I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)

- Statements on the Coordination of Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland (working title) (not to exceed 212 mins)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re the International Court of Justice and Genocide in Gaza, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees (without debate)

- Research and Innovation Bill 2023 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn either at 4.45 p.m. or after 2 hrs 26 mins, whichever is the later)

- Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 [changed from Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023] (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 4.30 p.m. and if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 2 hrs)

- Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 (Amendments from the Seanad) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 2 hrs)

- Employment Permits Bill 2022 (Report and Final Stages) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn either at 10.45 p.m. or after 2 hrs, whichever is the later)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be Second Stage of the Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022, selected by People Before Profit-Solidarity.

Thursday's business shall be the Research and Innovation Bill 2023 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded) (to adjourn at 4 p.m., if not previously concluded).

Thursday evening business shall be the Motion re Report entitled "Report on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals 2023".

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 shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) the Dáil may sit later than 10.32 p.m.; and

(ii) the time allotted to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for Statements on the Coordination of Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, private members’ business, Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, and topical issues;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate; and

3. the Statements on the Coordination of Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland shall not exceed 212 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(i) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 200 minutes, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, providing for two minutes for non-aligned members;

(ii) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(iii) 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) in the event the Taoiseach is unable to attend for questions pursuant to Standing Order 46(1), the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) may take place earlier than 1.49 p.m., with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business; and

(ii) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m., and the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Employment Permits Bill 2022, or where those proceedings conclude within the allotted time, on the conclusion thereof;

2. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 170(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Misuse of Drugs (Cannabis Regulation) Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after two hours;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committees shall be taken without debate;

4. the proceedings on Second Stage of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 4.45 p.m. or after 2 hours and 26 minutes, whichever is the later, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday;

5. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 [changed from Social Welfare (Liable Relatives and Child Maintenance) Bill 2023] shall commence no earlier than 4.30 p.m., shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 2 hours, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday;

6. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 2 hours, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday; and

7. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Employment Permits Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 10.45 p.m. or after 2 hours, whichever is the later, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday.

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

1. the following arrangements shall apply in relation to Thursday:

(i) the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the interruption or conclusion of proceedings on Second Stage of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023, or where those proceedings conclude before Thursday, immediately following the SOS, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the Motion re Report entitled "Report on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals 2023", and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and

(ii) the Dáil on its rising shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 7th February 2024; and

2. any resumed proceedings on Second Stage of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned at 4 p.m., and shall not be resumed on Thursday.

Is that agreed?

It is not agreed.

I call Deputy Doherty.

It should be me.

Sorry, Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

The smaller Donegal person.

Last week, I raised the serious crisis in the fishing industry and its concerns about how negotiations are being handled at European level. Today, some of its leaders are in Brussels speaking for our industry. It is absolutely critical at this stage that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, who is in the Chamber, appear before the Dáil to make a statement on how this matter is being handled and that we have statements about the overall state of the industry. Inshore fishermen were here last week. Aquaculture, both offshore and inshore, is an industry in serious crisis. We need an urgent statement from the Minister setting out his vision and approach to negotiations in Europe to reassure the industry that it has a future.

We spoke earlier about the welcome progress in Northern Ireland. I understand the details of the DUP deal are to be published tomorrow. However, we do not yet know exactly what Westminster will be asked to pass by way of legislation as part of that deal. Will the Government Whip allow for time this week or early next week for statements on Northern Ireland and on progress so that the Government can provide clarity, in particular on the issue of what it proposes to do, as one of the custodians of the Good Friday Agreement, in order to safeguard that role. The Taoiseach referred earlier to restoration of North-South bodies, but it would be helpful to have more clarity through a debate and statements on the very welcome progress.

I again ask for time to be allowed to speak about the city of Dublin. The Taoiseach may be aware that an application was made yesterday to construct a fence around the Ambassador Theatre, which was built in 1764. This would obliterate part of the cultural heritage of our city. We need a consultative forum led by this Chamber in which we can bring all agencies together to discuss the city of Dublin and how we can make it safer, remove the blight of antisocial behaviour, confront dereliction, open up vacant sites and make us all proud again of our capital city and its infrastructure.

I ask that the Taoiseach allow for statements, particularly on the issue of housing affordability. I was told by my colleague, Councillor Melisa Halpin, that there was a management report in Dún Laoghaire yesterday showing that zero cost-rental or affordable houses were delivered last year. In Cherrywood, the biggest residential development in the country, houses are being sold at between €600,000 and €800,000 and, unbelievably, we still do not know whether we are getting any affordable housing. Apparently, there is a row going on with the developers over the delivery of affordable housing, which we were supposed to get for the big public investment that went into that development, that is, the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF. We still do not know how many affordable homes there will be, if any, and whether they will actually be affordable. Rents there are being charged at €2,500 to €3,000 per month and house prices, as I said, are in excess of €600,000.

I thank the Deputy.

The Taoiseach said he was interested in ideas-----

Time is up, Deputy.

We need an urgent discussion in which we can have ideas about how to deliver affordability in housing and rents.

There is a serious situation regarding the diminishing Garda numbers all over this country, while the Minister says they are increasing. The town of Carrick-on-Suir has only four gardaí when it used to have 18. Roscrea used to have 27 gardaí - we know the problems they have there now - and now only has seven. It is the same in Cahir and Clonmel in my constituency and all over the country. I regularly meet gardaí who are up here from other areas helping to police the city and leaving the people at home. When are we going to have a meaningful and honest debate about issues surrounding gardaí and the lack of numbers? I know the Government has increased the age limit, but it is too little, too late. The number has been allowed to diminish so low - in roads policing and everything else. We need a proper debate on that issue.

There have been a number of requests for statements on Northern Ireland, the fishing industry and negotiations currently happening at European level, Dublin, housing affordability and Garda recruitment. On many of these issues, such as housing affordability and gardaí, we regularly have discussions in the House. We would be happy to have statements on Northern Ireland, perhaps next week when the position is more clear and the documentation is published. The Whip will be happy to organise that. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, is willing to have statements and a question-and-answer session on the fishing negotiations once that can be scheduled. I would be happy to find some time for statements on Dublin as well, but these are best scheduled by the Business Committee rather than here on the floor of the House. We are happy to discuss any of these matters, however.

Are the proposed arrangements for the week now agreed? Agreed.