As the Deputy will be aware, the Finance Bill is going through the Houses. It will create the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, which will help businesses with the increased cost of electricity and gas. However, she is correct to point out that the scheme will only apply to businesses. It is run by the Revenue Commissioners and operates in the form of a tax credit. We acknowledge that we will have to help out non-businesses with the high cost of energy. These include sporting organisations in some ca…

I am not entirely sure what the Deputy means by "cut to the bone". I am sure that, if I check into it, I will find that funding for those services has been increased year-on-year and will increase again next year. Leaving that aside, I agree with her fundamental point that energy prices are rising for everyone - households, businesses and voluntary bodies. We have acted to help households with rising energy costs. We are acting at the moment to help businesses with rising energy costs, and that new scheme should be…

I would be happy to withdraw them because I do not particularly want to have a row with the Deputy over this, but I would like to note two points. She did not answer my question-----

-----as to whether she applied a different standard to Sinn Féin.

I also feel that Deputy Shortall impugned my character. I would like to put that on the record.

Perhaps the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will rule on that, too. Second, I did note that, a little like the Leader of the Opposition, you challenge her and she threatens to sue you.

I will withdraw it and replace it with the term "double standards".

With respect, I have done it twice. "Purveyor of double standards".

I do not know if it has all been spent yet, but I will make inquiries with the Department of Health and get the exact figures for the Deputy. It may be the case that it has not all been spent yet. I appreciate that far too many children are waiting far too long for the spinal surgeries they need, but I will point out that, since January, the waiting list for spinal fusions has decreased by 44% for those waiting more than 12 months and by 24% for those waiting more than four months. The waiting list, therefore, is c…

I did not have a chance to listen to that documentary yet but I intend to do so over the weekend. I extend my sympathy and solidarity to the very brave men who are former students of Blackrock College for coming forward in the way they did. This, of course, is a matter for the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley. I will let her know that the Deputy raised this and I will ask the Minister to come back to her with a direct reply.

We have. They are aware. Their legal departments and their human resource departments are aware of their obligations under employment law.

I thank the Deputy. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, raised this matter with me only last night and made me aware of the situation. My sympathies go to the families and to the people affected. We have a Red Cross scheme, which the Deputy will be aware of-----

I cannot next Tuesday night because the Dáil will be in session and I must be here. I will examine if it is possible to do so at some point.

This is far from unprecedented. In fact, the current Taoiseach was also elected on a Saturday. It is not unusual for us to sit on a Saturday, on occasion.

We are all paid anyway so none of us get any extra money for being here on a Saturday. There may be some additional costs in relation to ushers and support staff-----

The alternative is for us to come back to the House on the Monday or Tuesday of Christmas week. It is no skin off my nose whether it is a few days one way or the other but I do not believe there is a major desire on the Business Committee, as I understand it, that we should sit during Christmas week.

The short answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes". Work currently being done by the Minister for Social Protection in moving towards pay-related benefits is not just about jobseekers; it could also apply to maternity benefit, paternity benefit, and illness benefit to better reflect the fact that if people are out of work for a temporary period, the money they get should better reflect what they earn and how much they are paying into the PRSI system. The Deputy referred to maternity benefit. That is the minimum pay…

We intend to hold the referendum to allow Ireland to join the Unified Patent Court. It is up and running. We would like to join it and we intend to hold the referendum on that, either next year but certainly no later than the local and European elections in 2024. That requires primary legislation in this House, which we are currently preparing.

I am afraid that I just do not know the details on that issue. I will check it out with the Ministers for Health, and Public Expenditure and Reform, and I will come back to the Deputy with a reply as soon as I can.

I thank the Deputy. That is our intention. We are still learning about long Covid. Many viral illnesses produce a post-viral syndrome. The vast majority of people who get the virus recover, but some develop a long-term illness. We need to see it in the context of other post-viral syndromes. More and more, we need to see Covid not as a separate illness but as one of many viruses from which people can develop post-viral illness that is long term. That is the context in which we hope to see it.