We are entitled to do that as the Opposition.

I thank and compliment our Defence Forces at home and those abroad on peacekeeping missions. The small size of the Defence Forces and the economic circumstances of the Irish State are factors that must be considered with regard to our defence capability and deployment. Ireland is not in a position to participate in self-funded operations. It has a limited number of personnel available for overseas operations, as the Minister well knows. Similar to other states, Ireland retains a national command of Defence Forces p…

The amending of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 to ensure compliance with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the area of general and indiscriminate retention of communications data for national security and law enforcement purposes is very important. The people who are charged with dealing with and pursuing serious crime will tell you that the Dwyer case certainly put the cat among the pigeons with regard to their work, their ability to do their work and the results of their…

Will it now?

Ye have a funny way of showing it.

I must raise the issue of what is happening in our accident and emergency department in University Hospital Kerry. It has been under massive, sustained pressure in recent weeks. The Minister for Health visited the hospital recently and I appreciate and recognise that fact, but we need help in University Hospital Kerry. Staff are under savage pressure and are doing their best. I want to highlight that on the floor of the Dáil.

Failure after failure after failure; that is the result of the policies from this Government when it comes to energy, fuel and how to manage our economy. As was already stated, the Government closed Bord na Móna without thinking it through and we are now bringing in briquettes from Germany. Nobody thought of or mentioned the horticultural industry until one day in here I started a debate about it. All of a sudden, everybody woke up and realised that the Government had completely forgotten about horticulture and pea…

I, too, thank Sinn Féin for bringing this motion forward. Of course, my colleagues and I in the Rural Independent Group support it. Why would we not? We had the exact same motion before the House last February calling on the Minister to address the ever-increasing cost of living. That was back in February, a number of months ago, when fuel was not even at the awfully high price it is now, which is having the knock-on effect of raising the cost of everything. With regard to the difference it will make to people who …

I thank the Independent Group for bringing this important motion forward. Respite provision is important to allow caregivers to obtain a break. These caregivers are saving the State millions of euro every month. Despite this, the Government continues to treat them in a cold and derogatory manner. All these caregivers are being taken for granted by the State. Many of my constituents who are caregivers have been keen to stress to me that while they face many pressing issues, it is respite provision that is the most p…

That is an exaggeration. The Minister is losing the run of himself.

Of course there is.

Thanks for that.

While in opposition in 2017, Fianna Fáil said the Government could not continue to be allowed dodge the issue of the high cost of insurance. Five years later and after two years in government, this is exactly what Fianna Fáil is doing. It has done nothing to help the people, whether young people, businesspeople, voluntary groups or the local communities that are trying to organise events. Everybody is being crippled by the ever-increasing cost of insurance. It has to be said that compensation culture plays a part i…

People who have injuries and want to exaggerate them, because they are lazy and do not want to work and because they want to get money for nothing, should get nothing but a good kick up the backside out the door and back to work again. God be good to the genuine people who are hurt. I think the Acting Chair for his indulgence.

While his intentions might be well-founded, we are a very small island nation and I question the sanity of the Taoiseach banging the table asking for the supply of fuel and gas from Russia to be cut off and saying we will be fine without it. It is not serving the best needs of the people of Ireland who are suffering at present from the high cost of fuel. If we have to suffer from the absence of fuel in future, maybe from September or October onwards, that will be devastating for people. It is worrying for their saf…

Recently, a human rights activist from South Africa spoke about the two-tier system for people seeking international protection. He said: Even when a country is at war, you don’t suspend any of your prohibitions on equality. [He added] Nigerian children wait weeks and months for documentation so they can attend school, whereas Ukrainian children get documentation promptly from [the] same institutions. In the short term, there are tens of millions of people who need protection. Will the Taoiseach raise these concern…

No.

I, of course, welcome any initiative that will help to combat violence against women. Domestic violence should be fought at every level. We must ensure we make a home a happy and safe place for everybody. In saying that, I must talk about the services we have in County Kerry. We are grateful for the resources we have but we will always be seeking more. I am speaking of services such as the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre. I compliment Ms Vera O'Leary from that centre and the excellent people who have worked with…

I support this sound motion from Sinn Féin. Speaking on behalf of the Rural Independent Group, we demand the full retention by the Government of accident and emergency services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. I am grateful to Sinn Féin for again giving us an opportunity to debate the important issue of health. It is annoying for the Opposition that the Minister is doing everything in the world except listening. Last week, he did nothing to endear himself to anyone, including his colleagues, when he did not keep to t…

The worst aspect of what is going on here this evening is the sleight of hand way in which it is happening. That is probably the worst of all. I have no problem with any party or persons who want to bring a proposal before the House or Oireachtas committees, if they do so in a timely fashion and give everyone a chance to engage, debate, thrash it out, come to a consensus and have a vote if necessary. However, to rush something such as this sends out all the wrong messages, not just in the Houses of the Oireachtas, …