Hear, hear.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Cullinane as ucht an rún seo a chur os comhair na Dála anocht. I had to double-check these figures, but last month, 1,108 patients at Letterkenny University Hospital, LUH, languished on hospital trolleys without beds. That is a disgrace. It is the third most overcrowded hospital in the State, and the situation is getting worse by the week. When Fine Gael took office back in 2011, there were 81 patients without access to LUH that November. In November 2022, there were 1,108. That is …

Tá impleachtaí anois ag an ngéarchéim tithíochta do chomhlachtaí agus do sheirbhísí poiblí, dár scoileanna agus dár n-ospidéil, ar fud an Stáit. Níl altraí ábalta tithíocht a fháil in aice leis na hospidéil ina n-oibríonn siad. Tá altraí sa tír seo againn anois a chaitheann leath dá gcuid pá ar chíos achan mhí agus go minic ar thithíocht atá mí-oiriúnach, agus tá go leor daoine ann nach bhfuil ábalta fiú amháin áit chónaithe a fháil ar chor ar bith. The Government's housing disaster is now leading to a staff crisis…

The Tánaiste talked about pay agreements and so on. Half the nurses in this State did not get the pay increase to which they were entitled that other public sector workers got in October. That is how we are treating nurses. The issue of rents and housing is at crisis point. The Tánaiste said the Government is not doing enough. I put it to him that so many people are emigrating because they see no hope his Government will change track. For 12 years, Fine Gael has been in government. For 12 years, individuals, be the…

No, it will not.

It is €500 per year.

It is €500 per year. Stop misleading the Dáil.

Last night, there was a very important debate in the House. I must put on record again that Sinn Féin welcomes the fact that the Minister for Health accepted some of our concerns regarding the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019 and has now agreed to bring forward an amendment to deal with one of the issues we raised. That is very much welcome. I am also conscious that, as I speak, this is a very difficult day for Stephen Teap, who has just agreed a settlement in relation to the laborator…

Unfortunately, I was dealing with another Bill that was on Committee Stage and therefore missed part of this discussion, but I have listened keenly to the Minister's concluding remarks. I acknowledge and welcome the fact he has accepted the need to amend the Bill at this late stage and to ensure women are informed of their right to seek a review. Others across the House have said that this does not normally happen in respect of legislation and debates, but this is a very different debate and we all understand this.…

The women have to ask.

Ar fud an Stáit, tá an Rialtas ag ligean síos agus ag teip ar leanaí agus ar dhaoine óga le míchumas agus riachtanais speisialta. Níl idirghabháil a d’athródh saolta na bpáistí seo á cur ar fáil dóibh. Tá na mílte daoine óga le míchumas agus riachtanais speisialta fágtha ar an imeall agus an Rialtas seo ag diúltú seirbhísí dóibh. Inniu, ba mhaith liom cás Harry, gasúr beag naoi mbliana d’aois as Baile Átha Cliath, a ardú leis an Aire. Across the State, children and young people with disabilities and special needs a…

I listened to what the Minister said and I am sure Harry's parents will be listening closely to what he said. Let me say that Harry cannot wait until next autumn. Harry had serious hip surgery last year. Harry's family and the school have been engaging with the HSE for a year, to no avail. This is an issue of whether Harry will be able stand and walk again in the future and there is no reason that should not happen with the proper services that have been denied to him for over a year since his surgery. Harry is a c…

Dodging the answer.

That is not what she is saying.

And according to the Taoiseach, the banks were never bailed out in the first place. Is that not right? Give them the bonuses and the pay. They were never bailed out in the first place.

Tá sé tagtha chun solais go bhfuil táillí bóithre dola ar fud an Stáit le hardú go dtí an leibhéal is airde. Is buille ollmhór é seo d’oibrithe agus do theaghlaigh, ag am ina bhfuil praghsanna peitril agus díosail chomh hard is atá siad. Buailfidh na táillí seo go mór agus go díreach iad siúd atá ina gcónaí i bpobail tuaithe nach bhfuil mórán rogha acu ach a gcuid carranna a úsáid de bharr ganntanas iompar poiblí. Le linn na paindéime Covid-19, bhí ar na cáiníocóirí seasamh isteach agus na milliúin a íoc leis na co…

Motorists listening to the Tánaiste will find it incredible, including the people he says he represents in his constituency who use tolls. TII put out a notification last year. Tolls increased this year already across eight roads. That has already happened and the second increase will take effect on 1 January. These tolls are increasing unless there is Government action. The Tánaiste is suggesting two things. The first is that they have not increased in the last year. That is not true. They did increase this year. …

This week, Mr. Asadullah Aslam, a consultant urologist at Letterkenny University Hospital, LUH, resigned his position in public practice. He said he made his decision as a result of impossible working conditions at LUH. This has come as a shock. It is really troubling and saddening for patients to lose such an experienced healthcare professional. It is a worrying time for them with respect to their own pathway to care and the conditions in the hospital that led to Mr. Aslam's resignation are concerning for all of u…

I appreciate that.

There are three amendments in this group and all deal with the issue of the USC. I have made the point before that the leader of Fine Gael, the Tánaiste and former Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, made commitments around the USC on numerous occasions that he has broken. He used to parade around the streets of Dublin with big posters saying he was going to be the leader that abolished the USC. He then made a speech at his party Ard-Fheis saying he was going to merge it with PRSI. The Minister for Finance told us recently…