I want to ask the Minister of State the measures he will take to maximise the delivery of solar PV systems on homes, schools, farm sheds and community, sporting, commercial and public buildings in 2023; his targets in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

A number of points arise. There is a significantly increased ambition regarding solar energy, with a goal of 5 GW by 2025, which was announced to great fanfare, but it will take much work to deliver on that. There is significant opportunity at a smaller scale, outside of utility scale, to realise that and to bring people along and have them play their part. There are a number of key elements. We should not be entirely dependent on utility scale and I am concerned that we will end up being dependent. There is a cons…

There are unnecessary barriers. It is not the Minister of State's responsibility but as I understand the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme, TAMS, 3 criteria, they are not getting paid for their excess electricity. They still cannot sell back to the grid or export. The community energy grant run by SEAI is available for businesses but there is a level of bureaucracy. We had the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment before the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action last week. It is clear th…

I want to ask the Minister of State if he will carry out a full review of the role and governance of Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, in light of recent revelations and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To be clear, are Mr. Barry and Mr. Neely conducting the governance review or are they preparing a plan for a governance review? Could the Minister of State clarify that? What is the expected timeline for the new board to be appointed? Does the Minister of State have an indication of when we might expect to see that? What is the process by which that will be conducted? The most important aspect is the wider investigation into activities. Much has been said and reported about this. Will the Minister of State update t…

In regard to the sequencing, I am not entirely clear. The two gentlemen have responsibility for overseeing the preparation of a review, but will they conduct the review in that three- to six-month period? Will the Department wait for the conclusion of that protected disclosure process? Will it inform the future functioning of the IFI? Are the Minister and the Department in a position to outline or indicate that they will consider all the information and evidence that comes before those two processes, namely, the go…

If the Tánaiste listens to the traffic reports every day he will know that there is significant congestion on the N2 between the Rath roundabout and Kilmoon Cross. Transport Infrastructure Ireland informed Meath County Council, and me through reply to a parliamentary question, this week that it is unable to approve progression of this scheme to phase 3 because of funding constraints. There are too many roads projects in the national development plan and there is not enough funding to match. There is conflict within…

I welcome the motion and the specific proposals to introduce targeted price caps and a windfall tax, review the proposed revenues from non gas and electricity generators and leave the Energy Charter Treaty. Sinn Féin has advocated an energy price freeze for some months. It is welcome that the Social Democrats support that move. It would provide certainty and the maximum protection for consumers. Coupled with a windfall tax, it is the most effective way to tackle the disgusting profits and practices of big energy co…

It resisted it every single time. Stand over the record.

Every single time; look at what-----

-----the Government is saying about the Energy Charter Treaty. I will read the Minister's words back to him. He said if a decision is made for a co-ordinated exit of EU member states from the treaty, Ireland will support that position and withdraw. It is the same in respect of windfall taxes. While the Iberian countries of Spain and Portugal moved, the Government resisted that. Today, instead of delivering €1.9 billion, he has told us the windfall tax will deliver €280 million because of his delay.

Gabhaim buíochas a Leas-Cheann Comhairle and I am grateful that this Topical Issue matter has been selected. It specifically looks at the project to reconfigure three mainstream classes to a two classroom special educational needs base. The National Council for Special Education in November 2021 sanctioned a special class by letter. That process got under way. In April 2022, an application was made to the Department. In September 2022, funding was made available through the additional school accommodation scheme. A…

I welcome the response from the Minister of State, but it raises the question of why there is a delay. We would have hoped that we would have seen progress for this academic year, and more significant progress. This did not happen. There is now the question of whether this facility will be in place during this academic year or even in time for the start of the next academic year. I note the Minister of State's point regarding the NCSE looking at a streamlined and joined-up planning process. I have also received a r…

The Minister, in response to my colleague, Deputy Doherty, earlier, said he wants to smash the housing targets. I am not sure whether he has told the Office of the Planning Regulator about that or amended the national planning framework or told a single local authority in the State. In Meath, we have a track record of delivering houses but there are nowhere near enough. The Meath County Council housing delivery action plan targets are shy by 2,000 out to 2027 and there will be more people going onto the housing lis…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this subject again. I also spoke during Sinn Féin's Private Members' motion, which made three concrete proposals. Deputy Carthy has touched on a number of them, those being, licensing and how the State can get itself off the hook in the Coillte deal. In my comments, I will focus on the forestry strategy. Sinn Féin's Private Members' business called for the publication of a forestry strategy as a matter of urgency and for it to prioritise afforestation undertaken by local c…

I will share time with Deputy Ó Murchú. I welcome this motion and thank the Minister of State for bringing it forward. We will have an opportunity later on Report Stage to have further discussion on it. I commend those involved on getting us to this point. This has been a particular focus of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. There have been numerous debates in this House over the last number of years regarding the future viability and sustainability of our post office network. I commen…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion this evening and I thank Deputy Carthy for bringing it forward. At the outset, I remind the Minister of State that she is actually supporting the motion she is criticising here tonight.

That is classic of this Government’s approach, and I have seen it many times. Similarly, in relation to climate, let us talk about the Government’s emissions reductions targets. How many of them has it met?

Zero.

We have read in the reports at the weekend-----