I thank the Minister for her reply. I welcome the actions that are being taken. I know about cross-Border co-operation at a local level in my own constituency. The Minister referred to the task force. Prior to that task force being established, I proposed legislation in the Dáil some years ago, which went to committee level, regarding the establishment of a cross-Border crime agency, on a statutory basis, consisting of officials from the different statutory agencies mentioned by the Minister. At that time, the part…

As we are aware, paramilitary groups are still involved in drug dealing. I understand from some media reports that drugs are travelling from Dublin to east Belfast and drugs are coming from the North into our jurisdiction. Drug trafficking is not what it was ten years ago. The continuing development of new drug trafficking networks causes havoc and destruction and destroys the lives of good young people and people of all age groups. Of course, we have some biggest crime gangs in Europe in our country. There needs t…

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. It is important that at every European Council the EU make clear to the Russian leadership the need for it to demonstrate a clear political commitment to stop actions against the EU and its member states and, importantly, against third countries east of the European Union. We need full implementation of the Minsk agreements. It is important that the EU intensify its co-operation with eastern partners. I can well appreciate that at this time EU enlargement is not a priority due t…

I welcome the Taoiseach's confirmation that the farming and agrifood sector is at the heart of all Government deliberations at Cabinet and subcommitee levels. That is important because 175,000 people are employed in the sector and it is responsible for 10% of Irish exports. It has faced particular challenges over the past number of years, including CAP reform. In 2014, the European Parliament, European Council and European Commission effectively and unfortunately reduced the budget for CAP. That was a bad decision.…

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I am very glad both he and Prime Minister Johnson committed to supporting all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. The agreement must be implemented in all its aspects, with no cherry-picking of its provisions. It is very important that the Taoiseach raised a number of atrocities that were committed, including, unfortunately, some in my constituency, namely, the Belturbet bombing and the Monaghan bombings, as well as the Dublin bombings. On many occasions in this House…

I welcome this plan, which outlines the Government's commitment to ongoing and much-needed supports for workers and enterprises still impacted adversely by the ongoing pandemic. There are still many challenges and difficulties for different sectors of our economy and thus for a sizeable proportion of our workforce. That cohort of people, be it employer or employee, needs the reassurance that these much-needed and essential supports will be continued. A clear message from this plan is the emphasis on job creation, w…

The Stormont House and Fresh Start agreements need to be implemented to deal with legacy issues. I welcome the coroner's report today on the Ballymurphy massacre. A sense of relief was so evident as I listened this evening to the families of those innocent people who were murdered by state forces. The anguish and suffering those families were put through as a result of the heinous crimes committed by the British army was horrific. Unfortunately there are many other families still grieving the loss of a loved one wh…

I thank the Minister for his response. I remember meeting the Ballymurphy families in the Dáil in 2014. If memory serves me, a motion was passed unanimously in the House in 2015 in support of the families. I very much welcome and do not doubt the Government's commitment to dealing with legacy issues but the British Government must be equally committed, which has not been the case so far, unfortunately. The Minister used the phrases "strong concern" and "critical principles" and referred to the unacceptability of un…

I agree with the Minister. I know families who have lost loved ones and who have never gotten justice. They have never gotten the truth regarding who carried out the atrocities. In December 1972 in my own home area of Belturbet, County Cavan, two young teenagers, Geraldine O'Reilly and Patrick Stanley, were killed by a bomb. RTÉ will broadcast a programme tonight about the bombing of Belturbet. Last year I brought information to this House that had been passed to me by senior academics from the University of Nottin…

I join colleagues in extending my heartiest congratulations to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and her husband. As we know, Covid has presented myriad challenges and difficulties for the past 15 months. Once the virus is suppressed, there will be many other problems and legacy issues to be addressed. We must now put in place the necessary supports. People of all age groups losing their routines, be those work, learning, sport or social contact, has had a damaging impact on the mental health of many. Supporting positi…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle very much for giving us the opportunity to discuss this very important issue. The Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital treats patients from all over our country for a broad range of orthopaedic conditions. The hospital has worked very hard over the years to improve access to treatment and to increase patient numbers. In Cavan-Monaghan and the neighbouring counties, there are many patients of all ages who are on long orthopaedic waiting lists. In many instances, people are in pain and im…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. While I welcome the facts that she laid out, the additional funding will not be transformative enough to reduce the waiting lists dramatically. That is the sad reality. As Deputy Cahill alluded to, and speaking as a former patient myself, the ethos in Cappagh hospital is one of can do, will do. It wants to carry out more procedures and treat more patients but it needs additional theatre capacity and bed capacity. It has to replace some of its outdated existing accommodat…

Cavan County Council submitted an excellent project for funding under Fáilte Ireland's Platforms for Growth investment programme. The proposed project consists of the development of a Shannon Pot discovery centre at the source of the River Shannon at Derrylahan, near Glangevlin. This is right in the heart of the UNESCO-recognised Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark and in the Cavan Burren area. This project, when delivered, would be a key tourism attraction for the upper Shannon region. I am very anxious for this proj…

I welcome the commitment that there will be decisions next month. Cavan County Council did excellent work in preparing this application. Councillor John Paul Feeley has strongly advocated for the development of such facilities and I am glad to have supported his work on this project. The overall cost of the project is €6.6 million, with the council providing €1.7 million of that cost. This discovery interpretative centre will promote history and culture and, notably, the importance of the River Shannon, the country…

I welcome the Minister's comments. I fully agree with her in regard to the potential in both Cavan and Monaghan for further tourism development, increased economic activity and the creation of much-needed employment. The Shannon master plan is very welcome. Key to the successful implementation of this strategy is the development of new amenities and attractions. The boardwalk trail on the Fermanagh side of the Cuilcagh mountain is a fabulous attraction. To further realise the potential of the Cavan Burren Park area…

The Minister mentioned earlier that substantial funding would be made available for the Platforms for Growth investment programme. It is very welcome. I sincerely hope that Fáilte Ireland is assessing the application. It can give particular consideration to places where there had been underinvestment in the past due to no fault of those areas. Where the Minister and I come from, however, we suffered because of the Troubles. We suffer for historic reasons and we were slower getting development and tourism amenities …

I thank the Minister for her reply. I very much welcome the fact that we will have €150 million in that particular programme over the next few short years. Our tourism product is quite rightly sold on an all-Ireland basis. We want to develop the tourism product on an all-Ireland basis with more cross-Border tourism products. As a member of Government in January 2009, I had the privilege to launch with Ms Arlene Foster, the then enterprise Minister for Northern Ireland, the first transnational geopark in the world, …

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the tourism master plan for Shannon which, again, will promote the Hidden Heartlands. The whole river master plan for the Shannon region clearly demonstrates the opportunities and potential to grow tourism in many counties. I compliment Waterways Ireland, along with all the local authorities through which the River Shannon flows, for their co-operative nature in developing this strategy. We want to see it implemented now so we need investment. The plan gives a …

I endorse the comments of my colleague, Deputy McGuinness, particularly with regard to people aged over 66 and, in many instances, sole traders, self-employed and with smaller-scale businesses. I welcome the Minister's outline of the supports available, however. They are very significant. The figures the Minister quoted earlier regarding the economic cost of Covid-19 demonstrate very clearly the impact it has had on employment, enterprise and commerce in general. Of course, that pales into insignificance when we th…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As we all know a swift, effective and fair vaccination programme is essential to deal with the pandemic which has unfortunately been with this for more than 12 months. It continues to cause untold hardship in so many ways right throughout this country and indeed the world. People I have spoken to over 80 years of age and front-line healthcare workers who have had the vaccine say that it has been transformative. It is heartening to speak to older people to see again the confidence …