Seanad Éireann has passed the Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022, without amendment.

Go raibh maith agat.

I seek to ascertain the extent to which the Minister monitors the cost of inputs to farms, how it affects farm income and what efforts can be made to ameliorate these issues.

Has an audit been done on the impact of the various price increases on farm inputs, including energy? What can be done specifically in each and any case to reduce the impact? How much of a positive impact has been noticed in the agrifood sector as a result of these interventions?

I congratulate the Minister on the tillage incentive which is hugely important. Based on the information available to the Minister and Department, what are the most likely areas of difficulty in the coming 12 months? How can the supports the Minister has introduced be redirected, if necessary, to ensure the maximum benefit for those who depend on the farm for their income?

My question seeks to ascertain the extent to which tree-growing can contribute to sequestration, despite the concerns or expressions to the contrary to the effect that it is an important feature of the energy and forestry industries.

To what extent will the Minister of State continue to encourage the use of specific species of trees for certain purposes? There is quite a difference between some of the hardwood trees and some of the conifers. The much-maligned Sitka spruce has been consigned to the waste bin in most cases, wrongly in my opinion. It has a huge contribution to make, particularly in shelter. In forests, the outer ring should normally be of a sheltering variety that ensures the species on the inside enjoy the right growing condition…

I will make another suggestion. I am seeking to ascertain the degree to which this can be expanded. Certain tree varieties, such as apple trees and pear trees, can be used for three purposes: for decorative purposes at certain times of the year, for food purposes, and for wood purposes when their lifespan has dissipated. Has any evaluation been done of the utilisation of wasteland, headlands, corners of fields or otherwise inoperable situations from an agriculture point of view? How can such lands can be utilised b…

I would expect that the equality legislation would prevail in all assistance that is available, and that the equality legislation would enable equal participation of male and female farmers. If the grant aid varies between male and female applicants, obviously there is a slight challenge there to the equality legislation. I hope this can be overcome.

I thank the Minister of State. I call the proposer of the motion, Deputy Bacik, to reply to the debate.

Deputies Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins, Michael Healy-Rae and O’Donoghue each have two minutes.

We will let you in.

We will now go back to Question No. 1, which is being taken by Deputy Daly on behalf of Deputy Martin Kenny.

Question No. 3 in the name of Deputy Martin Kenny will be taken by Deputy Pa Daly.

This question relates to a disgraceful and disgraced formula invented by a gentleman in the United States some years ago that is now used in the family law courts as a means of resolving and readjusting the minds of parents and children in the event of a divorce or separation.

I thank the Minister for that detailed reply. I also acknowledge the work of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in this area as well. There is a problem, however, and it is urgent. I refer to what to do about the children and their mothers, or fathers, who have been before the courts in the context of some cases where gardaí were ordered by the courts to go into classrooms, take the children out and place them in the hands of the person from whom they were previously taken. It is, to say the least, a contradiction. It i…

The sad and tragic fact in these types of situations is that not only are the children treated as pawns, but they are also treated in the way that previous generations treated children in concentration camps. Their minds are taken to be reformed and reoriented in such a way that they will see a disadvantage as being an advantage, and vice versa . This leads to a situation of confusion, obviously, and terrible trauma insofar as the mothers are concerned. Some mothers have been forcibly separated from their children …

This question I am taking for Deputy Bruton seeks to ascertain the impact to date of new approaches to crime in areas of high incidence of crime and of high risk of young people being permanently involved in crime, and what are the results.

By way of supplementary, I ask the extent to which the Minister and her Department have evaluated the measures to distract young people away from a life of crime. How successful are they? Is there evidence of a metric being taken to enable the Department and Deputy Humphreys, as Minister, to find out how successful the programmes are?

I have a continued interest in the degree to which the Minister can liaise on the various opportunities that exist in industry and throughout the workplace with a view to meeting the most urgently known requirements and given that almost everybody has signs up inviting potential employees to apply.