To respond to Deputy Bríd Smith, I will engage with the Minister for Health. He announced a review of the Act and legislation.

I will follow through on the points the Deputy has raised with me. Deputy Niamh Smyth raised a fair point with regard to Kingscourt. I can confirm the rail line is on for Navan. It is time to get it built and developed. If we can get the line to Navan-----

If we can get it to Navan, Deputy Smyth wants us to plan ahead and get it to Kingscourt and I fully understand that judging by the very warm reception I got last Friday in Cavan. The people there were very enthusiastic and I believe they would welcome with open arms the extension of the rail line. Deputy Smyth's enthusiasm for that is not in question. Deputy Ó Murchú raised the issue of a citizens' assembly. We have about four citizens' assemblies to get to. A citizen's assembly is not the appropriate mechanisms fo…

We need to engage with people and work with them. We have been steadfast in our position on the protocol. We have to stress that no decision has been made on it. The negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom need to continue. I will be engaging with all the political parties on this over the coming period.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together. Under the programme for Government, the Government aims to establish citizens' assemblies to consider the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin; biodiversity; matters relating to drugs use; and the future of education. Consideration is being given to the appropriate methodology for future citizens' assemblies, but any decisions in this regard will be guided by the experience of the gender equality citizens…

I thank all the Deputies for the points they have raised in the context of this question. Deputy Pádraig O’Sullivan, who tabled one of the questions, called for a citizens' assembly on education. That would be useful. Other mechanisms have been used in the past, such as the National Education Convention where all the various partners in education convened for a general discussion in seeking out information on educational policy more generally. Measures were taken in the budget to expand the schools meals programme.…

----but the whole drug epidemic across the country is worrying. We intend to pursue that. Deputy McDonald raised a similar issue. On the constitutional issue, I happen to believe that citizens' assemblies are useful. However, there is a broader issue. First, we need an Oireachtas approach to Article 41. On the future of the island and on unity, I was in government before the Good Friday Agreement and right through the process. I know what it takes to build up relationships and work with people. I do not need lectur…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 to 17, inclusive, together. I travelled to the United States on 19 September for a five-day programme in New York centred around the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, and Ireland’s presidency of the UN Security Council. On 21 September, I attended the opening of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly where I met with a number of world leaders. I delivered Ireland’s national statement to the General Assembly on Friday, 24 September urging the assembly to heed the alarm…

Deputy Haughey raised the issue of conflict, Covid and climate. I pay tribute to our ambassador at the UN, Geraldine Byrne Nason, and her team. They have performed excellently on behalf of the country in advancing our agenda, particularly during the presidency of the Security Council. In terms of the motion and the theme we are moving, there were reservations from Russia, India and China to different degrees. That work is ongoing and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy Coveney are also wor…

Senegal and South Africa will be early beneficiaries of the idea to develop production capacity in those countries and the continent. On Deputy Boyd Barrett's point, because I was in COP and so on I was not in a position to have an in-depth conversation with Coillte. I am not in favour of the sale of forests. There can be local circumstances from time to time, such as sports clubs or national bodies looking for facilitation, but overall I want to grow more trees and we need to do so, particularly native species. Th…

I said to the Deputy earlier that gas will be a transitional fuel but he did not come back to me on it. Ultimately, fossil fuels have no role in the future of energy supply and we have taken legislative steps to deal with that, as the Deputy knows.

Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 18 agus 19 le chéile. Áirítear leis seo cohórt foirne leordhóthanach a fhostú a bhfuil inniúlacht leordhóthanach acu an leibhéal seirbhíse a chomhlíonadh agus deiseanna a chur ar fáil chun cuidiú le baill fhoirne a n-eolas agus leibhéal úsáide a fheabhsú. Cé nach dtugann mo Roinn leibhéal suntasach éilimh faoi deara ón bpobal ar sheirbhísí i nGaeilge, aithníonn sí an tábhacht atá le baill fhoirne a bheith ann atá líofa i nGaeilge agus atá in ann seirbhísí a chur ar fáil i nGaeilge agus …

Ó thaobh na ceiste a chur an Teachta McDonald, tá an méid atá ráite aici dochreidte. Níl an Stát i gcoinne saoránaigh na tíre seo ó thaobh na teanga de. Táimid ag tabhairt gach aon tacaíocht don teanga agus do mhuintir na tíre ó thaobh na teanga a chur chun cinn. I find it very difficult to accept the language Deputy McDonald uses to exhort me to take a stand for the Irish language. There is a sense that we are somehow against it. I have learned Irish. I do everything I possibly can to promote Irish. I speak Irish.…

We are not endeavouring to stop anybody-----

An rud is tábhachtaí ná rudaí a dhéanamh i ngach slí gur féidir linn. Tá TG4 ag ceiliúradh 25 bliain ar an bhfód agus rinneamar an-chuid chun é sin a chur i bhfeidhm, le daoine eile. Ó thaobh na ceiste a chur an Teachta Aindrias Ó Muimhneacháin, agus muid ag déanamh an athbhreithnithe ar an scéim agus ar an Acht, an rud is tábhachtaí ná déileáil leis an bpobal. Tugtar freagra i nGaeilge ar chomhfhreagras atá faighte i nGaeilge, mar shampla. Maidir leis na buaicphointí, déanaim tagairt do na foilseacháin, preasráiti…

There is no question but that inflation has picked up recently all across the world, including in Ireland and the rest of Europe. The annual rate of consumer price inflation was 5.1% in October, the highest since 2003. Among the key factors are the supply chain disruption, issues caused by the impact of Covid on supply chains across the globe, and the consequent imbalance between supply and demand. There are also issues specific to energy on the global market, particularly regarding gas. Therefore, the carbon tax i…

As I said, in the budget we did give relief; the Deputy just chooses to ignore it. In fact, she opposed it. She opposed the tax relief we gave to workers in the budget. She was against it. It is worth up to €500 million for workers on average incomes in this country.

Furthermore, in terms of the Deputy's comments on carbon tax, it is about time she got off the fence on climate change-----

-----because she has been having an each-way bet every week in this House in recent years on the issues of climate-----

-----and carbon tax, which gives us the funding, by the way, to help people on low incomes meet the increased energy costs and prices.