The Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending 31 December 2024: Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications.

The Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment has completed its detailed scrutiny of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021, and in accordance with Standing Order 178, has recommended that, for the reasons outlined in its report, the Bill should proceed through Committee Stage.

I call Deputy Gino Kenny to reply to the debate.

It is not in order but the House agrees so we will allow it.

Deputy Gino Kenny has ten minutes.

Another Deputy wishes to join the debate.

Will Deputy Kenny pause his contribution for a moment and then conclude after the Deputy Lahart speaks?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Deputy. Does Deputy Kenny wish to finish off his interrupted closure?

Did Deputy Troy wish to make a contribution?

We made an exception before, so we have to make another. I know we are not supposed to do that, but here we are. The Deputy might be brief.

I thank the Deputy. Has Deputy Kenny concluded and is he satisfied?

In that case, that concludes the debate on this issue.

In accordance with Standing Order 80(2), the division is postponed until the usual weekly division time next Wednesday.

Last week, I raised and named a fund that persisted in pursuing borrowers who have so-called impaired mortgages, loans and so forth. I raised its activities and the manner in which it is putting extraordinary pressure on vulnerable people in the hope it would abate its insistence in some shape or form. Regrettably, that has not been the result. In fact, with renewed vigour, insistence and aggression, it has proceeded in the meantime. It has failed to inform third party representatives as it is obliged to do and has…

I support the point raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett regarding the completion of what would be local authority houses in private estates. From my examination, the finishing leaves much to be desired. The houses were meant for social housing, be it on the local authority side or the approved housing body side.

They are not up to the required standard or in keeping with the standard of the rest of the development. Within a very short space of time, they have started showing flaws such as leakages, dampness, poor plumbing, poor electrics, etc. The real tell-tale of any development is the finish in the bathrooms, where the tiling can clearly be at variance with the standard found in the rest of the estate. I ask that this be borne in mind with a view to ensure that the local authorities exert their authority.

My question is along the same lines. Is there consensus throughout the European Union on its dealings with and attitudes to Moldova and Ukraine at present given that each member state is also a sovereign country?

I apologise for my late entry. I assumed my matter was No. 4 but it is No. 1. I tabled this matter on the basis of a few experiences I have had in recent times. The first relates to a person who has serious health problems, who is not and will never be fit to work again. The person made an application for a disability allowance, which takes forever of course, as we all know. In the meantime, an application was made for an interim payment - a basic supplementary welfare payment, which takes as long as the applicatio…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which is exactly accurate. That is what the supplementary welfare payment is supposed to be. It is supposed to be a short-term interim payment while investigations are taking place. I was previously a Minister of State in that Department, so I am fairly familiar with it. I have never had that experience before either. Somebody obviously felt that the time was ripe to tell the Government backbenchers to so-and-so off with themselves and so on. It is noted, but it is not a…