First, I stand in solidarity with the staff and students of UCC who have been locked out of their college and workplace because of the visit of Ursula von der Leyen. Why there was a need for this extreme when people just want to go to work and college, I do not know but it goes to the over-the-top way that Europe and this Government are treating the citizens. Once again, the elites are being prioritised over ordinary people. There will be a gridlock in Cork. There will not be a gridlock for the elites. For the ordinary man or woman trying to get to work, college, school or to collect their kids, there will be. I have serious concerns after hearing comments in the past few days about the State's ability to guarantee security while we have the Presidency. The Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have rolled out the red carpet to the Europeans. I am a proud Irishman and a proud European. I think you can be both. At the same time, however, we cannot have a situation where millions upon millions are being spent while children grow up in hostels and hotels. Millions and millions are being spent while children with disabilities cannot get access to school places, school transport or July provision. People with disabilities cannot get them. Our priorities have to be here. We have a Passport Office in Cork. Everyone will be travelling now into Ireland but Irish citizens cannot get passports because of delays in the Passport Office. In Cork, there was supposed to be a new Passport Office in August. Now that is being delayed until next year. The joke of this is there will be no passport printer in a brand-new office that is being set up in Cork. How crazy is that? People are having to get emergency passports. People are facing delays. I dealt with a lady who could not fly out on Monday because her passport was delayed. She had to fly out on Tuesday and book new flights, with the cost of that. If we are going to spend millions, we need to spend it where it needs to be spent. The EU Presidency should be a source of pride. The Taoiseach has an unbelievable opportunity now to make a real difference. Number one, we have to call out how Europe threw us under the bus during the financial crash and how the Irish people paid more than anyone else because of bankers and speculators and how they destroyed our economy. Fianna Fáil must take the blame for that. That lands clearly at its doors. We need the occupied territories Bill to include services. There is an opportunity now for Europe to lead and say that there is a genocide in Gaza. We should stop supplying the Israeli army with weapons. We should stop letting bonds being sold for money. Settlers are driving people from their land in the West Bank and people are being killed. There is a genocide in Gaza. We have an opportunity now that the Taoiseach must grab.

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