I join others in congratulating the Minister of State. I have always admired her contributions in the Dáil Chamber, especially those on violence against women. She has done incredible work in that regard. I congratulate her on her elevation and look forward to working with her, particularly in the area of insurance and the difficulty communities and charity organisations have in obtaining it. I will not get into that today because we are talking about credit unions. I welcome the Bill, especially because it will le…

We have to prioritise a strategy on how we can recognise Ireland's potential to become a global powerhouse in movies and TV. Of course, it could be argued that we already are a powerhouse when we see record-breaking nominations for the upcoming Oscars and performances at the BAFTAs etc. However, in order for that to be fair and equitable right throughout Ireland, we need to fix the regional film development uplift maps. The regional film development uplift maps are unfair at the moment. It means that production com…

There was talk of extending it.

Charity events are a big part of the social fabric of Ireland but they are under threat right across the country and are being cancelled because of insurance issues. The Taoiseach is probably familiar with the idea of a cheval ride. Those who did French for the leaving certificate will know it is a charity horse ride. Such rides are under threat because insurance companies are not giving cover for a horse and trap. A horse and trap is designed to take two or three people as passengers. Those who participate in a ho…

I thank and congratulate the Minister on her stance with regard to the retention of the 9% VAT rate. The hospitality sector in west Cork is very grateful for today's announcement that this rate is to be extended until at least the start of September. With regard to tourism strategy, and referring to something Deputy Dillon alluded to at the end of his contribution, we need a really well thought-out strategy with regard to movie and TV tourism. As we can see, more and more productions are shooting in Ireland. I imag…

I would like to back up Deputy Ó Cathasaigh with regard to the experience on Cléire, especially with regard to housing. It is a big issue on Cape Clear and on all of our islands. We need innovative bespoke solutions for housing on the islands. A very innovative approach was used on the western islands of Scotland. It is referred to as gateway housing. It is essentially a type of social housing that gave people, perhaps young families, the opportunity to experience island life and to give them a taste of it so that …

When it comes to promoting inclusion of women in sport, we need to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. We have an inclusion of women in sport campaign, featuring many high-profile athletes. One of the athletes who has been front and centre of that campaign is a lady called Anaïs O'Donovan from west Cork. She is one of the best freestyle kayakers in the world. She just finished in the recent world championships, putting her in the top ten and what she can do on rapids is unbelievable. It is essentially gymnastic…

I was not insinuating or suggesting some type of gender bias.

I appreciate that the Minister of State will look into this, and I would appreciate it if every effort was made to get a positive response for Anaïs O'Donovan. She is a talented athlete with a great future ahead of her, but she needs support.

I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, will be very familiar with the issue of ash dieback. I appreciate the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, are not present but I know the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, will convey to both of them the points I am about to make. It is important that I get the opportunity to bring this issue up on the floor of the Dáil Chamber. Decades ago, a previous Government incentivised, encouraged and promoted the planting of ash through…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate his comments about my contribution being taken into account and that the Minister will look at this in the review and, I hope, come up with something that is fit for purpose. Earlier this year, I visited forestry in Tipperary with some private forestry owners. It was the first time I was shown the symptoms of ash dieback and what to look out for with ash trees. Ever since being shown that I have seen the disease everywhere. Around my home area in west Cork it is along roa…

My question asks how many gardaí are assigned to the Bandon, Bantry and Clonakilty districts.

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that the figures he shared include civilian gardaí. The figures I have been given in communication with senior gardaí in the west Cork area suggest that the numbers have fallen by 16. There were 307 gardaí in the area in 2017 and there are now only 291. A reduction of 16 gardaí is a lot in a region such as west Cork, which is peripheral and has a small population. It is a sparsely populated area. This is a worrying trend because it means that, while gardaí still prioritis…

I appreciate the Minister of State's response. It seems that we are struggling, both in west Cork and at a national level, to recruit and retain. The issue has been well covered and we must acknowledge it is the case. If I think back 20 years to when I was 19 or 20, becoming a garda was still an attractive profession and line of work to go into. That does not seem to be the case now. There seems to be a reluctance to join the Garda. I imagine that is the result of the conditions. We need to start talking up the pro…

I want to bring awareness to the campaign by hairdressers throughout the length and breadth of Ireland to keep the VAT rate for their services at 9%. It is an issue nationally. If one looks at west Cork, one sees a perfect example of how a change in the VAT rate will negatively impact the industry. There is a healthy number of excellent hairdressers throughout west Cork and they play such an important role. As the Taoiseach may well know, west Cork is the wedding capital of Ireland and hairdressers play such an imp…

I was not going to say that.

Deputy Bruton is correct in that this represents 1% of the overall ambition. When one hears terms like this is a sell-out and a land-grab, perhaps some of that commentary is overplayed. He is also correct in his assertion that, at the moment, land use in general is an emitter as opposed to a sequester of carbon. For years we have been getting it wrong. I know the Minister of State’s passion for and interest in this whole area and that really comes through but in respect of Coillte and how it has conducted its opera…

I welcome this opportunity to talk about CAMHS in CHO 4 in particular, which covers west Cork, including my constituency. There is clearly an issue there. The findings of the report are damning, especially in the Kerry area. My heart goes out to the families and the children who have been impacted by this. As has been brought to light recently, there is a mental health unit in CHO 4 in Bantry General Hospital which recently has been forced to close from an 18-bed unit down to a 15-bed unit. Reducing to a 15-bed uni…

It is mental health. It is a really important issue and this may be the last chance I have to bring it up.

I will wrap up in a couple of minutes but it is related to women's mental health issues. It is very important that it is aired here.