We will now move to Sinn Féin. I call on Deputy Ó Murchú. I am terribly sorry; the next speaker is Deputy O'Reilly. I did not think she was here.

I am sorry that I could not see the Deputy. It is unusual for someone in the front row in a theatre not to be seen, but there we go. I next call Deputy Fitzpatrick, who, I understand, is sharing time with Deputy Tóibín.

I apologise for interrupting the Minister. We have been engaging in this debate for five days and at the last moment Deputies are constantly interrupting. Can I please ask for a little bit of respect for the Minister in his summation?

The vote will deferred until our next voting block.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputies Marian Harkin and Michael Fitzmaurice - compensation and remediation for farmers and landowners following the Shass Mountain landslide, County Leitrim; (2) Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - an update on plans for St. Gabriel's School in Bishopstown; (3) Deputy Jennifer Whitmore - funding for Arklow as Wicklow's first decarbonisation zone; (4) Deputy Ae…

I regret that I have to interrupt the Deputy as we must adjourn the debate.

I would first like to note with appreciation the work of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and his Department in producing a comprehensive Bill for consideration before the House. As Members will know, the Joint Committee on Climate Action, of which I am a member, spent several months working on recommendations for implementation of and improvements to the draft Bill provided to us in late 2020. I am very proud of the work we achieved as a group and I am equally pleased to see so many recommendations we made being incorpo…

Tomorrow is Earth Day, which is an opportunity to recognise, reflect and reaffirm our commitment on climate change and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. We have a responsibility to leave behind a better environment for our children. To do nothing to achieve that goal would be a dereliction of our collective responsibilities as parliamentarians to our citizens and our planet. I call on the Taoiseach to provide the supports necessary to develop research and development in Ireland which will, in turn, make us…

The Bill is of significant importance and will have a clear and profound ramification on the way in which we, as a public, become aware of some of the most tragic cases that take place within the State and, indeed, how the media can report on those same cases. I thank Senator McDowell and others in the Seanad for bringing forward this legislation, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for having the ambition to see it passed in the quickest time possible. I note what the previous speaker said about a previous Bill in t…

I very much appreciate this Topical Issue being selected as it is very important. I will preface my comments on the digital green certificate development by saying in no way am I attempting to ignore public health advice. In fact, this measure, as designed by the Commission, is being introduced so that we can deal with it when the Covid vaccination programme reaches a particular point in time. I want to make this absolutely clear to the Minister of State and to my colleagues in the House. I am sure the Minister of …

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am encouraged by the positive way in which she and the Department have taken this issue. I completely accept there are certain concerns in regard to the digital green certificate concept and I certainly understand, as the Commission has said, that being vaccinated will not be a precondition for travel. In fact, all EU citizens have a fundamental right to free movement within the EU and this applies regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. The same principle…

On a similar issue, given the Government's repeated statements regarding the vaccination programme which suggest that between 78% and 82% of our population will be vaccinated by the end of June and the proposed development of a digital green certificate within the Commission, will the Taoiseach commit to a health-led return for air travel in the tourism sphere when we have reached the point at which more than 80% of people have been vaccinated and we potentially have this digital green certificate in place? Will he…

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for coming before the House. As a regular visitor to the committee on higher education, I find it is always great to engage with them, as we have done on numerous occasions in the past few weeks. The Minister touched on an area in which I have a particular interest. I was really pleased with his recent announcement on pathways to higher and further education. It is a particularly exciting opportunity within his Department and the Department of Education because it has …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to regulate the use of personal light electric vehicles, including electric scooters and electrically assisted pedal cycles, and for that purpose to amend the Road Traffic Act 1961, to make a number of consequential amendments and to provide for related matters. I seek leave to introduce the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Personal Light Electric Vehicles) Bill to provide for electrical scooters and electrical bicycles in Irish legislation. It is an import…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I thank the Minister for coming before the House. I welcome the move by the Department and by NIAC for immunosuppressed individuals across the State. That was the right decision. I do not want to perpetuate some of the doom and gloom from the course of this debate, but I thank the Minister for that because it was absolutely necessary. Deputy Shortall referred to the issue of providing clarity for persons under the age of 70, for example. The scenario at the moment is that people between the ages of 65 and 69 who ha…

If I could have an answer to the question on cohorts Nos. 6 and 7, and then maybe a general comment.

I thank the Ministers for their statements today. I welcome the return to school and the significant work they and departmental officials have done to achieve that. I completely understand the invidious position of Ministers regarding the return to school for children with additional needs in mainstream schools. I am disappointed the phased return as advised by NPHET has transpired in this matter whereby certain children will not return to school until 22 April. However, I appreciate the position the Ministers are …

With Deputy Cathal Crowe, although I believe there may be a third Deputy who is not present currently.

I will repeat a theme that began at the start of this discussion. During the pandemic, there has been a reduction in the availability of services. The Ministers of State are acutely aware of that. What level of additional funding or support will be put in place presently and as we head further into 2021? It is imperative that we recognise the general depression in society owing to the closure of schools and the lockdowns, which have had a wearying effect on us all after nearly 11 months. Unfortunately, this has con…