Micheál Martin

The regulator does not agree with Deputy Tóibín's position, but at the same time, we understand fully the pressures on people and that is why are focusing-----

-----on those on lower incomes-----

-----as opposed to giving wealthy people energy credits.

I thank the Deputy for, as usual, a well-researched and detailed presentation.

Sorry, Deputy Cullinane, but it was. Safety in the air is first and has to be prioritised. I will follow this up and talk to the Minister for Transport in respect of it. I know from my neck of the woods that there is a safe zone around Cork Airport where you cannot do anything or build anything and that has been the way for decades. I will pursue the issue the Deputy has raised.

That hospital has been closed for a long time. It may not be easily available for housing, or amenable, given the investment that would be required and the historical nature of the building. Aspects of it are probably listed. I do not know that but I presume so. Every Department, therefore, has to look at it from a value-for-money perspective. It is in a prime location and it would seem to me that…

-----the emergency accommodation for Ukrainians-----

It is not just the Minister for housing. It is the Minister for Health and the HSE as well. They are all involved. Come on.

The Minister has been briefed in respect of this and I will be engaging with a number of Ministers on this as to what the current situation is. When the Deputy says "approved", does he mean by the Minister for housing?

It is the Minister for Transport from an airport perspective, but if the local authority is engaging and is facilitative, it may not require its line Minister to approve it also. It probably does not. The new injection of private capital is a very significant development. I will talk to the Minister for Transport in respect of it.

That speaks to the point I have been making all afternoon. The need for grid resilience is enormous. The expenditure will be enormous. There are huge costs on the taxpayer for the expansion of the grid. I will talk to the Minister in respect of the specifics regarding the towns in north Kildare the Deputy outlined. That is perhaps a manifestation of the challenges we face with the growth of indust…

There are three significant schemes: the help-to-buy scheme, which is a substantial help; the first homes schemes, which is where the State injects a degree of equity and; third, the derelict and vacant homes grant, which is quite substantial and has enabled about 3,000 houses to become available, whereby people have refurbished such houses and got a substantial grant for doing so. Sometimes, it i…

Tá an-infheistíocht ag dul isteach sna scoileanna, agus ní hamháin sna scoileanna speisialta agus na ranganna speisialta. Tá scoileanna i gcoitinne i gceist freisin. Tá an-infheistíocht ar fad ann. Déanfaidh mé fiosrú leis an Aire maidir leis an scoil seo. Níl an t-eolas agam go mion faoi cad atá ar siúl idir an scoil agus an Roinn nó oifigigh na Roinne ach táim muiníneach go mbeimid in ann dul ch…

I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue for her constituent, and more generally, as it could affect other people. I will ask the HSE and the Minister for Health to investigate the matter and to provide a note on it.

We would need to have a much broader outlook than that. We cannot make decisions on this on the hoof. I understand where the Deputy is coming from but, on the other hand, we have developed a model of childcare over two decades which involves either community provision, private sector provision, or some State provision. The State has tended to support access through grants and the development of th…

Career pathways need to be better in terms of remuneration and future prospects.

Internationally, we have been to the fore in advancing the rights of the LGBTQI community, in particular at European Union level. Some member states are beginning to resile in respect of rights for the LGBTQI community. The law is the law in Ireland insofar as we can control that. I will certainly discuss the potential of what was outlined with the Attorney General but I surmise that we would be …

I said that there would be a policy of prioritisation. We are working with Ireland's Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, and indeed with others towards that end because some significant projects need to be progressed in the interests of the common good be it energy, water, particularly offshore wind and so forth.

I thank the Deputy. It is good to see Deputy Heneghan back safe and sound. Well done on your efforts.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness last met on 14 July and the next meeting is scheduled for 27 November. The membership comprises the Taoiseach; Tánaiste; Minister for Finance; Minister Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; Minister for Climate, Energy and the Envir…

I thank all the Deputies who contributed. Deputy Malcolm Byrne was first out of the traps about the 11% of recommendations, which is quite low, implemented from the Draghi report. Ireland is already identifying the Single Market and some of the reforms in the Draghi and Letta reports for our Presidency of the European Union in the latter half of next year. We would like to see an acceleration of t…

I would not be sentimentally returning to the 1980s as a model for the future. I just would not do that.

The population was much lower. There have been dramatic changes in Irish society in terms of population growth, economic growth, the challenge of climate and all of that. It is not as simple as presented. We cannot keep doing one-off budget packages forever. That seems to be the suggestion from the Opposition-----

-----that we should have a one-off package this year, a one-off package next year and so on. We just cannot continue to do that. Deputy O’Rourke raised an important issue. The qualifications issue pertains to some of the regulatory bodies in specific areas, namely the Medical Council, the Teaching Council – it may not like me saying this but I think it can be quite conservative – and some of the …

I am sorry, Deputy Conway-Walsh. I was just saying that renewable energy is the key and the green transition is the key. I accept her point. One of the issues we have is the over-reliance on fossil fuel important on a number of fronts. Energy security is the key one, by the way. Everybody here is complaining about the decision to have a LNG facility. It would be utterly irresponsible if we do not …