I thank the Minister. I am putting the amendment.

The next slot goes to Fianna Fáil, whose speakers are Deputies Jennifer Murnane O'Connor and Niamh Smith. The Deputies have 15 minutes between them.

Before moving on to the next business, I have to make an announcement regarding the appointment of committee Chairmen. I wish to announce for the information of the House that the Business Committee, acting as the Committee of Selection pursuant to Standing Order 34, has administered the allocation of posts according to the d'Hondt system, pursuant to Standing Order 104(2). A total of 18 posts have been allocated as follows: The Chair of the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage will be selected by th…

The next item is the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020, all Stages of which will be taken today.

We now move to the Sinn Féin party. Is Deputy Conway-Walsh sharing time?

She will have it all to herself.

I thank the Deputy and call the next speaker for Solidarity-People before Profit, Deputy Paul Murphy.

I apologise to the Deputy for having interrupted him to facilitate a special announcement by the Government Chief Whip. Deputy Murphy will not lose any of his time.

Is that agreed. Agreed.

I am sharing with Deputy Carroll-MacNeill. I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her accession to her office and wish her a very satisfactory time there. I have no doubt she will discharge her duties with the usual distinction. I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on this very important legislation. Education is always important but particularly so in the present times, when there is severe competition for places in both the manufacturing and services sectors, all of which require a higher standard of ed…

The next slot is the Green Party's. I call Deputy Hourigan.

The next item is the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020, all Stages. I call the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to move the Order for Second Stage.

I thank Deputy Wynne. I am sorry for not spotting her on the outer perimeter earlier. The problem is the long distance.

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) Deputy Marc MacSharry - to discuss the memorandum of understanding between the Football Association of Ireland and the Minister with responsibility for sport; (2) Deputy Johnny Mythen - to discuss the recent nationwide increase in dog thefts; (3) Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív - the need to commence the sections of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act dealing with the mi…

As there are no Solidarity-PBP Deputies present, we will move on to the Regional Group.

I thank the Deputy and that is an invitation there now for the Minister. We move on to the next group of Deputies, the Rural Independent Group of Deputies Mattie McGrath, Michael Healy-Rae, O’Donoghue, and Danny Healy-Rae. I call Deputy O’Donoghue now to speak up there in the high dome.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me the opportunity to raise this important issue which relates to traffic management in north Kildare, in particular in the towns of Naas, Celbridge, Maynooth and Leixlip. The populations of these towns have grown tremendously over the past several years and are still growing. In all the towns concerned, there are large industrial estates which generate a significant amount of traffic. The net result of all of this is that it is necessary to plan ahead. The previous Minister…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. In the Maynooth case, funding came from the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. In the other cases, an overall traffic assessment needs to be done again to ensure that the necessity that was identified some years ago is addressed in the shortest possible time. The traffic in Celbridge in particular is serious. It is because there are not enough ingress and egress points in the town. Ev…

On the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020, which is promised legislation, is it intended to addressed the issues of manpower levels within the Defence Forces in that context of that Bill or is it intended to do it separately in anticipation of that Bill?

I call Deputy Shanahan. Cá bhfuil sé?