I thank the Minister of State and acknowledge the tremendous work she has done within the Department. Having a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for special education was an important move. I acknowledge her announcement regarding the summer programme, which is very welcome. I want to raise an issue regarding Department of Education Circular 38/07, which outlines the criteria for enrolment in special classes of pupils with specific speech and language disorders. It requires that a full-time teacher be…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I recognise that the opening of speech and language classes is contingent on the HSE's having resources available to provide speech and language therapy to students. I emphasise the importance of this provision for parents looking to access services for their children. In a large county like Mayo, we have two dedicated speech and language classes, one of which is in Ballina. I understand that there are 46 such classes throughout the country. This service is something …

I want to raise an issue on behalf of small and micro companies, which we all know make up approximately 98% of companies in Ireland. I want to query in particular the progress in putting in place a dedicated rescue process for small and micro companies. I note the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, who has responsibility for company regulation, has secured Government approval for priority drafting of the companies Bill 2021. I would welcome progress on that and I would appreciate if the Tánaiste could outline to the …

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss a Bill that has real potential to benefit, not just our generation, but future generations. I would go as far as saying that this Bill has the potential to be transformative for Irish society and to instil a real sense of pride in our response to climate action. I know this is an important Bill for the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his party, for which his colleagues have shown a real passion and determination. I also acknowledge the contribution of the Joint Committee on …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. I thank both Ministers of State, Deputies Feighan and Butler, for facilitating today’s question-and-answer session. Four years on from the publication of the report of the task force on youth mental health, I requested information on when the report recommendations will be implemented in full and I am still unclear on their implementation. The Youth Mental Health Pathfinder Project is crucial in opening up a more collective approach to youth mental health in facili…

I am substituting for Deputy Griffin. What are the Minister's plans with Tourism Ireland for the marketing of Ireland internationally for the post Covid-19 era?

I thank the Minister for her response and for the excellent work she is doing within the Department to support the tourism sector. We must respond quickly to ensure employment return to pre-Covid levels. We were supporting more than 260,000 people within the sector prior to the pandemic and generating revenue of in excess of €9 billion to the Exchequer, with export revenue accounting for €6.9 billion. I read earlier that Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Greece and Portugal are marketing intensively to welcome…

The new vaccine allocation strategy announced on Tuesday evening has not been welcomed by many in our public sector. Those working in the education sector, An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces were not expecting the news on Tuesday evening about the new strategy. I am not alone in finding it difficult to go from discussing workers in occupations essential to the functioning of society last week to a completely different allocation strategy. We debated the issue only seven days ago. There is anger among occupati…

I welcome this week's news that the vaccination centre for Mayo, at Breaffy outside Castlebar, is now up and running. I wish the centre manager, Frances Power, and her team every success as they ramp up to more than 2,500 vaccinations per day. It is very welcome news. The members of the Garda Síochána have served our communities with the utmost distinction during the pandemic. Their unwavering commitment to public service deserves our thanks and we recognise their work involves duties that entail a high level of ri…

The Government must support all of Ireland's tourism and hospitality communities. That also includes members of the National Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions. I want to protect the 5,800 livelihoods in Mayo that are dependent on tourism, not to mention the 275,000 such livelihoods nationally. Government needs a long-term reopening plan, including metrics that are subject to public health. It must work with the tourism recovery oversight group and extend existing support packages.

I thank the Minister for his time in facilitating questions. I am not having a go at the Department or the hard work undertaken by the HSE, I am trying to help. We simply need more information on the supply of vaccines, the logistics involved and where they are going. While older people and front-line staff continue to be vaccinated, I receive daily reports of situations causing public distress and concern. In addition, it is increasingly difficult to get official information and a meaningful response. Last Thursda…

I thank the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, for facilitating today's statements and questions and answers. The only higher education topic of discussion in Mayo, and stretching from Donegal to Galway, is that of the Connacht-Ulster alliance. The new technological university for the west and north-west of Ireland will be one of the largest multi-campus universities on the island. When approved, it will span a unique geographical region on the periphery of Europe which has a …

I welcomed the clarity last month on the location of the vaccination centres, including the one in Breaffy, Castlebar. Mayo is one of the largest geographical constituencies in the country. One centre is insufficient based on journey times and the lack of public transport. Considering the high incidence rate of the virus in some parts of the constituency, especially around north Mayo, there is deep scarring in local communities. This has particularly been the case since Christmas. I have raised this issue with the …

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for facilitating today's statements. I commend them and their Department on the work and stakeholder engagement undertaken to reopen schools. It has been an incredibly difficult time for students, parents and staff. The impact of the closure of schools must be recognised. However, it is far more important to have clarity over the schedule for reopening because of the speculation that runs amok on social media during an information vacuum. In these dark days, which are,…

I thank the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, for facilitating this question and answer session. Farmers have raised several significant concerns with me in recent weeks. First, there is the issue of the BEAM scheme. Many farmers are seeking an extension to 31 December 2021 for applicants who did not meet the 5% production reduction. I understand the Department is engaging with the EU Commission regarding flexibility on the deadline. I ask the Minister to provide an update in t…

I will keep my question short in order to allow the Minister to respond. Other Deputies have raised concerns around the lack of clarity regarding timelines, logistics and people's places in the vaccine allocation groups. I also raise the issue of kidney patients, particularly those on dialysis, and cystic fibrosis patients, who require additional clinical preparation. I have also heard from different GPs and staff in their surgeries about the lack of clarity around the allocation of vaccines. They have registered o…

I will take three minutes and I would appreciate it if the Minister and Minister of State could provide a written reply. Significant travel restrictions continue to have an impact on our daily lives and it is fair to say the aviation sector remains worst hit by Covid-19. I welcome the publication of the Irish regional airports programme, with €21.3 million being allocated for 2021. The regional airport programme is a vital source of funding support for Ireland West Airport Knock in my constituency and other regiona…

I thank the Minister of State for facilitating today's important debate on mental health. I recently received a copy of the HSE Psychosocial Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It is certainly a well-thought-out document. It identifies the needs of various segments of society and the proposed action points. It also highlights specific relationships that we can all develop to keep us well and to stay well. It provides an overview of the seriousness of the mental health impact that the pandemic has had on Irish societ…

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important motion today. Last month, I welcomed clarification from the Minister for Finance that the period for determining eligibility for the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, during the first and second quarters of 2021 is to be the same period in 2019. This will elicit a sigh of relief from many employers and their employees. There were early complaints about the scheme arising from issues such as the processing of wage subsidy payments to employers taking up to …

I wish to ask the Tánaiste for more detail about the Plan for Living with Covid-19 roadmap. In particular, what specific metrics will be used by Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, to indicate when it is safe to exit level 5 of the restrictions? For instance, will it be on the reproductive number falling below a certain level or the number of daily cases, or other metrics dealing with the positivity rate, including hospitalisations or availability of ICU beds? I am sure the Tánaiste is …