I want to make reference, in the context of my portfolio, to the experience I had in the past month. I visited the Horn of Africa, in particular Kenya and South Sudan, and witnessed first-hand the absolute devastation that is happening there. People are at risk of famine of a scale we have not perhaps seen since the mid-1980s. People are currently dying. There were children suffering from malnutrition, the impact of which I saw first-hand. Mothers, fathers and community leaders talked to me directly. They asked if …

I thank Senator Wall for his question. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members of the House today on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I reassure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to helping to combat the rising cost of living being experienced throughout the country. A cost-efficient public transport sector including affordable and accessible public transport services is vital to a functioning economy. In this context, a number of measures have been taken to e…

I thank the Senator for his remarks. I will of course bring his message back to the Minister. I have heard this issue raised by a number of colleagues. I heard the Minister, Deputy McEntee, raise it with regard to her constituency and area. There is no question but that there is an issue there, which the Senator has very clearly highlighted today. Obviously, there is the 20% reduction. The Minister is very firmly committed to extending that into 2023 and to seeing what other measures can be taken.

Or the capital of Ireland.

As the Senator mentioned, the Minister is attending the launch today. The Minister welcomed the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in February. The establishment of the commission was set out in the programme for Government. The members of the commission were drawn from a wide range of national and international experts. The publication of the report represents the culmination of the work carried out over 13 months, and is testament to the considerable efforts of all of those who cont…

I will convey the Senator's views to the Minister, as he has done himself on many occasions. I will also add my own personal take, since we have both known Dún Laoghaire Harbour since childhood. I agree with the Senator that it is underutilised. It is a tremendous facility. For as long as I can remember, the association between the Naval Service and Dún Laoghaire has been strong. The local people love to go along the pier to see naval ships and see which one is currently in harbour. That happened when I was a child…

I am aware the Deputy raised this matter directly with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, at an earlier meeting. I am taking this Topical Issue matter on her behalf. Social insurance coverage was extended to self-employed workers in 1988. Since then, self-employed workers whose income is €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable to pay a social insurance contribution at the class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. Self-employed contributors are currently covered for a wide range of soci…

I hear very clearly what the Deputy said about clarity around the information. I will raise this with the Minister on behalf of the Deputy, as I know he did earlier. As I outlined, there are parameters within which this takes place, in particular, the four-year time limits, which is consistent with the process in other areas. The Deputy's key point on providing clarity of information and awareness to people is very important and I will continue to raise that with the Minister on his behalf.

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, met Uber representatives on 10 June 2022. At that meeting, Uber stated that it was satisfied with the regulatory structure of the SPSV industry in Ireland, as it was clear to the company how it could legally operate here. The Department and the NTA are committed to the existing regulatory arrangements. The Minister is encouraged to hear that the NTA's driver recruitmen…

To make it absolutely clear, I am answering as a Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Ireland's SPSV regulatory framework requires that all drivers and vehicles be licensed as a means of protecting the consumer and helping to ensure public safety. Furthermore, no special regulations have been developed to govern the carriage of passengers by passenger cars that are not SPSVs. Therefore, the classic model where anyone with a car and the relevant app may provide taxi services does not exist here…

Stop your councillors stopping houses.

It is always a-----

It is the truth. It is why you do not like it.

Stop the councillors voting against housing-----

She will take your seat.

The Deputy should not be disingenuous.

The level of economic activity between Ireland and Africa is at an all-time high. In 2021, trade in goods was at a record level of €2.41 billion. Trade in services, also at a record level of more than €4 billion, has been a particular success story, with service exports to Africa up by more than 300% in the ten years to 2020. There was an increase of 8% in Irish agrifood exports to Africa in 2021, which was a remarkably good performance within a difficult international context affected by the Covid pandemic. Irelan…

We are acutely conscious of what is happening in Africa in terms of some of the investment that is going in there and the way in which it is being delivered, particularly with a tie to trade. Both Ireland and the EU try to focus on developing mutually beneficial relationships with Africa, that is, relationships that focus on the development of economic ties and sustainability, particularly in key areas such as climate on which we can work beneficially with countries. At the heart of our development policy, as it is…

I am happy to confirm the Government's position in response to the motion proposed. The Government has moved a countermotion that affirms its policy position on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The programme for Government indicated clearly how we can achieve that, including by committing to ending the issuing of new licences for the exploration and extraction of gas. This mirrors the previous 2019 Government decision relating to oil exploration and extraction. That commitment has been actively in place since…

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had a devastating impact on Ukraine and the Ukrainians. With both countries together producing 12% of the world's traded calories, the invasion has also driven global food, fuel and fertiliser prices to record highs. This has particularly affected some of the most vulnerable countries in the world, which are reliant on food and fertiliser imports. The World Food Programme, which Ireland supports, is particularly exposed to increased cereal prices and transport costs, making it much …