I am surprised that the Deputy seems to quote me as saying I want to get rid of neutrality. I never-----

The Deputy is wrong, and I think she knows she is wrong, but it did not stop her saying it, which is a disingenuous way to behave. Yesterday in the House I spoke on this. I referred to Frank Aiken and our policy and our proactive role in nuclear non-proliferation as well as the role of Fianna Fáil's Frank Aiken, the heroic work he did and how that would impact any debate on military neutrality. Our neutrality is a military neutrality insofar as we are not members of any defence alliance. It is up to other countries…

It is interesting to look at our history of neutrality. De Valera is regarded as the person who conceived the policy during the Second World War because of historical issues in our relationship with the UK. Nonetheless, during the League of Nations in the 1930s, he was deeply disappointed that force was not used against Italy when it invaded Ethiopia, the point being that we can never be neutral against despots and dictators who invade a country unprovoked and unjustifiably. We are not politically neutral. We are m…

I am not sure the Deputy has been that consistent on cost of living over the past while. How strong was her party's budget submission on fuel prices and various measures? It was quite weak.

In the North, the Sinn Féin finance minister has €300 million and is saying he cannot deploy it because of rules and is not allowed to. The Deputy needs to reflect on her party's policies and lack of preparation.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, met with farming organisations yesterday in respect of the situation that could emerge, to ensure we avoid a fodder crisis next autumn and the obvious implications if Ukrainians do not plant grain this season because of the war and, likewise, in terms of Russia. We are working on it but it will be a supply-and-demand reality that we have to grow more.

The Deputy is making a fair point. The challenges for Ukrainian children fleeing war to access our schools will be enormous, in how we respond from an educational perspective. The Government will not be able to do it all on its own and will have to draw on resources across society, particularly from the perspectives of psychology, language and curriculum content. It will involve working with the Ukrainian community in Ireland and identifying what talents Ukrainian people coming in have, so we can redeploy those tal…

The Minister for Health yesterday announced a women's healthcare strategy, with significant expenditure, which also involves the establishment of specific endometriosis clinics, which would deal with issues in a multidisciplinary way. The measures announced yesterday contain a focused approach, and funding has also been allocated.

The Consumer Protection and Competition Commission exists to pursue any companies breaking the law, price gouging or behaving in an anti-competitive manner. Equally, as I said earlier, this is an internationally-traded commodity and we must take that reality on board in respect of price caps or price controls, which have never worked in the past as a mechanism to deal with situations like this.

There has been significant investment in the past while and particularly on the cardiac front, as the Deputy will be aware. The Government has been in office now for a year and a half and we are responding in respect of-----

The Deputy knows a process is in place in respect of getting the new facilities in place. The tendering has happened, and all of that, and the money has been allocated. That has occurred and the Deputy knows that. There is no issue with the Minister for Health meeting with Deputies from the south east. Much progress has been made, however, on the cardiac front-----

Regarding procurement issues, they have to be gone through.

The beef, milk, pharmaceuticals and technology products produced and manufactured in Tipperary are exported to every member state of the EU and all over the world.

Ireland depends on a global free trade environment.

The Deputy should know that.

It is the same within the EU. That is the bottom line and most people with a bit of common sense know that too. We need less of that kind of rhetoric and so on.

In the first instance, we are working in concert with our European colleagues. It is an unprecedented measure to have applied the temporary protection directive in respect of all Ukrainians fleeing their country. That must be the focus now in respect of those issues. Again, there are limits too, but those issues will be explored further concerning other nationalities. It is difficult to quantify the issue right now but let us be fair all around. Some countries on the border of Ukraine, such as Poland, Slovakia, Hun…

Is féidir leis an Eoraip teacht le chéile, agus is iontach an scéal é go bhfuil an méid sin aontais ann agus go bhfuilimid go léir ag obair le chéile maidir leis an méid atá déanta ag an Rúis ar an Úcráin. Is uafásach an scéal é go bhfuil cogadh ag an am seo agus go bhfuil a lán daoine ag fulaingt de dheasca an chogaidh seo. Caithfimid gach rud a dhéanamh ar dtús chun é sin a ísliú agus chun cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do mhuintir na hÚcráine. Mar aon leis sin, aontaím leis an Teachta go bhfuil brú faoi leit…

I am supportive of the very poignant point raised the Deputy. It is extremely difficult for people in Ukraine because of the bombardment they are under and I can only imagine how difficult it is for people with cystic fibrosis because of the added complexities arising from their condition and the difficulties arising. Given it is a condition that is particularly prevalent in Ireland and we are involved in much research and so on in that area, I will certainly speak with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and official…

The fundamental point about passports is the exponential growth in applications and the number being issued. I will come back to the Deputy but I believe 1.7 million passports will be issued this year. There were 634,000 issued in 2021, despite Covid-19 restrictions. A total of 45% of online adult renewals are processed within one working day while 99% of online applications for renewals for children are issued within 15 working days. First-time applications take longer to process, and so forth. As of 31 January, t…