I agree with Deputy Fitzpatrick that our most vulnerable citizens have been treated despicably in the Covid period in nursing homes. He is right about that and this Bill does not even exist in law. The protection of vulnerability is not contained in the Bill's existence; it is dependent on the sort of society we have. It is dependent on whether we provide the resources that older people, sick people and sick children need or whether we have charity balls, fundraisers and coffee mornings for the palliative care that…

I welcome the opportunity, afforded to us by the Social Democrats' motion, to discuss this important issue. We recently celebrated, with some fanfare, the 100th anniversary of the Dáil. The statement adopted by the First Dáil 100 years ago reads: "It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter, but that all shall be provided wi…

This feels a bit like Groundhog Day for this statutory instrument and, indeed, for the EU Common Fisheries Policy. I am unsure what has changed since the High Court and the Supreme Court struck down this statutory instrument, or what has changed since Fianna Fáil and its coastal representatives voted this down in 2018 in a declaration of support for our fishing communities. Let me say, from this side, that we support this motion and believe the statutory instrument is a blunt instrument which is discriminatory and …

I am sharing time with Deputies Paul Murphy and Mick Barry, though the latter is not here yet. We in People Before Profit welcome this Bill. We will vote for it and we want to see it progress beyond Second Stage. However, we will seek to amend and strengthen its provisions and ensure there is a legal, mandatory statutory sick pay scheme for all workers in this country. The Government amendment spins it that the Government will legislate for a sick pay scheme but that it will take time. I do not believe a word of th…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will first acknowledge everything that Sinn Féin has set out in its motion, namely, the terror, fear and nuisance imposed on communities throughout the country, particularly working class communities, which have been flooded with fireworks. I will say what many people are saying to me tonight and it is not based on prejudice. It is very obvious that if this was happening in Foxrock or Dublin 4, it would have been sorted out by now. That it is happening predominantly…

I have listened to the Minister and the Green Party spokespersons over the past while talk about the measures that can be taken, the targets and the commitments. I have seen plans on the opening of various projects but then we all listen to the news and the reports of what is happening here in this country and globally, and many Deputies have spoken about it. The truth, however, is that the economic system of global capitalism we live under is destroying life on this planet as we know it before our very eyes and in…

On behalf of Solidarity-People Before Profit, I welcome the Sinn Féin motion and give it our full support. I want to ask the Minister why, given the experience he had in opposition, he needs to amend the motion so significantly. Had he been sitting on the Opposition benches he probably would have agreed with every word of the motion rather than amending it in the way he proposed. Perhaps he could address that when he returns to the House. The motion is important for all of the reasons other Deputies have said and w…

I propose to share time with Deputies Mick Barry and Paul Murphy.

I will make some general comments on the Bill, although I have no really strong opinions, one way or the other, on the merits of it. The Government has said it is important and addresses a real gap in legislation to deal with technical issues concerning the impact of Covid-19 on companies legislation. That is all well and good and I congratulate the Government on moving quickly to address this gap and dealing promptly with the difficulties facing companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. I also congratulate the Gover…

The programme for Government commits to ending the direct provision system and replacing it with a new international protection accommodation system based on a not-for-profit approach. Currently, in the Skellig Star accommodation centre in Cahersiveen, 32 people are facing their third day without food. They have gone on hunger strike, which is a drastic decision to take, to force the issue of their need to be moved out of that rotten accommodation. The owner of the company that runs the centre, Paul Collins, has ra…

I want to speak to amendment No. 34. I emphasise there is something slightly disconnected happening with this attempt to remove the ban on evictions. As has been said, the reason the ban on evictions was introduced was to protect public health in the middle of a pandemic. What has changed? We do not know where we are heading with this. We do not know yet whether there will be another spike in Covid that will run rampant through all sorts of congregated settings, possibly even the schools when they return. This is n…

I wish to make a point on the record, on behalf of Solidarity-People Before Profit. The fact that we are putting these motions and amendments to the House is reminiscent of a dictatorship of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-----

-----shoving their agenda down the mouths of the people of this country.

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle herself said the people of Ireland are watching this. It will be watched over and over again and will be seen for the shambolic process it is, whereby a majority Government is trying to silence the Opposition. The Opposition has bent over backwards at the Dáil reform committee and Business Committee meetings to make compromises and propose amendments and compromise motions, and at every hand's turn they were rejected. That is why this will appear to the people of Ireland to be the worst ou…

I listened to the Minster's opening statement. Couched in the language of helping tenants, in reality he is launching a massive attack on renters and tenants. I do not know if he understands the fear and insecurity in the hearts of many families as the eviction ban is lifted from 10 August. We believe this will open the floodgates for evictions. The language in the Bill makes it clear that the Government's chief concern is explaining that the measure is temporary and in response to an emergency but that the rights …

I am sharing time with Deputy Boyd Barrett.

No.

Seven minutes and three minutes.

I talk for longer than he does.

Deputy Lahart stated that no stone would be left unturned. We are not asking the Government to turn any stone. Rather, we are asking it to drop its amendment because that amendment is worse than outright opposition. It essentially repeats what Eamon de Valera - in this, the Minister of State is at least being consistent - said to Irish workers all those decades ago, namely, that labour must wait. That is what the Government is saying to the Debenhams workers with this amendment. It is outrageous. As has been said r…