Sorca Clarke

Question No. 138 will be introduced by Deputy O'Meara.

I too know people who have spoken about going back to cigarette smoking after the last budget. This will be a bit of a trend. I am a vape user and a former smoker. Like most people, I used vaping as a way to get off cigarettes. That is probably more reflective of my age and generation than it would be for any of our younger people. I support the ban on single use vapes contained in the Bill. They…

I commend all the farmers who turned up in Athlone last weekend. I also commend the members of the public not involved in farming who turned up to support them. They are just as concerned - entirely rightly concerned - about what the Mercosur deal will mean for them as consumers. They are asking a simple and reasonable question: how will they know where the food they put on their table comes from,…

The Minister of State has had his opportunity.

The division on Aontú's amendment to the Minister of State's amendment is postponed until the weekly division time tomorrow evening.

As we are short of time, I ask the Deputy to keep things as tight as possible. I will allow a one-one-one exchange.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Mark Wall - To discuss the need for an ASD class for Scoil Bhríde Lackagh, County Kildare. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss qualification for carer's leave for teachers. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the CFRAM project at Blackr…

The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is to reply to the first Topical Issue. She has indicated she needs to leave the Chamber briefly to obtain documentation. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is in the Chamber and is willing to reply to Deputy Wall's matter if it is taken before the first Topical Issue. On second thoughts, we will not mess with a well-designed plan and will leave the order as is. We…

Deputies, please.

Deputies, respect the House.

Respect the House.

Deputy, please.

As no other Members wish to speak, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to make his concluding remarks.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 3 December 2025.

It is not a back and forth.

The Minister will have an opportunity to wrap up at the end.

The Minister of State wandered in here with a script and banged on about established facts and realities. The fact and reality are that if anything Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had done over the last number of years worked, we would not be standing here. Motorists would not be carrying this disproportionate level of financial burden. Government Members act as commentators while the cost of relying on…

The Minister said earlier that the tillage sector was an integral part of Irish farming. I happen to agree with him; it truly is. It is the backbone of farming in many of our communities. It contributes almost €1.9 billion annually to the economy and supports up to 11,000 jobs. That is something we need to take seriously. Despite that, our local tillage sector is under severe pressure. I know that…

Budget 2026 was a serious step backwards for people with disabilities. They are angry and rightly so. The Indecon report commissioned by the Government in 2021 put the financial cost of disability in the region of €12,000 per year. An ESRI study showed that households with a disabled member face significant financial burdens ad are at a very high risk of poverty. For people who are unable to work …

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. I acknowledge everyone who has experienced mental health difficulties or illnesses, those experiencing them right now, the families and friends who have stood beside them and those who have lost a loved one. Every one of us knows someone who has struggled; many of us have been that someone. When talking about mental health, we cannot only talk about statistics.…

Tullamore is in County Offaly.

It was a joint effort.

What is happening in Gaza is not a natural disaster, it is a man-made catastrophe. Entire families are buried under rubble, hospitals have been turned into graveyards, and children are starving not because food does not exist, but because it is deliberately withheld. Yet some so-called guardians of international law stand idle. They issue statements dripping with empty concern while continuing to …

Before I begin, I will give credit to Erica Stoll, who conducted herself with immense dignity, poise and grace during the Ryder Cup in the face of the abuse she experienced while her husband, Rory McIlroy, was playing. That abuse has no place in any sport whatsoever. It would be remiss of us not to acknowledge that here today. It was wholly inappropriate and those responsible for it need to take a…

I want to return to the attacks on the global summit flotilla that occurred last night. This was actually the second attack on this flotilla. It includes more than 20 Irish 20 citizens, including my colleague, Senator Chris Andrews, who told me this morning that his boat was attacked four times last night. Those attacks are a wilful intimidation and an act of aggression against a humanitarian miss…