What do they say to the businessman who says he has to let an employee go because his business cannot survive in this environment? It is the Government and the Minister for Finance who have decided to increase excise duty to a point where we can no longer survive. The Government is silent on this issue. I appeal to everybody who has the backs of ordinary people across this State to support Sinn Féin's motion, back the people and stop these hikes.

I know we have done this through parliamentary questions, and so has my colleague Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, but I want to ask the Minister about the designation and reclassification of Magheraroarty pier in County Donegal as a landing port for UK-registered vessels, similar to other piers and harbours in the county. This is something that would be transformative for the area and which the local community and businesses have sought for a long time due to the implications of Brexit. It is absolutely necessary, pa…

The Minister knows this case well because they have been in correspondence with him. He knows there is a vessel that has always been going in and out of Magheraroarty. He knows it now holds a UK licence and that the infrastructure it relies on is in Magheraroarty, the sheds and all the rest. He knows that the crew who are on that vessel are also from that area around Magheraroarty, and he knows that because he will not put pen to paper, he is forcing them to travel an extra three hours by boat around to Burtonport.…

Young Muireann Kavanagh has shown the Minister up for what he is. He is the person with hot air. He should tell the truth to the Dáil now. The only time he reached out to Muireann Kavanagh was after she went out on the media - that very morning. That is the reality. She wrote to him twice. A young 14-year-old fisherwoman from the island of Arranmore watches from her bedroom as the supertrawlers sweep up fish and the Minister prevents her from fishing with a line. He will not carry out the reassessment we want of th…

The SFPA had no problem going to Magheraroarty in the early hours of the morning on a Sunday on three occasions to board that vessel. When that vessel wants to bring product and land it in Magheraroarty, the Minister for fisheries tells us that the SFPA does not have the resources to make the journey to Magheraroarty. That is hot air.

I appeal to the Minister, on behalf of fishermen in my community, to take out his pen and sign the document to reclassify Magheraroarty as a designated pier that will support that community and vessel and could also support other jobs in that community as well.

After she went on radio.

The Minister has created many an empty vessel.

I think it is important that the Minister does not mislead the Dáil. Muireann Kavanagh wrote to the Minister in December.

Do not try to spin a lie. She is a 14-year-old girl. She wrote to the Minister a second time. When the parents were going on radio, the Minister sent a handwritten note to her at that point in time. Do not try to mislead the Dáil. This is a young person who is standing up not only for her own rights but for fishing rights across the community. She is currently in Strasbourg because the Minister is not doing his job.

Chuaigh níos mó ná 100,000 páiste bunscoile gan choinne scagthástála fiaclóireachta anuraidh. Tá sé soiléir ó Fheidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte gur tharla seo mar gheall nach bhfuil an fheidhmeannacht ábalta níos mó baill foirne fiaclóireachta poiblí a earcú mar gheall ar an gcosc earcaíochta atá i bhfeidhm ag an Rialtas agus mar gheall ar mhíbhainistíocht ár seirbhísí sláinte. Gan dabht, tá níos fearr tuillte ag ár bpáistí. More than 100,000 primary school children went without dental screening appointments las…

The one thing on which I can agree with the Minister is that there is serious pressure on the system. Where we differ, however, is that the Government is putting the pressure on the system. The clinical lead tells us in correspondence we have from the HSE that it is a Government decision that is preventing these children from being treated. We have a serious problem. One in two children who are entitled to these appointments are not getting them. That is 100,000 young children. We all know the impact that delayed d…

The HSE states that no additional staff will be appointed.

No, you do not.

Lift the embargo.

Lift the embargo.

This is laughable stuff.

The Government is pushing forward with Fianna Fáil's Bill that will cost local sporting clubs, charities and community organisations thousands of euro in vital fundraising. It is doing this because it is conflating fundraising with gambling across the board. We support the regulation of gambling. A quick search shows that Tus GAA Club, a playgroup, Club Limerick GAA, Tang GAA Club, Oranmore Football Club, Vision Ireland bingo on Highland Radio, North West Hospice bingo on Ocean FM and Kilmacanogue GAA will be affec…

Unfortunately, this debate is ahead of schedule. As a result, I missed some of the earlier contributions, which went very swiftly. Although it is in the Register of Member's Interests, I want to declare that I am a director of a not-for-profit music festival in Donegal. Everyone is welcome to come on 12 July. This music festival, being not for profit, also operates a philanthropic lottery licence. I just wanted to clarify this. This amendment deals with section 9 which repeals what would be, with the passage of thi…

That is the problem with what the Minister of State is bringing before the House today. The Government really needs to have a rethink here. This is seriously problematic legislation for those cohorts. I completely and utterly welcome the rest of it. We need strict regulation because problem gambling is an issue, as is gambling addiction. The gambling fund and authority are very good and very worthy and are deserving of our support. The problem here is in relation to community groups, charities, philanthropic bodies…