The Minister cannot do that.

Have they seen the contract?

Have all 52 seen the contract and are they legally experienced to ascertain the meaning of that contract?

So all 52 signatories of that letter have seen the contract?

Will the Minister please stop gaslighting the nation?

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this discussion and I thank the Minister for remaining in the Chamber. I am incredibly proud of the generous and warm welcome that the Irish people have demonstrated to those fleeing the horrific violence in Ukraine. The collective condemnation of this unacceptable Russian aggression and the heartfelt expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine speak volumes about our citizens. I also acknowledge and commend the approach the Government has taken to date. It moved ra…

I welcome the discussion of this Bill, which we in the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action reported on in the context of pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation in June 2021. The report was subsequently published in December 2021. We met many stakeholders who provided evidence from a broad range of perspectives, including representatives of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, VOICE Ireland, the European Environmental Bureau, EEB, and CIRCULÉIRE. The backdrop to this new …

I thank the Minister for Justice for coming to deal with this as I understand the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Heather Humphreys, is busy with departmental issues. I raise the closure of the Citizens Information office in Wicklow town. This is an incredibly successful information office and one of the busiest in the county. It provides a real service and has done for many years to local residents, particularly elderly people or migrant communities. It has formed very strong bonds with the Traveller commun…

I thank the Minister. I know this is not her area but I will say that response is essentially what I said to her in the first instance. It outlines the importance of the information office and goes through the history of what happened. Unfortunately, it does not give any timeline as to when funding could potentially be provided or if the Department will look favourably on that funding. I understand the Minister may not be in a position to answer that. There needs to be clarity and certainty given to people. The Min…

I thank Deputy Cian O'Callaghan for the work he has put into this issue, which has largely not been dealt with by the Government. It has been off the political agenda in this country even though there are some reports of it being dealt with in the UK. It has probably been off the agenda here because unless one has been in the footsteps of someone who faces the rental crisis that this country faces, it can be difficult to fully appreciate or understand the impact it has on an individual. There are many landlords in …

Considering the high rate of Covid and the impact it is having on our communities and our hospital capacity, I ask the Minister to indicate a clear timeframe for the roll-out of the fourth vaccine jab, particularly for those who are most vulnerable. When will older people and vulnerable individuals be able to get their fourth vaccination? Anyone who has had this particular dose of the virus, me included, will know it is not mild. It is quite debilitating and we need to protect those people as soon as possible.

I welcome the motion and the opportunity to speak on and debate this issue. Unfortunately it is not the first time we have debated this issue and it will not be the last time we do so. Each time we have these debates and discussions the crisis is bigger for people. The Government's responses have failed to meet the needs of those people and the crisis gets worse and worse. Those who are in energy poverty are unable to cope and the reality is that more and more families are entering energy poverty, inevitably leadin…

I acknowledge and commend the Government on the approach it has taken towards the Ukrainian refugees in the humanitarian crisis we are seeing. It is heartbreaking to see the images of women, children and elderly people trying to reach the border and queueing for hours in freezing conditions. I imagine when they get to the border, there is probably a sense of relief but also a sense of fear and sadness regarding what they are leaving behind and what lies ahead. While we have taken a good approach in this country, we…

Germany sent 300-----

Will the Minister offer that?

I welcome that the Government has finally decided to act to cut fuel prices but this marginal reduction in excise duty does not go far enough. A simple look at the prices in forecourts today will tell the Minister that. The reality is that a maximum price cap on fuel must be introduced to stop unsustainable increases in prices. It is the only way the Government can ease the burden on ordinary workers and families in the short term. The level of price increase in recent weeks has been relentless, excessive and shock…

The cost of fuel has risen to unbearable levels. The rate of the increases is raising many questions as to whether it is solely down to global factors or if there is a possibility that price gouging is happening at the pumps as we speak. Will the Taoiseach investigate whether there is price gouging? Otherwise, there is no guarantee that any mooted VAT or excise reductions will be passed on to consumers. It is an important issue.

I welcome the opportunity to have this discussion today about the Government's retrofitting programme. As I listened to the Minister's speech, there was a great deal on which I would agree with both him and with Deputy Leddin in what he said about the fundamental need for an ambitious retrofitting scheme and the improvements it could potentially mean for people's homes, health and finances, as well as the need from a climate, environmental and energy security perspective. We have seen the increasing importance of t…

Recent reports have stated there is a new agreement between the HSE and the St. Vincent's Holdings group regarding the move to the national maternity hospital. The agreement states that all medical treatment allowable under the law will be provided in the hospital. However, it somehow does not even specify procedures like terminations of pregnancy, sterilisation and IVF. Those are not going to be specified in the agreement. I am surprised that the Taoiseach does not seem to have a knowledge of this €800 million inv…

The Taoiseach cannot guarantee that.