We know from media reports that the Minister for Health was urged by legal advisers to introduce legislation to allow the Government to forcibly close meat plants. We know entire counties have had to close on account of meat plants, that a plant in Cork with 226 cases never closed and that meat plants have been a consistent problem in terms of clusters of Covid-19, posing a serious risk to workers and public health. We now know that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is concerned that some plants ar…

Is it proposed to introduce legislation?

Will the Taoiseach introduce the legislation?

Is it not the case that in the first round, the parties that tabled the motion get to speak?

I will use this ten-minute slot and Deputies Pringle and O'Donoghue can take mine.

Deputy O'Donoghue and whoever else can use my time later.

Yes, perfect. Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Here is what we know. Since before Covid-19 arrived in Ireland, people with disabilities have experienced higher rates of discrimination than people without disabilities. That discrimination is more likely to occur and be more serious. People with disabilities are more than three times likelier to experience poverty and deprivation than people without disabilities. Ireland has the lowest employment rate for people with disabilities in the EU. People with disabilitie…

I echo the concerns of my colleagues in the Social Democrats that only four children are to be welcomed here from Greece. The people we represent expect better. I urge the Minister of State and his Department to do more and do better. I say that respectfully, as I think he agrees. Our motion speaks to an ugly truth in Irish society. It highlights a reality that is often overlooked. While the "term child poverty" conjures up images of 20th century slums, the fact is that over 200,000 children are at risk of poverty …

I formally congratulate the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, on her appointment. We need transformative change in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I know that bringing about such change will be challenging but it is essential and I really look forward to working with both the Minister of State and the Minister to achieve it. I really hope this legislation is a bad start to a brilliant term. As the Minister of State explained yesterday, there is a crisis in the forestry sector. The licensing an…

The crux of the issue is that appeals were not decided upon in a timely manner but the Bill does not really address that. Instead it seeks to erode the appeals process. The backlog of appeals has crippled the industry and if, as Deputy Fitzmaurice has suggested, we could get through appeals in a timely manner, it would make a massive difference. One of my amendments seeks to introduce a statutory obligation for appeals to be heard in a timely manner. This simple change, which does not redraw the whole system, would…

On a point of order, do Deputies have to speak to the amendment?

I am aware of that, but we have been here for hours and we are still on the same amendment.

Many Deputies spent a great deal of time putting forward amendments and we have not got to them as a result of this. We did not go to that trouble to come here today and listen to the Healy-Rae Deputies having an argument with Deputy Boyd Barrett. I am wondering if we can move on.

Do they have to speak to the amendment, specifically? That is not happening. Can we move on to the next amendment, please?

Will the Minister of State and the Minister consider any of the amendments or are we wasting our time?

I did not make my question clear enough. My question was not about whether the Government would take amendments from the Seanad. I know that has happened. Will the Minister or the Minister of State consider any amendments that Deputies have put forward this evening or are we wasting our time?

I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. Third time lucky, I hope. I welcome this motion which allows us to reverse a poor decision which was made without consultation with the fishing sector. Ireland is required to enact some form of a points system and I do not think anyone disputes that. However, the Government’s approach has resulted in a process that lacks common sense and puts a further burden on small fishing communities and families. In late August the Taoiseach, then acting Minister for Agriculture,…

When will the Government bring the legislative changes to the fair deal scheme that will cap contributions based on farm and business assets at three years in the same way as it is done for homes? This will reflect a family’s ability to pay rather than anything else. It is an item of considerable concern for farmers and small business owners. The general scheme of the Bill for these changes was approved by the Government in June 2019 and immediate progress would provide much-needed help for families caring for love…

Together with the Social Democrats, I am strongly in favour of this Bill. We hope the Government will both support it and ensure its speedy progression and we thank the Labour Party for bringing the Bill forward. It addresses deficiencies in existing workers' rights and provides additional, much-needed protection during a pandemic. Bills like this must be a point of unity during the Covid-19 crisis. Workers in this country have no entitlement to sick pay. It is essentially a voluntary measure, which thankfully many…

The town and village renewal scheme with accelerated measures for Covid-19 has been a welcome and successful programme. It has supported 106 towns and villages across every county to adapt to living with Covid. For example, it has facilitated the purchase of stage and amplification equipment for community events and concerts in west Cork and the revamp of Macroom town centre. Given the success of the scheme, will the Minister please extend it to enable more communities to avail of this funding?