It has been agreed that the report of the Business Committee, having been circulated, can be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

They are not agreed.

I call Deputy McGrath.

The price of oil was raised on Leaders’ Questions. The AA has now done a survey to say that we are one of the highest countries in the world for petrol and diesel prices. We had over 32 increases last year. The miserly €100 that is promised for later on in the year, perhaps March or April, will not go anywhere near helping people. The cost of everything, including groceries, is affected by the fuel that is needed for trucks, factories and everything else. How will we recover our economy with this spiralling crisis? I am asking for a debate here on the madness in the prices and the increases in energy costs.

I thank Deputy McGrath and call Deputy Connolly.

I know that with a puff from the magic dragon the restrictions were lifted at 6 o’clock last Friday. It would be churlish of me not to recognise the sense of relief and excitement felt by many people. Equally, many people have wondered what the context of this is, with a decision made outside of the Dáil, with no discussion and with a clár oibre anseo gan Covid-19 luaite beag ná mór. I am asking for a full debate on the context of Covid-19 and on the lifting of restrictions. We are all getting phone calls from nursing homes, for example, where people still cannot go in to visit their loved ones and where day centres are not operating. None of this has been put in perspective in respect of when the indemnity with the pharmaceutical companies comes to an end, or in respect of the compensation scheme. I do not expect the Taoiseach to answer now on all of these issues but I am asking for a full and frank discussion on an informed basis on the floor of the Dáil this week or next week, or as soon as possible.

I thank the Deputy. Do any other Members wish to speak? No. I call the Taoiseach now.

This is the first time I have even been referred to as a magic dragon. There may have been a few dragons in it in terms of the public health decision. I believe that a Dáil debate on this matter is a very good idea. Perhaps it can be facilitated next week because we need a reflection and an analysis on people’s inputs on the advices we received from NPHET on the decisions that we subsequently took as a Government, and on the broader position as we move out now in the next number of months with policies that we need to embed within our health service, and so on, in dealing with any further surges, iterations or new variants of concern. I would be in favour of that.

We had a discussion earlier on the issue of energy prices. The legislation governing the rebate from electricity prices should be coming into the House next week. Maybe that will give an opportunity on Second Stage for a debate on the issues that Deputy Mattie McGrath has raised. That would make sense to me.

Are the arrangements for this week agreed to?

They are agreed.

Agreed. Thank you very much. On the Order of Business, I call Deputy McDonald.