Pa Daly
Kerry · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with this issue when other colleagues were not available. She will be able to bring her experience of this area to this debate. I am slightly caught for time, so I will try to parse it a little bit. I wish to ask the Minister of State about the harmful content on social media platforms.”
“While we know violence against women is a crisis and femicide in Ireland is a crisis, it is overwhelmingly men who carry out these acts. These are men of all cultures, races and ethnicities. However, social media giants have a responsibility and are clearly not stepping up to the plate. They are not complying with their obligations.”
“The Digital Services Act was introduced. It was to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment and to prioritise greater activity and online safety. There is the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 to protect children and the public from harmful and illegal content. There is a danger.”
“We are running over time but I will make one more point. If, as it provides in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, we are to protect children and adults from online conduct, how does it look as an example to younger people in particular when this content is still allowed to be there?”
“Somebody even said that they hope these comments are not going to be deleted to suit one's ideology, which they misspelt. That is the kind of narrative that is going on. They are mocking her beliefs and her. It is similar to what is being investigated by the police in Britain.”
“Bhíos ag caint le healaíontóir i gCiarraí níos luaithe um thráthnóna. Labhair sé liom mar gheall ar na mothúcháin a bhaineann le AI. Dúirt sé liom it could help to generate ideas, layouts and content more quickly, leaving more time to focus on strategy and working with clients.”
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“It will be the ordinary people and their expenses - the people who are struggling with the cost of living. It pushes up prices for basic necessities which are already sky high. Is the Government taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously at all? On top of this, we face a severe HGV driver shortage. A total of 4,000 drivers are needed over the next five years. It is almost ironic that the week after we deported a planeload of Georgians, the Government is rushing to do a deal to get more Georgian drivers back into the country. Waiting times of up to two years for a test and sky-high training costs are pushing people away from the profession. The Government must act now to fast-track recruitment and reduce costs. This Government has no plan, just statements and spin.”
“However bad the situation is for the full-time staff, the situation facing franchise drivers is even worse. Many of them are owed weeks of pay they will likely never be refunded. Franchise operators are out thousands upon thousands of euro. These are the SMEs in our community, the sole traders, the people working for themselves and the people who live down the street. There is real concern that this will be repeated across the industry unless something changes and something is done to address all of the rising costs, especially for motorists. The IRHA has warned that the latest increase from TII and the Government will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, with widespread strike action on the cards. Who is this going to hurt the most at the end of the day?”
“Rising fuel costs, insurance and toll hikes are all pushing them to the brink. According to Chartered Accountants Ireland, costs have increased for almost 80% of small businesses in the last year. Budget 2026 did nothing for them. Two thirds of the businesses in the country say that it offered no relief. What is the inevitable outcome? Consumer prices will rise and more businesses will close. The Irish Road Haulage Association has been sounding this alarm bell for many months, but its warnings have fallen on deaf ears. That is why the Government was in such shock lately when Fastway Couriers collapsed. A total of 300 jobs and 1,000 contractors are out of work. Franchise drivers have been left in total limbo. The fallout has been swift and severe.”
“Last night, it could have agreed to reverse the carbon tax increase to cut the cost of petrol and diesel, to end rip-off insurance premiums and hold insurance companies to account, to stop further toll hikes, to hold energy companies to account and to end financial penalties for those who have to pay their motor tax in instalments. These real and practical measures would have eased the pressure on workers, families and the struggling haulage SME sector. Instead, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the regional Independents and their supporters chose to pile on more costs, a move which has become the hallmark move of this Government. As a result, ordinary people and our SMEs are under unbearable pressure. According to them, jobs are at risk. In Kerry, local businesses are telling me the same story.”
“Last night, the Government had a chance to vote for measures that would cut the cost of living. Instead, it stood firm and decided to continue the rip-off. The irony of the Government putting statements out the day after it rejected the very measures that would have brought down the cost of driving and haulage for SMEs should not be lost on anyone here. I cannot say that I am looking forward to the excuses. For the Government, today's debate is a box-ticking exercise that allows it to lip service to a problem it is unwilling to fix.”
“I wish the former Minister, Deputy Donohoe, all the best. The Government is developing a new diaspora strategy. The Coventry Irish Centre has been supporting Irish immigrants since 1953 and it continues to do that in welfare, health, befriending and helping people with passports. It has supported 500 survivors of residential institutions since the 1990s. However, it has no permanent home and has had to move five times since 2015. In the new strategy I ask the Tánaiste to include a provision whereby all of the great work the centre is doing with survivors, and sometimes with the elderly Irish community in Coventry and all of the west Midlands, can be supported so it can have a permanent home.”
“I think I was meant to have the next question. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to write to me via email with a response as to whether there is a review into concerns about whether Uber coming into the taxi market complies with the Taxi Regulation Act.”
“They are the workers who need a pay rise. The Government must step up and introduce a living wage for all workers, rather than just bumping up the salaries of the people at the top.”
“That would be fine if there were also fair play for workers and families, many of whom are also working in essential services. We need fair pay for them. The decision to abolish the pay cap is going to increase wage inequality. There will be a much bigger gap between the CEOs and the people who are doing the work on the ground. In the recent budget, supports to help people with the cost-of-living crisis were ripped away. Last year, the CSO identified that in-work poverty stands at 5.9%, meaning approximately 145,000 people in employment are living below the poverty line. Earlier this year, research from the ESRI showed that when housing costs are taken into account, the figure is even higher. In a society of nearly full employment, nearly 15% of the State’s population is living in poverty, including one in five children.”
“Of course we need to ensure that we have the best people for the job but it is not all about top dogs and the CEO. In a cost-of-living crisis, will the Minister of State outline the reasoning behind these salary bumps, some of which are over 33%? This morning, I listened to representatives from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Ireland on the radio outlining that more and more families, particularly middle-income families, are seeking its help because of the massive increases in the cost of living in respect of electricity, heating and grocery bills. In Kerry alone, over 20,500 dinners were provided to families across the county this year. That is in stark contrast to salary increases of over 33%. Does the Minister of State have any thoughts in that regard?”
“Is mian liom ceist a chur ar an Aire Stáit mar gheall ar na salaries that have recently been announced for a number of incoming CEOs. Those salaries concern commercial State bodies under the aegis of the Minister of State’s Department. Has he discussed these increases with the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services Reform and Digitalisation?”
“That is the call from that organisation and from many people in rural Ireland who are obliged to use the commercial operators.”
“The Minister of State mentioned introducing subsidised public transport services. I want to raise the issue of rural children being excluded from the scheme because it has not been extended to commercial operators. At a recent appearance at the transport committee, David Conway from the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland said his operators are excluded from the scheme. He found that surprising given they are included with some other elements. Our heavy reliance on commercial transport operators in rural areas is maintained because public transport has not been expanded over the years as it should have been. As a result of this failure and lack of planning, some parents and children have no choice but to use a commercial operator. They were included in the young adult fare scheme but have not been included in this.”
“How is the Minister of State planning to do that? Why was this situation not anticipated and dealt with before September?”
“It is true we in Sinn Féin support this measure but it has to work in practice. I agree it is good there have been 25,000 cards and agree on the gathering of data to ensure public transport is available to more children and citizens into the future. However, the roll-out has not been going to plan. First of all, it took about a year to get it off the ground and the scheme was not officially launched until September. Even worse, some of the cards required to access the scheme do not work. Parents have contacted us to say not only does their child's Leap card not work but many bus drivers had not heard of the scheme. That is hardly a ringing endorsement of a successful roll-out. The NTA has confirmed to us there are problems with the scheme and has claimed the issues will be resolved when a fix is found and proper testing carried out.”
“If the Minister for Transport was here, I would ask him to report on the scheme for the free travel for five- to eight-year-olds. I would also ask him to report on the roll-out of the scheme. This has been heralded for a long time. I do not know how much money was spent on it or what testing was done but there have been problems with it. We have had complaints that the cards do not actually work. There seems to be problems on both Bus Éireann and Iarnród Eireann services. What is the Government doing to address them?”
“Is it progress to hike up the cost of petrol and diesel through the carbon tax increases, which some people in the Minister of State’s Government do not even believe that they have anything to do with? These are hitting lower income and rural drivers who rarely have an alternative option.”
“The Minister of State has not answered the question about deferring the tolls and whether the Government is going to do that. It has the power to do it and there are other measures it can also take to cut the cost of living and the spiralling costs for drivers. We outlined these in a Private Members’ Bill last week, which we will be voting on tomorrow evening. The progress that was spoken about in the response last week is as absent as the countermotion, which was supposed to be issued last week, but which never materialised when we were in here in the Chamber. Is it progress that the Government is standing by while the insurance companies rip people off? Is it progress that the Government punishes drivers who, for whatever reason cannot afford to pay their motor tax upfront and pay it in instalments?”
“While that sticking plaster type response did not go far enough, it was better than what the Government is currently planning, which is putting more burdens on drivers already crippled by some of the highest prices for petrol, diesel and insurance in Europe.”
“I hear the Minister of State's response but it is very disappointing because he, the Government and the Minister over in Brazil are trying to wash their hands of it. However, the general public and the voters will see right through this because during the last general election campaign, the Minister himself called for the toll hikes to be scrapped. Has there been a change of mind since then or was it never really meant by the Government? Was it another broken promise in the run-up to the election? Denying responsibility is not going to satisfy people. They know that the Government has the power to stop this because a previous Government did it. In a rare move in 2023, the then Government actually listened to the Sinn Féin proposals and deferred the toll increases from that January for a period of six months.”
“From the eye-watering price of petrol and diesel to the spiralling cost of insurance, drivers are being hammered with skyrocketing costs at every turn. I ask the Minister of State if he will defer the January 2026 toll increase and if he will make a statement about it. It is a clear political choice from Government, the Ministers and all their supporters. Will the Government have the same courage of its convictions as it did before the elections, when the Minister himself called for the toll charge increases to be scrapped?”
“The Government is signing up to a deal that will decimate the Earth's lungs and will reward production linked to the deforestation of the Amazon and the Sierra Nevada, two of the most critical ecosystems on our planet. I ask the Government, including the Healy-Rae brothers, if they stand with family farmers and indigenous people in the Amazon, and the shared future of the planet? Do they believe in democracy or will they sell out for corporate greed? It is their moment of choice. Which side are they on?”
“The Government must be honest that this Mercosur deal is fundamentally incompatible with climate science. It exposes the hypocrisy of the Government, von der Leyen and the Commission, in allowing 99,000 tonnes of untraceable South American beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry into the EU market at reduced tariffs. These imports are not subject to the same standards. They fall far short of the high bar we expect from Irish farmers, who produce high-quality food for EU citizens and at the same time provide public goods. This is all being sacrificed for the benefit of global corporations in the automotive and pharma sector to sell cars, insurance and wine.”
“Mercosur is a rotten deal for people and for the planet and it must be rejected. The Government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the regional Independents, including the Healy-Rae brothers, is selling out Ireland, abandoning our farmers and signing a blank cheque for environmental degradation and destruction the world over because there is no doubt this is just the beginning and it will put the farm families out of business. They are rolling out the red carpet for imports, packed with banned pesticides, hormones and antibiotics and gambling with our agriculture, public health and the future of the planet. It is a fundamental threat to our sovereignty. I refuse to accept that the largest free trade agreement in history can go ahead without the approval of national parliaments. It is undemocratic and a betrayal of the Irish people.”
“When claims fell by 40%, premiums fell only by 5%. The Minister's statement goes on to say that it "could potentially undermine" the Government's efforts. It is hardly going to do that when the best that he could come up with was the introduction, sometime in the future, of a new code for insurance companies. This is not mandating them. Rather than bringing in legislation, it is bringing in a new code, to which it is hoped the insurance industry will sign up. The amount of leeway that is being given to insurance companies is laughable. What we propose is not radical. It is common sense. It is fairness. It is not left or right; it is what people need now. The Government should not hide behind excuses anymore or pretend that its hands are tied. It is sitting on its hands at the moment.”
“He knows as well that despite carbon tax increases not being effective because people have no choice in what they do, he is not going to reverse the carbon tax increases. The funny thing is that despite all the money paid in taxes, the Government is going to continue with the toll increases. The Government does not need to do this. It is mean and unfair. It is punishing commuters and people who have to go to school, college or the doctor's. The biggest laugh of all is that in tackling the insurance cost, the Government argued that our Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2021 does not take into account the significant work undertaken by the Government. It is not working. For 40 years, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been doing everything that the insurance companies want them to do, hoping against hope that motor premiums will reduce.”
“If ever anybody in this State needed proof or evidence that the Government does not care about the cost-of-living crisis or the increased costs on motorists, they can see it in the Minister's own speech from earlier on. He said that this House should reject the Sinn Féin Private Members' motion and instead support the Government's countermotion on this matter. The Government did not even bother to lodge a countermotion. It is farcical in the replies the Minister gave earlier on that he mentioned he is aware that motorists are penalised in that if they cannot pay upfront, they pay an extra 5% in increments. He knows about it but is not doing anything about it except for a Bill that he is announcing some time in the new year.”
“On a point of order, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, mentioned that there was countermotion. That was not notified to the proposers. We checked with the Whip's office and it does not seem to have it either.”
“It is the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and regional Independents that have abandoned ordinary people. Before the election, they promised tax cuts for workers. They gave them to banks and developers. They promised to help with energy bills. They withdrew credits. They promised affordable childcare and failed to deliver. Now, they want to make driving even more expensive. Our motion is simple: stop the toll hikes; end the penalty for paying motor tax in instalments; stand up to the insurance companies; and reverse the carbon tax.”
“If a driver is paying the average premium here, which is now €620, did the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, know that they are paying almost double the European average? Profits in the insurance industry have been far above industry norms for the past few years while ordinary families struggle. Sinn Féin has a plan to stand up to the insurance companies in our Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2021 so that savings from reforms go to customers and not into the pockets of multinational wealthy insurers, but this Government drags its feet. Then there is a motor tax, which is a system that penalises those who cannot pay in one lump sum. If a person is wealthy, they pay less. if they are struggling, they pay more. This is not fairness; it is a punishment.”
“It is another example of a policy this Government is actively pursuing. After all, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the regional Independents, supported to the bitter end by the Healy-Raes, could have chosen not to proceed with the increase, which has hiked up the cost of petrol and diesel even further. Their stubbornness on this is frustrating, not least because certain Government-supporting TDs and Ministers of State deny they are playing any part in it whatsoever. I fail to see how a Minister of State, who is in government, can absolve himself from any responsibility for the policies of that Government. The Minister of State, Michael Healy-Rae, is either part of it or he is not. Insurance is more of the same, with ordinary people being ripped off no matter what way they turn.”
“Following the previous toll hikes, profits for private operators of the Limerick tunnel surged by 10% to €12 million while toll income on the M50 reached €212 million, €12.5 million of which was from penalties for drivers. If traffic falls on these roads, guess what? The taxpayer steps in to guarantee private profits through the traffic guarantee clause. This is a rigged system and a safety net for corporate owners, and it is ordinary people who pay the price. The price of petrol and diesel tells us a similar story. Irish drivers already pay the third highest petrol and diesel prices in the EU. What do Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents do in response? They push prices even higher with continual increases in the regressive carbon tax on petrol and diesel. Despite what some say, annual increases are not set in stone.”
“They are political choices made by this Government, choices that put private profit ahead of public need and choices that deepen the cost-of-living crisis. This is not just about cars. It about fairness, about whether people can afford to get to work, college, school or the doctor, and about rural communities where public transport is limited and people are being doubly punished yet again. In relation to toll hikes, the Minister for Transport has the power to stop them but is choosing not to. He did it before when Sinn Féin forced the issue in 2023. The Government can do it again this time. Instead, it is allowing the toll operators that already pocket millions of euro in profits to treat Irish drivers like cash cows.”
“Drivers are being hammered with skyrocketing costs, paying some of the highest prices for petrol and diesel in the EU. The cost of motor insurance continues to also increase year after year despite lower awards. Now, the Government wants to hit drivers with another round of toll hikes. These are people who are commuting to work, driving their kids to school and just trying to get from A to B. The Government's policies are punishing people for just living their everyday lives. It is time to end the rip-off and cut the cost of driving. Enough is enough. The solutions are at the Government's fingertips, but it has made the political choice not to use them. Let us be clear - these extra costs are not inevitable.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — there are 11 toll roads in operation across the State, 10 of which are on the national roads network with two of these being in full public ownership and eight roads across the State are tolled under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the Minister for Transport holding responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the National Roads Programme; — motor tax can either be paid in one less expensive lump sum or more costly instalments disproportionately impacting lower-income motorists; and — annual increases in Carbon taxes raise the price of motor fuels, with the Minister for Finance holding overall responsibility for tax policy; regrets that: — despite a raging cost of living crisis, motorists are faced with price hikes at every turn, particularly those living in rural areas, who are forced to use a private car due to the failure of successive Governments to put in place sustainable public transport options; — the average cost of motor insurance rose by nine per cent last year to its highest point in five years, which is almost double the European average and over four times the rate of inflation; and — Irish motorists pay some of the highest prices in the European Union for petrol and diesel; further acknowledges that: — private toll companies have recorded millions of euros in after-tax profits in the past year and the profits of motor insurance companies in the state have been way above industry norms in recent years; — the existing gold-plated PPPs contracts that permit these toll increases, and generous traffic guarantee payments, are a legacy of bad economic policy choices and decisions made by successive Fianna Fáil-led administrations; and — the Government's latest action plan to lower insurance premiums follows a similar action plan during their previous term which failed to make any difference; condemns: — the failure of the Government, in particular the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien to respond and include the necessary financial provisions in Budget 2026, and to cancel these planned increases and lessen the burden on workers, families, and businesses in the midst of the cost-of-living and fuel crisis; and calls on the Government to: — reverse the carbon tax increase of May 2025 on home heating oil and gas, reverse the carbon tax increase of October 2025 on diesel and petrol, and do not proceed with future scheduled increases; — end the financial penalty imposed on people who cannot afford to pay motor tax in one single payment; — stand up to insurance companies to ensure fair and stable motor insurance costs and to address the disproportionate profits in this industry; — progress and enact Sinn Féin’s Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2021, to ensure the benefits of reforms are passed onto customers in the form of lower premiums, rather than captured as higher profits for insurance companies; and — stop the proposed toll increases planned for January 2026.”
“How will the other income generated be used or returned for the public good? It is scandalous that nearly 90% of the plastic collected is shipped out of Ireland - 7,000 tonnes of plastic - and Re-Turn claims that this is because we do not have the facilities. Has the Minister of State discussed how the unreturned deposits can be given to the public good, and what measures will be used to increase our recycling capacity?”
“I thank the Minister of State for that part of the reply, but the question about what happens to the Re-Turn money and the money made from the scheme requires a bit more clarity. The unredeemed deposits are worth over €100 million. Income generated from producer fees and recycled material is €50 million and although the report mentions unreturned deposits of €66 million, it was actually €103.2 million, so Re-Turn deducted €36 million as an estimate of how much deposits would be returned after the year end. These are substantial sums we are talking about, and the public is entitled to know how it will be used because the taxpayer, in effect, is paying the bill. Does the Minister of State know how long Re-Turn will hold the unredeemed deposits? What are its obligations?”
“It is, therefore, the second year in a row that it did not disclose key management personnel compensation. The compensation increased by 50% when the board met less often in 2024 compared to 2023. Three quarters of the board is made up of representatives of the drinks industry. They are obliged to conduct a scheme. Will the Government disclose this information to increase accountability, transparency and support from the public?”
“What measures are being taken to ensure a greater proportion of the plastic is recycled? When will they be put in place? Schemes like the deposit return scheme can only be successful with public support. Of course it is, in effect, based on taxpayers' money via the rebate. With the most households already stretched, every additional cent has to be justified. We need transparency. I know that Re-Turn produced its annual report in August. It failed to disclose the CEO salary, but what we did learn raises questions about how the collected revenue is being used. Five members of the management team were paid €1.1 million in 2024, When it was questioned recently by the Business Post , Re-Turn declined to comment on how much compensation was connected to the package of the CEO.”
“I am standing in for Deputy Carthy. I ask the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his proposals to increase the amount of polyethylene terephthalate, PET, plastic recycled in Ireland. The EU is discussing collating data. We have to export a huge proportion of it. Since the deposit return scheme was introduced, the recycling rate has risen from 49% to 91%, 76% of which is from the deposit return scheme and 15% of which is from mixed recycling. Some €4.6 million was spent on public awareness last year and €50.7 million on administrative costs. While the deposit return scheme has achieved progress, there are serious questions about transparency, compensation and unreturned deposits.”
“This suggests that the energy suppliers may be using network costs to facilitate extra profit, which is not surprising. To date, the committee has received no update from the regulator about its justification. At a minimum, we need transparency as to how the costs are translated into bills and mechanisms to safeguard against profiteering.”
“I think we all agree that the equity investment we were discussing last night is necessary. Unfortunately, however, there does not seem to be anything there to safeguard against repeating past mistakes to ensure that the investment is directed towards the social good and to prioritising energy affordability. One company, Energia, justified its recent price hikes based on the network charge increases. On its website it says that it has worked to minimise the impact on customers but that the price changes are unavoidable. At a recent appearance before the committee, however, concerns were raised that network charge increases could not be used to explain its recent price hikes because the network charges increased by €29 but its charges increased by €200.”
“Under the CRU's draft decision, households and SMEs will see their electricity network charges increase but the data centre users will see reductions of up to 18%.”
“Most people will know, and the people in the Gallery will know, that the need for the grid upgrades is driven in part by the growing energy demands of data centres, whose usage has increased by 400% since 2015. Therefore, all the extra energy we are creating in renewables is being gobbled up by the data centres. The Government's own officials last November, in a memo issued by the Department of public expenditure, pointed out that the upward pressure on energy bills is due mainly to data centre expansion. That followed a warning from the Secretary General of the Minister's own Department in May that data centre growth could threaten our ability to solve the housing crisis. We have repeatedly highlighted the unfairness in the funding model for our grid, but the draft or interim decision for PR6 in July seems to ingrain this.”
“The amount that can be raised through network charges to fund grid upgrades and the renewable heat obligation will come up soon. The Minister mentioned he has spoken to energy suppliers, but has he spoken to them as well as the regulator on the pressures these will put on household energy bills? While we accept that investment in the grid and transition to renewable heat are essential, what safeguards will be put in place to shield householders from increases?”
“Will the Minister of State take any steps to try and make the retrofitting more affordable, to tier it and to target specifically people in rural areas, older people who use more solid fuel rather than, as Social Justice Ireland said, a wealth transfer?”
“I accept there is a need to simplify the process because it seems to me there was a lack of planning in that some news reports said householders were told to roll back or change their retrofitting efforts on the basis that they were in breach of planning permission. Only 355 loans have been approved over the last year. If the average loan is about €48,000 that is only €17 million which is far from the game-changing results we were promised. Again, the high concentration of loans going towards the east coast has led to far less uptake in the rest of the country when that is factored into it. The Minister of State also mentioned solar. The lowest income homes seem to be locked out of the solar revolution.”
“It is a bit like the EV scheme where richer people in Dublin and Cork are availing of it more and not those who need it most.”
“I am not sure the priority has been proven to be those who are most in need. It is not just me questioning the Minister of State’s statement that significant progress has been made. Social Justice Ireland has said the retrofitting scheme constitutes little more than a wealth transfer. The programme for Government made a number of promises to focus on lower income homes to have retrofits each year from 2026 to 2030 but since then there have been zero changes to how the grant scheme is administered and zero effort to tier the grants so that they can be directed at those who need it most because the upfront cost to a home is an astronomical €60,000 to €70,000 which is unacceptable and unaffordable to most people. Most people on lower incomes, especially those who use solid fuel, often in rural, older homes, are locked out of the scheme.”
“In the last question the Minister mentioned the retrofitting and heat pump targets but the target to retrofit 500,000 homes to B2 standard and install 400,000 heat pumps by 2030 seems to be far behind. The Government has delivered just 12% and 3% of those targets. The Government has often said that investment and delivery will rapidly increase year on year, but the budget for 2026 tells a different story. The Minister said it was a record increase but it has the same capital allocation for retrofitting as the Revised Estimate for 2025 so it is actually a decrease on the promised capital investment of €641 million. Are the targets now null and void? Is the Minister going to accept that?”