I want to say clearly here in the Dáil that fishermen are the backbone of these rural, coastal economies. They are fundamentally important. If we get rid of them, if we lose them, and they are on the brink, what will become of these coastal towns? What will become of our fishermen? What will become of this wonderful intergenerational industry? What will become of the skill sets that we have built up for so many years? The Minister of State knows that this is fundamentally important. With Brexit, the Government sold…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. Flooding is affecting so many lives and property right across the country. In my county there is seaweed harvesting in the coastal areas and an application in to MARA, which is the maritime regulatory agency. Seaweed has a very important role to play in coastal erosion and helps the coastal areas maintain their foreshore, and this is causing huge concern. I have studied in detail this application that has been submitted to MARA and it is incredibly co…

Ballyhaunis is a fantastic town for commerce and trade. Despite the loss of banks and other services, it has remained a very strong town for employment. It is a wonderful town. There is a proposal, however, to move the An Post delivery service unit in Ballyhaunis. It is a fundamentally important resource for the community and local commerce. It allows businesses to trade and export their products. The liquidation of the Fastway company recently has increased the importance of the An Post delivery service unit in Ba…

Climate Action Plan 2025 commits to scaling nature-based strategies, yet the Climate Change Advisory Council of Ireland has warned that we could face €26 billion in EU fines if we fail to deliver adequate protection measures. At the same time, and counter to the plan's commitment, the Government is actually considering licensing over 40,000 tonnes of seaweed to be harvested off the coast of counties Mayo and Galway. Removing seaweed, which is a vital natural buffer against flooding, will put communities at risk alo…

It is good to be able to speak to the Minister about this issue. It is very concerning that bluetongue has arrived in Ireland. It is causing a huge amount of fear and concern to farmers. It is a good thing we have discovered the disease at this time of year as it provides us with an opportunity to try to get ahead of this issue. As the Minister knows, it is the midges that spread bluetongue and it is also subject to the temperature being higher than 12°C. This cold and wet winter has provided us with an opportunity…

The budget promised over 1,700 SNAs and 860 new SETs. I ask the Minister of State about recruitment and delivery so far, and the timelines involved for the roll-out of those SNAs and SETs.

I thank the Minister of State. I asked this question because of the importance of schools and families being able to plan. However, in reality there are families who still do not know what school they can send their child to. They are right across Mayo. A special school in Mayo that does absolutely wonderful work is St. Anthony's School in Castlebar. The management team of Fiona Byrne, Anna Sweeney, Helena Brady as well as all the staff do amazing work but within the first hour of admissions opening for this calend…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. It is fundamental that families have certainty today. They need to know. We talk about forward planning and so on but in Mayo letters are coming from the Department and the NCSE and basically promising children a place in a special education school. Then the family goes to the school and is told it is oversubscribed. That is the type of planning I am talking about. The system is so disconnected. How do we have a scenario where the NCSE is delivering letters promising a special e…

Go raibh maith agat, Chair. I welcome the cross-party-----

Go raibh maith agat, Chair. I welcome the cross-party support for this motion and the fact that the Government will not oppose it. However, I do want to say very clearly, it is one thing not to oppose this motion but it is another thing to implement fully the practical measures we have proposed that will have a significant impact in so many thousands of families and businesses right across this country. I urge the Minister of State to really get to grips with this and drive on with this legislation because it is cl…

The Government's credibility and its relationship with farmers have been damaged significantly. In regard to its efforts on the Mercosur agreement, it only really opposed it when it was clear the deal would be passed. The Government failed to lobby any MEPs or member states-----

These are the facts. I appreciate that, as a backbencher, Deputy Cleere must be frustrated-----

-----with the direction of Government but the facts are the facts. In relation to Bord Bia, the Taoiseach's attitude can only be described as smug, lacking understanding and showing an unwillingness to engage with farmers. There is a significant impasse at the moment and the Government's attitude is one of "Hands off, there is nothing to see here" when the reality is that farmers are hurting because Bord Bia pushed them for standards and, meanwhile, its chair is importing beef. How many tonnes of Brazilian beef are…

Listen to your backbenchers.

There is not an increase in CAP. CAP is reducing.

The next CAP has a 20% reduction.

The Taoiseach is not listening to them.

They said it here a few weeks ago.

Mayo University Hospital is under immense difficulty at the moment, particularly the emergency department. A couple of weeks ago electives were cancelled in the hospital. Research I have done found that a safe staffing framework for which an audit was carried out in 2021 was only recently sanctioned, and those posts still have to be filled. Mayo has a unique patient cohort, and I ask the Taoiseach to come to Mayo to visit the hospital. We have a significant issue with step-down facilities and home care packages tha…

I have very serious concerns in relation to the legislation. If I could have the Minister of State's attention very briefly, I would greatly appreciate it because there are significant concerns. This legislation will not bring about stability or the balance the Minister of State has outlined. It is actually causing the flight of landlords. That is what is happening. It has accelerated the exodus of landlords from the market, which is causing immense difficulty for constituents and renters right across this country,…