I acknowledge the work that Dublin City University, DCU, has been doing in this space. Representatives from DCU also made a presentation to the joint committee. It is exciting to see the idea and principle of universal design being applied to universities and to housing and such matters. It acknowledges that these specific interventions might be of particular use to autistic people and help them in the context of access. However, many of these interventions are going to help everyone in the student body, not just t…

I raise with the Taoiseach a letter that was sent to the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, by the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights about the negotiations on the corporate sustainability due diligence, CSDD, directive. The coalition has identified that there is an opportunity for this directive to be a win-win for citizens, women's rights, companies, states and the planet. The general approach is to be agreed at this Thursday's Competitiveness Council meeting on 1 December. There are concerns and repo…

The next grouping is a Government slot. Deputies Higgins, Alan Farrell and Devlin will share time. Deputy Higgins has four minutes.

Next is a Government slot. Deputy Carroll MacNeill is sharing with Deputy Creed.

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for giving me the opportunity to get out of the Chair slightly early so that I could take a speaking slot. Although it might seem frivolous, when reflecting on the achievements and otherwise of COP27, I think of the Sergio Leone film, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". We saw much of each. I will work back, beginning with the ugly. Before COP27 ever convened, I spoke about my unease with Coca-Cola acting as a title sponsor and my unease in respect of Egypt's record of human rights…

I would still like to see members of the Opposition travel to Montreal. It is important we all pull in the same direction because too often we say we would like climate action but not this one. As a House, we all need to work together, to be honest with people and to really explain the scale of the challenge and the depth of the change needed.

The Deputy can be quite sure that it would not be my first time on a bog.

This question relates to a programme that I know is as close to the Minister's heart as it is to mine, namely, the school meals programme. As we all know, the cost of putting food on the table has been escalating for everybody in society. In that context, is the subvention available to school meals providers sufficient in view of the inflation in food costs across the board?

This has been Green Party policy since God was a boy, going back to the time of Trevor Sargent, who was elected in the same constituency as my party colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. I feel strongly, as a former primary school teacher, that when children are in front of us, we should feed them well. The prepared reply the Minister gave me was detailed in some respects but did not go to the heart of the question in others, so before coming to the Chamber I researched on the Department's website th…

I thank the Minister. It would be dangerous for me to tell a Monaghan woman how to spend money wisely, but we do not want to be penny wise and pound foolish here. Our nation's children are the most precious thing we have, and we want to ensure we get a good meal into them. We have started in the correct place, namely, in disadvantaged communities and in DEIS schools, but like the Minister, I would like to see that rolled out throughout the country. I certainly know that both myself and my missus would be very glad …

This issue has already been teased out in the discussion this morning. There is a well-acknowledged issue around recruitment and, in particular, retention in our Defence Forces. I ask about the progress made on fulfilling the Government commitment to increase recruitment in the Defence Forces by 2028.

I thank the Minister. One of the central challenges, which is well understood and which Deputy Berry talked about, concerns medical officers. We are in an economy close to full employment and there are working terms and conditions elsewhere, such as being able to go home at 5 p.m., which make the Defence Forces less attractive. The Minister rightly acknowledged that the numbers have changed and travel is in the wrong direction. My numbers have it that we are at 8,100 personnel in the Defence Forces, the lowest in 1…

I acknowledge that much of that increased commitment and focus is down to the Minister’s genuine interest in this area. I know he has a genuine interest in the Naval Service in particular. We have never seen the need for us to control our own waters more clearly demonstrated. I am thinking currently but am also looking ahead. There will be increased activity as we develop our offshore resources, particularly our energy resources. We will see increased connectivity in energy. Our gas connectors are obviously critica…

I know the Tánaiste's Department leads on the oversight of work permits from non-EU and non-EEA countries. I have engaged on this specific issue previously with the Minister of State, Deputy English. The critical skills occupation list was last updated in June 2022, relatively recently, but is there sufficient cross-departmental engagement on addressing specific skills shortages in particular areas? In this case I am referring specifically to a shortage of bus drivers and the difficulty getting work permits for peo…

Before I address my substantive points, I note that one of the benefits of sharing the duties of chairing the House with the Ceann Comhairle is that one gets to listen to debates in depth. Much of the debate on the Bill has been good. I do not know whether anybody has eulogised the budget. All Members across the House have pointed to aspects they believe are good. Deputy O'Donnell acknowledged that no budget is perfect. I take issue with some of the language I have heard, with reference having been made to cruelty,…

Before coming here, I met with representatives of the Samaritans in Buswells Hotel. I met with John and Eddie from the Waterford branch. They told me the only person who receives a payment of any kind in that branch is the person who comes in to clean once a week. It is an outstanding voluntary organisation. If people have a need to pick up the phone, somebody will be at the far end of the line 24-7 to pick up and talk to them. You will have a fully trained volunteer on the end of the line. There will be no judgmen…

I will pick up on a point that Deputy Paul Murphy raised and with which I agree. COP26 failed to agree a facility on loss and damage. It is the central issue of COP27, which is taking place in Africa geographically approximate to the terrible catastrophe playing out in the Horn of Africa. News has just broke that the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has been appointed the EU's lead negotiator on loss and damage, which is the central and most contentious issue of COP27. Th…

I am sure I will be issuing an invitation to Waterford in a little while as well. Deputies Leddin and Bruton are next.

There has never been a man like my father for answering a question with a question. Maybe it was his way of dealing with four inquisitive children when he was bringing us up, but I doubt it. I feel he probably came hard-wired that way. In any case, it was, and still is at times, like being stuck in a Socratic dialogue where we would ask, "Dad, why does that happen?" and get the response, "I don't know. Why do you think it happens?" There must have been something to it because my three siblings are all now scientist…

Like Deputy Healy-Rae, I am glad to see the Ceann Comhairle back in the Chair. I hope he missed us as much as we missed him.