As I understand it, the recent European Council meeting was dedicated mainly to Ukraine, energy and the economy. This was the seventh time since Russia began the war that EU leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, which gives a clear indicator of the importance of this topic and the effect this war has had on all of Europe. However, I fear that due to the constant focus on Russia, the EU is failing to address other issues adequately. For example, I note that at the Council meeting, EU leaders reiterated that Ru…

-----but there is no excuse for the behaviour of NATO either. It has been pushing and pushing and using Ukraine as a proxy in its own conflict with Russia. That is what has been happening across the board. We have to be very careful and maintain our neutrality. Our neutrality gives us a unique and much-needed voice for peace in Europe and throughout the rest of the world. We should be using that and be proud to do so. I note that the Council mentioned the EU military assistance mission, the first common security an…

I was not aware there was a question and answer session. I have two questions about the military support for Ukraine and the training effort that will take place in Europe. What will Ireland's role be in that regard and in terms of participation in the event? On the cost of gas and electricity, the document says the Council meeting in December will address this again. Are we going to see concrete proposals to address the issue after December? When will the proposals come forward?

It is clear this is a complicated issue for legislation to deal with, as all the Deputies who have spoken made clear by pointing out the complexity of meeting some of its requirements. The Minister outlined the extensive procedure her Department went through in the form of public consultation, with many meetings and a number of independently facilitated discussion workshops that took place throughout the country. She indicated that a series of meetings had been held with interested groups, organisations, academics,…

When is Committee Stage? Is it next week?

Can it be pulled?

Sure it is.

The issue of long Covid is very serious and I fully support the call in the motion to fully staff post-Covid clinics, to establish a multidisciplinary public health team to review and manage long Covid care in the population, and to develop the rehabilitative and recovery programme designed to meet the needs of those experiencing long Covid. The effects of long Covid are extremely concerning. Many people in my constituency of Donegal are experiencing long Covid and the effects are devastating. The health supports n…

I understood I was to speak. In Donegal, 7,700 properties are lying vacant while 2,646 families are on the housing list in the county. There is no doubt that there is a direct link between dereliction and the current housing crisis. There is also no doubt that the whole us-versus-them narrative is one that has been fuelled by this Government unfortunately. For this, it should be ashamed. There is no reason we cannot house all those on the housing list in Donegal, displaced refugees and all those affected by the mic…

There is no rental accommodation.

Maybe the Taoiseach does not recognise the urgency of the situation. Even if the mica scheme works well and 300 mica houses are done every year, where will the 300 affected families be housed? If 300 houses are done every year, it will take many years to get through all the houses affected by mica. We should be earmarking, buying and servicing sites now for temporary accommodation for people because when this scheme starts it will be too late to look for housing as it will take a year to deliver the houses. We cann…

The Taoiseach is not representing what I said properly.

In 2013 Gerard Convie went to the High Court to quash a report presented to this House by a predecessor of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. The Department conceded to the overturning of its own report findings that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in the planning department of Donegal County Council, apologised to Mr. Convie and paid him substantial compensation. This led to the commissioning of the Mulcahy report in 2015, which was to be completed in October that year. It took almost two years for it to be…

I worked in water services as a caretaker for Donegal County Council in the real world before I came in here. I know exactly what the Rural Independents were saying when they spoke about the work and commitment of water workers to ensure that water supplies continue across rural Ireland. One would be forgiven for reading the Minister of State's speech and thinking there were no water services before Irish Water came about. That was not the case. There were large water services that were kept going by people in loca…

I thank the Acting Chair for the opportunity to speak on this legislation today. I support the creation of a Ukraine credit guarantee scheme, developed under the provisions of the EU temporary crisis framework to support firms struggling with the economic difficulties resulting from the aggression against Ukraine by Russia. Recent months have been very difficult for small business owners, particularly those in rural Ireland. I spoke recently to a shop owner in my constituency of Donegal who has seen an incredible 1…

I welcome the Ceann Comhairle back to the House after his recent illness. Yesterday marked one month since the devastating explosion took place at the Applegreen station in Creeslough. Donegal has not been the same since that day. I speak on behalf of the entire county when I say that our hearts are broken and our thoughts are constantly with those who passed and their friends and families. A community was changed forever on 7 October and it is unimaginable to think what the loss of ten people is to a community of …

Last week saw the Donegal Rape Crisis Centre report that it had 38 teenagers use its services in 2022, which is the highest level anywhere in the country. The manager of the centre has said that the level of physical violence accompanying the sexual violence is really very frightening. The manager went on to say: Each month now we can't keep up with the number of referrals both under and over 18. The number of under 18s [reporting] at the moment is just staggering, it really, really is. One of the issues highlighte…

I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It struck me while reading this legislation that despite Ireland being ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a relatively strong economy, this is in no way reflected on the ground in our cities, towns or rural communities. When I make my way to work in the morning, whether it be to Leinster House or my constituency office in Killybegs, I see no indications of living in a wealthy country or even a functioning one. A functio…

Community welfare officers are under severe pressure throughout the country with the roll-out of a huge increase in exceptional needs payments due to the energy crisis. Many citizens who would not otherwise have experience of the system now have to try to get assistance. In Donegal the system is stretched to the limit with sick leave. We now also have a case involving a full-time carer living in Bundoran who has been directed to Letterkenny for a local service. That is a distance of almost 75 km. There does not app…

The Mica Action Group has been in existence since 2014. I want the Taoiseach to reflect on that for a minute. A group of individuals and families whose homes were crumbling were forced to join together in order to raise awareness about this devastating and extremely dangerous situation, after being ignored and essentially abandoned by the Government. The last eight years have brought nothing but stress and heartbreak to this group. After its pleas fell on deaf ears, it became expert on mica and defective blocks. It…