Timmy Dooley
Clare · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank both Senators for the amendments they are putting forward and the sentiment behind them. I will deal with the points about the emergency. The Government made it very clear that a decision was taken, based on a decision taken by the previous Government in November 2024.”
“The State has taken a view, however, that is consistent with our desire and our commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and onwards to 2040 and 2050, that this facility is strategic, as it says, that it is only for storage and that it is not meant to be a market play and cannot be a market play.”
“It is, but it is not an either-or situation. If €1 billion could sort it out with more batteries, wind or solar then that is the route we would be taking. We are investing very significant amounts of money in our electricity grid.”
“As the Senators know, the piece of kit – effectively the ship – will be leased in. There are a number of these around the world and they move on. First, we are not investing in the kind of infrastructure that had been a feature of discussions in the past.”
“All fossil fuels are harmful to the environment. The Senator is right that methane has a much higher concentration and is more impactful by what is referred to as the carbon dioxide equivalence. It is much greater than carbon dioxide but it also has shorter life in the atmosphere. It dissipates over time whereas carbon dioxide does not.”
“If we were to do it, however, to get the private sector to pay for the security - I think it is accepted on all sides that there is a necessity for some security in terms of the gas supply - and if the Government were to say it would provide that through a market-led private consortium and initiate an auction to allow entities around the…”
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“That has largely stabilised in terms of both oil and gas generally, but they are still at an elevated level by comparison to where they were prior to the invasion. That is why we recognise that as being the new reality of the future. Therefore, the economic response of the State supports have to factor that in for the long term. That is why this year we moved away from the one-off payments. There is also the exceptional needs payment, which is always a backup for people who have issues particular to them. The Department of Social Protection is always mindful of that. I thank Senators for their contributions. I hope the Bill can now pass with their support and that we address this aspect of clean air.”
“Going beyond where the Bill is at to speak to Senator Andrews's wider point, there is already a recognition in the Government that energy affordability and energy poverty is an aspect of economic life for some. It is one that is being addressed and responded to. That is why we have tried to look at moving away from one-off payments and why in this and future budgets we are bringing in more targeted measures rather than the universality of what was done in the immediate aftermath of the energy crisis resulting from Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the impact that had on general supply lines of gas and oil and the way that had such a destabilising impact that pushed energy prices to where the Government had to intervene and react.”
“The benefits package, which is specifically targeted at vulnerable cohorts such as the elderly, also provides much needed assistance to qualifying households with their energy costs. As Senators will know, there are about 551,000 households in receipt of that household benefits package and almost 540,000 in receipt of the electricity and gas element. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make additional needs payments to help to meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income, including people who face difficulties in meeting fuel bills. In 2025, there were over 2,300 additional needs payments made towards household bills and heating.”
“The Government has implemented a range of measures from the report, including the extension of tax measures and targeted support through the increased rate of payment and expanded eligibility of the fuel allowance payment. In terms of support for vulnerable households, the Department of Social Protection provides direct support towards energy costs to qualifying low-income households through schemes such as the fuel allowance scheme and the household benefit package as well as through the additional needs payment as part of the supplementary welfare allowance, which is a very good scheme. It is aimed at identifying the particular characteristics of households that find themselves going through difficult periods of time. The fuel allowance currently supports about 420,000 households.”
“The programme for Government acknowledges the pressure that high energy costs place on households and business and seeks to lower prices while accelerating the pace of the renewable development. The energy issue, including its cost, has an impact on every household, regardless of rural or urban or whether they are using solid fuels. As I said, people do not just use solid fuel because it is cheaper. It is just how they have always done it and it is a traditional thing. Addressing energy affordability is a priority for the Government. That is why we have established the national energy affordability task force. That task force, as the House knows, has already introduced its first report.”
“I have never got overly exercised about trying to eliminate it from a climate change perspective. The practices are changing and there will be a lot less impact from the fossil fuels used in the heating of homes in rural Ireland over the next ten, 15, 20 or 30 years. It will be a practice that will not be at the same level and, therefore, will not have the same impact. The transition should be for people to make rather than enforced, which is why I have never believed that you target the household. That is why it is not in this legislation. The Government does not believe it either, nor should it. To give some context, the wider point in relation to the energy affordability piece is not necessarily connected here, but there is no doubt that if you remove a level of competition, prices tend to go only one way.”
“Some people from rural Ireland spend their time beating up on rural Ireland, saying that they have not had support. Phenomenal investment has gone into rural Ireland. One can see it. One can see what is being done in villages and towns. There is still more to be done with infrastructure, and there are lots of potholes and road issues that have to be addressed, but we are getting there. The quality of life in rural Ireland is amazing. I am conscious that lots of people who use solid fuel do not do it from a fuel poverty perspective. They do it because it is a tradition. They do is because solid fuels are available to them. Due to the way their homes are heated and the styles of house they have, it makes sense. Fewer and fewer people are doing that. As new houses are being built and developed, they have different systems.”
“That is all it is seeking to do. The Senator has identified other areas that I would share his concerns about, but they will be reflected in other instruments. The Senator and I might disagree about how far the Government has gone in relation to that, but it is an entirely separate matter. It would not have been prudent for us, because it would fall outside the remit of our Department if we started getting into those kinds of financial support. I want to reflect on something that I have heard a little bit here. The notion that rural Ireland is somehow at a massive disadvantage often emerges. There are some great positives to living in rural Ireland. There has been significant investment over recent years. The Senator only has to come and visit.”
“I thank the Senator for his considered position and the broad approach he is taking. However, our amending legislation is just addressing air pollution, not climate change. The measures here are not identified as being beneficial to the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. It is about improving the quality of the air that we breathe. It is about taking particulate matter out of circulation while still allowing the use of fossil fuels for heating homes. This is about improving the quality of fuels and reducing the particulate matter in the air that leads to 1,700 deaths. The stand-alone legislation dates back to 1987, and this amendment will remove from its provisions those who have been acting outside of the law. It is to give powers to the local authority to target the producers, the transportation and the sale and supply.”
“The regulations are very clear regarding who can get a fixed penalty notice. The word "householder" is not included in it. It is very clear that it is production, transportation and sale and supply of materials that were excluded previously. I can do no more than give the Senator that assurance. In my reading of it, we have to look at what the intention is. There is no capacity for somebody to extrapolate that we target the homeowner when the regulation is clear that it is the producer, transportation and sale and supply of materials. I can give the Senator everything she is asking for in that regard by way of assurance.”
“We are amending it to give powers to the local authority to address what we see as the activities of certain rogue operators in production, transportation and sale and supply of materials. That is all we are trying to do here. The primary legislation has been around since 1987. I have been open with Senators that it provides that a Minister might in extreme circumstances be required to address something that has happened at local level, where certain events took place and there were issues, and has the powers to act in relation to directing homeowners. That is already there. The only necessity for this is to address the sale and supply. There is nothing in regulations that will emanate from this. There is nothing new in the legislation that will in any way give anyone powers to misinterpret and go after the homeowner.”
“One thing for sure as long, as long as I have known the Senator, there is nobody in this House or outside that would ever countenance the word "stupid" in a sentence that might refer to her. She is showing herself to be a very able politician and legislator in the amendments that I have addressed on her behalf on a number of occasions here and in her speeches. That is a given. I assure her that the intention of this legislation is to ensure that a certain element of the commercial sector is compliant with the law. What we are doing is giving enforcement powers to the local authority through regulation. The overarching legislation is there in terms of the clean air. It goes back to 1987.”
“In tandem with that, we are investing in upgrading homes to a standard and supporting the people who are the least well off and who cannot afford to do shallow or deep retrofits. In many cases, we are providing them with an entire retrofit. We have put some funding into that and will put in more. Overall, this is part of a co-ordinated campaign about improving air quality and saving people's lives while also recognising that we need to assist people in their domestic residence and in making their homes more airtight and fuel efficient. That is the assistance we are providing to them while in no way putting any legislative measure in place that would seek to penalise them for the use of fossil fuels.”
“We could get lost in some of these debates arguing over the head of a pin, but what we are saying is that this will have a meaningful impact on the lives and livelihoods of many people. It will target those who have been slow to desist from their practices, but they are at the commercial level. It is not the end user. We are ensuring that householders will only have ethical, as it were, materials in terms of supply. We need to emphasise why we are doing it while also recognising that there is a struggle. I know one of the amendments excluded related to supports for people who were struggling. Senator Andrews well knows the impact on people's homes and on people who are in fuel poverty. We have brought through significant measures in the social welfare code to address that.”
“I understand where the Senator is coming from. I have spent a fair bit of time around these Houses and have seen different debates about who could or could not cut turf, burn timber, etc. We have got to a point from a legislative perspective where we can look at the proportionality of our response. It would of course be disproportionate to effectively ban the use of solid fuels in homes at a time when that is reducing anyway. People are benefiting more from the State supports for insulation. Since the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has had a new programme assisting people to make their homes more energy efficient by providing significant grants for windows and doors. There are already significant grants from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, to upgrade people's homes.”
“That is their prerogative. The penalties and the capacities we are giving to the local authority to issue fixed penalties relate to those that would produce, those that would transport, or those that would otherwise have arrangements for sale and supply. That is all. Homeowners, regardless of age, financial circumstances or whether they are using the fuel for the comfort of a burning fire, to heat their homes or whatever, are not envisaged, included or referenced. What Senator O'Reilly is seeking to remove is a provision in the primary Act going back to 1987 that gives powers to the Minister to act in certain circumstances. However, it is not proposed for the regulations, and it is not in any way envisaged or provided for in the circumstances the Senators talked about, that a homeowner or householder would be in any way impacted.”
“It is about targeting the production, transportation, and sale and supply of materials that have a negative impact on the environment and, more particularly, the bronchial health of citizens. I can reiterate that again, and the Senators know the figures already. It is about improving air quality. We are targeting it at the production, transportation, and sale and supply, not at the end user. The end user is not referenced in any way in this amending legislation, nor is how the end user ultimately gets material that they, within the broader guidelines, wish to heat their home with. Many of the people I represent would be in that bracket. They are not included. It is not envisaged that the legislation would have any penalties for them whatsoever. Senator Kyne talked about the different methods of procurement they may have.”
“I thank the Senators for their contributions. Without a doubt, I understand the spirit of what they are trying to achieve. They are trying to remove a level of uncertainty from people who have concerns that have built up based on press releases and announcements that have been made through the decades. Generally, when it comes to drafting legislation, it prescribes what it intends to do. It never goes into what it does not intend to do. What Senator O'Reilly is asking me to do is to have the legislation set out what it is not doing. Of course, that would be a stretch. I will restate again with absolute clarity and certainty what the Bill sets out to do.”
“In essence, the measures that we are bringing forward in this Bill are aimed exclusively at producers, transporters and retailers and the provisions relate to all of that. The Bill is not about punishing householders; it is about giving local authorities the enforcement toolkit they need to ensure they can enforce the rules that apply to the production, transport and sale of solid fuel. The Bill is also about making sure that the fuel sold on the Irish market is of a higher quality and is less polluting. Householders will also benefit by having confidence that what they buy is cleaner and safer. For the reasons set out, I cannot accept the proposed amendment.”
“The current solid fuel regulations are in place since 2022 and concentrate on the sale and distribution of unapproved solid fuel at a commercial level, rather than placing restrictions on householders. I repeat that there is nothing in the Bill that changes the current arrangements in place for householders with regard to solid fuel or its usage. The Bill is, however, expanding the options open to local authorities to enforce solid fuel legislation through fixed-payment notices, also known as on-the-spot fines and the powers to remove non-compliant fuel from commercial circulation and improved solid fuel registers to ensure that only compliant producers, transporters and retailers can operate commercially.”
“Given that the Act is one of the primary instruments to protect air quality in the State, it would be imprudent to remove this measure should it ever be needed in the future. Such a scenario might include where there was such a serious threat to air quality to the extent that there was no other alternative but to consider this measure. It is worth noting that the current solid fuel quality regulations do not impose any restrictions or penalties on householders regarding the solid fuel that they use and the Bill does not impact on the current arrangement in place for householders, nor does it envisage a requirement in the future, save in the exceptional circumstances that I have outlined, as recognised back in 1987 when the legislation was first enacted.”
“The approach under the Bill is to improve air quality and ensure that only compliant fuel is made available by commercial operators for sale to householders. The provision for a Minister to impose a restriction on the use of the burning of solid fuels through regulations, including the burning of solid fuel by householders, was included in the Air Pollution Act 1987. It has been there since the beginning. The proposed amendment would remove the restatement of this long-standing power. To be very clear, what the Senators are proposing to remove is not something that is being inserted in the legislation by the amendments we are bringing forward but rather a provision that has been there since 1987.”
“I thank the Seanad for the expeditious way in which it is progressing this legislation. It has been very agreeable but, unfortunately, I cannot accept this amendment. I thank Senators Sarah O'Reilly and Boyhan for their proposed amendment. As I set out on Second Stage, the focus of the legislation being introduced is to give the local authority powers to ensure that the solid fuel placed on the market meets a certain standard. This is to reduce the impact solid fuel has on the environment and to reduce the number of premature deaths attributed to air pollution. The Bill is about reducing the 1,700 premature deaths that occur in Ireland each year because of poor air quality, nearly ten times the number of road deaths last year. We must also remember that poor air quality contributes to heart disease, stroke, asthma, depression and anxiety.”
“By fostering that collaboration with the Defences Forces, industry and our European partners, the State can ensure that the increased investment in defence delivers lasting benefits, both in terms of operational readiness and, importantly, as the Senator keeps emphasising, the wider economic resilience of those communities.”
“While these investments will enhance Defence Forces capabilities, they will also have the potential to unlock opportunities for Irish industry and create pathways for SMEs operating in the dual use area to grow. As the Senator is aware, Ireland has a strong and highly innovative SME base, no more so than in light engineering, which is very much part of the local economy in the Senator's county, Tipperary, with many firms active in advance technologies relevant to defence and security. The continued structured engagement with these enterprises will broaden co-operation, support innovation and strengthen the domestic contribution to Ireland's defence capabilities.”
“The Senator has rightly identified the positive that can come from this. The Minister outlined previously that her priority is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained and developed. This will enable the Defence Forces to carry out its roles as assigned by Government. In addition, the Government is going to provide for the development of a full spectrum of defence capabilities that will bring Ireland in line with similar sized European countries, as the Senator has identified. Over the coming years, substantial expenditure will be directed towards infrastructure development, capability enhancement and technological innovation.”
“With that in mind, the Minister will look to ensure an appropriate amount of diversification among suppliers to ensure a resilient, efficient and secure supply chain. A well-designed local participation framework is both pragmatic and beneficial. It strengthens defence capabilities, improves availability, supports resilience and ensures the investment in defence delivers lasting benefits for the State and Irish society as a whole.”
“These outcomes align with the whole-of-government approach to resilience and economic sustainability, while remaining consistent with our policy of military neutrality. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is conscious that any such framework must be proportionate, legally robust and deliver clear value for money. It must also balance openness and competition with long-term strategic benefit. Work is ongoing to ensure that future defence procurement fully considers life-cycle costs, sustainability and opportunities for meaningful local participation. In light of ongoing geographical tensions and the lessons learned from Covid-19, supply chain resilience and security of supply have become increasingly important in the context of national security.”
“A sustainable procurement model also supports the development of indigenous skills, expertise and industrial capacity. By embedding local participation requirements such as in-country maintenance, training, technical support or supply chain involvement, the State can help foster specialist eco-systems around key defence assets. Over time, this builds institutional knowledge, reduces reliance on external providers and enhances sovereign capability in critical areas. Furthermore, local participation contributes to broader Government objectives, including regional development, high-value employment and skills retention, particularly in engineering, technology and advance manufacturing.”
“Local participation has the potential to play a significant role across each of these phases. As an island nation, Ireland must also consider the practical and strategic implications of overseas dependencies. Transporting platforms or systems for critical components across the Continent for routine maintenance, repair or upgrades can introduce unnecessary costs, extended downtime and operational risks. This is particularly relevant for naval and air assets where availability and responsiveness are critically essential. Where it is feasible, the component with EU and international procurement obligations, local or regional maintenance and support arrangements can specifically reduce turnaround times and improve operational resilience.”
“As recently outlined by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the report aims to speed up the modernisation of the Defence Forces and improve defence capabilities across land, air, maritime and cyber domains. The potential for increased local participation in Ireland's defence procurement process is a timely issue, particularly in the context of a changing security environment, the increased investment in defence capability and the continuing need to ensure value for money for the State. With that in mind, it is important to emphasise that defence procurement is not simply about the acquisition of equipment. It is about the delivery of long term, sustainable capabilities for the Defence Forces. For this reason, the Department has adopted a whole-of-life cycle approach to procurement, encompassing design, acquisition, maintenance and upgrade.”
“As the Senator is well aware of, the programme for Government committed to strengthening Ireland's defence by increasing investment in our capabilities and thereby safeguarding our citizens. The 2026 budget demonstrated that commitment in the most practical manner by allocating €1.49 billion to defence expenditure. In addition, the national development plan sets out a longer term capital investment in defence totalling €1.7 billion from 2026 to 2030. This significant funding increase reflects the Government's commitment to continue to increase investment in our Defence Forces. It will enable targeted progression on key elements of Government commitments from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.”
“I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Defence who unfortunately cannot be present today. She sends her apologies. On the Minister's behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond to Senator Ahearn and thank him for raising this important matter. I know of his interest generally in such affairs. He has taken a great interest in and support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion. If I am not mistaken, I think he was in Kyiv and showed a great understanding of that particular matter. It does not surprise me that he is raising a matter like this. The importance of ensuring a strong local participation framework within Ireland's defence procurement process is timely.”
“-----and that is something that will come on board through Gas Networks Ireland. I am pleased we are making significant progress in that area. I am sorry I did not get to answer my good friend, Deputy Heneghan, but he and I will have a conversation again about the whole offshore piece in another forum I am sure.”
“It is a recognition that gas is a transition fuel and that we cannot move to electricity in one bang. That is going to take a protracted period. There will always be a need for gas or biogas. We must have a safety net and a backup to protect our hospitals, schools and industrial base. We cannot leave ourselves open to the risk of any disruption to the two existing interconnectors. We are already doing that-----”
“The Bill makes several important changes to the gas safety regime, which I will quickly reiterate. The gas safety framework, by which undertakings are licensed, is placed on a statutory footing, the CRU safety remit is strengthened through the introduction of a new class of LPG safety licences, and the definitions of natural gas and LPG incidents are broadened to include precursors to near-miss incidents or events. The CRU also acquires stronger powers to specify what is required of undertakings with regard to emergency responses. As Deputy Healy-Rae and others said, there is a recognition that we cannot be overly dependent on gas from the east. That is why the Government recently announced the positioning of a floating facility for LNG in the Shannon Estuary. It so happens to be in Cahiracon, which is in west Clare.”
“The Government is taking cognisance of the needs of rural Ireland and, in this Bill, it is taking cognisance of the appropriate response, one that is proportionate to the risk that has been identified. It seeks to put in place a regulatory framework that gives protection to the greatest extent possible without creating an enormous regulatory burden that would make it exceedingly difficult or extraordinarily expensive if we just had a one-size-fits-all approach. By taking this proactive approach, it is a recognition of the needs of rural Ireland and not wanting to create a greater cost burden on those operators, most of which are highly trained and professional people. Of course, like any of us, there is a standard we have to adhere to. When it is there and it is monitored, operators tend to adhere to it.”
“Rather than preparing resource-intensive safety cases, class 2 licence-holders will be bound to adhere to safety requirements outlined by the CRU through regulation. This approach was arrived at following consultation with industry stakeholders as the fairest and most effective means of bringing hitherto unregulated operators into the licensing system. This speaks directly to Deputy Collins, for whom I have great regard and respect. Every time the Deputy contributes he seems to latch on to rural Ireland, which is part of his party's name. This is a recognition that not every regular scale operator in a rural area is of the same scale and complexity as one might be in a large area network in a more urban environment.”
“As has already been outlined, the Bill provides a legislative response to a public policy problem posing safety risks to the public, namely, unlicensed LPG networks whose operators have fallen outside the regulatory regime to date. While the CRU has done important work to date in inspecting these undertakings and issuing improvement notices, this Bill brings such undertakings firmly into the licensing system. As Deputies have heard, the Bill accomplishes this through establishing a new LPG safety licence class 2, for operators making LPG available to fewer than ten piped distribution networks, for use by individual domestic customers. The new licence class is suited to the needs of smaller operators and applicants will face much lower application fees.”
“The planning legislation is distinct. It is rigorous in this regard. It is regularly reviewed through judicial reviews in the courts and I do not believe there is a role for the Government in this. However, if the Deputy has concerns about the bona fides, he should share them with the authorities I mentioned. In saying that, it is important to note that Members of this House who hold Government positions now or who held them previously will go on to work in industry. There is a cooling-off period, and rightly so, but we have to be careful because such allegations have the capacity to malign or undermine the professionalism of individuals involved.”
“This is one of only a few regulatory regimes where parliament has oversight, as opposed to the Government. I will go back to something Deputy Lawless said. It is important and I do not want to oversimplify it. However, it is the case that professionals move from one side of the fence to the other. We have to be careful not to ascribe to that professional movement from consultant to regulatory environment a conflict of interest. There is always potential for a conflict of interest and it is the responsibility of the chief executive of the local authority or of An Coimisiún Pleanála to assure themselves in that regard. I suggest that if the individuals have concerns, they address them to the chief executives of those authorities. For the Government to intervene, as Deputy Lawless suggested, would be an abuse and unlawful.”
“The previous Government moved away from a speculative approach to identifying sites offshore and into a plan-led phase. We did a designated marine area plan, DMAP, off the south-east coast, which has designated four sites, one of which has gone to auction with three will follow. I have responsibility for the next phase of that DMAP, which will identify suitable sites around the entire coast of Ireland that will get us to 20 GW by 2040. We are on target to deliver that designation by 2027 and we are committed to making sure it happens. I take on board the concerns of some about the cost of electricity. It is a marketplace and there is competitive tension. The regulator has a role. Deputy Healy-Rae said the Government should intervene with the regulator. The regulator is independent and answerable to the Oireachtas committee.”
“Others have said, regardless of whether it is through levies or State funding, it is funded by taxpayer contributions, whether they are corporate or individual. However, in this case it is not an issue. The delays were not related to the CRU's lack of resources because the costs will be covered through levies on the industry. Deputy Heneghan talked at length about the broader issue of looking at the Government's commitment to become less dependent on gas. With our climate commitments, we are going through a transition phase where we need to move to electrification and the development of a biogas regime, and we are doing so at pace. While it has been slow in the early stages, the Government is progressing now. In early December last year, an auction took place for a 900 MW wind farm off the south-east coast.”
“It is not acceptable and I certainly accept the points made. An issue of such importance should have progressed more quickly. That is why the Minister is adamant that the Bill will now get a fair hearing and move quickly through the Houses. A Deputy identified that it was published just last Friday. It is legislation of significant importance. Some peripheral issues were raised that are not directly related to the Bill. I am sure there will be other opportunities for Deputies to raise them again. I will concentrate on the important aspects. I accept, as I said, the concerns. There were issues with the costs. The reality is that when any new regulatory regime is brought in, there will be costs. However, the costs will not be borne by the State, but by the industry. That is the appropriate approach.”
“I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate. The Government welcomes the considerations and contributions on this Stage. I look forward to what I think, based on what I heard, will be the Deputies' support in progressing the Bill through the House. The Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2026 will make crucial and long-sought changes to our regulatory regime for natural gas and liquified petroleum gas, protecting operators, customers and the public, which I think we all accept is paramount. I will try to respond to some of the issues I heard raised. I noticed an issue was raised throughout the debate that was identified back in 2016. The pre-legislative scrutiny was concluded in July 2024. I take on board, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I are concerned, that it took a long time.”
“-----know how much agriculture has changed over the past 50 years. I know what engagement within the European Union has meant and I am shocked by some of the utterances, that some people say our future would be better - I am not saying Deputy Kenny said this but it is part of this narrative - outside the European Union.”
“-----or the reopening of market access for beef to the Chinese markets. This Government has shown time after time a commitment to rural communities. Time after time, it has delivered for rural communities. We can all get up here and shout and roar, but the reality is that I, as someone who was born and bred in a rural community and brought up on a small farm,-----”
“For those reasons, the Government stands by its position, commends its amendment to the House and reaffirms its commitment to Irish farmers and rural communities, to Ireland's future and to the outward looking trading nation we are. While the Deputies seek to undermine our activities here, I have heard no one - perhaps one or two on the other side - give any credibility to the work of the Government on the retention of the nitrates derogation-----”
“They know full well that this decision does not diminish Ireland's commitment to trade with the European Union or to the international engagement. Rather, it reflects a careful, evidence-based judgment that trade policy must be fair, sustainable and balanced. The Government will continue to engage constructively as the process moves forward, including ahead of the European Parliament vote. We will continue to advocate for the strongest possible implementation of safeguards, standards and commitments secured through Ireland's engagement. This is the balanced and responsible approach the Government has taken throughout. It is one that recognises opportunity, confronts risk and places the long-term interests of the Irish people in urban and rural areas at the centre of decision-making.”
“I heard a few contributions stating we should have made our position clearer earlier. We worked our way constructively with other member states to try to build a blocking minority. I know how that has worked against us, with respect. I know it from the fisheries perspective.”