I cannot commit here to specific reviews being carried out because that is a matter for the Department of Health and the Minister who has to read the report, listen to the expert advice and ensure that we do apply the lessons and learn. Where there is a case that a ward has been in place for 20 years but is not properly equipped, staffed or operational, we must examine that. I do not have the full details, so I am reluctant to comment on any hospital or any one unit within a particular hospital for fear that I woul…

I assure the Deputy that the Government is working collectively, and in my mind coherently, not just in managing the Covid crisis but in every aspect of the economic crisis that comes with it and across every brief. The Deputy is correct that Covid is first and foremost, because it is the essential crisis we have to manage. I am confident that the HSE is managing and has the capability in the testing and tracing regime we need for this country. That capability needs some flexibility within it to increase to 100,000…

This is the most important thing the Government has to do. This medium-term plan, which as I said will be within the next two weeks-----

Yes, but it will take us two weeks.

The managing and taking charge now is to make sure that the medium-term plan is fit for purpose. It is as important, if not more important to my mind, as the budget facing us because how we manage this will allow a return to some normality of life as we manage life with Covid, and try to minimise and suppress it-----

No, it is giving-----

I think there is a role for the Oireachtas. We do it with the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response and other Members. First and foremost, we heed the best advice we have, which is coming from our health services and others, about how we manage this. We have a balancing act to do with regard to how we get economic recovery at the same time. The Government is focused on that more than anything else and will present that plan, which will hopefully give us the mechanism to restore livelihoods and protect lives.

I thank Deputy Canney for raising an important issue in the development of our country, planning forward. I have some broad points to make with regard to the funding of Irish Water. There was agreement in the last Dáil at an Oireachtas committee about the approach that would be taken. I believe there was and still is cross-party and independent support for that approach, so I do not see it changing. It will involve the introduction of water charges where the excessive wasteful use of water is clear and evident. Tha…

I will certainly take it into account. My understanding is that the political agreement about managing water recognised that we will continue to have private water schemes and group water schemes. I recall some of the analysis of it stated that they sometimes have the greatest difficulties. It is not as if they will all completely switch to the Irish Water system, but they have to be included and managed in a way that avoids pollution problems and all the other problems that come with it. One thing that this feeds …

I join with Deputy Collins in extending every sympathy to those who have suffered from the floods across west Cork. I am very familiar with many of the towns, villages and areas the Deputy mentioned. Deputy Collins is right that it is devastating when one wakes up in the morning to see ones house or business flooded. It is particularly worrying in places such as Skibbereen where extensive investment of some €20 million was invested in flood protection measures. Despite all of those best efforts still the streets an…

As I said earlier to Deputy Collins, the answer is "Yes". I will provide the specific details for the Deputy. In Kenmare, Skibbereen and in other locations where we have seen such instances the Government responded immediately by trying to give immediate supports to alleviate the specific areas where it was a problem. I will send that on. Going back to the bigger picture, I do not believe the problem of flooding is due necessarily in every case to silting or material in rivers. I believe it is due to that wider lan…

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I will clarify that the provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. In accordance with this requirement, Roscommon County Council provides a fire service comprising five fire stations at Roscommon town, Elphin, Boyl…

I will pass the concerns both Deputies have raised to the Minister with responsibility for this area, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, directly. Deputy Fitzmaurice made the point that people always say all is well until something happens. The risks and concerns the Deputies raise are valid and I commit to raise them directly with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I hope that might help to resolve the issue.

First, I would like to explain that once funding arrangements have been put in place through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Overall, TII is responsible for the delivery of the national roads programme in accordance with Project Ireland 2040 and the national development plan, NDP. In that cont…

The Deputy's concerns and his very appropriate representations of the concerns of his constituents are very much heard. I will add further detail to inform the discussion on the approval requirements associated with national roads generally, as set out in the public spending code, in the Department's capital appraisal framework for transport projects and programmes and in planning requirements. Two sets of approvals are typically required for projects such as the proposed N25 Castlemartyr bypass. The first would be…

I am grateful for the opportunity to address the amendment and, I hope, to have the Bill passed by the House. The amendment relates to section 15 and was tabled following discussions between my Department and the Office of the Attorney General. It was determined that it would be appropriate to table an amendment to section 15 on Committee Stage in order to clarify the basis on which the Minister may support climate action projects. The aim of the amendment is to provide legal clarity beyond any doubt in support of …

I thank the Deputies for their contributions and I will try to answer some of the questions raised. First, turning to Deputy Naughten, the purpose of this amendment is to allow the sort of projects that Bord na Móna is now looking at in terms of bog rehabilitation, rewetting bogs and storing carbon within the bogs. It is specifically those sorts of projects. My predecessor, Deputy Bruton, the Deputy and other predecessors supported that approach and I am glad to ensure we deliver it here. On the level of employment…

The Deputy cited Littleton. The issue of the harvest not proceeding this year relates purely to environmental issues and the environmental impact assessment and it requires the company, as it moves from brown to green, to ensure it does not leave an environmental hazard where the peat would run off into the water. I will pursue that directly with the company to ensure that is what takes place. There are real employment opportunities for this company across a whole variety of different areas, not just in the rehabil…

I thank the Cathaoirleach and congratulate him on his own elevation. I do not think I have seen him since he was appointed to his new role. I wish him the best of luck with it. The overall purpose of the Bill is to amend the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, Act 2007 to provide for the establishment of the climate action fund on a statutory basis, extend the purposes for which the NORA levy is paid to include funding the climate action fund and provide for the payment of a portion of the levy moneys collected by …

I very much appreciate the contributions by all the Senators. I will try to reflect on some of the questions, answer them if I can and comment on some of the contributions. I will start with Senator Fitzpatrick who was right in stating that a key in this transition is the health benefits that accrue from the decarbonisation. In terms of the analysis that has been done, for example, in retrofitting, the Senator is right, in that the effects on asthma and lung disease are dramatic. There are huge co-benefits from mak…