As long as those who have tabled amendments get a chance to speak to them, I do not have a problem.

I also congratulate the Government on talking down the time here this morning and not allowing those of us who have put down amendments-----

I am going to speak on the section if the Chair will let me. Please bear with me, and as I was saying, not allowing those of us who have put in amendments to talk about them. Make no mistake, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are the friends of the vulture funds in this country.

I cannot believe it. Shame on each and every one of Senators here this morning.

We should be empowering our local authorities to buy houses. What the Government is doing is giving tax breaks to its friends in vulture funds. Shame on each and every one of you.

I also wish to be associated with the congratulations to Deputy Bacik. I had marked her to be the winner from very early on. It was definitely a woman's seat to win this time around. This will be a standout week in national politics and we in this House have a very important role. Last night, I received an email from independent Councillor Gillian Toole in Ratoath, who also a pharmacist. Permit me to read from that email: I find today [to be a] a bittersweet day - the Centenary of the signing of the Truce which end…

The Minister of State is welcome to the House. According to the Central Statistics Office, CSO, there are nearly 1 million people employed by SMEs in this country. According to the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, and the Central Bank, a quarter of these SMEs could be vulnerable to liquidation. Employment and livelihoods are at risk and the small company administrative rescue process could be vital in saving many of them. It is important to make one thing clear: the Bill before us does not solve this i…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I spoke before on the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021. I welcome all the things the Minister of State has done to date, but I have some concerns. KPMG has issued an informative report on the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021, calling it “an important step in providing clarity and support for businesses as they reopen and resume normal trading following Covid-19 restrictions”. I agree that businesses require clarity…

I thank the Acting Chair, Senator Flynn. It is lovely to see her in the Chair today. I thank the Minister of State for joining us today. I hope he will provide a pathway to dealing with this very serious issue. The absence of the Minister in charge is noted. I have several questions. What action is the Government taking to deal with the high levels of radon gas which affect more than 500,000 homes? Does the Minister intend to provide assistance towards grants for testing for radon gas? Last week, I spoke about rado…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am not going to give out to him but very little has been done on this issue since 2014. That is the reality. The Government aims to retrofit 5,000 homes. The NUIG study mentioned by the Minister of State, which was carried out by Dr. James McGrath and Dr. Miriam Byrne, found that if the proper ventilation is not installed as part of the retrofitting programme, people could end up being exposed to more than double the levels of radon at home as a result of the retrof…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and I also welcome her statement on the new national maternity hospital. This week an article entitled "National Maternity Hospital doctors fear ‘misinformation’ could delay move", was published by The Irish Times . “Misinformation” is the keyword in this debate, as far as I am concerned. The national media, the Taoiseach and some of the public seem to be of the belief that should we proceed with the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to Elm Park on the site…

This is why it is important that we get the new national maternity hospital built and that we just get and do this project. I thank the Minister of State.

There were many good things too.

Absolutely.

I also congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his first year in office. I wish to highlight an issue many businesses, particularly those who buy online, will face from Thursday. From 1 July, VAT will be charged on all goods imported from any country outside of the EU, including the UK, irrespective of value. Of course, in Ireland, VAT on most goods and services is 23%. Another issue I wish to draw attention to is radon gas and its dangers. Radon is a radioactive gas linked to 300 cases of lung cancer each year in Irelan…

On 11 March 2020, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, forecast 85,000 people could die from the coronavirus. The death toll today is 4,989, thankfully a long way from what was predicted. We now have the data. We now know the virus. We know what to do to keep ourselves safe and what level of risk to take. On 31 May, I spoke up in this Chamber about the contradictions in the Government’s reopening plan. However, nothing was done. Hotels served dinners indoors while restaurants and pubs had their trade confined to ou…

Hear, hear.

The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is very welcome as always to the Chamber to discuss this highly impactful legislation. I wish we had more time to discuss it, but we are where we are. I admit that I am slightly worried by the legislation. The far-reaching implications of carbon budgets, the sectoral emissions ceilings and the myriad other mechanisms we must employ to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, are things that should give everyone pause for thought. If the planned transition is indeed a just one with no one…

I welcome the Minister. The Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill is another Government effort to patch up the pandemic-sized hole in the tapestry of this country. For patchwork, the Minister is doing a decent job. The pandemic has left our already compromised housing market with a stream of tensions and issues. It is important to recognise that. It is also important to recognise that some of the legislation that has been passed during the pandemic is effectively gloss. We are passing amendments and provisions that wi…

I bid the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, good morning. The minor ailment scheme is an internationally recognised extended pharmacy service which allows pharmacists to improve public health access, shape further future services and broaden pharmacy roles to deliver patient care and improve health outcomes. At present, private patients who want to access non-prescriptive medicines for ailments such as hay fever, migraines or skin conditions consult local pharmacists on the best options for them and pay for the ov…