I accept and I appreciate the Deputy raising what is a very important issue that I dealt with earlier in the House. Absolutely in terms of restrictions on rent increases, we want to continue with this. The Minister is examining how he can do whatever he can to keep increases to the lowest level possible and to protect from eviction tenants who have been affected by Covid in terms of their incomes or who are facing homelessness. In terms of affordable homes, a range of initiatives has been undertaken to make housing…

To be fair, I do not think anybody is picking on anybody. In my view we need sustainable farming into the future but it has to be sustainable and changes will have to happen in respect of issues regarding fertiliser, animal feed and how slurry is spread. Many interventions are happening and we can accelerate them. We need more environmental afforestation. Today, we will meet the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, on this issue and how we can support greater planting of native …

I was not aware of it and it is a fair point. We have intervened in a range of areas to facilitate situations impacted by Covid across the board from the courts where people have been impacted by Covid and we have taken measures with regard to redundancy. I take the Deputy's point and I will inquire into it.

I thank the Deputy for his very valid point that the intervention that weekend by the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, Deputy McHugh and all of the Deputies in Donegal, with the Chief Medical Officer, who made himself available on a bank holiday weekend and we appreciate him doing that, and the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, was important in creating awareness and led to action on the testing centres. The positive response from the community in Donegal is acknowledged and appreciated. I take on board what Deputy McHu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I am a great believer in medical assessment units. They were a great innovation. They have been in operation for almost ten years and they work. In respect of Nenagh hospital, I certainly will engage with the Health Service Executive in respect of making sure the resources are provided that can underpin the sustained and continued availability of the unit on a full-time basis.

Teacher allocations to schools throughout the country follow a broad pupil-teacher ratio model. This year, the Government reduced the pupil-teacher ratio in a significant move at budget time, which has been important, and provided a range of resources to schools, particularly during Covid-19. With regard to special needs assistant allocations, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Madigan, and the Government have supported that there will n…

Action will be taken in respect of that matter. We do not want investment funds competing with or crowding out first-time buyers or, for that matter, councils. We want councils to build more houses and to commission the building of more houses. We want county and city councils the length and breadth of the country to get involved in direct build and to commission builders to do that.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It would be unacceptable if persons were not afforded the opportunity to wash. I will certainly talk to the HSE about the matter and get its perspective on what transpired.

I agree wholeheartedly, and have for quite some time, about the needs of gifted children and the need to have specific measures designed to support their academic and social development within schools. It can be challenging for them within the school environment, for obvious reasons, in terms of the numbers attending in a given class. There are also the difficulties that can arise for a gifted child in the context of being advanced in many of the subject areas, which gives rise to attention and a raft of other issu…

I have already dealt with this matter. I agree 100% that this should be facilitated. I will engage with the HSE. The Chief Medical Officer has made it clear there is no public health basis for any restrictions now on visits by partners. I regret what has occurred in the Deputy's situation. He should be in a position to attend that scan, as should many others also.

That is a very fair point. The Deputy has been working in this area for quite some time. A number of us have engaged with the people who have been deeply affected by this. I will work with the Minister in respect of evaluating whether we can fill that gap in the shorter term.

The Government fully understands, and I fully accept, the enormously negative impact that Covid-19 has had on the hospitality sector - pubs, restaurants, hotels, travel, the tourism industry more generally - and music, entertainment and the arts. Those sectors have suffered more than most as a result of Covid-19. In the context of the national economic recovery plan, we are clear that we have to make sure that not only as we lift restrictions do sectors come back working again but that we can underpin the restartin…

There will be full scrutiny and there will be a full Dáil debate on any legislative proposals the Government has in respect of the Health Act. That Act was necessary in the context of Covid-19.

Our planning system is there to vindicate citizens' rights and I have always respected that. It is the right of our citizens to use the planning system. That can never be tied to the provision of funding to any organisation and I would never advocate that. In terms of the broader debate, I had an interesting exchange yesterday with Deputy Kelly on the need to consistently look at our planning frameworks to make sure they are efficient, effective and expedient and that they can facilitate different perspectives much…

That is a matter for the HSE. I do not know whether Deputy Tully has discussed it with the executive or referred it on but that is an operational issue on the ground. We do not want people travelling such long distances. Generally, that is not the policy.

The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Deputy James Browne, is developing a national youth strategy. This is a progressive and positive piece of work in terms of affirming the positive dimensions of youth and giving the necessary supports to young people more generally. In respect of anti-social behaviour, there has been a worrying increase in certain areas and in the wanton nature of that behaviour in terms of putting people in danger. The Minister for Justice along with the Minister of State, Deputy …

I propose to take Questions No. 1 and 2 together. Under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, I am the specified Minister for both the IRBC and the NAMA commissions of investigation. Both commissions are fully independent in their investigations. The IBRC commission of investigation was established by Government order in June 2015, following consultation with Oireachtas parties. The IBRC commission's sole member is Mr. Justice Brian Cregan. It is required to investigate certain transactions, activities and man…

I share many of the concerns the Deputies have articulated. It is a matter for the House to re-engage collectively to work out the best models of investigations. When the commissions of investigation legislation was introduced originally by the then Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, it was with a view to having more efficient and expeditious inquiries to replace the tribunals of inquiry, which were deemed to be going on far too long and were very expensive and costly. The constitutional framework guaranteeing…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 8, inclusive, together. The National Economic and Social Council, NESC, advises me on strategic policy issues concerning sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. In addition to a range of research and background papers, the council published three reports during 2020: Addressing Employment Vulnerability as Part of a Just Transition in Ireland, NESC report No. 149; Housing Policy: Actions to Deliver Change, NESC report No. 150; and The Future of the…

A number of interventions have been made so I will need some time to deal with them. Deputy McDonald spoke first. Government policy is very much focused on the key issue of the supply gap. I kept saying this to the Deputy for the past number of days. It is about supply, supply, supply. It is the key to the housing issue. We simply need to build more houses and we need to do it in a variety of ways. We do not need to put all of our eggs into the one basket, which was suggested by a number of speakers today. Yes, the…