Louise O'Reilly

The Minister of State will have that email before day's end.

We are about to find out. I call the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time next week.

Talking down the clock.

Deputy Doherty did not say the Department made it; he said it shared it.

And do the dishes and all that.

It is a bit galling, to be brutally frank with the Minister of State, to listen to him telling us all about how frustrated he is and how somebody really should do something, how the blockages must be removed and how deeply frustrated he is that things are taking so long. Who could possibly be to blame? I know it is Christmas, but he could spare us the bloody pantomime.

Come on. I am telling-----

Do not interrupt me. I listened to 12 minutes of the Minister of State describing his frustration but never managing to mention who it is he is frustrated with and who is causing these delays. The power is his. He is in government. He is the Government but, my God, he is so frustrated with the delays. That act does not fool anyone. It certainly does not fool me. It certainly would not fool people …

This is my time, so I will speak, thank you.

It is always somebody else's fault with youse.

Last week, there was a response to a question of mine, taken by my party colleague Deputy Ó Broin, to ask the Minister when my constituents living in Skerries and Rush will be facilitated with entry into the scheme, because they too are suffering due to defective blocks. My colleague made the point the report is on the Minister's desk. Do you know what the Minister said? We must bear in mind this …

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

I thank and commend Deputies Cullinane and McGuinness for bringing forward this motion. I represent a coastal community. We deeply appreciate the work of the search and rescue services. We do not like to see them coming but we are very glad there are there. Years and years ago, when I was a shop steward, back when I used to work for a living, I went on a health and safety course. The tutor was N…

Not agreed.

We are entitled to know.

I agree with my party colleague that given the Minister of State's position as a representative of a Border county, she will be more familiar with this issue than some in the House. Not that one would guess it from listening to me, but I also grew up in a Border town and I know that people who live along the Border do not recognise it in the same way as those who live elsewhere because they go bac…

Very briefly, to echo the sentiment expressed by my colleague, this impacts a number of social welfare payments but in real life the numbers are tiny. I sent in a parliamentary question about it. I did not expect the numbers would be big. I did not think they would be as low as three but that is where we are at. We are not talking about big numbers but these people are paying into a system. If thi…

I am not getting into that.

She married a Fermanagh man now so that is where she is at. In all seriousness, it is something that will not take the Minister a long time. These are cases that are very real and very live now so I would appreciate if, when Deputy Smyth brings this back to the Minister, she could emphasise that we are talking about small numbers, statutory instruments, co-operation from the Opposition and possibl…

I remind Deputies present that if everybody takes ten minutes - and I know Deputy Cleere has not - we will not get to everybody. I ask Deputies to be mindful of their time. You are entitled to the ten minutes but that might knock someone else out so keep an eye on the time if you can. The next speaker is Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time next week.

I thank the Deputies for using Private Members' time to facilitate this debate on protection for whistleblowers. From the bottom of my heart, I welcome every one of the whistleblowers who had the bravery to come here and be with us today. I will also say a word for those who simply cannot speak up, the people who have been beaten by the system and battered by the State, for whom a protected disclo…

We do not mean to the vultures. We mean working people.