first. Every family, every worker and every pensioner has a right to know that the fuel heating their homes and cooking their dinners is safe, properly regulated and overseen by a system that is fit for purpose. Safety cannot, however, become a convenient excuse for forgetting rural Ireland or for piling more paperwork, fees and levies onto small operators and local communities who already strugg…

We need an urgent debate this week with the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment regarding An Post. The announcement that the cost of a stamp is increasing from €1.60 to €1.80 comes at a time when post offices are closing all over the country and the current contracts are not stacking up. A post office in Durrus in my constituency is closing on Friday. The Government cannot stand idly by as we leave rural post offices to close one by one.

Tens of thousands of people in this country smoke cigarettes. Tens of thousands of people use vapes. Those are the facts. A lot of these people do so as a bit of a relaxant. We have to understand that is a fact in this country. We tend to think that we should ban everything. This Bill proposes a full ban on the sale of single-use vapes and when it comes to children, I fully agree that no child should ever have access to these products. Adults are a different matter, though. Adults know the risks. Many adults use va…

An Garda Síochána estimated that 27,000 people turned up last Saturday. There were 3,750 tractors there. Thankfully, there were no incidents. These are community people who want to protect the health of people. They were not all farmers; there were business people and people who have an interest in the health of the citizens of their country. There has been serious confusion coming from the Government with regard to Mercosur. We did not have a clear picture last week. The Taoiseach was saying one thing and the Mini…