We are concerned about the significant increase in the incidence of Covid in the last couple of weeks. It is a reminder to all of us that Covid is still very much around. Personally, I have not known more people with Covid at any point in the last two years than at this point in time. We all need to reflect on the current situation and ensure we do all we can individually to reduce the risk of transmission. The Government is acting in line with the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, when …

I assure the Deputy that there is no intention to hand over the control of the new national maternity hospital to any religious body or any third party. There are lots of opportunities in the House, including oral questions to the Minister for Health, which I understand are taking place next week. The House has already decided on the business for this week but there are many avenues open to the Deputy to continue to raise the issue The substantive point is that what the Deputy is inferring or suggesting is not Gove…

I thank Deputy Berry for raising this issue, which is primarily a matter for the Department of Defence. I acknowledge what the Commission on the Defence Forces has said on it. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform does not, in principle, have any objection to the affiliation of PDFORRA and RACO to ICTU. I will discuss the issue with the Minister for Defence. I understand the Deputy's point about the next round of public pay talks, the date of which is not confirmed, and that these organisations will want …

We accept that no part of Irish society is immune to the effects of what is happening internationally. That includes our farm families and the contractors on whom farmers rely to do so much of the work on farms. There is a form of rebate for giving some of the carbon tax back to farmers but I would make the broader point that the carbon tax we collect is ring-fenced. It does not go into the general Exchequer. It is paid back by way of-----

-----fuel poverty measures, retrofitting, new agri-environmental schemes in the Common Agricultural Policy.

The strength of feeling on this issue is heard loud and clear. The Construction Contracts Act 2013 does not cut across the normal rules for company liquidation or receivership. Where this arises, the route for recovery is through the normal insolvency process. In respect of any public works, there is an open and competitive procurement requirement, both domestically and under EU law. It is best not to go into the specifics of the individual case. I ask for the parties involved to talk to each other and engage in or…

I accept that operators in the tourism space are under pressure. They are hoping to see a significant return of international visitors over the course of this year. We expect to see that happen. The legal position is that the lower rate of VAT will be increased in September, but the Government will keep the situation under review and will confirm its position in due course.

The Deputy raised a number of issues about land use, which is central to farming, rural Ireland, biodiversity, protection of the environment and the future of energy. The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Hackett, is leading a substantive body of work on behalf of the Government on the land-use strategy. I will ask her to revert to the Deputy directly.

As I mentioned earlier, while the Construction Contracts Act 2013 is not directly relevant in the case of liquidation or receivership, it imposes minimum payment requirements and provides the necessary tools to enforce those payments between the main contractor and the subcontractors and so on down the supply chain. We are carrying out an assessment of all of the public works contracts that Roadbridge was a party to. The Government remains committed to those road projects and to other non-road projects and will ens…

I accept that the substantial increases in fuel prices we have seen are impacting groups other than hauliers. The Deputy mentioned bus operators and along with them taxi drivers and other groups across society are also being directly impacted. The measure the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, brought forward was specific to hauliers because of the vital role they play in our economy and in ensuring we can continue to trade and provide goods throughout the supply chain. I will ask the Minister to examine th…

That is welcome news for Cork. Dublin was part of that announcement as well. I acknowledge the Deputy’s work and advocacy in respect of special needs provision in schools in the Cork area over a prolonged period. I note the recent court decision on the SOP and I will ask the Minister for Education to revert to the Deputy directly with a specific update on that.

We need a resolution to this issue. It is completely impractical to seek to implement this decision of the House of Commons. The Bill has not yet been finalised. We should be clear on that point. It will continue to be considered at Westminster. The Government will use every avenue available to it to make the case that an exception needs to be made, in effect for people on the island of Ireland, whether they are Irish or are from any other part of the world. From a practical point of view in the context of tourism …

I reiterate that we are concerned about the current trend with Covid. I would make the point, however, that the anchor of Government policy on this issue in the past two years has been the public health advice. The decisions taken a number of weeks ago were made in line with the specific public health advice that we received. We have not received any new advice to make any change to the current position in respect of mask-wearing.

It falls to individuals to make a decision for themselves and to carry out their own risk assessment as to what they think is appropriate. At this point, the Government has not received any public health advice that is contrary to what it received previously.

I agree that the response of the Irish people has been remarkable, although it comes as no surprise to anyone in this House. Work is under way to contact those who made offers of accommodation through the portal, with an initial focus on the vacant properties where own-door accommodation can be provided. The welfare issues that arise in that circumstance are less than where someone has to share a home with somebody else. That issue is being progressed as we speak. We are open to any other offers of support or assis…

I want to say on behalf of the Government that we are anxious that this payment be made as quickly as possible. There was a meeting on Monday this week involving the health sector trade union group as well as the HSE and the Department of Health. A number of issues were discussed there, some of which the Deputy touched on. There will be a further meeting today. We are very anxious to bring this to finality. It was always going to be difficult when one gets into the nitty-gritty detail of the matter. The principle i…

I assure Deputy Harkin that this issue is being worked on. We are aware of the fact that the existing transformation payments are due to expire at the end of this year. I am familiar with the previous report that Grant Thornton brought forward about the need for additional support in certain circumstances. The Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, is leading the work on the future of the post office network. She has been working closely with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, about the p…

I am not familiar with the details of that case, I will be honest, but I do appreciate the importance of local social welfare and Intreo offices in communities throughout the country. The Deputy said that he has raised this with the Minister, so I will leave it with her to come back to him directly.

I acknowledge Deputy Conway-Walsh’s personal interest in this issue. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, will come back to her directly on this matter. I am not familiar with the granular detail of this case or the position in respect of bonds or matters of that nature. It is important that there is engagement and discussion on the issue, and I know the Minister will also want to ensure that happens. I am very much alert to the wider issue the Deputy raised about construction price inflation. Late last y…

No.