I thank the Minister of State. I want to put on record my appreciation for the work of the officials since July. I know that other meetings have taken place, more than likely virtually, but nonetheless there is good engagement on this site. The chairman of the OPW and others appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts last week. I thank them for their engagement. Given the historic nature of the Tully church and its surrounds, it is important that we get this right and that we afford those protections. Going f…

I thank the Minister for taking this question. Last year, passenger numbers rose in Dublin by 7.5%, going from 141 million passengers in 2018 to 151 million in 2019. I ask the Minister to provide an update on his plans to increase the bus fleet for 2021.

As I said, passenger numbers increased by 7.5% in Dublin and 138 million journeys took place on Dublin Bus services in 2019. Dublin Bus has significantly increased efficiency, brought in new timetables and improved frequencies on the network, which has enabled it to continue growing its passenger numbers, hopefully into 2021. It is clear that there is a demand for improved and increased services across Dublin and Dubliners want to see more improvements on public transport. That is only right. If we want people to l…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this question. On Brexit and the preparedness of small businesses, is he familiar with the research done by the customs clearance service, Declaron, a new partnership between the accountancy firm, BDO, and the fintech company, Fexco. According to their research, 37% of Irish businesses that trade with the UK have yet to start planning for Brexit. Businesses list their primary reason for not preparing as the fact that no trade agreement is in place yet. It is just 50 days unt…

I thank the Minister of State. I note what he said about the 225,000 businesses that have been corresponded with, which is welcome, but the Declaron research also found that 54% of businesses that trade with the UK do not understand the new custom clearance procedures that are guaranteed to come into effect on 1 January 2021, which is worrying. Does the Minister of State agree with Carol Lynch, one of those who participated in that research, that many businesses seem to be sleepwalking into the trade agreement trap…

The €20 million fund the Minister of State referred to is welcome. However, my fear relates to those businesses that may not be aware of the full impact of Brexit or that, because of Covid, have not paid enough attention to it and have had other issues such as keeping the doors open on their minds. It is important that the Department and the Ministers responsible double down on making sure those businesses are aware. Some of these businesses have never dealt with customs issues if they have traded purely within the…

I understand that more than 1,000 community and voluntary organisations have applied for funding under the Government's €35 million Covid-19 stability fund. Can the Minister provide an update on this very important scheme?

I thank the Minister for her answer. As she knows, community and voluntary sector organisations and social enterprises throughout the country have been hit very hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Nevertheless, many of them have been at the coalface of the response to the pandemic, whether through the Community Call or other initiatives. I acknowledge, as I am sure does everybody in the House, their efforts over the past nine months. The Government's Covid-19 stability fund has provided significant assistance, as the Mini…

I thank the Minister for her clarification. It is very welcome, particularly in respect of the €5 million that was not spent. There were questions around that. The additional €10 million announced in budget 2021 is important to the organisations looking to access it. Their future is uncertain, particularly in the event of another wave of Covid infections and if a vaccine is not forthcoming. As I said, it is very important that we provide them with information as soon as we can in order to assist them as they plan f…

I thank the Minister for taking this question. I would like to speak to the sibling-first policy and the impact it will have on many parents. This came as a surprise to parents and families, particularly those hoping that their children will go to the same primary school. I understand this change impacts on Catholic schools and does not impact on other school patron bodies. One particular family that has been in contact with me has a child already in fifth class and other children hoping to attend the same school. …

I thank the Minister for that clarification. I understand that the policy primarily impacts on oversubscribed schools. That said, I think the sibling-first policy would impact negatively, particularly for the boards of management in terms of voluntary contributions for the schools and the issues facing principals as well in allocating places. While I appreciate the Minister's response and request that she forward it to me, I ask that further consideration be given to this issue in regard to schools in Dublin becaus…

Budget 2021 has been published as our nation faces two unprecedented challenges, namely, the Covid-19 pandemic and a hard Brexit. The Government will spend an additional €17.3 billion in 2021, of which €8.5 billion will be allocated to Covid measures, while €3.4 billion will be spent supporting jobs and the economy as we deal with Brexit. A significant extra spend of €1.6 billion has been allocated to capital spending, which will provide 12,750 much-needed social homes and fund public transport improvements on bus,…

I thank the Minister for his attendance earlier today and for the time he spent at the Covid committee along with members of NPHET yesterday. We had a frank and open discussion, including suggestions from members for how we might further engage with the public. As has been said in this session and in others, we are in uncharted waters. Nobody has the right answer. We are learning as we go. It is important to listen to suggestions and take them on board. We all need to work together. I also welcome this opportunity …

Sadly, it has been announced this evening that another four people have died of Covid-19. I offer my condolences to their families and to all those that have lost loved ones to Covid-19 here in Ireland. We have known this winter would be a significant challenge since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged here in March. The pandemic, combined with the flu season, will place enormous challenges on our health service and front-line workers. Pre-Covid, many of our hospitals were already operating at 90-95% capacity. I welcome …

My question relates to the much-needed extension to the Luas green line from Bride’s Glen and Cherrywood. I note that the extension of the Luas lines to Bray, Lucan, Poolbeg and Finglas was included in the National Transport Authority’s 2016 transport strategy for Dublin, and news that the Finglas line is proceeding is welcome. However, residents in the other areas are wondering where they stand. In particular, will the Minister provide an update on the status of the extension to the Luas line from Bray?

Residents across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, and not just in the Bray area, want to see delivery on public transport improvements. I note what the Minister has said about BusConnects and DART+, which is very welcome. However, development is currently taking place in areas such as Cabinteely, Carrickmines, Cherrywood and Old Conna, to name but a few. I estimate some 50,000 people will be living and working in that area over the next few years. Development plans were agreed on the basis that public transport would be upg…

While I agree with the Minister's view about future development, the development plans are under way and I hope the Minister's office will contact the relevant local authorities. As I mentioned, the Cabinteely, Carrickmines, Cherrywood, Shankill and northern Bray area has enormous development already planned and, on the back of that, it is anticipated public transport will be delivered. In fact, many of the developments that have happened are on the back of the idea that public transport will be delivered in those …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I concur with the Minister on what is proposed in the Bill. As he said, the Government recently passed the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 which puts protections in place for tenants, particularly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It makes it unlawful to evict people who are impacted by the pandemic until 11 January 2021, a welcome provision. It also introduces new protections for those tenants who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19. It is tar…

I congratulate the Minister of State present, Deputy O'Donovan, as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, on their appointments. I thank the Minister of State for taking the question this afternoon. There is a 360 ha site in Cherrywood that is a strategic development zone in Dublin, in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire. It has a rich history, with several ancient monuments, buildings, ruins of the Tully church and two stone crosses. Given the construction of the new town centre and associated housing in…

This is a reply I look forward to getting and circulating. This highlights the point that these historical monuments, artifacts and buildings at Cherrywood are in real danger. I acknowledge the work of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and, as its cathaoirleach in 2017, I tried to propose a committee at the council involving the National Monuments Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the council and other agencies such as the OPW. That was not forthcoming. I know now from that response the reason t…