-----but to seek the termination of his appointment. We both disagreed in terms of the route. He wanted to go the legal route but for me that was not tenable in the context of being an officeholder.

The first point I would make is that it now seems to be the case on the Opposition side that the assertion by a journalist, who is entitled to make assertions and points, is fact, and that one should act immediately on it. That seems to be the import of what is being said here this afternoon.

I cannot act on that, nor should I. In terms of the acquisition of the file, Deputy Cowen was faced with a situation where he was being presented with private material about himself from journalistic sources. In other words, they had information about him relating to a PULSE file on him that he himself did not have. His point was that he was very taken aback by any assertions in respect of certain details. He was very clear. He acknowledged in the Dáil that he was guilty of a drink-driving offence, but seems to hav…

That is a bigger question that everyone in this House should be concerned about as well in terms of data and the release of data. That is a wider more fundamental policy question that we all have to be conscious of. On another day in this House we will go on about companies and multinationals and citizens' rights, which is important too and is valid. Deputy Cowen then got access to his file in the middle of last week, I think. He challenged that and he then wanted to correct the record. Apparently, one is entitled …

Again, I have to be very clear. I made it very clear in my speech to the House yesterday evening, and again today and also to Deputy Cowen on Monday evening and yesterday morning, that he had an obligation to speak to the House to clarify issues that had emerged. Particularly since I saw the PULSE file itself, I felt he should because there was a demand that he come-----

I am sorry, but this is an issue of grave public controversy.

I asked Deputy Cowen to share his personal data with me. To be fair to him, he did so in the end. I felt I needed that because I am here now accounting to the House. One moment it is being said that I know everything without seeing any PULSE file, the next moment when I do seek access to the PULSE file that is something that is terribly wrong as well. That is not fair or balanced. It is an issue of huge public controversy involving a Government Minister. Information pertaining to him was in the public domain that h…

I cannot be definitive about that. My understanding is that it is a PULSE file, but I do not know. I was given information. From my understanding, it is a PULSE file.

The provenance of it is this: it relates to the drink-driving incident and it relates to two other issues, one of which is a speeding fine, which the Deputy knows about because it was published in the newspaper. Deputy Cowen was in a situation where people had more information about what was on his file than he himself might have had-----

-----and that is a very difficult position for anybody to be in. To be fair to him, he then sought access in that context. I think that was fair enough, given the gravity of what was being said and given the issues.

The Deputy began by asking a number of questions about the events of yesterday evening. Again, the fundamental issue yesterday was Deputy Cowen's refusal to respond to my request that he address Dáil Éireann on the issue. I felt he needed to come into the House to clarify the issues that had arisen, particularly following my reading of the file and my discussions with him the evening before. He felt that would prejudice his rights in respect of the two processes that are under way concerning the data. That is the f…

On the travel issue, the decision in terms of the green list will be taken next Monday but along with that will be issues pertaining to stronger defences and a stronger presence at airports, and further issues to which the Deputy has alluded will be examined.

I accept the Deputy's well-articulated concerns and she is correct that people are very concerned about the fact there is travelling from what we might call hot spot areas or areas that, to me, appear to be out of control with regard to the virus. I accept the Deputy's point on this. Since the start of the pandemic, travel has never been banned. The Deputy's point about follow-up is equally true and accepted. In our announcement some weeks ago, we indicated that this dimension had to be improved upon, in terms of f…

-----in terms of the other areas the Deputy has highlighted.

On the Deputy's opening statement on Apple getting sorted and so on, Apple did not get sorted. Apple is also about workers. Apple has been in Ireland since 1980 and the court decision is that there was no state aid to Apple. This is the essential point that the court decided. Apple now employs 6,000 people throughout the country. This is important. There has been an ongoing view from the Deputy and others consistently undermining the role of multinational companies in Ireland. I want to put on the record that it is…

First, I did participate in a Zoom meeting with Debenhams workers, and the Deputy should know that. Of course, I will meet a delegation of the workers. There is no difficulty whatsoever. I have communicated with workers in my constituency in that regard. The difficulty I have is that in situations such as this I am very reluctant to create false expectations and false hopes for people who are going through a traumatic time after losing their work in such unacceptable circumstances. The Deputy can stand here and say…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the nomination by the Taoiseach of Deputy Dara Calleary for appointment by the President to be a member of the Government. Pursuant to section 4(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946, I propose to assign him to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In his short time as Government Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, has shown that he is committed not just to reforming the Dáil but also to overseeing a comprehensive legislative progra…

Deputy Chambers assumes the position Deputy Calleary held.

There was no Covid-19 during the general election and the assertions made then bore no relationship to what subsequently happened. The eviction ban and freeze on rent increases was grounded in the emergency public health legislation arising out of Covid-19. There are issues around that but the Government is examining them. We are conscious that it has helped public health by preventing homelessness and reducing homelessness, evictions and so on, and that that trend would continue. There has been a relaxation of eme…

I thank the Deputy for his question. As an overall policy position, I am establishing a new social dialogue unit within my Department and I would like to explore the issues to which the Deputy has referred such as collective bargaining and so on with the various stakeholders in that regard. I will check with the Tánaiste about receipt of the Low Pay Commission report. The position in recent years has been to adhere to the recommendations of the commission. As regards the Deputy's specific point about whether the co…