As Deputies are aware, we have agreed that for the period of the emergency, the report of the Business Committee will be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

Not agreed. It is almost three weeks since the Government launched its Housing for All plan. The Dáil did not debate it last week and we will not debate it this week. It is inappropriate that the Government gets to launch its plan with great fanfare and talk of 300,000 homes by the end of 2030, the majority of which are simply estimates of what private developers will build, without it being debated here. There is a danger that all the flaws in the plan will be exposed before there is even a debate in the House. Consider the selling off of public land to private developers in South Dublin County Council's area last week. Consider the absence of measures for renters, exposing the fact that people will continue to face soaring rents-----

We cannot get into a debate on the matter now.

-----in the context of inflation. We need to have a debate in the House.

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage needs to attend the House and we should debate Housing for All. On the Order of Business last week, I raised the comments made by the Minister on 24 June in which he incorrectly stated that the Central Bank had given approval to the shared equity scheme as part of what was then the Affordable Housing Bill. I asked that those comments be corrected, but they have not been. The remarks made by the Minister last week and in the letter sent to the Ceann Comhairle did not even reference the comments he made on 24 June last. We cannot have a situation where Ministers state incorrectly in the House that they have received regulatory approval for schemes when that has not happened. It cannot be accepted. The Tánaiste referenced the importance of the truth being told. It is important that the truth in this matter be told and that the position be corrected. It is also the case that the Minister spent more time meeting representatives of the construction industry before publishing the Affordable Housing Bill-----

We do not need to get into those matters, Deputy, please.

-----than he spent on Committee Stage in the Dáil. We need him to come to the House, explain why he made that statement and gave incorrect information, and update the record.

In fairness, that matter was discussed at some length at the Business Committee. The Chief Whip undertook to engage with the Minister on the matter. I am sure we will come back to it.

Last week, I raised the issue of felling licences. There should be no such thing as a felling licence for 50 ha. When someone plants any other crop, be it miscanthus, barley, wheat or potatoes, it can be harvested. This situation is farcical. I will keep raising it. We have an energy crisis. We also have heaps of timber, but we are not allowed to cut it. This would not happen in a kindergarten. The Minister of State introduced legislation almost a year ago, but it was useless, toothless and fruitless. We must allow timber to be cut. The cost of timber for use in construction has doubled. Timber cannot be got in Ireland; we are importing it. This makes no sense. We need a proper debate in the Dáil. We need legislation to be introduced by the major parties to give people the right to harvest the crops they sow.

The Government would welcome a debate on Housing for All, giving the Minister an opportunity to present it to the House and to hear views on it. Perhaps time could be found next week or thereafter for us to give it the airing it deserves and to hear Members' views. I imagine that is something that the Business Committee can discuss. Our programme for this week is already busy. We talked about aviation - there are aviation agreements to be ratified. We talked about crime - there is the Prüm DNA profiles motion. There is important legislation from my Department on white-collar crime. There is sea fisheries legislation, which is important to our maritime communities. There are Garda Síochána orders. There is a debate on child poverty and child homelessness. There are also important Private Members' Bills from the Opposition. I am not sure which of these important debates we would cut. I would not like to see us cutting any of them in order to discuss Housing for All this week, but perhaps we could discuss it next week or the week after.

Are the proposals for the week's business agreed to?

The Tánaiste ignored my question. It is a major issue and we need it resolved.

I acknowledge that. I know the enormous difficulties that people are facing in getting licences to fell trees. It has been discussed a great deal in the House in recent weeks.

We need legislation.

The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, is on the case. I am sure that we can find time for a debate, but the Government would like to stick to the order before us. I have not yet heard anyone say which of the other debates should be cut or deprioritised.

The Government is doing nothing about forestry.

Wait, please. I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan.

I would be happy for us to extend our time to facilitate our request. The Tánaiste has not responded to the points I made about the record of 24 June when the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage incorrectly stated that his shared equity scheme had received approval from the Central Bank.

We cannot allow that statement to go uncorrected.

The Deputy has made his point.

It is completely incorrect.

My understanding is that the Minister has clarified that.

The Minister made a statement which the Deputy is not accepting. Are the arrangements now agreed? Agreed.