Dáil debates
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Order of Business
11:00 am
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is proposed to take No. 5, Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2012 [Vote 32] - back from committee; No. 5a, motion re membership of committees; No. 12, Gaeltacht Bill 2012 [Seanad] - Committee and Remaining Stages; No. 15, Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 [Seanad] - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 15a, statements on the Government's response to the Mahon tribunal recommendations.
It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that: (1) the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. tonight and shall adjourn on the conclusion of Oral Questions; (2) Nos. 5 and 5a shall be decided without debate and any division demanded on No. 5 shall be taken forthwith; (3) Committee and Remaining Stages of No. 12 shall be taken today and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 2.30 p.m. by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; (4) Report and Final Stages of No. 15 shall be taken today and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 5.30 p.m. today by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government; (5) the proceedings in relation to No. 15a shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the statement of a Minister or Minister of State and of the main spokespersons for Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group, who shall be called upon in that order and who may share their time, shall not exceed ten minutes in each case; (ii) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and the order shall resume thereafter with Topical Issues and Oral Questions; and (6) the Dáil, on its rising today, shall adjourn until Tuesday, 18 September 2012 at 2 p.m.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are six proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal that the Dáil shall sit later than 5.45 p.m. tonight agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Nos. 5 and 5a, motions re Supplementary Estimate and Membership of Committee, without debate, agreed? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with No. 12, Committee and Remaining Stages of the Gaeltacht Bill 2012, agreed to?
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Nà aontaÃonn muid ar chor ar bith leis an gcaoi ina bhfuil sé seo leagtha amach. Nà bheidh deis ag an Aire Stáit aon leasuithe a ghlacadh. Is é seo an Bille is tábhachtaà maidir leis an nGaeilge agus leis an nGaeltacht a tháinig os comhair an Tà ó tháinig an Rialtas seo i gcumhacht. Is pÃosa mór reachtaÃochta é. Tá nach mór 150 leasuithe molta ag an bhFreasúra. NÃl sé i gceist ag an Rialtas aon leasú a chur chun cinn. Nuair a tháinig an Rialtas i gcumhacht, dúradh go mbeadh inchur ag an Oireachtas ó thaobh na reachtaÃochta de. Tá siad imithe siar go hiomlán ar sin. Táimid ag cur in aghaidh an rún seo go láidir.
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tá Sinn Féin i gcoinne an bealach ina bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Rialtas déileáil leis an gcuid deireanach den dÃospóireacht ar an mBille seo - Chéim an Choiste, an Tuarascáil agus an Chéim Dheiridh. Nà chreidimid go bhfuil go leor ama curtha i leataobh chun dÃospóireacht cuà a dhéanamh ar cheann de na hathruithe is suntasaà i dtaobh an Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht atá tagtha chun cinn le fada an lá. Tá beagnach 150 leasuithe os comhair na Dála agus nÃl ach 180 nóiméad á dtabhairt ag an Rialtas do na trà Chéim deiridh. Tá sé scannalach nach mbeidh mórán nÃos mó ná nóiméad amháin againn do gach leasú. Nà ró-fhada ó shin a bhà páirtithe an Rialtas, mar Fhreasúra ar an taobh seo den Teach, ag gearán de shÃor faoi úsáid an gilitÃn. Bheadh an Aire Stáit, go háirithe, ag léim suas agus sÃos nuair a bhà gilitÃn ar na bacáin. Tá an Rialtas ag iarraidh orainn déileáil le 150 leasuithe roimh 2.30 um tráthnóna inniu. Bhà nÃos mó dÃospóireachta ar an mBille cuÃosach substaintiúil seo sa Seanad ná mar a bheidh againn sa Teach seo. Tá an Rialtas ag fáil réidh leis an daonlathas. Nà bheidh toghchán Ãdarás na Gaeltachta againn amach anseo. Ba cheart go mbeadh Teachtaà in ann dÃriú ar an gceist sin i gceart. Ba chóir nÃos mó ama a chur ar fáil ionas go mbeidh dÃospóireacht nÃos cuimsà againn.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Nà cheart Bille na Gaeltachta a bhrú trÃd an Dáil inniu. Molaim go leanfaidh an dÃospóireacht ar aghaidh go dtà an fómhar ionas gur féidir linn an reachtaÃocht a phlé nÃos faide. Chuir mé fáilte roimh an cinneadh a dhein an Rialtas an Bille seo a thógaint isteach. Tá an-chuid daoine dáirÃre sa Ghaeltacht, eagraÃochtaà Gaeltachta agus eagraÃochtaà Gaeilge go dteastaÃonn uathu athruithe agus leasuithe, a dhéanfadh an Bille seo nÃos éifeachtaÃ, a chur chun cinn.
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Cá bhfuil an t-Aire?
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Má tá aon dóchas gur féidir moill a chur ar bánú na Gaeltachta, atá ag tarlú i láthair na huaire, agus polasaithe a thabhairt chun cinn agus a chur i bhfeidhm ionas go mbeidh saol na Gaeltachta faoi bhláth arÃs, caithfear smaoineamh domhain a dhéanamh ar conas is féidir é sin a dhéanamh. Conas is féidir linn cumas labhartha na Gaeilge a fheabhsú ar fud na tÃre freisin? Iarraim ar an Rialtas gan an Bille seo a chrÃochnú inniu. Ba cheart dúinn dul ar aghaidh leis go dtà Meán Fómhair. Tabharfadh sé sin deis dúinn labhairt leis na heagraÃochtaà agus na daoine go dteastaÃonn uathu go dáirÃre a ladhar a chur isteach agus an ceist a dhéanamh nÃos fearr. NÃl faic le cailliúnt maidir le mà nó dhó breise a chur ar fáil.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Tá na Teachtaà ag caint as dhá thaobh a mbéil faoin ábhar seo.
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Agus an Tánaiste freisin.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Tá siad ag clamhsán faoin méid ama atá ar fáil don dÃospóireacht seo.
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Tá siad ciúin thall ansin.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Chuireamar trà uair a' chloig ar fáil an Aoine seo caite, ach nÃor úsáideadh an t-am sin go léir.
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Cá raibh an Tánaiste?
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Bhà an Bille seo le crÃochnú ar 3.30 ar an tráthnóna sin, ach nà raibh go leor cainteoirà ar thaobh an Fhreasúra chun an dÃospóireacht a choimeád ar siúl. Thit an dÃospóireacht ar 3.10 an lá sin. Tá siad ag teacht isteach inniu ag gearán nach bhfuil dóthain ama ar fáil, cé nár úsáid said an t-am a bhà ar fáil an tseachtain seo caite.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Nà féidir leo a rá inniu nach mbeidh go leor ama acu.
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Is féidir linn.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Iarraim ort, a Cheann Comhairle, an cheist a chur.
The Dail Divided:
For the motion: 86 (James Bannon, Tom Barry, Pat Breen, Tommy Broughan, Joan Burton, Ray Butler, Jerry Buttimer, Catherine Byrne, Eric Byrne, Ciarán Cannon, Joe Carey, Paudie Coffey, Michael Conaghan, Seán Conlan, Ciara Conway, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Joe Costello, Simon Coveney, Michael Creed, Lucinda Creighton, Jimmy Deenihan, Pat Deering, Regina Doherty, Paschal Donohoe, Robert Dowds, Andrew Doyle, Bernard Durkan, Damien English, Frank Feighan, Frances Fitzgerald, Peter Fitzpatrick, Terence Flanagan, Eamon Gilmore, Dominic Hannigan, Simon Harris, Tom Hayes, Martin Heydon, Brendan Howlin, Heather Humphreys, Kevin Humphreys, Derek Keating, Colm Keaveney, Paul Kehoe, Seán Kenny, Seán Kyne, Anthony Lawlor, Ciarán Lynch, Kathleen Lynch, Michael McCarthy, Nicky McFadden, Dinny McGinley, Tony McLoughlin, Michael McNamara, Eamonn Maloney, Peter Mathews, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Michelle Mulherin, Dara Murphy, Eoghan Murphy, Gerald Nash, Denis Naughten, Dan Neville, Derek Nolan, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Kieran O'Donnell, Patrick O'Donovan, Fergus O'Dowd, John O'Mahony, Joe O'Reilly, Jan O'Sullivan, Ann Phelan, John Paul Phelan, Ruairi Quinn, Pat Rabbitte, James Reilly, Brendan Ryan, Alan Shatter, Róisín Shortall, Emmet Stagg, David Stanton, Billy Timmins, Joanna Tuffy, Liam Twomey, Jack Wall, Brian Walsh, Alex White)
Against the motion: 44 (Gerry Adams, Richard Boyd Barrett, John Browne, Dara Calleary, Joan Collins, Niall Collins, Michael Colreavy, Barry Cowen, Seán Crowe, Pearse Doherty, Timmy Dooley, Dessie Ellis, Martin Ferris, Luke Flanagan, Tom Fleming, Noel Grealish, John Halligan, Séamus Healy, Michael Healy-Rae, Joe Higgins, Billy Kelleher, Michael Kitt, Pádraig MacLochlainn, Charlie McConalogue, Finian McGrath, Mattie McGrath, Michael McGrath, Sandra McLellan, Micheál Martin, Michael Moynihan, Catherine Murphy, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Éamon Ó Cuív, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Jonathan O'Brien, Willie O'Dea, Maureen O'Sullivan, Thomas Pringle, Shane Ross, Brendan Smith, Peadar Tóibín, Robert Troy, Mick Wallace)
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Emmet Stagg and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Question declared carried.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with No. 15, Report and Final Stages of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 agreed to?
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is not agreed. I wish to object only on the basis of the imposition of the guillotine in regard to this important Bill. There is no excuse for curtailing the opportunity for full participation. I object to the guillotine in principle.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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This Bill is reforming political funding. It is reducing the limits on contributions that can be made. It is an important item of political reform the Government is anxious to see put through the House. We have had a considerable amount of debate on it.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with No. 15a, statements on the Government's response to the Mahon tribunal recommendations, agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal that the Dáil, on its rising today, shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 agreed to?
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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A Cheann Comhairle-----
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I cannot hear myself, a Cheann Comhairle.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I appreciate that.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The little elves of Fine Gael and Labour have no need to worry. I will not engage in the posturing that their elders engaged in here for 12 years on the issue of the Adjournment.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, Deputies.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I want a variation of this, a Cheann Comhairle, because it is not possible that this Dáil rises today with the warnings and the-----
Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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You can come back on your own if you want, Joe.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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-----threats by the IMF against the elderly and the unemployed ringing in our ears and screaming headlines about attacking unemployment, the elderly etc.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Tánaiste tried to make a distinction this morning between the IMF on the one hand-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We cannot have a debate on the issue, Deputy.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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-----as part of the troika and Article 4.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We cannot have a debate on that, Deputy Higgins.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The person making the warnings and threatening the levels of unemployment payment etc.-----
Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That has nothing to do with this proposal.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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-----is the head of the IMF mission whom I met as part of the troika. Unless he or the IMF are suffering from acute policy schizophrenia we have to take it seriously.
Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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We are suffering from listening to the Deputy.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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We should either have an opportunity today to make statements on that or the Tánaiste should state that there will not be these attacks on the most vulnerable people in our society.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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There will not be attacks on the most vulnerable people in society and Deputy Higgins or anybody else should not be giving rise to ungrounded fears among people.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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That type of scaremongering-----
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I have the newspaper here.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, would Deputies be quiet, please?
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has given up on The Independent.
Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Deputy Shatter, you will die laughing from your own joke if you are not careful.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Schoolchildren leaving sixth class would behave better than what is happening here. Can we hear the Tánaiste, please?
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Dáil is rising today with considerable progress made on this country's difficulties. We are rising having secured agreement at European Council level on the separation of bank debt from sovereign debt, something that many people on the Opposition side said could not be done. We have done it. We are rising in circumstances where, yesterday evening, this House completed Second Stage of the personal insolvency legislation, something they told us we would not introduce to deal with the issue of mortgage arrears.
Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Monti was only carrying the Tánaiste's bags.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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We are rising after the announcement by-----
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Did you actually go to Frankfurt, Tánaiste? It is the big tall building in the middle of Frankfurt.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Would you ever stop, please?
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----the Minister, Deputy Howlin, this week of â¬2.25 billion of a stimulus package for the Irish economy.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call the Tánaiste before everybody disperses. I ask Members to take their seats. The Tánaiste is about to speak.
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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This session has been a particularly long one. As we rise today I want to thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, all of the staff of the Houses, the Members, the press and everybody who works here for their co-operation and the amount of work they have put in. I wish Members of the House an enjoyable break from their endeavours. I do not think any Member of the House who will go on holidays for the full duration of the recess. In practical terms, committees will be back at the beginning of September and I am aware political parties will have their seminars and preparatory meetings in the early part of September, but I want to wish everybody who works in the Houses, Members, press and everybody who is associated with the work here a break and a rest during the course of the recess.
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim leis an méid atá ráite ag an Tánaiste agus cuirim béim ar an méid a dúradh gur ag obair a bheidh na Teachtaà Dála sa chuid is mó den am as seo go dtà 18 Meán Fómhair. It is very important that we do our job well in this House but we have duties beyond this House, both in our constituencies and nationally, as national politicians. There is no way we can reflect the views of the people in this House if we are not out among the people around the country. Everybody in this House knows that the notion sometimes purveyed that when we are not here, we are not working is false. I have no doubt that, as the Tánaiste said, most of the Members of this House would be lucky to get two weeks holidays and for the rest of the time they will be working at the other elements of this job, which are equally important. It also gives us an opportunity to do research, and I know from Ministers that they will use the time to have meetings in their Departments and to discuss policy issues. I join the Tánaiste in wishing you, a Cheann Comhairle, and everybody the best over the summer period and we will be fighting fit come the autumn.
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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AontaÃm leis an Tánaiste ar an ábhar seo, cé nach n-aontaÃm leis ar aon ábhar eile. Gabhaim buÃochas leis an Cheann Chomhairle go háirithe. Rinne sé jab iontach anseo faoi bhrú ag daoine istigh anseo agus ag na meáin chumarsáide. BÃodh sos maith ag gach duine.
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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On my behalf I thank the Tánaiste and the two speakers for their kind good wishes. On behalf of the Members who did not have an opportunity to speak, I in turn offer everybody a very happy and quiet period during the summer. Unfortunately - or fortunately - in my role, I am not in a position to attend conferences during the summer because of my-----
Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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-----desire to be impartial. I also thank the vast majority of Members who on a consistent basis give me the necessary support that I need in the Chair. I thank you very much and I wish you all a very happy and enjoyable summer.