We need to be here, sitting in the Dáil, next week. On that basis, we will not be supporting the suspension of the Dáil for the next two weeks.

Independent Ireland congratulates Deputy Micheál Martin and his family on his election as Taoiseach today. Independent Ireland has very serious concerns for our country and looking at the new programme for Government, which is more or less cut and pasted from the last one, leads us to believe that little will change for the next five years for the many people struggling on a daily basisi in our country. While some of Independent Ireland's policies are being adopted, such as the appointment of a Minister for fisheri…

I wish the Ceann Comhairle well. I also wish all my colleagues well on their election to this new Dáil. It has been 15 weeks since an election was called and nine weeks since we had the election. It is scandalous, to be quite honest, when we have a housing crisis where 15,000 people are without homes and there is a health crisis with people on trolleys. This is happening year after year and time after time. We have a cost-of-living crisis. Ordinary farmers, because of an IT problem in the Department of agriculture,…

On behalf of our independent technical group, I congratulate the new Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Verona Murphy. We look forward to working with her over the coming years. I also thank Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl for the kindness he has shown all of us in the Dáil in recent years. As the leader of Independent Ireland, I am honoured to be in this Thirty-fourth Dáil, representing the people of Cork South-West. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue, Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice and I would like to welcome Independent Ireland's newest TD, De…

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this very worthy motion. The carer's allowance is an absolutely outrageous scandal when there is so much money in the State, as the Government continuously tells us. These people were not looked after in the budget. They put in the time and they care for people in their own homes and are proud to do so. They are saving the State tens of millions of euro but the Government did not recognise that or the efforts that they make. Let us look at the legacy of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the G…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I give support to the Houses of the Oireachtas Bill because we have to look at the work and the amount of work staff do daily for TDs, Ministers, Senators and everybody here who is elected. I pay tribute to my own staff, who work extremely hard, and Independent Ireland staff, who have been very strong workers with us through the years. I heard Deputy Ó Cuív speaking a while ago about having a staff member up here, for which there is a huge need, and one person on their own in a …

I will try to be brief. I will only speak for two to three minutes to give everybody else a chance. It is unfortunate that there is a guillotine here and we will not get an opportunity to speak on so many issues relating to the budget that are of great importance to the people of our country. It is a terrible situation that we have been forced into. There has been quite a lot of discussion about the USC, which is a very unfair tax on the people out there. The Minister will say tax is needed but there are so many ta…

We find ourselves in an unbelievable situation. Four or five years ago there was a vote of no confidence in the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and it led to a general election. That vote was called on the basis of the health service and health scandals. Nothing has got any better since then. People are waiting three to five years for cataract treatment, while others are waiting three or four years, in desperate pain, for hip or knee surgery. They are waiting for ordinary operations and procedures. We are …

What about Bere Island and Cape Clear?

We are talking about health insurance. The problem is that those paying health insurance are coming to ask me to take them to Northern Ireland for an operation because health insurance is no longer working for them. They are waiting lengthy periods of time, having paid huge money for health insurance every year. They have to pay upfront for operations and while there is partial reimbursement, people who have problems with their knees and hips tell me that private health insurance is no longer working for them. How …

Excuse me. There are a lot of things in health that the Minister knows more about than I do. In this case, however, the patients were paying €2,500 upfront and were getting €2,000 back, so it was costing about €500, and they were quite happy with that, although they would rather it was done locally. They are now getting €1,170 back, as I know because I am dealing with it every day of the week. That is not much more than half of what they were getting back before. The Minister cannot say I am wrong, even if the Mini…

What about west Cork and Kerry?

Are we all right? Are we to go blind, is it?

Shame on the Government.

On a point of order, I am telling the truth.

If the Minister comes to Cork, I will take him for a spin and he can meet the people.

Why did the Government close down Tralee? I asked the Minister that question.

If the Minister comes on the bus to Belfast with me next Friday, he will see that it is full of people who are blind or almost blind.

It does not suit us because it is not happening.

There is a bus going to Belfast next Friday that will be full of people going blind because of the Minister and his Government.