Before we proceed to Leaders' Questions, I have been asked by Deputy Catherine Murphy to extend a welcome to relatives of the Stoneybatter rebels who fought in the 1916 Rising in the Four Courts area and who also took part in the War of Independence, so hello to Jimmy Stephenson, David Kilmartin, Audrey Flanagan, Una O'Carroll, David Lawlor, John Kirwan and Finbarr O'Carroll, son of the late Maureen O'Carroll, who graced this Chamber for the constituency of Dublin North-Central from 1954 to 1957. They are all very …

Please-----

Please let the Minister answer.

Please-----

There is no time here for strategic heckling.

Deputy, you are traversing the boundaries.

You are making very personal accusations.

You do not need to mention any names. Be careful, please.

Time is up.

Time is up.

Before Deputy Boyd Barrett proceeds, I am very conscious of the public anger about the current controversy, which is well reflected here by Members. I am also very conscious of the need to ensure we do not in any way abuse privilege here. Deputy, you have accused, as I read it, an identifiable individual of being involved, or perhaps being involved, in a conspiracy, that is, a deliberate attempt to distort the reality. You have accused that individual-----

-----of being unwilling to take a pay cut. I do not know that we can stand over those statements.

Yes.

The Deputy has made his point. Allow the Minister to reply, please.

Please, Deputy, let the Minister respond.

Before proceeding to Questions on Policy or Legislation, I remind the House that today is the 491st day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In recent weeks we have seen such atrocities as the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, resulting in a massive human and environmental cost, and the attack on a restaurant in Kramatorsk which led to the death of 12 people, including four children. Tens of thousands of lives have already been lost in this war and the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan St…

May they rest in peace.

Certainly, as a small person, I hope nobody has any intent of putting me down. Deputy Martin Browne is next, but I am sure Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú is substituting for him.

Deputy Ó Murchú is not substituting. We will move on to the next speaker.

Into the breach.