That is what we are going to continue to do, including the opening of hospitality this summer. We just want to do it in a way that does not see it going backwards afterwards.

My understanding is that all the options are being looked at, including the building of rail connectivity between Cork and Limerick as a way of improving connectivity to the cities. This is not a formal position but I understand it is now less likely that the option that seemed like the best one, which colleagues of mine were promoting, of using a connection via Tipperary to the Cork-Dublin motorway to provide such connectivity is not being favoured. Whatever option is agreed, it must fit within the new NDP. One of…

I was glad there was agreement on the revised CAP arrangements. There is good and bad in it. From an environmental perspective, many of my colleagues in Brussels are deeply disappointed it did not go further. In truth, much of the detail on how it is going to be applied is yet to be finalised and teased out. CAP and all our policy measures must fit in with our climate action plan and the legislation the Deputy referred to, which will be brought back to this House on an ongoing basis. We will be consulting in each s…

I share Deputy Smyth's concerns and her belief we can manage hospitality in a way that works for public health and to restore our tourism and hospitality sectors. As an interim measure, while we are devising the plans and working out the approach and the reopening plans, there will be further supports and extensions. The PUP is due to be closed to new applicants but that will be extended for a further week into early July. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, will set out the details but as I recall, there wil…

I absolutely agree with the Deputy on the potential benefits of the town centre first strategy. Following on from the earlier discussion, building bypasses and bringing life back into the centre of towns is such an attractive prospect because it is a wonderful way of addressing our housing crisis. Getting families and young people back living in towns means they can access services. The 15-minute city concept is also a 15-minute town concept. Refurbishing beautiful historic buildings and bringing them back in a var…

I will absolutely work directly with the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that every sort of support is made from the State for the workers in Stobart. The other support that could come is the restoration of services, particularly on the two public service routes where we have a direct influence and possible control, namely, the routes to counties Donegal and Kerry. We are in the process of getting those public services back in place. Hopefully it will provide some opportunities for some of the workers from…

I could not possibly do justice to the debate by responding to each Senator but I hope Senators will not mind if I do not refer back to every contribution. I will share a few thoughts. I think Senator Horkan is absolutely right that we should listen to everyone. Every place and person matters. We will only make the scale of the leap we need to make if we listen with respect, including to those who do not agree and those who voted against this for whatever concerns or reasons they have. They represent people with co…

I am honoured to be here to debate Second Stage of this Bill. This is hugely significant legislation that is central to our programme for Government and is one of our key legislative priorities. I am keen that we pass this Bill in a timely manner in order to allow us to play our part both within the European Union, which is looking to set higher and more ambitious climate targets, and as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will meet in Glasgow this November to commit to higher a…

Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has made significant funding available to the Irish aviation industry through a range of business supports. The bulk of the support to airlines is through the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, and employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, which were specifically designed to maintain the link between employers and employees. It is estimated that by the end of June 2021, the sector will have received approximately €300 million in such supports. Liquidity funding is also a…

Yes. In April, on the back of the report produced by the National Civil Aviation Development Forum, the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, wrote to the Taoiseach and all Government Ministers, including the Minister for Health, promoting the recommendations of that report, which also made the case for using antigen testing on a trial basis. In public and internally, I have been completely supportive of Professor Ferguson's approach with regard to the benefits of antigen testing for screening. I watched w…

The Deputy should remember that what the aviation industry wanted more than anything else - we have had extensive discussions on it throughout this crisis - was an end to the Government recommendation on essential travel only and the reintroduction of flying. That will take place from 19 July. Critically, coming with the mass vaccination of our society, that will allow people to be able to fly without having to take a test. That is the preferred option for all concerned. The position will continue to evolve, as it …

The National Transport Authority, NTA, is the statutory body tasked with the regulation of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, sector and it is responsible for the regulation of vehicle age limits under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. The Deputy may be aware that the NTA has extended age limits for taxis and hackneys three times since the start of the pandemic. The most recent extension, made last month, ensures that no vehicle will be forced to exit the fleet due to age limits alone in 2021. I …

I will come back to the rest of the answer.

Last week we stated that a further €3 million is being provided to waive licence renewal fees for this year. We also announced a further allocation of €3.5 million to operate a scheme to refund the cost of national car tests, NCTs, and motor tax, so that is a further €6.5 million. Critically, the most important thing for taxi drivers was the ability to earn income while being on the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, which has been extended into next year. Similar to the aviation industry, the most critical thing,…

I would like there to be 26,000 taxis because one of the things I want to do is switch the way our cities work. That is going to take time, support from this House, budgets and funding. It will also have to get through the planning system. One of the big changes coming to our cities is bus corridors and BusConnects schemes that will radically transform the city and give taxis a huge advantage in being able to get around cities quickly. There are all sorts of rumours that we are going to stop taxis doing this, that …

I am very glad to talk about the expansion of public transport in the south Wicklow area. I am not just talking about rail but also the wider context. It is important that we take a multimodal approach to transport planning and the provision and integration of public transport services and infrastructure. That approach is evident in the statutory transport strategy for the wider greater Dublin area, which includes south Wicklow and which the National Transport Authority is required to prepare under the Dublin Trans…

I will speak to Irish Rail about the Avoca train station and see what the possibilities are. With regard to rail, and particularly the Wexford line going into south Wicklow, there are developments going on across the country. This strategic rail review will look at how we can extend commuter services and I would do that as we electrify. The DART will be fully electrified on certain services, such as the one to Maynooth, with overhead power lines and so on. There may well also be a possibility of running battery ele…

I agree with what the Deputy said about the multi-modal approach and the potential for battery electric trains. Regarding the area south of Greystones, I had a meeting with Geological Survey Ireland, GSI, recently and we looked at coastal erosion risk maps. The south of Greystones jumps out like a red beacon. We have a perilous situation with the line and significant engineering works will have to be done. That takes time and involves a major cost. It is not an insignificant engineering issue, so we have to remembe…

As the Deputy is aware, the issue of a rail connection to Navan is being re-examined as part of the NTA’s review of the transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, GDA. The strategy, as we all know, is a multimodal, 20-year transport strategy for the region and one that must be reflected in relevant land use strategies across the GDA. The relevant Act requires the NTA to review and update the strategy every six years and that review is well under way. The NTA has already held the first public consultation as pa…

It will take additional funding and I appreciated Sinn Féin's support yesterday. It is conditional support and there will be hard choices that will have to take place over 30 years when we have to get net zero. We will have choices because we will be looking for funding for the rail extension in Wicklow as we have just heard. We will be looking for the likes of the extension of the Luas to Fingal. We need rail stations across Limerick, which I am sure Sinn Féin and the Green Party will be looking for funding for. W…