Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I will beg the indulgence of the Ceann Comhairle to welcome Ryan McKeowan and Zoe Bell to the Gallery.

In 2025, super junior Ministers in Ireland receive a total annual salary package of approximately €200,000. Junior Ministers have an additional ministerial salary of €45,846. There is a super junior allowance of €16,000 and an additional travel allowance worth up to €32,535. The public need to get value for their money with these Ministers. The public is increasingly concerned about the wasteful spending occurring in the Dáil.

Recent examples include a bike shed with an estimated cost of €335,000, a security hut costing nearly €1.4 million and a wall at the Workplace Relations Commission headquarters costing nearly €500,000. While it is beneficial to have Ministers, it would be greatly appreciated if these Ministers realised they were Ministers for the State and not Ministers for their own constituencies. When they come to constituencies, they fail to inform all of the local TDs they are arriving. They obviously put on the jersey here as being Ministers for the State, but when they get into a constituency they become Ministers for Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael depending on the party they are representing.

While I believe it is important for our Ministers, Taoiseach and Tánaiste to engage with the American president to strengthen our relations, it is crucial to minimise unnecessary expenses. We cannot afford to waste money, especially when many homes in Ireland struggle to keep the lights and heat on. It is not justifiable to spend on unnecessarily luxuries. In 2020, when I requested a stand-alone Minister for fisheries, I was informed by the Taoiseach that no new ministerial positions could be created. However, Pippa Hackett was later appointed to such a position. This deal means that more Ministers will be appointed. It is amazing how that can happen.

We should have had a Minister for fisheries, marine and the islands. This time there is a Minister for fisheries and the marine, which I welcome. I will not discredit that. It is good to have it. I am pleased have a Minister for fisheries, after many years of waiting for that. I am disappointed that the position was not given to somebody from a fishing constituency. Nonetheless, I look forward to working with the new Minister for fisheries. I hope he will address some of the damage done, in particular since Brexit when 25% of the fishermen's quotas were given away. All we received in return was a dirty decommissioning deal. In my constituency, Castletownbere is one of our largest fishing ports. It beggars belief to drive to the pier and see boats offloading, not one of which is Irish.

I also remind the Minister of the statutory instrument assigned to bring in penalty points for our fishermen. I hope with the new Minister for fisheries that things will change. I will work with our new Minister for fisheries and I can to make sure to help the forgotten industry. I hope this is not a case of jobs for the boys. While I wish Ministers are very best, they have to show that they provide value for money to the country. It seems we are overshadowed completely by Ministers.

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