I thank the 11 Members of the House for their contributions oln the Order of Business. I join with all Members who have expressed their words of sympathy on the death of the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna. Senator Conway-Walsh is correct: the legacy she leaves should be such that this never happens again. Irrespective of where we are from or who we are, we are all appalled by the tragedy that has unfolded, the human stories involved and the loss of life. There must be accountability; there must be answers and there must be a path put forward such that this will never happen again. I fully concur with the Senator.

I thank all the Members of the House for their contributions on the budget. I think it is fair to say some people will be happy, that others will be unhappy and that there will be those who will never be happy. That is the way it will be. As Senator Colm Burke said, if one looks at what we are adding to the country in terms of investment in public services and tax modifications, compared with where we were a dozen years ago under the dreadful regime of Fianna Fáil in government which decimated the country, is it not wonderful that today we have a Government with a budget that can give to the people in terms of tax breaks and investment in public services?

I do not want to pick a row and say Fianna Fáil got this and whoever else got that. The important point and the benefit of the confidence and supply agreement is that we have had a Government in place for three budgets. Others can shout from the sidelines with their voodoo economics and claim all kinds of projections, but the reality is that the Government is committed to ensuring the economy which is near full employment will be managed prudently. For the first time in a decade we have balanced the books, which means that if there is a downturn again, we will be able to borrow money in order that we can continue to invest in public services and people.

The fundamental point for me is that the budget is about investing in people. As Senator Ardagh said, it is about ensuring money is put aside for housing, which is very important and a Government priority. The Government is committed in the budget to the development of 10,000 new social houses and 25,000 new homes in general and an investment of €2.4 billion in housing and €310 million in affordable housing, the biggest State investment in affordable housing in a decade. This is in addition to the fact that we will see a spend of €146 million on homelessness services and €310 million on affordable housing. This means that the Government, through a variety of ways, will be able to ensure people - men, women and children, citizens of the country - are able to have a house of their own. This is the aspiration towards which all of us in politics must work to ensure we deliver for people. It is extraordinary that on the eve of the budget, in Dublin Mid-West, Sinn Féin councillors could oppose the construction of 975 houses.

Senator Ardagh also referred to Sláintecare. The health budget enables us to progress Sláintecare. The budget provides for funding for a new integration fund; a GP contract; extra mental health services; initiatives to reduce waiting lists; a reduction in prescription charges; the creation of 100 new therapist posts; and an additional amount of money bringing the mental health budget to €84 million. We are seeing significant increases in investment in health.

Many Members referred to the issue of climate change and the carbon tax. I draw Members' attention to the Minister's budget speech, in which he made a significant statement on carbon tax and climate change.

It is all talk.

It is important to recognise that the Minister has committed Ireland to joining the Paris collaborative on green budgeting. He has ensured that in the national development plan €1 in every €5 of Exchequer investment will be devoted to climate change measures. Senator Humphreys raised the issue of the Moneypoint power plant. It is this Government that is ending the grid's dependency on the Moneypoint power plant.

In 2025.

As the Senator was a Minister of State in a Government, he knows quite well-----

The Senators will have a further opportunity when we discuss the next item.

It is a great sign of a budget when the main Opposition party can come in and all it can talk about is 2025. The Government is committed-----

Statements on the budget are to be made later.

It is the next item.

The Government is committed. Senator Humphreys criticised the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten. The Minister published Ireland's first statutory national adaptation framework in January, which committed Ireland to achieving certain targets.

None of them has been reached.

In budget 2019 we will see the following: €103.5 million for improvements in grants and premium rates for planting forests; the introduction of the beef environmental efficiency pilot scheme which will improve carbon efficiency in beef production; €70 million for the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme; and an additional €70 million for the environmental waste management programme, all of which are working.

I was going to suggest the Leader come in again on the next item - statements on the budget - because he has a lot to say.

I thought the Order of Business-----

The Leader will have a lot to say then.

I thought I was replying on matters raised on the Order of Business.

That is grand. I will not interrupt the Leader's reply.

The Leader criticised me for not sticking up for the budget. Emissions are increasing by 2.1 million tonnes per year.

Order, please.

I like to give comprehensive replies, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach knows.

I have noticed that.

If one takes the logic of Senator Humphreys and others, including Senator Devine, who spoke about climate change, to its conclusion, what is extraordinary is that they want to put an extra levy on the ordinary man and woman in the cost of coal, home heating oil, peat briquettes and sticks. That is for what the Senators have argued.

That is right.

That is what the Senators have argued for.

What is contradictory? There are 2.1 million extra tonnes per year.

The Senators can expand on all of those points when we come to statements on the budget.

The Senators are telling the plain people of Ireland that they want to tax them more, targeting them further, but the Government is not doing that. We will have the debate, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach said.

The Leader is denying climate change.

We will have a debate, in which all of those points can be expanded on.

The Leader is a climate change denier.

I am not, no.

Order, please.

I do not deny that there is climate change.

The Leader sounds like he is.

I am actually not; on the contrary-----

Order, please.

We have to reduce the use of coal, turf and everything else.

We are committed to doing so.

The Leader is a climate change denier.

I ask Senator Humphreys to hold his peace a while.

Senator Humphreys may well try to lay that political charge against me.

The Leader is as bad as Trump.

The Leader to conclude, please.

It is a bad sign when Senator Humphreys has been reduced to tackling the Leader of the House.

The Leader has just spent the past five minutes attacking me.

And I did not curse at anyone.

Hold on.

I urge the Leader to read the minutes.

I join with the Members of the House in acquiescing to the call for a minute's silence tomorrow for the commemorative event and to highlight and honour the people who died on 10 October 1918 just before 9 a.m. onboard RMS Leinster as it began its final voyage from Carlisle Pier in Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead in Wales. I will be happy to do that tomorrow and thank the Members for the proposal.

Senator Kelleher raised the issue of dementia. I agree with her and commend her on her work. The Minister in his budget speech, and in the annexe to the budget, makes reference to services in terms of the increasing need for homecare packages and community supports. I agree with Senator Kelleher that the model of delivery, in terms of dementia, is one we must change to ensure there is, as the Minister said in his budget speech, an integrated model of care with more stepdown and community responses for people who require same. I would be happy to support that model.

I am happy to facilitate Senator Ó Ríordáin's request for a debate on the separation of church and state and the circular the Minister for Education and Skills issued on 19 February, according to the Senator. I am not familiar with the circular, but I will be happy to have that debate.

I join with Senator Byrne in complimenting the Minister for Finance on the education budget for the apprenticeship scheme. The issue is important and the Senator has repeatedly raised it here.

I am glad that the film corporation tax credit has been extended. I know that both Senator Byrne and I have spoken about the measure before. We have seen the benefit of it. I commend her on raising the matter. Senator Colm Burke also raised the issue in the context of the budget.

Senator Feighan raised the issue of the civil rights march. I join with Senator Feighan in commending the bravery of the men and women on that awful day in Derry in 1968. As he rightly said, there are people who should be praised, in particular Ivan Cooper and John Hume, for their work and bravery over time. The figure in the opinion poll is quite alarming.

It is important that we uphold the Good Friday Agreement and stand firm in our resolve to ensure peace remains central on all parts of our island and that we never go back to the dark days of the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. I commend Senator Feighan, in particular, on his great work in this area. I do not mean this to be patronising in any way. He has been a beacon of hope and inspiration to many of us in how he goes about his business, building bridges in the North and the UK. That came across clearly to me last week when I was in Bishkek to attend the OSCE meeting when some of the British parliamentarians were very loud in their praise of the Senator for the work he had done. He is an example to all of us in how to build bridges and learn.

On UFC and the Conor McGregor fight at the weekend, we can all learn lessons about the promotion of sport. Sport is meant to be competitive, but it is not meant to be violent. It is not meant to send the wrong message. We are meant to have heroes. Last week I was on a flight from Istanbul to Bishkek. When two gentlemen next to me heard I was from Ireland, they said, "Ah, Conor McGregor." They were effusive in their admiration for him. Notwithstanding the remarks of Senator Feighan, Conor McGregor has a loyal following. The sport may be hard to understand at times, but I hope the sporting body in question can come back with answers.

Finally, I commend the budget to the House and assure Senator Humphreys, in particular, that we will have a very healthy debate on climate change.