I wish to ask about the development of a national clean air strategy, which is a commitment of the programme for Government. According to the EPA, 1,300 people die prematurely each year due to air pollution. Long-term exposure to air pollution has also been linked to higher Covid-19 mortality rates. Is there a timeline for the development of this strategy? Will there be investment in our network of air monitoring stations, as promised in the programme for Government?

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. The report issued by the EPA in recent days highlights how much work we all need to do to improve air quality. As he rightly pointed out, air quality has a direct impact on health, particularly for those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD. It is linked to higher mortality. This is a life-and-death health issue. A lot of progress is being made on the new clean air strategy. It will involve increased investment in air monitoring stations. What we do not measure we cannot improve. We need to improve measurement in this regard.