I thank the Taoiseach for his comprehensive reply. I accept there have been huge improvements in the delivery of vital health services in very difficult and challenging times. Sufficient recognition is not given to that. However, there are a couple of small measures that could have a considerable impact in improving the delivery of services. One such measure concerns the operation and layout of emergency departments. The staff there are under the cosh all the time. They work in appalling conditions, sometimes under…

I thank the Taoiseach for his extended reply. I acknowledge the work that has been done and agree that considerable progress has been made, and is being made, in respect of the provision of houses to the community despite the Covid-19 pandemic and all the other obstacles that were in the way. It is easy to say this is not enough. Of course, it is not enough but, at the same time, a considerable amount has been achieved in very difficult circumstances. One thing that has recently come to my attention and that of eve…

Once again, I bring to the attention of the House the situation at Castletown House in Celbridge, County Kildare, a mansion of national and international importance as well as of community importance and that, from an architectural, historical, worldwide and national importance standpoint, is necessary. However, it is beset by a situation caused by a disagreement between the OPW and the adjoining landlord whereby it has not been possible to continue with the facility that existed for the past 15 years where access …

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Having been in that situation myself from time to time, I can assure him that while one welcomes an occasion to address the House on such an issue or any other issue, there are times when one would wish that the chalice might pass. I am disappointed with the tone of the reply, which is not the creation of the Minister of State. I am very thankful he came to the House and addressed it in such detail but the reply misses the point. The point is that the public re…

I thank the Minister. This is a very important subject and we will try to get all speakers in. We have approximately six speakers, but that may change. It may increase or reduce as the case may be. The next speaker is Deputy Brady. He will be followed by Deputies Shortall, Wynne and Duncan Smith.

Deputy Duncan Smith will be last to speak or does he want to speak now?

The vote will take place at the normal voting block time next Wednesday.

Once again I bring to the attention of the House the ongoing situation in family law in this country whereby a procedure imported from the United States continues to be applied to the extent that fathers, mothers and their children are being unbelievably abused in a way I have never seen before. This abuse is continuing. Is it intended to carry out an interim inquiry into the procedure and how a means might be found to bring it to an end?

This question seeks to ascertain the extent to which new, effective and safe drugs are made available for use by Irish patients as soon as they become approved at EU level.

I thank the Minister for his reply. What is the extent to which references come from the pharmaceutical sector on the ready availability as soon as these drugs are made available? For instance, what might be the time lag between approval in the European Union and in this country? I accept that we are a smaller country but we are a member of the European Union. As a member of the Single Market, we have the same rights to new medicines and new drugs and any other service available to the European Union as there is an…

Regarding the urgency in respect of the availability of certain medicines, new medicines in particular, in this country should a safety assessment now be carried out in addition to the general European safety assessment or does the State go along with it?

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Bruton. This question seeks to obtain information regarding the membership of the commission on ageing and now the public will be expected to interact with it and, as a result, influence it.

I thank the Minister of State for her detailed reply. We are all conscious of the fact that as people get older they require a greater level of services and better or improved services, and this changes too as time goes by. Has the membership of the commission been determined and, if so, who are those members? In respect of their interaction with the community, how will a means be found to ensure there is a ready change of information and dialogue to allow the commission and older people throughout the country to a…

Given we have a longer life expectancy now, and the information the Minister of State gave us in this regard is welcome, we must be conscious that some people now carry on work until an older age than they did in the past, and rightly so. In fact, the classic example is the need to recruit people who have experience and are available to continue at work. These are all welcome. There is, however, also the question regarding the fact that we might sometimes overlook the obvious in the course of all demands in front o…

I thank the Minister of State.

This is a question I have put down on many occasions in the past. I want to ensure that we continue to be alert to the fact that there is huge demand, competition and expectation of competence in the technical and apprenticeship areas. I congratulate the Minister on his tremendous work in that area on the one hand and we must ensure the work continues on the other.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. By way of a supplementary question, I ask the extent to which the Minister continues to liaise with industry to determine precisely the requirements in this area. I recognise that we face increased competition, not only across Europe but across the globe, in our ability to fill those technical spaces throughout industry.

I thank the Minister again. I will follow up by saying it is obvious the degree of consultation he referred to is taking place, but the demand is increasing as well in the form of the need to fill spaces throughout industry. The manufacturers and the employers are facing competition at international level and for us to fill those spaces we need to have the places in college or apprenticeships, or a combination of both sufficient to meet the requirement.

In the past two years, I have had occasion to raise on numerous occasions the question of family law and its application in this country, and the manner in which it continues to separate children from their parents, fathers and mothers, more especially mothers, by way of the use of the parental alienation theory, which is not a law, just a theory. The abuse continues with obvious consequences for the children and the parents. Some parents have not seen their children for more than two or three years. What can be do…

Just a part of it, not all of it.