I do not know which Minister is answering this question but it relates to the Irish wool industry and a farmer-led initiative that will be a crucial lifeline for rural areas. It specifically relates to the status of an application under call 6 of the European Innovation Partnership. I have provided the details. When will funding announcements be made? Can the Minister give any further details?

I thank the Minister. I have been following up on this for a number of years now. We got a report from the Agile Executive on the possibilities for wool. Like seaweed, this is an area we have utterly neglected despite the substantial potential for growth for indigenous industries. The report tells us that: Wool has a unique composition that makes it applicable to many markets including Horticulture, Packaging, Insulation, Textiles, Cosmetics, Filled Products and Composites [and many more]. This is an initiative fro…

I understand the restriction on the Minister with regard to the evaluation process. I understand that but will he clarify the dates for me because I missed them when he was delivering his response? On wool in general, I am very concerned at how slowly progress is being made. It took us years to get the report that was commissioned. Some €100,000 was set aside. The report cost €70,000 while €30,000 went into the establishment of the Irish Grown Wool Council. I wish the council the best of luck but the Department has…

I missed the dates.

This is a very specific question. I know the Minister is very familiar with this because there was a protest outside the Dáil on the issue. I am not sure whether things have moved forwards or backwards. What is the reason that mineral soils were included under GAEC 2 and why was the percentage chosen despite the regulation being intended only to apply to carbon-rich soils? I fully support the provision regarding carbon-rich soils, that is, peatlands and wetlands.

I understand the baseline conditionality. I am no expert on this, but I listened to carefully to what those who are experts are saying. It seems on the face of it that small farmers are disproportionately affected by the percentage employed. I can only tell the Minister what I have been informed of, which is that the Department has decided that if 51% of the parcel comprises peatlands and wetlands, the entire land falls under GAEC 2. This means that 100,000 acres of mineral sites are captured that were not meant to…

I have no intention of scaremongering.

I do not think the Minister was. I do not think the farmers who were up here protesting were scaremongering either. They were clearly setting out their concerns. I have set them out as best I can in the context of the two percentages being used. The percentage for mineral soils and the percentage for wetlands and peatlands could be clarified in simple terms. I accept the Minister's bona fides in the context of what he said, but farmers tell us in serious representations that they are worried they will particularly …

This Government has pushed a policy of might is right at every level. It has seriously undermined years of Dáil reform. That reform was brought in to make democracy stronger in order that all voices within the Dáil would be heard. The Government is being disingenuous and dangerous. I take particular note of the speeches of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and one of the Ministers in which language was turned absolutely on its head. The Government rammed through changes. It placed the Ceann Comhairle in an invidious posi…

It has effectively reduced the opportunity for openness and the accountability on the part of the Taoiseach by reducing the time available to Members to question him. It has reduced the time for the Order of Business. It has reduced the time for our Private Members' business. All the time, it has said it is doing the opposite.

I said they were being disingenuous.

I welcome that the Minister has set out this very clearly and that he hopes to commence tomorrow the new Act, which will replace the 2005 Act. The 2005 Act was supposed to be a sea change in Garda culture and it arose for many reasons. I will come right back to what happened yesterday because it relates to what is absolutely an integral part of openness, accountability and the structures we are now introducing. Three structures were introduced: the ombudsman, GSOC; the Garda Inspectorate; and the Policing Authority…

It is funding to make the various entities open and accountable, to get rid of the culture that led to the Act in 2005 that was never a success, and to change the various structures again because accountability failed. Not by the ordinary gardaí on the ground, let me say. My introduction to the Dáil was the O'Higgins report, which I know the Minister also read. I read the Morris tribunal report. I read the Smithwick report. On every single level, there was no accountability for the culture of secrecy and protecting…

Gabhaim buíochas le Sinn Féin as an deis cainte a bheith agam maidir leis an rún seo. Tá sé leagtha amach nach bhfuil na figiúirí agus gach rud ann. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an soiléiriú a thug sé maidir le phase 1 agus go mbeidh sé ag dul ar aghaidh go dtí an 24 Aibreán. Is maith an rud é sin. Is rud é sin a bhí á lorg agam, soiléiriú, agus is maith an rud go bhfuil sé ann. Is dócha go bhfuilimid go léir buíoch go ndearna an Rialtas rud, gur thug sé airgead agus cabhair. Tuigim é sin. An fhadhb ná an beala…

I wish the Minister the very best of luck in his new role. I do not know whether Deputy Harkin is taking this question. It relates to Galway and a campus of further education. I was delighted when this announcement was finally made in November 2022. It was announced that there would be an adult campus, a campus of the future. There is a great need for it because so many properties are being rented in Galway. I would appreciate an update on that because I think it is slipping.

I thank the Minister for the background. I have the background and I welcome that. My concern is that there is slippage as regards this project. The ETB in Galway is the second biggest in the country. It is unique in that it covers the Gaeltacht area and the islands. It has 19 post-primary schools and two community national schools and a huge amount of buildings rented at an enormous cost in an unsustainable manner for adult education. We were therefore delighted when this was announced. A preliminary business case…

I welcome that there is a date, but there is the history and the fact that the ETB was twice asked to revise downwards its plan and its vision. We attend regularly meetings on updates with GRETB. I keep calling it the old VEC. In any event, there is cross-party support for this. It looks like the ETB is being forced to accept the 10,000 sq. m, even though it was asked to reduce it even more. There will be a phase 2 sometime in the future. That was never anticipated. It was anticipated it would be all one project. A…

Baineann mo cheist le hInis Oírr, an chéibh atá ansin agus an fhorbairt atá beartaithe di. De réir mo thuisceana, tá dul chun cinn déanta, ach ba mhaith liom é sin a chinntiú ar an taifead, mar fuair an fhorbairt seo cead pleanála in 2008 agus tá sé ardaithe go mion minic agam ó toghadh mé ar dtús in 2016. An féidir leis an Aire an dul chun cinn a shoiléiriú dom agus é a chur ar thaifead na Dála?

Tuigim an fhreagracht atá ar an Roinn, agus ní mór don Roinn an jab a dhéanamh i gceart, ach táimid ag dul siar píosa fada go 2008. D'fhógair Tuairisc go raibh dul chun cinn iontach déanta. The Minister is now telling me that it is before his Department for a final decision. I understand from the very positive article in Tuairisc that a time has been set out for the work to start and to be completed. I understand that work is now to be completed in 2027 at the latest. There are conditions relating to the innealtóir…

Maybe there is a mix-up between the islands. I understood there was a positive announcement for Inis Oírr and the extension of the pier.