I want to welcome the farmers who are here today. I thank all the farmers who raised their concerns with my office. The fact is that farmers are hurt by the fact that they are subjected to strict regulations and rules by Bord Bia and are paying it €6 million a year. The latter is in addition to the taxpayers' money that is going into Bord Bia. They then learn that the person driving the ship of an organisation that is driving regulation, that is continually pushing standards and that is contributing to the inflatio…

Did he step out of the meeting, given what was obviously a conflict of interest? That must be addressed here.

We need a full investigation into how many tonnes of Brazilian beef are coming in. I do not believe that Larry Murrin is the only individual or business bringing Brazilian beef into this country. We need to have a serious investigation into this matter, not just in the beef sector but right across the board in respect of the food that is coming into Ireland and Europe. What is being imported would never satisfy the regulations policed by Bord Bia or allowed under the organisation's quality assurance schemes. Farmer…

The number of houses in Mayo represents 3% of the overall national housing stock. Despite this, according to a recent GeoDirectory report, the proportion of dereliction in Mayo represents 14% of the national rate. That is extraordinary. Dereliction is a scourge on our towns and blight on our communities. Many homes have been abandoned for decades and have essentially been left to rodents and bats. That is what is happening. Mayo has had an average of two compulsory purchase orders, CPOs, over the past ten years. We…

I support the motion. Those with disabilities are the most vulnerable people in our society. That is a fact. Right across Mayo and the rest of Ireland, there are people with disabilities who are struggling. In many cases, they are struggling physically. They are struggling to overcome all of the barriers they encounter in daily life. Now, increasingly, they are struggling with an enormous burden financially as well. The financial burden on so many vulnerable people is incredible. The Indecon report of 2021 outlined…

I welcome some of the Minister's moves in this space over recent months. It must be said, however, that it is deeply regrettable that, as a sovereign nation or state, we tied ourselves to the EU migration pact. We signed up to EU fines, irrespective of the fact that we have a common travel area with Britain, of movements in relation to the BritCard and of the potential change of government in Britain and what that will mean for Ireland. Tying ourselves to the migration pact will result in devastating and potentiall…

First, this is reckless. This is €90 billion over a two-year period we are going to sign over without any financial oversight or any real guarantees in terms of who is going to spend or pay over this money. It is said the Russians will pay in terms of repatriation. I highly doubt that will ever happen. It will be the Irish taxpayer who will end up footing the bill for this loan. There is also the question of neutrality, which the Irish people support but this Government clearly does not. We know where it stands on …

I support the motion. It is a fact that emergency departments across the country are overburdened. In Mayo, there are significant delays in waiting times and so on. For individuals suffering from mental health difficulties or suicidal ideation, I do not believe an emergency department is appropriate or the best place. Every year, 51,000 people access mental health services for the first time through an emergency department. That is an extraordinary figure. It is extraordinary for the individuals who have to go into…

Domestic violence and abuse is a major issue and a scourge on so many households across this country. What is the Department doing to reduce domestic violence in terms of prevention initiatives, supports for victims and reform of the judicial system in light of the recent case of Margaret Loftus in Mayo?

The case of Margaret Loftus exposes very deep structural problems in An Garda Síochána but also in the judicial system. Her story shows how a victim has been failed, in the first instance by An Garda Síochána and then by the judicial system with regard to how slow and opaque it has been and how that system was weaponised, particularly with regard to the disclosure that was consistently sought by the perpetrator. She stated recently that the judicial system was as traumatising as the abuse itself. Margaret endured o…

I very much welcome the movement in terms of more judges. That is crucially important. We also need to ensure there are statutory timelines for these cases. We cannot have a situation where a victim has to go through the courts for more than a decade. It is unacceptable. Domestic abuse is such a horrendous violation for any individual. We should restrict the use of disclosure orders in domestic abuse cases. There is movement on that Bill and we certainly welcome that. This case presents a particular issue in terms …

Yesterday the European Parliament voted to pause the Mercosur deal. No sooner had that vote taken place than the European Commission and many senior members and politicians, including the German Chancellor, effectively stated that they wanted to proceed provisionally with the implementation of Mercosur. The position of Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission is very clear in relation to this but our position has been ambivalent at best. During the last round at the European Council, you really came in at the eleven…

This Bill is a mixed bag. There are some positive changes and some technical ones that will add efficiencies and so on, but we have some serious concerns about it. I commend Margaret Loftus from County Mayo on her bravery. Margaret suffered horrendous domestic violence. She stated to the media this week that the judicial process was as traumatising and damaging as the abuse itself. She is an incredibly brave woman who endured up to 58 court hearings over 13 to 14 years. She fought over so many years simply to have …

I am just off a plane from Strasbourg. Over the past number of days, I met many MEPs who were wavering and on the fence in relation to this issue, who abstained in the previous vote and who said "I hear your prime minister is against Mercosur, but where is he? How come he never reached out to us?" How is it the case that the programme for Government explicitly states that the Government will work proactively. It took the Opposition, smaller parties and Independents to lead the charge on this, not the Government wit…

I will not interrupt the Minister of State.

The fact is that farmers are bound to the land. In other circumstances, larger corporations, etc., where regulatory burdens become significant, can migrate and relocate. They can create shell companies. Farmers are bound to the land. A farmer in Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Louisburgh or anywhere across the country is farming that land. The Government is putting him at a significant disadvantage. It is a significant anti-competitive practice to allow a product with an inferior standard to compete in the same marketplace…

I ask the Minister of State. If a small party like Aontú can do it-----

When is the Government going to get off the fence and come out against this Mercosur deal-----

-----and not just in relation to the programme for Government but actually-----

-----proactively oppose this deal?