I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, allowing us time to highlight the increasing price of food and how that problem has been made worse by Government actions. I again feel it is necessary to draw attention to the increase in carbon tax as one of the causes of price increases everywhere, including for food. To take it from its origin, the farmers who sow the crops have been hit with increased fuel costs via the carbon tax. Farmers are also faced with higher costs on the shelves because what they buy …

My question, which is for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, relates to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. In both north Wexford and south Wexford, we do not have a full complement of staff in CAMHS. In recent weeks, as I have raised in the House before, the clinical nurse specialist, who has 13 years' service, moved to the Wexford north service. There was no proper handover and no transfer of his computer or any of the other things he requires. I had a very distressing telephone call this morni…

I apologise to my Sinn Féin colleagues. I skipped ahead by accident. Next is Deputy Cronin followed by Deputy Ó Murchú.

Deputies Richmond and Bruton are sharing time.

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the issue. When it comes to housing, the various rules, regulations and proposals being debated by the Government and the main Opposition party are, as the saying goes, like “two bald men fighting over a comb”. I do not have a great deal of confidence that either side is identifying the root causes. The Bill deals with what I would describe as cosmetic issues given that the crucial issues are more structural and need to be the focus of our attention. The housing situati…

I thank the staff of Leinster House for how they treated Leo Dixon, the nine-year-old child in a wheelchair who visited me here yesterday. I know nobody from the Cabinet was able to meet him, although they knew he was coming. Today, more than half of all children with disabilities are not receiving any services and the position is getting worse rather than better. We are in the midst of a catastrophic crisis in child disability services. Healthcare services for our most vulnerable are getting worse to the extent th…

His mother is a widow and she is also his main carer and that of his brother, who is also autistic. He has been told it will be five years before he gets an appointment that he requires to deal with the weight gain.

Will the Tánaiste please intervene?

Next is the Rural Independent Group, but no one is present. That brings us to the Independent Group and Deputy Connolly.

We are well ahead of schedule.

I thank the Deputy.

The Deputy can continue.

That concludes Deputies' statements, unless Deputy Ellis is coming in to speak.

That is fine.

At the outset, I want to say that I am not a climate change denier but I am a realist. So far, I have not heard enough debate that I could describe as level or equal to both sides. I reiterate some of what I said in the statements on agriculture last week. The level of balance when it comes to debating climate change and climate action measures is non-existent among our public service broadcasters. Private media companies are entitled to promote particular editorial opinions on whatever subjects they like but the s…

The Deputy’s time is up.

Yes, quickly. The Minister has one minute.

We could be here all day.

I thank the Minister.

Deputy, please. We have another Deputy who wishes to speak. I thank Deputy Shortall.