I was grimly amused by the Taoiseach's suggestion earlier today that he was calling for a housing debate.

A proper debate.

We have been asking every week since the publication of the 250-page Housing Commission report - commissioned by the Government - for a debate on that report and the Government has run away from it every single week for nine months, and again this week. Can we finally have the debate the Taoiseach says he wants on the Housing Commission report that the Government published? Of course, we know he does not want to debate it because it tells the truth about the Government's failed housing policy, how its targets are completely inadequate, and it is not able to meet the targets anyway.

We will have a debate on Thursday about the importance of agrifood to the Irish economy and I call for an extension of time on that debate. Some Deputies will only have one minute 35 seconds to discuss this. We have a lot of issues relating to agriculture that need to be discussed, especially the highest level of TB in a generation in this country - it has gone up 44%. Irish agriculture is off the agenda here and it needs to come back on the agenda. Farmers are telling me that they are emotionally stressed and financially stressed. Their cattle are going down in the yard. They are going into factories killing clear. There has to be an answer to this crisis that has taken 41,000 cattle from the yard in the past 12 months and left no answers to farmers. I am asking for a proper debate on agrifood and the TB crisis that is hitting this country.

I turn first to agrifood. There are 135 minutes allocated. We will extend it, if necessary, into next week. There is an issue with the availability of the Minister. It is a serious issue. That is accepted.

In terms of the Housing Commission, it seems that the Deputies opposite are opposed to a lot of what is in the Housing Commission.

How do you know? You will not debate it.

When I reference one area of it, I get attacked. I have no issue with a debate on the Housing Commission.

You have been saying that for nine months. Nine months you have been saying it for.

We have had a debate every week. I will make a general point as we are looking at Standing Orders and so on.

Talk about untruths.

I want to make a general point as we are looking at Standing Orders and so on.

Maybe answer the questions.

In terms of the Order of Business, the time of the Dáil is about Government time and Opposition time. There is nothing wrong with the Opposition, in Opposition time, discussing any of the issues raised.

But you do not turn up for those debates.

The Housing Commission could have been raised in Private Members' time, or the children’s hospital or any other issue you believe should be raised.

We want the Minister to come in and talk about the Housing Commission.

I do not think any other parliament in Europe has as much time devoted to Opposition as this Parliament does. That is a fact. I agree we should get the Oireachtas committees established as quickly as we possibly can. I agree with the Deputy who raised that issue. I have no issue with that. However, Government time has to be ring-fenced as well to get legislation and decisions through. There will be time for Opposition, but we cannot have it that there can be Private Members’ and Opposition time and then Deputies say they want more of Government time to discuss other things they want to discuss. There will be a division between Government and Opposition times-----