Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today's decision by Apple not to proceed with its data centre in Athenry is a major blow to the country, the west of Ireland and the town in particular. It will also have a massive knock-on effect in rural Ireland. I am well aware of Clare County Council's work to identify a number of sites to locate data centres. We have a climate that is perfect for the location of these centres. Apple says the planning laws made it come to this decision. Is it not time to change those laws to allow major infrastructural projects like this to proceed?

I note the Taoiseach's reply in respect of money messages. He is correct that they are not all of the same standard of preparation but he cannot paint them as being universally ill considered or unfit for purpose - far from it.

On Government legislation, the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is in long gestation. The position is incredible as it is impacting on the ratification of the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD.

The Coroners (Amendment) Bill is a Government adopted Private Members' Bill that was to have been published 12 months ago last Christmas and we are still looking at it. That impacts on the compulsory inquests case in respect of maternal deaths. There are consequences to all of these delays, as the Taoiseach acknowledged.

On improving the efficiency of committee work, reports and recommendations of committee should receive a follow-on initial reaction and evaluation as practice from the Minister concerned, with engagement with the relevant Minister to follow within a reasonable timeframe.

Correspondence from a committee should be marked for priority response by the Minister and associated State agencies. As Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality, I have not received a reply for some months in respect of certain matters I have raised on behalf of the committee. In the past week, five months after the committee issued a letter, I received a reply from a State agency that is answerable to the committee.