I thank the Social Democrats for tabling this motion. A recent Teachers' Union of Ireland survey found 91% of post-primary schools experienced teacher recruitment difficulties in the past six months, while 61% experienced teacher retention difficulties. Some special education teachers are being forced to plug gaps in primary school mainstream classrooms. A recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals' Network found 83% of schools, as a last resort, have had to redeploy special education teachers to mainstream clas…

Social housing on the islands off the coast of Cork and elsewhere is a major issue. We have great islands in west Cork, namely, Dursey Island, Sherkin Island, Bear Island, Whiddy Island, Cape Clear Island and Long Island. I visit them on a regular basis because they form part of my constituency. One of the issues raised by community and voluntary groups when they meet with me is that there is no social housing for their people, which means they are not returning to the islands. I would appreciate it if the Minister…

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the plans for the islands. He mentioned Sherkin Island. I welcome any housing development on Sherkin Island because it is a great and busy place. The arts degree course there brings people back and forth every day, in addition to staying on the island. However, there are other islands, including, as I said, Bear Island, Cape Clear, Whiddy Island, Dursey Island and Long Island, where people are living, but there has not been a social housing programme for many years for an…

The Minister of State mentioned a reduction in the population of Bear Island and Sherkin Island. There has probably also been a reduction in population on Whiddy Island. The reason for this is that people do not have anywhere to live. People cannot come to an island if there is nowhere to live. Neither the Government nor the local authority have seen the need that exists. There is such a need. I am dealing with a person who lives on one of the islands. She applied for planning permission on her own family farm and …

I am glad to get opportunity to speak on this motion on drugs policy and the decriminalisation of the user. I have heard different speakers talking about people taking drugs, the number of deaths there have been and the fact that they feel that if taking drugs was legalised, this would not happen. It is hard to figure that one out in my mind. I was in the centre of Dublin city recently. That is a rare thing because usually we are up here during the day, but I was here at night and it was shocking to see what was go…

I raised with the Taoiseach a few weeks ago Zenith Energy Bantry Terminal Limited's proposed redundancy of its entire permanently employed maintenance workforce at Whiddy Island terminal in Bantry. The works carried out by this workforce include emergency maintenance to the terminal and surrounding areas, where qualified personnel can respond day or night at short notice. These redundancies will have a severely negative effect on the local economy and on the economy of west Cork in general. The State cannot sit idl…

I want the Government to save the permanent jobs that have been there for decades. Those jobs are being taken out-----

We are all aware of the enormous contribution the horse and greyhound industries make to the economy. It is important to ensure they achieve their maximum potential as they contribute to widely distributed economic and social development. The horse and greyhound racing industries make a valued contribution to a balanced regional economy. In overall terms it is estimated that the thoroughbred industry has an economic impact to the value of €1.84 billion, with direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people. The grey…

This is going to be my last Leaders' Questions with the Taoiseach as his term draws to a close.

In the past two years, I have raised over 50 questions of serious national west Cork concerns. Looking back, I must say many of these issues got worse rather than better under his leadership. I noticed some of the same frustration we experience in west Cork at the launch of Councillor Shane P. O'Reilly's campaign for the Rural Independent Group in the next general election in Cavan-Monaghan. A packed room vented its anger at the Government and gave us and Councillor O'Reilly a clear mandate. I will go back two and …

If we got it, I would, but we did not.

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply and trek around Ringaskiddy and Carrigaline in his own constituency, where all of the projects he has spoken about are happening. Nothing much has happened in west Cork during the Taoiseach's run. I asked him about the AIRO report and why he did not meet with the council. He refused to answer and continues to refuse to meet the council. His inability to address the independent report that shows quite clearly that Cork county is an astonishing 52 years behind at all State funding …

Global Shares.

Was 55 not enough?

Cuckoo.

With hard times upon us, with energy shortages and blackouts at hand and food shortages in the offing, the climate catastrophe brigade, the political and business elites have once again headed off for a bit of winter sunshine and a talking shop exercise that is now commonly referred to as COP, or the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year it was the turn of Egypt to wine and dine the assembled hordes. It certainly seems that fine wine flowed freely and posh food was piled high as the hypocritical fing…

Fifty-five per cent.

The question is whether motorists will be hit with the highest permitted toll charge hikes, up to 60 cent per journey, across the country in six months' time, following the decision to raise tolls in line with inflation. This is another attack on the car and other road vehicles, which will add fuel to the cost-of-living pressures on motorists, hauliers and other transport operators. The Minister has been blasé about this, accepting it and leaving it happen behind the scenes. Is this another attack on the motorist? …

I thank the Independent Group for putting forward this very important motion on transport. It refers to the net zero emissions pilot project in Galway. The unfortunate situation I find myself in, in the constituency of Cork South-West, is that there is zero transport. Forget about zero emissions; it is zero transport. In many of the towns and villages where there is zero transport, it is nothing short of a crisis. From Dunmanway to Clonakilty via Ballygurteen, there is not any type of transport service, and these a…

On 22 November, parents of more than 180 children who attend the child and family centre in Bantry received a letter informing them of the decision to move the entire children's disability services out of the child and family centre and into a section of the Bantry adult day care centre. This decision was taken without any consultation with parents. The purpose-built child and family centre in Bantry opened in 2011. The entire cost of €1.3 million was funded by the local community. The parents strongly oppose this …