The people who need it the most are getting it. That social housing, which Deputy O'Rourke did not mention in his statistics, is absolutely a key part of what we need to do as well. Those eligible for the warmer homes scheme get a 100% grant and in the first quarter of this year, 1,000 homes were significantly improved. That is not a small or insignificant development. The criticism here a year ago was that there was a backlog under the warmer homes scheme and that we were not closing out that backlog. The story be…

I note the ESRI’s assessment of the embodied emissions in Irish imports and welcome the insight it provides. While Ireland’s climate policy primarily focuses on reducing production-based emissions in line with national greenhouse gas inventories, it also considers the wider impacts of climate policy, including on consumption-based emissions. The 2023 climate action plan includes policies in cross-cutting and circular economy chapters, which will shape public procurement and the use of resources in our economy. Othe…

I absolutely commit to making sure that the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, expands and deepens his role in the delivery of the circular economy. I will give a specific example of this in reality. It is subject to some controversy in the sense that I made a public comment in regard to Dublin Port last week. However, currently 35 million tonnes of material will be coming in and out of the port this year. Its expectation is that in the future we will move towards 77 million tonnes of imported and exported goods. The…

I am very privileged to make the closing contribution to what has been a very important debate. The issue of our co-operation and future on this island together is central to many Deputies in this House. The contributions throughout the afternoon were heartfelt, not from any script but from people's lived experiences. They reflect the importance of restoring the institutions in Northern Ireland and building on the peace that has existed for the past 25 years. I am honoured on behalf of the Government to make these …

This Government was formed with three clear goals: to show climate leadership, reform the health service and public services, and provide housing solutions for people.

In the first area, namely, climate, next month we will have the first auction for offshore energy and set in place the mechanism for us to power the country securely into the future. It is working out for the tens of thousands of people who are starting to switch to the solar revolution because we changed the rules to make that viable and practical and to deliver it. In retrofitting, we are meeting our targets in improving people's homes to protect them against the high energy prices-----

-----and creating tens of thousands of jobs as we do so. In transport, we are one of the few countries to have experienced an increase in public transport above 2019 levels coming out of Covid. That is because we reduced public transport fares for those under 24 by 50% and for everyone else by 20%. We have pathfinder projects that we are now delivering throughout the country if we can get support from other parties in local government. We are delivering an electric bus service in Athlone. In Waterford last month we…

I disagree. I say to Deputy Doherty-----

-----that I see slogans-----

-----and the politicisation of the issue, which is what Deputy Bacik said. I will give her one example of that.

Yes, we are absolutely fixated on and determined in trying to prevent homelessness-----

-----but not a single member of the Opposition this morning referred to something that was agreed last week, which is fundamental, significant and not conservative but progressive-----

-----which was the decision to put in a safety net so that we help and try to prevent that. They have not mentioned that once. It will be introduced on 1 April.

If Deputies are really interested in this issue and if we are really interested in protecting it-----

The safety net that we decided last week that if someone is on social welfare-----

Could I make my point? If someone is on social welfare and is at risk of being evicted, we have expanded the tenant in situ programme so that the local authority-----

Let me make the point, Deputy Howlin.

We have expanded the funding and made sure there will be no limit to the availability for that to protect those people-----

-----but not just those in receipt of social welfare.

We have provided additional grant funding. For some, it will mean they have the first right of refusal ahead of anyone, which is the vast majority.