On prevailing side: this member voted with the winning side in 613 of 619 decisive votes (2 abstentions excluded). Read it as a government-or-opposition indicator rather than a measure of influence — the figure is near 100% for members supporting the government of the day and near 0% for those opposing it.
This is the point of the site: contributions keep the party held on the day, not the one held now.
| Party | Recorded as | Contributions | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| FG | Fine Gael | 2,264 | 2020-02-20 – 2025-11-20 |
Membership spells on record: FG 2007-07-23–2011-04-25 · FG 2011-02-25–2016-03-09 · FG 2016-03-10–2020-01-14 · FG 2020-02-08–2024-11-08 · FG 2024-11-29–2025-11-21
These figures are available to the Rural Independent Group but it is not interested in checking them. The overall value of the proposals that are being brought forward by the Rural Independent Group is approximately €3 billion.
These measures are being brought forward with no recognition of the cost or the challenge involved in funding them. There are over €3 billion worth of proposals here, with no sense or recognition as to how they could be paid for or funded.
The consequence of all of this would be to heap further difficulty on other people by way of higher debt. The ideas are brought forward by the Rural Independent Group, but it has no idea of the cost of them and no proposal for how they would be paid.
The only thing the Rural Independent Group is independent of is credibility.
It is independent of common sense in that yet again it is bringing forward proposals with no recognition of how much they would cost. It is because of that it is devoid of credibility and empty, in any sense, of recognition or credibility with regard to what needs to be done to help those who are suffering the most.
What was also completely absent in the Rural Independent Group contributions today was any mention that those who are in the farming sector, who provide such a valuable contribution to our country, economy and society, qualify for double income tax relief in regard to carbon taxing. Do the Deputies know that?
Did the Deputies just choose to ignore it?
I suspect they either did not know it or they chose not to bring it up.
That is no surprise given that the motion contains within it a claim that they know is wrong but they still bring it forward, that is, that carbon tax is the key contributing factor to Ireland's cost of living increases. That is wrong and wrong again.
It is telling and hopeful to hear other Deputies have the courage to make the case for carbon taxing. Some made the case that they think it could be done differently but at least they are making that case. The Rural Independent Group has brought forward proposals with no idea of how much they would cost and ignoring the fact that through our tax code there is already relief in place for some of these costs. I look forward to hearing the response of the Rural Independent Group. To bring forward a proposal for a mini…
Again and again, the claim is brought forward that we can respond to the climate crisis without difficult choices. We heard that from Sinn Féin when, for example, so many of its Deputies made the point that more needs to be done on the retrofitting programme and more detail needs to be brought forward, yet it is against the tax that is needed to help to pay for it. Sinn Féin chooses to ignore the advice from groups such as the Climate Change Advisory Council and international economists and scientists, the majority…
I know it is difficult. This is a choice that involves difficulty for many. In tackling a climate crisis, to claim it can be done without choices regarding how carbon is taxed is at best dishonest.
It is a dishonesty that is repeated again and again by Sinn Féin.
I would appreciate the Ceann Comhairle's discretion to make a final point. The Rural Independent Group has brought forward proposals in respect of which there is no costing or recognition of the challenge that is involved in responding to the challenges that we acknowledge are real for so many. The Government is acting. We are responding. The House heard from the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, about the measures that are being taken in regard to GLAS and the beef data and genomics programme, as well as the new measu…
It creates the sense of easy solutions. In the Rural Independent Group proposals, there is no honesty about how they can be paid for and the challenges that the Government faces in responding to those challenges.
We have acted. We have brought forward measures. We know that prices and costs are increasing and we appreciate that is a challenge for many people, but this Government has acted.
In what we announced in the budget and the measures we brought forward recently, we have acted to make a difference.
For those on social welfare benefits, including the living alone allowance, it means €600 to €800 of extra support. For those who are on the standard rate of income tax, it means between €400 and €600 extra.
I can well understand the behaviour of the Independent Deputies opposite. They are embarrassed-----
-----to have brought forward proposals for a mini-budget-----