We have been in the House on many occasions over the years dealing with legislation that would regulate the building and construction industry. Again and again it failed because of the closeness of whoever was in government at the time to the building industry. Again and again the building industry had influence over legislation. Where did it take us? It took us to the disaster of pyrite on the east coast and mica and pyrite on the west coast. There has been no regulation, light-touch regulation and self-regulation…

They are not agreed.

Last Friday, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland published a damning report relating to Operation Greenwich, which investigated 19 murders between 1989 and 1992. I urge the Taoiseach to look in particular at the issue relating to Person K, who was involved in 16 murders and eight attempted murders. This person was the organiser of the Castlerock and Greysteel massacres. The individual in question has never been convicted of any crime. Despite repeatedly being arrested, charges have never been pressed. Person …

It is critical that we debate the damning findings of the report in question. The challenge for this House lies in holding the British Government to account. I ask that such a debate and statements take place tomorrow.

Today the HSE is to publish the executive summary of the long-awaited Brandon report into abuse at St. Joseph's Community Hospital in Stranorlar, County Donegal. My colleague, Deputy Doherty, among others, has been calling for the full report to be published. It has taken too long to get to this point. It has been a long and harrowing road for the families of those who suffered the most horrendous abuse. They hoped that this report would finally give them the answers they have been waiting on for years. We now know…

The Dáil recently heard statements on the Grace case, which were deeply moving. That is the precedent and I welcome the fact that we will have statements on this report. As the Tánaiste said in his response, lessons have to be learned here. We need the full report to be published. We need all of the facts to be on the table and from that, hopefully, will come accountability and a framework to ensure that this never, ever happens again. The Tánaiste said that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is working with t…

It is now almost a year since the British authorities blocked fishermen from Ireland from accessing their traditional fishing grounds around Rockall. It is absolutely outrageous that, after almost a year, this has not been resolved. Will the Minister clarify the financial loss to our fleets, including in Greencastle, Killybegs and Castletownbere, from the outrageous ongoing action taken by the British Government?

The Minister knows the profound injustice that was delivered on our fleet arising from the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Brexit agreement. For the British authorities to block fishermen from the North and South of this island from accessing their traditional fishery grounds at the loss of millions of euro is an absolute outrage. I just do not feel the anger from the Government. If this happened to Macron and the French fishermen, there would be serious high-level engagements, threats of sanctions and s…

Here are the facts: the British have control of more than 75% of the fish in their waters now. We have been given access to 15% of fish in Irish waters, under the Common Fisheries Policy. The British now have 75% of the fish in their waters. How in the hell can it be justified that they would also keep us out of Rockall, an area with traditional fishing grounds for Donegal fishermen and, indeed, fishermen from Castletownbere? It is sickening that we have allowed this to happen for a year. They have control of 75% o…

This question seeks to establish definitively the position of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in respect of the percentage of fish from Irish waters allocated to the Irish fishing fleet under the CFP. I refer to the Irish exclusive economic zone. I seek to establish that percentage. As the Minister will know, the fishing industry argues that the percentage is 15%. I understand that the Department has argued that it is over 40%. This information is fundamental because, if the extent of the problem…

I believe there is such a thing as lies, damn lies and statistics. If we look at the stock book from the Marine Institute from 2020 and at the total tonnage taken, and its overall value, it will be seen that the total value of the Irish catch was €251,563,000. That was out of a total catch taken from Irish waters by all the EU fleet of €1.62 billion. This is where this 15% comes from. I just checked the stock book for the most recent year, and the catch for last year was even lower - down to €180 million. This is t…

I know the Minister engages with the producer organisations and the relevant representative groups. However, I ask if he will sit down with the four main producer organisations, the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, and the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, his Department's officials and representatives of the Marine Institute to reach agreement as to what the percentage is in this regard. Those organisati…

I am sharing time with Deputies Carthy and Conway-Walsh. The report of the seafood task force is presented as the future of the Irish fishing industry and a blueprint for creating vibrant coastal communities. While there are some good measures in it and, of course, welcome funding, we must face the hard reality. The report, if implemented, will further reduce the Irish fishing fleet and, by consequence, the Irish fishing industry. Ireland has approximately 20% of Europe's northern and western fishing waters. A tota…

This is an important motion, and there is a need for urgency on the issue. I wish to speak to the amendment submitted by Sinn Féin to the motion. It is about the need to have the affected fishing communities directly involved in the pre-planning process and to ensure that their livelihoods are protected. There are enough issues facing our inshore and offshore fishing communities in Ireland. They have been failed by the Common Fisheries Policy. I reiterate - this might shock the Minister as he may not know it - that…

One of the social issues that has captured the hearts and minds of our people over the last year has been the plight of families with homes crumbling down around them in the west of Ireland. The Government has taken action in the last week to address this but I have to raise with the Taoiseach again this issue of the sliding scale. I have correspondence from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to Donegal County Council. The Taoiseach said we have to take the politics out of the sliding scale and…

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, confirmed at a committee meeting this morning, in response to questions from my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, that there will be no more money in the budget for the defective concrete blocks scheme for next year. That budget is €40 million. The Tánaiste knows the urgency of the situation in Donegal, Mayo and other counties, where houses are crumbling down around people. We need to have more money available in the budget for next year. He …

Hear, hear.

No, it is not.

There is no relationship-----

Donegal County Council has it.