Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

Wednesday's business shall be:

-Motion re Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (‘BBNJ Agreement’) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

-Statements on National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

(a)the Order of Business and Questions on Policy or Legislation shall be taken immediately following Other Members’ Questions;

(b)private members’ business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030;

(c)questions pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) to a Minister other than the Taoiseach shall not be taken; and

(d)topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members’ business;

(a)the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b)following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time.

	Gov	SF	Lab	Gov	SF
Mins	25	15	10	10	3
	SD	Gov	SF	IPTG	Gov
Mins	10	10	3	9	10
	SF	ITG	Gov	SF	OM
Mins	3	9	10	3	5

(a)no motion for a Committee report pursuant to Standing Order 111 or private member's Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken;

(b)private members' business pursuant to Standing Order 168(1) and Standing Order 176 shall be taken for 2 hours on the conclusion of the Statements on Migration; and

(c)topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members' business, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues; and

(a)the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b)following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c)members may share time.

	Gov	SF	Lab	Gov	SF
Mins	25	15	10	10	3
	SD	Gov	SF	IPTG	Gov
Mins	10	10	3	9	10
	SF	ITG	Gov	SF	OM
Mins	3	9	10	3	5

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Are the proposed arrangements agreed? Deputies will be aware that I will take the in order and they have 30 seconds each.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Not agreed. Energy companies are lining up to fleece customers again. There will be big increases after increases. The Government is steadfastly refusing to introduce an energy credit again in the budget. We need an urgent debate in this house about its failure to get a grip on the energy companies fleecing customers and on the wider cost-of-living crisis. We need an urgent debate on why the Government is refusing to introduce energy credits in the budget. This should happen preferably today, but certainly tomorrow it needs to happen.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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I am sure that the Taoiseach will join all of us in sending our thoughts to the communities of Donabate and Portrane with the breaking news that remains have found in the search for poor Daniel Aruebose.

I want to return to what we raised at the Business Committee last Thursday, which is a commitment from the Taoiseach at the earliest possible convenience to have a debate on Gaza, with the measures that are now being discussed in Europe and the fact that a detailed memo was apparently brought to Cabinet this morning. This is the global crisis of our time and we would like and need an urgent debate on Gaza in this House.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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We have had two months away from each other and in that time, the genocide in Gaza has continued unabated. The Israeli campaign of ethnic cleansing has taken the lives of journalists and doctors and continues to take the lives of innocent Palestinian men, women and children. We have seen developments in recent days at European level. Over the summer, we have seen states take action and we need to discuss this urgently, as a House, to identify the concrete steps we can take as a State to stop this atrocity.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Thousands of people came out onto the streets in August to demand justice for Harvey. They did so because they saw a young boy who was failed so horribly by the State. They did so because they saw the broken promises from Simon Harris, who made the promise in 2017 about no child having to wait longer than four months. They did so because they appalled at the failure of Simon Harris to meet the family after giving a commitment to do so. They also did so because Harvey symbolised the failure of this State in respect of so many children. Can we have a debate about that failure and about the failures of CHI in particular this week?

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I want to raise the issue of the Minister with responsibility for school transport to come before the Dáil to answer questions on the shambles of school transport all over the country.

Regarding other events all over the world and indeed in our own country, we as politicians, must unite against them, no matter where we come from in the political spectrum. Independent Ireland has written to the Ceann Comhairle asking for a minute's silence here today for Charlie Kirk, who was brutally assassinated last week.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Shame on you.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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We ask for this not alone for Charlie Kirk but for every person or politician who has been attacked or threatened in any way while carrying out their duty. We ask to unite against the threat by standing here together with a minute's silence.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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What about Melissa Hortman? There was no minute of silence. The Deputy is an absolute disgrace.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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3 o’clock

We move now to Deputy McDonald. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is not in a technical group.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am in a group.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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You are but-----

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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No, you are not.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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You are on this side of the House now.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Healy-Rae, please.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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You are sitting on the wrong side of the House now.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Since you closed down Bord na Móna in 2020-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Healy-Rae.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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-----the cost of electricity has gone up day after day.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Healy-Rae, please.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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What are you going to do about it, Taoiseach?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy Healy-Rae.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Since you closed down Bord na Móna in 2020 the cost of electricity has gone up and we need to have a discussion about it.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Healy-Rae, please resume your seat. I ask Deputy McDonald to resume.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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What is the Government going to do about it?

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Have a word with your brother.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Healy-Rae, please. Deputy McDonald proceed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I also propose an amendment to the Order of Business under Standing Order 35(3)-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Pose the amendment please, Deputy.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----that we have an urgent debate on the issue of energy costs and the absolute need for energy credits to be extended and included in the budget on 7 October. Almost 500,000 customers have-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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No, Deputy McDonald, you are aware-----

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----received a letter telling them that they will face a hike-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy McDonald, you are aware that you are now abusing the process and I ask you to just pose the amendment. Pose what you wish to amend.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have 30 seconds to state the amendment and speak to it.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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You do not actually, not when posing the amendment. Please just pose the amendment.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have posed the amendment.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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We need this debate. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for her efficiency in containing the conversation on the floor.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy McDonald. The amendment is posed and we will see. The Chief Whip to respond.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Ceann Comhairle's efficiency. The Business Committee met last Thursday at 11 a.m. There was no request for a debate on energy last Thursday. We will have another Business Committee meeting tomorrow at 11 a.m. and I can take on board all the requests that have been made. Yes, we will certainly have a debate or statements on Gaza in the next week or two. That was discussed last Thursday. We will certainly be able to facilitate this. The Minister is in the Dáil this afternoon for statements on the disability strategy and speaking time is available if anybody would like to speak. I will see the Whips at 11 a.m. tomorrow and the business as of today stands.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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What about the minute's silence?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That is for the Business Committee tomorrow. Deputy Collins has received an email in that regard. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed?

Deputies:

Not agreed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach's plan to withdraw energy credits in October's budget is a terrible one. Last week, almost half a million customers were informed by their energy companies that they would be hit with massive electricity bill hikes from next month. Irish households already pay among the highest electricity prices in Europe and now these energy companies squeeze struggling families again. Then along comes the Taoiseach to cancel the energy credits and he is effectively telling households, "Tough, you are on your own." Surely, this latest barrage of electricity price hikes gives him pause for thought. Surely, he can see that people still need the support of these energy credits. He cannot leave households high and dry and must include energy credits in the budget on 7 October.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am surprised the Deputy used the term "cancel". We have cancelled nothing. Last year we had a particular cost-of-living package, and the previous year, given the impact of the post-Covid scenario and the inflationary spiral that went up as high as 10%. I also note that Sinn Féin is not challenging the energy companies.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Neither are you, and you are the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is giving the energy companies carte blanche.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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We did. We said-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Some of these companies are making significant profits. We need an engagement with the companies.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Well, go and engage with them. You are in charge, are you not?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In particular, we should focus on the companies ensuring that people under pressure and on low incomes are treated appropriately. There will be supports in the budget for those most in need. We will be targeting resources towards those who will be impacted the most by the increase in energy prices. We have taken a decision on VAT to bring it down to 9%. We have retained that. We will also look at that again in the budget.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I return to the Government’s failure to provide for children. The thought of one child in homelessness is awful, but last month the number of children in homelessness in Ireland surpassed 5,000 for the first time - another shameful record. We see now more than 16,000 people altogether without a home. On the media this week, the Taoiseach sought to deflect blame from central government to local authorities, calling out councils for dragging their feet, for inertia and lack of proactivity on ensuring increased housing supply. However, there is so much that central government could do and we in Labour are calling on it to do two things that would address the scourge of child homelessness: pass Labour's homeless families Bill to ensure local councils must prioritise protection of children from homelessness, and second, reverse the Minister for housing's cuts to the tenant in situ scheme. What we are hearing from local authorities is they need more resources to enable them to activate a scheme that was supposed to keep families out of homelessness, namely, the tenant in situ scheme, which has in fact been almost entirely ineffective because it has been starved of resources.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, the composition of homelessness is much more complex now than it would have been in previous times in terms of those in emergency accommodation. I did not seek to deflect at all; I just made a very simple point. The national planning framework has been published. A lot of work went into that. A direction has gone to local authorities to rezone more land for housing. Some of the local authorities are displaying inertia and a refusal to rezone.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is not true.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is true.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is not true.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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It is deflecting.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputies, it is not a back and forth.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have spoken to some in respect of it.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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He does not even have his facts straight.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is not your question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I also made a point in respect of emergency accommodation. I met with Cork City Council, for example. It said to me that 26% of those on the emergency accommodation list in Cork have refused an offer of a house. The story is not as simplistic as articulated by the Deputy and others. I get that they have to do it from an Opposition perspective, but it is a bit more complex than is being told. These are issues we need to drill down on.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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It is deflecting blame.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. Five seconds, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Some weeks ago, the Minister brought a memo to Government. Additional funding is being made available to local authorities to prioritise families in homeless situations to get homes. He allocated €50 million to do that about a fortnight ago or last week.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Electricity costs are out of control, and we already have one of the highest electricity prices in Europe. We are approximately €350 more than the average. Now costs are being jacked up again. We have seen double-digit hikes by many of the electricity suppliers. That is putting even more pressure on families who are really struggling. It should not be that difficult to keep the lights on and to afford the basics such as food. So many families are struggling at the moment and there has never been a focus from the Government on driving costs down in the long term. Instead, this and previous Governments have focused on once-off and short-term measures. In fact, it gifted approximately €115 million through energy credits to second homes and holiday homes, which is a complete and absolute waste of public money. I welcome that the Taoiseach is now talking about targeted measures because that is exactly the approach the Social Democrats have been calling on for such a long time. Will he please tell me how he will target those measures, and how he will hold those energy companies to account as he previously stated?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Of course, we did much more than once-off payments in previous budgets. We have eliminated the cost of school books, which was a fairly dramatic intervention over the last two to three years. That is a permanent reduction in costs. The provision of hot school meals across all of our schools is a significant help and support to families, particularly those on lowest incomes. Child support payments help families on low incomes as well. There are also the working family payment and domiciliary care allowance increases last year.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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What if you do not have children?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, it is not back and forth.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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On the energy costs in particular, we will take measures in the budget to alleviate and help and we have reduced the VAT, as the Deputy knows.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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A UN commission has now found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, which was obvious to anyone with eyes to see over the course of the last almost two years. At the moment, the so-called ground offensive into Gaza city is continuing. It means the murder of men, women and children. This Government has thankfully recognised the genocide in words, but it has failed to act like there is a genocide. It continues to hear no evil and see no evil when it comes to the thousands of tonnes of munitions illegally going through our airspace on the way to Israel, and it continues to try to water down the occupied territories Bill. Due to the failure of western governments and the complicity of many, it is people themselves who are taking matters into their own hands. The Global Sumud Flotilla is an attempt to do that and to open a people's humanitarian corridor to Gaza. There are over 20 Irish citizens on board at the moment and yet the Government said nothing when there were two drone attacks on boats in that flotilla. Will the Taoiseach send a legal observer, not to participate in the flotilla, but to observe it and provide some security for those Irish citizens and others?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept the Deputy's assessment of the Government's response to the genocide in Gaza and the appalling carnage and slaughter of innocent children and civilians. It seems to me that from the get-go the Deputy's primary focus has been to drive a wedge between the Irish people and the Government as opposed to focusing on the atrocities themselves within Gaza and the responsibility of the Israeli Government in respect of those atrocities. The Deputy throws language about with a carelessness that is unacceptable, such as "complicit in this" and "complicit in that". This Government has taken initiatives on a whole range of fronts in respect of endeavouring to create leverage and pressure on Israel to stop the war, and also on Hamas to release all of the hostages, which should be done. The condition of those hostages now is quite shocking, but the slaughter of innocent children and the slaughter of residential units, housing, schools and health all point, as the UN commission has said, to genocidal behaviour.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The legal observers.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I think the key is-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Michael Collins.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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This summer has been one of huge discontent and serious upset for farmers and landowners on the proposed greenway walk from Cork to Kinsale. I begin by saying that a walkway anywhere in our country has to be welcome, but with peaceful negotiations as was done in the world-renowned Sheep's Head and Beara Way. That is the model to do this, not the TII model with its sword over the head called CPO.

CPO has its used for infrastructural projects as a last resort, but to use CPO to grab land from farmers and landowners for recreational purposes is one step too far. This peaceful campaign in west Cork has opened up similar nightmares for landowners throughout the country who had or will have their lands taken from them from by TII with CPO for walkways in counties Mayo and Kerry and other parts of the country. Government policy is to mainly use State-owned land for greenway walks, but in the Cork to Kinsale case, 90% is being put on privately-owned farms and land, destroying in particular many farms, splitting them in two and making them unworkable. Will the Taoiseach stand with these landowners and force TII to drop CPO for any greenway negotiations going forward?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am not familiar with the particular background negotiations with TII. I have walked the Seven Heads peninsula walk, which was developed by the Foróige youth organisation, working with the farmers and those who owned the land in that area and with the local community. There was no talk of anybody. There was no TII; there was nothing. They just did it as a local community endeavour, and it has been one of the most enjoyable recreational walks that people come from all over the country to participate in. That is the kind of spirit that should inform any developments. Sometime I say to TII that it needs to ease up on the spec too. People want to retain the biodiversity. They want to retain the natural pathways. We do not need super spec in my view, or intrusions on the landscape either. I will certainly have a look at it and see what is happening there. Once you get into the CPO, you are in trouble in terms of any greenway.

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Taoiseach to engage with the Minister for Health and ask her to review and, indeed, expand the long-term illness scheme. It rightly acknowledges a number of chronic illness and conditions, but it fails to acknowledge many others, such as those living with serious mental health conditions over the age of 16, heart conditions such as sarcoidosis, rare diseases like factor V Leiden and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's and colitis. These illnesses do not go away; they are managed for life.

Our drugs payment scheme is no doubt a huge source of relief for all families, capping medical expenses at €80 per month, but €80 per month for the rest of a person's life is a lot of money. This is an issue of fairness, equality, compassion and public health. Expanding the long-term illness list would ensure that those already carrying the weight of illness are not also carrying the weight of financial burden. I ask the Taoiseach and our Government to act on this and to update this outdated list and give dignity and support to every person living with a long-term illness.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Dempsey very much. I understand the case she is making. This has been a long-running scenario where successive governments have endeavoured to try to harmonise existing systems. The long-term illness scheme has survived numerous attempts by officialdom to eliminate it. However, in the past number of years, we have concentrated on reducing the level of the drugs payment scheme to €80, which was a significant reduction from where it was four years ago. As the Deputy said, however, there is a greater focus and profile on rare diseases now and we do have to examine that issue for those affected and impacted. I will talk to the Minister for Health on the Deputy's behalf.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Seven years ago, a planning application was submitted for the greater Dublin drainage project, which went through swings and roundabouts and through the courts. A new planning application was put in, which was finally approved. It is going to impact over half a million homes, with tens of thousands of other homes awaiting delivery on foot of this, and yet it is being judicially reviewed. The applicant has a right to a judicial review, but I think what most of the public would be aghast at is that they do so at risk of no legal cost in terms of the application they are bringing that impacts so many people. I know reforms on judicial review are coming, but what I would like to know is when are the planning regulations going to be issued under the new planning Act in relation to the overall cost in cases like this? Can we go further? Are we delivering critical infrastructure in this country whereby if someone takes a judicial review against it, they might face the risk of legal costs? Are there circumstances in which the Attorney General could advise that we could stay within the Aarhus Convention but that there are circumstances in which legal costs could apply?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Some elements of the planning and development Bill relating to judicial review have been commenced but others in respect of costs have yet to be commenced. Very significant progress has been made on that and that should be imminent. We are waiting on amendments to come to Government on that.

On a broader level, Government is looking at all options, and I have asked the Attorney General and the Minister to look at the option of bespoke legislation to drive that project through because the common good is overwhelming here. It is shocking and unacceptable that such a key water project for so many families is being undermined and jeopardised.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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A lady called Aisling Thornhill from Farranree in my constituency - a mother of two children, a seven-year-old and a two-year-old, with her partner Graham - is dying and the only thing that will save her is CAR T-cell therapy. She has gone through all the therapies that she and her consultant can give her to this point. If she does not get the CAR T-cell treatment immediately, she will not see Christmas. This is a young mother with two young children. I have often come in here and argued with the Taoiseach and the Government parties. I am not doing that today. I sent the information to the Taoiseach's office, and so have her family and friends. I am pleading today. No mother's life should be at risk because of money. I am asking the Taoiseach to work with the Minister for Health and with me and the family to give Aisling a chance so that she can spend time with her family and children at Christmas and that she will have a future.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and for the manner in which he raised it. Aisling's cousins have been in touch and have emailed me. I have spoken to the CEO of the HSE. It seems again to have been a kind of historic clinical issue about a certain age threshold for the application of CAR T-cell therapy or Kymriah, which is a specific type. In any event, there is an urgent clinical review under way today and I would be hopeful there will be a positive outcome insofar as that could be applied to Aisling's case. Obviously, there is a clinical review under way as we speak, and I will keep the Deputy informed on developments in respect of it.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, I wish to express my condolences to the family of Patrick Gerard Murphy in west Cork. We are actually laying him to rest tomorrow morning. He would have been good friends with many of us here from Cork in particular, especially myself and Deputy Seamus McGrath in that we would have soldiered together on the council with him. He will be sorely missed.

As the Taoiseach knows, Patrick Gerard would have had an expertise in planning, particularly one-off housing and rural planning, but he would have believed in sustainable planning. The issue I want to raise with the Taoiseach today pertains to planning, particularly large-scale solar farms across east Cork and north Cork. From listening to other Deputies across the House, obviously, energy prices are spiralling, and people might think it is a bit silly of me to be raising it in this context. I am not saying in any way, shape or form that I am against any type of large-scale solar farm, but what I am asking for is that guidelines would be in place. At the moment, we have local authorities operating in the absence of guidelines, with nothing in their development plans and nothing to put structure around what are large-scale strategic applications for planning. I am asking that the Government puts this issue to the fore and consider introducing guidelines.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising the issue. I earlier articulated our deep sense of loss on the passing of Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy. He was a kind person who made such an impact on his community. I extend our deepest sympathies to his family.

In terms of the large-scale solar farms, first of all, on the energy mix, we do need more solar. There has been a welcome acceleration and growth of solar energy in the country. That is a good thing. On the other hand, there is an emerging issue in terms of the utilisation of very high-quality agricultural land for the purposes of large solar farms. I have asked the Minister with responsibility for the planning area, Deputy James Browne, to review the guidelines, or not so much review as initiate an examination of what guidelines are required. In other countries, they do grade land and then in respect of certain types of land, it is not permissible but other lands it is permissible. The Minister is going to look at that, and it will come back to Government.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I would also like to reference Patrick Gerard Murphy. I knew Patrick as a fellow councillor. I went to many conferences with him over the years and had a pint and a bit of chat. He was always one for a bit of back-and-forth in the best way possible. He will be sadly missed. I was very sorry to hear about him yesterday.

What I want to reference today is Ireland's energy supply. As we know, it is one of the nation's key challenges.

Demand is rising, as was mentioned earlier in the context of the increase in our population. We are, quite rightly, phasing out fossil fuels and across the country people need certainty on supply and cost. In our programme for Government, we correctly identified the need to scale up investment in critical infrastructure in our electricity grid so as to make it advantageous to customers. While I know steps are in place, I am concerned that the pace of infrastructure delivery, like many facets of our economy, may not match the scale of generation coming on stream. Investment is needed. Apprenticeships need to be expanded and our grid needs to be overhauled. Can the Taoiseach confirm what steps the Government will prioritise in the coming months and in the budget to ensure that the commitments in the programme for Government on energy security, renewable integration and grid modernisation are delivered?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate very much the points the Deputy has made. He will recall that the national development plan, published before the summer, prioritised the energy grid. The CRU will engage with EirGrid. A combination of the two will result in investment which will probably be triple the level we had in the previous five years. That is necessary because of the population growth and the industry and household need. It is a key infrastructural issue. That is why we are focusing on prioritising infrastructure and making sure that we can invest in the future so that generations to come can have ready access to utilities, in particular electricity and energy.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Evan and Nadia Kavanagh and their three children are renters in Clondalkin. They are now at imminent risk of homelessness due to overholding on their notice of termination since 6 September. The landlord wants to sell to the local authority and applied through the tenant in situ scheme. The application was being processed and the landlord was then informed in July that because the funding had been exhausted, the purchase could not continue. The family do not have enough time on the list to be eligible for a council allocation. They have a child with severe special needs, which means that emergency accommodation is not appropriate. They simply have nowhere to go. So frustrated are they that went public over the summer and spoke to the Irish Independent. Evan made it clear that he is a working family man. He has always played by the rules. He has never done anything dishonest. He said, "Now, when I needed the Government more than ever, I feel abandoned". Will the Government provide additional funding to local authorities for tenant in situ purchases where the local authorities have requested it?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has provided additional funding to local authorities.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Not for the tenant in situ scheme.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Some of it is for tenant in situ.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, it is not a back and forth. Taoiseach, you can take it back to the Minister.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will bring the Deputy's case back to the Minister.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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No additional funding has been provided for tenant in situ purchases.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Catherine Connolly.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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It is just not correct, Taoiseach.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Over seven years ago, the Government made a very good decision to bring in a policy for sustainable fishing in the 6-mile nautical zone. The policy was to prohibit big boats, over 18 m, from fishing in that zone. Unfortunately, that decision was held invalid by the Court of Appeal on a very narrow ground. The Government went back to basics and had a consultation process to bring in another policy. It was announced in July that the Government intended to implement the new policy from 1 October. I cannot see where the policy directive is. I want to welcome the decision that was made to implement the new policy directive from 1 October so that we will stop the unsustainable fishing of sprat. Where is the policy directive? Can the Taoiseach guide me to it and assure me that it will be implemented from 1 October?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I engaged with the Ministers of State, Deputies Dooley and Christopher O'Sullivan, on this issue following the consultation. Legal advice was also sought. I understand a year was required to implement the policy. I will come back to the Deputy on the actual-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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It was to be eased in, but it is not-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, it is not a back and forth.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will come back to the Deputy on the specifics of what she has asked, in terms of the instrument and so on.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Every single year, there seems to be an issue with the school transport scheme and a last-minute collapse in arrangements. As a public representative, I am fairly fed up at this stage. There was a review last year, but things have not improved. In fact, in my view, it has never been worse. This issue does not just affect the child but also the family. I know of a family who were told four days before 1 September that they had no arrangement in place. The mother had spent 17 long years at home caring for her child and got a job, which she was due to start on 1 September. She now cannot start because she has no clarity as to when her child will get school transport. This needs real leadership from the Minister to ensure the Department of education and Bus Éireann get their act together and ensure there is school transport for all children in this country with special educational needs.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I understand about 170,000 children avail of services under the school transport scheme. I do not have the specifics of the case the Deputy raised but I will talk to the Minister in respect of the issue.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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As we are out of time, I propose to take Deputies Aidan Farrelly and Roderic O'Gorman, with 30 seconds each, and the Taoiseach to respond.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We have record levels of child poverty and child and youth homelessness. We have really worrying waiting lists for children who require life-changing and life-saving medical procedures. We now also have 40,000 children on child waiting lists for creches and early years education. Despite the Social Democrats offering constructive proposals, we are seeing an ignorance of the facts facing the Government with regard to children. There has now been a U-turn on a second tier of child benefit. Can the Taoiseach explain to us why there is a U-turn when the Government said in June that it was being considered? Why has it been ruled out when we need targeted measures in the budget to bring children out of poverty?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is now four weeks since the school term started back. Like Deputy Sherlock, far too many primary and secondary school students in my constituency still do not have access to a school bus even though they meet the criteria. Students attending St. Peter's College in Dunboyne, the Catherine McAuley National School and Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg are still left hanging. Why is that every single August, the Department of Education cannot get this right? When will those kids get the school bus place they are entitled to under the criteria?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In response to Deputy Farrelly, there is no U-turn. There will be targeted measures in the budget in respect of children, in particular financial supports and the prioritisation of the issue of child poverty.

In relation to Deputy O'Gorman, I fully accept that we have a lot more to do in terms of special education. I went through this earlier in a longer reply. We need to ensure that every child and family knows they have a place and where they are going well in advance of the school year. There has to be a cultural ethos in the Department to enable that to happen. I understand the Ministers are working on that agenda.