I ask the Minister of State to answer the question.

Issues regarding tax relief for agriculture are subject to EU approval. Why was this not dealt with before the budget? There is no recognition for the amount of technology that agriculture has embraced. Farmers have changed everything about the way they farm so they have played their part in addressing climate change. If this Government fails to recognise what agriculture is doing, it will see lower yields leading to fewer commodities and a shortage of products, which will, in turn, lead to food shortages, yet agri…

I welcome some parts of the budget but I do not welcome a lot of it because it will not help the area I represent. In the Budget Statement today, the Minister for Finance said, "On the taxation side [that is, VAT and excise extensions] I am extending the current excise reduction of 21 cent per litre in respect of petrol, 16 cent per litre in respect of diesel". The Minister is trying to fool people that the price at the pump is going to come down by 21 cent on petrol and 16 cent on diesel this evening. What he is d…

I would not have an issue with carbon tax if there was an alternative. I really would not. There could be an alternative carbon tax if we had the infrastructure. However, at the present, we do not have the infrastructure. Carbon tax is an unjust tax at a time when we do not have alternatives. It is an unjust tax on people who have no choice but to drive a diesel or petrol car. It is an unjust tax for people who have to pay for private buses because there is no alternative for Government to providing bus services. I…

I am a reformed smoker. I gave up cigarettes because I wanted to give them up and because of my health at the time I gave them up. Taxing people for whom this is their only comfort is not the right thing to do. I will not be in favour of this tax for that reason. This is the only comfort that many people have. They might suffer from a nervous disposition or, as some people said to me, it is their only bit of sanity even though they do not smoke much. This is coming from a reformed smoker. As long as they respect wh…

What is energy security? The basic aim of energy security for any country is to reduce the dependency on imported energy sources for economic growth. Can the Minister tell me why this is not happening? Ireland is the most energy import dependent country in Europe. We have no storage capacity for our gas and there are no plans to reopen or upgrade existing facilities such as that in Kinsale. For the past ten years, Foynes in County Limerick has been struggling to get planning for gas storage facilities. Nothing is s…

From a map that I have in front of me here, it looks obvious as a country that we stand out as having no screening mechanism in place when it comes to FDI. Figures released by the CSO in June 2022 show the FDI position in Ireland increased by approximately €16.9 billion in 2020 to €1.1 trillion. When compared to other OECD countries, Ireland is one of the most globalised economies in Europe, second only to Luxembourg. The data also shows that the US is the biggest investor in Ireland and accounts for more than €830…

I want to wish the Minister of State the very best of luck in his new position as I forgot to mention it earlier. I have worked with him well in the past and I look forward to working with him in the future. Best of luck in the position.

Amendments Nos. 10 to 16, inclusive, relate to pedal bicycles and pedal tricycles. I believe that those are the amendments we are on, along with amendment No. 2. Is that right?

That includes electric vehicles. I have nothing at all against electric vehicles if they are to be used by people in areas where they can actually use them, but I look around this country and see the age of the vehicles and the age groups of people who have cars. I am a father of four. There are nine people in my house but seven cars. They all go in different directions and do different things. I recently upgraded my car after I overturned my previous one in February. An electric vehicle would not do me because I t…

Cobalt.

Red Bull.

I believe the Minister said he would welcome this amendment being withdrawn. It is probably the first time I have agreed with him in a long time, but I agree with him there. The amendment states: "...for the purpose of providing public transport or active (walking or cycling) transport infrastructure only where the scheme or proposed road development will not contribute to carbon emissions for the transport sector..." Later, it continues, “induced demand through the provision of road capacity for private vehicle us…

Right. If we look at the likes of any of the structures in this country at the moment and we look at our bus transport system at the moment, and I will speak to the amendment on bus transport-----

Bus Éireann has asked private providers to make its vehicles smaller because the road carriageways have narrowed due to the law stating we cannot cut the hedgerows. Now we are driving small vehicles, and sometimes two vehicles when one would do, to collect children. We saw that free bus tickets were handed out. The reason most of the children who want to get on the bus with their concessionary passes cannot do so is that Bus Éireann stated that because the hedging on the road carriageways cannot be cut, it cannot p…

Last week’s debate was on the problems we are having with An Bord Pleanála and the investigations into what is happening within it.

I will go back to the amendment. Amendments on anything to do with transport in this country should not be accepted until there is proper infrastructure. It goes back to what we said earlier on. It will come down to a situation where we will want everyone in this country to drink Red Bull and fly. Truck hauliers and private bus operators in this country have no other option because they are tied into vehicles that they need to pay off for more than ten years. Any amendments like this-----

It is on the amendment, if the Acting Chair looks at it. Any of the proposals in the Deputy's amendment must not contribute to the carbon emissions from the transport sector. That is what is in the amendment, is it not? I am speaking to the amendment. Again, it is about the Deputy's lack of knowledge of the sector he is dealing with and a lack of infrastructure.

Very strong words-----

On the amendment now, please.