I commend the motion before the House and commend Deputy Charles Ward on tabling it. The work of Mary T. Sweeney in Donegal with him must also be commended. I am very proud to speak on behalf of the people and families of Mayo, who have been so desperately affected by the defective blocks scheme. It is a travesty that it has been allowed to drag on for so long. It is really shocking we are still in this situation; despite the fact this was no fault of the families. This was the fault of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael be…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute. I recently met Irish Grain Growers and Tillage Industry Ireland. As Deputy Fitzmaurice mentioned, the tillage sector is fundamentally important for every part of the country. For example, the beef and sheep farmers across Mayo rely on it for bedding, foodstuff and so on. If we lose this sector, we will have to rely on international markets and we have seen how volatile they have been in recent years. That is why it is fundamentally important that we protect the tillage secto…

I welcome the Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill. The increases it will provide to local authorities and approved housing bodies are very welcome and we will support the Bill. While the HFA funding is a powerful tool in the housing crisis, I want to be clear that it is only as important as the hand which wields it. Unfortunately, I think this Government is a continuation of the previous one when it comes to housing. The budget was an indication of that. It has really done nothing in housing. It had an opportun…

I welcome this motion before the House. There is a significant cost to having a disability and for families with a person with disabilities. Indeed, the Indecon report clearly outlines that cost being in the region of €10,000 per year. In that context, I welcome the motion calling for the introduction of a cost-of-disability lump-sum payment and an increase to the disability allowance. There is no question but that the Government is leaving out families and people with disabilities. I want to speak on behalf of fam…

Is it the Minister's intention to reintroduce the hate speech legislation brought forward by his predecessor in the previous Dáil that was a such dramatic failure?

I welcome the Minister's response and the sea change in the Government's approach to the hate speech legislation. His predecessor, Deputy McEntee, was a big proponent and driver of this hate speech legislation, so I commend the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on what he is doing. This House should always protect freedom of speech. We saw in Germany recently that pro-Palestinian protesters were treated in the harshest way possible. In this country, people's views of and sympathies towards the Palestinian people are ve…

We abhor hate and I firmly believe that we should all speak respectfully. However, the previous Government set out essentially to define what hate would be. That is obviously a dangerous road to go down. There is movement throughout the European Union to push hate speech laws. Is the Minister saying today that is not going to happen and we are in compliance and we are going to say "No" to Europe on this matter?

The Tánaiste has acknowledged that there is a viability issue in terms of apartment construction. However, the Government has ignored the fact that this issue is having an impact right across the construction sector. That is why we have the paradox whereby we have a housing crisis but so little development, particularly in rural counties like Mayo. Housing commencements for the first six months of this year are among the lowest in a decade. I know small and medium-sized builders in County Mayo who would be willing …

Why has the Government ignored middle Ireland and ordinary families across Mayo? Why is it ignoring couples who choose to self-build as well? These people are totally locked out of housing schemes and so on.

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. The issue of mental health and suicide is devastating. It affects many families and communities across Ireland. I will speak on a couple of specific issues. The first is that of farmer mental health. This has been very topical in my own constituency in recent days. The last weeks of September were particularly wet and what was essentially a slurry ban was introduced on 1 October. That had huge consequences for farmers. All of the regulations and the challe…

A person would not recognise this budget from the pre-election and electioneering that went on in Fine Gael last year. This budget has much more to do with the election cycle and the fact that there will not be an election for a number of years. It is important to remember what Fine Gael and its leader Simon Harris said last November in terms of making work pay. Has this promise been delivered on in this budget? Absolutely not. Nothing has been done for the squeezed middle in Ireland. What has Fine Gael done for th…

I welcome this move, which is positive. Expanding the role of healthcare professionals in our community is fundamentally important. Let us be honest: this should have been done a long time ago. Offering, for example, screening programmes is a positive move, as is offering immunisations. The integration in the ehealth system is obviously positive and will help pharmacists deliver in their communities. I wish to be clear that it is important that this be delivered upon because too often we see the Government deliveri…

Britain's digital ID card - the so-called "Brit-card" - may be a domestic policy, but the consequences will not respect borders. By making the ID digital card mandatory for work, housing and basic services, Britain risks displacing thousands of people from the grey economy. If we consider for a moment where these people will go, are they likely to return home or to come to Ireland via the North? We already know that 88% of all asylum applicants come via the North of Ireland. We must work proactively and not reactiv…

What analysis has been done in terms of immigration and the number of asylum seekers in relation to the Brit-card and will the Government establish an Irish Sea border for people?

It is good to be able to speak on the sports capital today. It has been a tremendous scheme for many rural communities across Mayo and the country. I recently attended the opening of my own club, Aghamore, which received sports capital to develop a gym and dressing rooms, etc. Parke Keelogues Crimlin recently opened a floodlit pitch and a walkway around its facilities. It will be hugely valuable for that club, and Westport Athletics Club. One of the key things that struck me over recent months and years is the valu…

The cost of insurance is crippling to so many young people. This Government has already priced young people out of the housing market, and out of the opportunity to have their own home. Now the Government is pricing them off the road. The Government is taking away their independence. That is what is happening. Over recent years, premiums have risen on average by almost 10%. The major issues are the lack of competition; inflated claims and the culture around claims; and legal fees. Young motorists are not only payin…

Will the Minister outline the steps he and the Department are taking to improve regional connectivity, particularly rail and bus services in Mayo?

Will the Minister of State please focus on regional rail? The Dublin to Westport line has had no significant upgrades in quite some time. From Westport to Athlone, we are still operating off a single-carriage line. The distance from Westport to Dublin is 262 km. The journey takes three hours and 20 minutes, which means that the average speed is 80 km/h. There are tractors in Mayo that can reach 80 km/h.

The distance between Cork and Dublin is the same. Trains on that route reach Dublin in two and a half hours. The TGV in France has an average speed of 300 km/h. With such average speeds, it would be possible to get from Westport to Dublin in under an hour. In many cases, the people of Mayo are waiting in Roscommon for half an hour for a train to pass because of the single line and because the speeds needs to be increased.

Does the Minister of State have any plans to upgrade the Dublin to Westport line-----