Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the overview. I will discuss three areas, namely, essential workers, capital projects and just transition and carbon tax.

The Minister has answered many of the questions on essential workers so I will be brief. It is hugely important to acknowledge the massive effort essential workers put in during the pandemic. It was so big that anything the Government does will only be a token but it is important the acknowledgement is there. Easy options such as the public holiday will not suit everybody, such as supermarket staff who were on the tills without personal protective equipment, PPE, dealing with the public. They will have to stock fresh food and keep shops running over the bank holiday. I am glad the Government is taking an inclusive approach and consulting widely on it. Bringing that to a timely conclusion with appropriate acknowledgement is important.

Spending on key capital projects, whether homes, schools, roads or public transport, is a massive deal. It employs people locally and gives regions a chance to catch up. On capital works like the N22 between Ballincollig and Macroom, trying to make that safer, or the N20 between Cork and Limerick, what is the outlook for such schemes in the short term? It is essential such capital projects advance.

The carbon tax and just transition are big issues for many people. There is increased cost and we are likely to see it again in the budget. The Government is aiming to change people's behaviour with increased costs, but that is easier to do in some sectors than others. Somebody who farms and has to buy diesel has more difficulty transitioning than somebody who is in and out to work and has a public transport option available.

I understand the Government will ring-fence moneys for the just transition and doing works like insulating homes and so on. Currently that is moving really slowly. Look at the way the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, is delivering for homes around the country and the level of work it is doing on those homes with the insulation. I am getting an increasing number of calls that people are disappointed with the length of time they are waiting and feel that the level of the works falls short of expectations. What will ensure that, as carbon tax is increased and there is a bigger fund, it will deliver faster and more suitable works for people? What oversight will be there on the likes of SEAI? With the insulation of homes, SEAI pumps cavities but many bungalows built in the 1970s have a concrete strip across the top of the wall which will provide a cold bridge. SEAI would want to pump the cavity and leave a cold bridge outside. It is not delivering what people need and they are having to wait for the service. As more money goes in, expectations will be higher. What checks and balances will be there on SEAI to deliver on the just transition?