How does the Minister propose to reduce emissions when he has not done anything to achieve that?

I welcome this motion and thank Deputy Tully and Sinn Féin for giving us the time to discuss this vital matter. It has been three weeks since the most recent motion on disability services for children and young people. Since then, things have got worse, not better. The High Court judgment has found that the 90-minute assessments are unlawful under the Disability Act 2005, affecting more than 10,000 children and their families. It was revealed that none of the 91 CDNTs were fully staffed. It has also come to light t…

I really hoped this would be one of the topics on which we could all agree and that after all the human rights violations and mistreatment by the State, we would do the right thing immediately and set up this inquiry. The special rapporteur's recommendations and rationale are incredibly clear and compelling. We all know many adopted people could not participate in the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes; not only were they denied the right to tell their story in a State inquiry but as a result, t…

The Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 will not address this. Adopted people and their advocates have been calling for an inquiry for decades and the special rapporteur has unambiguously supported that. We need an inquiry straight away and nothing less; for too long people have had to settle for less. It should not be the case any more. We need a full and proper inquiry that fulfils all the functions of a truth commission and the principles of transitional justice. That is what is being recommended. Responding…

Last month, it was announced that the Dursey Island cable car service will be paused from 1 April for essential repairs. That was a considerable shock to the island's residents, to locals who farm on the island and to the local tourism sector, as the cable car is a significant attraction on the Beara Peninsula. The issue is the absence of a replacement service with the closure of the cable car next Friday. We need a publicly funded alternative service but no one is taking responsibility. The Minister for Rural and …

I thank the Minister very much.

I thank my colleague, Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, and his team, Pádraig, Micheál and Jack, for developing this important Bill. Sex for rent is abhorrent. It reveals the depraved depths of the housing crisis, whereby grossly exploitative landlords expect sexual favours in return for putting roofs over people's heads. Abusers see an opportunity to take advantage of women who desperately need accommodation. It takes a particularly revolting and immoral person even to consider sex for rent, not to mention actually adverti…

This week is women's health week. Unfortunately, Ireland is still failing women in the provision of high-quality healthcare. While the CervicalCheck scandal and the shortages of HRT are prominent examples, many other issues are not receiving the support required. Endometriosis affects up to one in ten women, yet such is the lack of services that waiting for diagnosis can take up to nine years. While waiting for treatment, women can experience fertility issues, severe menstrual pain, damage to internal organs and ch…

The west Cork author, Louise O'Neill, wrote over the weekend that she did not feel like celebrating International Women's Day this year. Louise, as Members probably all know, powerfully captures the complexities and realities of being a young woman in Ireland. She describes the ongoing issues girls and women face, the weariness of having to raise the same points over and over and over, and the disillusionment she feels when nothing ever changes. I know exactly where she is coming from. On one level it is great that…

I thank Deputy Tully and Sinn Féin for raising this very important matter. The considerable waiting lists for assessment of need and the therapeutic interventions they should lead to form one of the primary barriers faced by children with disabilities and their families. The Ombudsman for Children highlighted this disgraceful position in his 2020 report, Unmet Needs, and I will quote from it. It states: We have received many complaints from distraught parents whose children have been on a waiting list for years to …

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle for including this important matter for discussion. The scale and horror of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is unimaginable. The conflict will have implications for years to come. Right now, one of these issues is the impact on global food supplies, especially in the context of grain. I commend the Minister of State on his actions to practically address the issue by encouraging farmers to grow grain but we are eager to hear how that will work. Like Deputy Bu…

I thank the Minister of State for the update. He mentioned a little bit about feed and fuel, and that is crucial for the whole sector. Seeds will play a pivotal role in the process, and the Minister of State talked about the availability of seeds to grow crops. We are supposed to declare an interest when we talk about particular matters in the House. My family owns a small seed company. My mother started the company because seeds are fundamental to food. Without seeds, we simply do not have any food, be it plant- o…

Lough Hyne is an incredible natural area in west Cork. It was designated as Ireland's first marine natural reserve in 1981. However, it is unclear what resources are in place to protect and enhance this invaluable marine sea lough. I ask the Minister of State to outline the status of the site's conservation management plan and the systems to implement that plan.

I thank the Minister of State. As he will be aware, Lough Hyne is a natural site of incredible beauty with distinct ecological significance. As a marine sea lough, it sustains rich biodiversity. It needs to be protected. Although the Department and the NPWS have a conservation plan in place for Lough Hyne nature reserve, there is no visible evidence of on-the-ground measures or personnel to achieve that. We were wondering if that is something that might happen. We note the reference that it is to be developed by Fá…

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. A related issue is the status of the proposed natural heritage areas. There are 632 proposed natural heritage areas, including Garrylucas Bog near Kinsale about which I have spoken to the Minister of State before. The status of the proposed natural heritage area does not provide the same level of protection as an actual natural heritage area. I have been continually asking about Garrylucas and other sites and in the Minister of State's parliamentary question replies he …

I thank the Minister of State.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for facilitating the discussion of this important local issue, which is also relevant for schools across the country. The news last night that the early intervention class in Kilbrittain National School will not close is very welcome. I cannot emphasise that enough. It is down to the dedicated parents and staff who understand the value of early intervention autism spectrum disorder classes. They are essential classes for children aged three to five. However, this case also reveals …

I appreciate that more resources overall are being put into special education but unless that results in support on the ground, they are meaningless. The larger point remains that decisions are being made by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, on behalf of schools and not with them. We all know staff and parents are the experts on local conditions and the needs of children and they should be at the centre of the process, or at least part of it, and currently they are not. I will ask the questions agai…

In recent weeks a school in west Cork has told its early intervention classes to close. After a local campaign this decision was rightly reversed, which is welcome news. However, it is still of huge concern that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, plans to phase out early intervention classes nationwide in favour of the access and inclusion model. Needless to say, that would be a disaster. Since then I have been doing my best to try to get answers. At a committee meeting last week the NCSE had a worry…

I want to acknowledge that today will be another difficult day for the survivors of mother and baby homes and other institutional systems. This is an extremely sensitive topic, which unfortunately is compounded by the timing of this session on the same day the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will discuss the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. Chrissie Tully, now 90 years old, recently described how as an 18-year-old, she was incarcerated in the Tuam mother and baby home and …