We are already ten minutes behind our schedule so this is going to create problems.

Senators McDowell, Horkan, Mulherin, Norris, James Reilly, and Marie-Louise O'Donnell in her comment on the natural environment, raised the issue of climate change and the publication of the Government's climate change plan yesterday. We are all looking for a cleaner, better environment, and it is a plan, as Senator Horkan indirectly said, for the ages. It is for the future, and we have to act. We all have to buy in. I agree completely with Senator Horkan that it is not about having a stick, but about incentivising, communicating, ensuring we learn from what went wrong, and planning for the future. I disagree with Senator Norris completely. He can shout and roar all he likes, but we need to have a modern, new city, which does not rely on cars or diesel-----

Why should some citizens be discriminated against in not being allowed to have a car?

The Senator might do us the courtesy of listening rather than always interjecting.

Says you.

I have not interrupted anyone this morning.

The Leader is always doing it.

Please, Senators.

Senator Norris does not know everything. Neither do I, but the Government published a plan yesterday, and one aspect of that plan is reducing dependency on cars, which is a good thing. Senator Mulherin said that human behaviour is required to change.

Senator McDowell raised a pertinent point regarding data centres and electricity. I remind and alert the Senator to the fact that data centres both here in Ireland and across Europe are pioneering green technologies and are leading the way in energy efficient practices and renewable energies. These include advanced energy efficient cooling technologies, free cooling which reduces the use of electricity, and aiming for 100% sustainable energy zones using solar, water, and wind power. We can learn from the model used in Stockholm, and their innovative ideas whereby they reduce excess heat through the design and build of the infrastructure. That is important. I hear the Senator's point and it is a good one, but here in Ireland, the data centres have been trying to make huge progress around energy efficiency, and the issues of construction and design are important going into the future.

I am not going to accept Senator McDowell's amendment to the Order of Business. I amended the Order of Business, as proposed, last Thursday. I understand that Senators have the right to vote against it, but a proposal was circulated in the schedule last Thursday for seven hours of debate. In the spirit of collegiality, and given the events of the past 24 hours, I took a decision not to have seven hours of debate in the event that we might have a temporary Chair today. I propose three and a half hours, and I will put that to the House.

We have been engaged on this Bill for 12 months in this House. I appreciate there are those with a committed view on the Bill but I do not believe a proposal of two hours today is acceptable. I proposed three and a half hours and consulted on it so I ask the House to agree to it today.

Senators Ó Ríordáin, Conway-Walsh, Nash and Bacik raised the proposed strike by healthcare assistants and other health workers this Thursday. I had the pleasure of working in a hospital as a porter when going to college. I do not know where Senator Rose Conway-Walsh came up with her phraseology. Many of us on this side of the House, including me, value, appreciate and understand the importance and centrality of all these workers. They provide a great service through support, catering, secretarial, portering and domestic work. The hospital would not function without them. I certainly recognise they have a legitimate claim. Those who have put forward the view in question, many of whom are trade unionists, know full well there is a role for the mechanism called the Labour Court in this.

For God's sake.

If I said "black", some Members would say "white".

That is true.

Why do they not listen to their own review committee, which has recommended increases that have been overdue for years?

Allow the Leader to continue.