Seanad debates
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage
2:00 am
Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank Members for their presence. I am pleased to introduce the Second Stage of the Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025. At its heart, this Bill is about safeguarding public health, protecting our environment and ensuring Ireland remains a leader in delivering clean air for our people.
Air pollution is a silent killer. Around 1,700 premature deaths in Ireland each year are linked directly to poor air quality. That is around ten times the number of annual road fatalities and, unfortunately, it is not discussed in the way in which we talk about road deaths. The personal cost to families is profound. The economic costs are also stark. The ESRI has estimated that between 2016 and 2019, treating just five air pollution-related conditions cost the State over €56 million. Beyond physical health, research now shows that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is linked to many conditions, including depression and anxiety. This is why improving air quality is not optional; we believe it is essential. Cleaner air means healthier, longer lives, fewer hospital admissions and lower costs to our health system.
The two main sources of air pollution in Ireland are residential solid fuel burning and emissions from the transport sector. While we are making progress through investment in public transport, active travel and retrofitting homes, we must also act decisively on solid fuel burning. Although we are compliant with current EU air quality standards, our Clean Air Strategy for Ireland and our programme for Government commit us to doing more as we recognise that any level of air pollution has negative impacts. Indeed, new more stringent air quality limits have been agreed at EU level and will apply from 2030. As set out in the second clean air strategy annual progress report, there are a number of areas around the country at risk of exceeding the new limits as a result of pollution from the burning of residential solid fuel. Failing to meet those standards will mean we have failed the communities living in the affected areas, not to mention the potential for infringement proceedings for non-compliance with EU law.
One of the key tools to improve our air quality has been the solid fuel regulations of 2022, which focus on improving the standard of solid fuels which are placed on the market to ensure they emit lower levels of air pollution. There is no such thing, of course, as a non-polluting solid fuel, so it is about trying to identify as best we can solid fuels with the lowest level of emissions and the least impact on our environment. The Air Pollution Act 1987 has served us well, but its enforcement provisions are outdated. The solid fuel regulations were a major step forward, but experience has shown that local authorities lack sufficient powers to enforce them effectively to ensure only compliant solid fuel is being made commercially available for sale. That is what this Bill is essentially about.
I turn to the key provisions of the Bill. It strengthens the enforcement toolkit available to local authorities and provides greater regulatory clarity. Its main provisions include the reintroduction of fixed penalty notices, which are also known as on-the-spot fines, which is something I think we are all familiar with in other areas of life. In this case they will be for breaches of the solid fuel regulations by commercial producers, retailers or transporters to ensure quick and proportionate enforcement. Another provision is the compliance notices, which will require corrective action be taken within a specified timeframe to encourage compliance. Seizure and forfeiture powers to allow enforcement officers to remove noncompliant fuel from commercial circulation immediately also form part of this Bill. In addition there is provision for enhanced solid fuel registers for producers, retailers and transporters to ensure only compliant operators can legally trade. There will be clearer processes for registration and removal from the register, including appeals mechanisms, to improve transparency and accountability. These measures will strengthen compliance and ensure consumers can trust that the fuels they purchase are cleaner and safer.
I will outline the provisions of the Bill to clarify its content. The Bill comprises 23 sections.
Section 1 gives the Act its formal name and allows different provisions to be commenced at different times by ministerial order. This is, as Senators will know, a relatively standard practice which gives flexibility so complex parts, such as the new registers, can be rolled out in stages.
Section 2 confirms the principal Act being amended is the Air Pollution Act 1987.
Section 3 repeals certain outdated provisions in the 1987 Act and in related environmental legislation from 2011 and 2015. The purpose is to remove redundant material so the law is clearer and easier to apply.
Section 4 expands the legal definition of "air pollution" so it also covers situations where emissions cause damage to property or create a nuisance. This makes the law more comprehensive and responsive to real-world impacts.
Section 5 further updates and rationalises definitions across the 1987 Act. Section 6 recreates a mechanism for imposing additional ongoing fines where an offence continues over time, for example, if false information is repeatedly provided or if records or labels are persistently missing. This prevents operators from sitting out the system without consequence.
Section 7 reintroduces the system of on-the-spot fines for breaches of the solid fuel regulations by commercial operators. They will be set at €1,000 and are designed to provide a quick, proportionate enforcement tool without the need for lengthy court proceedings.
Sections 8 to 10, inclusive, provide for the appointment of authorised officers by either the Minister or local authorities. They clarify and expand their enforcement powers including with regard to entering premises, with warrants of course expressly required for entry to private dwellings where entry is refused, stopping and detaining vehicles but only with the Garda or Revenue present, serving compliance notices, and inspecting fuels, documents and records. They include safeguards such as warrants, appeals processes and indemnity for officers acting in good faith.
Section 11 allows the Minister to establish registers for persons engaged in producing, selling or transporting solid fuels. This section provides the legal backbone for the new system of registration and compliance monitoring.
Sections 12 to 20, inclusive, are a restatement of some of the existing provisions of the current Act but also provide strengthened enforcement powers for local authorities. Clearer offences and penalties are created for smoke emissions that exceed legal limits, for ignoring notices served by local authorities to limit emissions or failure by an operator to notify a local authority of an incident that creates air pollution. In addition, air quality management plans prepared by local authorities are subject to ministerial direction to ensure national consistency.
Section 21 inserts a new Part VA in the Act. This Part covers fuel regulations and registers and replaces and updates the current Part IA of the existing Act. The main changes from the original are that Part VA now establishes clear offences and penalties for contravening those regulations. It provides for the appointment, criteria and potential removal of registration bodies. It sets out rules for oversight - the Minister may issue directions or guidelines and registration bodies must comply. It includes provisions for funding, fees, obligations and offences where a registration body fails to meet its duties. It sets out the process for applying to be registered, how applications are considered, grounds for refusal, and notification and appeals procedures. It requires registration details to be published online, increasing transparency. It provides for removal from the register in cases of non-compliance, with rights to make submissions and appeals. It provides a powerful tool to immediately remove non-compliant fuels from the market, protecting consumers and air quality. Authorised officers can seize fuels, containers or even vehicles if they are connected with an offence and the new Part provides a court-based process for determining whether seized items should be forfeited or returned, with an appeal mechanism.
Section 22 allows for the sharing of information between local authorities, registration bodies, authorised persons and other relevant entities subject to data protection safeguards. This ensures enforcement is joined up and more efficient and effective.
Section 23 provides for amendments to the first Schedule which updates the list of pollutants covered by the legislation, bringing it into line with modern science and EU requirements.
In summary, Part 1 tidies up the legislative framework and Part 2 strengthens enforcement and local authority powers, introduces a modern regulatory regime for solid fuel operators with registers, compliance notice and seizure powers and enables proper data sharing and updates pollutant definitions. The Bill is about ensuring that the fuels available on the Irish market are cleaner, healthier and safer. It is about protecting lives, reducing the burden on our health service and meeting our commitments under both national and European law. It is about preserving Ireland’s reputation as a leader in air quality policy and avoiding the reputational and financial damage of non-compliance. Cleaner air is something we all want for our families and our communities. This Bill provides the necessary tools to achieve it.
I look forward to Members' contributions this evening and welcome the opportunity to engage in productive discussions on the provisions. I commend the Bill to the House.
Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for presenting the Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 to the House. I categorically make it clear that Fianna Fáil Senators welcome this debate and support the Bill. It is true to say that Ireland is currently not in exceedance of any legal requirements for air quality levels but as the Minister of State said, we can always do better. As the start of his presentation, the Minister of State made a very stark comment in relation to the amount of premature deaths on the island in a year. He put it in terms of the lives we lose on the road. Compared to air pollution and premature deaths in Ireland each year linked directly to poor air quality, it equals ten times the number of road deaths. One can imagine the outcry on this island if there were 1,700 road deaths in a year. That really brings this home. I did not realise there were that many premature deaths in the country. We as public representatives have to take this very seriously. We are all aware of what a death brings to a family when someone is lost on the roads. The pain is no easier when someone loses a loved one as a result of premature death related to poor air quality.
The legislation is very welcome. As someone who lives in rural Ireland, I am still very much aware of the transition in the past number of years from coal to the new processed products on the market now. You realise it when you pass a house with a fire on. Growing up with coal, you knew the smoke was there and the stench, but whatever it is about these products today, the stench and smoke seem to be on a whole other level. This Bill is very pertinent from that perspective.
I have a few questions for the Minister of State. The Minister of State is right to point out there is so much solid fuel burning going on but as someone who lives on the Border, I wonder what measures are included in relation to cross-Border operators. What ability will there be for anyone policing this to stop operators from Derry, Tyrone or Fermanagh selling in Donegal, for example? What is the deterrent? Will they have powers to seize their vehicles to stop that? I know an awful lot of that goes on at the moment. It is not just in Donegal; a lot of those operators sell much further south. What is being done on a cross-Border basis with counterparts in Stormont to have an all-island approach? The recent A5 saga showed some of the new laws brought in in Northern Ireland are quite stringent. I am not sure how stringent they are on air quality but in relation to climate change, it is imperative that whatever is happening on the island, we try to align as best as possible. Will the Minister of State comment on that?
We have obligations to meet the EU level by 2030, which is only right. At the end of the day, when you consider some of the other superpowers and the difficulties they have with air quality, we are certainly not in that ballpark at all. Air quality is important. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. There is a need for much more education around that. From that perspective, are we considering programmes or advertisements on TV or other media in relation to this?I would guesstimate that the vast majority of people do not realise the dangers that are out there.
The other consideration that one of my colleagues mentioned to me a while ago related to simple things like issuing a directive to bus drivers to switch off their engines when they pull up at a school. The Minister of State spoke about haulage. All new cars, or maybe just those that are not electric, are fitted with a mechanism that switches off the engine when idle. Maybe these are the smarter things that we could and should be doing because traffic that is not moving causes many emissions. The cross-border stuff will also be important.
Is there a balance to be struck here from the point of view of homes and retrofitting? Should the Government do more on new air-to-water energy systems, which do not have a fossil fuel requirement? Should it help more to try to bring an end to all this burning? The Minister of State will not have the answer to my next question, which relates to something that is on my mind. People blame cancers on lots of things. We all love open fires but we do not realise the damage being caused by the carbon in the atmosphere arising from burning logs, coal or even turf. Lots of people long for the smell of turf but we have no real detail on the consequences of all this burning. I commend the Bill to the House.
Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to support Second Stage of the Air Pollution Bill 2025 on behalf of my Fine Gael colleagues.
The negative health implications of poor air quality are stark. The Minister of State identified 1,700 premature deaths per year due to poor air quality. That is a stark figure, which obviously has a major human impact on families and communities, but there is also the financial cost. The ESRI identified that just five air pollution-related conditions cost the State €56 million. That is an incredible figure. It is a well publicised and advertised fact that carbon monoxide is the silent killer. There is a lot of public information on that but carbon dioxide is also a silent killer. Its negative impact on communities is potentially even more prevalent. I welcome that this is being highlighted this evening and I hope it forms part of the general conversation around air quality and pollutants.
A carrot and stick approach is needed. I welcome measures to improve public transport fleets to reduce toxic emissions and the grants to retrofit houses, whether local authority houses or private homes. My personal experience of this, which I know is shared by many people, is that when out walking or playing football in a heavily built-up area on a winter’s night, there is a lot of fog and it causes pronounced difficulties in air quality. We have young and old people playing recreational and elite level sports on astroturf, football pitches and tracks. We need to be cognisant and mindful of the air quality that sports people are experiencing. I recall playing on astroturf in heavily built-up areas in the last couple of years. The negative experience of poor air quality is something I have reflected on.
We need to be conscious of fuel poverty. I was playing a game of football in an area of high deprivation identified by Pobal. We need to be proactive in encouraging retrofits and making sure we have a positive approach to improving air quality and that we do not target those who cannot afford retrofits or are most vulnerable to fuel poverty. They need to live and to heat their homes. Obviously, we want them to do that in a way that has a minimal impact on air quality, and this Bill provides for that, but discernment is needed to make sure we do not persecute people who are in difficult financial situations.
We need to improve monitoring, as provided for in the Bill, to have key data and statistics. We need to make sure we have that in places with amenity spaces where people are most likely to be affected by poor air quality, namely, near football pitches, playgrounds, schools and walking tracks where, especially during wintertime, fog creates smog and has a negative impact. That could be a very positive outcome of the Bill that brings people on a journey to a cleaner, greener future and supports energy retrofits.
A positive measure we have worked on in Ballina is the revitalisation of our town, in particular laneways. I recently worked on a project called Cascade in my role as a county councillor where I worked with Ireland’s greenest town. We revitalised a laneway in the town and created a green wall with a beautiful space of 17 sq. m. The environmental impact was the equivalent of extracting carbon dioxide from five mature trees. We have an opportunity to improve the quality of air in our towns, while also improving the aesthetics of towns and making them more beautiful places to live, breathe and work in. We need to highlight the positives of many urban areas where we have green spaces. We need to protect those spaces and encourage more interventions in urban greening. In Ballina, we have Belleek Woods, which only yesterday received €200,000 from the outdoor recreational scheme. It is about encouraging people to use those spaces but also about protecting air quality. We need to think of the lungs of each town and village. The example from my home town and community is a very positive place that, unknown to people, is having a positive impact on air quality.
I support the Bill and its measures. There is a great opportunity here to bring people on a journey. Strong enforcement measures are needed for the 0.01% who do not play ball and are bad-faith actors. We must also be conscious of people who are in fuel poverty and make sure that we target such homeowners and residents with a positive approach to retrofitting in order that we have less fossil fuel burning and a shift towards heat pumps and fuel efficient practices. These measures can bring people on a journey, improve air quality, improve the quality of life of the people living in the houses and improve the beauty of our towns and villages.
We can be very constructive and proactive with this Bill if it is interpreted adequately by local authorities. They need to be given powers so that if councillors are experiencing issues on the ground, there is someone they can talk to and they can act quickly. Conditions like asthma can be very pronounced when air quality is low. I thank the Minister of State for his work on this. I support the Bill.
Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I will start by saying we support the intent and objectives of this Bill. Clearer air is something that we all want for our families, communities and future generations. This legislation represents an important step towards achieving that. We all know, as the Minister of State said previously, that the main sources of air pollution in Ireland are solid fuel burning and transport emissions. While air pollution is often seen as an urban problem, it is still a very real problem for rural Ireland.
Across County Limerick, from Abbeyfeale to Cappamore, from Hospital to Glin, there are communities where families depend on solid fuel for their heating. An open fire and the range still remain a very big part of everyday life and a part of who we are as an island. While I fully support the aim of the Bill to ensure that the fuels being sold are cleaner and safer, we must recognise the cost pressures that people are under. Not every household can afford to buy more expensive, higher standard fuels. We cannot have a cliff edge in this situation where people who are already struggling to heat their homes are pushed into further hardship. Cleaner air cannot come at the expense of those who can least afford it. We need support measures and affordability schemes alongside this legislation to help those people make that transition and not penalise them for circumstances that are beyond their control.
That being said, I do welcome the Bill's provisions to strengthen enforcement powers for the local authorities. For far too long councils, including Limerick City and County Council, have asked for and have sought a task force in order that they can enforce the environmental regulations. They do not have the tools or resources as of yet but this Bill will give that, which is great. It will give them the powers such as the ability to issue on-the-spot fines or seize non-compliant fuels. That is a very positive step which will have an immediate impact on air quality and protect those honest law-abiding businesses that are already doing the right thing. The fuel merchants who register properly, meet the standards and sell clean, compliant products should not be undercut by those who ignore the rules and sell cheaper, dirtier fuels. Crucially, those powers are nothing without the personnel. We really need to look at that side of things. There is no point in giving councils new authority if they do not have the staff to enforce it. Local authorities across the country are already stretched thin. If the Government is serious about enforcement, then the funding and staffing have to follow. Otherwise we are setting up local authorities to fail. It is like adding 1,700 new SNA posts and not filling those posts. The schools look bad in that case because they are not filling the posts.
I am happy to see that the Bill does not interfere with turbary rights or impose new restrictions on householders. That is an important reassurance for rural communities and, in particular, my community. I am surrounded by bogs where people cut their own turf. People with turbary rights can continue to cut and use turf as before. The focus in the Bill is on commercial sale and the supply of fuels, not on the traditional practices that are a part of rural life, something that is great to see.
We also need to think beyond the county lines, which has been said by colleagues across the floor. Air pollution does not recognise boundaries or borders, so we need to consider a North-South initiative. An all-island initiative is needed to combat air pollution. My colleagues in the North have looked at a policy on air pollution, so linking up with the North might be something the Minister and Minister of State could look into. We need co-ordinated regulations, enforcement and public awareness across the island. Sinn Féin has long advocated for that kind of joined-up approach because the environment does not stop at the Border so neither should the solutions. I want to be clear. I support the intent of the Bill but we must ensure that the implementation is fair, properly resourced and part of an all-island strategy.
On the issue of air to water, I live in a house that does not have a solid fuel stove or a fire and, therefore, I completely depend on electricity because it is oil, which is great because there is no mess. However, and the Minister of State will know this as he too lives in a rural area, in the winter, when the electricity goes, my heating goes and I do not have a choice. I am building a home at the moment and, as soon as planning permission was granted, the first thing I did was buy a solid fuel stove. I just had to, because we saw after the last couple of storms where people were weeks with no electricity. It is an awful situation. It is fairly bleak when you cannot heat your house and are sitting in a cold house. This is a great Bill but we cannot consider getting rid of fires and solid fuel stoves. We could not possibly, not until our electricity grid is up to scratch and all the other things that have to go with it, like protected powerlines, that we have spoken about over the last couple of months in the Chamber. If your electricity goes, it is a great idea to have a stove, and I do get that we need to use the correct fuel.
I agree with the intent of this Bill but I would like to see some measures put in place for those who cannot afford to transition immediately to the fuels that have been mentioned.
Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. When it comes to air pollution, we need more carrot and less stick. The rate of retrofitting is very slow and we must ask why. In 2024, nearly 54,000 homes were retrofitted in Ireland. About 33,000 houses get solar panels each year and there are 2 million homes in Ireland. Therefore, it will take 50 years to get solar panels on those houses at this rate. There is a lot more the Government could be doing to tackle climate change.
That being said, Aontú is opposed to this legislation. It is extremely draconian. I drilled down into the detail of this Bill well over a year ago when it was in draft form. I am shocked to see that the Bill has not been altered or amended since then. Not since Covid have I seen legislation like this which grants extraordinary powers to the Minister of the day. It allows local authorities to appoint anyone they see fit as what is called "an authorised person". They would be granted the power to stop and detain vehicles and raid private dwellings if they suspect a person of cutting or burning turf. I am not scaremongering here and urge Senators to actually read the wording of this Bill. If someone breaches the regulations they are threatened under section 53K, to be inserted by this Bill, with a fine of half a million euro or 12 months in prison. This is someone who breaches regulations, not law. What we are being asked to do here is to write a blank cheque for the Minister and future Ministers to set whatever regulations they like. We have not been told what those regulations are or will be but that people who breach the regulations will be thrown in jail or fined half a million euro.
God forbid if the Green Party ever got back into power because God knows what its members would do with their anti-rural agenda. All of this is in the Bill and I ask people to read it. Nobody in this House who calls themselves a democrat can support this bizarre legislation. It sets a very dangerous precedent in respect of the legislative process, and I must object to it in the strongest terms possible.
Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senators for their contributions. I appreciate their engagement. I will try to respond in the time I have available to a couple of the points that have been raised. There will be a fuller opportunity as we move to subsequent Stages to thrash out the details and, of course, any amendments that might come forward on those Stages.
Senator Blaney is right about the impact it has had. As I said, and other Senators have reflected, this is about human health and the capacity of communities and citizens to live, insofar as possible, in a clean air environment. It is not about climate change, quite frankly, although that is important. It is principally about bronchial health. It is about particulate matter in the air and trying to get rid of that insofar as we can.
Senators Blaney, Duffy and Collins talked about the North-South dimension. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and his officials are, through the ministerial council, in regular contact, and I believe there is a meeting to discuss that.
Senator Blaney rightly identified the Border trade. When I was a Member of this House and had responsibility as spokesperson in this area, I regularly looked for movement and for this Bill to come forward because there is an illicit trade across the Border. That is why the provisions are set out on forfeiture and seizure of equipment because it is very hard to bring people before the courts who dip in and dip out of the jurisdiction, but if you can take their equipment before they get back across the Border, that is certainly a way to address the issue. Of course, anybody that is involved in any act that is contrary to the law is subject to the laws here, but trying to apply that is more difficult when people reside outside the State.Therefore, the fixed penalty and forfeiture notices constitute a recognition of the issues.
The broader point was made that if we retrofitted more homes, we reduced the necessity of using solid fuel. Senator Collins identified her journey in that regard. We recognise that an element of solid fuel continues to play a part for some for historical, cultural and practical reasons that have been identified.
In response to Senator O'Reilly, that does not relate to the provisions of this Bill. The Bill goes nowhere near any attachment to turbary rights or anything relating to individual homes. She spoke about councils being able to identify any individual willy-nilly and seeking to appoint him or her and give him or her powers to enter homes, etc. That is not the case. Warrants will be required. In respect of forfeiture, An Garda Síochána would have to be involved, along with Revenue officials, so this is not just about picking the next person in the line and giving him or her draconian powers. That is not at all what is envisaged.
Section 53K relates to registration bodies that will register producers, transporters and retailers and nothing else. It does not involve house searches or house entry, so I ask Senator O'Reilly to read that again. I do not want to suggest that she has not read it but she may be misunderstanding what we intend to do here. There is nothing further that relates to turbary rights. This is not about the individual. It is about the commercial operators and principally those acting in an anti-competitive way against those who are complying with the law. It is about improving the powers that are there relating to that.
It is important to recognise that there are things we can do for people in their communities. More supports can be provided in respect of clean spaces and greener initiatives in communities. That is really important. In their town plans, many local authorities are working really well towards having open spaces, a lot more foliage and far more green space, which will also have a beneficial impact on the quality of the air we breathe. That is really important.
Senators Blaney and Duffy spoke about the necessity of moving more quickly with regard to retrofitting. In 2000, we had a plan to get about 500,000 houses retrofitted by 2030. I think we are probably retrofitting homes at a rate of between 60,000 and 70,000 per year. Covid obviously had an impact on the roll-out of that but that is the way forward. Many Senators will be familiar with the warmer homes scheme because they host clinics and meet people on an ongoing basis. It speaks to the point made by Senators Duffy and Collins that we cannot put all these restrictions and regulation on people who are struggling to get by. The increase in the fuel allowance goes some way towards that but there is also the warmer homes scheme. I do not have the figure to hand but according to one of the figures I saw recently, about 150,000 homes have been upgraded free of charge to a B2 standard or higher. This is really aimed at targeting those most at threat of fuel poverty and taking the burden off them of using cheaper or poorer materials. Getting those who are least well-off into a sustainable position so that we remove the necessity to burn solid fuel by doing deeper retrofits is very much a plank of this Government and the previous one. I know the councils have a programme of upgrading their own council stock. All new builds are built to a much higher standard, which is appropriate.
There is a considerable amount of work to be done. The next figure I saw was of €8 billion to be spent over the next couple of years as part of the overall retrofit programme. The SEAI does good work through the one-stop-shop, etc., in identifying the schemes that are there, assisting people in upgrading their homes and encouraging people to commit a bit of capital where they can. There are some who are fortunate enough to have paid down their mortgages and are in a position to invest in their homes again. This is being encouraged with support. I know there are loans available from some financial institutions where the work done is green in nature. All the financial institutions are providing supports there. I do not offer this as a panacea because I am fairly conscious that many people are struggling to just pay their mortgages and feed and educate their children. That is a difficult cohort. We have to try to have as broad a series of measures that will meet the various different cohorts and encourage people to make that change.
I go back to what Senator O'Reilly said. There are significant carrots there rather than the big stick. The big stick here is about the rogue operators that are flouting the law as it stands or challenging the solid citizens who try to do their business appropriately. It is about trying to end that practice.
I thank all Members for their contributions and look forward to the next Stages of the Bill and working through the different elements of it. If any Member has any ideas, he or she should work with us and come forward with amendments. We will certainly give consideration to them. I may or may not be the person back here taking it on the next Stage. If I am, I may be rejecting some amendments but they will be thought through and worked through and we will try to see if there is anything further Members can add.
Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?