On the Deputy's initial point about this Bill being patriarchal, I do not disagree with the sentiments she has expressed. In fact, criticism of the lethargy with which the European Union's institutions responded to Covid is very justifiable. Member states and Members of this House have made such criticisms. The Deputy is quite right. It has taken a long time. Perhaps it took the infection hitting some of the larger and wealthier states harder than the Mediterranean states for Europe to wake up and realise it needed…

Deputy Healy-Rae is correct; we can access funding in the same way. Many of the infrastructural projects that are under way are funded by European Investment Bank funding. He will know from the national development plan that we have €116 billion worth of a plan over a period. Some of the funding will come from the Exchequer, some of it will be borrowed, some of it will come from the European Investment Bank, some of it will come from the Council of Europe development bank and some of it will come from elsewhere. We…

I understand that it will be worked out together between the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys.

Yes.

I appreciate and accept the frustration that the Deputy has expressed. It is not a position that I am overly enamoured with either but the Business Committee set out to try to put in place the legislative agenda between now and the recess. This Bill was identified as priority legislation. Although I could be wrong, it is my understanding that it was so identified in the absence of a finance committee. It was in that context that it was scheduled by the Business Committee and I reiterate it is unfortunate. I have ju…

In response to Deputy Doherty and to reinforce what I said earlier, this scheme is designed to be available to European Union countries. He is absolutely right that the United Kingdom has made the decision to withdraw but that does not negate its need to look after the people within its own jurisdiction. Deputy Doherty, being from an Ulster constituency, is very cognisant of the people who, as he said, go back and forth across the Border every day. They are people who have to be brought into the discussion here. It…

They can be taken together.

I thank the Deputies. I will start with the pubs. I have a vested interest as I have family members who are publicans. There are mixed views on this and it is probably not something to get involved in this evening. With regard to the tourism element, and I was formerly a Minister of State with responsibility for tourism, it plays a major role in the economy of the country. It is in every part of the country. It is for that reason and for the SME sector, in particular, that instruments of this nature are so importan…

I know, but I want to respond out of courtesy to the Deputies because, in fairness, they have waited. With regard to the capital investment that both Deputies referred to, I can highlight a positive example that was completed in the last 12 months in Athea in my constituency. While there are many waiting, some have been delivered.

Unfortunately, I cannot accept Deputy Doherty's first amendment. We had a discussion during the interruption. Article 11 of the SURE regulation states that member states' guarantees must be irrevocable, unconditional and on demand. The proposed amendment would in effect make the SURE guarantee agreement signed by Ireland a conditional rather than an unconditional one, as is required. It would have the effect of pricing additional risk into the borrowings the European Commission seeks in the market, making the cost …

I apologise to Deputy Doherty. I should have made this point to him earlier. The mechanism between the SBCI and the pillar banks is not included in the legislation because it is factored in through memoranda of understanding between them. As to when it is envisaged the Government may wish to access the scheme, there is no date, but what I can say is that access to the SURE facility will depend on market rates and the maturity of loans offered by the Commission, and the Government will make a decision at the appropr…

The SBCI and the pillar banks operate, as the Deputy will be aware, on the basis of the commercial memorandum that is in place. It is a commercial decision. It is operated on in people's best interests and to make sure people are protected. It is not intended to be published as part of this and is part of the regular relationship that exists between the SBCI and the pillar banks.

I congratulate my two colleagues from the constituency of Limerick: Deputies Niall Collins and Richard O'Donoghue. I commiserate with my former colleague, Deputy Neville, on losing his seat in the election. I thank the almost 9,500 people in County Limerick who voted for me and the nearly 15,000 I finished up with. I want to reflect on some points made by a couple of Members as I support Deputy Varadkar's nomination for Taoiseach. No one won this election. This was a three-way tie for third place essentially. There…