Pádraig O'Sullivan
Cork North-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Imagine being the father of two boys who have Friedreich's ataxia and one of them passing away. I know the Tánaiste is familiar with the case of Craig Coady. I normally do not personalise stories in here but he spoke about this quite openly on Red FM in Cork on Tuesday.”
“I am not asking anybody to comment on the process itself as I know we have to respect it, but is it possible that the review committee can be brought forward and convened as quickly as possible to see this through one way or another because of the mental trauma, anguish and emotion? Many people travelled up on Tuesday.”
“I do not expect the Minister to intervene or comment on that specific case, and we have to respect the process, but I am sure the Minister will agree that as part of a wider strategy, we need to inculcate that wider ecosystem where patients get access to this care upfront and early access to drugs, where needed.”
“Last week, I was at a conference with the Minister and the EU Commissioner. We discussed various topics, including healthcare and the development of a life science strategy in Ireland. I know it is something that he and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, have worked intensively on.”
“It was remiss of me not to welcome members of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. I am struggling to see through the glare of the glass. I can see a Limerick man, Kevin Quaid, up there. It is not too often that a Cork man would welcome a Limerick man but I welcome Kevin. I can also see Siobhán. I think Andy Heffernan was there as well.”
“I have asked many parliamentary questions on this over the past few years. Very little has changed. The only thing that gives me hope is that the company has since met the CPU and submitted a commercial offer that remains under consideration. I am not asking for special treatment for any drug.”
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“These measures have helped but they are short term relief. The structural problems remain. These include Ireland's dispersed housing, high network costs and reliance on imported energy, which keeps bills stubbornly high. We can and need to do more. We need to accelerate energy efficiency, expand the retrofitting schemes and simplify application processes. We need to reform market structures, review the network charges and capacity payments to ensure fairness. We need to target support for vulnerable households, move beyond universal credits to income-based supports and flexible payment plans. Finally, we must future-proof affordability by investing in renewables and storage to break the link with volatile global gas prices.”
“The Government has done some good work and made some positive steps, including the electricity credits. We had two credits of €125, totalling €250, which were applied to domestic electricity accounts last winter, benefitting over 2 million households. Since 2022 with the energy action poverty plan, emergency schemes have delivered €1,450 worth of credits to households at a cost of €3.3 billion. Regarding home energy upgrades, there has been record funding of €469 million for retrofitting and solar PV in budget 2025, including €240 million for the warmer homes scheme, which provides free upgrades to low-budget households. The fuel allowance will be increased to €38 per week from January. I also note the VAT reduction to 9% on heat pumps, which will help to make efficient heating more affordable.”
“The average household now pays 36.34 cent per kilowatt hour, compared to EU average closer to 28 cent. This translates into an annual bill of €1,817, roughly €350 more than European norm. Energy inflation has slowed but it has not disappeared. Prices have risen again by 3.3% this year, keeping pressure on household budgets. Behind these percentages are real people. Some 176,000 households are now over 90 days in arrears, with an average debt of €500 per account. That means thousands of families are living under the constant threat of disconnection. It is not just about electricity. Gas prices remain volatile, and network charges account for nearly one third of every bill, at over €500 annually to costs. These structural factors make Ireland uniquely vulnerable and unless addressed they will keep energy poverty entrenched.”
“Energy is not just a commodity; it is the lifeblood of every home and business in Ireland. While the worst of the global energy shock may have passed, its legacy remains deeply felt in Irish households. Rising bills have eroded disposable income, pushed more families into arrears and amplified the sense of insecurity that began during the pandemic and worsened with the war in Ukraine. It is not an abstract problem. When parents are rationing heating or skipping meals to keep the lights on, we are failing in our duty to protect the most basic standard of living. That is why we must look at the figures with honesty, acknowledge what has been done and commit to more work that needs to be done. The current situation is grim for some. Despite some stabilisation, Ireland still ranks among the most expensive countries in Europe for electricity.”
“It is universally acknowledged that what happened was wrong and deeply regrettable. To forego the pain the few remaining survivors are experiencing, I am begging again today and pleading with the Tánaiste. A meeting is coming up on 9 December between the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach and the survivors and their legal representatives. I ask the Tánaiste for once and for all to bring it to a head. Do what is right and do what is expected. I could not attend the funeral of 95-year-old Peggy Murphy earlier this year because I felt ashamed as a public representative. I beg the Tánaiste, with the Taoiseach, to bring this to a conclusion once and for all.”
“We have heard all the talk about a 12-month anniversary for many TDs but I would like to talk about a 64-year anniversary which was commemorated yesterday. A group of us met the Irish Thalidomide Association in Leinster House. It was a cross-party meeting with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, the Labour Party and Independents all represented, and they universally acknowledged the hurt and pain those survivors have experienced for 64 years. I spoke here last year and asked for a State apology. A State apology was given by the British nearly 15 years ago and by the Australians in a similar timeline. For the life of me, I will never understand the legal jiggery-pokery we hide behind inside here and, specifically in this case, in the State Claims Agency.”
“We need the HSE and the Government to support it financially to deliver it. It is going to be a massive undertaking for the charity. What is the Taoiseach's office going to do to advance the project?”
“This is a topic the Taoiseach is very familiar with. He has visited the Rainbow Club on dozens of occasions at this stage and knows the great work that Jon, Karen and the board do. When Senator Rabbitte was the Minister of State, she was the first to allocate funding to the Rainbow Club under a service level agreement to provide respite care for children. As the Taoiseach will know, every week, over 1,200 children avail of this service, which is provided on a shoestring budget. The Taoiseach will be very familiar with the difficulties the club had in acquiring a nearby site, the former HSE ambulance building. It now has that building and has been lucky enough to engage an architect who is a professional in this field pro bono to design a bespoke building that is fit for the club's purposes. We need to move this project on.”
“In his supplementary, the Minister of State might have this information but that additional money he referenced is going to lead to a capital plan review, I understand, in the first quarter of next year. Has he any idea when that review will be completed? If he does, I would appreciate it. On Carrignavar, as I have said, the treatment plant itself is three times overloaded. Just north of Carrignavar, we recently had one of the largest fish kills in the country. Again, the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will be familiar with that. How the EPA has not come down heavy on Irish Water and previously Cork County Council about the problems in Carrignavar I do not know. It is blatantly obvious to anybody. The pollution can be seen visibly seeping into the river there on a daily basis. Something has to be done urgently.”
“Unfortunately, we have been hamstrung for the past five years sitting over here in government. We have been complicit in this ineptitude, if I can be frank. It is very frustrating for us people on the ground who attend the community meetings and make the excuses - let us be honest about it - for Cork County Council and Irish Water, and have done for quite a while now. The solution has always been there, and after five years of lobbying, we finally have a solution. As I said, I hope the Minister actually sees it through and allows developer-led infrastructure to be delivered again in tandem with Irish Water and under its supervision. It is the only solution I can see working, such is my lack of faith in Irish Water to deliver.”
“Unfortunately, not much has changed in the response. As I said in my own piece, I firmly believe the solution to this is probably, unfortunately, going to be the private route through developer-led infrastructure. It is not ideal. Irish Water itself has resisted that process for a long time now. I hope that the Minister will make a fair fist of that and bring this to a head and not just for Carrignavar. I could probably list six or seven other villages in my own constituency. The Minister of State himself referenced in the order of 20-odd villages in his own area. This is, across the country, one of the major issues we are facing. We are going to be the ones who will pay for it, let us be straight about it - us sitting on these benches - because the issue of the day is housing. The Minister of State does not need me to say it here.”
“The difficulty I have, if I can be frank, is that I am not sure that I have faith in Irish Water to deliver that infrastructure. I am glad that, in recent times, the Minister has now opened the door to developer-led infrastructure once more and that is probably where the solution to this problem lies. I know the county council is currently in the middle of its development plan review and I hope development land is identified, that a suitable developer will be found and that development might be what is required to instigate growth in the village once more and provide that much-needed infrastructure. The capacity of Irish Water to deliver it has been proven. I do not think it is capable of it, so I hope the Minister of State might have an update. As I said, it is my fifth or sixth time raising it so he might surprise me with an update.”
“11 on a list devised by Irish Water in agreement with Cork County Council. The council previously received funding for the first five or six projects on that list. Unfortunately, Carrignavar, as I said, is No. 11. My issue is funding was received for those first five projects about two years ago at this stage. To my knowledge, none of those projects has actually turned a sod, had a new building opened, a new pump house installed or whatever the issues pertaining to those wastewater treatment plants are. At this stage, I am pleading with the State and Irish Water. I know there is going to be a capital plan review early in quarter 1 of next year. I am pleading because the State has finally stepped up. We have provided additional buildings to Irish Water and I need to see this wastewater infrastructure upgraded.”
“That aspiration for the village to grow and to populate those schools and facilities is now being restricted because of Irish Water's inability to fund a much needed wastewater treatment plant. To give the Minister of State an idea, as he has served in multiple roles in this House over the years and will be well familiar with the issues in relation to Irish Water, if you take a stroll down the river at any stage to Glashaboy, you will see evidence that the wastewater treatment plant that is there is not just at capacity but is three times overloaded from its original capacity. Yet, Irish Water and the county council before, to be fair, have done nothing to upgrade the system there. I know the plant was previously considered for funding under the small towns and villages scheme. I think it is No.”
“The secondary school is also going out for an extension and the community is also getting together to build a brand new purpose-built multisport facility under what it is hoped will be a future round of large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, funding. It is a village that has an awful lot going for it. Its potential to grow is phenomenal. It is hoped that BusConnects will, for the first time, connect the village with a two-hour service, so it really is an up-and-coming place. Unfortunately, because of the lack of a wastewater treatment plant - a functioning one, anyway - this village has really been stifled over the last decade or so, to the point that land zoned for housing has been dezoned in the not-so-distant past.”
“I was going to reference that at the start. I know it is an issue close to the Chair's heart and her father's heart. It is an issue I have raised here on five or six occasions, primarily through Topical Issues. I thank the Minister of State for being here. Unfortunately, to my mind, nothing has changed after those attempts to raise this issue here in the past. For people at home who are not familiar with Carrignavar, it is a village to the north of Cork city. It is probably a ten-minute drive to the city centre. It has an awful lot going for it. A brand new special school is currently under construction. A new school replaced the old Scoil an Athar Tadhg recently and it is a phenomenal building.”
“I thought that we had a heavy number of applications in my part of the country, but nothing comparable to Deputy Dolan's. We seem to do things very slowly. They seem to take an awful long time. I met the industry a number of weeks ago in relation to this. The industry wants these guidelines updated because it wants people to be aware of what is happening and it wants it done transparently. I echo the calls of Deputy Dolan to get this done urgently.”
“I support Deputy Dolan as well. I spoke about solar guidelines previously. It has to be said again that is taking an extreme amount of time to get these guidelines updated. I am here since 2020. I have spoken about this a dozen times at this stage. We have been led to believe that these guidelines are being updated or imminent. The Minister is giving us an update on the progress in relation to that. As I said, it seems to take an extreme amount of time. They are much anticipated and long awaited. Whether it is solar or wind, the only conclusion I can draw is that we seem to be putting things on the long burner. The only conclusion I can draw is that is being done by design by the Department to allow a number of applications. I am surprised to hear there are that many applications in one part of Galway.”
“On some of the land he is talking about, with which I share a border, somebody could build a solar farm 100, 200 or 300 acres in size but would struggle to get planning permission for a one-off house or agricultural shed. It is that stark in terms of the development that can and cannot happen there. At this stage, we need to be genuine with people. In the absence of regulation and guidelines, we must stop fooling people. I welcome that there will a scoping exercise but it sounds like it will take an awfully long time. We need to implement guidelines urgently.”
“On the Minister's last point, we have approached Cork County Council collectively at a local level and it is saying that without national guidelines, it will not amend its development plan in terms of governing regulations around the erection of solar farms. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation here. The council is saying it will not implement anything about solar development in its development plan. The Minister is saying this evening that it is up to the council to incorporate that into its development plan. The council has already told us locally it is not open to amending it without direction nationally. I support the point made by Deputy O'Connor.”
“Better engagement with SMEs would ensure they could access schemes like invoice financing and microloans to manage cash flow. Supports must be practical, not bureaucratic. If we allow haulage costs to continue to rise unchecked, we risk undermining the businesses that sustain our communities. SMEs are resilient but resilience has its limits. Let us act decisively to keep Ireland's supply chain strong and our small businesses competitive. This is not just an economic issue but a social one. Every time a small haulier closes its doors, a community loses jobs, a family loses income and rural Ireland loses another piece of its fabric. We cannot allow that to happen.”
“This is not just about cost but about competitiveness. When haulage costs rise, Irish SMEs lose ground to larger firms and international competitors. We risk hollowing out our domestic economy and leaving rural Ireland behind but there are things we can do. We need long-term solutions, not just short-term patches. We could target financial supports for SMEs and haulage, not just during crises but as part of an ongoing policy. These businesses need predictability, not uncertainty. Investment in green and fuel-efficient technologies can reduce costs and help us meet our climate targets. Let us make sustainability a cost-saving measure, not a burden. Insurance reform could tackle spiralling premiums that are crippling rural hauliers. This is a structural issue that demands structural change.”
“The Irish Road Haulage Association has warned soaring insurance costs are forcing some rural SMEs to shut their doors. Add to this the challenge of delayed payments and cash flow uncertainty, and it is a perfect storm for small businesses trying to keep their wheels turning. These are not abstract figures; these are real businesses, real jobs and real communities at risk. Government has taken steps, such as the €18 million licensed haulage support scheme and the diesel rebate scheme, and these have helped to some degree, but they are temporary, limited in scope and often underutilised. For example, only 45% of eligible operators claimed the diesel rebate last year. We have to ask why. It is because this process is complex and small operators simply do not have the administrative capacity to navigate it.”
“SMEs are the lifeblood of Ireland's economy. They account for 99.8% of all businesses and employ over two thirds of our workforce. They are primarily the family-owned firms, rural hauliers and local manufacturers that keep our communities alive. Today they are under unprecedented strain. One of the most pressing issues they face is the rising cost of haulage. Haulage is not a luxury; it is the backbone of our supply chains. Every product we consume, from food to pharma, depends on road transport. For SMEs, the cost of moving goods has spiralled beyond control. Fuel prices remain volatile, insurance premiums are climbing and maintenance costs are squeezing margins tighter than ever. For many small operators, these costs are not just a challenge but an existential threat.”
“I welcome the Minister's statement about the domiciliary allowance in reply to the previous question. Specifically, could he address the supplementary welfare appeals in his answer if he has a moment? In relation to processing times, I am not trying to be unfair or harsh, but I look at the response that the chief appeals officer continues to monitor the number of appeals on hand and that appeal processing times take extra effort to ensure decisions are consistent and timely and I just wonder what the definition of "timely" is in the Department. Somebody who is in dire need of this payment - some more than others - does not have the facility to wait what is often 20, 25 or 30 weeks. Is there any kind of guide as to what people need to be aiming for or are there any targets the Minister could share with us this morning?”
“I know I can cherry-pick certain welfare appeal processes, but the one that always sticks with me is the supplementary welfare allowance. That can take in excess of a year. I am particularly interested in hearing whether there has been a reduction in the waiting time for that.”
“I have tabled parliamentary questions in the past, and I have always said that in terms of dealing with day-to-day stuff from TDs, the Department of Social Protection is probably one of the most efficient Departments and I want to put this on the record. Nonetheless, I have asked this parliamentary question on a number of occasions, as have a number of other Deputies in the past while. The Minister's answer is similar to previous responses about the 20 additional appeals officers put in place. Are they 20 permanent staff who have been reassigned or is that just temporary? If it is temporary, when does that reassignment cease? It is inevitable that there will be waiting times and backlogs but is there any kind of prediction as to when we will get back within that 12-week period?”
“I know it might not be popular to say it with some people inside here, but the €600 million VAT exemption given to hospitality might have been better devoted to this area in the budget. To finish, I want to highlight a particular concern I have about people providing full-time care to more than one person in their homes. Will the Minister please outline how we are going to help these people in particular, as I believe they are a cohort under the most pressure? Will the Minister update us on plans to introduce a pay-related carer's benefit for individuals who have to give up work suddenly in order to provide full-time care for their loved ones?”
“Will it be a lot more complex than that? He has probably already indicated that it will be. I will revert to the question and ask whether the Minister has any estimate on the number of people who have benefited from the specific measure introduced in budget 2026.”
“In budget 2026, recognition was given, as the Minister just outlined, to the massive contribution that family carers make in Irish society. Progress has been made, albeit not as quickly as some may have liked. Nonetheless, I know that more needs to be done. I have listened to the Minister intently this morning and over recent months. I welcome the fact that the Minister has reiterated here once again that his ambition is still to end the means test for carers in the lifetime of the Government. Will the Minister outline further his plans for income disregards for carer's allowance? I know he said it would be difficult to forecast it, given the variables he is dealing with, but I ask him to outline his approach and how he intends to do it in this staged fashion. Will it be in four equal parts over the four years?”
“We have been talking for quite a while about the need to build an extension to Cork Prison. Will the Taoiseach provide an update on that project?”
“The number of deaths in Cork Prison has doubled since last year. The Inspector of Prisons has said overcrowding has played a significant part in this. His annual report published a few weeks ago highlighted the low morale among officers and the insufficient access to a GP in Cork Prison among other issues. As the Taoiseach is aware, Cork Prison is frequently overcrowded. Last August, there were a total of 403 prisoners onsite. He knows as well as I do that this facility was only built for 296 prisoners. The latest count shows there are still 372 prisoners onsite. One of the recommendations from the report was to ask the Minister to introduce an upper limit on the number of prisoners that could be held on site. Can we look into the imposition of an upper limit?”
“It is worth noting that since the Minister has taken office, there has been a 40% reduction in the numbers of people arriving here and that is a testament to that robust system the Minister is trying to enforce.”
“Is the Department satisfied the voluntary returns programme is making real progress and being properly resourced, both financially and in terms of staffing capacity? The voluntary returns programme depends on people coming forward and not everyone will comply with this process. What actions is the Department taking to follow up with those who do not engage with the voluntary return programme? How do we track and enforce deportations for those who are not complying? I welcome the debate we are having. The current system is not working as it should. Decisions are taking too long and it is proving very costly. It is clear that significant reform is needed. I hope we can move forward in delivering that reform with compassion and fairness.”
“Since taking office earlier this year, the Minister has done a commendable job in building and delivering a robust and rules-based immigration processing and enforcement system. The Minister and his Department are moving towards a system that is more enforcement ready, faster in its decision-making and putting a stronger emphasis on verifying and processing. One specific point I would like to make is about deportation. My understanding is the total number of people removed by charter flights this year has come to 205 people. I recognise that the Department continues to prioritise voluntary returns. In light of recent incidents, however, there comes a time when, for a particular type of person, a deportation order must be enforced more strictly.”
“I express my condemnation of the appalling attack that took place at the IPAS centre in Drogheda last week. Such acts of violence are unacceptable and have no place in any society. My thoughts are with all of those affected. This is such an important and sensitive issue. I fully recognise the need for a robust international protection system for people fleeing war-torn regions. The global instability we have witnessed in recent years has underscored just how essential this is. At the same time, we must ensure our immigration system is fair, effective ad sustainable. That means addressing potential abuse of the system and ensuring housing, public services and infrastructure can meet demand.”
“That is because seven projects were allocated money back in 2025. Not one of those wastewater treatment plants has actually broken ground yet.”
“Budget 2026 allocated €117 billion nationwide. Approximately €19 billion or €20 billion of that was in capital investment. I raise with the Minister the issue of Carrignavar wastewater treatment plant. It is something that has been highlighted and identified as in need of urgent investment from Irish Water and Cork County Council. Nonetheless, it has been waiting years to be reached in their own list of priorities. I understand Irish Water received a significant uplift in the past couple of weeks and it is due to review its capital plan in light of that. Carrignavar is a village that has been restricted for development for nearly 20 years because of the lack of wastewater capacity. When will that capital plan review be concluded? Who will actually track and trace the deliverability of those projects?”
“Is that the additional SEN teacher along with the 17 SNAs he mentioned or is it a SEN teacher in addition to that allocation?”
“I genuinely acknowledge the Minister of State’s involvement in this. I rang him on Thursday night, when this story was about to break, and he got straight on to the school the following morning. That was appreciated by the parents and the school management. I seek clarification on one or two more points. The Minister of State said the NCSE is due to follow up this week. I realise he is not going to disclose on the floor of the Dáil what the result of the SNA review will be, but I reiterate the requirement that probably exists. The Minister of State mentioned that there are other related issues. I am not sure if they are sensitive. If he cannot disclose what they are, could he mention the issues he can talk about on the floor of the Dáil. One SEN teacher was appointed temporarily a number of weeks ago when this issue emerged.”
“As he knows, several parents were particularly upset when they received the initial email from school management stating their children could be on a temporary part-time schedule. Have those concerns been alleviated?”
“The Minister of State said that the Department is in contact with the school on an ongoing basis. Has the review that was instigated upon the arrival of officials from the NCSE and the Department concluded in the school? Is there any prospect of additional resources or has it been deemed that the resources provided heretofore are sufficient? As the Minister of State said, St. Gabriel’s deals in many cases, if not most, with students with severe intellectual disabilities and complex needs. Many also have autism. It is a particularly vulnerable cohort of students who need to be afforded every help we can give them. Could the Minister of State clarify if there is any further review pending or if further staff are due to be deployed to the school?”
“I did not hear what the Minister of State said at the outset. Initially, there were nine special educational needs, SEN, teachers and 18 SNAs. The Minister of State said there was an additional SEN teacher. How many SNAs?”
“I welcome the response the FAI has given stating that at its next board meeting it will have an update, but I ask that in relation to that update, commitments are given on timelines and when this can be delivered.”
“Aside from this specific project, is there going to come a point where the Department will say to awardees that they have five, six, seven years to draw funding down, whatever the project is around the country, and if they do not use it, they are going to lose it and it will be go back to the Exchequer to be reallocated to some other worthy project? All these projects are worthy. We are all looking to support the development of infrastructure and facilities. The Minister of State referenced the record funding the Government has invested in the recent budget. I hope in next year's budget we will see a similar allocation into the sports capital funding. Is there ever going to come a point where if an awardee cannot or is unable to draw down the funding they have been allocated, there will be a cut-off point?”
“I thank the Minister of State for the response. The one thing I can glean from this response, and that is encouraging, is that the Minister of State has stated the FAI told him at its next board meeting it will bring forward details on the project. That is welcome progress because this is something that the community of Glanmire and all the public representatives involved, including local authority members, have pushed for some time. This project dates back six or seven years since its inception. My fundamental frustration is around the drawdown of funds. This is not the only project across the country that has not been drawn down from the LSSIF or, indeed, from other sports capital grants. Is there going to come a tipping point?”
“Is the FAI dealing with this matter expeditiously with their partners? Does the Minister of State believe they can meet the local funding requirements in light of its recently published financial report?”
“I was encouraged by the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan's, comments in reply to me two weeks ago at a sports committee meeting on the departmental Estimates. At that time, he stressed for all existing grant programmes, be they sports capital funding or the LSSIF, the urgency of drawing down those existing funds that are committed. In the case of Glanmire, an initial €2 million was allocated in 2020. It is 2025 now and we are yet to see any drawdown of that funding. The reason I tabled this matter is that I do not have an issue with whatever proposal the FAI come up with, I just want to see the funding drawn down. We have been waiting the bulk of five years for that funding to be drawn down and, as I said, little or no progress has been made on the alternative the FAI promised a considerable time ago that it would come up with.”
“It is very frustrating for us locally because we did genuinely feel that this would be a trademark and would really put Cork football on the map. It is an internal matter for the FAI but we are growing increasingly frustrated over the past number of years with the lack of progress on the site. The Minister of State might be aware that Riverstown Football Club has actually become the main sublessee of the site and that needs to be finalised with Cork County Council. We are in the latter stages of that. Ultimately, the council's proposal that it will go out to a public consultation and consider alternative proposals for the remainder of the site, one of which is a multisport community centre proposal is being prepared by members of the community.”
“I think that funding was spread across 33 projects, of which an initial €2 million was dedicated to Glanmire. We fast-forward then to 2023 when the FAI wrote to the Department stating it no longer intended to proceed with that project in Glanmire with regard to the LSSIF grant I am talking about. If we move on again to 2024, the FAI board agreed at that time that it would look at alternative proposals. My understanding is that is an internal matter for the FAI that it is still considering its next steps, and the Minister might be able to elicit more of what it is thinking in his own response. My understanding is that we are still waiting for updates from UCC and the FAI. My understanding is that very little has happened.”