In recent years, there has been a big rise in the number of abuse cases against women and children in Ireland. This shows that we urgently need to make big changes in the criminal justice system to deal with this problem. People have been upset by some recent decisions about punishments for people found guilty of violence against women and other violent crimes. The Natasha O'Brien case is clear evidence of that. There is growing worry about the practice of giving suspended sentences to people found guilty of violen…

The horticulture industry was worth an estimated €566 million in 2023. The industry covers a broad and diverse range, including mushrooms, potatoes, field crops, protected fruit and vegetables, outdoor soft and top fruit, hardy nursery stock, protected crops, Christmas trees, cut foliage, outdoor flowers, bulbs and turf grass. However, Ireland imports approximately 85% of our fruit and vegetables and possibly over 60% of our other plants needlessly at some risk to our country considering the potential impact of imp…

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. He says we may have different data and that is maybe something we can engage on. I look forward to engaging with him on this issue. However, he should remember one thing. The course deadline for applicants is September. A decision seems to have been made between March and June by the ETB, with little or no consultation with the people on the ground. How can it make a decision on how many people are going? People are contacting me saying they are interested and they are sorry whe…

I respect the fact the Minister of State inherited the fair deal scheme, but it can cause great difficulties within families. I respect that she is trying to make changes to it and I am not here to over-criticise. I have watched people go into beautiful community hospitals. We have many stunning community hospitals and nursing homes in my constituency. People have told me that it is unfair they are being charged for it, but a charge has to be applied. Common sense has to prevail and I will not say they should be in…

Deputy Naughten should have some respect.

Does Deputy Naughten have any respect for anyone?

Deputy Naughten can come down to west Cork to see people go blind waiting five years for an operation. He should be ashamed of himself.

Shannonvale is a picturesque community with considerable potential outside Clonakilty, but for 26 years, it has been left abandoned by the State. It has an appalling sewage overflow crisis. Today, a local councillor, Mr. Daniel Sexton, visited the area and told me that the local playground was closed and locked off to the public due to raw sewage on the ground. There is a stinking substance leaking into the River Argideen as far as Clonakilty’s intake mains water pipe. I have raised this issue approximately ten tim…

The Bill proposes to amend a number of Acts to facilitate some of the following changes: increase the fine payable by carriers where they allow a person to board a flight or ferry destined for the State without the proper documentation and amend the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 to increase the maximum penalties applicable on conviction on indictment for four knife-related offences in the Act. These amendments aim to increase the maximum penalties upon the conviction on indictment for four knife-related o…

It is a significant undertaking to complete the leaving certificate examination and achieve the requisite points for one's desired third level course. That is before we consider the financial burden associated with pursuing higher education. Securing affordable accommodation presents an entirely different set of challenges. This issue, which we witness escalating annually across the country, has deteriorated to such an extent that we now encounter students resorting to living in tents or in their vehicles. The lack…

The programme for Government contains a pledge to introduce a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, providing equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care. This commitment is crucial, especially for our elderly population who often prefer to age in the comfort of their own homes. The Department of Health is responsible for developing the regulatory framework for home support service providers. Its goal is to ensure that all service users receive regulated care. The Department is cu…

The chronic underfunding of education is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. The future of our children and nation depends on it. The Government must take decisive action to ensure that all students, regardless of background or needs, have access to a quality education. The capitation grant barely covers energy and electricity costs, with little or no funding left to cover all the other costs involved in running a school. There is the impact of the reduction of the primary school free books scheme, …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — from 2011-2018 and 2020-2023, the hospitality and tourism sector enjoyed a reduced 9 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) rate; — the Government restored this rate to 13.5 per cent in September 2023; — the Government’s decision to hike the VAT rate on the sector last year was ill-judged and ill-advised; — the 9 per cent VAT rate should be restored without delay, particularly to support food-related businesses which have seen insolvencies more than double in the first three months …

I would be delighted to.

The decision to join the EU migration pact is a significant one for Ireland with far-reaching implications. This pact is essentially a set of rules and guidelines for managing migration within the European Union and could place a substantial economic and social burden on the country. It could strain public services and local amenities including housing and medical services, which are already under pressure. The government in Brussels would dictate the number of immigrants Ireland must accept. This approach is reckl…

I have stood in this Chamber many times and spoken of the work being done by the carers of this country. I have spoken of the amount of money they are saving the State, the personal care they give, which is second to none, yet the thanks these people get is that they are means tested. I can quote case after case, person after person, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. We hear a good deal in the Dáil about human beings. I am here to say the carers of Ireland are human beings too. It is about time the Government trea…

I thank the Minister of State for clarifying that but you have to be terminally ill to get that.

In most cases that is the case because I certainly know from my office.

The Minister of State is incorrect because people have come to my office and they are applying for the medical card and cannot get it even though they have cancer. The Minister of State should not come along telling me that is not the case. Unfortunately, you have to be terminally ill to fill the form the Minister of State is talking about. If not, please give me the form. She must have a magical form that we do not seem to have in west Cork. The Government follows people and it punishes people. I have people comin…

Thank you too with your dream talk.