It is a fair point. When you attend these meetings, you see the enormous impact of climate on many African countries, resulting in migration, economic disruption and significant disruption of food production systems. The area of mitigation and adaptation is one we need to focus on more urgently, globally and in Ireland. I will talk to the Minister on the specific issues the Deputy raised. If you look at the weather over the past while, it is changing. Climate is changing. The ground is saturated. It is a serious is…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 23, inclusive, together. I attended the seventh EU-African Union summit, which took place on 24 and 25 November 2025 in Luanda, Angola. The summit, which took place the day after the G20, was co-chaired by the President of Angola, João Lourenço, and the President of the European Council, António Costa. The summit marked 25 years of strategic partnership between the EU and the African Union. The theme of the summit was Advancing Peace and Prosperity through Effective Multilater…

I think Deputy Ó Murchú was first into the breach, is that right?

We are in a very turbulent situation. The Deputy referenced Sudan, trade, energy and debt. He is correct on the debt issue. It is a great pity the USA has pulled back significantly. I hope that will be reviewed because it is a significant loss to the world and the developing world, in particular. The Deputy again skilfully brought the EU-African summit back to Dundalk's wastewater treatment plant, which is not quite encompassed by the question but I will talk to the Minister and let him know the Deputy has been rai…

Every trade agreement will have a mediation process and mechanism. Every trade agreement must have a mechanism process. The European courts dealt with that and clarified that significantly some time ago. The bottom line is the enormity of growth in trade speaks for itself, which benefits people in this country. It benefits jobs, it benefits small companies and it benefits big companies. The benefits are there. I really think the ideological straitjackets people have tied themselves into are very difficult to compre…

On a point of order, what is the leader's question? The Deputy is only allowed bring up one issue at a time.

We cannot be doing sleight of hand stuff like that.

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle, this is important.

The Deputy cannot have two or three issues at the one time.

The Deputy raised an issue and it is sleight of hand because if I do not respond, I will be accused of X, Y and Z.

Given that it was raised, I did receive the Deputy's correspondence this morning in respect of Bord Bia. Bord Bia has been performing exceptionally well this year, last year and over the past number of years. If we look at 2020, there were exports of over €13 billion in foodstuffs. This year it is €19 billion. So, there are extraordinary, impressive outcomes and results in the export of foodstuffs including beef. We export beef and Irish food to 75 countries around the world. I am just back from China where I saw B…

Do not try to drag it down now. Let us not go for this populist, low-level activity. Let us not go like herd instincts-----

----- by jumping everywhere and going after people wrongly without proper perspective or understanding of the food industry, which has been a good success story for Ireland over the past number of years and continues to be.

Bord Bia has been one of the better State agencies and our food companies, which are global by the way, all over Europe and all over the world-----

Let us not undermine them just for the sake of chasing other people for votes and for popularity. In respect of childcare, the Government is very involved in childcare and the State is very involved in childcare in a variety of ways in terms of subsidies, in terms of frozen fees and in terms of investment, capital investment in private and community childcare as well as yesterday announcing a new State childcare capital investment programme which will significantly increase childcare places over the coming years. W…

The early childhood care and education programme, ECCE, continues for over 105,000 children, providing two years of free preschool.

This Government and the previous one did more for childcare in the Past five years than any previous Governments. There has been progress along the way but there was very substantial progress in the Past four to five years. Deputy McDonald does not have it within her to acknowledge that. Core funding increased by 19% under the budget 2026 to over €436 million. That will enable us to maintain fees at 2021 levels in year four.

It will also support providers with the cost of the new employment regulation order pay rates and then prepare for year five enhancements, including new funding to reduce the maximum fee cap. We have always said that reducing the fees to €200 was a five-year plan. It will happen. We are not ditching anything. We are committed to that and we are going to do it but it is over the lifetime of the Government. That was always made very clear.

Some 93% of eligible providers have now signed up to the fourth year of core funding.

There is good news on recruitment in terms of a continued 10% year-on-year increase in the growth of the workforce as well.