The warehousing provisions are very important in giving the breathing space and scope to businesses. It is not a case of companies not paying their tax. The State will not lose out in the long run, it just gives businesses breathing space with tax, VAT and PRSI. Sections 8 to 12, inclusive, are all broadly similar on warehousing. The provision of a zero interest phase is very important, as is allowing that to run up to 31 December 2022 under period 2. Period 1 runs to the end of this year and there is a further per…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House to discuss the issues at the emergency department at University Hospital Galway, UHG. The INMO figures for this morning show that there are 24 patients on trolleys in the hospital. This day last week, there were 30 patients on trolleys. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that as I have stated previously even one patient on a trolley in an emergency department for a significant period is one too many. I acknowledge and commend the front-line staff…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which is much the same as one he delivered previously. It is depressing to see written down again that the project is in the early stages of design progression, considering we were told the planning application would be lodged before Christmas 2018, then it was to be February 2019, then May 2019 and then 2019. It is now July 2021 and the project is not progressing and there is no indication of when it will be progressing. I could not be confident from the Minister of Sta…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Fleming, to the House to talk about this important Bill. We have seen an unprecedented level of support by the State for businesses since March 2020 and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It has not just been for businesses, of course, but also for employees, for the protection of jobs and for the links between employees and employers. This has been important to sustain businesses throughout the pandemic. Unfortunately, when this started, nobody realised the length of tim…

Tomorrow.

Next Thursday.

I propose that notwithstanding the order of the Seanad of Tuesday, 6 July 2021, No. 1 on today's Order Paper shall be taken now and shall be decided without debate.

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, unless otherwise ordered, the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the sittings of the Seanad on 12th, 13th and 16th July, 2021: (1) The Seanad shall meet in the Dáil Chamber at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 12th July, 2021, and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) Commencement matters shall be taken at 9.30 a.m. and up to 10 matters may be selected by the Cathaoirleach for discussion; ( b ) Standing Order 30 sha…

I move: That, pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him."

I move: That, pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him."

I welcome the Minister of State. I acknowledge the work of all colleagues on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill in the committee. I also acknowledge the work done previously by the then Minister, Eoghan Murphy, to establish the LDA as an entity and to put it on a statutory footing. It is hugely important legislation that effectively acts as a game-changer for strategic lands across the country. I can point to my area of Galway and the strategic lands at Sandy Road and the Dyke Road at Galway Port. The city co…

I wish to highlight that there is some concern in Galway. An Bord Pleanála has indicated that the new target date for the decision on the building of the Galway city ring road is 27 August. The latter is the third indicative date given in respect of a decision on this vital project. The first date was in March and the second was in June, a number of days ago. The new date is in August and there may possibly be a further extension. This road is crucial to Galway city, Connemara and the western region in terms of qua…

I concur with all that has been said by my colleague, Senator Lombard. This is an important area. I touched on this in my Second Stage contribution. The potential for carbon sequestration on farms is huge and unquantified. In terms of research, there is potential to quantify the level of carbon sequestration in hedgerows, trees and soil. It is an area that has huge potential for the industry in terms of limiting reductions that are necessary within the sector. There is concern regarding future targets in relation t…

I thank the Acting Cathaoirleach and welcome Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the House. The Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, as the Minister of State will be aware, was originally established to ensure food security and has been a great success in that regard. Indeed, it has provided an income floor to farmers across the country through its supports and many farms would not survive without farm payments . Ireland has unique farm systems. It has farms that are small, mixed, large and intensive, arable, grasslan…

I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive reply. It is a significant change from what farmers have been used to over the last years. I have concerns about the design of the eco-schemes. It is important that no farmers are left outside that. There were concerns about the recent results-based environment agri pilot programme, REAP, which excluded commonage and Natura land. It is important that any eco-scheme does not discriminate against those. They have every right and provide much more biodiversity that s…

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the arrangements for the sitting of the House on Friday, 2 July 2021, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 2, Counterfeiting Bill 2020 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 11.35 a.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 12.45 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments include only those set down or accepted b…

I, too, take this opportunity to congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his anniversary. He has done a wonderful job. He has been very fair in the Chair and has brought about many innovations in his work. I congratulate all Senators who were elected to this House a year ago or whose first day in the House was a year ago. Kon'nichiwa to Senator O'Loughlin. She is correct about the pressures and stresses that leaving certificate students and many others have endured over the past year regarding the reopening. So many of t…

I move: (1) That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Seanad on its rising on Tuesday, 29th June, 2021, shall adjourn until 9.30 a.m. on Friday, 2nd July, 2021, in the Convention Centre Dublin, and unless otherwise ordered, the following arrangements shall apply: (a) Standing Orders 29 and 30 shall stand suspended; (b) there shall be no Order of Business; (c) the business to be taken shall be confined to the items set out in the Schedule to this paragraph and, accordingl…

I marched in November 2016 in support of the €850 million Apple data centre in Athenry. I still believe that if data centres are needed, as I believe they are, they should be spread regionally and in terms of the grid connection. It should be noted that the Apple data centre project has been granted planning permission by Galway County Council for some time. It was granted by An Bord Pleanála and that decision was upheld in mid-2016. That decision was also upheld by the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supre…

Now.