Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I warmly congratulate the Taoiseach, his family and the new Ministers. I wish the outgoing Taoiseach every happiness and success. I have a special word for Simon Coveney; I wish him good luck and thank him for everything. I will be the first person to invite the Taoiseach to County Kerry. I want him to come very soon as he has been a very good visitor in the past in his different roles. I invite him to meet with farmers and small businesspeople in Kerry at the earliest opportunity.

I went to the Taoiseach's new office earlier to hand deliver a letter with regard to the World Rally Championship, WRC, bid, which hinges on funding after the event consent approval. We are looking to secure a three-year contract for counties Waterford, Kerry and Limerick. I was glad to meet with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. I am very appreciative of her support for this and know that she is very open to all of it. I am glad that Ministers Michael McGrath and Donohoe are here because they hold the purse strings. They are good men to mind money. I tell them that the amount of money we will have to spend will be very little because we will get €350 million back. That is a big win for Ireland. The right team is sitting in front of me. I ask them to please fund the WRC, and bring it to Kerry, Waterford and Limerick.

I want the Taoiseach to stop the attack on Airbnbs and short-term lets. I really mean this. I do not do very short-term lets myself, but I know plenty of people in Kerry who do. They are asking me to lobby. What the Government is doing does not make sense. It will not be able to stop people doing short-term lets and turn them into long-term lets. They will leave the properties empty first.

With regard to the fodder scheme, what has been announced is not enough. It is not good enough. The rates and input costs for small businesses are forcing them to close. I ask the Government to please do something about that.

On GPs and accident and emergency services, I ask the Government to please do its best to help in that regard.

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