The first suggestion I have is that the Minister would end the discrimination, regardless of its motivation. I believe the times are gone when a farmer would leave his farm to his eldest son regardless of whether he wanted it, or indeed would leave it to a son over a daughter. Most farmers now are relieved if any of their children are interested in farming, or, if they have no child, any nieces or nephews are interested in farming. That can be a relief to them because it is a difficult life and it is not very profi…

If the Minister of State puts her hand up at the Sixmilebridge mart next Saturday morning, I guarantee her there will be no discrimination. They will take her bids.

The Shannon Group was set up with three components. It has been successful in running two of those, notwithstanding much adversity. It has been less successful with the heritage sites and the group's management seems to be of the view that it is not a good fit with the Shannon Group, which has a commercial remit. Clare County Council has offered to take over these sites. They have identified capital needs and they have set out a detailed paper on what those needs are. I have written to four Ministers and to the Tao…

The heritage sites either stay or they go.

I join my colleagues in welcoming President von der Leyen in the building in which we have sat for the past 100 years, each year of which has been as a neutral state. The Taoiseach is correct that we have been proud Europeans for 50 years. We have been proud Europeans for much longer than 50 years. It is worth recalling that our initial attempt at accession was blocked as part of the power play between bigger states. For all of our proudness in being Europeans we have been avowedly neutral throughout. The Taoiseach…

I join my colleagues in welcoming President von der Leyen in the building in which we have sat for the past 100 years, each year of which has been as a neutral state. The Taoiseach is correct that we have been proud Europeans for 50 years. We have been proud Europeans for much longer than 50 years. It is worth recalling that our initial attempt at accession was blocked as part of the power play between bigger states. For all of our proudness in being Europeans we have been avowedly neutral throughout. The Taoiseach…

I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin and my erstwhile colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing forward a motion that, refreshingly for me, I can agree with so wholeheartedly. That is with one possible reservation, which is the reference to a citizens' assembly. It seems that there is an unusual degree of agreement in this Chamber. I understand that the Government is not bringing forward a countermotion. Why can we not just deal with the issue? Why do we have to have a citizens' assembly to prompt us to deal with every sing…

On that issue, the Taoiseach's response to the cost overruns at the national children's hospital is to provide the hospital and then we will argue about the cost of it.

In any event, it is in marked contrast to the provision of services for children with disabilities. This week I was approached by the parents of a young man who is doing his leaving certificate this year. He is a high academic achiever but he is going nowhere because he can go nowhere without supports. In 2020 he was assessed and none of the interventions that was recommended has been provided. He will soon reach his 18th birthday and after that he does not have a legal right to supports and he cannot go on to thir…

A huge one.

I will.

The Tánaiste has spoken about the problems with how this House does its business. He has also spoken about the benefits and frailties of Mercosur. I want to know how, when he is Taoiseach, the Tánaiste's Government will interact with this House. The current Taoiseach seems to have no problem with Mercosur being passed without a vote of this House or the people of Ireland. Important Bills are regularly guillotined. For example, on the Communications Regulation Bill from the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, am…

What about the guillotine?

What about the guillotine?

I have to say I have concerns about this motion. They stem as much from the content of the Bill as from the manner in which it has been brought before the House to date. When the Bill was discussed on Committee Stage, certain matters were ruled out of order. The Minister of State is now seeking a motion to instruct the committee so that those matters can be brought back before it. That committee meeting was held on 26 October. The evening before, 25 October, the Minister introduced a number of new amendments which …

On 17 December, the Taoiseach’s tenure as Taoiseach will come to an end, at least for now. By that time, he will have been in this House as a Deputy for 33 and a half years. That is some achievement, as is reaching the highest political office in this land and it would be churlish not to congratulate him on that. My question to the Taoiseach is in his experience and in his tenure in this House, can he tell me how the people can effect change? We elect representatives to make decisions on our behalf or we have refer…

This issue was raised repeatedly in the Dáil, so why did it take a protected disclosure for the Minister to meet the staff? What is actually changing? We can list out reams of statistics. The Taoiseach spoke about changes over 20 years, but the single greatest change over those 20 years has been that people in Clare no longer want to be brought to that hospital. That is a major change. People on the street and in the countryside do not have confidence in the hospital and NCHDs do not want to work in it. At this sta…

And the only one-----

-----in the wider region.

A smaller area, though.