Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

74. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the most recent discussions between the Government and the UK Government on reinstating access for Irish fishers to their traditional fishing grounds at Rockall; if he is considering taking the matter to international arbitration, given the illegality of this long-standing blockade; and if he …

I apologise for being a little late and thank my colleague, Deputy Conor McGuinness, for introducing my question. I appreciate that the Minister of State is new to his role but my difficulty is that what he has just read out was said to me again and again by the previous Minister for agriculture, Deputy McConalogue. This is an uninhabited rock and there is just no basis under international law fo…

I am mindful that the previous Scottish First Minister, Ms Nicola Sturgeon, according to reports in The Guardian newspaper, was trying to resolve this issue. Ultimately, it is a jurisdictional issue and the British Government has probably been let off the hook on this. The fisheries element of the TCA was recently extended by 12 years. That is very problematic because it locks down the loss of fis…

80. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that only 52 persons have availed of fish assist across the State as of 31 May 2025; and if the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine and his Department officials will now engage with the representative POs for inshore and islands fishermen to discuss a financial support or subsid…

All we are asking for in Donegal is fair play. We are not asking for special treatment; we are asking that our citizens do not have to travel long distances for care that should be provided in their own community. We are asking that our emergency services not be allowed to collapse and that we have the necessary number of surgeons and consultants in Letterkenny University Hospital. If there is to …

This could not be more serious. As the Minister of State will know from his Government colleagues, we have been told this very clearly. These doctors and consultants have said publicly on local radio that our emergency services could be lost. Imagine us losing an emergency department in Letterkenny University Hospital. That is how serious our surgical services have gotten to. We are down to three …

As the Minister knows, the victims of the pyrite scandal in the east coast of Ireland, comprising 3,000 families, rightly received 100% redress. In the west of Ireland we did not get this. Worse, nine months ago the Government looked at the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland rates and increased the cap but this was for people who were new entrants. Hundreds of families are being denied more th…

No. Last Friday, on Highland Radio, the Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, stated that she secured a surgical hub for Sligo University Hospital as part of the Lowry Independents' negotiations for Government. In Donegal, we have been standing together to look at a surgical hub. Our services are in absolute crisis and our emergency Department is threatened. Will the Minister clarify if a deal …

What about the surgical hub issue?

There was no response on it.

It absolutely is.

Apologies. Deputy McAuliffe seems to be responding instead of the Ceann Comhairle.

Of course it is.

No. As the Taoiseach knows, the victims of defective blocks in the west were not given 100% redress by the Government; however, the Government agreed nine months ago to increase the cap, but not for all homeowners. The Taoiseach said he would sort it out nine months ago. Hundreds of families are tens of thousands of euro short. They are struggling to make the final payments to builders, and builde…

Is the Taoiseach interrupting again?

Where I live gives me a unique insight into the failure we have seen over the past decade. The Inishowen Peninsula has seen so many of our people emigrate, forced to go to England and the United States back in the day and more recently to Australia, Canada and the Middle East. That is the story of my peninsula and my county. Just half an hour away is Derry city, an Irish city with Irish citizens w…

And you never interrupt?

I can check the record if you want. You do it regularly.

He is accusing people of doing something he is guilty of regularly.

The Taoiseach should respond.

The Chief Whip will have been party to an email from us regarding Committee and Remaining Stages of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill tomorrow evening. Sixty minutes just does not cut it. We are going to need two hours. I am asking that the Government allow two hours for that. Whatever way the Government does that, we need to have at least two hours.

The Minister of State and I have had a number of engagements now in the Dáil and at the committee. I wish him well. That is a big understatement, actually. We have waited a long time for a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries. It is vital that he does well for all of our fisheries and coastal communities. I am going to refer to a matter on the Dáil record. We had an exchan…

It is a dog's dinner-like.

I am just giving commentary.

The Taoiseach should stop interrupting-----