In the little time I have, I wish to raise several points with the Minister. The Labour Party welcomes the roadmap. We consistently stated that it is necessary. The Minister should have had the acting CMO with him when it was announced. It might have helped with the deep issues that came across in communications. I was glad that he recently projected we need to be planning for this for six to nine months. It was with that in mind that I told the Taoiseach that we need to deal with the next six months differently fr…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the fact that we are having a discussion on this issue this evening. As with my earlier contribution on the roadmap, I would appreciate if the Minister would take on board some of what I am going to say in the limited time available to. On the flu vaccine, I understand the international issues. Last October some of us were advocating that everybody should get the flu vaccine. We would have had a head start. Unfortunately, we did not do that. While there are international…

That is how much it means to me and I hope the Minister delivers it.

Yes, we can do that.

The Minister of State has had a long afternoon and I am sure she will be well aware of this topic. I am sure it has been raised with her before. The Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Home in Roscrea is something that is cherished by the people of Roscrea and its surrounds. It has looked after its residents for a long time. It provides care that is second to none. It is an incredible unit based in the centre of the town. There have been an awful lot of promises made about the unit. In the northern part of Tipperary the…

I thank the Minister of State. Her response is actually going backwards from that of her predecessor. The people of Roscrea and the surrounding area will be furious when they see this. Dare I say it but the Minister of State’s own party members are going to be furious. This is just not acceptable. We, collectively, across politics, are going to have to get a plan here. To say that we are gradually going to move to short-stay and that this will not impact on families is not acceptable. The Minister of State’s own co…

What about a future plan?

As leader of the Labour Party, I want to add my and my party's support to this important legislation. I commend Deputy Gino Kenny on introducing the Bill tonight, as I have done in private on a number of occasions. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the former Minister of State and Deputy, John Halligan, who ploughed a lonely furrow for a considerable period. I hope he is watching tonight. He is still advocating for it. It is vital to handle this issue sensitively irrespective of one's view. It is q…

As I said yesterday, I welcome the fact that the acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronan Glynn, has given clarity that Covid is going to be with us at least for the next six to nine months and we need to plan for it. The economic forecast yesterday presented a very bleak picture as regards unemployment for the next 12 months, particularly in regard to unemployment in the domestic economy and for young people. It is very worrying. The unemployment rate for the year is expected to be approximately 16%, which is worse…

On the food and beverage industry, if we go into a level three lockdown in other counties, they cannot exactly serve food and drink outside between October and February. We need a plan here for when accommodation providers and tour operators lose their bookings, and we know all about the events sector too. I ask the Taoiseach to put sectoral changes into the budget for these specific industries. I also ask the Taoiseach to consider what extra can be done when lockdowns are put in place. It is obvious now that we wi…

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, our education spokesperson, has been following up with quite a number of students who are appealing their leaving certificate results. The Department of Education and Skills seems to have gone to ground all of sudden. I am wondering if there is some issue here that we need to know about. Have we dates for when the appeals will be known? Is it true a helpline will commence today at 4 p.m.? Is there any truth to suggestions that further issues or, indeed, errors may have been found in the wa…

The Minister needs to come to the House today to explain this.

She has to do it today.

At any other time, this would-----

At any other time, this would bring down the Government.

At any other time, this would bring down the Government.

Unbelievable.

This is a calculated mess.

The process is run by the Department.

I find it hard to speak about anything else today. The Taoiseach's Cabinet co-ordination committee is not doing a very good job when it comes to education. It is very difficult. The few Members who are left in this House can attest that their phones are hopping because of the 6,000 students affected by this absolute cock-up. It is extraordinary. This would bring down any other Government at any other time. The parents of one young lady named Aeva May were on the phone to me. She is resitting her leaving certificate…