It is not agreed. I call on the Minister of State to explain the effect of the amendment, which I expect he introduced in the Seanad. What is the reasoning behind it? It is an amendment that was not previously discussed by this Dáil. What is its purpose?

It is not agreed. I again call on the Minister of State to explain what the rationale is for the deletion of "may" and the substitution of "shall".

A Cheann Comhairle, is it possible to call a vote on the overall Bill as amended by the Seanad?

Substantial amendments have been made and I do not understand how it is not possible to call a vote on the Bill now that it is passing, or that it is proposed it doth pass from this House and therefore become law. I would have thought it in order to call a vote.

Not as currently constituted.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not taking there to be, as I understand it, problems with the Bill, especially with respect to the justice provisions in it, the administration of justice, recourse to the courts and the Rubicon that is being crossed here. Under the Bill an appellant can appeal to the courts. The Minister will put whatever information he or she deems fit before the court. The court will then determine which elements of that information can be provided to the appellant and then, potentially, proceed …

No, he brought forward these amendments on Committee Stage the night before they were to be debated to, in effect, ensure nobody had an opportunity to propose amendments to the amendments. They were sort of being pushed through. This is not the way to make law, especially on something as novel as this approach. On this basis, I wish to call a vote on this Bill.

Indeed, but some of the amendments I put forward were accepted, or at least I was told on the floor of the House that they were accepted, only to find out that this legislation was actually transmitted to the Seanad without these amendments. I am, though, in the hands of the Ceann Comhairle. This Bill is deeply flawed and problematic. I do not have a problem with much of what the Minister seeks to achieve in this Bill and some of what he seeks to achieve in the Part to which I take particular issue, that which was …

I move amendment No. 3: To insert the following after "sovereignty and territorial integrity of states": "approves the participation of up to 30 members of the Defence Forces in the newly established European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), under the command of its Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability, Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjea, the aim of which is to enhance the military capability of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and that the State shall be bound by Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 establi…

Notwithstanding the Taoiseach's visit to UHL on Friday last, there was near record overcrowding again on Monday, with 109 people waiting for beds. As a result of that and the transfer of patients to Ennis, day surgeries have been cancelled in Ennis again today. Will the Taoiseach look at the capacity of Ennis and the other model 2 hospitals in the region as part of the solution to overcoming the overcrowding in UHL? In particular, will he look at the medical assessment unit. Will he also ensure that there is adequa…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. I greatly appreciate that he is here but two Departments would be involved in the establishment of a new veterinary school, neither of which is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I appreciate the Minister of State has taken the time to be here and do not wish to be in any way churlish but Deputies put forward Topical Issue matters on the basis that relevant line Ministers will reply. That said, I am sure the Minister of State will convey the …

I thank the Minister of State. I will focus on one sentence in his response, that is, "Over recent years...the demand for the services of veterinary practitioners across our society has been increasing and most especially in the companion animal area". This is undoubtedly true. However, there has not been any reduction in the demand for vets in large-animal practices. As the Minister of State is undoubtedly aware, given recent controversy, the national herd is the same size. It is no bigger now, but is still the sa…

At the start of the year, a major incident was declared at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, because of the number of people presenting in the accident and emergency department. In response a protocol was agreed whereby a limited number of patients could be brought by ambulance to Ennis instead. A meeting was held on 17 January with the Minister for Health, HSE senior management and the management of UHL as well as Oireachtas Members from the area. The Taoiseach's attendance at the meeting was noted and very welco…

Like the Taoiseach, I hope it will make a positive change but the change it did make was the cancellation of surgeries in Ennis, two theatres lying idle and specialist staff being redeployed. There is something badly wrong with the utilisation of the model 2 hospitals. The Taoiseach talked about figures and the Minister for Health talked about 1,000 people in the UL Hospitals Group. I received other figures yesterday saying just 60 of the 3,000-odd whole-time equivalent positions created in 2022 were in the UL grou…

Is the Taoiseach aware, despite what one might be led to believe, that the size of the national herd in Ireland is the same size now as it was when we joined the European Union 50 years ago? In that time, emissions of greenhouse gases have increased exponentially in other sectors in Ireland. The demand for meat and dairy produce has also increased exponentially around the world. If it is not met from Ireland, it will be met from elsewhere, notably, South America. What has changed is that Irish farmers have incurred…

Is the EPA report an Opposition report?

I am slightly surprised by the previous speaker's characterisation of this debate as the Opposition speaking waffle and the Government speaking truth. I never subscribed to an Animal Farm characterisation of anything, not even farming and certainly not politics. We have the two legs good, four legs bad view which then changes over and there is a monopoly of wisdom on one side of the House and a monopoly of darkness and ignorance on the other. Governments then change and the monopolies change too. I find that divisi…

I am surprised to hear the Minister talk about the new surgical hub in Limerick in circumstances in which the existing theatres in University Hospital Limerick, UHL, are underutilised because a lack of staff. The two newly-equipped theatres in Ennis have not operated since Christmas. How is the Government going to staff this new surgical hub if it cannot staff the existing facilities?

So why are we keeping the theatres shut?

They are shut.