I will briefly touch on the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017. It is very unfortunate that last week at our whips and leaders meeting we were told categorically by the Leader that the Bill would not be on the schedule this week. I accept the agenda can change. We have to plan for this and if those meetings are to amount to anything, we must have some assurances. The Leader explained there is flexibility and I respect that. At the same time, that is what we were told. Other stories emanated over the weekend as to how the circumstances changed. I will be sharing those with the Seanad later but I will not eat into my time now.

Will the Senator repeat that?

I am sorry but I will not repeat myself.

I did not hear the Senator.

I said I will address those other issues later.

Senator Boyhan should proceed without interruption.

I did not hear what he said.

I have never had the problem of people not hearing me in my life.

I know that.

I will not eat into the time I have now but I will share more of that later when we discuss the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill. As leaders and whips in that meeting, we had the understanding there would be no Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017 business this week.

Why did he not say it to me?

I cannot keep repeating myself if the Leader cannot hear me.

I asked why the Senator did not contact me.

The Leader will have an opportunity to respond.

I understood from speaking with the Leader that the Bill would not be on the schedule of business this week.

Why did the Senator not contact me instead of grandstanding now?

Senator Boyhan, without interruption.

I will not have my time eaten into. I am speaking through the Chair.

The Senator will go over his time anyway.

He has not yet. It is a matter for the Chair to decide, as the Senator knows from his experience.

I will touch on the Rebuilding Ireland loan scheme. People woke up this morning to hear on RTÉ's "Morning Ireland" the devastating news that funding had run out for the scheme, which is really disappointing. We should ask the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to come in and explain this. The reality is that the people involved with this finance scheme earn slightly above the threshold for the housing assistance payment or social housing. They do not qualify for those schemes. These are the people who get up early in the morning, driving long journeys to work and home again. They now find themselves outside a scheme that could provide housing. These are the people we should be encouraging but it is important we have all the facts, so it is important to have the Minister in here as soon as possible to explain the shortcomings in that scheme.