Today, I am going to concentrate on my constituency of Cork South-West. It is a constituency that has seen little real Government funding for decades. Such funding can, and has been, a game changer in other constituencies. Our roads, such as the N71 and the R586, have seen only pothole and storm damage repair funding down through the years. The only improvement to the N71 that gave thought to the future was the Skibbereen bypass opened in 2003. Some 17 years later, the promised bypass in Innishannon and the souther…

The Taoiseach mentioned jobs in Clonakilty and I agree that every job announced is to be welcomed but he should remember that houses are needed in Clonakilty and that funding is needed for Irish Water. Developers are willing to build 600 houses there but they cannot do so because they are running short of water. Funding for west Cork is not getting through. The Taoiseach talks about projects being shovel ready. The Schull project could have created 30 to 40 jobs in a rural community with rural regeneration funding.…

Funding provided for the promised endoscopy unit in Bantry General Hospital has been left there as has funding for schools in Bandon. The purpose of my question is to ask the Taoiseach to set up a task force to concentrate on communities from Innishannon to Mizen Head and from Kinsale to the Beara Peninsula. Will the Taoiseach consider setting up that task force so that we can focus on west Cork going forward?

I did not.

Great.

They are there. What about the task force?

No task force so.

No task force.

The unlawful use of scramblers and quad bikes must be extremely difficult, especially in city places and highly built-up communities. I can well imagine the frustration, upset and dangers this is causing for residents in those areas. The main users of these scramblers and quad bikes are young people. We need to focus on the positive things that young people do. Unfortunately, with this situation, that is not what we are doing. If there is wrongdoing, then it is right. However, I look at situations where we tried to…

I thank Deputy Michael McNamara and all the Independents for tabling this motion. I welcome the state aid. Cork Airport is worth €1 billion to the local economy, an amount that represents 95% of their business. That business is gone this year, leaving places such as Kinsale, Clonakilty and west towards Mizen Head badly affected. The airport needs the cash injection. Airlines have been cutting flights. Some have asked how Aer Lingus and others have been treating their staff. I asked serious questions at the Covid co…

Thousands of children and adults with disabilities are severely restricted in this country as they cannot find a toilet with proper equipment. They often have to go through the indignity of being changed on the floor of a public toilet or stay at home altogether. Changing Places toilet facilities are urgently needed in every county in Ireland. In Northern Ireland, there are approximately 40 of these Changing Places but in the Republic there are only 12 registered Changing Places. Eight of these are in Dublin, with …

They do not have the money.

There are many issues I would like to speak on this evening. Agriculture and other issues are very important in relation to Brexit but I will concentrate on two issues. Brexit is generating a fallout for the fishing industry. It is already visible with a huge increase in the number of foreign boats operating in Ireland’s exclusive economic zone, the EEZ. Irish vessels have fished traditionally primarily in the north-west waters around Rockall, the Scottish isles, in the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea. Following Brexi…

Yesterday, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, announced €63.5 million for a range of greenway projects throughout the country for 2021. The Minister went on to pat the Government on the back by saying this was the highest single year amount ever allocated to greenways. He went on to say this showed the commitment of this Government to providing a step-change in the way in which we fund walking and cycling. Can the Taoiseach explain why Cork South-West did not get one brown cent of the €63.5 million fund…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes: — that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to maintain a multiannual investment programme in flood relief measures to protect flood risk communities; — that the objective of the European Union (EU) Floods Directive (2007/60/EU) is to establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risks to reduce the negative consequences of flooding on human health, economic activities, the environment and cultural heritage in the EU; — that the EU Floods Directive …

Many farmers are stuck in the forestry felling licence backlog, with some people waiting two years and more. Will this Government now take urgent action to clear the backlog? Genuine applicants from west Cork have been caught up in this delay for months. One person has his forestry rotting in the ground due to the impact of a storm and it has not been possible to get a felling licence. Some 500 jobs in GP Wood in Enniskeane are hanging in the balance because of this debacle. There was no indication at the meeting o…

I will vote against the Bill, mainly due to the regressive carbon tax measures in it. The carbon tax is an attack on the people of rural Ireland and the people of my constituency of Cork South-West. It is an attack on the lorry driver, the agricultural contractors, the fishermen who must fill their trawlers and the ordinary father and mother who go to work every day and take their kids to school. They are being hit in the pocket at the filling station when they move. The same politicians from Cork South-West voting…

The coronavirus is a deadly disease and a curse that has hit our country. I have always believed it is a massive danger but that we should also be doing everything in our power to bring people with us and not dictate to people. There will always be people who will break the law. We will never be able to rectify that in our political careers. Certainly, there are elements of danger but we must also take account of the facts. There have been 12% fewer deaths in the country this year than last year. I do not know what…

I want to refer to questions I asked the Minister on the marts. I was here in the Chamber.

I will talk on the amendments.