My time has been curtailed. I ask the Minister to reply to my question in writing.

I tabled two questions in the foolish understanding that we might table questions and get answers but it seems this is not the way-----

Tá dhá cheist agam, ceann amháin i nGaeilge agus ceann amháin i mBéarla. Baineann an ceann i nGaeilge leis na coláistí samhraidh. Thug mé fógra don Taoiseach go raibh mé chun an cheist seo a ardú. Tá a fhios aige go bhfuil cinneadh déanta ag an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta nach mbeidh na coláistí samhraidh ag dul ar aghaidh an samhradh seo. Tuigeann na mná tí agus na coláistí samhraidh é sin agus ar a laghad tá cinnteacht ann anois. Is é an rud a chuir isteach ar an earnáil agus ar na mná tí seo ná go…

The Deputy must conclude.

We only have a certain amount of time. If Deputies speak for more than the allocated time, they will deprive others. I am sorry to be abrupt.

Thank you Deputy.

I am sorry to interrupt but if we do not stick to the time, other people will be deprived of the opportunity to speak.

The Green Party is next with Deputy Leddin.

Go raibh maith agat.

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil sé deacair ach tá an t-am srianta do chuile dhuine. Táim ag bogadh ar aghaidh go dtí People Before Profit agus Solidarity.

I thank the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, for the efforts so far on the payments. I share the other speakers' concerns, which I will not repeat except in relation to the three month mortgage deferral and the interest rates and also the inconsistencies on the ground where people who are actually working are receiving less. I thank the Minister for his efforts on the payments, however, and it was the right thing to do. I support Deputy Shortall's contribution on testing. We cannot talk about a recovery until …

My colleagues, Deputies Joan Collins and Pringle, and I have tabled seven questions. I will not reach all of them in the limited time I have. I ask the Minister to confirm that written answers to those questions will be provided. That will ease matters. I will hone in on questions Nos. 3 to 7, three of which are in my name and relate to residential facilities. The Minister may have heard my contribution this morning when I stated that I have no idea why residential facilities were not top of the list from day one. …

Agus an clog ag teannadh linn, déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall a bheith chomh sciobtha agus is féidir. I understand that some issues are complex, such as the leaving certificate, and that there are pluses and minuses involved. In that context, the specific questions in my name and in those of my colleagues, Deputy Pringle and Deputy Joan Collins, are not complex. They are straightforward, practical solutions, and justice comes into it. They have been raised by other Deputies so I will not dwell on them. One relates to th…

Will a task force be set up in respect of this substantial number of people so somebody will direct the actions in that regard?

I have only two and a half minutes, Taoiseach, so I will zone in. I gave my support to draconian legislation where absolutely no attempt was made to contextualise such legislation within a human rights perspective or to frame the powers given to gardaí and undefined medical officers in order that such powers would be time limited and used in a proportionate and non-discriminatory way. I gave my support reluctantly, on the basis of a number of issues. The first was that we would improve the legislation as best we co…

I will share time with Deputy Harkin. I will use my five minutes as efficiently as I can and I will keep my questions short. It would be remiss of me not to put this into perspective. This morning, I pointed out that nursing homes did not appear in eight briefing documents produced in April, apart from two sentences. This tells me that no priority was placed on them as a concern. One mention, on 1 April, was to state that screening would be introduced twice a day for staff. Was screening introduced? How many staff …

I welcome the efforts made to date and pay tribute to the staff of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection who are working on the ground. Year after year, we recognise at budget time that without the payments made by the Department and the significant work done by its staff on the ground, this country would be even more unequal. I welcome the Covid-19 payment, the wages subsidy and the extension of time in respect of the fuel allowance. However, we must take into account the context. Deputy Cowen…

I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a chur in iúl do na teaghlaigh atá ag déileáil le bás a muintire de bharr an víris seo. Níl sé éasca dóibh agus níl sé éasca a bheith sa Dáil arís ag cur reachtaíocht éigeandála tríd an Dáil. Tá cuid den reachtaíocht seo iontach agus cabhrach ach tá cuid eile de ag cur isteach go mór ar chearta an duine, go háirithe ó thaobh daoine atá ag streachailt le fadhbanna meabhairshláinte. I have only a few minutes. First, I extend my sympathy to all the families who have lost loved on…

Ba mhaith liom cúrsaí a shoiléiriú ag an bpointe seo. I want to clarify matters at this point. The Minister's speech on finance has just been circulated so we will take that as read.

It is slightly different. We will take contributions on finance now. These are five-minute contributions from each party. I wanted to clarify that, as there was some slight confusion.