I believe I am correct in my understanding because legislation is being brought forward tomorrow. The priority of the Government in the middle of a pandemic, at a time when cancer patients cannot get medical cards, people are seeing their PUP being cut and students are wondering how they will get back to school, is to introduce legislation to give a junior Minister who is already on €124,000 an extra €16,000. The former Tánaiste did not know that this even happened at Cabinet. Can the Minister of State confirm whet…

The Minister of State does not have the right to respond. It is the turn of my Sinn Féin colleague to speak. The Minister of State was waffling for long enough.

It is the Minister who has responsibility for-----

I agree with Deputy Cathal Crowe on this matter. I am the chairperson of Sult Festival, a music festival in Gweedore in County Donegal that should have run for its third year last week. The festival has grown to cost us, as a non-profit organisation, in the region of €150,000. The festival has been cancelled and we cannot claim back thousands of euro that has been spent. We have not been able to benefit from Fáilte Ireland grants or supports because of the criteria in terms of the number of bed nights. There must b…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit. Tá súil agam go bhfeicfimid é, agus an tAire sinsearach, i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill gan mhoill. Baineann an cheist atá roimh an Dáil leis na tacaíochtaí gur féidir leis an Roinn a thabhairt don rannóg Ghaeilge i gcampas Mhic Aoidh i nDoire de chuid Ollscoil Uladh. Bhuail Teachta Mac Lochlainn agus mé féin le grúpa ollamh agus léachtóirí ón rannóg seo le gairid. Is é an rannóg Ghaeilge sin an t-aon rannóg Ghaeilge a bhíonn ag teagasc go huile is go hiomlán i nGaeilge Uladh. …

Déanfaidh mé teagmháil leo fosta agus déanfaidh mé cinnte go dtarlóidh an cruinniú gan mhoill. Ón chruinniú a bhí agam féin agus ag an Teachta Mac Lochlainn leis na léachtóirí agus na hollúna ón ollscoil sin, tá sé iontach soiléir go bhfuil ionsaí á dhéanamh ar an rannóg sin. Tá maoiniú caillte aici le blianta beaga anuas. Bhí cúrsaí á gcur ar fáil aici i Leitir Ceanainn, in Anagaire i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill, agus in aiteanna eile ach, mar gheall ar an ghearradh maoinithe a rinne an Rialtas le linn na géarchéime …

Is that comment directed at the Tánaiste?

What about NPHET?

The Taoiseach is misleading the Dáil.

The Taoiseach should tell us the NPHET advice.

I am surprised the Minister is not here in the Chamber as we deal with this legislation. It seems to be a trend. We had the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who left a session of questions to him with an hour left. Last week, the Minister for Finance refused to turn up for any of the Stages of a serious piece of legislation. He sent a Minister of State who was not able to deal with Committee Stage. Now the senior Minister is not here in respect of this issue.

I appreciate that.

It is not a silly issue. With respect-----

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform left the questions to him about 30 minutes into an hour and a half.

The Minister for Finance did not turn up for Second, Committee or Report Stages of legislation and sent in a Minister of State. We had to suspend the Dáil to get answers from an official. One does not treat the House like this. If the Taoiseach is calling Cabinet meetings, then he needs to look at the schedule of the House.

I am pointing to a trend.

I am pointing to a trend where senior Ministers have failed to turn up to deal with legislation and what was unprecedented where a senior Minister left after half an hour of a 90-minute slot for questions to him. That has not happened in the past. It is a trend that needs to stop right now. The Government needs to respect this House and respect the representatives of the people who are sent here to ask questions and participate in the passage of the legislation. I welcome the introduction of the Bill before us. Bef…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire ar son a cheapacháin arís mar Aire Airgeadais agus mar chathaoirleach ar an Eurogroup. Tá súil agam go mbeidh tairbhe ann dár Stát agus pléifimid sin níos moille. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire ó thaobh an chruinnithe a bhí agaibh ar an 11 Meitheamh. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, along with the then Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, and the then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, had a meeting on 11 May with CEOs of the retail banks. At that meet…

There was only one set of guidelines. They have never changed. I hope the Minister accepts that. Clarification was provided during different periods. The Minister is right to say I wrote to the Central Bank on 11 June. I asked in my letter why Belgium and Spain were able to waive interest rates for consumers in those jurisdictions, while working to the same EBA guidelines. I knew the answer but I wanted it in writing so I could show the Minister and others that this did not need to happen. How did I know the answer…

Am I not allowed to put another supplementary question to the Minister?