I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his commentary. The NPWS needs to be properly resourced and I would like to see a review of its functions and roles. This needs to happen because it needs to have a bit more clout. An issue about which I have spoken to the Minister, on a personal basis and in the Dáil, is the need for a specific wildlife crime investigation unit as a dedicated section in An Garda Síochána. This needs to happen. Recently, I spoke about the massacre of 23 common buzzards in my constituen…

Page 40 of the programme for Government refers to investment in wastewater treatment. In our towns and villages, in particular, we need that investment now more than ever. I know the Tánaiste is familiar with Kinsale and near Kinsale there is a small village called Belgooly. The residents of that village have to close their windows and doors because of the foul stench coming from a treatment plant that clearly does not work. In the village of Shannonvale, near my home town of Clonakilty, there is a black liquid com…

I will be as brief as possible and try to leave time for the Minister and Minister of State to respond. I wish both of them the best of luck in their new briefs. In regard to the Minister, I am encouraged by her approach and commentary thus far in respect of the arts, culture and tourism, which is now part of her brief. I genuinely wish her the best of luck and I look forward to working with her and to welcoming her to west Cork to show her the incredible tourism offering there. I know the Minister of State a bit b…

I would not want to have vertigo up here; there is a pretty steep fall. I wish the Minister of State, Deputy English, the best of luck in his new role. I know he relishes a challenge and I sincerely wish him the very best of luck and I look forward to working with him. I had expected the Tánaiste to be here. The first time I met the Tánaiste was in Kinsale prior to the election and I photobombed him for the purposes of getting a bit of publicity. It seems to have worked. We were standing in Kinsale, which is part o…

We have all, I hope, been shocked and deeply saddened and angered by the injustices we have seen coming out of the US. It is easy to talk about the evils of racism as being over there, all the way over in America, but here in Ireland we need to search our own hearts. Prejudice is deeply rooted in all of us. It is fed by background, popular culture and, in Ireland, a sometimes clannish mistrust of people from other cultures. It is all borne out of a complex sense of inferiority because, as a colonised country and as…

Deputy Jim O'Callaghan referred to young people and the impact of the closure of sport on them. I commend young people for their incredible volunteerism during the lockdown. Their sporting organisations throughout Ireland have raised thousands upon thousands of euro for charitable organisations. In west Cork, where I am from, members of sports organisations and clubs have taken part in 5 km runs and sit-up and push-up challenges and they have raised thousands for the local community hospital there. I take this oppo…

As tourism and transport are intrinsically linked and are both part of the Minister's portfolio, I will touch on both. The Minister referred to public transport and electric buses in his statement. Improved public transport will obviously lead to reduced emissions but it could also potentially open up the regions to sustainable tourism. Such tourism does not exist at the moment. I will take west Cork, where I am from, as an example. It is a tourism hotspot but the only way a tourist can get there is by car. That is…

I will point out a few anomalies. What is needed first and foremost is clarity and certainty going forward. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection in her address earlier alluded to the fact the Covid payment and other payment would continue beyond June. That is not enough certainty or clarity for Deputies who are receiving queries on a daily basis from constituents who do not know what their position will be in a few months' time. We need certainty, clarity, and a detailed plan going forward. Wil…

I echo Deputy Byrne's comments on children in special classes and ASD units. These children have had to go without speech and occupational therapy, movement breaks and psychological supports since 12 March. I know of a child who gets up every morning, puts on her coat and schoolbag and goes to the front door to wait for a taxi that will never arrive. That is heartbreaking. I cannot even begin to imagine the distress that girl and her family go through every day. These children, their parents, guardians and families…

I will be speaking for-----

I had intended to speak for four minutes with one minute for the reply.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I come from the arts capital of the world, which, as all Members know, is west Cork. We have a festival for every form of art that one can think of, including storytelling, poetry, jazz festivals and guitar festivals. You name it, we have it. Our traditions, gigs and festivals are under severe threat. While artists and organisers are showing a bit of innovation and they are doing Facebook live and Zoom sessions, this is not replacing the thrill of going to a physical gig or going to the…

It has been a long road up from west Cork and I know the Ceann Comhairle will offer me a bit of liberty. I am here today, like everybody else, to highlight the hardships that our tourism sector is facing. There is no doubt that the sector will face a massive struggle in post-pandemic Ireland. While other sectors will be impacted, we can all agree that tourism will face the longest road back when this pandemic has abated. Tourism is of vital importance to our economic health. The industry employs more than 260,000 p…

This is my maiden address to the Dáil so I will take the opportunity to thank the people of Cork South-West who have put their faith in me. I assure them that I will repay them for it. It goes without saying that I share the concerns expressed by other Deputies regarding public health. Public health is paramount. The safety of our communities is also paramount. All necessary precautions must be taken. That goes without saying. I want to touch on the potential impact on the tourism industry. I am delighted the Minis…