The Living with Covid plan that Government published last autumn is, quite frankly, redundant. In fact, it was dead on arrival. There is no shame in standing down that plan. In fact, in our view, it would be to the Government's credit. Given the trauma, tragedy and anxiety that the people of this country have gone through, in particular, in the past six weeks, citizens would prefer it were the Government to front up with them. Citizens know that a tweak here and a tweak there to a plan which has not survived contac…

I will put it simply to the Minister of State: this ridiculous, wrong-headed decision needs to be overturned, and it needs to be overturned now. To say that students, local families and the staff of the school were shocked at the decision and how it was imposed, without any consultation with the school community, is an absolute understatement. I have had a very close relationship with the fine school since the concept of an Educate Together school first emerged to serve the south Drogheda and east Meath areas and i…

I agree that the Minister of State, unfortunately, does not seem to have all the facts. Deputy O'Dowd is correct. A letter was forwarded by the owner of the site to the school this afternoon confirming that there are no issues with road access, planning or the scale of the site. Relatively recently, the Department confirmed there were no issues regarding the expansion of the school to meet the needs it has in the short to medium-term. On the St. Oliver's site, one thing we are forgetting is that in 2013 the Departm…

As we know, this is a technical matter in many senses. Indeed, a similar motion last March attracted no debate or real attention at all. However, the sheer scale of the carryover and the magnitude of State spending last year and this year warrants debate and further examination. There are now 607,000 people, or 25% of the labour force, out of work, all of whom have their own stories, circumstances and struggles. Hundreds of thousands more are having their wages paid through State subsidies. They are all looking for…

I thank the Minister for presenting this important motion this afternoon. The Labour Party fully supports the motion and the extension of the EWSS going forward. The TWSS, and its successor the EWSS, have been an extraordinarily important initiative taken by the Government. It has literally been a lifesaver for countless businesses and workers across the country. The Minister might recall that a couple of short years ago the Labour Party and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions separately called for the development o…

This is a very welcome and timely debate, particularly in view of the circumstances in which this country and the world find themselves. I want to thank Deputy Pringle for again proposing this very sound and progressive initiative. The pandemic, as has been enunciated by a succession of speakers, has revealed some very deep inequalities, and revealed much about the very nature of this country, how this State is organised and who it prioritises. Truths that have been apparent to me all my life, but probably less so …

As long ago as last April, I wrote to the Government and the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, requesting that regulations be drawn up to allow the Garda to enforce travel restrictions against non-residents of the Republic who were transiting through or visiting the State - people were transiting through with absolute impunity - and those who had no business being here. Ten months later I have yet to receive a response. Unfortunately, this is emblematic of the lax attitude and a deeper malaise at the heart o…

I thank the Minister for bringing this important resolution to the House. The CRSS has been an important lifeline for thousands of good, viable businesses across the country since it was introduced just a couple of months ago. The Minister will not mind me taking the time to pay tribute to the hard-working officials in the Revenue Commissioners, and in his Department in ensuring, at least in my experience, a practically glitch-free implementation of this very important scheme, and other crucial supports that he out…

While we are on the issue of League of Ireland football clubs, I wish Finn Harps well with its stadium project. It is a great club in Donegal and the north west. I have made many unsuccessful journeys up there as a Drogheda United fan over the years, having been beaten on a number of occasions by Finn Harps. I take this opportunity to notify the Minister that Drogheda United has its own plans to develop a stadium in the northern environs of our town, a town that hopeful will become a city in the future given its si…

This Bill is generally welcome but some elements require improvement to meet the needs of members, boards of management, managers and staff of credit unions. Efforts to facilitate the safe holding of AGMs in the context of Covid-19 are welcome. Credit unions are democratic. Their workings are based on the one member, one vote principle that is fundamental to co-operative community-based organisations. As such, it is important to look in greater detail at some of the changes proposed in this Bill. Section 11 deals w…

I look forward to it being reciprocated.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, to delete lines 2 and 3. Deputy Sherlock, who tabled the amendment, is not present, but he has a keen interest in this area. I am deputising for him. I will be brief. Amendment No. 1 relates to proxy votes. As the Minister of State is aware, we are genuinely concerned regarding the application of proxy voting and how that would operate, as are some credit union organisations across the country. I understand the concluding remarks of the Minister of State on Second Stage regarding …

I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 33, to delete ", whether before or". I will speak on behalf of Deputy Sherlock. I will curtail my remarks on the amendment. I referenced this particular point in my Second Stage contribution. Both amendments relate to the word "before". The Minister of State will be familiar with them. As I outlined previously, we have concerns about business being dealt with before a meeting takes place and they are based on issues relating to transparency, security, safety and integrity. We…

I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: "(c) The reference in paragraph (a) to casting votes includes casting votes on a resolution and casting votes at an election and, in relation to voting at an election, the mechanism referred to in that paragraph shall ensure the secrecy of the ballot.". I would appreciate the Minister of State's view on this amendment, which concerns maintaining the secrecy of the ballot. This is clearly critical. We know the credit union movement …

I move amendment No. 8: In page 11, lines 28 and 29, to delete from and including “48 hours” on line 28, down to and including “provide)” on line 29 and substitute “seven days”. The Minister of State went some way towards clarifying - if I can use that term - the question of the 48 hours' notice. We believe it is reasonable to amend this provision to substitute "seven days" for "48 hours". Will the Minister of State elaborate on, and put on the record, how he believes this 48-hour period would function? Seven days …

I support Deputy Doherty's position on this, as I enunciated on Second Stage. I hope we can speak on this matter which arises in section 14 and not section 11.

I appreciate that.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Last year, the Government took the opportunity not to pay €500 million into the rainy day fund due to the threat we faced of a no-trade deal Brexit. We are conscious that this threat is still with us. To a degree that partly informs the Minister's consideration of the approach that we are taking with the rainy day fund this year and the motion before us. My party's concerns over the concept of the fund, how and why it was established and the fact that seed fund…

I support the principle of what Deputy Naughten is trying to achieve here and acknowledge that he took on board some of the concerns I expressed on Committee Stage with the amendment he proposed then. Fundamentally, it is the responsibility of employers to provide the necessary equipment and facilities that employees require to allow them to work safely from home but it is worth exploring ways in which we can support employers who may not have the necessary resources to provide the supports that vast swathes of wor…

I will take this question on behalf of Deputy Duncan Smith. As we all know, the high cost of insurance is a major issue for businesses right across the country. It is a particular issue for the arts and culture sector. We know the sector was the first to close in the initial lockdown and will be the last to open when the threat of the pandemic recedes. An Arts Council survey has shown very clearly that venues that are closed are losing revenue in terms of income from audiences and other sources, up to €3 million pe…