Can they come before the Oireachtas committee?

The Minister is very aware of the main challenges faced by the arts, culture and live entertainment industry during the pandemic. While the live performance sector welcomes the Minister's support, a major issue has been the rate at which funds are being distributed to venues. Will the Minister of State outline the actions taken to ensure the live performance restart grant scheme is being distributed as quickly as possible to prevent the permanent closure of venues?

I thank the Minister of State for the response. The specific issue is on when the much needed funding is allocated. While everyone welcomes any support for this hard-pressed sector there seems to be misalignment between the demands of the live performance sector and the manner in which the Department operates. There are many great venues in my constituency in Cork South West, such as Levis's Corner Bar in Ballydehob, De Barra's in Clonakilty and Connolly's of Leap. These types of venues need months to plan in advan…

I appreciate the Minister of State's reply and I thank him. I hope he can appreciate the frustration of the sector. Measures were first mentioned in the budget and launched separately but applications are starting months later and the funding is later again. The timely delivery of these supports would make a massive difference in ensuring the viability of so many venues. As well as the restrictions and hardships of the past two years, small and medium-sized venues are facing increased costs especially in rural area…

The Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, will be aware of the many families and homeowners who are left in limbo because neither the developer nor the local authority is taking responsibility for infrastructure in their estate. Lighting, footpaths and road quality are deteriorating and nobody is stepping in. While this is a matter for each local authority, due to the capital expenditure required many cannot afford these interventions. Would the Minister of State be willing to put in place a specific funding strea…

I appreciate that the Planning and Development Act locates this as a local authority issue but that is of little consolation to the thousands of people affected. Families and homeowners with whom I have been in contact in towns such as Clonakilty, Kinsale and Skibbereen are being left in limbo and somebody needs to step up to help them. The infrastructure in their housing estate is either deficient or deteriorating and the original developer in many cases is no longer around. The local authority is refusing to take…

The Minister of State has to appreciate the frustration of families in these cases because they are continually pleading for assistance and too often the only solution proposed is for them to fund the works themselves and then the local authority can take over. The problem is this system is set up to leave nobody responsible. Developers, local authorities, Irish Water and the Department are all playing pass the parcel while families in some cases cannot let their children out to play or older residents cannot walk …

Obviously not, or this would not be happening.

Today is International Day of the Midwife. It is important to acknowledge the incredible work of our midwives. Unfortunately, the role of midwives in Ireland is greatly under-resourced. In many jurisdictions, midwife-led home births are the norm, but in Ireland, in some situations, women are forced into hospitals. In CHO 1, for example, covering Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, the HSE facilitated four home births between 2015 and April 2022. I repeat that it was four. Additionally, the HSE banned water…

Is it possible to speak on amendment No. 13?

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and apologise for not being here earlier. The schedule arrived late.

Amendments Nos. 1 and 3 in my name, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle noted, seek expressly to include reference to illegal adoptions in the Bill. Currently, it does not feature the term "illegal adoption", which erases the realities and experiences of many adopted people. The Minister talks about illegal adoptions, to which reference is made in the explanatory memorandum, but the Bill itself does not contain this vital term. On Committee Stage, the Minister outlined that "illegal birth registration" cannot be used in p…

We are asking for both to be included alongside each other rather than just illegal adoptions to be included so both are acknowledged in-----

For the hundredth time, what we are asking for is that illegal adoptions be included alongside the other types of adoption. It is not fair to say that that would limit this to illegal adoptions. We are asking for illegal adoptions to be included alongside the other forms of adoption. Just pretending we have not said that every time is frustrating to the people watching this as well as to the Deputies who have made time to table amendments. The Minister should at least say the Government does not want to include ill…

Do I speak to amendment No. 58 now or do I wait-----

Deputy Bacik is waiting-----

Sorry. I will speak to amendment No. 58 now then. The amendment states: "When a relevant person applies under sections 11 and 12 for information and/or when a relevant person applies for their personal data, the relevant body or the Authority will make available all medical records to the relevant person regardless of whether they have explicitly requested those items." This amendment is important to ensure that all medical records are made available to the relevant person. A key theme of the pre-legislative scruti…

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, should I have moved amendment No. 58?

Thank you.

Amendment No. 15 ensures the Bill includes the broadest possible definition of personal data. This comes back to guaranteeing beyond a shadow of a doubt that adopted people and their relatives will be entitled to access information. Given the manner in which this access has been denied and continues to be, as well as the levels of distrust in how this Bill will be interpreted by State bodies, I think we are obliged to include extensive and explicit definitions of information relating to adopting and care arrangemen…