The report of the Business Committee has been circulated and is to be taken as read. Are the arrangements for this week's business agreed to? They are not agreed.

For the second week in a row, the Government has refused to agree to any statements whatsoever requested by the Opposition. This week, the Government has about 12 hours of time available and none of it has been allocated to statements from the Opposition. This is not sustainable, and it cannot continue. This has been the Taoiseach's position week after week. I seek a commitment from him on the matter now. For example, last week he committed to statements on two ombudsman's reports that came from the North, but that was not agreed. In spite of there being 12 hours of Government time, none of it is allocated to the Opposition for statements. That is totally unsustainable and unacceptable. Will the Taoiseach commit to restoring statements from the Opposition to this week's schedule and in each of the coming weeks?

For the first time ever, legislation has been passed to end a farming identity in this country. As the Taoiseach knows, I refer to mink farming. The Government has shut down three farms that were creating employment, one of them in County Kerry. A fair and honourable commitment was given at the time, and we all expected it would be honoured. I refer to fair compensation and a fair package for the people who were working on the three farms. Unfortunately, every commitment and promise has been broken. That is not right. It is not fair.

What does it have to do with the Order of Business?

It has an awful lot to do with it. I will tell you why, a Cheann Comhairle. If not here, when, and if not now, where and how? It has to be arranged somewhere and this is all I can do on behalf of those three farms which the Government has shut down. What is the Government going to do to be fair, honest and reasonable in dealing with those involved?

I thank the Deputy. The time is up.

I plead with the Taoiseach on their behalf.

I ask why the short debate on the citizens' assembly has been removed at late notice from today's schedule.

Why has the debate on the biodiversity citizens' assembly been wiped from today's agenda? The Dáil declared an emergency and a crisis in 2019. It has taken two years for the Government even to put a date on the citizens' assembly. The much-heralded review of the national parks is delayed. The much-heralded announcement of the wildlife unit shows that only one person has been allocated to that wildlife unit. When I raised this on Twitter, someone said “I hope it is Ace Ventura that is being employed”. We need to be discussing biodiversity in the Dáil. It is a disgrace that it has been taken from the agenda today.

In light of the report in The Sunday Business Post in regard to governance of the HSE, it is incumbent on this House to have a wider debate on retention and recruitment in the overall health service. Many people who read that report were very concerned about the state of our public health services. We need a wider debate, not only in regard to that article but on the wider issue of retention and recruitment in the HSE.

There are important statements this week, first, on the commission on defence and, second, on the retrofitting initiative. I thought Members would have welcomed the opportunity to speak on those. The Opposition has three Private Members’ opportunities.

There are two. The other one is not for the Opposition only. It is for Government and Opposition.

The Opposition benefits from that as well. In previous times, there was only ever one Private Members’ opportunity so there are more opportunities in this Dáil and the last then there was historically in the House. There was a debate on legacy the week before last and we are committed to doing one on the ombudsman's report. In terms of the citizens' assembly, that is being prioritised for next Tuesday now.

Why was it taken off?

There was some technical issue around the wording. I will come back to the Deputies on that. I am anxious to get it done as quickly as possible and it will be prioritised for next Tuesday.

In terms of mink farming, I think it is the right policy. The mink is foreign to our biodiversity in many respects. As to fair compensation, the Minister has met with the farmers concerned. There was a lot of disquiet about the fact mink farming was going on in the country and it raised a lot of concerns. From a policy perspective, the decision was taken, it is in the programme for Government and it was followed through on. I will relay the Deputy’s concerns to the Minister, who is engaging with the farmers concerned in terms of the agreements entered into.

In terms of wildlife, we are currently recruiting for the wildlife investigations unit; that recruitment is under way and it is a very welcome initiative. On the broader National Parks and Wildlife Service, I can tell the Deputy that before this Government is finished, that will be well and truly enhanced in terms of resources and its status within the overall framework of Government infrastructure on the issue of biodiversity.

There was Deputy Gino Kenny's question on recruitment.

I dealt with that on Leaders’ Questions. Generally, the Government view is that we want to create space for legislation and for the legislative functions of the Dáil in addition to just statements all of the time.

I do not see how that recruits nurses.

I am putting the question, "That the proposed arrangements for this week's business be agreed to." Is that agreed?

Not agreed.

We have 17 questions and 22 minutes. If Members are concise and the answers are too then we will get through everyone. Deputy McDonald is first.