Maria McCormack
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister for coming in. I note that the aim of this Bill is to take the current eligibility criteria for social housing and put them on a statutory footing, and to create a new appeals mechanism for those refused access to social housing.”
“While Sinn Féin wants flexibility in the planning rules to allow families to provide freestanding extensions in back gardens for family members, we do not support allowing these structures to be rented out, nor do we support denying people tenancy rights and protections when they are renting them out.”
“Given the complex legal issues involved in appeals such as legal residency, habitual residency and social housing support, it would have been better to have a single, independent appeals office located in the Housing Agency similar to how social welfare appeals operate.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This Bill comprises a long, technical and complex series of amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2024. It is unfortunate that it is being rushed through the Houses at breakneck speed and without proper scrutiny.”
“The Minister can talk about viability all he wants but, really, all he is doing is making these developments more profitable while reducing living standards. It will not help to increase supply or bring down prices.”
“Many people living in Graiguecullen are asking the simple question, "What problem is this scheme actually trying to solve?" Residents are worried that a €3 million project could reduce road capacity, increase congestion around schools, make life more difficult for old people and people living with disabilities and negatively impact local…”
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“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026. I acknowledge Jason Poole and the Poole family. The fact that we are debating this legislation today is due in no small part to their determination and courage in campaigning following the tragic death of Jennifer Poole. It is lovely to see them here with us in the Chamber today. I commend them on their bravery and continued work. No family should have to discover only after losing a loved one that there was in fact a history of abuse and violence they knew nothing about. Jennifer's story has highlighted a gap in our system and a failure to provide people with the information they may need to protect themselves.”
“We are already living in an era where trust in traditional media is alarmingly low and the State should be taking actions to counteract that. For that reason, the Bill's focus on audience measurement systems with a view to improving transparency and reliability is also welcome and worth scrutinising a bit more on Committee Stage. The requirement for Coimisiún na Meán to co-operate and encourage the adoption of codes of conduct by industry to promote transparency around audience measurement systems may not have the powers that are required to ensure accuracy and transparency. I look forward to future debate on this legislation and having the opportunity to make constructive amendments. I thank the Minister of State for bringing this before the House.”
“That it is why it is important that we move this Bill along quickly and that we also possibly look to strengthen it in places it may be lacking, such as breaking up existing media concentration. There should be an assessment of current media companies in terms of what may be considered as an existing monopoly, and we should examine how Coimisiún na Meán will deal with that. With this legislation properly put into effect, we should hopefully prevent a Rupert Murdoch-type media dominance in this State, which unfortunately looks to be replicated again in the United States with the Ellisons looking set to gain control over CBS and CNN, and with them a huge chunk of the American news market. Control of the media by a smaller number of powerful media owners is highly dangerous for democracy and harmful for society as a whole.”
“The radio sector was flagged as having a high concentration of ownership, with television then noted as having a medium-high concentration of ownership, and online news noted as having a concentrated ownership. There has been very little done by the Government since that time, and I welcome the fact that this step is finally being taken and that Coimisiún na Meán is being given powers in this area. This is welcome news. It was noted at the time the report was published that having such a high concentration of media ownership in the Irish market threatened media news variety and undermined the media's ability to be a public watchdog to hold money and power to account, which is important.”
“Sinn Féin will not be opposing this legislation, as it addresses many of the issues we have raised over the years in relation to media ownership and independence. Almost a decade ago, current Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan commissioned the report on the concentration of media ownership in Ireland that highlighted Irish media ownership as being at high risk due to the influence of figures like Denis O'Brien. That report found that Ireland had one of the most concentrated media markets of any democracy and it stated that it was imperative that urgent action be taken, and seen to be taken, to reassure journalists, media organisations and the wider public. The top four print groups - Independent News and Media, now Mediahuis, The Irish Times Group, Reach plc and News Corp - were found to have collective control of 91% of the print media audience.”
“People have been telling us every day for years how their dignity and independence have been torn from them by the housing crisis, especially by the lack of properly affordable homes. I thank the Minister of State for coming in to discuss this issue.”
“Thankfully, the county council has managed to provide a few more houses than that figure, but I would love to know why the affordable home target for Laois is so low in the first place. I will say this again because it is a clear signal of how rural constituencies like County Laois are forgotten. The county has a population of 92,000 people and the affordable housing target set for the county was eight affordable homes in 2026. I would like to hear back from the Minister of State on this. I speak to ordinary workers and families from Laois every week who tell me they are a few hundred euro over the income threshold for social housing but are in no way close to ever being able to buy. We will not even talk about the rental market, because the Government has clearly made a shambles of that. The Minister of State knows the story.”
“The Minister of State will have to agree that, over the years, there have been many plans and promised actions but these have not materialised into work on the ground. Good rural planning means investing in the delivery of social and affordable homes in rural towns and villages by making it easier and cheaper for people to reuse vacant and derelict homes and by ensuring that rules on one-off homes are clear, fair and consistently applied across all local authorities. In my county of Laois, the affordable housing targets have been set incredibly low - I would say stupidly low. Does the Minister of State know that the target for affordable housing in Laois was set at eight houses for 2026?”
“I welcome the opportunity to talk about rural planning and how important it is for rural communities. I have come from the social protection committee, where we have had the GAA in. Those witnesses have been telling us about declining demographics. I see this happening. I see it in the village I come from, Ballyroan. We can see the impact this has, so I really welcome the opportunity for us to try to make a difference here. Every week since I started in this job, someone has contacted me who has not been able to get planning permission on their own land. I grew up on a farm and I know the problems that come with that. I want to talk about the progress we can make and positive steps forward.”
“Now, for people who do not believe Sinn Féin wants anything to do with rural planning and does not understand rural life, some of us do live in a rural constituency. I live in a rural constituency called County Laois. I deal with the issues we have and I do not see records being broken with all the progress being made. I do welcome the opportunity-----”
“We have power-sharing in the North, but we are not in bed with the Opposition like the Government is. The Senator should go back to school and learn how things work. I am glad to have the opportunity-----”
“Lovely. I am choosing not to engage with the class clown who just wants to run down Sinn Féin on housing rather than look closely at the current policies. All the records the Government has were spoken about. I am talking about the record homelessness and the people I meet every day. I think it is time for the Senator to go back to school when he looks at the power-sharing arrangement.”
“The Senator is able to interrupt when he wants. Do not be shouting back and forth about Sinn Féin. This has nothing to do with Sinn Féin. You are in government. The Senator is talking about records. Talk about record homelessness, please. That is on your watch. Whisht up.”
“We really need to fast-track the process where there are particular cases. I welcome the opportunity to forward the details of this case privately.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate her taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health. I welcome the funding but have a couple of points to make. In the case in question, the person has actually emailed the Minister twice and is getting no response. It is a young girl in her early 20s. I definitely will send over the details to the Minister of State. The woman has really been failed by being told she will have to wait two to four years before she even gets an appointment. This is a young girl who cannot work, go to college or do anything else. She is actually not able to walk. This is completely unacceptable. I understand €4.3 million was allocated but figures like that are big figures that are not making a difference on the ground right now to a young girl facing time in a wheelchair if she does not get an appointment.”
“I, therefore, ask the Minister of State what specific measures are being taken to reduce neurological waiting lists, increase specialist capacity and ensure that patients can access the care that they need now, not in four years. The woman who contacted me is not asking for special treatment. She is asking for what every one of us would want for ourselves or for a loved one, which is a timely appointment to get a diagnosis, access to specialist care and a chance to live her life with dignity and independence, not fear of deterioration. Her story is just one story, but it represents thousands more. We need action on neurology waiting lists urgently. We need more specialists and we need to ensure that people living with neurological conditions are not left waiting years and years for care they desperately need now.”
“She is now considering travelling abroad because she simply cannot wait for answers but even this process is not straightforward as she needs a referral from a consultant in order to be able to travel abroad. When she is told that she needs to wait for two to four years, it is mind-boggling and does not make sense. No patient should be forced to leave Ireland to access timely diagnoses and treatment. People should not feel abandoned by a healthcare system at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable. Ireland continues to face significant challenges in neurology services, with long waiting lists, workforce shortages and unequal access to specialist care. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for many neurological conditions, yet too many patients are waiting. It has left them with untold suffering.”
“Imagine you are told your mobility is deteriorating, you are struggling with everyday tasks that most of us take for granted and you are then told that help may not arrive for years. Unfortunately, her story is not unique. Across Ireland, approximately 860,000 people are living with neurological conditions. More than 50,000 people receive a neurological diagnosis every year and yet approximately 24,000 people remain on waiting lists for neurological appointments this year. What struck me most when speaking to this young woman was the sense of hopelessness that she felt. Every door she tried to open seemed to close - referral after referral, waiting list after waiting list.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to take this issue. I raise this Commencement matter because of a young woman in Laois who contacted me recently. Like many others, she never imagined she would find herself fighting not only a serious health condition, but also a healthcare system that seems unable to provide the care she urgently needs. Following spinal surgery, this young lady developed a neurological movement disorder that now affects her ability to stand and walk. She relies on a walking aid every day and faces the possibility of needing a wheelchair in the future. Instead of getting answers and support, she has been told she could be waiting two to four years just to see a specialist. Let us just sit with that.”
“Once these opportunities disappear from rural communities, they are incredibly difficult to rebuild. It would be an absolute shame to lose something that is inspiring so many people across Laois and all over Ireland.”
“It is deeply disheartening that there have been no reassurances from the Minister that another model of funding is being secured here. These programmes are not luxuries and funding for them should not just be a once-off payment. They are opening doors for children who may have never imagined themselves working in science, engineering or technology. They are helping young girls in particular to break barriers in STEM. After all the progress, the funding stream is now ending and no long-term solutions appear to be in place. This is really alarming. What message does it send to these children in counties like Laois who are finally beginning to see opportunities opening up in front of them? I call on the Minister to ensure that suitable funding is put in place before these programmes are lost.”
“Just over a week ago I stood in this Chamber speaking about the incredible success of Rosenallis National School robotics team in County Laois who represented Ireland on the world stage at the VEX Robotics World Championships. They managed to bring home the judges' award. This is absolutely fantastic. Like so many people across Laois I felt immense pride seeing these young people from a small rural school compete internationally and achieve such remarkable success. It shows that innovation can happen in Rosenallis just as much as it can happen anywhere else in the world when the right resources are in place. This is exactly my point. I have since learned that the programmes that made this possible face an uncertain future as the funding through the just transition scheme comes to an end in June.”
“We need far more investment and visibility for programmes like VEX Robotics in our schools because the impact these programmes are having is absolutely enormous in building confidence, creativity and teamwork. To everyone involved, namely, the students, coaches, teachers, parents and wider community in Rosenallis, comhghairdeas ó chroí; you have made Laois and Ireland incredibly proud.”
“What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the journey they took to get there. In just over two weeks, this local community raised an astonishing €124,000 to ensure these young students could travel and compete. That level of support shows just what can happen when a community rallies behind young people and believes in their potential. It is important that we acknowledge it here in these Houses as well. I also acknowledge the two other Irish schools which brought home world awards at these championships. It is proof that across this country we have extraordinary young talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, coding, engineering and robotics. These students are future engineers, innovators and problem-solvers of Ireland.”
“Out of just five Irish teams competing in the elementary division, RNS Robotics stood out on the world stage. They are not the only ones who showcased their robotics talents, but they proudly represented Laois and Ireland throughout last week, even teaching the American judges and MCs a few Irish words connected to robotics and sharing their inspiring stories of resilience and determination. I would like to name these incredible youths for their achievements. The team members were Aisling Guinan, Bobbie Friel, Ollie McEvoy, Luke Somers, Ciara Dunphy, Katie Murphy, Grace Murphy, David Goodwin, David Moyles, Hannah Ormonde and Lauren Kenny. I also want to acknowledge the incredible work of their coaches Aaron Mackessy, Seanie Morris and Dean Hodge whose dedication and leadership helped guide these young people to international success.”
“Today, I have a good news story from County Laois. I want to talk about something that has made us all in Laois incredibly proud. It is an incredible group of students from Rosenallis National School in County Laois. Their RNS Robotics team represented Ireland this weekend at the Vex Robotics World Championships in St. Louis in Missouri. This is one of the biggest robotics competitions in the world. They came home with the prestigious judges' award. This is an incredible achievement for such a small school in a small community. The prestigious award was awarded by the judges who recognised the team for their excellence in multiple categories, including their teamwork, determination, innovation and the incredible spirit they brought to the competition.”
“I call for an urgent debate in this House on domestic violence. Silence is no longer acceptable. Delays are no longer acceptable. We need to ensure we do all we can across these Houses to prevent it.”
“We are now living in a world where women are living in fear, children are witnessing trauma and lives are being destroyed behind closed doors. Some may never get the chance to report, and that is why I am asking this House how many more women must suffer before we act with urgency. We need to take action now. We need proper, consistent training for gardaí. We need education in our schools on respect and healthy relationships. We need far more investment in front-line and refuge services in a timely manner. Prevention is just as important now as the response. This is part of the wider crisis of gender-based and sexual violence in Ireland. I welcome the free travel scheme for survivors, which was announced this week. We need clarity on how many are going to be covered and whether it will also include survivors of sexual abuse.”
“I welcome the progress announced last week by Cuan, through the justice committee, on the long-awaited domestic violence refuge in Laois, something that has been needed for too long. We heard this week of another deeply disturbing case in Waterford. Another woman was harmed. Another family was devastated. It was a stark reminder that this crisis is not going away. The numbers speak for themselves. Over 65,000 calls relating to domestic violence were made last year to An Garda Síochána. In my county of Laois and within the Laois-Offaly Garda division, over 1,600 domestic abuse incidents were recorded last year, with 393 cases already reported in the early part of this year. The statistics do not even tell the full story. Those are only the cases reported.”
“We are in April so I would love the Minister to stand up and give us some clarity for those who are watching in at home now who do not know how they are going to keep their businesses on the road. Green diesel is not a luxury. They wanted to see the price properly reduced at the pump and not in a rebate that they have to pay out first. They do not have the money. It is time now to talk directly to the people. Had they been liaised with properly in the beginning we would not have had the situation where they felt they had no choice but to get out and protest. Nobody blames them for doing it because all they were doing and all they were asking was for the Government to listen. We forget in these Houses who elects us. It is those very people who elect us. It is not anything we need to take for granted.”
“I can talk about the public waste of money - I stand up and talk about it in this Chamber every week - but these are people who keep our country going. They are struggling, their mental health is struggling and their businesses are struggling. I know a haulier who transports pigs and does not know if he can keep his trucks on the go. There are little bits of support that might be there for April or might be there for May. He does not know after that. They need clarity now. They do not want to know about all of these big millions of figures that are coming. They want to know what is going to affect them now, how they can keep their businesses going and how they can keep their trucks on the road. It will not really give them any type of stability to know that there may be €100 million but we might not see anything until July.”
“These rebates might come in four times a year but these people have a serious cash flow issue at the moment. The cost of living and of everything cannot be put onto their consumers. What are they supposed to do right now? We are all faced with these questions every day and that is why we are coming in here looking for answers. If there is this €100 million package, when will they start to see the results? They need to know where they will get this money from and when they will see the results. Will the Minister look at real supports right now, rather than quarterly rebates to those who qualify? We saw the CSO figures out last week. As the Government will have €3.5 million of a budget surplus, I do not want to hear the money is not there.”
“They are looking to be listened to and keep saying they are not being heard. We hear of this €100 million package. When will it begin? There were road hauliers who were out there and I spoke to them only last night. They told me they are getting 12.8 cent off green diesel but that is if they can get a rebate. If a haulier is delivering livestock, he gets nothing. Why should he be treated differently from another haulier on the road? Everything just got so confusing and there was liaising with so many different Departments. You are giving sweets to one and you are giving a bowl of coal to the other but then you are forgetting that the one thing they were asking for and that could keep their businesses on the road was for the price at the pumps to be reduced.”
“We are talking about the Minister liaising with all the different agencies but the people out on the ground were not all part of these agencies. A lot of them were part of none of these agencies. It is wrong that some say in these Houses we will not engage with people who are not in these agencies. There was every kind of contractor and haulier. Just because they are not in the IFA or the Irish Road Haulage Association does not mean they should have any less of a voice. I met them when they were on their protest and I listened to them. I felt some people from the Minister's Department should have been there as well. When there was an IFA meeting in Newbridge in the Minister's constituency, I was there. They were looking to talk to the Minister. The whole Larry Murrin thing was going on. Now that can has been kicked down the road.”
“This is not a coincidence. I was told in this House that this would not happen. In Laois there are 1,512 people on the housing list. A total of 34% of those households are relying on private rental accommodation through HAP. That is 511 tenancies in Laois. I could stand here and speak all day about the failures in homelessness, but I am asking this Government to please put its head down and look properly at what it can do because we cannot normalise homelessness anymore.”
“Prevention measures would reduce long-term reliance on emergency accommodation and break the cycle of homelessness before it begins. Instead, we see frustrating statistics such as that in 2024 local authorities spent 18 times more on emergency accommodation than on homelessness prevention and supports. This reactive approach is both expensive and ineffective in addressing the root cause of homelessness. The Minister needs to start addressing the key drivers of homelessness - the biggest one at present is the private rental market - but instead he brought forward the rent hike legislation last month. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have seen a significant increase in the number of families and individuals from Laois who are now facing homelessness in six months' time, because in recent weeks they have received an eviction notice.”
“We are having statements on it in the Seanad. Sadly, homelessness is normalised. There continues to be chronic underinvestment and underdelivery in social and genuinely affordable homes. Each housing plan the Government comes up with contains low social and affordable housing targets, targets that are, even at that, consistently missed each year. This is the legacy. It is difficult to listen to how the Government is doing everything it can to fix this. The facts are there. It is not happening. I will talk about prevention measures because I want to try to let people out there feel there could be solutions. People often ask, "What would Sinn Féin do if they were in government?" I want to talk about where you could put investment right now, and that is in homelessness prevention.”
“I got a message yesterday from my local bus operator that brings my child to school telling me the bus fee will go up by another €5. We wonder how we have this. Many more homeless people since Jonathan Corrie have died on our streets. There has been less outrage, less surprise and, even worse, even less effective action by successive Governments. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in government for ten years, first through a confidence-and-supply arrangement in 2016 and then in two formal coalition Governments. During that decade, 55,000 adults have been forced into homelessness. These are the real figures. The 2016 census showed that just under 7,000 people were homeless in Ireland. Ten years on, here we are with record numbers, rising month on month. We are now at 17,300 recorded as homeless. Nobody is shocked any more.”
“Homelessness has become normalised in Ireland. That is the sad fact we are dealing with. I want to bring the House back to 2014, when it was already widely acknowledged that we were in the midst of a housing crisis. The tragic death of Jonathan Corrie just outside Leinster House shocked people and caused outrage. Mr. Corrie's death was described as a national disgrace. More beds were promised, a night café was established to give homeless people somewhere safe to go and there was talk of how the Government's 2013 promise to end long-term homelessness by 2016 might be achieved. In case someone is looking at this debate on "Reeling in the Years", we are now in 2026 and this has not happened. As I am in this Chamber here, I received a message from my local bin company telling me my bin charges will go up from May 2026.”
“This is an area we have to take another look at. Across the country, there are communities full of decent, hard-working people but they are fed up. They are fed up with gangs, drugs and seeing young people pulled into a life that leads nowhere. These communities are not giving up, however. They are stepping up and they deserve to be heard by this Government when they cry out for more resources and multi-annual funding so they can plan ahead.”
“When this Bill was introduced in the Dáil, my colleague, Deputy Mark Ward, brought forward an amendment based on a recommendation from the justice committee, which stated that the committee recommends further examination of the use of funds recovered from proceeds of crime and how such funds could be invested. Through the provision of preventative supports within communities, that recommendation made sense then and it makes more sense now. We really have to look at getting in there, nipping this in the bud at the beginning. We need to stop making this lifestyle so attractive to youngsters in these deprived areas. I urge the Minister to look at whether there is more we can do here. I understand we need to be serious about tackling crime and that the Minister has a massive focus on this issue.”
“I hope we can find a way of getting funding directly into the communities that need it most because the communities that have suffered most from crime must be the ones that benefit from the proceeds of crime. We also need to look at prevention in a more serious way. There is still not enough being done to break the cycle. We are not doing enough to challenge the so-called lifestyle that draws young people into criminal activity and we are not doing enough to intervene early. That is why Sinn Féin has called for the exploration of the idea of having a mini CAB to target low-level criminality and the vision mismatch between income and lifestyle.”
“I see great work being done every single day in County Laois by groups such as the ARC Project recovery centre in Portlaoise, which supports people in recovery, helping them rebuild their lives and giving real hope back to individuals and families. This work is absolutely priceless but, too often, it is underfunded. These are the groups for which we need to look at matching funding and bringing funding to them. Community groups and services are asking for something very simple, namely, proper resources and support, and that the Government will listen and be a voice for them. We also need to ensure that the funding goes exactly where it is needed most. This means we have to link it to the areas of deprivation, not just to who can write the best applications.”
“While the community safety fund is a step in the right direction, a fund of €4 million simply does not match the scale of the problem, and we have to look at that. In communities across the country, groups are doing incredible work but they are on shoestring budgets. The funds recovered from proceeds of crime should be invested directly back into the communities that have been most impacted by crime - in youth services, family supports and addiction and recovery services. We know the reality on the ground. Where there is deprivation, organised crime takes hold. Where people feel left behind, addiction and exploitation follow, and criminals know exactly where to go to take advantage of that. That is why community investment is essential here.”
“I welcome the Aire. Sinn Féin welcomes the Bill and the measures contained in it. We will support anything that makes it harder for criminals to profit from their actions and easier for the State to take back assets. Reducing the term between an interim and final disposal order, strengthening the ability to freeze funds and limiting the ability to delay proceedings are all positive steps. For over 15 years, Sinn Féin has argued that proceeds of crime should be directed back into communities. In 2021, my colleagues, Deputies Mark Ward and Ruairí Ó Murchú, introduced legislation to ensure that these funds go directly into our drug task forces, youth clubs and family centres. We are, therefore, glad to see the setting up of the Government's community safety fund.”
“They have had enough. However, instead of listening, what did this Government do? It ignored the protestors and then threatened them. It threatened to bring the Army on the protestors. It was pure arrogance. The statements we have heard in the Dáil today are not acceptable as is the way the Government talks about these ordinary men and women that have stood day and night. Our communities have supported them. They have not blocked anything. Their communities have come out and rallied behind them. I fully support them and think that every TD should vote no confidence in this Government because it has totally lost the faith of the people.”
“A total of €750,000 was spent on 14 steps around the corner in Dublin - golden steps for golden circles - €350,000 on a bike shed that is an absolute shambles; €1 million on a printer that did not even fit and another €7 million on a path in Cork. Come on, lads, the people are all seeing these things and they are asking how the Government is always able to waste taxpayers' money and there is never enough for ordinary people who are paying their taxes and getting little in return. We have a National Ambulance Service strike coming soon. The service is on the brink of not coping. Families are struggling. Disability advocacy groups, who are outside Leinster House day in and day out, are telling us that people are choosing heating over eating. Workers are stretched to the limit and then fuel prices rise. This is why people took to protesting.”
“This is about the cost-of-living crisis that the Government was failing to recognise, the housing crisis, homeless numbers rising, a health service under constant pressure with 900,000 people on hospital waiting lists and thousands of young people leaving the country every year. This is why it came to a no confidence vote. This is why four different people sent me thousands of signatures on petitions asking us to bring forward a vote of no confidence in this Government. It is because people are not happy. In the meantime, the Government wastes so much of taxpayers' money. Some €2.4 billion has been spent on a children's hospital that is still not finished and is heading into its 19th completion date.”
“There is an interesting contrast between the Government Members in this House and what is going on in the Dáil. I was listening before I came in here. I commend them on speaking out and saying that the Government got it wrong because it really got it wrong. The vote of no confidence that is being debated in the Dáil at the moment is as a result of people crying out for help. This not just about protests - and I will speak about the people I stood with in County Laois for six days - but this is an accumulation of people's sheer frustration that has been building in this country for a long time before Trump ever attacked Iran.”
“This is what the Minister said he is trying to ensure. I am hoping he will reconsider and accept this amendment. If we are going to do this, we need to try to do it right. Just because it is an Opposition amendment does not mean it cannot be accepted. This would only be of benefit, as would be many of the other amendments. I am conscious that we are getting close to time for the guillotine. I ask the Minister to accept amendment No. 58.”