Budget 2021 should have been the budget that gave workers and families a break. I welcome the positive measures in it but it does not go far enough. It does not give security to those who are worried about their future, given the uncertain times that lie ahead. The failure to reinstate the pandemic unemployment payment is baffling. It should not have been cut in the first place. Not only that, but the Government intends to cut this payment further in the new year. This will simply make the situation worse for many …

My constituency of Dublin Bay North is no different from that of the previous speakers. Since August of this year fireworks, rockets and bangers have been going off morning, noon and night. People are afraid. Our elderly people have had bangers put through their letterboxes. Fireworks have been aimed at people and moving cars. People's property has been damaged and children are afraid to go out to play. This is also causing huge distress to our pets. It needs to stop. Our communities need assistance and supports. I…

The Minister of State knows that taxi drivers have been some of the hardest hit workers by this pandemic. They received little support from the Government, despite us hearing that the industry is on its knees. There is no work for taxi drivers. This is down to the fact that we have no concerts or football matches, people are working from home, and few people are going out socialising. Throughout the pandemic, taxi drivers have shown that they are essential workers. They dropped our nurses and doctors to work and to…

The last few months have taken a toll on everyone, particularly those suffering with mental health issues. It has been an intense period and the stress and anxiety associated with the coronavirus has put a strain on many of us. Before the pandemic and the lockdown, mental health services across the State were bursting at the seams. They did not have the capacity to deal with the number of people presenting for services. It can be difficult to get people to engage with mental health services but, when they do engage…

I welcome the reopening of schools after such a long absence. I hope they can be kept open even though they are going to be facing many challenges in the coming weeks. I thank the principals and staff for being proactive in recent weeks in the reopening of our schools. The concerns of teachers who are in a high-risk category must be heard. This morning, The Irish Time s reported that almost 650 teachers who have been assessed to be high risk have been told that they must go back to school. This seems an extraordina…

In March, the Minister took the decision to freeze rates for businesses. From March to June, rates were waived entirely. This was welcome but it was only an interim measure. How will the shortfalls for the remainder of this year be addressed?

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I, too, am concerned about the estimated deficit of €90 million predicted by the County and City Management Association. The Minister of State does not need to be told that huge holes will have to be plugged if services are to continue effectively and if the councils are to avoid any staff cuts. Funding is required in three areas, namely, the revenue usually raised through rates, non-rates revenue and moneys for Covid-19-related expenses, which I understand will amoun…

I thank the Minister of State. I am sure the city and county managers and local councillors from all parties and none are disappointed by his response. They need absolute certainty. I will give the Minister of State an example of the financial impact Covid-19 has had on Dublin City Council alone. Dublin City Council faces €41 million in additional costs due to Covid-19. It has experienced a loss of non-rates income of €32 million. The Minister of State will agree that this is a really serious situation. Communities…

When we look at childcare, we see a sector that has been in crisis for many years and whose workers do not have the pay or working conditions they deserve. Childcare costs in this State are among the highest in the OECD. It is the same as the cost of a mortgage payment for many families. We require a State-funded model of childcare that is in line with international best practice, that views childcare as a start of a child's educational journey rather than somewhere for them to wait until they are ready for primary…

The issues of housing and rip-off rents were on the agenda almost every week during the previous Dáil. Housing was the number one issue on most doorsteps during the general election campaign in February. For more than a decade, workers and young families have been let down by the failure to tackle housing affordability and the rental crisis. They have been caught up in a never-ending cycle of being unable to afford a deposit because of the cost of renting. Government support for the motion would signal its intent t…

I am proud of my community and of my constituents who make it a great place to live. I thank the community groups, educators and gardaí for working as hard as they do to try to make our society a better place. However, there is an ongoing drug feud in my area and communities across my constituency are dealing with a never-ending cycle of living in fear and under intimidation. While I understand that particular pressure has been put on the Garda to implement the emergency legislation that was passed in March, the da…