Michael Healy-Rae

I will tell the Deputies one thing they will not do here. This is very serious now. They might bully or threaten someone else but they will not-----

-----bully me and they will not shout me down.

Try it any time you like but you will not win because I will not be intimidated.

I too want to compliment all of the people who contributed here today. We in this House have to remember that whether we are in opposition or the people in government, we all have the one aim and ambition. We never thought that in our lifetimes we would witness what is happening today. The advent of modern communication methods mean we can see these horrors unfolding before our eyes. We did not ev…

I most sincerely thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and his Department for the excellent work they are doing in distributing this very important money. The positive effects of the funding on the sporting landscape throughout the country are extremely important. The same applies to the large-scale sport infrastructure fund and the major events programme. The sports capital grants are …

And they wanted a second one.

From Labour.

They wanted a second one.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. First of all, I will say to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, that an awful lot of good, sound work has gone into the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025. The extending of the pause of duration of permission due to judicial review is to give back the time. That is very important. The containment in the Bill of the "Extension of du…

I am sorry. The Minister should try to bring common sense at all times to his role and we will support him in every way we can in the work he is doing.

Of all the subjects and all the issues that we talk about here, when we see the horrific videos and images of people, and children in particular, starving and the inhumanity and the senselessness of it all, it really would make one think that man's inhumanity to man is beyond belief. We are all rightly outraged by what is going on. That being said, Ireland is a leader in the world on Palestine. Th…

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this important issue. I apologise on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Harris. Ireland is a strong supporter of the rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Hungary. Respect for human rights and the rule of law are fundamental EU values as enshrined by Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. The Tánaiste is very concerned by recent mea…

I thank the Deputy. His genuine sincerity, concern and emotion are very heartfelt and that is evident in his statements this evening. Ireland has consistently and strongly advocated for the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBT+ persons, including in our relations with Hungary. We have regularly raised our concerns about the serious rule-of-law backsliding and the targeting of civil socie…

I thank the Deputy most sincerely for raising this matter. I wish to convey the apologies of my colleague the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, who regrets he cannot be here for this matter due to another commitment. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, I thank Deputy Gogarty for raising this issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. An opportunity has arisen for…

Once again, Deputy Gogarty's sincerity and concern are very obvious. I thank him for that. He was also very balanced. The planned facility at the site will enable the fastest and most efficient processing of asylum applications in the history of the State. Applicants who will be part of the migration pact border procedures will be fully processed in less than three months from application to the f…

The Deputy has a wonderful way with the English language. I commend him on his determination and having the patience of being here until this time tonight. I am glad to be here representing the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee. I thank the Deputy on her behalf for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position regarding …

I am sure the Deputy’s constant support for this project will be a great help to its progression. His determination in this regard on behalf of his constituents will be acknowledged by the Government and the Minister. I thank him again for the opportunity to outline the Department of Education and Youth’s position relating to this very important project. As I have outlined, the NDFA has been engag…

It is the Kerry-Cork economic corridor.

I declare an interest in this debate. For the past 40 years, I have been strongly involved in the provision of housing. I will continue to be involved for the rest of my time in an accelerated and growing way, year on year, despite all the difficulties in that sector. There are issues surrounding this whole debate and why it is happening. An awful lot of people in opposition wanted a debate on ho…

-----who is willing to come into the Chamber. Other people grandstand, shout and roar about housing. I am glad and proud that this Government is strongly focused. The provision of more housing is one of the main objectives of this Government. We must ensure protection for people who are looking for their own houses or to rent local authority houses or houses provided by approved housing agencies. …

If they were not objected to.

There have been 2,840 objections.

There were 2,840 objections. The truth hurts.

On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for his work in this regard. The Minister was in Cork last Friday and received briefings from senior members of An Garda Síochána. I assure the Deputy that the Minister and the Government are resolute in its support of An Garda Síochána. We want to build safe and secure communities, and a well…

I thank the Deputy again on behalf of the Minister for raising this matter. The Minister's first priority is to get more Garda members on our streets, including through increased recruitment. As we see more people join the organisation, we will see more gardaí on the streets of our towns and villages throughout the country and of course in County Cork and in Cork city and all the surrounding town…