Rural.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter. There are some positives, including that the population has increased in rural Ireland. The Department has the town and village renewal scheme and all the different things that have helped many communities; there is no denying that. The local improvement schemes have been a huge help as well and that has to be recognised. I live in rural Ireland. It is the best place in the world to live. That message needs to go out. We have difficulties, but the Department of Rur…

If I may just say one thing to clarify this for the Ceann Comhairle. Probably nine to ten months ago, we asked the three Ministers to come in on the peat issue. One Minister said that if the other two came in that they would come in.

Hold on. Now, we have asked them all to come in again and none of them will come in.

That is correct.

I agree with the previous Deputy, in that the Burren was a total disaster when scientists were looking after it. When the farmers went back and showed how you should farm, their example was brought out everywhere around Europe and said to be great. The farmer in the Burren now gets ACRES. My young fella will get ACRES, even though he is not in the Burren.

Thus, let them not be shouting now.

I do not know where this is going, because people watching this evening are more confused now. The Minister came out with his statement to support this. Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fáil's MEP, has opposed it. The EPP has pulled out of talks today and said the proposal has gone too far. Our Taoiseach, 19 hours ago, stated very clearly that what is proposed goes way too far. The Minister talks about negotiating in Europe. My understanding is the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Department of Housing, Local Govern…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. We have talked about some of the cases over the last few months and she has been very helpful. I want to put that on the record. The Minister of State will be well aware that in all counties the parents of children or young adults with challenging behaviour or intellectual disabilities do their best right through their life as long as they can. There are daycare services where this is done, which I recognise, and there is respite but there is one instance that I have dis…

I welcome everything the Minister of State has said. To be honest, the system is broken. If the system were not broken, I would not have to address the Minister of State here tonight and raise the issue on the floor of the Dáil. Unfortunately, as I outlined earlier, it is sad to think - this is no disrespect to any other county - that someone who may be in County Galway has to go looking in some other county to be facilitated. While it is welcome and while I am not saying we are against it, it is sad to think that …

I do not want to come in here and pick up one issue at a time. If we solve the overall issue, it will be a job well done. I think the Minister of State for her help in it all.

On a point of order, it is pretty bad timing that those of us involved in agriculture are attending a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, while this Bill is being discussed in the Chamber at the same time. Some of us still have to speak at that committee while this Bill is being discussed here. Deputy McNamara will address parts of it for me, as well as his own amendments, but it is very difficult to be in two places at the one time. I am sure the Minister-----

I understand that but it is not great timing for us.

Okay. Thank you.

They cannot even put in a form now for that.

I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Burke, who is a farmer but it is a scandalous situation that we are making statements on agriculture and not one Minister or Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is here to listen to us. That shows the importance of it. There are a few solutions required. First, we know that lamb from Australia and New Zealand has flooded the market. That is because of Covid-19 in China. Brexit has also caus…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. Our options are limited. First of all, the genius who came up with the idea that we could build a million houses in ten years needs to get a different adviser. Second, anybody who listened to the contributions at the Labour Party conference last weekend, at which reference was made to farmers changing and rewetting, needs to know the workers in the factories of Ireland will have no jobs if all this happens. There is an option to vote to express confidence in the Governmen…

We all need to acknowledge the work done by the emergency services in Wexford yesterday evening. I will comment on another part of the country, community healthcare organisation, CHO, 2. I am specifically dealing with County Roscommon, where we have been inundated over the past eight to ten months by parents of children aged between three and 15 or 16 regarding CAMHS services, ADHD and children with autism, where the whole system seems to be in disarray. A child aged three and a half had a blood test done that had …

There are ten or 12.

I will furnish the Tánaiste with the details of that blood test and the ten-month wait. Regarding services for speech and language and psychology, there is a ferocious deficit at the moment. Perhaps the Tánaiste did not pick up my point. If the HSE is not able to provide a service in the area and the parents are willing to drive somewhere they can get it, I ask that those parents be facilitated. Unfortunately, I know one autistic child near me who has regressed over the past six to eight months. That should not be.…