I thank the Social Democrats for putting forward this motion, which I fully support. Indecon International produced a report on behalf of the Department of Social Protection looking at detail of all of the extra day-to-day costs faced by people with disabilities. An extensive survey, incorporating feedback from thousands of disabled people across Ireland, was completed by consultants from Indecon in early 2021 and a report was submitted to the Government. We have been told that each Department has since examined th…

The latest statistics from the EUROSTAT agency estimate that Ireland's annual inflation hit 9.6% in June. This is the highest rate of inflation since 1983. Ireland's real economy is in a very dire place today. The Government is good at cherry-picking certain economic variables and spinning those to make matters look better but the sad reality is that this country is now more unequal than at any point in our history. A recent nationwide survey of 2,300 people by The Mirror highlighted that 64% of Irish people feel t…

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. The Government is simply going to stand idly by and let many businesses go to the wall over the next few months. I hope that during the summer recess the Tánaiste will speak to the owners of those businesses, as I have done in places such as Castletownbere, Clonakilty, Bandon and even at the Dunmanway Agricultural Show last weekend. The public are rightly furious and angered by the Government's inaction, hiding behind Putin's war and hiding behind taking urgent measures to reduce…

We would like a special arrangement too.

We are in the one Europe.

I commend this motion. It looks like the Government is trying to jump all over the place this evening about the fact that Sinn Féin has put forward a motion on children's school costs. This morning I read out statistics from The Mirror to the Tánaiste. He was not too impressed about where they came from. Hopefully, when the Minister hears what the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is saying, it might be taken more seriously. Rose McGowan, the society's national president, said: But the inflation forec…

I am sharing time with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. This Bill would oblige the Government to produce a cross-departmental autism strategy and require all relevant Ministers and public bodies to co-operate with its implementation. The strategy would outline how the needs of people with autism, including access to education, other public services, employment and social inclusion, can be met by public service providers. It would detail how the needs of families and carers can be met by setting out a roadmap of actions for …

On Monday last, at a meeting of Cork County Council, the order of business was suspended to discuss another Irish fishing industry crisis in the term of this Government. Fishing boats in Castletownbere, Union Hall and other piers in County Cork are staying tied to the pier as fishermen cannot afford to fuel their trawlers and boats. One councillor stated that he was told by a fisherman that to go out for his catch for the week would cost him €42,000 in fuel. It just did not pay. They watch French and Spanish fisher…

That is where the Government has led them. It is ruining their future.

The Minister might answer the question. I am not supporting it.

The Rural Independent Group supports the motion, as we have done on each previous occasion on which it has been before us. On the whole, the Special Criminal Court has been an effective tool against subversive elements and, in recent years, organised criminal gangs, and for that reason it is worth retaining. The case for its retention, however, is far from unanswerable. We need to be clear that the ultimate aim of the Oireachtas is for there to be a time when the shutters can be brought down on the Special Criminal…

In regard to Dr. Niall Muldoon’s damning report last week on children with special needs, it is scandalous that 4,000 children are waiting for diagnostic assessments to get school places, 15,500 are going to schools outside their own community and 1,500 are receiving home tuition because they cannot get school places. It is only a few months ago that the decision was made by the Government to close an excellently-run intervention unit in Kilbrittain until I interceded and it was stopped. We need a proper debate on …

Not at all. I am talking about children with special needs getting the respect they need.

Have respect for the children. There is no respect.

What are we here for? This is outrageous.

The Taoiseach might have heard that yesterday there was a suspension of standing orders at a meeting of a county council to discuss another fishing crisis that has emerged under his Government. The fishing trawlers in Castletownbere, Union Hall and other piers in County Cork are staying tied up at those piers as trawler and boat owners cannot afford to go out due to the astronomical fuel prices. One boat owner told councillors that it cost him €42,000 to go out for just one run for his catch. He is not going. The S…

Yes.

Regarding the wider and often overlooked point about our national electricity grid, it is opportune to outline that there is only one electricity grid in Ireland. It is operated by EirGrid and owned by the State. Today, 40% of Ireland's electricity is generated by gas; 40% by wind; 10% by coal; and 10% by peat, oil and solar energy. Another point worth noting is that the grid is largely constructed for fossil fuel usage. This means that it is not capable of handling large volumes of renewable energy. Any energy ana…

The Rural Independent Group fully supports the motion. We were the first political grouping in the Dáil to call on the Government to hold an emergency mini budget, when we moved a Private Members' motion on 23 February 2022. We also moved a Private Members' motion in April calling on the Government to axe the carbon tax, which would have had the impact of putting about €8,000 directly in every person's pocket between now and 2030. Last month we called on the Minister for Finance to reduce to zero all fuel and energ…

Last week, the French navy made contact with the Irish Government to state it was carrying out a military exercise off the south coast. This is the second time in a few months that the Government of another country has contacted our country to state it would be carrying out military exercises within Irish territorial waters. Has this French military exercise been put off permanently or for a few days? Has it just been moved a few feet outside our territorial waters?