I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 17, inclusive, together. The economic division in my Department supports me and the Government in developing and implementing policy to support sustainable economic development in areas such as job creation, housing, climate action, digital issues and well-being. This work is particularly focused on ensuring a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of the programme for Government and issues that cut across multiple Departments. The division supports the work of the Cabinet commi…

I said that this morning.

In response to Deputy Tóibín, I have not seen the report. His question related to the economic division in my Department. Suffice to say that throughout the Covid period there was, unfortunately, a retrenchment in services. We have provided additional resources to the HSE in respect of the hiring of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. I will discuss this further with the HSE and the Minister of State with responsibility for disability regarding the report on Down's syndrome…

I know. It was about TEN-T funding, but that is not the core funding. The core funding is in the national development plan in respect of roads and public transport. A sum of €165 billion is being provided over the next ten years for investment in infrastructure in the west. The Deputy referred to the development of renewable energy in particular. The western seaboard will receive considerable investment for renewable energy. The first phase is on the east coast and the west and south west will follow through. There…

Yes, that has been included in the all-island rail strategy review that the shared island unit in my Department is helping to fund in order to identify the potential in that regard. There has been very significant investment in the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, programme by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in respect of many towns across the west. There is a whole range of investment vehicles from the State and the vast bulk of the investment is now g…

The Deputy got his chance. The same applies to natural gas, which costs 400p per therm today on international markets compared with 40p per therm last March. Gas prices have soared 220p per therm over the past week. We are going to face a very difficult situation. I gave the figures on wages, which have increased over the past while. In terms of the Government's response, we have increased the fuel allowance from €630 to €1,039 since we came into office a little over a year and a half ago. If we add on the €200 ele…

In respect of the situation in Aer Lingus, as I said earlier, the Government supported the workers in Aer Lingus through the employment wage subsidy scheme and supported the company, along with other companies in aviation. Many people in the House were calling for that and we did it. The workers should be treated fairly and, in my view, on a par with UK employees in the same overall company.

We support the end of mandatory retirement. The Pensions Commission has reported on that and it will come back to Government.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 to 25, inclusive, together. I participated in the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France, on Friday, 11 February. Around 20 international leaders attended in person for Friday's high-level segment hosted by President Macron. This event was held in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the support of the UN and in co-operation with the World Bank and other public, private and civil society partners. It feeds into a sequence of major internation…

On Deputy Sherlock's point, I do think that we can reach the 5 GW by 2030. The Government has been in office for about a year and a half or a bit more. In that time, the marine planning framework has been published. The Maritime Area Planning Act has been enacted. There have been very significant developments, particularly in respect of the development of wind energy to give certainty to investors. Unlike Deputy Boyd Barrett, I welcome investment in wind energy off our coast. I do not think that the State on its ow…

We have a very ambitious goal to have 80% of renewable electricity by 2020. That is Ireland's goal in the climate action plan. That depends on harnessing offshore wind in particular. It is at approximately 43% of electricity generated now. In that context, the development of a new regulatory consenting regime for the offshore renewable sector in Ireland, including the introduction of maritime area consents provided for through the Maritime Area Planning Act, a route to market for future offshore wind projects throu…

I will work with the Ministers involved in the extension of the nautical limit. The practice the Deputy identified of the dumping of so many fish at sea is shocking. Deputy Boyd Barrett spoke of the privatisation of our resources. I am not clear. Is he saying that the State should collect all the offshore wind itself? Is that what he is basically saying?

I do not think that the State has the capacity to do that.

There is a lot of expertise out there. We have to have partnership between the State and the private sector. ScotWind has really moved quickly in harnessing wind energy off Scotland. We want to get to 5 GW before 2030-----

-----and we want to become a major exporting nation after that.

I know that. It is being worked on. There is a whole-of-government delivery system being created. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is developing that.

Well, I hope it does yield jobs and benefits, the biggest being to climate. I am not clear what the Deputy is proposing as an alternative. I have not heard that.

I thank the Deputy for raising this very grave issue. No one in this House or anywhere else should be under any illusions about the seriousness of the situation Europe and the world faces right now, this afternoon. Vladimir Putin, who is a bully and a thug, has unleashed an unprovoked and unjustifiable war on the people of Ukraine, committing war crimes in the process, as we are witnessing. As President Zelenskyy said most movingly to the European Parliament this morning, every day now in Ukraine is someone's last …

We have witnessed the severest form of sanction of the Russian banking system, particularly in the Central Bank of Russia being denied access and being frozen out of accessing its reserves, which is unprecedented. Furthermore, financial transactions with many Russian banks and companies have been prohibited. That means it is very difficult for Russia to sell exports and to buy imports on international markets, which will be significant. European Union banks are prohibited from accepting deposits over a certain amou…

I agree with the sentiments expressed by the Deputy on the appalling attack and war being raged against the Ukrainian people by Vladimir Putin and the Russian leadership. I have no doubt that the vast majority of Russian people do not support this war. In terms of the diplomatic issue, first, anything we do should be in consort with our European partners. European strength and unity of purpose are very important in respect of responding to Russia. That has been a hallmark, so far, of the European Union's response, …