I move amendment No. 1: In page 44, to delete lines 27 to 30. I wish to speak to amendment No. 1. I will cover the first grouping of amendments and then my colleague, Senator Ó Donnghaile, will take over. I want to speak about tourism and I raised these concerns on Second Stage. Sinn Féin has tabled amendment No. 1 to essentially delete the section, far too much uncertainty is facing a sector that is only now starting to emerge from lockdown. I have been contacted by many people within the tourism sector who are di…

It is very good.

It is really heartening to see so many Senators supporting either Sinn Féin's amendment or Senator Casey's amendment. They propose the same thing. I am in two minds on whether to divide the House on the issue if it comes to that. Talking about trinkets might give the wrong impression. We are talking about quality craft goods. Having a Roscommon man in the Chair reminds me of my visit to Strokestown Park House and Gardens. Many museums and cultural centres throughout Ireland have great museum shops. They are less fo…

Strokestown is not in mine.

It would be a win for the country. The EU comparison made by the Minister of State only supports the point being made by Senators from all groups, which, I recognise, is unusual. Let us do it differently. Ours is an island nation on the fringe of Europe. The Minister of State mentioned Spain. I am trying to figure out what Spain is doing in respect of this matter. Who visits Spain the most? It is British tourists who do so. In fact, 18 million UK tourists went there in 2019. I contacted people I know in Spain who a…

I thank Senator Casey for giving the information about Spain. I just read the Dáil transcript, which told me that Spain has the largest number of British visitors and reduced its rate to zero. We are going from zero to €75. We cannot do much about our location in the world. What we can do relates to the cost of someone's trip, and this increases that cost.

There has been a convincing debate over the last few hours in this House. I am heartened to see the support for the issue that has come from all sides and all groups. I urge the Minister of State to accept our amendment, which I will push depending on what the Minister of State has to say. There are other amendments that may also be pushed.

I think this will probably be the last time I speak on the Bill. We should put the matter to a vote at some point. I intend to press the amendment. I was hoping that we would come back after the sos with some new information or some agreement on the issue. The most unfortunate thing is that, as Senator Chambers stated, the pitch that staff in museum or heritage site shops make to tourists will change no matter what. Brexit talks are due to come to a head in the coming days and weeks. Their outcome is not within our…

I will speak on amendment No. 9. The explanatory memorandum talks about the modernisation agenda. This amendment to develop further strategies if the initial work does not encompass all of the voices that we need it to will trigger more imaginative processes. Senator Boyhan mentioned young people and art. The Dublin City Council Culture Company has had tea and chats with people of all ages across the city. There is work going on and engagement with people. If I have only one minute to speak, I will not go on. I wil…

I ask for a little leeway from the Acting Chairman to continue on from Senator Hoey's remarks. I feel a little leeway can sometimes save us a Commencement matter. As we are addressing technological universities, I must mention the fantastic contribution made by our student nurses, those who have just graduated and who are currently studying in our ITs. I appeal to the Minister to go back to Cabinet to say these student nurses should be paid for their role as front-line workers. Their position as students should not…

I want to begin by acknowledging World AIDS Day, which the Minister of State has done. I want us to remember, grieve and celebrate all the people who were claimed by the disease. More than 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of that epidemic. I want to acknowledge the emotional cost to the many who survived and dodged the virus as they watched, counted and stopped counting the number of their friends and chosen family who were claimed by the disease. I was in Áras an Uachtará…

The Minister of State will appreciate that the HSE has been talking about staff recruitment for a long time. If he cannot answer it now, he can write to me. Who is responsible? Is it senior management in the HSE or CHO 6 which is responsible for GMHS reopening? Is the agency responsible committed to its prioritisation for its return? What is the actual update on Covid-19 recruitment? When will the Covid staff be hired and when will GMHS staff be freed up and the service reopened? Will this be a priority once staff …

I welcome the Minister to the House. I want to address the change that was made in the Bill through the amendment in Dáil Éireann that refers to the long established zero or 1 cent threshold for tax back on purchases by citizens resident outside of the EU who then export the product or bring it home with them. The Minister is aware the scheme also concerns gifts or personal purchases made by tourists in the State. The Government proposed an amendment to its own provision on Committee Stage in the Dáil so the limit …

I will be supporting Government amendment No. 2, which I believe is better than the original provision in the Bill. Having said that, I would prefer amendment No. 3, which clarifies the matter even further and better. The aim here is to enhance the system already in place by increasing participation options, such as online meetings. We need absolute clarity that any intention to retain an online format will not mean the end of public meetings and the interface between planners and individuals and their communities …

I have just one comment to make, on entertainment. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. On the last occasion that gastropubs and restaurants could open on a limited basis, no live music was allowed. We might have an official announcement tomorrow that some hospitality venues can open. Has the Government had any discussions with NPHET specifically on live music and live performance? The plight of live performers has been well articulated in the Houses so I will not go over it again. Even if live music had n…

I add my voice to many of the comments, particularly from Senator Hoey, in terms of front-line workers and, as the Minister of State stated, to remember that more than 71,000 people in the State have tested positive and to remember the 2,000 people who have died. I welcome the progress on developing a vaccine. We have now several viable contenders which hope to be able to distribute a vaccine in the first quarter of next year. Vaccine availability, while a few months off, will come quickly and we need to be as read…

He has to answer our questions.

I commended the Minister of State's work.

I look forward to seeing those amendments and I welcome the Minister to the House. First, I would like to reference the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which has been mentioned a number of times in this debate. The committee met on Tuesday last, 17 November and at that meeting, I understand that the Minister asked that pre-legislative scrutiny be waived for this Bill. A vote was taken and that proposal was defeated. However, using Seanad Standing Orders, the Minister was able to initiate this l…

I appreciate that these changes to the form and manner of public consultation are necessary to provide alternatives to face-to-face meetings during the pandemic. However, I would like to hear more detail on the Minister's plans to use a wide array of technologies to ensure the greatest possible outreach. Not everyone will have the experience, expertise or technical support to make a written submission. To achieve the highest possible level of participation, I therefore ask the Minister to examine a wide range of op…