No. He has not responded.

He has not.

I am not fully against section 8 per se . I would like the record to show the Minister of State's-----

No.

Yes. We are not opposing this section per se . We would just appreciate the Government's rationale and for the Minister of State to clarify how the agency will determine if an existing abstraction of below 25 cu. m is causing a deterioration if it is not registered. We have already said the thresholds are a departure from the trends across Europe and in the North and we are diverging somewhat from those. We are expressing our concerns in respect of the appropriateness of the thresholds and asking the Minister of St…

We are disappointed and I reiterate what we said already.

As we debate this Bill today I am particularly mindful of both the environmental and cost-of-living crises that we currently face. The ever-increasing impact of global warming has seen water levels in rivers throughout the country fluctuate. We are now faced with a future where vulnerability to drought and water poverty are real and imminent risks for all. Furthermore the current cost-of-living crisis means the economic concerns that drove thousands to the streets in protest at Irish Water in 2013 and 2014 have onl…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 16, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(7) In making these regulations the Minister shall have particular regard to the species and habitats protected under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.”. May I speak to section 8?

I wish to speak to section 8.

I am disappointed that our amendments were ruled out of order. I reiterate the concerns about the current threshold. Given that the primary purpose is to modernise the legislation, basing it on the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977, legislation enacted over 40 years ago, seems contrary to the very aim of the Bill. I said on Second Stage that the proposed threshold equates to approximately enough water to supply 42 households or fill 140 wheelie bins per day. There are at least 21 water-bottling plants in …

A selfless and inspiring campaigner, Vicky Phelan truly was the very best of us. Her tireless work in speaking truth to power has improved lives and saved lives. We will be forever grateful for her contribution to Irish society. As we honour Vicky Phelan today, I am reminded of her words two years ago after the death of her fellow cervical cancer sufferer, Ruth Morrissey. She said: I don't want your accolades or your broken promises. I want action. I want change. I want accountability. This morning I attended the l…

I welcome members of the fire service to the Chamber. They are very welcome to the Houses of the Oireachtas. We are discussing forestry and our next speaker is Senator Timmy Dooley.

I thank the Minister for enabling this debate and these contributions. It is always important and welcome when feminism finds its way into our public policy. I thank all the witnesses who appeared before the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media. Harmful behaviours, including bullying, humiliation, harassment, sexual harassment, assault and sexual assault, are not the preserve of the arts but constitute a societal issue. However, the work and activism of women in traditional and folk music thro…

I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. Homelessness is a measure by which any housing policy would be assessed. Just before the mid-term break, we spoke here about the levels of homelessness. Back in August there were 10,800 adults and children in emergency accommodation, funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We think the real figure is closer to 16,000 when you take into account the 4,500 people in direct provision who have a legal right to stay in our country but who are …

Blaming Sinn Féin for the housing crisis is incredible.

I have not contributed yet.

Having to listen to Senator Cummins blame Sinn Féin for the housing crisis is absolutely incredible.

It is sickening to listen to Senator Cummins of Fine Gael blame Sinn Féin for the housing crisis.

Fine Gael has been in government for over a decade. I was 19 years of age when Fine Gael entered Government.

Fine Gael gives tax breaks to real estate investment trusts and the biggest landlords in this State yet Members come in here and claim to stand up for small landlords of whom most pay over 50% on rental incomes. So I am not going to listen to either Fine Gael claim to stand up for small landlords or blame Sinn Féin for the housing crisis. Sinn Féin seeks to introduce a ban on evictions precisely because of failures by the Government and Fine Gael. I was 19 years of age when Fine Gael entered Government. We are stil…