As a party we know the challenges that farmers, fishermen and rural dwellers face. Not only can agriculture deliver on food and decarbonisation objectives, we firmly believe the industry has a role to play in decarbonising other sectors of business and industry, delivering on biodiversity, nature restoration and energy security. Farmers in ACRES are in limbo. An announcement has been made today but they have had months of craziness, with thousands of farmers still waiting for proper payment and vital information on…

That is why we have to create a country to which they can come back. Agriculture operates on an island-wide basis and our commission on the family farm would include representatives and stake holders from all 32 counties. Under the Government, we have seen the imbalance in regional development laid bare. It is true that the eastern seaboard, Dublin and other cities must be supported but to do this at the expense of other regions is not just unfair, it is foolhardy. Rural solutions solve national problems, particula…

At the outset, I want to send my condolences to the family of Aoife Johnston, a beautiful 16-year-old girl who lost her life. It could have been completely avoidable. That is the issue in terms of the healthcare we are delivering in 2024. How many more people have had their lives cut short because they have not received the timely healthcare they need and deserve? We do not know exactly how many have been affected, but many families know that their loved ones would have lived longer or be here today if they had rec…

The Apple tax scandal brings the dreadful decisions taken by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on behalf of the people into plain sight. First, to facilitate one company making a profit of €104 billion without paying any corporation tax is reckless on a global scale. What kind of a show was Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael running that allowed stateless companies with no tax residence anywhere in the world? What kind of a country was being run? I cannot imagine what it would be like if it were not for Deputy Pearse Doherty, who p…

While I welcome this Bill and the vital and long-overdue protections it will help to guarantee for citizens of the State, I despair at the snail's pace of progress on reform in mental health services, and even more crucially, on the provision of those services for those people who need them. As I was sitting here, I was imagining if previous Governments had really resourced A Vision for Change and put the resources and what was needed behind it, where we would be now. In February this year, Sinn Féin tabled legisla…

I welcome the Bill. In everything we do in this area, our concern is that there be fairness for farmers. It is also about bringing the enjoyment back into farming. The Minister knows all about the various schemes, the associated bureaucracy and everything that has happened over the years. I accept completely that there must be proper governance of everything that is done. However, the weight of bureaucracy attached to some of the schemes is sucking the joy out of farming. That is certainly the case for many farmers…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Bhille. Bunaíodh Údarás na Gaeltachta de thoradh gluaiseacht chearta sibhialta na Gaeltachta sna 1960idí agus 1970idí nuair a throid pobail Ghaeltachta chun guth a bheith acu ina bhforbairt féin trí thoghcháin díreacha. Ó tharla na toghcháin deireanacha in 2005, chuir Fianna Fáil na toghcháin ar athló agus fuair Fine Gael agus an Lucht Oibre réidh leo go hiomlán, ag cur ceapacháin an Aire agus na gcomhairle contae ina n-áit. A bhuí le gníomhaíocht an phobail, agus freasúra éifeachtach Shinn F…

We are here again discussing this motion, for which I thank the Social Democrats, but I wonder how many more motions we will need. I do not see the type of progress needed. In this regard, we should bear in mind Natasha O'Brien, Bláthnaid Raleigh and the women of Women of Honour. Like so many others, I watched in absolute horror the footage concerning the women of the FAI, who are absolutely haunted by what happened to them. The question that came into my mind was why it happened and why did nobody say "stop" or ca…

I thank my colleague Deputy Carthy for tabling this motion. When I entered the Seanad, it was my colleague Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn who first told me this absolutely unbelievable story. It is as unbelievable today as it was then. I am absolutely astonished that the best the Minister can provide is that she will write to the justice committee to allow it time. Time? How much more time do the O'Farrell family have to go through? The Minister is a mother. I am a mother. My son is almost 23. That is what Shane O'Far…

I really appreciate that. I take this opportunity to offer my sincere condolences to the family of John O'Mahony. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Gerardine, and their five daughters, as well as the wider family and friends, including his wider family in the GAA and the Fine Gael Party. I offer my condolences to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and all his colleagues. I served with John in the Seanad and always found him to be an absolute gentleman. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. It will be no surprise t…

I look forward to the meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight tomorrow evening. I am sure the Minister understands why we need the figures for the budget preparation. I refer to what the Minister stated is provided for health. He is providing €1.5 billion in funding for the health service this year. That will be in the base for 2025, but the Government is then providing an existing level of service funding of €1.2 billion. For more than a year, Sinn Féin has rightly called out the Government's deliberate un…

What has been announced today for the health service does not provide for any measures to increase capacity or improve services: it simply allows it to stand still. The capital budget outlined in the statement leaves the budget short by €1.5 billion, based on the targets of the national development plan, in terms of the 5% of GNI*. Sinn Féin wanted to see a change of course on housing in response to the Housing Commission's report. The report called for a radical reset of housing policy, yet we do not see any addit…

What plans does the Minister have to extend the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General to public bodies such as RTÉ? As soon as the RTÉ scandal broke we in Sinn Féin called on the Government to bring the broadcaster under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the State auditor. When will this be done?

It is very important this is done. It is important that it is done in conjunction with the future funding model of RTÉ. There is no better form of financial oversight and it would immediately increase the transparency and accountability needed to restore confidence. This is why we produced the necessary legislation in the weeks following the scandal. It is a simple and direct measure. I was surprised in the media committee, when I put it to the chief executive of RTÉ, that the Government had not been in touch about…

I welcome that it is happening, but it should happen this week to give the Dáil and the media committee a chance to debate the proposal. Sinn Féin has called on the Government to scrap the television licence, as the Minister will be aware, and to fund RTÉ and other broadcast services directly because the TV licence is outdated and regressive. It is wrong that people are dragged through the courts for not paying for a TV licence when no one was held accountable for the misuse of public money in RTÉ. There is no excu…

It is accountability.

The Minister reeled off a number of initiatives. I commend her on the initiatives she has taken but they do not deal with the embedded culture of tolerance of gender-based violence we have had in this State for decades. There are several things she can do. In fact, good things were being done in communities two decades ago to create zero tolerance of gender-based violence. What happened? When Fine Gael came into power and under the Fianna Fáil Government during austerity, all those things were cut dead completely. …

I also thank Deputies Farrell and Ó Broin for their work on this legislation. It is an important step forward to protect both students and homeowners. We do not want to discourage people from renting out rooms but we feel the generous amounts in tax subsidies allowed should come with a requirement to protect those renting out rooms. However, the overall issue of student accommodation has been neglected by this Government. We have had promise after promise, but we see the impact in counties like my own, Mayo, with s…

I welcome the announcement that Bríd O’Flaherty has been appointed chair of the sodium valproate inquiry. I have worked with the families involved for the past eight years on this matter. I acknowledge the work that the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, has done on this and the fact that he has kept his commitment. He knows as well as I do - and we agree on much of this - that it is long overdue. In particular, I commend OACS Ireland and Epilepsy Ireland for the work they have done. I also commend all t…

Figures released to me show there are fewer asylum applicants and Ukrainians in State-funded accommodation today than a year ago. Almost 10,000 fewer people are being housed by the State than there were at the start of the year, with 85,215 in January and 76,087 now. This is a positive development but I was taken aback when I saw these figures and I think most people would be. The chaos splashed across the media presents a very different story. The Government's handling of this issue creates an impression of a syst…