I move amendment No. 74: In page 9, line 22, to delete "class C" and substitute "class A".

I thank the Acting Chairperson for allowing me some time. It is good to see the Minister. I will make a short contribution as my colleague, Senator Ó Donnghaile, made a broader one. I will raise an issue regarding the University of Limerick. As the Minister will know, the Bill was amended on Report Stage last week to allow for the extension of governing authorities that are due to expire. The relevant text can be found in the Bill, as amended by Report Stage amendment No. 98 in the Dáil. It reads: ... where the ter…

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

The Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment heard from Oxfam Ireland and Médecins Sans Frontières on this matter. The good news is that we wrote to the Tánaiste on an all-party basis and said he needed to come out in full support of a TRIPS waiver for Covid-19 vaccines. However, the disgraceful fact of the matter is that he has done quite the opposite. The EU is now supporting the so-called Quad proposal. I will briefly explain why that is not sufficient to deal with the crisis. Today, just 12% of peopl…

The fact of the matter is that the Government is siding with big pharma as opposed to with the people of the world, the World Health Organization and organisations like Oxfam. It is shameful. People in the Minister of State's own party voted against the stance the Tánaiste is taking. Please tell us the Government can and will do better.

Well said.

I commend our President, Michael D. Higgins, on the excellent and very accurate speech he made yesterday. He said the housing situation we face is no longer a crisis but a disaster.

I am being very nice but I take the Cathaoirleach's point. Anyone familiar with the housing crisis knows that right now, it is getting worse not better. We had a meeting in Limerick the other night, which was packed to the rafters and was attended by Dr. Lorcan Sirr. He also attended the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis a couple of years ago and is not a member of any political party. He made a couple of very salient points, namely, that first-time buyers are being completely squeezed in the marketplace, with a 30% reduction …

Well said.