I hear what the Minister of State is saying but there is still a sense of segregation within developments and there is the matter of welfare. I will come back to the Minister of State. During the negotiations to form the Government, all parties agreed to the Green Party's policy to legislate for tenancies of indefinite duration. This was in response not only to Covid-19 but the changing nature of the Irish rental market. There is now a need for the Government to support renters by improving housing standards, secur…

I congratulate the Minister on initiating and delivering the report of the arts and culture recovery task force. Arts and culture identify us as a nation. Both the Minister and I have participated in the arts and we understand its importance to those involved. Will she discuss the following key recommendations of the report: capacity building and upskilling, and a universal basic income, UBI, pilot scheme?

I thank the Minister for her reply. The Green Party has campaigned for the introduction of universal basic income and successfully negotiated to have it included in the programme for Government. The report sets out an initial pilot scheme for the arts and culture sector, which would be the first time the State will have such a programme. The Green Party has always advocated for the vital role our artists play in maintaining a healthy society. The €4 million capacity building and upskilling funding is welcome. From …

I will end as I began by congratulating the Minister on initiating the task force to protect the arts and culture sector during and beyond the Covid-19 crisis. It is important to see the mental health of artists being supported through initiatives such as Minding Creative Minds. I know the Minister has spent a considerable amount of time pursuing mental health resourcing generally in her time in this House. Funding of our artists through upskilling and capacity building is essential for a vibrant and dynamic sector…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for the opportunity to speak on this issue. I fully agree with the sentiment of the Private Members' Bill on co-living and acknowledge that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has also publicly expressed his aversion to this type of accommodation. Throughout the programme for Government negotiations my colleagues and I called for the abolition of co-living. This was unfortunately not included in the programme for Government. While a market does exist for models of co-living, …

I move: That Dáil Éireann take note of the Statement of Estimates of moneys required in respect of ongoing expenditure for the period beginning on 1st January, 2021 and ending on 31st December, 2021, prepared and published by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in accordance with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2018, which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 29th September, 2020.

The industry is worth €2.3 billion.

Today Ireland has the fastest growing forestry sector in Europe. At the foundation of the State, there was less than 1% forest cover and today that figure is over 10%. Whereas past policies were in place to create rural employment, the current model is creating permanent cover and allowing biodiversity and recreational facilities for communities across the country. Mr. William Bulfin wrote in 1907 that "the problem of deforestation is tragically eloquent of the evils of foreign rule in Ireland". We lost 90% of our …

I thank the Minister for her statement. I congratulate the Ministers, Deputies Foley, Harris, Madigan and Collins, and I wish them collectively well. With respect to their short time in office, I respectfully ask the following three questions. I have broken them down into two three-minute questions and one two-minute question. Upskilling the construction sector workforce with retrofitting skills will be part of the just transition to create a circular economy and a fairer, sustainable future. The Government has com…

I thank the Minister. I also have questions on school buses. While both of these questions relate to local issues, I am sure they are repeated across the country. The Minister might be aware that the Firhouse Educate Together students would prefer to temporarily locate within their community to the Stocking Lane site, which was previously considered by the Department but disregarded due to costs. Currently, they are being asked to commute across south Dublin, which gives rise to various problems. Many of these chil…

This is my last question and it has been asked quite a bit today. Considering the limited amount of time the Minister has been in office, what measures are in place for the safe return to school in September? Many parents and children are waiting patiently for some clarity so I would be grateful for the Minister's direction on the matter.

I congratulate the Taoiseach on his appointment and wish him well. I wish to address insolvency and free legal aid. On insolvency, Covid-19 has brought about an informed truce between creditors and debtors. Many of those paying rent or mortgages have been given a temporary reprieve while they unable to work as a result of the current situation. However, this truce will soon end as income support measures and rent moratoriums are gradually lifted. Even though the economy was doing well in the lead-up to Covid, many …

My second question relates to free legal aid. The pandemic has brought about many unprecedented changes to life in Ireland and nobody has been untouched by the efforts to combat the spread of the disease and flatten the curve. As we settle into our new normal, the need for stability is paramount. One of the biggest worries for many in the months ahead will be housing. This was the case prior to Covid but housing has taken on a whole new dimension since. With the moratorium on evictions, those who have had a stay on…

We have come very far since the Green Party sustainable energy legislation brought in standards for new builds through the Partel regulation, which has brought more people out of the fuel poverty trap than any other policy. We now have some of the best standards in the world for eliminating fossil fuel use to heat our domestic buildings, but the construction sector is still one of the highest emitters of CO2. While this carbon is embodied in construction materials, it is emitted through excavation, production, manu…

I will comment on the Minister of State's remarks. My understanding is that most countries in Europe are moving ahead while Ireland is for some reason stirring a pot with regard to embodied carbon in materials, particularly construction materials. The Dutch have been working on this since 2012. They have various standards and procurement processes in place that work to take out the embodied carbon. What I am hearing from the Department — I do not like saying this — is kind of spin. It looks like the Scandinavians, …

I do not believe so.

That is not true.

I have two sets of questions. I thank the Minister of State for his statement. Remote working will likely have a significant impact on the future of employment for most Irish businesses. We have an opportunity to encourage people to stay at home while working. This will help us to achieve the 2030 target of a 7% reduction in carbon emissions. The Civil Service and public service have taken leadership in this move and should be commended on doing so. With just civil servants working from home, we can achieve a signi…

During this crisis, I have taught my children how to cycle on roads and I have happily witnessed other families doing the same. However, the cars are coming back. Has the Department considered the extensive roll-out of temporary cycling infrastructure as has been done in other countries and cities, including Milan? Will this infrastructure be made permanent post the Covid pandemic, to allow children to cycle to school? This Friday is the deadline for submissions to the urban regeneration development fund. This fund…

I thank the Ministers for their statements. Meat processing facilities have become one of the worst hit workplaces in Ireland and around the world during Covid-19. The issue will only get worse now that their production has increased for the summer period. As already mentioned, figures from the national public health emergency team, NPHET, show that there are a total of 828 cases in the meat processing plants. Despite the figures and a number of complaints no inspections have been carried out by the Health and Safe…