I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Supplementary Estimate for Public Services [Vote 29] (back from Committee) (without debate)

- Motion re Sixteenth Report of the Committee of Selection (without debate)

- Motion re Orders of Reference of Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach (without debate)

- Motion re Membership of the Joint Committee on Standing Orders (Private Business) (without debate)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands on Bere Island (without debate)

- Motion re Confidence in the Government (to conclude within 145 minutes and any division claimed to be taken immediately and by means of roll-call)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No. 514/2014 laying down general provisions on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund amending Regulation (EU) 514/2014 (to conclude within 55 minutes)

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (to conclude within 55 minutes)

Private Members' Business shall be the Motion re Raise the Roof, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Instruction to Committee on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 [Seanad] (to conclude within 60 minutes and any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage of the Bill)

- Statements and Questions and Answers post European Council meeting of 23rd-24th June, pursuant to Standing Order 124 (not to exceed 125 minutes, including 20 minutes questions and answers)

- Sick Leave Bill 2022 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 30 minutes)

- Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 30 minutes)

- Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 30 minutes)

- Electoral Reform Bill 2022 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to conclude within 45 minutes)

- Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 [Seanad] (deferred division on Second Stage, followed by Committee and remaining Stages) (Committee and remaining Stages to conclude within 2 hours and 30 minutes)

- Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022 [Seanad] (Committee and remaining Stages) (to conclude within 45 minutes)

Private Members' Business shall be Second Stage of the Rent Reduction Bill 2022, selected by People-Before-Profit Solidarity.

Thursday's business shall be Statements on Summer Economic Statement (not to exceed 210 minutes). Thursday evening business shall be Second Stage of the Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022.

Proposed Arrangements for this week's business:

In relation to Tuesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders is modified to the following extent:

(i) private members' business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall, in any event, be taken on the conclusion of the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Health and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil, which may be later than 10.30 p.m.; and

(ii) notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 37, topical issues shall not be taken and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Health pursuant to Standing Order 46(1);

2. the Motion re Supplementary Estimate for Public Services [Vote 29] shall be taken without debate;

3. the Motion re Sixteenth Report of the Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate;

4. the Motion re Orders of Reference of Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach shall be taken without debate;

5. the Motion re Membership of the Joint Committee on Standing Orders (Private Business) shall be taken without debate;

6. the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands on Bere Island shall be taken without debate;

7. the Motion re Confidence in the Government shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 145 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 135 minutes, following which a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, and members may share time;

8. the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No. 514/2014 laying down general provisions on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund amending Regulation (EU) 514/2014 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 55 minutes, and the following arrangements shall apply:

(i) the order of speaking and the allocation of speaking times shall be as follows:

- opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State - 10 minutes;

- speech by a representative of Sinn Féin - 10 minutes;

- speeches by representatives of the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit-Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group and the Independent Group - 5 minutes per party or group; and

- a speech in response by a Minister or Minister of State - 5 minutes; and

(ii) members may share time; and

9. the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the terms of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 55 minutes, and the following arrangements shall apply:

(i) the order of speaking and the allocation of speaking times shall be as follows:

- opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State - 10 minutes;

- speech by a representative of Sinn Féin - 10 minutes;

- speeches by representatives of the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit-Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group and the Independent Group - 5 minutes per party or group; and

- a speech in response by a Minister or Minister of State - 5 minutes; and

(ii) members may share time.

In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) the Dáil shall meet at 9.00 a.m. to take the Motion re Instruction to Committee on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 [Seanad];

(ii) the SOS shall be taken on the conclusion of the Statements and Questions and Answers post European Council meeting of 23rd-24th June, pursuant to Standing Order 124, which shall be taken on the conclusion of Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1), with consequential effect on the time for the commencement of Government business;

(iii) the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and shall, in any event, be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022 [Seanad], with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil, which may be later than 9.30 p.m.;

(iv) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 37 shall not be taken as the first item of business but shall instead be taken as the last item of business and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion thereof; and

(v) notwithstanding the Order of the Dáil of 6th May, 2021, the deadline for submission of topical issues on Wednesday shall be 10.00 a.m.;

2. the Motion re Instruction to Committee on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 [Seanad] shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes, and shall be confined to a single speaking round, with the contributions of a Minister and of a spokesperson for Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group, and the Independent Group (which shall be taken in that order) not exceeding 7.5 minutes each, and members may share time: Provided that any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage of the Bill;

3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 170, the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Rent Reduction Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after two hours;

4. the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the Statements and Questions and Answers post European Council meeting of 23rd-24th June, pursuant to Standing Order 124:

(i) the statements shall consist of a single round, which shall not exceed 100 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for that time, immediately followed by questions and answers which shall not exceed 20 minutes;

(ii) following the questions and answers, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and

(iii) members may share time;

5. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Sick Leave Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment;

6. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one Question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform;

7. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications;

8. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Electoral Reform Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage;

9. the proceedings on the Committee and remaining Stages of the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 [Seanad] shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours and 30 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and

10. the proceedings on the Committee and remaining Stages of the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022 [Seanad] shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

In relation to Thursday’s business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 37 may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m., and shall, in any event, be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on the Summer Economic Statement, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022; and

(ii) notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 37, eight topical issues shall be taken;

2. the Dáil, on its rising, shall adjourn until 2.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 14th September, 2022; and

3. the Statements on the Summer Economic Statement shall not exceed 210 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 200 minutes, following which a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, and members may share time.

Is the Order of Business agreed?

It is not agreed. The House has been given two and a half hours tomorrow to deal with the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which is controversial legislation to which many Members have tabled detailed amendments. Late on Thursday, the Government submitted 48 pages of non-consequential amendments to what is an 18-page Bill. There has been no Dáil scrutiny of many of the provisions. Some of them are not controversial; others, relating to judicial reviews, are deeply controversial. The idea that the Government would try to ram through 48 pages of technical legislation through amendments, many of which will not even be dealt with in the limited time allotted, is wholly unacceptable. In addition, the deputy chairman of An Bord Pleanála resigned on Friday, with all the implications that has for public confidence in that important body, and the fact that there is no mention of that being discussed this week is problematic. On that basis, I am opposing the Order of Business.

I too have serious concerns regarding the way the Order of Business has been scheduled. Last week, I criticised the Government for having shoehorned five Bills into five hours on Wednesday afternoon. It is now proposing that six Bills be shoehorned into six hours tomorrow. Even worse, there are significant numbers of amendments to some of those Bills, including significant numbers of Government amendments. There are 73 amendments to the Electoral Reform Bill alone, yet only 45 minutes of debate planned.

Most seriously, six major new sections have been added to the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which will more than double the length of the Bill, from 18 pages to nearly 50, with 48 pages of amendments from the Minister. The Department of Housing under Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil, created this crisis in An Bord Pleanála and the avalanche of judicial reviews when the strategic housing development process was brought in. Now, without pre-legislative scrutiny or the opportunity for Second Stage debate on these significant amendments to the judicial review process, we see all of these amendments coming into tomorrow's schedule when we have not had a chance for any scrutiny of these amendments in advance. We have serious questions about the process by which this Bill and these amendments in particular are being pushed through in tomorrow's schedule. We cannot support the Order of Business-----

I advise Deputy Bacik that the Government Business tomorrow will include a motion regarding an instruction to committee on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022. That might provide-----

Yes, for 45 minutes in the morning.

Sixty minutes.

At committee meetings I have been raising the plight of pig farmers. It seems Deputies do not want to discuss this. This beat all, however, introducing 67 new amendments to the planning and development Bill, which will change the whole type of the Bill. It is now a seriously different Bill from what we thought it was at first. We debated it here and the Minister told me he would have five different sets of amendments. He has six different sets of amendments, actually - 67 in total - and he is going to ram it through tomorrow in little more than two hours. This is shockingly bad. Rushed legislation is always bad but this is terrible. It will destroy the input of the local authorities into the legislation. It is a takeover, a power grab by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. There is no democracy anymore, not in this House nor in our local authorities. It is shocking. We in the Rural Independent Group are totally opposed to it.

The Government is seeking to ram through amendments to the planning Bill this week that will severely curtail and restrict the ability of people to hold An Bord Pleanála to account. That is what the Government is doing this week. If these changes go through, they will severely restrict and curtail the ability of people to hold An Bord Pleanála to account. These changes amount effectively to a get out of jail free card for An Bord Pleanála if it is found to have broken processes or indeed broken the law in making planning decisions. It is incredible that the Government is seeking to do that right now when An Bord Pleanála is under investigation regarding multiple allegations. Reports on those investigations have not yet been published. Will the Government not withdraw these amendments that seek to curtail people’s ability to hold An Bord Pleanála to account and await the publication of those reports and indeed the publication of the review into planning?

I agree with the points that have been made. The Government's approach in regard to the planning Bill is an absolute scandal. It is an abuse of the most basic processes in terms of how Parliament should operate.

I also wish to make a more fundamental point. It is proposed that we rise on Thursday, 14 July and the Dáil will not sit again until Wednesday 14 September. That is more than eight weeks at a time when people's incomes are effectively being eroded, day after day, by inflation running at close to 10%, when one in three people now live in energy poverty with obscene profiteering by the energy companies and the big food companies. The Dáil should not rise until it addresses this crisis, until it imposes price controls on the essentials such as diesel, gas and electricity, until it imposes a windfall tax on the profiteering that is happening, and until it acts to protect people from this crisis.

First, in terms of the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 and the amendments the Minister is bringing in, we heard during Leader's Questions demands to increase housing supply, reduce the pressure on renters and so on. That is the full purpose of the amendments, essentially, in regard to short-term lettings, which I would have thought many people were calling for in this House. Many people were looking for this and the Minister is now endeavouring to provide for that. They are positive amendments that will provide greater supply. We just had people complaining about the absence of supply and the need for more supply.

Has the Taoiseach read the amendments?

Clearly not.

I have, indeed, in terms of the short-term lettings.

In addition, I would make the point that the Government has made it clear that there will be a very substantial cost-of-living package in tandem with the budget. A lot of work has to go into that and into the budget in terms of getting that right.

We have already, last week, introduced measures in terms of increasing the back-to-school allowance by €100. That will take effect in the next week or so. In addition, we are providing extensive meals to children in DEIS schools, particularly the new schools. We had the largest increase in DEIS schools ever this year, which was an outstanding measure taken by the Minister for Education. Now the school meals programme will be applied as a cost-of-living measure but also because it is the right thing to do for those attending those DEIS schools. School transport fees have been waived for the coming September period, again to reduce costs families would face as the children go back to school. These are reasonable measures.

We need a more comprehensive package at the end of September in terms of the cost of living. There is no doubt about that. We have to do it in a way that is not inflationary as best we can and we have to alleviate the pressures on households.

I understand there were briefings of the committee by Department officials yesterday in relation to these amendments. We need to continue to streamline our system to make sure we can increase supply of all forms of housing units.

Give the planning regulator quite a lot of power.

Certainly, there is no grab for power. In response to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, I would take exception to the assertion that we are somehow resiling from holding An Bord Pleanála to account. The Minister has appointed a senior counsel on that core issue. That is a very serious review. Additional time was sought. It is important when we create a process that it is given time. As the Deputy will be aware, An Bord Pleanála is doing its review. The planning regulator is doing a review as well. There are three.

Why not wait for that to make changes to the law?

The time is up. I am obliged to put the question.

We move on now to questions on promised legislation. We have just 20 minutes remaining. I ask those leaving the Chamber to do so quietly. Given the short time we have, would Members be agreeable to 30 seconds for questions and 30 seconds for answers?