Four public houses have been refused.

I call Deputy Cowen. He knows the rules.

We know the rules. Let us see if we can play by them. With regard to the Taoiseach's response earlier to Deputy Martin, where he indicated he would favour a ban on turf, would he include in that the failure of his Government-----

I will use the 30 seconds if I am allowed.

More fake news.

Deputies, please.

The Government brought forward statutory instruments earlier this year to address the issue in regard to horticultural peat and its harvesting. The decision of the High Court later in the year left the Government in a position whereby it would need new legislation in order to counteract that. It will face the loss of a further 4,000 jobs in that sector of that industry unless it addresses this in the near future. Can the Taoiseach assure the House his Government will do so?

I call Deputy Danny Healy-Rae on the same issue.

Because of political pressure from Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and others regarding the smoky coal ban, the Taoiseach was considering a nationwide ban on the burning of turf and timber. I am asking him not to stop the burning of turf or timber. Many people in rural Ireland, including Kerry, are very glad and proud to come home to a fire of turf or timber on a cold, wet evening.

A question, please.

Elderly people and children work hard all summer to save turf and to store timber.

Come on, Deputy.

The Deputy should not forget the dogs in the street.

I did not interrupt the Deputy. This is the house of contradictions. Deputies Boyd Barrett, Ó Broin and Bríd Smith say children are cold and there is energy poverty.

What about promised legislation? This is a Second Stage speech.

Order, please.

Is the Taoiseach going to stop the people of rural Ireland from burning turf or timber?

No.

If he is, there is going to be a lot more energy poverty and a lot more people who are cold. They are entitled to cut turf and timber.

I must be fair. The Deputy will not get in for the rest of the week.

They have done it for generations. There are a lot of other things to be sorted out before we even consider stopping them burning turf or timber.

Order, please. The Deputy will get no question for the rest of the week. That is the penalty. I cannot answer on this. I am referring the Deputy to the consultation that is proposed.

I can answer. I am happy to assure the House that neither I nor the Government are proposing that people be banned from burning turf or wood in their own private homes. However, this is-----

Withdraw the consultation.

He wants to ask the public about it.

The Deputy is a wise enough man not to believe everything he reads in the papers.

I am able to read well enough and it is there in black and white.

The Deputy has no right to come in like that.

However, a ban on burning turf and probably a ban on the burning of wood in people's private homes would be probably a natural extension of the policy that is being proposed by the leader of Fianna Fáil.

We do not do "probably" around here.

It is part of its growing anti-rural agenda. It opposed the massive broadband plan, it wants to re-profile the roads projects and now it wants to ban the burning of turf. This is an anti-rural party.

He knows that is twisting it. Withdraw the consultation.

Deputy Rabbitte, please. This debate is getting too-----

The anti-rural party? He would not find his way to a bog.

The Taoiseach should have heard the farmers on Sunday, some of them members of his own party.

Deputies should restrain themselves. The debate is getting too heated.

So there is no consultation and no ban on coal.

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle-----

You are the first to get the black card. I call Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin.

It is they who are proposing it.

For a straight-talking man, the Minister does not have many answers.

It is Deputy Cowen's leader who is proposing it.

It is the same in Donegal. We are asking that we be allowed to continue burning turf and timber.