Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:5. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Taoiseach to outline all capital investments made by his Department in the constituency of Louth East Meath since 2020. [45408/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapital Expenditure Programme
Ceisteanna (5)
Freagraí scríofa
The Department of the Taoiseach does not have any capital budget.
Departmental Inquiries
Ceisteanna (6, 7, 8, 9)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:6. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach the details of the distinctions between a promised Covid-19 inquiry and an ‘evaluation’, following recent statements by the Tánaiste. [45455/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:7. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach the actual commencement date for the promised Covid inquiry. [45456/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:8. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach the measures being put in place to ensure that the Covid-19 inquiry is conducted completed impartially and transparently and is carried out by individuals and or entities with no vested interest. [45457/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatricia Ryan
Ceist:9. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach the set of powers and extent of same under which the Covid-19 inquiry will operate, in tabular form. [45458/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together.
The COVID-19 Evaluation Panel will commence its work in January with preparations continuing in the interim period. The Panel should submit a final report to the Taoiseach in approximately 12-18 months. The Panel may submit interim reports on specific modules on any matters where evaluation points to immediate policy, system or practice improvements or changes.
A phased programme of work will be undertaken following a broad methodological approach which should avoid duplication of effort and harness existing sources to the greatest degree possible. The Panel will carry out a documentary analysis of existing plans, reports and other work already undertaken across Government and internationally to review specific aspects of Ireland’s response.
While the precise nature of the public aspects of the evaluation and engagement with the public will be a matter for the panel, Government has agreed that, as part of the information gathering:
• Submissions will also be sought from specific individuals, cohorts or their representatives
• There will be public consultation to hear accounts of the “lived experience” of anyone who wants to participate (including capturing the experiences of children and young people)
• There will be public events to allow for discussions with key-decision-makers on emerging topics
• There will also be the opportunity for private sessions for deeper information gathering and the probing of submitted materials
The overall objective of the evaluation is to learn for the future.
It is Government’s considered view that establishing the evaluation with a fact finding and lessons learned approach has a far greater chance of being completed with wide co-operation of relevant players in a non-adversarial atmosphere and likely to be concluded more quickly and achieve that objective. A statutory inquiry with powers of compellability would inevitably change the dynamic of the process and participation in it. An evaluation framed in this way provides great flexibility to the Chair in how the Panel will operate and will also avoid the demand for or need for legal representation.
It will be open to the Chair and the Panel, at any stage, to identify specific matters which require further investigation through separate processes.
The Chair and Panel can engage any additional expertise it believes it needs to complete its work. The Chair and the Panel will also have access to its own independent legal team as may be required.
In agreeing its Terms of Reference, the Government also agreed that membership of the Panel should be separate from the organisations that are involved in the events that have led to the evaluation, or its commission and the evaluation should be able to reach its conclusions without the need for deference to any other party as to how to reach that conclusion.
It also agreed that there would need to be a multi-disciplinary aspect to the Panel to support the broader perspectives and an assessment “in the round” of the broad scope of interlinked policy decisions and impacts. Members will not include anyone directly involved in decision-making processes related to the pandemic.
Secretariat (administrative support) for the Evaluation Panel will be provided, in the normal way (such as for Tribunals, Commissions or Citizens’ Assemblies) by a dedicated team of civil servants seconded to this work. They will work for and report to the Chair for the duration of their assignment.
Question No. 7 answered with Question No. 6.
Question No. 8 answered with Question No. 6.
Question No. 9 answered with Question No. 6.
Capital Expenditure Programme
Ceisteanna (10)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:10. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when details of the next round of funding for capital projects under the shared island initiative will be announced. [45471/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government continues to prioritise and progress the Shared Island initiative, working with all communities and political traditions to build a shared future on this island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
Shared Island investment commitments and allocations are taken forward by Ministers and their Departments, working with Northern Ireland Executive and British Government counterparts, and with Local Authority, Education and Civil Society partners across the island.
To date, over €500m has been allocated by Government from the Shared Island Fund. Allocations are made to enable progress with priority projects and programmes that deliver on our Shared Island investment commitments and objectives, as set out in the Programme for Government and revised National Development Plan (2021-2030). Shared Island Fund allocations are made alongside funding from other public sources and in collaborative investment approaches on a cross-border basis.
The most recent allocations were announced on 20 February 2024, representing the largest ever single package of Government funding for all-island investment. Work is continuing across all Government Departments to develop further Shared Island projects and programmes, with Northern Ireland Executive and other partners. It is anticipated that further announcements will be made in 2025.
Middle East
Ceisteanna (11, 17)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:11. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the timeframe in which he intends to join the case the South Africa has taken under the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice; if Ireland is entitled to a copy of South Africa's memorial; if his Department has sought a copy of South Africa's recently filed memorial under Article 53 of the Rules of the Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45362/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:17. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has filed a declaration of intervention in the case of South Africa versus Israel at the International Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45380/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 17 together.
As I set out in response to a similar question from the Deputy in June, the Government intends to file a Declaration of Intervention in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice. At that juncture, I indicated that it was intended to do so after South Africa has filed its Memorial in the case.
The Deputy will recall that on 5 April, the ICJ made an Order setting time-limits for the filing of written pleadings by the parties in this case. South Africa last week filed its Memorial before the time-limit of 28 October last, and Israel has until 28 July 2025 to file its Counter-Memorial.
Work is now in hand on the preparation of Ireland’s Declaration of Intervention, which it is intended will be filed by the end of the year. Officials in my Department are in contact with their counterparts in South Africa.
The written pleadings in the case remain confidential until the opening of the oral proceedings. However, under the ICJ’s Rules of Court, where an intervention is deemed admissible, the intervening State is furnished with copies of all the written pleadings, including the Memorial of the applicant party.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51.
Human Rights
Ceisteanna (12)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:12. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his efforts to alleviate the repression of people, and in particular women, in Afghanistan; the engagements he has had in support of such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45363/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have taken a clear and consistent stand in support of women and girls in Afghanistan. Ireland regularly speaks out at the EU, UN and other international fora against the gross, widespread and systematic human rights abuses by the Taliban, particularly against women, girls and individuals from marginalised communities .
In our recent national statement to the current session of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee dealing with human rights, we strongly condemned the widespread human rights abuses by the Taliban and denounced their systematic oppression and exclusion of women and girls, which the Special Rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan has concluded may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity. We called for the full reversal of the Taliban's decrees and for accountability of those responsible for human rights abuses.
This year, Ireland has also delivered statements on the human rights crisis in Afghanistan at the 55th, 56th and 57th sessions of the Human Rights Council and during Afghanistan's Universal Periodic Review.
During UN High Level Week in September, I was honoured to co-host, alongside Indonesia, Switzerland and Qatar, and in partnership with the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, an event entitled ‘The Inclusion of Women in the Future of Afghanistan’, where I pledged Ireland's continued support for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and made clear that we will work to ensure that the issue remains a priority on the international agenda.
Last month, during UN Women Peace and Security week, Ireland's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York co-hosted a discussion, alongside Canada and a consortium of NGOs, on the reality for women and girls in Afghanistan. The discussion provided a safe space for Afghan women, both inside and outside Afghanistan, to speak freely on their lived experiences under the Taliban's rule.
Ireland also joined a declaration supporting an initiative being taken by Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands under Article 29 of CEDAW. The declaration condemns the gross and systematic human rights abuses in Afghanistan, particularly the gender-based discrimination, and calls upon Afghanistan and the Taliban to answer the request for dialogue on these issues. The declaration also confirms the continued consideration of other possible options under CEDAW and other relevant human rights frameworks.
The advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will continue to be a key foreign policy priority for Ireland. Afghan women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life is their right and is also vital to ensure sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan. We will continue to use all avenues possible to ensure that the human rights of women and girls are fully restored in Afghanistan.
European Union
Ceisteanna (13)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:13. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the diplomatic and legal recourse available to the Government under the treaties of the European Union in circumstances whereby the European Commission has failed in its obligations to discharge its duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45364/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
If the Government believed that the European Commission had not fulfilled its obligations in regard to a matter under its remit, in the first instance Ireland would raise the issue at an appropriate level with the relevant Commission services. Under Article 265 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, where an EU institution, including the European Commission has, in infringement of the treaties, failed to act, an EU Member State or an institution may bring an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Before bringing such an action, it is necessary to first call upon the institution to act, and afford it two months in which to do so. The Court’s case law indicates that, in order to establish that a failure to act has infringed the Treaties, it is necessary to demonstrate that the institution had an obligation to act in the particular circumstances, and that a failure to exercise a discretion to act is not sufficient.
Middle East
Ceisteanna (14)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:14. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs noting the obligations of contracting parties to the EU/Israel Association agreement arising from its necessitation of 'respect for human rights and democratic principles' as 'an essential element of the relationship', the letter of An Taoiseach of 14 February 2024 to the President of the European Commission outlining concerns in relation to such, and Ireland's obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, if he has considered exercising Ireland's rights under Article 265 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union arising from the Commission's failure to act in relation to the ongoing genocide against the people of Gaza, opening infringement proceedings against the European Commission at the European Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45365/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In February 2024, the then Taoiseach, together with the Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, wrote to the President of the European Commission requesting an urgent review of whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The issue was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 March and by the Taoiseach in a meeting with President Von Der Leyen on 11 April.
In subsequent meetings of EU Foreign Ministers, Ireland has repeatedly called for an EU-Israel Association Council to be convened urgently, in order to review Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Agreement. As the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has made clear, the next Association Council meeting cannot be ‘business as usual’.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza are deeply concerning. Ireland, together with likeminded EU member states, will continue to press within the EU for a fundamental review of EU-Israel relations, including the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
At a national level, I have directed my officials to file a declaration of intervention in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
Middle East
Ceisteanna (15)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:15. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of leaked Israeli emails and meeting notes published by a US-registered NGO (details supplied); if he has examined the files relating to the Government; their response to such; if the information contains therein in any way contradicts Government positions communicated between his Department and the Department of Finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45366/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government’s position on Ireland’s relations with Israel, as well as the situation in Palestine and the wider region, has been set out frequently in this House by both myself and my predecessors. The Government does not comment on the internal reports or commentaries of third countries or other external partners.
Middle East
Ceisteanna (16)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:16. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his response to the attacks on UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; if he has engaged directly with the governments of those individuals making baseless attacks against the Special Rapporteur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45368/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ireland supports the important role that UN Special Procedures mandate holders play in the international human rights system. Their work contributes to the development of international human rights standards and helps to raise public awareness on human rights issues. Both I and my officials will continue to defend the important role undertaken by all such mandate holders.
Ireland regularly engages with the current holder of the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, in the context of the UN Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. Ms Albanese presented her most recent Report during an Interactive Dialogue with the UN Third Committee on 30 October. Ireland intervened in the Interactive Dialogue, engaging with the Special Rapporteur and UN Member States, stressing the importance of respect for human rights, and the obligation to ensure the protection of civilians at all times in line with international humanitarian law.
The urgent need to address the conflict in the Middle East remains a priority for Ireland in our work at the UN. This includes ongoing support for efforts to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release deal and ensure the supply of humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza, as well as our efforts to advance the two-state solution.
Question No. 17 answered with Question No. 11.
Capital Expenditure Programme
Ceisteanna (18)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:18. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to outline all capital investments, if any made by his Department in the constituency of Louth East Meath since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45400/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Foreign Affairs does not have any operations in the Louth East Meath constituency. Furthermore, the Office of Public Works is responsible for providing the Department with suitable accommodation within the State.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (19, 20)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:19. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the funding that will be made available by his Department under the shared island initiative for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45494/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraBrendan Smith
Ceist:20. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress to date in supporting cross-Border and all-Ireland projects through the shared island initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45495/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.
The Shared Island Initiative, which I established as Taoiseach, is a whole of Government endeavour that aims to deliver practical benefits for the whole island of Ireland by working with all communities for a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
While the Shared Island Fund is for the most part administered by the Department of the Taoiseach, my Department also plays an active role in delivering on the objectives of the Shared Island Initiative, including through the administration of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund.
As a complement to the Shared Island Fund, in early 2023 I launched the Shared Island Civic Society Fund to promote practical North South civic society cooperation and engagement across a range of sectors and themes, consistent with the objectives and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement. The fund is a very practical demonstration of the Government’s support for developing cross-border civic society contacts. These relationships and partnerships go to the heart of the Shared Island initiative, bringing different and often very diverse communities together in pursuit of a shared objective.
To date, the Shared Island Civic Society Fund has provided funding of €1.5 million to some 100 organisations involved in fifty-five cross border projects across a range of areas such as the environment, community development, heritage, social enterprise, the voluntary sector, and sports.
The most recent round of the Civic Society Fund, through which a further €1.5 million will be provided to support civic society projects, closed in August this year, and applications are currently being assessed by officials in my Department.
While the overall Shared Island Civic Fund budget for 2025 has yet to be finalised, it is anticipated that the annual budgets for the 2025 - 2027 period will be in the region of €2 million per annum, an increase on funding available to date.
More broadly under the Shared Island Fund, in February of this year, the Government allocated €800 million to cross-border capital projects, the largest such allocation in the history of the State. These projects will help deliver transformative infrastructure, including by contributing to the upgrade of the A5, enhancing road-safety and connectivity across the border region and into the North-West. In addition, landmark cross-border programmes such as a partnership between the Departments of Education, north and south, to tackle educational underachievement are being funded under the Shared Island Initiative.
Question No. 20 answered with Question No. 19.
Public Sector Pensions
Ceisteanna (21, 22)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:21. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason the increased payments to retired An Post pensioners have still not taken effect; the timeline for payment of these increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45352/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraRóisín Shortall
Ceist:22. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of plans to increase payments to retired An Post pensioners; if his Department is still considering this matter; the timeline for payment of these increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45353/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.
Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes.
In accordance with the act and the relevant Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, An Post must seek Ministerial approval from both MECC and MPENDR to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme ("the scheme").
On June 21st, 2024, An Post wrote to my Department seeking consent for amendments to the scheme, namely a 2% increase for pensions in payment and deferred pensions with effect from January 2024. In line with both the Code of Practice for State Bodies and transfer of powers from Min/Finance to MPENDR which are contained in the Postal and Telecommunications Act 1983, Ministerial consent was granted and was conveyed to An Post on 21 of October 2024.
I hope you will appreciate that as the operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes, I cannot comment on when the approved increase will be received.
Question No. 22 answered with Question No. 21.
Capital Expenditure Programme
Ceisteanna (23)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:23. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline all capital investments, if any made by his Department in the constituency of Louth East Meath since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45398/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested is currently being compiled by my Department, and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.
Energy Usage
Ceisteanna (24)
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:24. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a breakdown of national gas demand, by sector (details supplied); if he will provide data on the changes in demand for each sector over the past two years; and his views on the implications of this demand for Ireland’s energy and climate goals. [45427/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Irish Government has ambitious climate and energy targets to successfully transition to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
Gas demand is expected to drop significantly through the course of the decade from 2030 and production of renewable gases are set to increase as well as the introduction of renewable gas compatible storage. This will enable security of supply benefits to be delivered without committing to a long-term dependence on natural gas.
My Department has received the following information from Gas Networks Ireland with regard to national gas demand.
For the purposes of comparison, Gas Networks Ireland has provided data from January to September for 2024 with the same period the two previous years; January to September in 2022 and 2023.
Gas Networks Ireland has summarised the requested data in the table below as a percentage of overall Irish gas demand for the applicable period.
|
Sector |
Jan-Sep (2022) |
Jan-Sep (2023) |
Jan-Sep (2024) |
|
Total ROI Gas Demand (TWh) |
42.2 |
39.2 |
38.8 |
|
ROI Power Generation |
66% |
66% |
64% |
|
Residential |
11% |
10% |
11% |
|
Small and Medium Enterprises |
7% |
7% |
8% |
|
Industrial and Commercial |
17% |
17% |
18% |
|
CNG |
0.04% |
0.05% |
0.07% |
|
Construction |
1% |
0% |
1% |
|
Education Campuses |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.2% |
|
Food and Beverage |
8% |
8% |
8% |
|
Hospital |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Laundry |
0.2% |
0.2% |
0.2% |
|
Leisure / Sport Arenas |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
|
Manufacturing* |
2% |
2% |
3% |
|
Medical Devices |
1% |
1% |
1% |
|
Office Complexes |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
|
Pharmaceutical |
3% |
3% |
3% |
|
Prison |
0.05% |
0.05% |
0.05% |
|
Retail |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.05% |
|
Air Travel |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
|
Waste Management |
0.2% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
|
Hotel |
0.2% |
0.2% |
0.2% |
Please note that:
Data has been rounded to nearest whole number for ease of review.
Manufacturing* includes oil refining and data centres. Given the small number of customers in these categories, data is aggregated.
Renewable Energy Generation
Ceisteanna (25)
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:25. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a breakdown of the community renewable energy projects that have been energised and are exporting electricity to the grid; the volume of electricity these projects have exported; the number of community renewable energy projects that have begun construction, by projects that are 100% community-owned versus those that are not 100% community-owned; and his views on the progress of community renewable energy initiatives. [45428/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Through the first two RESS auctions, my Department has provided pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects through the application of a community projects category and also through the requirement of a mandatory community benefit fund for all RESS projects.
To ensure genuine community participation in the separate community category of RESS, the definition of a community-led project for the purposes of the first RESS auction included the stipulation that such projects must be at least 51% owned by a Renewable Energy Community (REC). For RESS 2, this was increased to a 100% REC ownership requirement for entry to the community category.
Seven community projects were successful in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme 1 (RESS 1) auction, (five solar and two wind projects). Of these seven projects, three have now energised. These community projects have been enabled by the RESS scheme and have now entered into private arrangements for selling their renewable energy. Other RESS 1 community projects are also expected to energise and participate in the upcoming Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS).
Ten community projects were successful in the RESS 2 auction. Of these, eight solar projects signed implementation agreements to deliver under the RESS 2 terms and conditions and two wind projects did not take up the RESS 2 offer. Some projects may also develop through alternative routes to market, including SRESS. Due to commercial sensitivity, it would not be appropriate to comment in any more detail on these remaining RESS 1 and 2 projects.
Through my Department’s continued engagement with RECs, there is evidence of significant challenges that REC projects may face with the competitive, auction based nature of RESS, along with grid and other and other barriers to project delivery.
Support for communities for the development of renewable projects will now transition to the non-competitive Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS). The tariffs for the export project phase of SRESS were announced in May and will support small-scale and community renewable projects. SRESS will offer a simpler route to market for community (and SME) owned renewable projects, aligning more closely to their experience and capacity.
My Department is continuing to develop the detailed terms and conditions of the scheme which are expected to be finalised shortly with applications due to open before the end of the year.