It is a complete abuse-----

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan has made me aware-----

I do not need Deputy Collins to tell me about it.

It is Deputy Michael Collins who has been permanently asleep at the wheel.

Can I respond to the Deputies?

Last week we discussed the marine planning framework. A marine planning Bill has to follow that. The Government wants to move on and get things done. There are too many people on the other side of the House who want to stop everything, impede everything-----

-----and prevent things from happening. It is happening in housing-----

They are opposing every housing project that happens. Now we are talking about the marine planning framework, the first ever spatial plan for the marine, which is a good thing. It actually avoids the type of activity to which Deputy Boyd Barrett referred. That is the point. There will be many checks and balances within the spatial plan which will give an orderly and proper regulatory framework to be followed by legislation to protect rights and biodiversity while also enabling proper development within our seas tha…

The Deputies opposite seem to just want to say "No, no, no"-----

-----all of the time. It is "No" to everything, as far as I can see. Every time they stand up, it is about stopping one project or another. That seems to be the bottom and consistent line. I have to put that on the record. The only motivation we have is to get certain things done in this House and to get certain things going in this country.

I have some reservations about what has happened here today. The Business Committee met and agreed the order for this week and I was not involved in that. For approximately 20 minutes, Deputies from parties which agreed to the Order of Business have been raising all sorts of issues. I am conscious there was meant to be 30 minutes for other Deputies to raise issues concerning legislation or other business. They have been denied the opportunity to do so because other Deputies got in ahead of them under the pretence o…

Many Deputies in my party and in other parties are being denied an opportunity to raise issues because of what is going on here.

As I said earlier, our first thoughts today are with the families of those killed following the terrible violence and atrocities in Ballymurphy on those three terrible days in August 1971. I recall visiting the site at the time and meeting with the relatives. I was never in any doubt but that these innocent citizens were killed without any justification and that they were entirely innocent, and the inquest has found that. As we heard this morning on "Morning Ireland" and other programmes, there remains enormous per…

I agree 100% that there is no need for these restrictions now at all. I said that last week in this House. The Chief Medical Officer has said that, given the success of the vaccination programme, particularly within healthcare settings, the suppression of the virus among front-line healthcare workers and the high level of vaccination across the country, women's partners should be with them, with proper precautions.

I will engage again with the HSE.

I have already spoken to the CEO of the HSE about telling the national clinical directors and clinical directors across all hospitals to facilitate such access.

I agree with the Deputy that it is not possible to bomb Gaza without killing innocent children, teenagers and civilians. I have been to Gaza. I walked through it in the aftermath of a war. It is densely populated, with people at close quarters. Bombing raids cause enormous devastation and killing and grief, and should not be proceeded with. I believe such raids are highly disproportionate to what is happening on the other side in the context of the firing of rockets, which is also wrong and which should not be happ…

There the Deputy goes again. He is going to stop that Bill now as well, or try to stop it. That Bill is needed, we need to get it through. Why? It is because we need to use State land to get houses built. Supply is the big issue here. The State is providing the largest social housing programme in its history. This year and over the next five years, we will also support the building, through serviced site funds, etc., of affordable houses. The State will be involved in getting those built for people as well. Therefo…

There were 20,000 built last year. Covid-19 has already stopped us building for three months this year. We might be lucky to get more than 20,000 houses built. We need supply.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together. I spoke with the First Minister, Mrs. Arlene Foster, on 28 April to wish her well after her announcement that she would be stepping down as First Minister of Northern Ireland and as leader of the DUP. I have had a positive working relationship with Arlene in a variety of roles over the years. In particular, I valued our constructive engagement, notwithstanding our differences, in our respective roles of Taoiseach and First Minister. I conveyed my best wi…