I welcome Sinn Féin’s focus on the men and women who fly our Coast Guard helicopters. Crews are on call for 24 hours straight, and deserve every ounce of political backing we can give. I certainly know that myself because the Irish Coast Guard in Schull and Goleen where I live myself are people who are second to none. They gave their time freely and need the protections we will support here. For Independent Ireland, front-line workers come first, whether they wear the uniform of An Garda Síochána, a Coast Guard jac…

Same. I was at the Business Committee meeting too, which just ended a while ago, and there was full agreement at it.

Two weeks ago hundreds of people peacefully protested outside Dáil Éireann against CPOs being used to force greenways and walkways through the middle of their farms and property. They included people from Galway, Kinsale and Cooley in County Louth. The Oireachtas transport committee meeting heard evidence from TII, which admitted it was not aware CPOs were being forced on landowners to take their land from them for greenways or walkways for recreational use. At this meeting TII promised a review will take place on …

I thank our staff John Campbell, Marc Nolan and Emmett Corcoran for putting this Private Members' business motion together for us, in the Dail today. Simply put, this motion is to strengthen whistleblower protections. It is about enforcement and accountability in public administration. The treatment of whistleblowers in this country has been an absolute disgrace. This motion is about trying to change that. Whistleblowers are the truth tellers in our society. They expose the wrongdoing, protect public funds and upho…

Strangely, I was talking there to Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, who said that the agriculture committee is meeting below and he would like to be up here speaking today, and it was committee members who approved of this funding in the first place last week. It is unfortunate there is a clash. It should not have happened. I apologise for Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice not being here but I will speak on his behalf and speak in support of the motion. A huge thank you to the Minister and the Minister of State across the way f…

The Deputy had her time to speak; this is my time. They should get into the car and go down to visit one of these farms. They need not bother pre-empting the visit because those running the farms are quite proud to have them come to see the way these dogs, these greyhounds, are being looked after and to see the way these beautiful horses are being looked after. They should be proud of the Irish people and proud of what we can deliver, instead of trodding on the Irish people the whole time for something that we do w…

And invite the Deputies to my right too.

Independent Ireland will support this common-sense motion but I really do not understand why the same proposal has been brought before the Dáil on so many occasions. Why can we not just rubber-stamp it once and move on? Businesses in this country need this common-sense provision at this time. The legislation we are discussing was introduced as a temporary measure but outdoor dining has become a vital part of our hospitality sector. Businesses have adapted to the model and repeated extensions only create uncertainty…

I have four minutes.

I have Deputy Richard O'Donoghue's two minutes as well because he is missing. He is not able to attend. I also have my own two minutes, which gives me four.

Okay. Maybe I have taken too much time.

I apologise.

I have said enough. I am talking all my life.

We are being asked to opt into three EU programmes: the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; the Internal Security Fund; and the justice programme. Combined, these would unlock over €100 million for Ireland between now and 2035. On paper, that sounds positive - funding for asylum supports, Garda ICT upgrades and justice co-operation - but let us talk about reality. In west Cork, we have no CCTV in many towns and basic security infrastructure is missing, yet we are signing up for EU money that will fund biometric…

In the past number of weeks at the Business Committee, I have sought to raise the issues of Uisce Éireann, which is getting a budget of €12.2 billion from the State and is not accountable for much of that money that has been spent, and Mercosur. The IFA and the Irish Farmers' Journal did an investigation last week that showed that basically rotten meat - contaminated meat - from South America could end up on Irish tables. We also need a discussion on issuing the writ in Galway West and Dublin Central.

I welcome the decision to cut the VAT on apartments from 13.5% to 9%. It is a practical step and one that will help reduce costs and encourage the construction of homes we so desperately need. Let us be clear: cutting VAT alone will not solve this crisis. I hear speaker after speaker condemning the landlord. Lord God almighty, where do they think we are going to get houses from? It does not appear like that. They are putting down landlords who own one house or two houses. I was speaking to a man in west Cork this m…

Today we are once again discussing the legacy of the Moriarty tribunal, a process that began in 1997 and officially concluded in 2011, yet continues to cost the taxpayer millions. The latest revelation is an additional €3.5 million payment to settle outstanding legal costs. This comes on top of over €71 million already spent with previous settlements, such as €5.8 million earlier this year. This is not just about historical inquiries; it is about accountability and efficiency in how public money is managed. When a …

This Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill may sound technical but its impact is very real. From April onwards, the stamp duty levy on advanced health insurance plans will rise by €48, bringing it to €517 per adult. For families, this will mean an extra €128 a year on top of already soaring premiums, which now average nearly €1,900. These increases will hit households hard at a time when every euro counts. While the levy funds fairness in the system, we cannot ignore the pressure this places on ordinary people. Governm…

Last week in the Dáil, I spoke of how two of my constituents were refused an exchange of their Belgian driving licences and will have to get provisional licences and retake the test. As they live in rural west Cork, they are essentially going into Covid lockdown for five months, unable even to get to the shops for a bottle of milk. This is the case the length and breadth of this island for many people. It is demeaning, distressing, unfair, extremely expensive and an unnecessary burden. Irish citizens left Ireland i…

I thank the Tánaiste very much for his reply. I ask the Government to get rid of the ten-year limit on Irish licences for returning emigrants. These are people who passed a test in Ireland, held an Irish licence and currently have a valid driving licence. To now deny them a licence is arbitrary, unjust and indefensible. This is a slap in the face to Irish citizens returning home. This is not how we should be treating our people. It has zero impact on road safety. This straightforward action would immediately suppor…