The Deputy never misses-----

A bit of humility from the Deputy, too, would go a long way. A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, we have the usual display. The truth hurts, and they go mad. It drives them crazy.

Sinn Féin increased rents in Northern Ireland. It never misses an opportunity to oppose housing here in the South.

It hurts the Deputy more.

I had not heard that Mr. Mervyn Taylor had passed away until I heard it from the Deputy now. I extend my condolences to his family and friends and to the Labour Party. He was a fine man. I met him only once or twice, but he was a democratic revolutionary. He served as the Minister for Equality and Law Reform in the Fine Gael and Labour Party Government headed by Mr. John Bruton. I will never forget the role he played in the divorce referendum. I was a teenager who was getting interested in politics at the time and …

The Deputy is right that many things need to be considered. While some countries have already paid a recognition bonus to staff, they have done it on a very narrow basis. For example, it has often been limited to healthcare workers only. The Deputy and I agree that we need to do something broader than that. That also must be borne in mind. I cannot give exact timelines. This does not need to be a budget-day decision, but it might be. This is something that is being led by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Ref…

Currently, e-scooters are not covered by the law here in Ireland. In order to deal with this, Government intends to legislate for e-scooters and e-bikes in accordance with the commitment in the programme for Government. Department of Transport officials have now drafted the necessary changes to primary legislation as part of the forthcoming road traffic (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2021. This will provide the basis for regulating what will be described as powered personal transporters, PPTs, including e-scooters…

I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue. I agree with his sentiments entirely. There is a gap in the law. These new vehicles and new methods of personal transport have emerged in recent years. The law as it is now written is written for cars, vehicles, animals and bikes, not for these PPTs, as they will be described in the law. We need to close that gap in the law. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is keen to do so soon, ideally during this parliamentary session.

The Taoiseach is in New York chairing the UN Security Council. I, as Tánaiste, am just the first substitute, in case anyone was not aware of that, but I am happy to be first substitute here today. First, on the carbon budget, the plan is to stabilise the herd, not reduce it. However, that does mean we have to do a lot in other areas to reduce emissions from agriculture. We do not want to have to reduce the size of the herd or the amount of food produced because all that will then happen is that it will be displaced…

It is just making sure that middle Ireland is not left out and that is why I am sure the Deputy will be supporting that measure in the budget. Regarding school transport, to date over 100,000 tickets have been issued for children availing of transport on primary and post-primary school transport schemes, which is an increase of 7% on the tickets issued this time last year. Planning for school transport for the 2021-22 school year has proceeded on the basis that the public health measures in place when schools close…

I cannot answer that question today. The carbon budget and climate action plan are not agreed yet but they will be agreed in the next couple of weeks and hopefully that will give certainty not just to people in agriculture but to people across the economy and across our society. We as a Government want young people going into farming. We want them to know that this is a career, a livelihood and a lifestyle that they can have. We want Ireland to continue to be a food producer. I am proud of the fact that this is a c…

My understanding from the Minister for Finance is that the he is not proposing a new or additional levy. It is just a review of the existing levies.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is aware of several student accommodation developments in Dublin that have applied for and received planning permission for ancillary use of their properties for short-term visitor accommodation. This provision is temporary and will lapse in May 2022. However, for accommodation to be removed from student use at a time when there are significant student accommodation shortages runs contrary to the national student accommodation strategy …

The Government has introduced a rent freeze in real terms. That means rents cannot increase by more than the rate of inflation.

It means that rents will rise at a similar rate to the cost of living and, most likely, at a lower rate than the rise in incomes and wages. As things stand, and we always keep things under review, we believe an absolute rent freeze, or a 0% increase for three years, would be counterproductive. It would mean a rent reduction in real terms and would drive more property owners out of the rental market. People who currently own a rental property getting a reduced return in real terms each year-----

-----would be more likely to sell up. What happens if they sell up? The person living there gets a notice to quit and there is one fewer place for people to rent. We have to be careful not to do things that may be well intentioned but could be counterproductive.

As I mentioned, we have increased the student assistance fund, which will assist students who are in financial distress and need assistance. We have brought in affordability measures on student accommodation, including capping increases in rent pressure zones. Legislation has also been passed to restrict the upfront payments students used to have to make, payments of up to €3,500, which are no longer allowed. There is also an option to pay monthly and, crucially, we are giving technological universities the ability…

The figure of 100% is not off the table; it is very much on it. If the Deputy reads the comments I made the other day, I did not say anything contrary to that. Others chose to present it in a particular way and that happens sometimes, but 100% is very much under consideration. As things stand, we are working on an enhanced scheme. It is being led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in consultation with the affected families. Once the scheme is developed, it will requi…

The Government supports the establishment of a JLC to establish new minimum terms and conditions for people working in the childcare sector, to help us further professionalise that sector and to improve the terms and conditions in it. We also realise that will have an impact on childcare costs. We need to be honest with people about that, but it is worth it if it means people working in the sector will get a better wage, the sector is professionalised and standards improved in the coming years. This project is bein…

I thank the Deputy. The Bill is currently being drafted. It is a priority and the Attorney General in particular is taking an interest in it. One of the things under consideration is exactly what the Deputy has suggested, that is, that statutory timelines are set within which An Bord Pleanála must give its decisions. That is to avoid a situation where a development has been approved by a council but is then stuck with An Bord Pleanála for months on end. Tied to that, obviously, is making sure that An Bord Pleanála …