Agriculture across the country is in crisis. I do not make that statement lightly. Every year, farmers leave the land. The number of farmers is reducing throughout the Twenty-six Counties. According to Teagasc, only one third of farmers make a living out of the farm. Another third of farmers only make a living because somebody is working off the farm. A full third of farmers are currently making losses. They are in poverty or are going into debt. The threats that we will see a 30% reduction in the national herd are…

That was probably the most nebulous, vague response that we have got to such an important question in this Chamber in a long time. It is incredible that the sector which produces food for this country and is the backbone of rural communities is facing a significant cut to its livelihood by this Government. The EPA report is clear in its focus and targeting of the agricultural sector to reduce climate-changing emissions. The difficulty, as I know from farmers, is that they know change is needed but they do not want …

The trust of farmers in this Government is very low and I will tell the Minister of State why it is low. We have a supply chain in agriculture at the moment that usually consists of a farmer, maybe a factory, and a supermarket. Agriculture is enormously profitable in this country but all of that profit lands in the last two elements of that supply chain. The factories and supermarkets are making supernormal profits from produce that farmers are making, and the farmers are typically making barely above the cost of p…

More than 1,000 people, mostly women, attended a sexual assault treatment unit in 2022. It is the first time the figure has gone above 1,000. It has increased by 20% in just a year. One fifth of the people attending those clinics were children. Reported sexual offences have increased by nearly 100% in the last ten years. The number of rapes has increased by more than 100% in the last ten years. CARI, an organisation which works with children, says there has been a 44% increase in the number of sexual assaults by ch…

This weekend, we learned about the AIB write-down for D.J. Carey of more than 99%, which is an incredible figure. It is a jaw-dropping figure. Many people who have experience of mortgage distress, whether it be as a result of illness, the fact that their homes are affected by mica - theirs are mortgages on lumps of rubble - or the fact that they own small businesses, will have been told by their banks that it is impossible to give write-downs in order to reduce the level of debt that they owe. It is very difficult …

Today, thousands of teachers and healthcare workers in the North of Ireland are on strike. They are on strike because there have been real-term cuts to their salaries in the last number of years. The education sector is in a massive crisis in the North at the moment, with the former Minister of Education, Ms Michelle McIlveen, admitting that there was a £750 million hole in the education budget. Health, education, housing and transport are all in crisis. One of the reasons they are in crisis is because there is no …

In the past couple of days, Aontú has received information that shows nearly 400 people have died while homeless in this State in the past five years. That figure is shockingly sad. Many people in this country have died in homeless situations in a short period of time. The figure does not even include people who have died while rough sleeping. It only includes those who have accessed homeless services. Shockingly, that figure is only for Dublin. It does not reflect what is happening in the rest of the State. No one…

What about the 400 deaths of people in homelessness?

Not per capita . It is lower per capita .

This year 150 gardaí-----

Shockingly, more than 1,000 people, the vast majority of whom are women, attended a sexual assault treatment unit last year. This is the first time the figure has ever surpassed 1,000. The number of people who attended those assault units jumped by 20%, 200 people more than last year. The truth of the matter is that this is only the tip of the iceberg of what is happening. Typically, international studies have shown that those who present to these types of units are only the tip of the iceberg. A fifth of those who…

Only about 60% of the people who presented at these units actually reported these crimes to the Garda. That figure actually fell last year. There is no evidence that there is an increase in the number of people who are reporting these crimes as a proportion of the number of crimes happening. Ireland is becoming a more violent country in terms of sexual crime, significantly over the last ten years. In 2011, there were 1,958 sexual offences recorded. In 2021, the figure increased by 75% to 3,433 sexual offences. In 2…

Children at Risk Ireland, CARI, is a specialist professional organisation that deals with children who have been sexually abused. It found that in the past two years there has been a 44% increase in the number of cases of sexual abuse perpetrated on children by children. There is a massive problem with the consumption of hardcore pornography among children. I spoke to a parent at Christmas who looked at a screen a child was using. There were two searches: one was for Santa Claus and the other was for explicit, hard…

We are talking about ten-year old and 12-year old children.

Okay, let us just sit on our hands.

Like most people, I want to see a situation where we can provide shelter and safe harbour for those fleeing violence, war and famine. Like most people, I believe this country should be the good Samaritan in times of need. It must be said that many refugees and migrants have been welcomed successfully in communities in most parts of the country. However, I will address today's debate. It is possible to show compassion to those who really need it and yet seek a sustainable and robust system that cannot be abused. It …

Last year, the Government took more in VAT on fuel and energy than in any previous year. That is an incredible fact. Statistics we in Aontú have through parliamentary questions have shown the Government is quids in and making massive amounts in VAT on energy. VAT on electricity last year reached a record level of €381 million, up 40% on 2021. VAT on petrol, diesel, solid fuels and liquified petroleum gas has increased nearly 30% in a year in which families were hit and hurting the most. The Government is taking mor…

Last year, I raised the case of Ms R who had false information recorded on her Tusla file, including that she was an alcoholic. Tusla has admitted this was not true, Ms R got her son back and there has been a public apology. She is now taking a case against the State but she was shocked that the legal defence of the State Claims Agency is in contradiction with the apology issued by Tusla. She contacted the CEO of Tusla who agreed with her. Tusla contacted the State Claims Agency and told the agency that Tusla was n…

I am not asking the Taoiseach to do that.

This is wrong, is it not?