The issue of housing should not be politicised. It is one on which we all collectively must put forward solutions and ideas in order to build more houses and give people a roof over their heads. That is why the Government committed €2.4 billion on housing spend in the budget. Up to €146 million will be spent on homelessness and €310 million on affordable housing provision.

Today is World Mental Health Day. I commend the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle for hosting an important meeting this morning on mindfulness. Senator Swanick spoke about resilience. He is correct that it is about giving people the tools and empowering them to be able to deal with issues which affect their lives. In this regard, this morning's meeting with Chris Ruane MP was important. I thank Deputy Catherine Martin, the Ceann Comhairle and the Cathaoirleach for organising it.

Mental health is an important issue. The Central Statistics Office, CSO, published figures last week which showed men accounted for the majority of the 392 deaths from suicide in 2017. Thankfully, it is a downward trajectory. While we have the tenth lowest rate of the 33 European countries, one person who dies from suicide is one too many. The extra money found in the budget must be put in place not to pay for the rising cost of wages but to put in place mental health services for young and older people. The €1 billion for the mental health budget is a significant amount of money. As the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, said yesterday, it is no longer the Cinderella of the health service. There is a compendium of parts to the jigsaw which we must all put in place to ensure the issue of mental health is not stigmatised or forgotten. Members must show leadership. I hope today's mindfulness seminar will be the beginning of a new programme in this House. Yesterday's announcement by the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, is significant. I hope we will see spend continuing on the mental health budget.

Senator Marshall made a fine contribution on the issue of the loneliness of the self-employed and the importance of taking care of this sector. That is why the Government announced measures to deal with this in yesterday's budget. Agriculture, particularly in a Brexit scenario, is critical. Senator Marshall welcomed the increase of €56 million in funding to agriculture and the restoration of ANCs. It is important to welcome in the context of climate change the €20 million funding for the new beef environmental efficiency pilot scheme which is on the way. This will have a significant role to play.

I know Senator Humphreys can feign his-----

Up to 2.1 million tonnes of extra carbon will go into the atmosphere on the Government's watch.

What about retrofitting houses?

Senators Norris, Lombard and my good friend Humphreys raised the issue of carbon tax and climate change. Nobody is in denial about the importance of the need to have our country take its climate change responsibilities seriously. The Government is committed to that. I will cast the Senator's mind back to the Minister's speech yesterday. I replied to the matter on yesterday's Order of Business. The Senator can protest all he wants. I know he has to do what he has to do. However, one has to be fair about what the Government has done and is committed to doing.

As the Senator understands, Ireland has, compared with other EU countries, a very broad carbon tax. It is pitched at €20 per tonne.

We are the second worst in Europe.

The Leader said compared with other European countries.

Regardless of whether people like it, ours is a tax on diesel, petrol, coal, home heating oil and other fossil fuels. The Government is encouraging people to change their behaviour and move towards cleaner alternatives rather than penalising those who have no option but to use their cars at a time when the price of diesel has risen by 20 cent per litre. It is okay for Senators Humphreys and Norris, both of whom live in the middle of Dublin city. Perhaps they will listen to what I have to say.

I am listening to the Leader.

What the Government has done in the budget is place a 1% VRT surcharge on new and imported diesel cars, invest €30 million in supports for electric vehicles and extended tax reliefs for hybrid and electric cars. This year, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, who is criticised in this House almost weekly, will spend more than €780 million on public transport infrastructure and services. In addition, we will agree a price for carbon in 2030 and a pathway to achieve it in the next decade-----

By 2030.

-----which will link us to what is envisaged by the Climate Change Advisory Council, a matter to which Senator Humphreys referred. Under Project Ireland 2040, €22 billion will be invested to tackle the issue of climate action. This is in addition to the €8.6 billion being put in place for climate sustainability in terms of mobility.

What does that mean in simple terms? It means that the Government is investing. We are also upgrading the public transport system. Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann will have low-emission vehicles. We will also ensure that, by 2030, all new cars will release zero emissions, which is one of the most ambitious projects or plans in Europe. The Senator dismissed my comments on Moneypoint yesterday. We have said that no more coal will be burned by 2025----

That is what I said on yesterday's Order of Business.

-----and that peat will no longer be used by 2030. We are investing in renewable heating and deep retrofitting of public buildings and homes. We have already put in place schemes and supports aimed at creating that model of delivery in housing. I accept that we have a journey to travel, but it requires partnership not an adversarial approach or point scoring. I ask the Senator to cast his mind back to what the Minister said yesterday regarding the commitments he has given in respect of the Paris Agreement. I will be happy to have the debate, as the Senator knows, on climate change at his request. I hope the Order of Business will be agreed to.