Any discussion or statements on excess mortality must take account of our very recent past and the difficulties and terrible deaths associated with Covid. We commend the Government, the health services and the schemes aimed at ensuring everything is done to help and assist those who remain at risk. I think of the ongoing vaccination schemes and so forth. However, in the main, we are living longer and we can be thankful that we are a lot healthier. In recent decades, we have been making progress on heart disease and…

I am glad to have the opportunity to acknowledge the Government's achievement in delivering such an extensive and expansive budget. This happens not by accident but by design. It happens when there is constant and ongoing international investment and a progressive taxation system which rewards work and generates revenue. Those have put us in a position to deliver this budget. The Government has played a pivotal role in leading and ensuring the State responded to the challenges presented in recent years by Brexit, t…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. As we all know, the move to a low-carbon economy involves a transition across many sectors. In this instance, we are focusing specifically and momentarily on agriculture. The ambition is for the Government to align food production systems with consumer sentiment and environmental ambition. As a result of the commitments made in the programme for Government to achieve that, we have seen the climate action plan and emission reductions across Departments and various sectors, inc…

I move: That leave be given to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000; to provide An Bord Pleanála with powers, functions and duties in relation to pending applications and appeals of long duration; and to provide for related matters. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to introduce this Private Members’ Bill, which will speed up housing and infrastructure in the economy. The Bill will force An Bord Pleanála to give decisions within a fixed timeframe. The project…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Could the Tánaiste update the House on developments regarding the killing of a member of Ireland's UNIFIL mission last December?

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. He said at the end that he does not believe he can comment much further on the Lebanese authorities' investigation and the recent charging. It is alleged that the five formally charged are members of the Hezbollah armed group. Obviously, Hezbollah denies that. What is the Tánaiste's belief about the assertion? Does he believe and is he confident that there will be a fair trial, given that the record in such circumstances does not inspire the confidence of many of us?

I appreciate the sensitivities of the matters involved when a trial is imminent. Insofar as he can be at this stage, and based on his initial interactions and investigations, the Minister is confident that the Lebanese authorities are insisting on a fair trial, as we would obviously expect.

I thank Deputy Lahart for affording me a couple of minutes to contribute to these statements relating to the accommodation needs of new arrivals. Notwithstanding the majority of, if not all, Members of this Dáil agreeing that we have international obligations together with international credibility as a nation, which has suffered through its own history in the context of migration and which understands the needs of those who are fleeing conflict and oppression in the form of the Ukrainian war and those who seek int…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I particularly welcome his commitment in acknowledging the four issues I have raised that are pertinent specifically to the workforce and their asks and expectations regarding the negotiations as well as the commitment to bring that to bear on the line Minister, who I am sure will in turn will talk to the CEO and management with a view to re-establishing the good faith and goodwill that can help with the wider issues I mentioned. When Bord na Móna was set up in the 19…

With due respect, I implore the Minister of State to bring that to Government to ensure that a new round of such offerings is made available because in the county I represent, up to 40% of homes are dependent on solid fuel as opposed to 5% or 6% nationally.

March into office.

It can be difficult to disprove a motion of no confidence in three minutes listening to the heckling that is going on here. One would almost feel like a contestant on "Countdown". I will get straight to it. The majority of the Opposition is piggybacking on the genuine fears and concerns of very vulnerable people. It has created an unhelpful caricature of the evil landlord. Many others, even in the press, have lapped this up. The eviction ban was always meant to be temporary. I do not dispute that we remain in a hou…

-----at how we came to be at this juncture. It has exerted enough time and pressure. It is time now if Members are really genuine to go back to their constituencies and put the tenant in situ solution into practice-----

-----because those impacted by the lifting of that ban depend on all of us to make that solution work.

The Opposition should work it rather than knock it.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin's remarks are disgraceful.

Who are you to tell him to sit down?

In the short time available, I wish to summarise where Bord na Móna has come from, where it is at and where it is going, and specifically thereafter to make a request of the Government as a result of ongoing changes. Bord na Móna's remit and role as set down by the Government back in the 1940s was to create sustainable jobs and deliver local affordable sources of energy. It was gifted lands by many landowners who could not before that derive a livelihood or make a contribution to their communities' well-being. Bord…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I agree with him and cannot dispute much of what he said. I acknowledge and appreciate much of Bord na Móna's work in respect of its decarbonisation programme, its commitment to renewable projects and the major investment it has made in partnerships in the context of onshore and offshore projects and solar programmes. I commend it on that. I know that a great programme of rehabilitation and rewetting is ongoing and that funding has been made available by Government and t…