Michael Collins

Today, we are asked to pass a Bill that does not serve the Irish people. It serves international investor courts. Independent Ireland believes our sovereignty is not something to be traded away through technical legislative fixes. This is not just an amendment to the Arbitration Act. It is a step towards giving foreign tribunals cursory judicial influence over Irish policy because Brussels or mult…

On one of the worst nights of the year, 15-year-old Cara Darmody is sleeping outside the gates of Leinster House. She is putting everyone in here to shame. She is calling on this Government to address the backlog of assessments of need for children with special requirements as the national emergency it truly is. Cara rightly reminds us that under the Disability Act 2005, every child is entitled to…

I got a text from a constituent whose brother tried to commit suicide on Monday. He did not just try in one way. He slit his wrists and took an overdose. This man was not leaving anything to chance. He wanted to die. I have consent from his family to read out the text that was sent late last night to me: We spoke yesterday about my brother in Mercy [hospital]. He's being discharged tomorrow to CU…

The people of west Cork are genuinely at the end of their tethers. Since July, they have had 14 water breakages. It has led to the local crèche and school having to close because if they do not have water they cannot remain open, use toilets or whatever else. I was at a public meeting the other night which was attended by other public representatives. The local Airbnbs had to give money back to pe…

Thank you.

I will break the reply down to the basics. The Minister of State said, "A case for mains rehabilitation works for the Adrigole area is under consideration by Uisce Éireann. As the process is only in the initial stages, it is too early to confirm a timeframe at this stage." It has admitted there have been 18 bursts since last May. How can be "in the initial stages"? People have been without water 1…

The pipe is in an awful way. It is creaking at the seams. We need a meeting and we need the new water works to be commenced there.

The recent documents obtained following a freedom of information request exposed a shocking truth about the Government's priorities. Officials from the Department of climate and energy strongly advised that energy credits should be continued in budget 2026. They warned that without these credits, households would face an extra €321 per year on their bills. That is not a minor increase; it is a dev…

I agree with the speaker across the floor who wanted to put a rocket under Uisce Éireann but I would say that it would take a hell of lot more. Unfortunately, it has been protected long enough by Government. It is a law unto itself right now. There is a massive housing crisis now, not alone in the want of housing but also for the people who have the houses. I hate calling them landlords because th…

Stop, please. When the tenant meets the man on the road he is hooting at him and putting the thumbs up, because the knows the RTB and everyone else is there to protect the tenant but there is no one to protect the landlord. Someone needs to talk on behalf of the house owners. I want avoid using the word "landlord" as much as I can. Imagine, a year to year and a half, and he will not have to bat an…

I suppose any movement is to be welcomed if we are going to make changes that are desperately needed regarding the housing market. We need to support any measure that can do that as long as it is a common-sense issue. The problem I have is where the changes are going to be made. Sometimes, even before you go ahead anywhere, you have to go back. If you look at the actions of Uisce Éireann, we have…

I broadly welcome that the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill 2025 is finally before the House. Families have waiting for far too long for even the small improvements contained in these pages. Any step, no matter how modest, that puts a few euro back into the pockets of the struggling homeowners is good. However, let us also call things by the…

I welcome Sinn Féin’s focus on the men and women who fly our Coast Guard helicopters. Crews are on call for 24 hours straight, and deserve every ounce of political backing we can give. I certainly know that myself because the Irish Coast Guard in Schull and Goleen where I live myself are people who are second to none. They gave their time freely and need the protections we will support here. For …

Same. I was at the Business Committee meeting too, which just ended a while ago, and there was full agreement at it.

Two weeks ago hundreds of people peacefully protested outside Dáil Éireann against CPOs being used to force greenways and walkways through the middle of their farms and property. They included people from Galway, Kinsale and Cooley in County Louth. The Oireachtas transport committee meeting heard evidence from TII, which admitted it was not aware CPOs were being forced on landowners to take their …

I thank our staff John Campbell, Marc Nolan and Emmett Corcoran for putting this Private Members' business motion together for us, in the Dail today. Simply put, this motion is to strengthen whistleblower protections. It is about enforcement and accountability in public administration. The treatment of whistleblowers in this country has been an absolute disgrace. This motion is about trying to cha…

Strangely, I was talking there to Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, who said that the agriculture committee is meeting below and he would like to be up here speaking today, and it was committee members who approved of this funding in the first place last week. It is unfortunate there is a clash. It should not have happened. I apologise for Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice not being here but I will speak on hi…

The Deputy had her time to speak; this is my time. They should get into the car and go down to visit one of these farms. They need not bother pre-empting the visit because those running the farms are quite proud to have them come to see the way these dogs, these greyhounds, are being looked after and to see the way these beautiful horses are being looked after. They should be proud of the Irish p…

And invite the Deputies to my right too.

Independent Ireland will support this common-sense motion but I really do not understand why the same proposal has been brought before the Dáil on so many occasions. Why can we not just rubber-stamp it once and move on? Businesses in this country need this common-sense provision at this time. The legislation we are discussing was introduced as a temporary measure but outdoor dining has become a vi…

I have four minutes.

I have Deputy Richard O'Donoghue's two minutes as well because he is missing. He is not able to attend. I also have my own two minutes, which gives me four.

Okay. Maybe I have taken too much time.

I apologise.

I have said enough. I am talking all my life.