Martin Kenny

Yes. I am aware that there has been a slight improvement in that input costs have decreased from what they were when the war started in Ukraine. That was really the time that we saw them skyrocket through the roof. The market has settled a little but farmers are still paying very high prices, particularly for inputs such as fertiliser. While I accept that it is not the Minister’s job to set the pr…

The Minister made a point to Deputy Connolly about farmers making applications and splitting parcels of land. If a parcel is more than 50% peatland, can a farmer split it and section it off at application stage? Is that what the Minister said? Is that part of a solution he is offering? Will there be an appeals process such that if a person feels their land parcel is unduly designated, they can app…

Will the Minister clarify that the parcels can be split on applications?

27. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers still awaiting payment for ACRES for 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13629/25]

I raise an issue the Minister has heard about many times, as did his predecessor. I refer to ACRES. Many thousands of farmers across the country are still awaiting payment for 2023 and 2024. I ask for an update on where we are at in this regard. We have been told that the reason for the delays is to do with problems with processing and IT. The difficulty, as the Minister knows, is that a farmer wh…

I thank the Minister, and I appreciate that progress has been made. It has not been an entirely bad news story but it came from such a poor start. Farmers went out and expected that this scheme was going to be - it was sold as this - very similar to the old REPS that we had years ago. It was to be simple and easy to manage, it would be easy to meet the requirements and they would get paid promptly…

I appreciate that but at the same time, restoring their confidence is going to take an awful lot of work. We all know that because confidence in this scheme has been dented significantly. We are now in 2025 and this scheme started in 2023. I know there can be teething problems but they should not go on for this long. Many is the animal out there that has a full set of teeth grown and has gone to s…

It is clear there is a lot of work to be done to have proper youth services in place across the entire State. The Children Act states that a juvenile should not be in the criminal justice system, and only as a last resort or for a very serious crime. That is absolutely appropriate but the big issue in my experience has been resourcing. That comes into everything. We can have all the perfect plans …

I commend the many thousands of people around the country who put their shoulder to the wheel throughout the storm, including those in voluntary groups and agencies across the State who came out, the ESB workers and county council workers who worked day and night to get things moving again and the ordinary people and farmers who went out to cut bushes along the roads and took trees off the roads w…

We want answers.

We do.

He has had four chances and he still has not answered the question.

Time is definitely up.

The situation in Gaza is at the forefront of everyone’s mind today and in recent days. We have seen the mass bombing of thousands of people who are living in rubble as it stands. The attitude of the Israeli Government and its efforts to wipe out the Palestinian people is something the whole world is rightly aghast at. I recognise that Ireland has been to the forefront in recognising the State of P…

The Bill has to be enforceable, yes, but it must clearly demonstrate the Government's and the world's absolute outrage at what is happening in Gaza and in the occupied territories across Palestine. Turning to other issues, the tariffs being brought in by the United States were to be on steel and aluminium first. Then the European Union talked about tariffs on whisky coming from America, then they…

I am sure the Minister of State will have an opportunity to come back in at the end. We have to recognise that this would be detrimental to the livelihoods of Irish farmers. In that context, we must be very strong and definite in respect of what we are doing around all of that. Going back to issues of international security and cybersecurity, from time to time a red flag jumps up when there has b…

I wish the Minister well in his post . I commend my colleagues on bringing forward this motion. The tenant in situ scheme, as many have said, worked very well for many people who were under serious pressure. Since last summer, however, we have seen decline. Now, it has ground to a halt. Many people in my constituency have been affected. I am aware of the case of a young woman who has four children…

87. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if a mental health information database CAMHS consultant has been recruited to the children's disability network team for Sligo, Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan; if there are adequate supports for this role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9505/25]

I submitted a question on the issue of the MHID CAMHS consultant, but it was wrongly interpreted as referring to a "mental health information database" consultant rather than a "mental health intellectual disability" consultant. The intellectual disability service is required. We raised the issue in the Chamber several times of a child called Maggie in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, who was referred …

It is Question No. 87.

The CAMHS issue is an issue across the country. The Minister of State mentioned that it is one of her priorities. I will provide a second example in respect of CAMHS. A family's GP sent a letter to CAMHS to refer a child who needed to get into CAMHS. They received correspondence stating that there was no clinical lead for the CAMHS post in CHO 1, which covers Leitrim, east Sligo and west Cavan. Th…

No.

I will get the letter for the Minister of State.

I will come back to the Minister of State with the specifics in respect of the case but the truth is that there are thousands of children across the country who cannot get access to CAMHS. I appreciate that there are more people being recruited but it does not meet the demand or come anywhere near meeting the demand. In team one in the Sligo, Leitrim region, the CAMHS team has no clinical lead. Ha…

The reality is that it is without support.