Thanks for signing the agreement.

I agree with Deputy Clarke's assessment and analysis. Unfortunately, it is an all-too-common description that she has outlined to the House. I do not always find myself in full agreement with every sentence of every Sinn Féin motion or Bill that is presented to the House. We have our differences, and that is the cut and thrust of politics and is to be expected. However, I find myself agreeing with every sentence in the motion before us. I do so without any hesitation. In any progressive society and successful econo…

Nonsense.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 24, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “Review of operation of wage subsidy schemes 11. (1) The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, cause to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the payment to employers of amounts under the provisions of section 28 or 28B of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 (in this section referred to as the “wage subsidy schemes”). (2) The report under subsection (1) shall i…

That information was, indeed, provided to me by way of reply to a parliamentary question but that ought not to be the case. That information should be regularly available. Sadly, the point I am making seems to be lost on the Minister of State. We have spent over €10 billion on an objectively successful wage subsidy scheme. Nobody is saying otherwise. The scheme has been objectively successful in doing what it was initially designed to do. Everybody accepts and understands that. What I am asking is that as the schem…

Not every two months but on the performance of the old ones.

On two occasions in the last few days, I have witnessed very disturbing sights while I have been in checkout queues in supermarkets. I have experienced people simply not having enough money to pay for all of the shopping in their trolleys. I have seen this with my own two eyes. It is disturbing. There is no dignity in this. It saddens and shames us as a society. I have witnessed people having to put shopping back and having those difficult conversations with checkout staff. That is the sad reality for far too many …

The Deputies are entitled to express concerns about the way in which-----

I would appreciate it if the Acting Chair would call these Members to order.

They are as short on manners as they are on evidence-based policy.

I assume I will have the opportunity to use the time I have been apportioned.

I will not take lectures from the millionaires opposite-----

-----who could not give a toss about low-income families in this country and who are using this motion opportunistically. We know they have always been opposed to the carbon tax-----

-----and that is fair enough, but they should not pretend they are on the side of working people.

Do not make overstated claims about this motion.

This is about opposition to the carbon tax; it is not about supporting those who are on low incomes. That was never the case with the Rural Independent Group. It seems to have had some sort of Pauline conversion-----

-----to the interests of working people, which it has not expressed before. This is opportunism at its worst. Carbon pricing has a role to play in addressing climate change. It is not the ultimate role but it has a role. We are honest that we support the principle of carbon pricing once it is the case that carbon tax is directed towards mitigating measures to ensure we can insulate homes and increase the fuel allowance system to support those who are in fuel poverty and those who are at risk of fuel poverty. We kno…

We see that with our eyes day in and day out. Failure to act will effect agribusiness and the rural Ireland all of us in this Chamber profess to love. We want to secure, conserve and preserve that into the future to make sure it works. Is it too much to ask that we can have an evidence-based and informed debate on this most crucial of issues in this House? If we do not have an informed debate on the impact of climate change and an honest debate on carbon pricing, then we are doing a disservice to all the people of …

We are only a matter of months away from Ulster Bank and KBC leaving the Irish banking market. Almost 1 million Ulster Bank customers will need to find a new bank and the same will apply to 130,000 KBC customers. Two weeks ago, the Governor of the Central Bank told me that banks are not ready to deal with the biggest transfer of bank accounts the State has ever experienced. The potential for catastrophe is obvious, but the Department of Finance is completely oblivious to this. It has taken a vow of silence. It is a…

Quite frankly, the Taoiseach's response is an absolute deflection. The Government has a Minister of State with responsibility for financial services. What kind of message does his answer send to the 1 million consumers who have to switch accounts? Tens of millions of direct debits and standing orders could be in disarray over the next few months because of the disorganised way that all banks are approaching this. What is the purpose of the banking division in the Department of Finance? It was established in the tee…