I raise the crisis in the pig industry. Since last September, the industry has seen huge losses on a continuing basis. I was talking to pig producers in Barryroe on Friday evening. They have been losing up to €50 per pig on a continuous basis since last September. These are multimillion euro losses. It is affecting both the milling companies and the manufacturing of the product itself at the other end. It is a high-input product where a low value is put on the meat itself at the end of the process, which is disappo…

The Minister is more than welcome to the Chamber. I sympathise with the Ukrainian people and, in particular, the Ukrainian farmers who are stuck on the horns of a dilemma at the moment. When they should be out working the fields, they are in the middle of a war zone. I do not know, and can only imagine, what they are going through. I pass on my sympathies to them on what they are going through at the moment. There are stuck with an unfortunate dilemma. Ukraine is the bread basket of Europe. It is the second largest…

This is a very interesting debate about where and what we plant. Given what is happening throughout Ireland, whether through schools, community organisations or farming groups, this ethos of planting trees has taken root - pardon the pun - in the past five or six year in particular. Co-operative societies have been giving perhaps 200 trees per year to farmers in order that they can plant on their hedgerows and build them up, which are a really positive part of the environment that has changed dramatically over the …

That is not the way it works. We can speak on the Fifth Stage.

We are coming to an important part of the Bill. We have debated it for ten or 12 hours. It has been a significant debate. The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine also went through the Bill. I am not going to rehash the arguments about just transition and how communities and families are going to be affected. This is a significant moment. We are closing an industry because of Government policy. That is a heavy burden on us all tonight. We have spoken about compensation, whether the time concerned sho…

I thought the Leas-Chathaoirleach was going to call Senator Conway, who has just come into the Chamber, rather than me.

I raise the issue of how local authorities are using section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, which allows council executives to make decisions on road traffic issues, including on such matters as the provision of footpaths, public lighting, pedestrian crossings and cycleways. Traditionally, this process would have involved the provisions set out in Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, whereby local authority members would have their say. However, we are now seeing a bizarre scenario in which lo…

I want to comment on the news coming from the Cabinet today that the food ombudsman legislation is being moved forward, which is something we need to welcome. This House needs to be actively involved in that engagement. We spoke about having the ability to put a body in place to help the food industry, to help the farmer at the farm gate and to show there is the ability to get a fair price. It is part of the programme for Government and something we all support. I would be concerned that this is a watered-down vers…

The Seanad has debated this issue at length three times. We have discussed it at length, gone around the House and asked the Department for clarification and to address issues regarding a just transition for these communities. Three communities will be affected, with 35 jobs lost and 35 families affected, and the three farming families will lose their incomes. This will happen not because of economic issues but because of a Government policy decision. We have been trying to hammer out in this House a way to ensure …

I acknowledge the Minister of State and thank him for his contribution this evening. We have had hours on this debate and building trust has been a big issue for us. I acknowledge the contribution made by my learned colleague from Galway, Senator Crowe, about the lack of communication. That is a significant issue we have had here. When we have met the farmers, the Minister gave us the impression there would be engagement. The level of engagement has not been satisfactory and because of that, we are here for our thi…

The Minister of State is more than welcome to the Chamber. I want to ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, to make a statement on whether he has plans to regulate Airbnb properties to ensure the rental market is not grossly impacted by short-term lettings through Airbnb. I have raised continuously the lack of realistic regulations on Airbnb. Airbnb plays a role in the marketplace that is distorting the rental market. This morning in Kinsale, a town close to my home, 60 propert…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. He said it will be 2023 before we have the regulations brought forward, which is disappointing for patrons in my part of the world. The blight of trying to get a house will continue for at least another 12 months at this rate. These regulations need to be brought forward immediately. I ask that the Minister of State clarify whether Airbnb properties are now in a position to draw down the €200 rebate for energy costs. I think that is sinful. Not alone are…

I would like to mention an issue that has been raised by many Senators, namely, the energy crisis that we are dealing with at the moment. Oil prices, in particular, are reaching nearly €200 a barrel today. I think this is considered to be the largest energy shock we have ever seen in the history of the new world, as they say. It puts us in a completely different space. We need to start talking about energy security and where Ireland fits into it with its own energy security policy. Is it appropriate or logical for …

When is it proposed to sit again?

I wish to talk about an issue I have spoken about before, which is, how we use our public amenities. There is a swimming pool complex in Dunmanway that unfortunately lies idle half the time. This is a huge issue for our society. We put €5 million into a complex and have it open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days a week. It is run by the local authority. I was there last week and one of the big issues is that it is not open at weekends. Where is the joined-up thinking here? There is an issue about how we provid…

I had tabled some amendments that were rejected. I am not sure for what reason. I have written to the Cathaoirleach looking for a definition of what he believes is the reason.

No, but they have been rejected. As a Government party Senator, it takes a lot for me to table amendments to a Bill. It is a very unusual process. In fact, this is my first time in the Seanad to have done so. I have no skin in this game. The people involved are not from my part of the world at all, but I thought we needed fairness regarding the decision itself. I spoke at length in the previous debate about trying to get fairness for community, society and for these people who will be out of business because of a G…

I acknowledge the Minister's contribution, and also those contributions from Members of the Seanad. I look at this process and I just wonder. At the moment we are bringing legislation through and then we will have a regulation coming afterwards. I understand that process, but I believe that the spirit of my amendment, which was to have a mediator, is a pragmatic approach. It is very hard to bring the legislation through and then on the other side be the person who is going to debate what the compensation package wi…

I thank the Cathaoirleach and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, to the Chamber. I tabled this Commencement matter this morning to ask for an update on the funding for show societies. We have 120 show societies in Ireland and they are a very important part of our rural fabric. The show societies are, in fact, a great celebration of what we do really well in rural Ireland. They are a real boost to the local economy. They attract visitors from both urban and rural settings to visit these shows. They…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive acknowledgement that money is held in trust to the amount of €400,000 to help the show societies. The review that is in place for the 2022 session is very much welcomed. Will the Minister of State elaborate on when that review will be finalised, taking into consideration that many of these shows will start in May? If the Minister of State comes to my part of the world, we have 12 wonderful shows. If he gets the opportunity to call to west Cork over the summer, I a…