No, there are actually other factors, which are quite significant in terms of emergency accommodation we have to provide, which has nothing to do with Ukraine but in terms of normal inward traffic to the country. That is a factor as well.

No, I simply said that the Deputy would have been involved himself in preparing the agenda.

Sinn Féin has two Private Members' Business slots this week and, for some reason, it did not decide to raise the issues relating to fishermen or farmers.

I condemn utterly the indiscriminate murder of civilians in Ukraine by Russian forces. The images we have seen from Bucha, Irpin and other small villages cut very deep and leave an indelible mark on the human conscience. These acts of depravity have to be responded to. Ireland and European Union member states have acted very decisively to this war in the form of the most severe and unprecedented sanctions yet deployed against the Russian Federation. There will be a fifth round of sanctions to which Ireland will be …

I disagree. I quoted that this morning because, without question, there is a lot of doublespeak in this House and there is a lot of doublespeak among the Opposition. When it comes to any measure relating to climate change that has any sense of unpopularity about it, the Opposition will resist it or find some excuse to go against it.

The ESRI's research on carbon tax contradicts the Deputy's assertion. It states that the lower four deciles are not negatively impacted by it because it is offset by-----

Because the carbon tax is redistributed, the lower three are basically not negatively affected. The Deputy knows that. However, that does not matter to her because she is only interested in the electoral gain on this.

We do not have LNG in this country.

I am not familiar with the arrangements between the Department of Health and Trinity College. I was not involved, one way or another, in the decision taken by the Department of Health to create this post on public health and pandemic preparedness and second the CMO to it. That is my understanding of the matter from the perspective of the Department of Health. The Deputy's personalisation of it between myself and Dr. Holohan should be withdrawn. I had no hand, act or part in it.

Let us be clear that in the last 18 months there has been unprecedented action on climate change. Legislation that has been passed on carbon budgeting and the maritime Act will give us the opportunity to develop wind energy. The idea that the Government is engaged in doublespeak - the Deputy itemised one issue and through that made the generalised accusation against us - does not hold water at all. That is a flawed premise upon which to base her assertions because the Government has been very strong on climate chan…

-----because most local authorities-----

Just hear me out please. You have this facility - you ask the question, you do not like the answer and you interrupt. You are not alone in that. Others are doing the same.

I have been around the country. Local authorities-----

-----are advancing right across the country on active travel, a whole range of environmental schemes and on biodiversity. The Deputy has overstated the position.

Deputy Connolly has overstated the position.

I thank the Deputy for articulating so vividly the horrors of what is occurring in certain locations across the city. In the area he represents there was, at the weekend, the shocking murder of a young man. Certainly at Government level we will do everything we can. The Garda and Minister for Justice are doing everything they can through the criminal justice system to stamp out this criminality. At a broader level, we want to work with communities on the social side through initiatives like, for example, the North …

I will certainly raise that and follow that through for the Deputy. He has raised a very fair point.

Deputy Buckley, along with Deputies O'Connor, Stanton and others, has been raising this issue for quite some time about the need in the east of County Cork. Very substantial investment has, as Deputy Buckley knows, been sanctioned for the Carrigtohill site. I understand there are further challenges with school placements. I will follow that through with the Department of Education and see where we are.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. First, the total number of funded consultant positions in Mayo University Hospital is about 64, with 60.5 currently in post when locums are included. The area of difficulty in filling posts in Mayo University Hospital is predominantly within the medical speciality, so there are a range of issues there. Interviews will be held in April for two obstetric consultant posts and one consultant endocrinology post. Other posts that have been advertised and have interview dates pend…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Department of Finance is advised by Revenue the VAT rating of goods and services is subject to EU VAT law. In general, the VAT directive provides all goods and services are liable for VAT at the standard rate, currently 23% in Ireland, unless they fall within categories of goods and services specified in the directive. The directive also allows for historic VAT treatment to be maintained under certain conditions. Ireland has retained the application of VAT exemption to …