On the announcement of the €1.5 billion, it is a lot of money. Many people were interested to see how it would be divvied out. There are improvements in the planting grant for some and on the yearly subsidy the farmers get. It is worrying that, of the €1.5 billion, there does not seem to be a red cent for ash dieback. That is unusual because we have a problem that needs to be rectified. We talk about growing more broadleaf trees and we need to get farmers on board. The worry I have is the Minister of State is tryin…

I move amendment No. 29: In page 102, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “43. (1) Planned increases on carbon tax due in March 2023 shall be postponed as a result of the cost of living currently being experienced.”.

We have read over the past week that insurance companies in Ireland made €159 million in profits in 2021. In 2018, the figure was €130 million. There has been a substantial increase. It is not that I am against companies making profit. In fairness, the Government brought in changes to help in respect of the insurance debacle relating to this country. It is alarming when one gets an email that the insurance companies seem to be picking and choosing and doing their own thing. I received an email from a young person w…

She did not have cancer.

I thank the Tánaiste. The Tánaiste comes from the health sector. The person to whom I refer did not have cancer. Irregularities were found. Everything was cleared up, but there is now that little doubt. It is difficult to hear someone say that she wished she had not gone for the smear test before she went for her mortgage because now she is in trouble for what she did. We are encouraging women to make sure that they go for these tests. With this person, everything is sorted but, because there was an irregularity, s…

I support this Bill. In fairness to Deputies O'Donoghue, Healy-Rae and McGrath, they have engaged. Mr. Edmund Honohan has to be commended on the amount of work he has put in and for being one of the people who asked the questions when he was working down the road that many people did not ask. It was not a rubber-stamp job on many occasions. Mr. Brian Reilly also needs a mention. I am shocked the Government is going against this. I listened to the Minister's speech when he talked about the dangers of not being able …

I support the motion. I am surprised that the Government has tabled a countermotion. The Minister of State must acknowledge that when people are in trouble with a house going on fire, a car crash, a fire on a ship, in a bog, in a forest or whatever, the first thing we do is dial 999 and we expect these people at the drop of a hat within two minutes to get the text and they have to be gone. They might have to leave jobs they are working on. I was talking to guys from Nenagh and I was talking to Padraig Quinn from Tu…

This is a Bill basically about Bord Gáis, or Ervia as it is now known, separating from Irish Water. That is badly needed because Irish Water is an overcooked organisation given the way it has done things. Proper budgets are needed for Irish Water. Previous speakers outlined where there are problems throughout the country. These will not be magically solved overnight. The problem is that over the years not enough money was given to resolve the issues in these towns, especially in the west. They need to be treated th…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. I remember the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" but now we are going to be using jet engines to try to keep the lights on. We might not agree with everything the Minister is doing but I do not think there is a person in the country who wants to see the lights going out. Any port in a storm, that is what we are left with at the moment. It is ironic though, as was highlighted earlier, that under this emergency legislation the Minister can disapply the habitats directive and EI…

When people living beside Lough Funshinagh were being drowned out of their houses, the Minister could not apply that provision.

I welcome the students from Ballyhaunis, Cloonfad, Garranlahan, Ballinlough and several areas in County Roscommon. When the programme for Government was being put together there was great talk about a rural environment protection scheme, REPS, 2 scheme for farmers. A large part of the carbon budget was supposed to go towards that. I have talked to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine many a time about this. I have gone to marts when it has not been popular for Opposition Deputies to stand up and to agr…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response but I want to put it on record that last Friday evening planners got emails-----

The planners are the people who prepare plans for farmers and the Department liaises with them. Last Friday evening they got emails stating that the riparian zone was being cut to 1 ha. I welcome what the Minister and the Taoiseach have said today to clarify that it is staying as it is, which will stop a lot of confusion. The other issue that needs to be looked at is the fact that if a farmer has 100 or 120 acres, this is okay. However, for smaller farmers in the west of Ireland and many other parts of Ireland, it …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the budget. I was happy with some of the things in the budget and there are some things I was not as happy with. I cannot for the life of me understand why people would go on the rural schemes such as Tús from what I have read today. People on such schemes will receive an extra €5 but if people do not go on the scheme and stay at home they will get an extra €12. That absolutely would fly in the face of encouraging people to work. The Minister needs to address this rapidly. Ther…

I am sharing time with Deputy Ó Snodaigh. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I do not have an objection to what the Minister of State is doing but there are a few issues on which we need clarification. Regarding the PRA, everything used to be based in Dublin but it now has a branch in Roscommon. In fairness, the work it does in Roscommon is mighty for people in the west of Ireland. That is the first thing to say. I want to get my head around how the merger is to be done. Will the three bodies work fro…

I support the motion. Some types of retrofit work, such as heat pumps and insulation in roofs, but doing insulation inside or outside older houses is an expensive job. Doing a deep retrofit costs about €90,000. Unless there are interest-free loans, it is not going to work. People do not have the money because they have their tongues out trying to keep themselves warm, never mind retrofitting a house. That is problematic. On top of that, and this is calling it very clearly, a certain number of people are qualified t…

This question concerns COM (2022) 304, to ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will oppose the proposed European Union regulation on land and peat restoration with reference to the biodiversity strategy and climate strategy as part of the European Union Council of Ministers, given that the consequences for Irish farming will be detrimental if this regulation is left in its present form.

If the Minister supports the regulation in its present form, he will be a traitor to the people in rural Ireland. That is the fact. What has been proposed would make Cromwell blush when compared with what he tried to do to Ireland. The Minister used the word "voluntary". This is bringing into law a regulation that will affect people with land containing peaty soils. The Minister should go down to Kerry, where most of the cows for the dairy sector are reared, to the west, to the north west and out to the midlands, w…

The Minister could have a look at Listowel. Where are the cows reared around Listowel?

Yes, and where are the cows?