I thank the Senators for their sincere comments. One Senator asked about the staffing in the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, has managed to double the staffing numbers in the budget for it. Senator Moynihan asked about building emissions. We have an ambitious national development plan. Naturally, there will be emissions as a result of a large quantity of construction and a large quantity of retrofit activity. There is a great deal of work going into making sure the embodie…

It does apply.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and all the Deputies for their fascinating and sincere contributions, not least because many of them were grounded in real-world experience. Thankfully, the regular pantomime has been missing from the debate and it has been very constructive. My sense was that the Deputies share the goals of the legislation and there is a general consensus in respect of the various measures and, therefore the contributions mostly related to additional measures they would like to see or to different emph…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." In many ways, over the past two decades, waste policy has been Ireland’s unsung environmental success story. We have progressed from a situation where the State was facing prosecution before the European courts for lack of enforcement of unlicensed landfills to one where we have both radically reduced our dependence on landfill and our enforcement programme against unlicensed activity has been hailed by the European Commission as a model of best practice for resolv…

I thank Senator Garvey. Indeed, the term “circular economy” is technical one. It is a challenge for me to get that concept clear to the public. We are bringing in a new circular economy Bill. The Senator is right. The Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun is a great way for people to understand this because it is so practical. It is doing four things: upcycling, paint, bicycles, furniture and clothing. It is very practical, it gives people employment and skills, and it keeps resources within the economy. It is great it is…

I thank the Senator for her praise but, in fact, most of the work on this was done by my Department before my appointment. I have to give the staff full credit for that. I want to collect as little money from this levy as possible. I want people to use reusable cups. I want it to be a habit and a new culture and I want to make that as easy as possible. I want to give people the choice and a way out of using a new coffee cup every day and throwing it away. With that in mind, I expect that, in the same way we banned …

There is a fundamental difference in the way the pricing of fossil fuel energy and renewable energy is arrived at. As the Senator knows, oil, gas and coal are traded on international markets and we are subject to the vagaries of those markets. Often they are sourced from highly unstable regions in the world, as we are reminded, whether it is the Middle East or Russia. This has led to great variability and frequent energy crises and shocks. Although people criticise renewable energy for being linked with the variabi…

I am happy to look at any proposal the Senator has. My office is always open for her to come to me and discuss a proposal and my mind is always open. The Senator asked a number of questions. One was about commercial rates on fossil fuel generation, as opposed to renewable generation. That is a matter on which I am happy to engage with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, because it comes under his Department. Commercial rates, valuation and so on should always be looked t…

I am here on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, who cannot be present. I will answer questions on her behalf. In fact, this is a subject that is dear to both our hearts because we have the same issue in south Dublin as the Senator has in Dublin 15. I have to pay tribute to and acknowledge the analysis and work done by the parents of children with autism in establishing that there was a statistical shortage of special education places in particular areas of the country, including Dublin 15 and south Du…

I thank the Senator and I share her wish that she will be able to give that information to those parents soon. Two of the most important things that are present here are the political will and the budget to do this. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, has used every tool in her negotiations armoury and made every effort to make progress on this. Part of the aim here is to reduce the need for transport because it imposes a burden on people to have to travel a long way to school. Children need not just a driver, b…

I will briefly outline the contents of the legislation. It is a short Bill which is very technical in nature. It has ten sections and one Schedule, containing the text of the 2020 new arrangements to borrow, NAB, decision. Section 1 sets out the definitions used in the Bill. Section 2 provides for the approval of the terms of the NAB decision and Ireland's adherence to, and participation in, the NAB decision. This also empowers the Minister for Finance to consent to future amendments to the NAB decision on behalf o…

I thank all the Deputies who have contributed to this debate. I appreciate the Opposition's support for this Bill. Although it is described as technical, it does provide for what will be very practical and useful funds for poverty reduction and disaster relief. I will address some of the questions raised, starting with those of Deputy Berry, the most recent contributor. His first question was on whether the NAB would be funded by the Exchequer. As I understand it, it is an investment from the Central Bank and will …

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

I thank Deputy O'Connor for asking about the supports available for private bus and coach operators during this wartime period which has led to elevated fuel prices. I am answering this question on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I understand the Deputy's question relates specifically to the possible provision of fuel supports to the bus and coach sector similar to those recently introduced for hauliers. As the House is aware, a whole-of-government approach is being adopted in regard to the Ukrai…

I thank the Deputy. The first item I will address relates to procurement and State contracts. I refer to situations where a person entered a contract with the State to provide a service but the cost to the person of diesel has greatly increased. This is a specific case of a problem in procurement where inflation has made the economic reality of the contract difficult for the contractor to fulfil. An information note was produced by the Office of Government Procurement, OGP, which reports to me through the chief pro…

I am not prepared to answer the question on the common travel area. We may have to wait for another Minister, unless we can go to another question.

I can reply on that issue if the Ceann Comhairle so wishes. My apologies.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I thank Deputy Ó Broin for asking this question and it is a very serious matter. I am answering this question on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister has asked me to express his sadness at the news of the death of a man who appears to have been sleeping in a tent in Dublin city centre. This is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to his family. The deaths of people availing of homeless services are of great concern and are being taken very seri…

I thank Deputy Ó Broin. From talking to people who work directly in homelessness services, I am told that while addiction is very commonly a factor in homelessness, it is not always the case. Sometimes it is mental health and sometimes it is simply losing one’s money and not being able to manage economically in a very expensive housing situation. On many occasions it is addiction and the way to tackle that is to address the causes of addiction and doing this requires further funding. I will take the Deputy’s commen…