Specificity is precisely what should be governing primary legislation. This is a specific amendment. It should not be so injurious to the Minister that he should not accept it on the basis that it is overly specific. There is a point to be made here that captures the political zeitgeist. That is about how we take carbon out of society and the economy. One of the ways to do that is through an active afforestation programme. The facts in respect of the dashboard, which is the toolkit we all use, clearly indicate that…

I rise on behalf of the Labour Party to support the amendment. Reference has been made to the former Deputy and former Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Pat the Cope Gallagher, who holds the respect of every single person in this House, both past and present. He spoke with passion in respect of SI 89 of 2019. He argued that natural justice must be allowed to occur and that common law rights should be upheld. What is at issue in this group of amendments is the very principle espoused by former Deputy Gallagher, who represented…

In response to the Minister, I appreciate the point that this is an administrative scheme and that the concept of the balance of probabilities is applied. I remain open to the expertise of the Minister's own officials, given that they have spent much time going to and from Brussels over the years. Was due cognisance taken of the fact that we are in a common law system? Whether or not there is a criminal sanction for the application of a penalty points system, fishers feel put upon, whether through decommissioning s…

I do not want to be too rhetorical about it. In the language of law, this is an administrative scheme, with a penalty points system, but fishermen perceive it-----

-----and want their feelings to be acknowledged that they perceive it as being yet another heavy-handed State intervention.

If this legislation is about an EU harmonisation of sanctions, is the 30 days the de facto position across all member states? Is each member state implementing a 30-day regime? If that is the case, so be it; there is consistency. However, we plead mitigation in these circumstances. Given the particular variations in an Irish scenario where fishermen are fishing quite far from their home base, as has been articulated by Deputy Pringle, there is scope to plead for some mitigation to allow for a greater number of days…

I asked the Minister a specific question so as to seek enlightenment on the justification for the 30 days and he has come back to us on that. I asked specifically whether that is consistent with other member states' positions in respect of preparing cases and whether there is scope, because of the particular conditions that exist in an Irish context, for a moving of that beyond the 30 days. It is really more from the point of view of seeking information that I posed the question. I just wanted to see what the membe…

I am sharing time with Deputy Ó Ríordáin. The Minister of State's response was quite telling, not least when he stated, “This is what underpins our assessment that the current very high rate of inflation is temporary and that it will begin to ease from the second quarter of this year.” We all read the economic reports from the likes of the Economic and Social Research Institute and we are all well versed on economic affairs at this stage. I think what the Minister of State is signalling to the House in response to …

There are two minutes remaining in this slot. I am anxious to allow Deputy Murnane O'Connor to come in and for the Taoiseach to respond.

I now call on the Sinn Féin Member, Deputy McDonald. I understand she is sharing time with Deputy John Brady.

Now we are back.

I offer my condolences to the family of Ashling Murphy. There are no adequate words of comfort that I can provide except to say that we are thinking of her and her family. I take this opportunity to remember a young woman called Karen Buckley. Karen was murdered in Scotland in April 2015. She was a postgraduate occupational therapy student from Mourneabbey, Mallow, County Cork. I do not want us to forget about Karen; I want us to remember her as a person of great character and intelligence and as a warm and caring …

I am grateful to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for letting me in. Mick Ryan, an Irish citizen and United Nations humanitarian worker, was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines ET 302 crash on 10 March 2019. His family are seeking justice in the US for his death. Mick Clifford reported on this in last Saturday's edition of the Irish Examiner . In December last year, Naoise Ryan, his widow, who is from Cork, along with the other victims' families, filed a motion in a US court arguing the US Government violated their rights un…

I understand the Minister is sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and Deputies Cathal Crowe and O'Dowd.

I thank the Minister of State for her impeccable timing. That was bang on cue. I call on Deputy Cathal Crowe, who has five minutes.

I call Deputy O’Dowd, who has five minutes.

The current set-up in respect of SUSI applications in cases where parents have gone through or are going through marital separation is that they must provide proof of separation. That is set out in A15 of the application process, which provides for the necessity to provide evidence of separation. It states: Please provide one of the following as proof of separation or divorce: Separation agreement; Divorce decree; Court Ordered Maintenance Arrangement; Decree of dissolution for a civil partnership. Evidence from th…

I thank the Minister of State for his considered and sympathetic response. It is clear that he is on top of this issue. Rather than my furnishing him with specific cases, though, I will make a request. Given that there is enough in his acknowledgement that "it is a matter for SUSI to determine what evidence it will accept as proof of separation", will he signal to his officials to liaise with SUSI on doing a simple look-back and require SUSI to furnish the number of cases? While I know that there is a statistically…

Yes.

Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I understand that the Order of the House is set out by Members by agreement. I also understand that you have a difficult job to do, a Chathaoirligh, in trying to chair these proceedings. I further understand that everybody who wants to speak is allocated time. If we are to act in consort and to obey the rules, then people might afford me the time that has been allocated to me and my party.