Good.

I appreciate the speaking time. I accept this is a difficult issue but I believe that once the door is opened, there will be no such thing as limiting access. We have seen that in all jurisdictions where assisted dying has been introduced it has grown and grown. Often what happens in a situation such as this is the proponents propose something very limited at the beginning and it then gets widened. As somebody who is not, according to Wikipedia, quite the age of the esteemed Acting Chair but who is in the older age…

This Dáil is nearly finished anyway.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Tá mé cinnte go mbeidh an-spéis ag an Leas Cheann-Comhairle san ábhar seo.

Beidh mé in ann labhairt ar a son go cinnte dearfa. Evacuations from islands happen all the time. They have always happened. We have improved ferry services, and there are lifeboats on some of the islands. We also have the helicopter rescue service, which is extremely important for the islands. However, the number of evacuations has grown rapidly as mass tourism has come to the islands. This is particularly the case when it comes to bike hire. Islanders will tell you observe that many people who have not cycled for…

One of the great frustrations of being a Member of this House are the padded answers that tell you everything except what you need to know and that address everything except what you addressed. What I wanted to speak about was the urgent need to provide funding to the NAS to enable it to provide ambulance services on offshore islands. This issue has been raised by the doctors who service the islands. In particular, it has been raised with me by the doctor who serves Clare Island, Inis Toirc and Inis Bigil. It has a…

That is not the issue. How do you get to that service? How do you get to the airfield if the person lives or is located two miles away.

Doctors are trained.

The doctor tells me when he is confronted with somebody on the side of-----

There are two. Inis Mór and-----

I am sure the Minister and I are both very pleased that means testing has been so much on the agenda today. There is a need to deal with the issue of carers and I applaud the progress the Minister has made. However, she and I know there are a lot of other anomalies. I will give one simple example, which is the disability allowance and people who have a lifelong disability who inherit from parents, along with siblings. The siblings get their money tax-free up to €400,000. However, if the disabled sibling were to inh…

Will you, now?

With the days getting shorter and the dark evenings getting longer, and with the clocks due to change in a few weeks, does the Minister agree that visibility for road users, particularly vulnerable road users, is important? My question has two parts. Has consideration been given to making it mandatory for cyclists to wear high-visibility jackets of some type after sunset? They are of great assistance in terms of visibility to other road users, including other cyclists and pedestrians as well as motorists. In areas …

Gabhaim buíochas. Ar ndóigh, níor airigh mé na blianta ag imeacht. Is í seo an uair dheireanach a bheidh deis agam cúpla focal a rá maidir leis an gcáinaisnéis. Beidh 32 bliain caite agam sa Teach seo sa chéad mhí eile. Tá mé ag ceapadh gurb é seo an 32ú cáinaisnéis a chonaic mé. Ar ndóigh, chonaic an Teachta Durkan i bhfad níos mó acu ná mé. Is é ceann de na dúshláin atá ann i láthair na huaire – agus is rud é seo a thug muid faoi deara 20 bhliain ó shin – ná nuair a bhíonn airgead sa chiste, bíonn chuile dhuine a…

Fáiltím go mór roimh an mBille seo. Níl a fhios agam cén fáth ar cuireadh deireadh leis an mbord tofa. Bhí sé ag feidhmiú, bhí sé gníomhach agus bhí spéis ag an bpobal san údarás. Molaim an obair a rinne an tAire Airgeadais, an Teachta Chambers, nuair a bhí sé mar Aire Stáit ag tionscnamh an Bhille seo agus ag déanamh an staidéir toisc gur gealladh i gclár an Rialtais go dtabharfaidh ar ais na toghcháin don údarás. Níl an Teachta Byrne i bhfad in oifig agus tá an Bille foilsithe. Cinnte dearfach, caithfimid déanamh…

An bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag tógáil na ceiste seo?

Tá sé go deas gur tháinig an tAire Stáit isteach. Is cuidiú mór é i ndéileáil leis an gceist seo. Mar is eol dó, tá líon mór teifeach ón Úcráin agus ó thíortha eile lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht i láthair na huaire. Níl a fhios againn cén tionchar fadtéarmach a bheidh aige seo ar staid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. I gConamara, tá teifigh lonnaithe sa Spidéal, sa gCeathrú Rua, san Aird Mhór, atá gar go Carna, i gCarna féin agus ar a bhóithre, áiteanna a bhfuil scoileanna lán-Ghaelach atá páirteach i scéim na scoileanna Gaeil…

Glacaim leis go bhfuil fáilte roimh theifigh, bíodh siad ag teacht ón Úcráin nó aon áit eile ar domhan a bhfuil cos ar bolg ar siúl inti. Ag an am céanna, níl aon cheist, má thagann mórchuid daoine nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu isteach i gceantar láidir Gaeltachta, go n-imreoidh sé tionchar ar an teanga. Is é sin an méid atá mé ag rá. Is é an t-aon rud a bhí mé ag iarraidh ná go ndéarfaí liom go ndéanfaí staidéar ar cé acu an bhfuil nó nach bhfuil tionchar diúltach á oibriú ar an nGaeilge, agus má tá, céard atá muid dul …

I welcome the announcement of the acceleration of the extension of the Luas line to Finglas. I will ask the Minister a straightforward question. Is it intended to give the same acceleration to the reopening of the railway line from Athenry to Claremorris?

Tá áthas ar an Roinn Airgeadais anois.