I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this very important motion. It is important that we discuss it here and support the Social Democrats in what its members are trying to achieve. They are seeking fairness and fair play, with a proper listening process for victims and their families, who have been the subject of the commission's work. Extensions have already been given but the events of recent months have put a big question mark over the process, with the disappearance and reappearance of files and re…

I will start by thanking and complimenting Sinn Féin and Deputy Doherty on the sterling work he has put into this whole subject, not only in the preparation of this legislation, but in his work on the whole matter of insurance. I appreciate very much the fact that he went on our own radio station, Radio Kerry, last week and gave a comprehensive and proper report on exactly what he is doing here today. I am glad to support the Bill. This is a most important issue. I see the number of people who are struggling. Peopl…

From 2017 to 2020 Kerry County Council delivered 159 units of housing. These houses are built to an exceptionally high standard by local builders in good locations. From 2021 to 2022 Kerry County Council, under the stewardship of our CEO, Ms Moira Murrell, and the director of housing, Mr. Martin O'Donoghue, plans to deliver a further 278 units. As of November 2020 there were 2,183 households qualified for social housing in Kerry, more than 80% of which are waiting for one-bedroom and two-bedroom style housing units…

I welcome what I consider to be a very positive and sound response from the Taoiseach. It certainly will be relayed to the management of Kerry County Council. When we are talking about statistics, I like to humanise them. We have 770 males and 422 females. We have 336 females with a dependant and 98 males with a dependant. We have 165 couples. We have 298 couples with dependants or two or more adults with or without dependants. These are all people who need housing and that is why it is right for us to raise the is…

On factory prices, something is radically wrong when farmers are producing beef and cannot make a marginal, small, modest profit on it. Something has to be done about this. There has been enough talk about it but, unfortunately, there has been no action. Our fishermen were sold out in the recent Brexit negotiations. Small fishermen are finding it difficult. The Minister is doing his best on the pair trawling issue and I compliment him on that. It is something that was dealt with unfavourably in a certain way in the…

The lost Labour Party, which is walking in the political wilderness and whose members are just trying to make themselves relevant in today's political landscape by bringing forward this motion because they are on the sidelines and are wandering aimlessly, has no understanding whatsoever. For a once-great party that had great people in it, its members today are trying to scramble to make themselves relevant. They do not represent the workers who are coming to us and asking how this motion could make any sense in ter…

I emphasise the problem this is causing on the ground. People are suffering distress due to waiting. The chaos that will ensue when things open up will be unbelievable. The Taoiseach must put measures in place now to deal with this problem. It is probably one of the most common issues on which I receive calls every day. I imagine it is the same for an awful lot of Deputies in this House. I ask the Taoiseach and the Department to tackle this issue head-on and try to give people a bit of comfort that they will be cal…

First, I very much respect the powerful position held by the Minister and I wish him well with it. This idea, however, that he is Minister for Transport but does not really like building roads is not going to work. He saw that last week with the issue in Moyross in County Limerick. He will have to be proactive and understand that we need roads in Ireland. We need a considerable amount of money for the maintenance of roads. There was a €38 million cut last year. We need €630 million to be spent each year in the upke…

In my life's experience, I have found the legal profession to be extremely professional to deal with and responsible. When people are at a vulnerable stage in their lives, be it at a time of death, purchasing or selling something or distress, they need someone they feel they can rely on and trust. As in all professions, we might know of a small minority of cases through our own experiences, having heard from people or having encountered them as public representatives where individuals had engaged in activity that w…

I would like to recognise and thank Deputy Pringle for providing us with the opportunity to debate these issues. I would like to highlight a specific issue that has not been touched upon yet today regarding people's human rights. I am one person present here, but so far today, I have received three calls on this issue. It concerns a basic human right. People who suffer horrific injuries, whether it is through the likes of a stroke, or through accidents or injuries, might end up needing to avail of the disabled driv…

It has been stated here on several occasions, not just by us but by many others, that when the public houses were closed down there was a concerted effort by the Government to blame the public houses for the spread of the pandemic. That was proven to be grossly untrue because of the facts. The pandemic grew out of control when all of the public houses were closed. At the same time, the spin from the Government was to victimise, demonise and put down our public houses because of some reason best known to the Taoisea…

Coming from the tourism capital of the western world, namely County Kerry, the great success that the people in Kerry have had in the past in working so hard in the tourism sector has led to them being impacted more than perhaps anywhere else because of the reliance we had on the excellent service we were providing in the tourism sector. I welcome many of the support schemes that are in place and I appreciate the efforts of the Government and different Departments. However, I must highlight also the inadequacies in…

First, I thank Sinn Féin and its Members for bringing forward this very important motion on the pay, or lack of it, of student nurses and midwives. I want, first, to acknowledge the work they have been doing. However, in keeping with what I have continually said in this Chamber, I do not want praise for these people who are doing excellent work; I want them to be paid. One of the most insulting things was when front-line workers saw politicians and others standing up and applauding them. That was ridiculous. It was…

I believe I have two minutes while Deputy Michael Collins has three, if that is all right with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

I have to put on the record that I acknowledge the Trojan efforts and work of the Minister and his officials. I acknowledge that because it would be wrong and unfair of me not to. Am I happy with the outcome? No, I am not, but we were put into an impossible situation as a result of the whole Brexit fiasco. I will start with our fishermen and the Irish fleet. Our fishermen, who have been blackguarded over years and who were sold out many years ago, have been sold out again. Their potential livelihoods and those of t…

I very much welcome this debate. It is very important and right that we acknowledge and go through this very important report, which has shone a light on such a dark time in our history and in our society in a way that, we all have to be honest and perfectly frank, we have to be ashamed of. The awful and inhuman way in which young girls and boys and children were treated by the institutions of this State, which were aiding and abetting one another at the time, is beyond belief. One saying that often comes up in con…

This is an important point to finish. Those cowards are the horrible people of now who are equally as horrible as the people we are talking about who were there long ago. I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak.

I want to ask the Taoiseach a question on a very important subject, that is, the proposal by his Government - Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party - with regard to its new year ban on the sale of all smoky fuels, including coal, peat briquettes, turf and what people would call "wet wood". I want him to clearly outline what exactly the Government is proposing to do, the legislation, if any, it is proposing to bring before the Dáil and what exactly it will be saying to the people of Ireland who rely on this typ…

-----as far as it can see, the Government is pulling the plug on this industry and leaving those contractors and their employees high and dry.

It is no wonder that I worry, unless the Chamber has an echo and the Taoiseach did not hear me properly. I did not want to talk about Mary Harney and the smoky coal ban. That was a thing for cities where thousands of people are concentrated. I am talking about people who predominantly live in the country and the only source of heat in their homes is timber, turf and perhaps peat briquettes. I asked the Taoiseach very clear questions and he answered none of them. He ignored the horticultural industry. Does he realis…