What I am proposing is that the Taoiseach should sit down. He is embarrassing himself.

We support the people who are queuing at food banks. What about that for an idea?

I am raising this issue once again because families living in crumbling homes in my constituency in Donegal, but also in Mayo, Sligo and Clare, are waiting for a fit-for-purpose scheme to rebuild their homes and lives. They have been given promises and they have seen missed deadlines, and the defective concrete block grant scheme is not fit for purpose. Thousands came onto the streets nearly a year ago this month to shout that loud and clear to the Government. These families in Donegal and across the west expected …

When will it be published?

When will it be published?

As the Minister of State has said, this is a technical amendment. Sinn Féin does not oppose it. It is the only amendment on Report Stage. I have made my views known about some of the legislation, which does not really do much. There are big questions about the gathering of information by the Central Bank and what the Minister of State plans to do about the insurance industry pocketing subsidies that were paid by the taxpayer and were supposed to be there for companies, not the insurance industry. I wish to focus on…

Again, I recognise the work that has been put into this, especially by the officials, and all the support on Committee Stage. While there are varying degrees of the effectiveness of this legislation, I say not only on behalf of my party but also, I think, on behalf of Members right across the House that there is an appetite in the House for insurance reform. The Minister of State should use that as much as possible to drive through the reforms at the pace necessary in society. I thank the Minister of State for his …

I thank everybody who contributed to the debate. In particular, I commend Deputy Kerrane on tabling the motion and on championing this issue on behalf of hundreds of thousands of workers and families who continue to struggle in the face of a cost-of-living crisis. They see it in the price of food, energy and other essentials, which continues to rise. They see their bank balances struggle to keep up with the weekly shop and the monthly bill. Some have been forced to make choices nobody should have to make, including…

I express my condolences to the families of the children murdered in Robb Elementary School in Texas. Our thoughts are with the heartbroken families at this time. Along with the Ceann Comhairle and the rest of the team here I welcome to the Dáil the First Minister-designate and her team. I wish her all the best as she leads the assembly into this term. Insím don Aire, nach bhfuil dabht ar bith ná go bhfuil polasaí tithe an Rialtais ag teip mar is scannalach an plean atá ag an Rialtas chun €450 milliún d'airgead cái…

Enough of the Minister's spoofing. Here are a couple of home truths. He has been in the Department for a couple of years. House prices are going through the roof. Entire generations have been locked out of homeownership under his watch. Rents are spiralling out of control. They are increasing dramatically in many counties, which means people are becoming homeless. Homelessness is nearly back at record levels. That is the Minister's plan and it is not working. I have the confidential document to hand about Croí Cóna…

That is not true. He is misleading the Dáil. I have the document.

The Minister misled the Dáil - 250,000.

I am opposed to putting taxpayers' money into the pockets of developers and charging nearly half a million for an apartment.

Anybody with sense is opposed to that.

Answer the 250,000 question.

Answer the 250,000 question.

Families are living in crumbling homes in Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and many other counties. They have waited and waited for a just scheme - one that is fit for purpose and that allows them to start to rebuild their lives. The defective concrete blocks grant scheme, which has been in operation since 2020, has, by the Minister's admission, fallen far short of what is required. It is almost a year since thousands of people came to the street outside this building to protest and appeal for justice and fairness. They…

These are three amendments that have been returned from the Seanad with regard to the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022. We will support them. As the Minister said, they provide for an extension of the 9% VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality sector until 1 March 2023. It is worth pointing out that since this initiative was reintroduced in budget 2021, to run from 1 November 2020 until now, wherein it will now expire on 1 March 2023, it has come with a price tag of €902 million. That is a…

I have two brief points to make. With respect, I do not know why the Minister took issue with the term "corporate welfare". It was not used in a derogatory way. Just as we have an obligation and responsibility to support people who find themselves unemployed with welfare supports, as the Minister knows, I supported measures to support the corporate sector because of the restrictions and the pandemic. We wanted to make sure the employees were supported and that businesses were alive and able to continue to trade. It…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, to delete lines 29 to 35, and in page 10, to delete lines 1 to 10 and substitute the following: “(2)(a)The Minister shall prescribe in respect of a loan (other than a running account) under a high cost credit agreement— (i) the maximum rate of simple interest chargeable per week (being a rate less than or equal to 0.75 per cent), and (ii) the maximum rate of simple interest chargeable per year (being a rate less than or equal to 36 per cent). (b) A maximum rate of interest prescri…