I will take the ten minutes. I welcome the debate on this Bill. I welcome that people are exercised about it. I welcome the fact there is a majority consensus around the Bill. That is what this House is about - hearing voices that are against and for a proposition. However, each and every one of us is entitled to promulgate legislation and we are entitled to be heard. I understand the argy-bargy that happens, but it sometimes gets a bit much. Sometimes, it is a bit ridiculous. To Deputy Duncan Smith's credit, he se…

We now move to the three speakers from Sinn Féin. I call Deputy Daly.

I welcome the Sinn Féin motion. We are supporting it. I want to speak on two specific scenarios as they relate to my county of Cork. They certainly reflect the experiences of the Sinn Féin Deputies as they related stories from their constituencies. An email I received from a person stated that on the previous Saturday an elderly man aged 85 crashed into two parked cars on the side of the Ballyhooly road coming out of Glanworth. I am being deliberately parochial because it needs to be highlighted. The email stated: …

----with that kind of language is gone. We need a response. I apologise to my colleague, Deputy Nash, for going on.

I apologise but there was a slight error on my part. I must move to the next question.

To clarify, questions from Deputies O'Connor, Griffin, Carey and Richmond have been grouped with Deputy Ó Ríordáin's question. I will now revert to Deputy Ó Ríordáin. We will then take the other speakers in sequence.

One minute. I advise the Deputies to keep their eyes on the clock.

I thank Deputy Cahill for sharing time. I congratulate him, as the Chairman, and all the members of the Joint committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for bringing forward this report. In the short time available to me, I acknowledge the work of the Social Economic Environmental Forestry Association, SEEFA, which as an organisation has done much to raise consciousness concerning afforestation and felling issues. As we speak, in the shadow of the COP26 meeting, we are felling more trees and granting more licen…

The Labour Party will also support the Bill, while reserving the right to bring forward amendments on Committee Stage. On the issue of scramblers, specifically, it is most welcome to see some overdue action on their use, and that of quad bikes and other vehicles, when they are associated with antisocial behaviour. We know there have a number of Private Members' Bills on this matter over the years and action to tackle it cannot come soon enough. In particular, we pay tribute to the former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andre…

If I had the mandate and the power to amend the Bill-----

-----such that I could get the N73 route stitched into that Bill and secure the allocation of €8 million to €10 million to complete that 3 km stretch of road, I would do that. Unfortunately, I am an Opposition politician-----

-----and I am seeking to do my best for my constituents in Cork East. If there is anything the Minister of State can do, through her good offices, to influence TII to get that 3 km stretch of the N73 completed, that would be great. It is a national secondary route that serves those travelling between Kerry and Dublin. It is a vital arterial route for trade, commerce and residents' daily journeys. Cork County Council has prepared the tender documents for it. If there was a way in which we could get it to the next st…

I spared the House six minutes.

I welcome this debate and the enthusiasm of the Minister, who clearly knows his brief. It is opportune that we are discussing Science Week. I am a former Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation. I am particularly proud of the fact that I was there at the inception of APC, Insight, IPIC, Lero and MaREI in particular, given the importance of potential offshore wind energy. I also pay tribute to the people who you do not see in public. They are the people behind the scenes of Science Week, in…

Tree planting will play a vital role in climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the past five years, we have missed tree planting targets by over 15,000 ha. We have lost the opportunity to remove 5.4 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. Tree planting in 2021 stands at an abysmal 2,000 ha. The Social, Economic, Environmental Forestry Association states it cannot get enough licences to plant trees to increase our forestry coverage. In light of COP26, what changes will we see to addr…

At this stage of the proceedings, further down the speaking slots, it allows time to read a Minister of State's speech and parse the words. In supporting this Bill, in the same spirit as we have always done, we would continue to support any initiatives that come before the House in respect of highlighting the continuing important presence of credit unions in our towns and villages throughout the country. In proposing an amendment to the Bill, the Minister of State states that it is deemed to be read a Second Time t…

The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has published a report on urban wastewater treatment. Raw sewage is being discharged from 34 towns and villages. We are told construction will start on 14 locations this year and eight in 2022. A third of these towns and villages will continue to release raw sewage after 2024. The report identifies a number of locations specifically in Cork. Cobh, thankfully, is to be resolved this year, but Ballycotton, Whitegate, Aghada and Mitchelstown are planned for later in the decade…

Deputy-----

There will be an opportunity to come in during the questions and answers session.

You are encroaching the time allocated to Deputy Connolly. I will let in the Deputy again during the questions and answers session.