Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. With regard to TBESS, approximately 30,000 businesses qualify for that scheme at the moment. They are all over the country. Many of them are SMEs and many have employees. Helping with their energy costs, of course, does not just help the businesses and their owners, it also helps their employees and assists in reducing and managing inflation. It is just the extension of an existing scheme for a couple of weeks until the end of July. We do not think it merits a specific debate.

As Deputies will know, the nature restoration law is a proposed European law. Time will be provided next week for statements in the House on the matter. I want to make it very clear that it is a proposal at this stage. We all understand the need to protect nature, restore biodiversity loss and allow nature to regrow-----

See this speech in context