Fishing and farm supports
Deputy Mac Lochlainn pressed for statements on support for farmers and fishers hit by fuel costs and Brexit-related pressures. The Taoiseach said the Minister had engaged with the sectors and that support measures were being worked through, though Deputies continued to dispute the scheduling of the debate.
The Taoiseach is dancing to the tune of Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the music is bad.
Comment on this
I do not mind a meaningful debate at all. We should have a meaningful debate. I am not on the Business Committee. Only so much can be done on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in terms of Dáil time. Again, there is Private Members' time, which people have-----
Comment on this
-----if they want to put forward issues for debate.
In terms of Deputy Mac Lochlainn's question, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, is very well aware of the issues. In fact, I was with him in counties Donegal and Derry on Friday and Saturday. It is clear that he has engaged with the fishers on an overall package of measures, which are obviously connected to Brexit as well, to try to enable them to get over this period. He also had engagement with the farming sector in terms of support for tillage farmers, in particular, around the food crop issues. Again, Deputy Mac Lochlainn is on the committee. We can only do so much in any one week but I have no issue in terms of debates on agriculture or fishers. If we cannot do it this week, maybe we can extend. I do not mind additional hours perhaps being added to the programme; I am open to that. There is also Private Members' time. The Deputy could maybe have put something forward in Private Members' time.
In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, again, I have no issue with a debate. There are many factors with regard to homelessness as well. It is not all to do with evictions, by the way. In fact, we have growing-----