They have told us.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle very much. This proposal concerns the decision establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Specialised Committee on Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation in connection with Article 635 of the trade and co-operation agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom, of the other part. Article 3 of the proposal for a Council decision regarding the establishment of a standard form …

Thank you. I had to run from the office.

I will get texts later from people thinking I am on the way out.

The standard form aims to simplify and streamline the process of requesting mutual assistance from the customs authorities of European Union member states. The form will be used for requesting assistance in various areas, including customs control investigations and the recovery of claims. The use of the standard form is mandatory and it is expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the mutual assistance process. However, it is worth noting that the establishment of a standard form for requests for mut…

The Irish housing crisis has become a contentious political issue in recent years, with successive governments failing to address the problem effectively. Despite the current Government's promises to take action and implement policy changes to tackle the crisis, the lack of focus and commitment has resulted in limited progress. One of the main reasons for the Government's failure to address the housing crisis is a lack of political will. Housing policy is often complex, with many stakeholders involved, including de…

Kinsale has five busy primary schools in its surrounds and one of the finest community colleges in the country, with over 1,500 children attending. Community childcare facilities in Kinsale started in a living room 40 years ago but since 2011 have been run from a small Portakabin. The community playschool is full to capacity, with 45 children. It knows that it could cater for three times this number, at least, if a purpose-built facility were made available. Demand in Kinsale for community playschool places means t…

Yes.

I commend the Independent Group on putting forward this motion. It is way past time for the Government to introduce a programme of reforms related to carer's payments and in particular, the need to address the inadequacies created by the existing means test. The importance of carers cannot be overstated. They provide a crucial service that helps to maintain the dignity and independence of those they care for. Like many others here, I could spend hours talking about carers and the injustices this Government has forc…

I welcome the fact that there will be fewer charges in hospitals. That is obviously a welcome move. There are more charges we would appreciate getting rid of. In fairness, there is ample parking at Bantry General Hospital and there are no charges for using it. This is very fair to people because the hospital is used so much. It could be used a lot more, however. That is the sad thing. Patients from Castletownbere, west Cork and places like that have informed me that in cases of small breaks etc., they have to drive…

Many areas where people are struggling were not covered by the Finance Bill - for example, energy costs. While the Government has given a rebate on electricity bills on two previous occasions, which was very much welcomed, there is no doubt about that, it is desperately needed still. On further energy savings for businesses, they are getting a few quid but it is nothing when bills are €10,000. Businesspeople are saying to me that is putting many of them out of business. They need further, serious aid. The Governmen…

I will support the continuation of the eviction ban. I have made this very clear from the word "go". I have a lot of sympathy, though, for those who have houses and are basically called landlords, which is a disgraceful name to call quite a lot of them. They are property owners and have a right to make a little profit, and most of them are making a loss. What far outweighs their situation is the number of people who come to me in a terrible state with eviction letters. These are ordinary men and women, ordinary mot…

This issue has already been raised several times. However, it is important. Next week is national brain awareness week. There are 800,000 people in Ireland who have neurological issues. I welcome Tony Wilkinson and his wife, who are in the Gallery. Mr. Wilkinson has done Trojan work for the people of this country in the context of Parkinson’s disease. In the implementation framework relating to the national neurorehabilitation strategy for the period 2019 to 2021, a dedicated neurorehabilitation team was recommende…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — Irish banks and financial institutions are leading the agenda for a move towards a cashless society; — the Government's policy so far has supported the objective of the banks, who are driven by the high cost of providing cash services and the push towards a more digital banking model, which incentivises banks to move away from direct provision of cash services, thus closing branches all across the country and limiting access for citizens to their own money; — the agen…

International Women's Day is celebrated annually on 8 March and, in 2023, we commemorate the 117th year of the global event. It is a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and promoting gender equality worldwide. On that note, to the ladies who look after me in every way, shape and form in my office, Margaret, Ellen and Valerie, and my two daughters, Eileen and Marie, and my sister, Kay, I wish them the very best on this day. I wish the women of Ireland and a…

I appreciate the Minister of State being before us but am disappointed the Minister, Deputy Ryan, does not stay. He seems to run away when Rural Independents come before him recently.

The Minister of State might pass on that we would like him to stay. I am not degrading the Minister of State but a senior Minister needs to hear facts and he will not hear them from most of his own crowd back-patting him and not explaining to him what is happening out there. In order for temporary emergency generation to be available in quarter 4 2023, licence applications are required to be lodged by the end of March 2023 to enable due consultation and consideration of the applications by the EPA. Legislative amen…

I thank Sinn Féin for putting forward this motion. Petrol and diesel prices are at an all-time high, which is increasing the cost of transport for businesses and individuals. This can have a knock-on effect on the wider economy because businesses may pass on the increased costs to consumers. This will result in higher prices for goods and services. Despite the widespread impact of higher energy costs, the Government has been slow to respond. The refusal to reduce and cap electricity prices has been criticised by ma…

I thank the Regional Group for this important and excellent motion. As we heard yesterday, there are major issues with the National Ambulance Service. Unfortunately, the Minister was not present for the debate. I presume he had to miss it for a genuine reason. He needs to sit up and listen because people are dying on the side of the road and in their homes because of the lack of a proper ambulance service. I want to concentrate on the possibility of using hospitals like Bantry General Hospital. I want to compliment…

The recent allocation of funding for roads in County Cork that was announced by the Government leaves our county with €1,000 less per kilometre than the national average. At a recent Cork County Council meeting, councillors were told that County Cork has lost €273 million for roads since 2008. We have the third lowest sum per kilometre of all local authorities. They were also told that if County Cork got the increases every other council got in the last 16 years, instead of us getting €83.6 million this year we sho…