I want to raise the issue of the time it is taking for social housing applications to be processed by Galway County Council. Obviously, it is supposed to be a 12-week period, but it has come to my attention that it has taken far longer for a number of people. It seems to be an issue of resources. Could that be looked at specifically for those councils where the process is taking a longer time? These days, unfortunately, when people are applying for housing supports, it is often because they are in a crisis. I have …

The reason we are here is not because we oppose investment in the forest sector, which is badly needed, but because of the type of investment. The State through Coillte should not be incentivising or underwriting investments for vulture funds at the expense of family farm incomes or viability. There are also legitimate concerns that investment by such vulture funds will inflate the cost of land, as it has done in other sectors like housing. Local farmers in rural communities could be priced out, just as many renter…

I am sharing time with Deputy Conway-Walsh. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Staít as an gceist seo a thógáil. An fáth go bhfuilimid á hardú inniu ná gur chas mise le gnólacht i gConamara agus dúirt sé liom go bhfuil sé ag úsáid an gháis peitriliam leachtaithe seo. Mar gheall air sin, níl sé in ann an scéim chun cabhrú i dtéarmaí fuinnimh a úsáid, rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuil sé an-deacair dó na doirse a choinneáil ar oscailt, rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuil sé an-deacair dó daoine a choinneáil fostaithe. Is féidir linn br…

Is í an fhadhb atá agam i ndáiríre ná má bhíonn ar ghnólachtaí áirithe fanacht roinnt míonna go dtí go mbeidh an chabhair sin acu, ciallaíonn sé sin go mbeidh ar chuid acu a gcuid doirse a dhúnadh. Mar gheall ar sin, dóibh siúd atá i gceantair níos iargúlta, táimid ag admháil faoi sin mar gheall go bhfuil siad ag brath ar ola agus an LPG seo agus nach féidir leo an chabhair a fháil ón Rialtas. Caithfimid breathnú air sin. I take the Minister of State's point that we need to bring ideas into the review, but I would …

There is no way that we can have business as usual here today in relation to our questions when we look at what has happened over the last number of days and the scandal the Minister has been embroiled in. The Minister has failed to clarify matters in relation to this scandal. There are a number of outstanding questions that I want to put to him today because he failed to answer questions yesterday in the Dáil. Who, in 2017, brought to his attention that a company van was used in 2016?

What action did the Minister take and at what value did he calculate that work?

I said from the outset that there is no way we can go back to business as usual when the Minister is refusing to answer questions. The Minister now has an opportunity to answer those questions. Indeed, he has an hour and a half in which to answer questions. He should use that time to answer.

I am asking questions of the Minister and I ask that he answer them.

Everything has changed. We need answers to these questions-----

I have asked a number of questions but I have not received a response. This is the perfect opportunity. It is the Minister's first set of ministerial questions as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and his first parliamentary questions this year. This is the perfect opportunity. The Minister knows the answers to these questions. He can give us the answers to these questions. I do not understand the view that it would be beneficial for him not to answer these questions here today.

I have listed a few and I ask the Minister to answer them.

Does the Acting Chairman understand that I have already had my first 30 seconds and this is now my second contribution? The Minister had come in and I have asked the Minister to-----

Yes, and I have asked the Minister to answer the questions but he has not done so. I can give him a whole range of questions. The reality is that the Minister has the answers to these questions and he has the opportunity in this Dáil to answer them. We are dealing with ministerial questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. There are questions to be answered. The Minister refused to do it yesterday and he has the perfect opportunity to do it today so why does he not do so?

The Minister said he will make a statement. Will there be a questions and answers session? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered.

Will it be a questions-and-answers session?

Absolutely not. These are questions that need to be answered. I am asking the Minister whether he will facilitate a questions-and-answers session or if it will be a statement again.

Sometimes we need to learn from our mistakes in a lot of different ways. The Minister will have learned from this week that a questions and answers session in the Dáil is what is needed. I would have thought this, as the Minister's first time taking questions in the Dáil as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, would be the perfect opportunity for that. I will read out some of the questions so that if the Minister is not doing questions and answers, he can at least include them in his statement. He should be …

I have 35 seconds left, a Chathaoirligh.

I have 35 seconds. Go raibh maith agat.

Did Michael Stone pay people to put up posters for the Minister in the 2020 general election?