I thank the Deputy. He is over time at this point.

I am a Deputy for Dublin Fingal. Deputy Canney will not be surprised to hear that horticultural peat is an issue that affects my constituency greatly as well. I look forward to a resolution of that matter. Budget 2022 is a very positive one and will benefit people throughout the country, from all backgrounds and walks of life. Regardless of what has been claimed by others, I believe people will be better off as a result of the measures contained in it. For example, €716 million is being spent on childcare, which I …

I have many. I did not want to forget the Deputy's comments and I wanted to give a rundown through my constituency. In the context of this debate, however, the most important part of my constituency is Dublin Airport. The aviation sector supports more than 150,000 jobs and provides billions of euros to our economy. I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for being present, particularly as this is a very important and timely debate. Many of my colleagues on these benches and those opposite have gone into deta…

I welcome the opportunity to debate this strategy. I acknowledge the work of the Ministers, Deputies McEntee and Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, but, as my colleague opposite mentioned, Deputy Stanton also played a significant role in this area both as chairman of the justice committee and as a Minister of State in the Department. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this strategy focused on taking significant and important steps to tackle antisocial behaviour in our town, villages and cities a…

That does not mean you have to say something.

We have made significant progress in the fight against Covid-19. I do not think anyone here can deny that. Challenges remain, however. Thanks to the determination of the Irish people and our healthcare professionals and prudent action by the Government, we have managed to mitigate some of the worst scenarios outlined in March 2020. It is noteworthy that in the time since then, we have seen fantastic uptake of vaccines against Covid-19. This has allowed us to roll back many of the restrictions that had profound impl…

The State is investing, and has invested, significant sums in retrofitting schemes. In the programme for Government, €8.7 billion is earmarked for investment in the retrofit of up to 500,000 homes between now and 2030. Thankfully, supports are available under the home energy upgrade for people on lower-to-middle incomes, who account for approximately 17% of households in the State. However, there is a gap between affordability and the grants awarded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland or under any other …

It must be exhausting being on the left and in a constant state of outrage. What Deputy Barry left out, of course, is Dáil motions are meaningless. You might as well go out on the plinth and give a press conference. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to debate this particular issue. Throughout history there have been many times when the world has come close to ruin, and on this Continent we have seen the horrors of war tear the fabric of society and engulf the globe in death and destruction. The …

The Deputy cannot say “Lies” and he knows it.

I would prefer if you would withdraw that remark and used other language as required under Standing Orders.

Thank you, Deputy.

I now return to the Government slot and call on Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, who is sharing time with Deputy Higgins. They six-and-a-half minutes each.

Before we continue, I advise the House that 16 minutes are left for this debate, with 20 minutes of contributions remaining. The Minister of State has, therefore, kindly agreed to curtail his closing remarks to allow the Members of the Independent Group to complete their contributions. I call Deputy Joan Collins.

I am sharing my time with Deputy Griffin. I welcome the introduction of the Housing for All plan and the opportunity to debate it in the House. Building on the work produced through Rebuilding Ireland, this proposal will make a significant difference for people in society, benefiting those in need of social homes, renters, older people and those seeking to purchase their first home. Throughout this debate, however, both yesterday and today, we have heard numerous contributions from members of Sinn Féin and the left…

First, I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O’Gorman, for all their work on this issue, particularly in the context of the repatriation of Irish citizens and their family members. I also thank Deputy Cathal Crowe for his contribution, which was very important and powerful in the context of what is happening and why we are here discussing these matters. There are a number of f…

I take this opportunity to welcome Deputy Bacik to the House. I have not been in her presence in the Chamber because of the manner in which the Dáil has been meeting. She is welcome. I thank the Minister for his introductory remarks. They were thought-provoking and most welcome. As the former Chair of the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, I had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Muldoon and his team on many occasions. This report is crucial in ensuring that we refocus on the incredibly important issues …

They are not.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for sharing his time. I welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill with the Members opposite. It is a good proposal and I know Deputy Ward has been on this issue for some years. It might come as a surprise to him to learn that in our 100 years of democracy, only about seven Private Members' Bills have been passed into law, to the best of my knowledge. The figure may be six or eight but it is very low. That being said, I have personally written several Bills, some…

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy. We now move back to the Government slot. I call Deputy Cathal Crowe.