Robert O'Donoghue

2. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Government acknowledges the significant increase in production costs for farmers in recent years, which many can no longer sustain; and how he plans to address the challenges posed by increasing energy, labour and environmental-compliance costs to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Irish farming sect…

The increase in food production costs in recent years means many farmers no longer find it sustainable. As their costs directly affect consumers, we must tackle this. Dairy farmers report a near 20% rise in production costs in the past year alone. We need to address challenges posed by increasing labour, energy and environmental-compliance costs to ensure the viability of the farming sector, espec…

The geopolitical circumstances that have occurred to date make food security all the more important. In my constituency of Dublin Fingal West, horticulture is a crucial part of the farming sector. We produce 15% of potatoes nationally, 47% of field vegetables and 37% of fruits, vegetables and nursery plants, making it one of the most important counties in the country for food production. Many farm…

I attended the Social Justice Ireland presentation in the audiovisual room earlier. The statistics presented are increasingly concerning for the agriculture sector. The average farm income was just under €20,000 in 2023. Some 68% of farms earned less than €30,000 per annum. This data highlights clear challenges. It is clear that farming by itself is not enough to provide an adequate income. I am c…

Deleting obscure, outdated and often bizarre laws is something we are pretty good at in this country. We are world beaters, in fact. Between 2003 and 2016, we got around 60,000 of them off the books and this legislation will remove over 3,000 more laws and proclamations that remain on the Statute Book as a legacy of empire and a reminder of some of the country's darkest days. The orders and procl…

Independent Ireland will support this Bill and the idea of simplifying the law to make it more accessible to the general public. The aim is to reduce compliance costs for businesses and bodies which interact with our legislation regularly. It is the stated policy of our party to achieve this across the public sector and beyond. I wish to record our admiration for the sterling work of the Law Refo…

All this just for Deputy Michael Lowry.

I would like to talk about infrastructure in north County Dublin. As the Tánaiste knows, Fingal is the fastest growing and youngest local authority area in the country. Rush has doubled in size and Lusk has quadrupled in size in 20 years. I was delighted to invite my former students from St. Joseph's Secondary School here. They are a genuinely lovely bunch. However, they and the teachers are using…

I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Mark Wall, on bringing forward this important motion. I stand here on behalf of thousands of young carers throughout Ireland, children, teenagers and young adults who take on immense responsibilities at home, often at great personal cost. They provide essential care for family members with disabilities, illness, mental health conditions and addiction. Their cont…

Is mór an onóir dom a bheith ábalta labhairt faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Gabh mo leithscéal nach bhfuil Gaeilge líofa agam. Is cúis náire dom é nach bhfuilim lán-ábalta mé féin a chur in iúl tríd ár dteanga dhúchais. Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste mar a deirtear. Is ceiliúradh ár dteanga náisiúnta í Seachtain na Gaeilge. Anuas ar sin, tugtar deis dúinn an Ghaeilge a chur chun agus tacaío…

Members should make no mistake; we are now living in a different world. The vote in the UN this week and the sidelining of both Ukraine and our EU allies in the talks in Saudi Arabia have put a definitive end to the idea that history ended with the downfall of the Soviet Union. The world has changed and we should not ignore that. America's pivot to Asia flagged that guaranteeing common European se…

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his new role. It might seem odd that the Labour Party spokesperson for agriculture is a Dublin-based TD. However, I assure members that I am from Rush in the north county. It used to be known as the market garden capital of Ireland because of the importance horticulture played in its economy. I have picked every fruit and vegetable under the sun during …

Go raibh maith agat. As this is my first time speaking in the Dáil, I would like to take a moment just to thank my family, my ma and my da and my three brothers, the Fingal Labour Party branches and my friends who helped me to campaign during the recent election to get here. Most importantly, I thank the good people of Dublin Fingal West who have put their trust in me for the duration of this term…

I refer to the tenant in situ scheme, which provides critical funding for the likes of Fingal County Council to purchase homes to protect people at risk of homelessness. To meet that end we need sustained Government funding and it is essential that this must remain a priority. I am surprised that the allocation of that funding and unit acquisition numbers have not, as far as I am aware to date, go…