The directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU was published on 19 October 2022 and must be transposed by 15 November 2024. The directive aims to ensure that workers across the EU are protected by adequate minimum wages, allowing for a decent living wherever they work. The directive includes three sets of measures. One of its goals is to increase the number of workers covered by collective bargaining on wage setting. This will require Ireland to develop an action plan to enhance collective bargaining coverage by…

Let me be clear that Ireland is fully supportive of the principles of this directive. It will increase the number of workers covered by collective bargaining, and that is something with which we agree. It is important to remember that, even without this directive, Ireland has one of the highest minimum wage rates in the EU. Article 4 of the directive is specific to collective bargaining in terms of workers and wages. Ireland is a leader on that front, given the Low Pay Commission and the work it does in informing u…

We should not lose sight of the fact that the overall ambition of the directive relates to the national minimum wage. Ireland has the sixth highest national minimum wage of the 22 EU member states that have national minimum wages. The directive does not attempt to set the minimum wage. Rather, it is about consultation when setting new minimum wages. That is something Ireland is a leader on already and something on which we are continually working. Regarding trade unions and activity within them, it is up to individ…

I am standing here yet again to ask for updates on 12 schools in my area. I raised this as a Topical Issue recently and the Ceann Comhairle suggested the Department host a briefing meeting with me. I am thankful for the note the Department provided, but, as usual, there is no new information, no action plan for progress, no timelines and no meeting has been set up. Meanwhile, the parents at Lucan Community College have resorted to an online petition to put pressure on the Minister to issue the letter of intent in o…

The budget is there. The plans are there. All these schools are waiting for is the go-ahead from the Department.

Lucan Community College-----

-----Holy Family Community School------

-----Griffeen Community College, Coláiste Pobail Fóla, Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin, the Gaelscoil campus in Clondalkin-----

-----Divine Mercy senior and junior schools, St. Thomas's SNS, Scoil Áine-----

Leas-Cheann Comhairle, this is the problem-----

-----the list goes on and on and I cannot get-----

------I cannot get updates for these schools that so badly need this.

I have been a Member of this House for four years.

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, why is he allowed talk to me like this? Is this not through the Chair?

So much for working together.

Wait times for access to medicine for those with rare diseases is growing. The Alliance of Rare Disease Companies Ireland tells us that Ireland now ranks 31st out of 37 countries when it comes to waiting lists for approval of drugs. Patients are waiting for an average of 877 days for orphan medicinal products to be approved. That is more than two years of uncertainty for them. Six years ago, the Joint Committee on Health set about changing this. It called for a review of the evaluation and the reimbursement process…

I apologise for being breathless. I just ran from a committee vote. That underscores how important it is that we get more women into this Chamber, so that the women who are here do not have to sit on too many committees in order to achieve gender balance. This Friday, 8 March, as we all well know, will be a significant day, and this year, it is a significant day for two reasons. First, we will be celebrating International Women's Day, a day we have celebrated in one form or another for over a century. It is a day t…

One of the few positives that we got from Covid-19 lockdowns is the rise in the ability to work from home. When I am out canvassing on a Monday and a Friday, I am continually amazed by how many people I meet who are working from home. We know that it has many benefits in terms of flexibility, better work-life integration and increased productivity but there is also a downside. It can make people less physically active and more prone to health problems, in particular, back and neck pain. Some employers already offer…

Some 4,400 young individuals are waiting for support from CAMHS. We are faced with a really stark reminder of the urgency and the immense responsibility we have as a Government in addressing youth mental health issues across Ireland because this number is not just a statistic. It represents real lives in need of immediate attention and the urgent need for reform and for better resourcing across our youth mental health services. We all know someone directly or indirectly affected by this in our local town or village…

I am not sure if the Tánaiste is aware but there is disruption to our postal service in Dublin. It is due to what An Post calls a new operational plan for Fonthill and Blanchardstown delivery offices. The result is that residents in Lucan and Clondalkin are badly affected, with many deliveries significantly delayed. I have constituents and businesses experiencing delays with important documentation and others are having ghost deliveries, whereby they are notified they are about to get a delivery and it does not arr…