Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 21 Jul 2016

Vol. 919 No. 2

Leaders' Questions

Deputy Robert Troy

Last week, the CSO published a report that showed Ireland's growth rate surging to 26.3% in 2015. It made a mockery of Ireland and was described as leprechaun economics by the Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman. The publication of this report makes no sense, in particular because of the reputational damage it has caused.

Last week, Deputy Micheál Martin called for the data collection methods to be changed and for a proper and fair assessment to be carried out to prevent something like this ever happening again. Is the Government taking that request on board?

The growth rate of 26.3% shows us having a growth rate four times that of China and comes only weeks after the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, said in his summer economic statement that the growth rate this year would be between 5% and 6%. We have to acknowledge that there is economic growth, but it is still very much a two-tier recovery. Large parts of the country have seen no recovery and many people watching today have not felt the benefit of any economic recovery.

We now face the extra challenge of Brexit. The UK has already announced its plans to reduce corporation tax to 15%, and today's newspapers refer to the UK abolishing corporation tax when it is outside of the EU.

That the extra €280 million obligation comes on the back of a report that bore no relation to Ireland's economic growth is absolutely galling. Public services are stretched beyond all limits. The country still has 2,100 children and their families who are without homes and are staying in hostels. Home help hours have been slashed. People with disabilities cannot get access to personal assistants.

It is mind-boggling, to say the least, that this report was published. It was compared to the works of James Joyce and Flann O'Brien in the Financial Times. As a result of this, it would appear that Ireland now has to increase its net contributions to the EU in the form of an extra €280 million. This was confirmed yesterday by the Minister for Finance in reply to a parliamentary question to my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath. The €280 million requirement could have been spent on housing, health, education or justice. It is real cash and will have to be found in 2017. What impact will it have on our services? What budget will have to account for it?

The Tánaiste

Let me put the Deputy's points into context. It is important to remember that the CSO is independent and has commented on its figures and some processes it intends to examine further. We regularly discuss the independence of bodies in the House when they report on various issues. The CSO is an independent body that reports on figures.

The GDP figures released were affected by exceptional factors, which shows the complexity and difficulty of interpreting Irish macroeconomic data. Further work needs to be done on the interpretation of those figures. As a small economy, changes made by very large multinationals can have a dramatic affect on our headline statistics. As those statistics were one-off and exceptional in nature, we will not make economic policy on that basis. We will set policy on the basis of the more normal growth rates, such as those projected by the Department of Finance, in the region of 3.5% to 4%.

The Deputy used the word "slash". Nothing is being slashed. The Deputy mentioned home care and services for children. There is increased investment in every single area. We cannot deal overnight with some of the demands that exist, whether in the health services or other areas, but ongoing and detailed investment is now happening given the growth rates in the economy. More jobs are being announced almost every day. Of course the recovery has not reached everyone in the country, but let us reflect on the fact that the macroeconomic figures are good for the country. Despite the challenge of Brexit and other potential shocks, if we can keep that going the investment will continue.

The EU budget for 2017 has not been finalised. The European Commission presented a draft EU budget for 2017 in late June, but negotiations will continue until mid-November. The Minister confirmed the figure that may be owed, but all member states, including Ireland, benefit from the programmes funded through the EU budget. Ireland has been a net beneficiary in the order of more than €40 billion from the EU over the years.

The summer economic statement sets the fiscal space. The available resources for 2017 are about €1 billion. That position remains the same, as it is fixed each spring. All EU member states do this in order that planning can begin for the budget without having to wait for the most up-to-date figures.

In terms of planning for services, they will not be impacted by the situation in which we find ourselves based on the CSO figures, which were exceptional. There is ongoing economic growth. There are improvements in the taxes that are being collected. We stick by the fiscal space that is available for investment in services and reductions in tax.

Deputy Robert Troy

The Government cannot pull the wool over people's eyes. We had enough of that with the CSO report. Even the Governor of the Central Bank did not accept the report.

I again ask whether the Government will accede to the request of Deputy Martin last week to change how data are collected and have a proper assessment of the figures. Is the Tánaiste saying that this money will not have to be paid to the EU? Is she contradicting what her colleague, the Minister for Finance, said in reply to a parliamentary question?

I refer to services. The Tánaiste must not have heard "Morning Ireland" today. A woman spoke on the programme about how both her parents suffer from dementia but their home help hours were cut from 20 to four. That is a fact.

I have provided the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities copious examples of people who are living in their own homes and for whom home care packages have been sanctioned, yet who have been informed that the necessary resources are not in place to deliver services. Longford-Westmeath is one example. If a person dies and his or her home help hours are returned, only 25% of the hours are relocated. In any person's terms, that is a cut in services. What impact will the €280 million obligation have on services for the people we are honoured to represent in the House?

The Tánaiste

It will not have any impact on the services because what is very clear, in particular in relation to dementia, is that there is a very strong commitment to increased investment. That is partly driven by the agreement between the Department of Health, the HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies, which represented a combined investment of €27.5 million. Just some weeks ago a total of €500 million was agreed in extra investment in the health service and part of that is intended to support further home care packages. That is laid out very clearly. The Minister for Health and the Ministers of State in the Department of Health have indicated that home care packages will be increased but it will take time to roll out the process. I heard the story on "Morning Ireland" this morning. I am sure the Minister will investigate what precisely has happened in that situation, given the needs of the woman in question.

Deputy Robert Troy

She is one of thousands.

The Tánaiste

The reality is that there is now further investment. The money is available and is being given as a priority to the Department of Health to increase home care packages. That is one of the specific goals within the increased investment. That will become more obvious in the weeks and months ahead. Because the economy is growing and we took the right decisions there is further investment in the health service and citizens will get the benefit of that as time goes on.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

The money must come from somewhere.

Deputy Robert Troy

Where is the money to come from?

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

I wish to raise the issue of mental health and suicide prevention with the Tánaiste. Yesterday, the coroner's court held an inquest into the death by suicide of a young man in November 2014, Ryan Dempsey from the Liberties. He was in his early 20s and he had his full life ahead of him. He was clearly a young man at risk. He had been discharged five times from accident and emergency units in the six-month period before his death. On one occasion when he took an overdose he was brought to the accident and emergency unit and discharged on the same day. Another time he was found hanging and brought to the accident and emergency unit and discharged 12 hours later. The following day he tried to throw himself out of a window and again he was brought to the accident and emergency unit and he was discharged within hours. On the final occasion he presented himself to the accident and emergency unit where he expressed suicidal feelings. He was left in a room by himself where he attempted to cut himself twice. He was then transferred to a ward and left on his own again. Ryan hung himself and died.

How hard it was for his loving family to see their son suffer like that. The family suffered too as they desperately tried to get the help and support Ryan so urgently needed. They are still suffering the loss of their son and brother. At this particularly difficult time I acknowledge the presence of Ryan’s father, Fran, who is in the Gallery, and members of his courageous family. We failed Ryan. The health system failed Ryan. How different it might have been if Ryan was provided with the proper follow-up care on his first presentation. His family believe that he was not assessed properly, he was not observed properly and his care was inappropriate and inadequate right up until the time he took his life. Ryan was failed by a mental health service which simply does not function at the times when people need it. Accident and emergency units are not the right place for people in acute mental distress.

We must fund the delivery of community and early intervention services, as was promised in A Vision for Change ten years ago. Ten years on, we still do not have a 24-7 crisis intervention service, not a single crisis house has been established and at present there are just 15 suicide crisis intervention nurses in the State. People in distress are presenting to the Garda and accident and emergency units, places where overstretched and sometimes inappropriately trained staff struggle and do their best but they are not capable of providing the appropriate care.

Today, a shocking report issued by the ISPCC further underlined the desperate needs in this area. The report states that children can wait for up to four weeks for an emergency mental health nurse and it takes 18 months to see a child psychologist. I am sure the Minister will agree that is not acceptable. The Tánaiste is not new to government. She sat at the Cabinet table for the past five years. We still lack 24-7 crisis intervention and appropriate support services. When will young people like Ryan be served and not failed by the mental health system?

The Tánaiste

As Deputy McDonald recounted that individual story, everyone's thoughts in this House are with the family of the young man who lost his life so tragically. Mental health is a priority. We all know it has not been a priority in this country for decades but there is increased investment to ensure that young men and women get the kind of services they need at times of acute psychological distress. There is no excuse, however, for poor professional practice. If a person turns up at a centre, it is clear that proper risk assessments must be made and appropriate action taken. Next week the Minister of State in the Department of Health will present a memo for information to the Cabinet on the establishment of a youth mental health task force to ensure there is an even greater focus on this area. That is part of the process of enhancing services and raising the national conversation to ensure greater awareness of mental health issues. The investment the Government is providing in both adult and children’s psychiatric services will ensure that the kind of risk assessment that is needed is done and that services are available both locally and nationally.

Deputy McDonald is aware that health funding has increased by 5.2% or €41 million and €35 million has been ring-fenced for the mental health area. We have much work to do in the area of mental health to ensure there is a consistent service throughout the country and that young people who turn up at accident and emergency units are referred and have the appropriate crisis service.

As a former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs I am very familiar with the area of children’s services where there has been a significant improvement. We now have 67 child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, teams around the country. As the Deputy is aware there have been recruitment difficulties but those services provide a range of specialist services for young people. Very often it is the 18 to 25 year age group that have had difficulties as they fall between the children’s services and appropriate adult services but I assure the House that there is a greater focus on the area. The Minister of State will focus her attention on it and once the task force is established then a variety of actions will be taken to ensure that the mental health services continue to develop to meet the needs of young men such as the one described by Deputy McDonald who so tragically lost his life.

There is increased investment. The agreed HSE service plan for 2016 highlights the priorities such as the development of counselling services, increased Jigsaw centres that reach out to particularly vulnerable young people in communities across the country and community mental health facilities, to which Deputy McDonald specifically referred, as well as better liaison between acute hospitals and mental health services. That is where the priorities lie. I expect that those services will continue to develop in the coming months because the funding is in place and the political will exists to make sure that we have the kind of mental health services people need.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

Ten years ago A Vision for Change held out the promise of a modern, responsive, resourced service for people in crisis and with mental illness, including those with suicidal ideation and who are in acute danger. Ten years on that promise has been broken. That is a fact. All of the talk of political will and priority only serves to highlight the fact that for the past ten years mental health has not been a political priority and that there has not been the political will to ensure that young men such as Ryan, or anyone else in a state of deep and profound distress and crisis, is not left in accident and emergency units for eight hours or longer, because that is the common experience. It is wrong for people in that level of distress to be in accident and emergency units, which as we know are overrun and overburdened as it is.

The Tánaiste mentioned CAMHS. That is a fantastic service but it also has a disgraceful waiting list. The Tánaiste knows that. What I want from the Tánaiste today, and what I know the Dempsey family and others want, is to hear that when the budget comes in October, all of this political will of which the Tánaiste speaks will translate itself in real terms into funds, staff and a plan which, unlike A Vision for Change, will be delivered. If we are to remember and offer sympathy to the family of Ryan Dempsey, surely the only solace and comfort we can offer is that we fix the system and ensure that the political will is more than simple rhetoric.

The Tánaiste

It is not simple rhetoric. It is borne out by the action plans that have been put in place already. Obviously, we all hear what the Deputy is saying about the particular situation in relation to Ryan and the tragedy that that is. However, make no mistake: we have a Minister of State for the Department of Health focusing on mental health issues and bringing forward plans. We have increased investment. I have said there is difficulty in recruiting staff but every effort is being made to recruit the appropriate staff. That is seen in the huge growth in the CAMHS throughout the country. There are 67 CAMHS teams. Keeping in mind the economic situation that we have faced, if we look back just a number of years, we had nothing like 67 CAMHS teams operating around the country. Some services see people quickly. There are arrangements in place for emergencies. One would hope that young men like Ryan would have been able to access those services. However, we all know that there is further work to be done. The investment is there. I take the Deputy's point about the upcoming budget and the need to continue to prioritise this area in order that people receive help in an appropriate way and that the services link effectively with one another, especially accident and emergency departments and mental health services.

Deputy Michael Lowry

What plans does the Government have and what arrangements are being made within the Estimates to address the appalling conditions of our rural roads network? We had an election six months ago. Prior to that election, the big parties conducted their research, had their focus groups, were taking soundings as to what the issues were and were sending people to America and the UK. I am surprised that the big parties, particularly Fine Gael, did not consult their councillors. The one message they would have received from rural Ireland is that there is a massive neglect of the rural road network. As a result of councillors losing touch with their constituents, the Fine Gael Party and other big parties suffered a loss of support. I have to say that I felt sorry for many Fine Gael and Labour Party councillors who canvassed rural areas and came back and said that they were ashamed and embarrassed to be asking people for votes from laneways, byroads and side roads that were simply inaccessible.

According to a recent report, there are 91,000 km of regional and local roads in Ireland which account for 94% of the country's road network and carry 54% of all the traffic on our roads. That same report highlights that when the condition of those roads was examined, over 75% of them were in urgent need of repair and maintenance. At the same time, we have an additional 75,000 cars travelling on Irish roads since 2010. That has increased the annual income from road tax by €17 million. While that money was coming into the Exchequer, at the same time there was a decrease in the funding for our national roads programme. In my own constituency, the national roads fund decreased from €608 million in 2008 to the current figure of €294 million. My county of Tipperary was allocated a total of €45 million for roads in 2011. By 2015, that had fallen to €28 million. In the current year, it has fallen by a further €3 million. In other words, within five years, we have lost €25 million worth of funding for our road network.

The unacceptable quality of the rural road network is having a negative impact on the social and economic well-being of rural communities. There are school buses, ambulances and buses that are collecting people to take them to day care centres on these roads. I am aware of a situation in which an ambulance was taken out of service for three weeks due to damage that was done when bringing a patient from one of these side roads. Every day, my office receives countless complaints of dangerous situations in which people are forced to drive erratically to avoid potholes. Vehicles have been damaged, tyres have been ripped off and the steering, wheels and suspension of cars have been damaged seriously. These rural dwellers pay the same car tax as urban dwellers but are at a complete disadvantage.

The Tánaiste

I acknowledge and am very aware, as are all Fine Gael councillors and Deputies, that the capital budget for local and regional roads is still recovering. There is a huge amount of work to be done. It is still recovering after the economic crash. That is why the new partnership Government will increase the budget for this infrastructure very dramatically by 50% in the years ahead and as the national finances improve. That is the reality of the commitment that has been made. As the Deputy will be aware, the capital plan provides €6 billion for investment in the roads network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing and extensive networking throughout the country. A sum of €1.6 billion has been earmarked for new projects. Clearly, there is an acceptance of the point that the Deputy is making and a reflection of that in the capital budget for the coming year and the years ahead. Some of the funding has been announced already. The approach has been to include a mix of projects throughout the country to address particular constraints, including bottlenecks and port connectivity.

The transport element of the capital plan is based on a gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network from - I agree with the Deputy - what is currently a relatively low base towards the levels needed to carry out the kind of maintenance and improvement works the Deputy refers to. It is well recognised at Government level that there are serious problems. The money is being invested. In Tipperary, I take the Deputy's point that there were reductions over the years. We have to remember why. It was because we were in the middle of an economic crash and recession. However, in January this year, for example, regional and local allocations were announced. A sum of €15.9 million was allocated to Tipperary County Council to deal with some of the issues the Deputy has mentioned. Clearly, further investment is needed. It has been allocated in the capital fund and will address a range of issues in an ongoing manner in the period ahead.

Deputy Michael Lowry

All I can tell the Tánaiste is that the people that I represent in Tipperary are angry, frustrated and annoyed. They feel ignored, forgotten and abandoned. I am not at all happy that, effectively, what the Tánaiste is telling me is that the Government recognises that there is a serious problem but that it cannot do anything about it until 2019. Can the Tánaiste be more specific? I welcome the fact that there will be additional funds available. Could the Tánaiste be more specific about whether we are going to get an increased capital allowance for each of the council areas, including Tipperary, in the budget and in the current Estimates that will be under discussion in September? We cannot wait for another two years.

Our roads are in an appalling condition. People are extremely angry and agitated. There are rural communities such as the farming community that have situations such as milk collection tanks that will not go down some of these roads. We have people who are refusing to do business with small farmers because of the fear of damage to their property while entering those farms. This is a serious issue that needs urgent redress. We need a co-ordinated programme throughout the country to ensure we have a five-year programme that gives us value for money and a return on investment and that is properly managed in order that people in rural areas can see a visible improvement in the road network.

The Tánaiste

In response to Deputy Lowry, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is well aware of the issues the Deputy has outlined and will consider them in the context of the budget. I will bring to his attention once again the points the Deputy has made today. Clearly, as people begin to see the kind of investment that now is possible because of the recovery, they will not - as the Deputy described - feel abandoned. They will see improvements in their local and national roads and the Government is committed to an increase in funding in 2017, 2018, 2019 and onwards. Hopefully, as the economic situation improves, it is an area for critical investment. I make the point that as Members are aware, last winter's flooding caused great damage and an additional €106 million was allocated nationwide to deal with the additional damage done. Clearly however, more is needed, as I have acknowledged and in respect of capital infrastructure, the Government has begun the allocations precisely to deal with the problems the Deputy has outlined. I also remind the Deputy there will be a review of the capital plan next year. I certainly have no doubt but that the Minister will consider the points the Deputy made in the context of this year's budget.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

It was announced yesterday that June was the hottest month in recorded history. It broke the record set in June 2015, which is not surprising because May also was the hottest May ever in history, as was the case in respect of April, March, February, January, December and pretty much every month for the past 14 months. What is happening to the planet is beyond comparison with anything even the most strident scientists thought would happen in respect of global warming starting to take effect. It also is clear that Ireland is not living up to the call made earlier this week by the former President, Mary Robinson, which is that the wealthy industrialised countries must act first and strongest when faced by that scientific reality and the scale of the challenge. Ireland has the third highest per capita emissions in Europe. Ireland is one of only two countries in Europe that will not meet the international commitments we made to cut our emissions by 2020. We will not get next or near them and will be lucky to get halfway there. I reiterate we are one of only two countries in Europe that has managed that, as all the other countries have managed to meet the targets they have set.

This is not a surprise because it largely is due to a lack of political will. It is due to the halving of budgets on retrofitting buildings in the term of the previous Government and our lack of smart meters, which every other advanced country is now putting in place. Moreover, much as we need roads, we need public transport more and the previous Government pulled all the major public transport projects. Ireland's transport emissions are now expected to grow by 16% between now and 2020. Similarly, because of the policies the Government has set in agriculture, Ireland's emissions in that sector are due to increase by 7% between now and 2020. I could go through every sector in which action must be taken; no action is being taken.

If one talks to anyone in Brussels, one will be told the only political response from the outgoing Government was to expend all the political capital Ireland gained in Europe over the past five years to try to achieve one thing, which it achieved yesterday, that is, to get Ireland off the hook and not to have a firm commitment to take further action. The facts in this regard are clear. Ireland's 2020 target was to cut its emissions by 20% whereas its 2030 target is to cut its emissions - effectively when one includes all the buyouts we have secured - by 20.4%. As a result of what was agreed yesterday, we have a 0.4% increase in our ambition. This will cost us all dearly because some of the buyouts we secured will require us to buy ourselves out. Moreover, some of the science to which we are looking to try to get out of taking any further effort is highly questionable, may not hold up and may leave us being obliged to make much more significant strides in later years.

My question to the Tánaiste is why has the Government spent all its political capital to define Ireland as a country that wants to fiddle while the rest of the world burns? Surely it is not in our interests to place Ireland at the bottom of the league on climate, which is what the Government is doing. Furthermore, we will miss out on the economic opportunity that will come to those countries that lead. Why does the Government insist on trying to turn this green country brown?

The Tánaiste

Ireland is committed to achieving the transition to a competitive low-carbon climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy and as the Deputy stated, it makes sense to so do. Access to secure, clean, affordable energy is essential to our future economic growth and our ability to attract and retain investment to Ireland and to build Irish enterprise depends on our ability to guarantee a reliable supply of energy, for example, at a competitive cost. We must lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and must reduce our emissions and the Government has engaged in detailed discussions with the Commission, as the Deputy is aware, to highlight some particular issues in respect of Ireland. As the Deputy noted, there is a package of measures and I reiterate to him there has been extensive engagement with the Commission on the issue to date. As the Deputy is aware, it will be a challenge for the agriculture sector to meet the targets. That point has been made and there has been highly detailed discussion on that, on the implications for Ireland and on how we best manage the targets. Those discussions were held in that context, that is, it was necessary to have detailed discussions on the agriculture and forestry industries. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has engaged with the Commission for some years to ensure this clear understanding of the agriculture and forestry sectors in Ireland, as well as to seek consistency between European Union agrifood and climate policies. While the Government is committed, there are particular issues it was necessary to discuss. The Government wanted to make sure that whatever we agree is consistent with those fundamental principles and proposals from the Council the Deputy has outlined. The Government is committed to moving forward. It has made the case regarding particular sectors of the economy in which particular difficulties arise but the Government is committed. Moreover, the Deputy should note the Government is committed to public transport. That programme and the capital moneys that are available now are committed to the development of proper public transport infrastructure nationwide.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

How can the Tánaiste state the Government is committed? How can one say the Government is committed when, if one examines what was agreed yesterday, the neighbouring countries of Britain, Germany, Denmark, Finland and Sweden - the countries with which we should be comparing ourselves - are twice as committed? As I stated, Ireland effectively is going for a 20% target for 2030 whereas they effectively are going for 40%. The Tánaiste is correct; the Government did engage with the Commission in Brussels and was highly successful. It basically used all of Ireland's political capital to state Ireland should be counted out. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, who is sitting beside the Tánaiste, should have real concerns about this because the rest of the world not just in Europe, but in America and in Asia, is starting to take this issue seriously because they can see the world burning and want to play their part. Moreover, they think economic opportunities will come from it. The real risk is that in holding Ireland back and in stating it should be counted out, as it will not play its part, we will miss the economic opportunity that comes for those who lead.

I note the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is speaking. In the debate last night on the Energy Bill, he recognised that not only are we falling behind on our emissions targets, but we are also falling behind in our renewables targets. As the Minister stated last night, every percentage point that we are below our targets in that area will cost us €150 million per year and as the Minister for Finance recognised in the spring economic statement, our failure to meet even those low targets we now are setting for 2020 will cost us further hundreds of millions of euro. To conclude, if we are serious, we will need a quadrupling of the money the Minister, Deputy Naughten, gets. We will need a tripling of the public transport budget and will need to make some tough and strong political decisions, rather than stating we are committed, only to then do the exact opposite in the international arena.

The Tánaiste

In line with the new procedures, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughten, to respond directly since he has been mentioned by the Deputy in respect of the negotiations, which were based on scientific evidence.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Denis Naughten)

I thank Deputy Eamon Ryan for the points he has raised. As he is aware, this issue was debated in the House last night and for its 2030 targets, the Government seeks targets that are achievable and cost-effective. I believe that when we have the full detail-----

Deputy Sean Sherlock

On a point of order-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy cannot raise a point of order on Leaders' Questions.

Deputy Sean Sherlock

May I ask a follow-up question?

An Ceann Comhairle

No.

The Tánaiste

We have a new way of doing business.

Deputy Brendan Howlin

Not on Leaders' Questions.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Not on Leaders' Questions.

The Tánaiste

Yes.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

It only applies to the Order of Business.

An Ceann Comhairle

Please allow the Minister to conclude.

Deputy Brendan Howlin

The Government is making it up as it goes along.

Deputy Denis Naughten

The 2030 targets are based on detailed evidence that was submitted. A lot of work was done by UCC on it. The difficulty arose in relation to the 2020 targets. It has been openly admitted by the Commission, with which the Government at the time negotiated, that the evidence was not as forthcoming for our 2020 targets as was the case for the 2030 targets. The baselines and projections used were such that reaching the 2020 targets was always going to be unachievable. What we now have are targets that are realistic and, we believe, achievable.

A Deputy

Change the goalposts.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Do we have a new leader?

An Ceann Comhairle

We now move on to questions on proposed legislation. As there are only 15 minutes allocated, Deputies are allowed only one minute on each question.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

It is a trial run.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

That is actually not allowed. Did you break the rules, a Cheann Comhairle?

An Ceann Comhairle

There has been a slight deviation from normal practice.

Deputy Patrick O'Donovan

It is the last day of the session.