Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I answered the question. In terms of climate change, the marine development Bill is important and significant. There is a lot of work to be undertaken on that. I know the Tánaiste is looking at the issue of sick pay, which was raised last week in the Dáil. That also relates to our PRSI system, and the Government is reflecting on that in terms of the wider debate around pensions and provision for workers more generally when they are made unemployed to try to reduce the cliff fall for many people whose incomes have substantially reduced.

The Government moved very effectively to protect workers through the pandemic unemployment payment, which will continue right up to next year, as well as the employment wage subsidy scheme, which has been acknowledged as being an effective intervention to protect workers, jobs and enterprises. That needs to be acknowledged. The deficit this year could be in the order of €25 billion, which in itself reveals an unprecedented and unique intervention. The July stimulus was that.

I wish to point out that 11 items of legislation were passed in July. I cannot remember a Government that was formed in my lifetime that produced 11 Bills within a month. That has to be acknowledged. There is no paucity or dearth of legislation emanating from this Government. We will publish a legislative programme for the Dáil on 15 September. I will come back to Deputy Kelly at that point on his proposals on the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill. These are proposals that have to be worked up and worked through.

As for the waste strategy to which Deputy McDonald referred, it is a strategy for discussion and debate. There is no immediate specific proposal around any of the items she identified. I think she probably knows that. Nothing has come from the Government on two-for-one offers or any of the other issues she raised.

On Deputy Boyd Barrett's points, I will discuss these issues with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. He is not out to kill or get anybody. The Deputy knows the Minister. He is not that type of individual. He is open to dialogue and engagement. There are various utilities and State agencies doing different things. I take his point. We have been trying to support different sectors of the economy on an ongoing basis. We have done that in respect of quite a range of sectors. The pandemic supplement was available to taxi drivers but I acknowledge that they are facing other issues.

See this speech in context