I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, which we will be wholeheartedly supporting. This is a topic about which I have probably spoken more than most in this Chamber and about which I am very passionate. I will divide my contribution into two parts. I do not want to repeat the proposals put forward by others, which I support. As a result, I will just focus on the matters I feel should be concentrated upon. I will then deal with the civil liability (amendment) Bill, which is our priority in light of the …

This is a fairly difficult question for the Taoiseach but one that the public wants asked today as we return from the summer recess. What is the Government's plan for Covid? Are we going to suppress it? Are we going to try to contain it? Are we going to try to eliminate it? Covid arrived in Ireland at the best time from the perspective of our climate, but we are now heading into six months of grave difficulty. The public needs to know the Government's plan. The Taoiseach has had all summer to think about it, so I p…

-----he brings in provision for sick pay on a statutory basis and ensures there is parental leave for parents whose children are in schools affected by Covid-19?

I thank the Taoiseach and I am glad he has outlined for the first time the date on which he will publish a plan. He had all of the summer to do this but I welcome the fact that we will have it in two weeks' time, which we will have to wait for now. The Taoiseach has put a challenge in asking me whether we are all following public health advice. The reason I am raising the issue of sick pay and parental leave is because the acting Chief Medical Officer raised it himself last Thursday. Sick pay is an important issue …

The Taoiseach has not dealt with it.

And you-----

Why is it-----

They do.

We do not have time.

Follow the acting Chief Medical Officer's advice.

I will remind the Taoiseach about that.

I congratulate the new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue. It is a logical appointment given his role as Opposition spokesperson for a number of years. I met him last week and congratulated him before his appointment. I presumed it was going to be him. I sincerely wish him the best in the role. I also wish Deputy James Browne, the new Minister of State, the best in his role. I nearly felt sorry for the Taoiseach as regards the political outcome of what happened at "golfgate". Public a…

I have been raising the issue of the Minister, Deputy Coveney's, State car. In relation to that, the five things we now know are that the Tánaiste made the request for this when he was Taoiseach; the current Taoiseach knew nothing about it, even though it was actioned while he was Taoiseach; the Minister for Justice and Equality knew nothing about it; the Government decision from 2011 regarding the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality having State cars still stands and has not been changed; and…

They were there before that.

I raise an issue with the Taoiseach on which I would appreciate his direct intervention. It concerns people with intellectual disabilities. We are dealing with more than a few hundred people in this case. I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is present to hear this as well. I am asking the Taoiseach and the Minister of State to go out and meet the people involved. Can the Taoiseach imagine that in the middle of a pandemic we have families and individuals with intellectual disabilities protestin…

These are the most vulnerable people. This is not a political issue for me. These are the most vulnerable people in our society and the Taoiseach and I have a duty to protect them. I ask the Taoiseach to give us dates for the reopening of their services and a proper plan to re-establish those services so that we can tell them outside later.

I do not doubt the Taoiseach's sincerity on this issue. I will say a few things of which the Taoiseach might take note. I have read the letters from service providers and some of them will not be reopening in August. Many of them will open in August but not to the scale required. I am glad that the Taoiseach has now verified that the €20 million will not be cut and that sneaky cut is gone. I ask him and the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to look into this matter specifically and ensure that service provision th…

Did the Taoiseach discuss this matter with them?

Yesterday, I raised the insistence by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on having a Garda car and drivers. The Taoiseach answered that there had been no Government decision taken on the issue. As such, the 2011 Government decision still stands. Now we have a Minister travelling around in a Garda car at a cost of €200,000 per year without permission because there has been no Government decision on the matter. I want to ask two specific questions about this. The letter sent to me stated the Secretary General of the Depar…

Was it given orally?