I am coming around to-----

I am not going to withdraw my statement. I am going to explain why-----

It is, and it is on the record of the Dáil. If the Leas-Cheann Comhairle allows me to do so, I will explain my comment. On the record of the Dáil, the Government told us it was taking away the 1 cent NORA levy. In a press release last week, it said it would not do that. Every month, 380 million l of fuel comes into the country. A 1 cent levy on each litre equates to €3.8 million in taxpayers' money the Government said it was going to give back. It did not give it back. It said it would do so on the record, and is n…

Sorry-----

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. What do we call it? Is it a fib? Do we call it mistruths or misleading? Would that suit the House?

The Government misled the people of Ireland, like the Green Party is misleading everyone in this country. People from the Green Party are now coming to me to tell me they cannot understand what the Government is doing. They have a green agenda, but they know that now they have to live for their families. They are all doing an extra bit to protect their families and everyone around them. Everyone is doing it. I am doing it. We are all sharing cars and doing our bit for the environment. My job and that of the Rural I…

Just transition is about giving people a choice and alternatives to move to options when the EU is looking to bring in zero emissions by 2050. The alternatives are not happening. Thirty per cent of Ireland's gas needs to come from the Corrib gas field, our own indigenous source, which will be depleted by the end of the decade. I fully support any plan to develop large-scale offshore wind generation projects. Such massive projects can offer Ireland real potential but they require proper planning and will take billio…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I agree with most of what is contained in it except for the provision whereby a trainee garda may be called on to present in court. I do not agree with that. Any garda who does so must have experience in that field. That is my one concern. I welcome anything that will free up Garda resources. There are many areas around the country in which gardaí are needed but are being held up for days and weeks participating in court cases. Often court cases are suspended, when a…

The Private Members’ motion relates to national schools providing appropriate places for children in our educational system and I agree with it. Why is there no joined-up thinking between Departments? I have asked this question previously. The Departments of Education and Health must talk to each other. We require a needs-based system for children with special needs. The delays in diagnosis are crazy. When parents of children with special needs look for places in the educational system schools will not give places …

In Ireland our circular economy rate is at 1.6% while in Europe it is at 11.3%, which certainly shows a shortfall. Today I want to talk about Shannon Airport. Does it not make sense that the national aviation strategy be changed to address the under-capacity use of Shannon Airport and the overuse of Dublin? Where is the regional development strategy in all of this? Shannon Airport, gateway to the mid-west region, has the largest industrial base outside of Dublin. The region has transitioned to a low-carbon economy …

It is great that the Minister and I agree on something for the first time since I have come up here. Tomorrow morning the Minister could divert flights from Dublin to Shannon and 3 million people would get out of this country with no delays. Some 2 million more people in Cork can be redeployed. The Minister was talking about bringing them up to Dublin but I am talking about taking them out of Dublin. I have people from Dublin ringing me on a constant basis telling me the Government has destroyed their future and th…

As a Deputy representing Limerick, I am proud of the universities there. The University of Limerick, UL, and Limerick Institute of Technology have brought many fine students to many companies in Ireland and around the world. Every university is in crisis due to the lack of accommodation for students. UL currently has 2,900 bed spaces on campus on a 350 acre site. There is ample capacity on the site for a possible four more villages. The campus accommodation is ideal because it is monitored 24 hours a day and there …

I welcome the adaptation grant in the context of the three areas it covers and the quality of life that it gives to people. I have seen first-hand the life-changing effects the grants can have. Unfortunately, the level of funding relating to the grant has major consequences for the most vulnerable in our society. Only €81 million was allocated in 2022. Rising costs, supply chain issues and the scarcity of builders and tradespeople is having a major impact. I thank the county council office in Limerick city and the …

The Bill is very welcome in order that vulnerable adults can be cared for in their decision-making process. The original Act was very difficult for families to navigate to support their vulnerable family members. The Bill will ensure vulnerable adults are protected from coercion and abuse when making important decisions. I welcome, in particular, that a person's previous preferences will be considered, while the views of individuals named by the person will also be taken into account. This is designed to support th…

Social media is a great thing and if we look at it, we will see that more than 12 months ago I brought up that pre-Covid Dublin Airport had 31 million people going through it; Shannon had 1.8 million, with a capacity of 4.5 million; and Cork had 2.4 million, with a capacity of 5 million. I asked the Government at that time to disperse the traffic, which would have lowered emissions for people travelling to airports and would have made other airports sustainable. Did the Government listen? No. The Minister for Trans…

The Minister of State was elected to represent the people. What is he going to say to the husbands, wives and children in this country when they cannot get adequate food to feed their family? Shop owners have told me their turnover has increased by 10% on last year. They tell me the margin on the products they buy into their shop are down by 5% but that their running costs mean they will now have slimmer profit margins than those which they had last year, even though they are turning over more money. The Government…

I welcome my Limerick office team and colleagues who are present today. The staff in our offices are important. How can any hospital function without staff and pay parity? In University Hospital Limerick, UHL, there are seven laboratories that are struggling for laboratory staff. There is a national shortage of medical scientists, so why not ensure remuneration accordingly? In 2020, 130 posts were unfilled. UHL requires medical scientists in seven departments, including biochemistry, microbiology, histology, haemat…

Journalists must be commended on their courage and bravery in tackling many of the issues in conflict zones around the world. I believe 28 journalists have been killed so far in 2022. I offer my condolences to their families and friends. It is sad that so many journalists are targeted with online bullying, threats and hate speech. I understand that female journalists are attacked even more viciously on a regular basis, both online and offline. Many of our news outlets are harassed in the courts when they challenge …

I ask the Minister how gardaí can be integrated into our communities in a way that is visible to the public in towns, villages and rural areas in County Limerick and around the country.

In order to get extra people on the ground, we need to tackle the issue where if a garda is on a shift and there is an arrest, whether for antisocial behaviour, a car accident or whatever else, about three hours of that garda's day then turns into paperwork. Those three hours are spent behind doors where he or she is not visible. To counteract that we need more gardaí on the ground. I understand that more people are being trained up and deployed but we need to ensure that they are covered in the towns, villages and…