We are out of time, but if Deputies can be brief, I will take three questions. I call Deputies Cahill, McAuliffe and Tully.

This week, the European Parliament passed legislation on the restoration of nature. It is essential that there be fairness under the legislation. The maintenance of our rivers and streams is an issue I have raised previously. The situation is farcical at this stage. An angling club in Holycross approached me. It holds competitions on the River Suir in the area. It is an excellent fishing spot, but the undergrowth and briars along the banks of the river are preventing anglers from accessing it. There will be a great deal of toing and froing before the legislation is implemented, but it is essential that the maintenance of our rivers and streams is allowed to continue.

Two commitments in the programme for Government were welcome, those being, addressing the issue of apartment defects and reviewing the Multi-Unit Developments Act, or MUD Act, which governs management companies, sinking funds and management fees. In the coming months, we will see owners’ management companies, OMCs, receiving millions, if not billions, of euro in Government support. We need that to be matched with the review of the Act that the Department of Justice is undertaking. Important issues need to be addressed. Some of them are unregulated, with small numbers of people involved and the correct provisions not being made to meet future costs, for example, for lifts. We need the Department of Justice to follow through on its commitment to review the MUD Act in the same way as the Department of housing followed through in respect of apartment defects.

A WRC pay agreement was reached in late 2023 where an 8% pay award was given to employees of section 10, 39 and 56 agencies. I have been informed that the HSE plans to outsource the management of the dispersal of the funds to the section 39 organisations and that the contract will be given to KOSI, the same company that managed the pandemic payment. That we are two years on and there are still employers that have not received that payment does not augur well for the payment of these funds. Why is a national pay deal being outsourced to a company to manage and what is the cost of doing so? If there are delays, it will allow the pay discrepancies to widen, adversely affecting the recruitment and retention of staff.

Regarding Deputy Cahill's question, the European Parliament passed the restoration of nature law this week, but there are lots of procedures and phased approaches to its implementation. We first need to read it and understand what is going to happen next year, the year after, in five years and in ten years. The Government had two reports this week on inland fisheries in terms of removing barriers, dealing with weirs and fish passes, etc., which will benefit anglers. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, brought the matter to the Cabinet. It will represent significant investment. During the week, Waterways Ireland put out significant plans for the rivers Suir and Barrow and so on to once again facilitate angling and access to their banks without undermining the core issue of nature restoration. These things can be done. That there are good programmes in place reflects the fact that, with investment, we can accomplish a great deal on this front.

Regarding Deputy McAuliffe, I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O’Brien. Both issues are crucial to many people in multi-apartment complexes and to those with building defects. The Government has made a strong commitment in that regard financially and provided for it. It is just a matter of delivering and getting on with it.