I do not think anybody would disagree with the importance of population-based screening. We would all encourage women to participate in CervicalCheck. However, we must deliver on the promises that were made when the failures in CervicalCheck were identified. In addition to the two points I raised with the Taoiseach, there are three outstanding commitments from the Scally report that must be actioned. These include the commitment to ensure that clinicians meet with their patients or the families of patients who are …

In the Minister's speech on budget 2023 in September, he announced a vacant homes tax, something for which most of us have been calling for years. It was welcome that he did announce a tax, but it was impossible to understand the rationale for setting it at merely 0.3% of the value of the home. Can he explain to us the rationale for setting it at that level? On what basis did he set the figure?

The Minister may believe that but I cannot understand why. Did he take advice on the likely impact of a tax set at such a low level? Was any research done on it at all? The other side of this concerns what is happening to property prices. We are aware that in the year to last August, property prices increased by 12.2%. In the context of somebody being able to leave a property vacant for 12 months, with it increasing in value by 12%, how on earth is a tax of 0.3% going to influence what that person will do? There is…

It is a serious dereliction of duty for the Minister, and the Government, not to take action to unlock the availability of the property.

The Minister has not really addressed the question I asked. In the context of a situation where somebody can continue to sit on a vacant property, which will increase by, say, 10% to 12%, over a year, how will a tax of 0.3% make any difference? Could he be straight with us? What exactly is his rationale here? Has he based his belief on any evidence whatsoever? The other point I would make in regard to this tax is that it is flawed. It does not apply the proposed tax to derelict properties. Little or no action is be…

The Minister referred to the budget document of the Social Democrats.

We called for a punitive tax of 10%, which would be meaningful.

I know that today the Tánaiste will be feeling relieved that the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, has announced it will not be investigating his leak of a draft GP contract to one of his friends back in April 2019. In a statement last night, he said he had been cleared of "any breach of ethics or standards". I can understand why he said that, but it would be much more accurate to state that SIPO has decided that it does not have the authority to investigate this matter. SIPO noted that the Tánaiste had …

I am speaking about Fine Gael and its role here.

Let us keep the focus there.

Let us keep the focus there.

I asked the Tánaiste a question. Is he satisfied that SIPO is sufficiently empowered to investigate the decisions of taoisigh when necessary? I would appreciate an answer to that. I also asked when we are likely to see the publication of updated ethics legislation. I remind the Tánaiste that this legislation goes back many years. We have been promised this updated legislation for a long time. There was a draft Bill in 2015, which went into committee in 2017 and ran into the sand. Since then, it has been clear that …

I am quite disappointed the Tánaiste did not answer mine.

Why are you trying to distract attention from yourself, Tánaiste?

Why are you doing this?

Why are you trying to distract attention from yourself, Tánaiste?

Okay. Maybe you would like to say that outside of this House, Tánaiste.

Will you say that? Will you make that comment outside of this House?

Look, Tánaiste, I know what you are up to. You are trying to distract attention from yourself-----

-----so do not be playing those games with us.