I am glad to hear that. The Minister will be aware from the work of Government, including Housing for All and the €4 billion per annum budget we are putting in to provide public housing and cost rental housing, and that we are addressing tenancies of indefinite duration. We have brought in five or six Acts during Covid to protect tenants in their tenancies. We applied the 2% rent cap during this time of high inflation. I refer to the Affordable Housing Act, the Land Development Agency Act and all of the work the Go…

I welcome the scheme. It is a smart scheme. Despite the usual missed opportunity rhetoric that comes from the Opposition pensions no matter what the Government does, this scheme will provide across all demographics and for everybody that can afford it. As usual, Deputy Boyd Barrett is never clear about what he wants. It would seem that what he wants is to depend on fossil fuels because he does not want to harness the offshore renewable energy electricity that is out there in abundance and which this Government has …

I did not interrupt you. I sat and listened to your rhetoric and I ask you to allow me to lay down some facts. I have acknowledged the part Mr. Paul Kenny has played in this. I do not think there is anybody better out there to recommend and advise the Minister on this scheme, which ticks all of the boxes of sustainability and sustainable development. The three pillars of sustainability are economy, community and environment. I will try to outline why I believe that to be so. In terms of economy, this scheme will cr…

I will ask about the planning exemptions for solar panels. The microgeneration support scheme received Government approval last month and the large retrofit scheme was announced only last week allowing premises to install and use solar panels, including schools, churches, community buildings and farm buildings. I understand the requirement for strategic environmental assessment. That is only right and proper but we urgently need to move and expedite this process to bring in the exemptions for solar panels for domes…

I was delighted to see the announcement of a citizens' assembly on biodiversity last week. It is a core issue and of primary importance to us in the Green Party. It is also important for anybody who has care and consideration for future generations and the environment they will grow up in here in Ireland. Will the Taoiseach provide a timeline on when the assembly will commence and report to the Oireachtas? Will he ensure the supports will be in place for that citizens' assembly to carry out that vital work?

I thought I had an eight-minute slot. Do I have two minutes?

Much has been said. What is important to point out is that it is a massive €2.1 billion project, but what it delivers will be massive in terms of opportunity throughout the country. We have often had an urban-rural divide in much of our infrastructure. What we are doing here is bringing equity to communications and fantastic opportunities to every rural home, business and school. There has also been quite a roll-out of the BCPs, which has made a huge difference. I brought it up with NBI at the committee meeting ear…

If this is a 20-minute slot, I will not take the full ten minutes. I thank the Minister of State and the Department for bringing this legislation before the House. Registration and regulation in any industry and sector is to be welcomed and it is a positive move. It is positive for those engaged in construction and building work because it levels the playing field, with everybody operating at the same standard and regulated in the same way. There is no advantage for those who may try to take a shortcut through stan…

I was happy to see the public consultation launched on the basic income for the arts. It is welcome. I know the Minister has engaged extensively across the sector over the last 18 months during the pandemic. She is aware of the difficulties that the arts, entertainers and musicians have suffered through the pandemic, like many other people throughout the country. Will she outline to the House her vision for what this basic income for the arts might deliver, the outcome of her engagements throughout the process and …

I will be quick. I congratulate the Minister on securing this scheme. It is vital. We know the level of creativity across the arts sector. Anything we can do to support and nurture that is to be welcomed. I note that the Government has agreed a new public holiday on St. Brigid's Day, which will give us a great opportunity to celebrate creativity and entertainment across the country as we emerge from winter.

I thank Deputy Pringle for putting down the amendment. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on it. There is broad consensus across all parties in the House that the sooner you bring people into the planning process, the more likely you are to get a development that mostly everybody is happy with. I do not think you will ever get one everybody is happy with. We should never be trying to chase that. I think every developer knows that and every resident does as well. What you do is bring people together. Our pla…

It is always a tough act to follow Deputy Ring but I will do my best here. In my contribution I will do my best to defend the planning system, the planners and An Taisce that have all been criticised here tonight.

I was probably finished with the Deputy well before I started this speech. I have listened to planners being criticised in council chambers and up and down the country for the decisions that they make. The planners do not plan decisions out of thin air. The planners make their decisions based on a county development plan and the objectives contained therein or on a local area plan. The objectives contained in those plans are put in there by the councillors. The councillors craft a plan.

I did not interrupt Deputy Fitzmaurice. I will discuss one-off rural housing in a minute because I notice, Ceann Comhairle, that this discussion on an amendment tabled by Deputy Cian O'Callaghan has turned into a discussion on one-off rural housing. The discussion on one-off rural housing is always just very shallow and below the surface when we talk about any planning matters in this country. I will come back to the amendment but I just need to correct some of the things that were said here if the Ceann Comhairle …

Am I out of time? Yes. Unfortunately, I am out of time. I would like to have gone on to defend An Taisce, which has an exemplary record in the planning system.

I thank the Deputies for putting down the amendment and for the opportunity to speak on it. With regard to marine protected areas, members of the committee will remember, and Members of the House will have seen, the report from the Oireachtas committee and the recommendations we made when we were carrying out the pre-legislative scrutiny on the marine development management Bill, as it was known at that stage. The first recommendation of that report was that marine protected areas would be included in this Bill or …

I understand where the Deputies are coming from on the interim measures. We all want to ensure that as we develop in a maritime area, we have protections in place for that fragile environment. We are all aware of that. However, the wording of the amendment does not deal in specifics, although I understand the Deputy's point from his comments. He spoke about relevant projects but the wording would place unsureness in the planning system for everything we want to do both in the near shore and offshore. This could hav…

This morning, I wish to ask the Minister about the number of persons in County Wicklow who were in receipt of the PUP but who have since returned to work in some capacity and are no longer in receipt of the payment or the jobseeker's allowance. I ask that she please provide me with the figures in that regard.

It is positive that the figures are going in the right direction. That is good to see. I always try to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work that goes on in the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. The local employment offices were of great assistance to people in the past 18 months. It is positive when people go back to work and full-time employment but, in general, the people we hear from are the ones who are struggling and who do not get full-time emplo…

As the Minister knows, I engage regularly with the music and entertainment industry and I will continue to engage with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, on that. The Minister mentioned the pathways to work scheme. We must look at how we can encourage or assist people into mature apprenticeships. I refer to people who have been in different jobs. It is a big decision for someone who is slightly older…