Tagraím do leasú Uimh. 21. Má dhéantar teagmháil le duine as Gaeilge, ba chóir go bhfaighfí freagra as Gaeilge. Tá súil agam go gcuirfidh an leasú seo críoch leis an nós go n-insítear do dhuine go bhfuil an leaid le Gaeilge ar lón faoi láthair. Ba mhaith liom léim timpeall na háite beagáinín. Táimid ag plé leasú Uimh. 65, mar aon leis an leasú seo agus ba mhaith liom díriú isteach ar alt (d) ó Uimh 65, "Maidir leis an bhfógraíocht a dhéanann comhlacht poiblí ... cinnteofar go ndéanfar 5 faoin gcéad di ar na meáin d…

We now have the Independent Group. Deputy Connolly is sharing time with Deputies Harkin and Fitzmaurice.

The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, Deputies Dillon and Richmond, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, are sharing time.

A division has been called. In accordance with Standing Order 80(2), it is postponed until the weekly division time tomorrow evening, Wednesday, 6 October 2021.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 27A and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputies Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire and Thomas Gould - to discuss significant staff and resource shortages and delays in completing inquests at Cork Coroner’s Court; (2) Deputies Cormac Devlin and Paul McAuliffe - to discuss public transport in Dublin, particularly Metrolink and upgrades to the DART, Luas and active mobility routes; (3) Deputy Joan Collins - …

Question Nos. 1 and 4 have been reversed so we will commence with Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

I will now return to Question No. 1 in the name of Deputy Munster.

I thank the Minister. I do not see Deputy Colm Burke so I propose to move to Question No. 7, which will be put by Deputy Devlin.

The Deputy is doubly blessed to have heard the Minister sing and not to have heard the Acting Cathaoirleach.

Glaoim ar an Teachta Uí Chonghaile. Tá tú gnóthach anocht. Tá an chéad cheist eile, ceist Uimh. 9, i d'ainm freisin.

I wonder if we sandboxed today's debate, set it aside for 30 years and reopened it again like a time capsule, how would it be judged then? By mid-century, when the effects of our emissions have further worked their way through into the climate system; and when floods, droughts, and storms are more frequent and severe; when creeping inundation threatens our coastal settlements, how will all of our talk here about incrementalism, exceptionalism and relativism be received? When my sons are my age what will they think …

The two years?

The commitment to a town centres first policy is a key commitment in the programme for Government. It is referenced some 20 times in the Housing for All document and also forms a central plank of Our Rural Future, the development policy issued by the Department of Rural and Community Development. However, as I said to the Minister of State last night, I still do not have a clear picture of what the town centres first principle looks like when applied in the Irish context. On my way here today, I attended the offici…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 27A and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy John Lahart - to discuss significant delays to An Post international parcels as a result of Brexit and new EU customs rules; (2) Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - to discuss the tender process for a school building project in County Cork; (3) Deputy Paul Kehoe - to discuss restoration of grant funding for primary schools to keep libraries fully stocked;…

I thank the Minister of State for his gracious words about the work that has been undertaken by Waterford County Council. Great praise is due in particular to our director of services for housing. As the question was grouped with another, I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak, but I am somewhat concerned that we are conflating serviced sites with town centre first. We are talking about two very different things. My central concern is that when we are talking about town centre first, I do not yet have a cl…

I thank the Minister of State for providing that extra detail which is very helpful. In particular, I am heartened to hear him talk about those four elements. We increasingly need to see housing set within a context, particularly when we are talking about town centre first. We are not just talking about individual units. It is a term often used on the floor of the Dáil which is not useful. These are homes but also homes set within a heritage context, and within an environmental and emissions context. What we are tr…

By way of context, I will share a message I received from the owner of a local business in Waterford, a bike shop, as it happens. He told me that the shop got a batch of bikes from the UK at the end of July. All the paperwork was in order but the batch was selected by customs for inspection. The bikes were finally released one month later. Once they go into that process, business owners are totally blind on the progress being made. In this case, two e-bikes had been bought and paid for by a very understanding custo…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. I also thank the Minister for facilitating this debate on the initiative of the Ombudsman for Children, A Better Normal. It is an important and timely document as we begin to emerge from the immediate and acute phase of the pandemic and start to consider the long-term consequences and implications for our society, children in particular. I agree with the ombudsman's stark statement that 2020 was a devastating year for children. He states that children were described as vec…

The Deputy has asked his question and has received his answer.

Will the Deputy put his question to the Minister?