The Government has committed to introducing a statutory sick pay Bill. Consultations have been ongoing with stakeholders. Will the Taoiseach outline the current status of this Bill? Will he provide a timeline as to when it will be brought before the Dáil?

The programme for Government contains a commitment in respect of a retrofitting insulation programme for housing. There is an anomaly in the current plan whereby people cannot get new works done even if minor work has been carried out on their properties within the past ten years. Does the Government have any plans to rectify the situation? If so, when will action be taken?

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas of the world. Over 2 million people are squeezed into an area smaller than County Louth, the smallest county in Ireland. The people of Gaza are discriminated against and humiliated by the Israelis on a daily basis. There has been a land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip since the early 1990s, which has resulted in great hardship for its residents and has led to a serious deterioration in the population's living conditions. This has been made worse by t…

Increasing house prices along with high rents are proving a major road block for families, workers and those who want to get on the property ladder. We are in a housing emergency and this cannot be stated often enough. It is a man-made crisis perpetuated by successive Governments and their failed policies and ideologies. This Government is no exception. It is continuing to put forward failed policies and strategies. The Minister has put forward housing proposals which will not deliver social and affordable housing …

I welcome this motion on a proposal for a national autism empowerment strategy, which I am happy to support. My constituency of Dublin North-West has a high number of children and young people with autism but a severe lack of services, resources and school places. The situation is acute at both primary and secondary level. The Sinn Féin team in Dublin North-West and I are in contact with, and have been assisting, many parents from across the constituency with the problems they face in getting proper access to schoo…

The shocking closure of addiction services such as St. Michael's ward in Beaumont Hospital and the services in Keltoi Rehabilitation Unit in the Phoenix Park is an absolute indictment. They were closed down in the middle of an epidemic. The Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021 is designed to correct potential anomalies resulting from a ruling of the Supreme Court on the sentencing of individuals to mandatory minimum sentences for a second or subsequent offence under the relevant legislation. Many of the mandatory…

We are being given a once in a generation opportunity to preserve what is one of the most important historical sites of modern Irish history. For too long in our recent past, bad planning, disastrous development decisions and a disregard for our heritage lost us forever the Viking site at Wood Quay, the Georgian facades of St. Stephen's Green, the Metropolitan Theatre, and more recently the criminal destruction of the home of the 1916 leader The O’Rahilly. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past and not repl…

Before I put a question to the Minister, I wish to take the opportunity to recognise the great work and sacrifices made by all front-line workers. As one who has recovered from the Covid virus, I can fully appreciate how difficult it is for those who are suffering from it. I offer condolences to the families of those who have died as a consequence of this pandemic. My concern is with the sequencing and pace of the vaccination roll-out and how those who are to be vaccinated are prioritised. One group of healthcare w…

I will.

I specifically asked about agency workers and the Minister of State did not give me an answer. Those workers are carers and, as far as I am concerned, are at the front line. As the vaccination programme progresses, does the Minister of State anticipate that families will be able to visit their loved ones in nursing homes, contingent on all parties concerned being vaccinated? This matter has been raised several times and I know that the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, will make a decision on the issue.…

On the same subject, the programme for Government includes an undertaking to look at putting caps on parking fees in public hospitals for patients, their families and visitors. Will the Government not consider abolishing such charges altogether? People are frustrated and find it very unjust-----

Since the Government was formed the Minister has been promising to deliver affordable housing. He has had sufficient time to explore options, and if this is the best he can come up with, then we have a real problem. The idea of a shared equity purchase scheme that is being put forward by him simply will not work. I would argue that it is worse than similar schemes in the past. History has shown us that schemes like the one the Minister is proposing have proved disastrous for people and have inflated house prices. A…

This has been a very challenging and difficult time for the survivors of mother and baby homes. The publication of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation report has brought to light the hidden shame of a nation. Unfortunately, the report has failed to fully address or sufficiently acknowledge the wrongs done to these survivors. The report has made some findings that are at variance with the accounts of survivors. It even contradicts survivors' testimonies. The proof anybody needed as to the nature of…

I have a number of questions for the Minister and I hope she will respond to some of them. I also wish to make a number of points. It is clear that occasionally there have been mixed messages and a breakdown in communication with parents, pupils, teachers and trade unions. Engaging with all stakeholders is extremely important and necessary. I acknowledge the Minister's announcement that special needs schools and pupils will be able to return to some form of normality on 21 January next. This brings us in line with …

The Covid-19 pandemic has up-ended many areas of our lives. In normal circumstances, buying a home can often be a complex and stressful process. However, Covid-19 has made the purchase of a new home especially difficult for people with underlying health conditions. That is because individuals with underlying health conditions are finding it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to access certain types of insurance cover during this pandemic. A case from my constituency of Dublin North-West illustrates the obst…

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution, but he must use his influence. I accept he cannot interfere in the insurance market, but his influence is very important. I do not think it is acceptable at all to say that things can be delayed, because that effectively means the person has lost their house, and to wish them luck and tell them they must search again. The Minister of State knows the stress on the people looking for houses and the competition out there. It is just not good enough to say there is a …

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a thabhairt do mo chomrádaithe Teachtaí Dála O'Reilly agus McDonald mar gheall ar an mBille seo. Domestic violence has a devastating impact on the victim, family unit and wider community. According to Women's Aid, one in four women has been abused by a current or former partner. In 2019 alone, Women's Aid received more than 19,000 disclosures of domestic violence, ranging from emotional abuse to rape. Domestic violence has a huge impact on the mental health and well-being of the victim, in a…

In 2017 Sinn Féin moved its first Bill on quads and scramblers to tackle the scourge of the illegal use of these vehicles which has plagued our communities for years. In 2018 our Bill was debated in the Dáil and was voted down by the Government and Fianna Fáil. Since then, a number of deaths and many injuries have been caused by these vehicles. I have repeatedly raised this issue in the Dáil and on safety forums and policing committees over many years. A working group was set up by the then Department of Justice an…

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to provide extra funding for the retrofitting and insulation of Dublin City Council houses and apartments. It has been made known to me that no funding has been provided for a long time to Dublin City Council. This lack of funding has resulted in a complete standstill and suspension of the council's retrofitting programme. If we are serious about the environment, it is essential that the Ministers for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Housing, Loca…

It is the Department.