Yes indeed. That is the case. The problem is councillors have little or no say in what is going on now.

Very little. It was weakening between 2014 and 2016. I had a hell of a job to push things through, but nowadays that happens less and less. If you fight for extra development in one area where it is needed, it will be taken from another area. These are the new tricks that have come into county development plans which are making it impossible for people who want to get going in life to do so. As I said, they are very much anti-development. Land where housing is desperately needed is being zoned for low density. Ther…

I wish you, a Cheann Comhairle, the staff here in the Dáil, including the gardaí, and all here in the Dáil a very happy Christmas. Is the Tánaiste aware of the many crises hitting farmers recently? I will start this week with knackeries, where a strike is ongoing, leaving dead animals on the grounds of farms for days, open to dogs and vermin attack. There is also the mental health stress of farmers and their families having to endure the smell and sight for days. The renderers have had massive increases charged on …

I was not there.

I was not invited.

Did it deliver?

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. I need to explain to him about the knackeries where the dead animals are on the ground, so there is no point in talking about strict environmental rules. Sadly, they are fallen animals that have died over the last two weeks. There is an ongoing dispute that the Minister has not personally intervened in which he has to personally intervene in. There is stress and environmental fallout from having a fallen animal. I listened to the Tánaiste's response and I do not think he reali…

What about the existing-----

This motion may be well-intentioned but it fails to grapple with the harsh realities of Ireland's energy landscape and the potential economic fallout of its proposed policies. In the real world, Ireland, like many other countries, is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with about 88% of our energy in 2023 coming from these sources. A sudden shift away from fossil fuels could have significant economic repercussions. The agricultural sector, a cornerstone of Ireland's economy, is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for ma…

He should talk to those who drive lorries to bring food-----

-----to the tables of this country. Wake up to reality. You are miles away from it right now.

Many private early childhood care providers will not be returning to work after Christmas due to strike action. Most of these excellent providers face ruination. The answer of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to this huge crisis is that enough money is being spent on childcare. This may be the case for those down the line, but private early childcare providers are on their knees and have no political support from the Government. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has shut the door on these providers and the parents who u…

It is a very serious matter.

There are parts of the Digital Services Bill I would support but I will not be supporting the main part of it. It has serious consequences for many people. We have talked about different areas, from hate speech to freedom of debate in this Dáil and throughout the country. It is hugely important. There is a huge difference between freedom of debate and people inciting hatred. Sadly, in this country, quite a lot of people have got away with inciting hatred and this has led to serious consequences. That is through med…

Despite an upswing in capital expenditure, Ireland lags behind the other EU-15 nations in critical infrastructural projects. The recent Irish Fiscal Advisory Council report underscores this, particularly in addressing the housing crisis, requiring the construction of 170,000 homes, which is six times what will be built this year, for Ireland to reach the EU-15 average. Political manoeuvres and potential job changes may be in progress, but the Government's significant failure to overhaul planning processes is impedi…

It is disappointing that such an important matter has been refused a proper debate in this Dáil until now. Inward migration has been left run out of control. In a recent Red C poll that was made very clear when more than 70% of people said we have done enough. However, this Government has ignored all concerns and rolled on as if the people of Ireland should not be listened to. We all know now that recent statements by the Taoiseach that we should slow the flow have come too late. The massive majority know that the …

How anyone gets him to represent them I do not know.

The Labour Party took women's pensions away from them.

They were never worried about the rights of the Irish.

A disgrace to the name of-----