-----be publicly disclosed so that patients are aware and other potential employers are aware, not just in Ireland but abroad. The last thing we want is people being struck off in one country and then being hired in another. That has actually happened. The Deputy raises a very important issue. I will follow up on it.

I have answered a number of questions on this important matter this morning. I assure the Deputy the Government's policy is one of mainstreaming and integration. A meeting is under way at present about that with stakeholders and partners. It is to be hoped that will have a positive outcome.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We are all appalled by the scenes we are seeing in Ukraine and the extent to which cities are being pulverised and civilians are being killed and harmed in the way they are. I hope in the not too distant future we will see a ceasefire in Ukraine. That means the killing will stop and reconstruction can begin. I very much agree with the Deputy's sentiments that some of those Russian assets that have been seized should be used to help Ukraine to rebuild.

I am afraid I cannot give the Deputy a date but I will ask the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte, to contact him directly with the reply.

As the Deputy will be aware, a lot of work is already being done to bring derelict houses back into use. In some parts of the country, local authorities are placing buildings under compulsory purchase orders and bringing them back into use. Louth is a good example of that. There is also the repair and lease scheme, which people can use-----

-----to bring a house back into use and then lease it, but we need to do more. The kind of things we are working on at present include a general grant people will get if they buy a derelict house, bring it back into use and live in it, which is the carrot. A proposal being worked out, which would be the stick, is a tax on vacant residential properties.

I accept that.

The programme for Government commits us to move towards a living wage in Ireland over the period of this Government. I have the report of the Low Pay Commission in this regard, which sets out a roadmap as to how we can achieve that. I intend to bring those proposals to Government before the summer recess and then engage on a public consultation on them. It is to be hoped we will make an announcement on that in the next few weeks. It is a separate matter, but I very much agree with the Deputy on upskilling. We will …

My plan is to bring it to Government in June. With its approval, I will publish the report and the research that backs it up, and also initiate a public consultation on it with a view to beginning to make it a reality in 2023.

I hear what the Deputy is saying and I acknowledge his concerns. I assure the House that the Government's policy on special needs is one of integration, mainstreaming children in mainstream classes with a special needs assistant where appropriate, special classes in mainstream schools where appropriate - 300 more of those were provided in the past year alone - and only where there is no viable alternative to have special schools and home tuition. That remains the Government's policy and commitment.

I am aware of the study and have asked officials to consider the findings in the context of the national remote work strategy. The study was conducted earlier this year by a multinational company. It included more than 600 workers based in Ireland as part of a wider survey that encompassed the views of 31,000 technology and healthcare workers in 31 countries. Although the study indicated that half of those surveyed placed a high value on flexible work practices, its findings also suggested that approximately one th…

The issue with regard to being always on or finding it difficult to disconnect is not just a matter for remote and hybrid workers. It can be a matter for anybody whose work is not of a physical nature. If one does work that is largely of a physical nature, such as in construction or hospitality, when one goes home, one goes home. Anyone who has an office-based job, however, now goes home and has devices on which he or she still gets emails, texts and messages pretty much 24-7. Given our particular line of work, we …

I certainly do not rule out the possibility of placing the code of practice on a statutory footing in the future. I have written to the WRC to ask it for its view on how the code has been working. It has been in place for more than a year. I have written to the WRC to ask for views and opinions as to whether it is working, to what extent it has been effective and how we could improve things. I emphasise that the protection that exists in law is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. If somebody is at home after…

The Government strongly condemns the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin on 11 May 2022. Media freedom and the safety of journalists must be protected and I echo calls for an immediate, impartial and effective investigation. Accountability must be ensured and those responsible brought to justice. I also condemn the excessive use of force by some police at her funeral. Ireland's opposition to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank informs IDA Ireland's engagement with the state of Israel on a…

I am glad that journalists are armed with cameras, as, increasingly, are citizens by means of their smartphones. We would not know as much about what is happening in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea, were it not for the fact that we have journalists and cameras. They are not weapons in any military sense, but the fact that journalists are armed with cameras is positive. That is how we know what is happening. The truth is that we have economic relations with many countries. I would love t…

There is no IDA Ireland office in Israel. A part-time business consultant represents IDA Ireland in Israel, which is quite different. There are no plans to have an IDA Ireland office or permanent staff member in Israel. We have part-time consultants in many countries in order that we have some representation on the ground. The settlement policy in Israel is wrong and we condemn it. We will not have any dealings, through this consultant, with any Israeli companies that are active in the settlement areas. Israel's tr…

My Department and I are aware of the need to decarbonise our economy and society. It is my view that we will need to exploit all opportunities and means of carbon abatement available to us as we seek to achieve very ambitious decarbonisation before 2030 and transition to a net zero carbon economy by 2050. Officials in my Department have met representatives of Liquid Gas Ireland, a representative association for the leading suppliers of BioLPG to rural homes and businesses, and have been made aware of the abatement …

I thank the Deputy. Biofuels definitely have a role to play. My Department very much acknowledges that. That we have biofuel obligations for petrol and diesel is evidence of that. However, it is important to state all fuels are not equally green. Wind energy and solar energy are 100% green. If green hydrogen can be produced, it would be 100% green too. Biofuels are often made from animal emissions, which means animals are needed. With more animals, one has to account for the impact. The use of agricultural land, wh…

I was not aware that the committee did not agree to the meeting. I do not know the details behind it, so I would prefer not to comment on it. However, my Department officials have met representatives of Liquid Gas Ireland and are certainly willing to hear what they have to say. Pretty much everyone in Ireland has electricity. The best alternative is electricity. Electricity produced from wind and solar is the best option, but there is space for other options. For heating, electricity might not always be practical, …

Despite economic and social upheaval across the globe, Ireland has continued to attract foreign direct investment at record levels. Last year, the number of people directly employed in the multinational sector reached 275,000 - the highest level of employment from foreign direct investment ever and well over 10% of total employment in the State. In 2021, more than 29,000 new jobs were created by IDA Ireland client companies. The benefits of these new jobs, as well as the 249 new investments won, have a positive imp…