We face two major challenges at the moment. One is from climate and the other is because of the war in Ukraine. We are seeing energy security issues and rising costs. It is vital that we examine all possible approaches to deal with this issue. Transport is particularly dependent on imported fuels. What plans does the Government have to increase the use of biodiesel, biomethane and ethanol as fuels? What plans does it have to produce as much of those as possible from within the country and not to be importing them? …

Ba mhaith liom focal a rá mar gheall ar rud maith atá á dhéanamh inniu, is é sin go mbeidh reachtaíocht teanga ó Thuaidh. Is trua liom go deimhin go gcaithimid braith ar Pharlaimint na Ríochta Aontaithe leis seo a dhéanamh ach sin mar atá. Tá súil agam go mbeidh téagar sa Bhille nua le cearta lucht labhartha na Gaeilge a chosaint agus ní le Gaeilge a bhrú ar dhaoine nach spéis leo í. I am glad that language legislation has been published today. I hope it will be enacted by the summer recess at the latest. The Dearg…

There was an understanding in the previous Dáil that the Minister would come in and, if the Minister was not available, the Deputy would have the option of deferring the matter until the Minister was available to come into the House. No such option was afforded to me. We are back to the bad old days. Bad habits die hard in this House. The Acting Chairman has been here much longer than I am and he knows as well as I do that one brings and progresses something but the minute one's back is turned, it regresses to the …

The Minister of State is a very fair and, more important, highly intelligent man. I am sure he was embarrassed reading that out. The red herring of the PSO Donegal and Kerry services can be put aside because there are buses going to Donegal and buses and trains going to Kerry, right to the airport in the case of Kerry. It does not quite work that way when you are trying to get to an island. The Minister of State stated that the subsidised transport services managed by the Department of Rural and Community Developme…

I appreciate that. I thank the Minister of State for cutting his reply short. It would have been a further embarrassment if he did not do so.

We have an unusual problem in this country at present, and that is that there seems to be a significant labour and skills shortage. What is the Department doing to ensure that there will be an adequate pool of potential employees to meet the requirements of the labour market?

The first part of the reply avoided the question rather skilfully. Has the Department gone at this systematically? For example, what analysis has been done in relation to skills shortages in Ireland to quantify it and to identify what skills we are short in? In relation to those skills shortages, has an analysis been carried out as to how these might be filled by retraining and activation, by redirecting the focus of third level and apprenticeship programmes, and by having an attractive package to attract emigrants…

Since I was a young lad I heard automation would do away with all the jobs, and I am not that young anymore. What it has actually done is change the jobs but not done away with them. We have more jobs in the economy than there were in the 1960s. Automation is great. It takes away many boring jobs, but it does not do away with jobs, which is good. Is there any plan in the Department to publish a comprehensive cross-sectoral policy approach to this so that there would be a comprehensive, as the Tánaiste and Minister …

The last time I stood up here, I asked a question about the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill, which had gone through the previous Dáil and was to be reintroduced. I was promised a reply and I have not received it. Will the Minister give an assurance that the assisted decision-making (capacity) (amendment) Bill will be published in this session? It is a very important Bill and it is long overdue.

Will I get a reply on the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill?

Cuireann sé áthas orm go bhfuil deis ann cúpla focal a rá i dtaobh an ábhair seo. I am among the lucky ones as I have a national park in my area. There is no doubt that Connemara National Park has made a significant contribution to Connemara since it was purchased in the late 1970s. It is simplistic, however, to think that we need national parks all over the place. Obviously, Irish land history is very different from most European land history. As a result of the land wars of the 19th century and early 20th century…

In the previous Dáil, the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill, which gives effect to a review of natural heritage areas, NHAs, carried out in 2014, passed the Dáil and the Seanad and then came back to the Dáil with Seanad amendments. The general election intervened, however. I note that the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is on the list of other Bills, that is, the Bills in never-never land. Will the Taoiseach explain why this Bill, which has already been passed by the Dáil and the Seanad and was just awaiting a few amendments to …

This question relates to discussions that have taken place between the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Minister about affairs in Northern Ireland. It also asks if there has been any consideration of giving the Executive additional powers once it is up and running, transferring sovereignty from Westminster to the sovereign people of Ireland.

I am opposed to illegal unilateral action. That is why I was very interested when the Minister spoke about security co-operation. In that regard, there are Irish citizens who are waiting eight years for a trial in the northern part of this island. In the Minister's discussions on security co-operation, did he speak to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about the total unacceptability of people anywhere having to wait eight years for a trial? Has he raised with him the fact that the security police in North…

I deeply appreciate that. My difficulty is not with the Garda and PSNI relationship, which is Naomi Long's devolved Department of Justice of Northern Ireland relationship with the Department of Justice here. I am more concerned about British security in Northern Ireland, which is a serious problem and a serious impediment to getting rid of violence on this island once and for all. Instead of aiding getting rid of it, it has the opposite effect. It is my view that it is hard for somebody from outside the island to u…

When people are dealing with the State, lodging appeals, tax clearance or whatever, the State lays down very strict deadlines. If people do not comply with these deadlines their applications are rejected or, in the case of a late tax return, a financial penalty is applied. However, when the State is dealing with the citizens, it often totally ignores their fundamental right to get things in time. In this regard, I could mention citizenship applications, passport applications, forestry licence applications and so on…

Very briefly-----

Forty-two percent of appeals are not dealt with within the 18 weeks, and 532 applications have been on hand for over 18 weeks. When will the Government-----

-----deal with this scandal and introduce legislation to force An Bord Pleanála to give a service to the ordinary, plain people of this country?

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to make certain provisions, in accordance with the exigencies of the common good, in relation to property deposited in safe deposit boxes or other such safe keeping arrangements in certain institutions; to require such institutions to establish and maintain a register of deposited property and to take certain steps to identify and notify persons entitled to ownership of, or an interest in, certain deposited property and for those purposes to provide …