Workers at the Smurfit Kappa newspaper printing press in Kells, County Meath, learned a couple of weeks ago that, subject to regulatory approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, the operation in Kells is to be acquired by KIP Limited, an indirect UK incorporated subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp UK. Workers there are deeply concerned that their terms and conditions of employment, including redundancy entitlements, will be hollowed out in the process. Many of the workers have decad…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I echo Deputy Cullinane's comments. Mandatory hotel quarantine was a very significant and important public health intervention. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, nor should it have been. It was, and is, controversial but as outlined, it was a significant tool in response to the risk of importation of the virus. In many respects, it was an inevitability given the many failures by the Government to get ahead of things, to address and put in place systems …

I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on international travel. For the first time in almost a year and a half there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that is very welcome. The successful vaccination roll out to date in Ireland, Britain, across Europe and the United States has radically changed the outlook for international travel in a way that we all hoped it would. As my party's spokesperson on transport and a Deputy representing the constituency of Meath East, I am very f…

Over 200,000 people are now waiting for a driving theory test or a driving test. This is having a huge impact on people, particularly young people. Driving tests are happening in a limited way. Theory tests are completely closed, more or less, since October. This is despite the fact that the Road Safety Authority, RSA, is of the firm opinion that the theory test can be conducted safely during Covid restrictions. Mr. Declan Naughton from the RSA said as much on radio recently. Mr. Naughton stated that if there is a …

I was in possession.

I am sharing time with Deputies Ó Murchú, Cronin and Donnelly. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It has been some time coming. Many people are interested in the issue and would have liked to see the Bill being brought forward sooner. Its provisions will be important for those affected, particularly small family farmers and small business owners. It will provide them with some solace and protection and will also ensure, in some part, that their businesses and farms are sustainable and viable. That is …

From the outset of the pandemic, workers and unions in the aviation sector have called for two things: supports and a plan. The Government has a responsibility to protect strategic connectivity. The levels of support for workers, airlines and airports are a fraction of what is needed, based on international comparisons. The fact that there have been no conditions for the protection of jobs and strategic connectivity is simply a disgrace. Where is the plan and what is it? The Joint Committee on Transport and Communi…

Regarding the scale of the supports, the Minister mentioned €300 million by the end of June. Other countries are providing many times that level of support. In addition, with that €300 million, we have no commitment regarding strategic connectivity or the protection of jobs. That is completely inexcusable. The aviation sector will have to recover, and we will need it to be strong and robust in future. The supports must be continued and significantly increased immediately. A clear plan is also required, and, as Depu…

The housing crisis has hit workers and families in my county of Meath extremely hard. According to the latest Daft.ie rental report, the average rent in Meath is now €1,415, up 4.9% on the figure for this time last year. Rents are 118% higher than they were at their lowest point a few years ago. The monthly rent people are paying is double what a mortgage repayment would be. I am a renter myself. Many younger people are still living with their parents or sharing a house with others to try to keep rent affordable. F…

To go back to the private committee hearing this morning, some of the issues that came up there have come up more broadly in recent days. These include issues around our state of readiness for this attack, how our systems were or were not in place and the question of whether we should have been more prepared. There is also the issue of resourcing, not just of the NCSC and its facilities, but also the various Departments and agencies that have important work in the cybersecurity area. Does the NCSC have the expertis…

In terms of overall governance, it is not entirely clear what is the departmental and ministerial responsibility in regard to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth. Where did does responsibility lie at this point in time?

I have a straight question for the Tánaiste. Taxi drivers are in need of a dedicated survival and recovery package that reflects the challenges in their industry. A number of measures have been introduced but taxi drivers have not been able to avail of the vast majority of them. They got a licence waiver of €150. There has been speculation and promises about a hardship fund to capture those sectors that have not been able to avail of supports so far. Is that going to come and when will it come?

Following up on that point, I second Deputy O'Donnell's proposal. I sit on the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Networks. There is an interesting and important window of opportunity to carry out that pilot study. We have this hybrid model, which I have argued against because I believe it should be stronger, of mandatory hotel quarantine for a specific cohort and a pre-departure PCR test for other people travelling, for instance, from London to Dublin, as well as recommendations and other obligations,…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing it forward. We have a rental market in Ireland that is neither normal nor bearable. In County Meath, rent costs are exorbitant. On daft.ie this morning it is €1,800 for a two-bedroom apartment in Ashbourne and Ratoath, €1,700 in Dunboyne and €1,600 in Dunshaughlin. It is less expensive in towns like Kells and Duleek but of course, like Ashbourne, Ratoath, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin, there is little or no availability. It is an in…

What is the timeframe for the publication of the revised wind energy development guidelines, what is the reason for the significant delay in their publication and will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter? The 2006 guidelines have been under review for a considerable period.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am interested in knowing what he understands "as quickly as possible" to mean. He will appreciate that there is considerable interest in these guidelines and many people are waiting on them. Over recent weeks, the Joint Committee on Climate Action heard from the planning regulator, who said that the guidelines were needed urgently, and Wind Energy Ireland, which is eager to see them. The Minister of State will know from Longford and Westmeath that many local authori…

I commend my colleague, Deputy Stanley, who introduced the Wind Turbine Regulation Bills 2016 and 2020. The latter is on the Order Paper and might provide a helpful template for the Departments. In the planning regulator's contribution to the Joint Committee on Climate Action, he raised the possibility of developing a renewable energy roadmap with county-specific targets. From my experience as a county councillor in Meath, I know of the discussions that happened over the border in Westmeath about the possibility of…

The people are way ahead of the Government when it comes to protecting our environment and our natural heritage. I have seen it over many years in regards to groups such as the Kells Anglers which have been the custodians of the River Blackwater and look after its stock and quality. In recent weeks, the communities along the River Boyne rallied in defence of it. In the space of a number of days, over 6,000 people in a small rural area joined an online campaign in support of the environment and the River Boyne. The …

I wish to raise a couple of issues with the Minister this afternoon. I ask that the Government look into them as soon as possible as they remain unresolved despite repeated requests for action. The first issue relates to aviation workers, specifically Aer Lingus employees. My colleague, Teachta O'Reilly, referenced this point. The pandemic and resulting necessary travel restrictions have had a massive impact on workers in the sector. This hardship has been compounded by repeated failures of the social welfare syste…

I want to raise the case of Anne Kelly. Anne is 86 years old and is housebound in Ashbourne, County Meath. She is waiting for her Covid vaccine and getting more anxious by the day. She feels like she has been forgotten about. She could be forgiven for this because, in this Chamber on 25 March, a month ago, the Minister said the first phase of the vaccination programme for the housebound was completed in Dublin and the north-east. Mrs. Kelly has not had her vaccine and is distraught. She spent Easter Sunday in tears…