Publicans are on their knees.

When will the Minister for Justice, Deputy Humphreys, sign the statutory instrument to correct this anomaly? The question is not if but when. She has known about it for a couple of weeks.

Weeks are passing by and businesses are on their knees. When can we expect that statutory instrument to be signed by the Minister?

I welcome the chance to speak on this important motion. The State pension age was a significant issue at the time of the last election and it remains a significant issue for thousands of people across the State. Sinn Féin will continue its campaign until the Government's plans to raise the pension age are scrapped and the pension age is restored to 65. The Government plans to raise the pension age next year to 67 and to 68 in 2028. The State pension transition payment has been abolished, leaving thousands of 65-yea…

This question is to ask the Minister whether she will comment on reports of a shortage of workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors and whether she will share her views on the impact low pay and poor conditions may be having on labour in those sectors.

Some sector representatives have claimed the issue is one of some workers feeling it is not worth their while to work when they can remain on the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP. Some in government, the media and the industry have created the false narrative that people are abusing the PUP. It is not backed up by any data. An Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, representative, who recently appeared before an Oireachtas committee, put forward the facts there and stated there was no basis for it whatsoever. I ha…

We know the Low Pay Commission is looking at the issue but the sector will not do it unless it is forced to so do. It is up to the Government to make sure it steps up and follows through on its commitment to introduce a living wage as a matter of urgency. In 2019, almost 82,000 workers were in accommodation and food services. In 2018, their median pay was €313 per week. If one weighs that against the cost of living, rent, utilities, childcare etc., one can understand why the sector is struggling with staff retentio…

I raise the serious issue of the lack of a full-time Garda station and Garda presence in east Meath. The area has seen a serious increase in antisocial behaviour, drug crime and serious unprovoked attacks. Frantic calls for help have to go through to Ashbourne Garda Station, some 33 km away. When the Garda Commissioner reduced Garda divisions from 28 to 19, he promised increased visibility and more localised service. The complete opposite has happened in east Meath. People feel completely abandoned. Will the Taoise…

I want to express disappointment with the allocation Ireland received under the recovery and resilience fund, which is €915 million out of a total fund of €750 billion. This is very small when compared to the allocations other states are receiving. I understand Poland, for example, is expected to receive €58 billion, with almost €25 billion of that in direct grants. We need to review the State's use of GDP as a method of measuring wealth. We all know our GDP figures are farcical and, as a result, we are losing out …

Yesterday, Ireland published its guidelines for the hospitality sector. For the most part, they are a welcome tool for businesses as they prepare to reopen. However, these guidelines include a 105-minute time limit on tables in restaurants and bars. That is despite the Tánaiste and other Government representatives repeatedly saying that, this time around, there would be no time limits. How is it fair that people can dine and drink in a hotel without any time limits whatsoever, but if they are in a restaurant or bar…

The aviation sector has suffered devastating consequences due to the pandemic. That was laid bare with Aer Lingus's recent announcement that it will be permanently pulling its cabin crew from Shannon Airport and there will be job losses in Cork for crew and ground staff. This is a terrible blow for the staff involved and their families. It is also causing increased anxiety for people working in the sector regarding their job security. While no one could have foreseen the disruption to international travel caused by…

We were all relieved to hear news on Friday morning of a ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of bombardment and slaughter. More than 250 people were killed, the overwhelming majority of whom were Palestinian, including at least 65 Palestinian children. Gaza was subjected to the targeted shelling of houses and vital infrastructure like roads, electricity and water networks. There is nothing new in that. The Palestinian people are forced to live under an apartheid regime. Gaza is an open-air prison enforced by the Israel…

After a series of delays and blunders, the new Drogheda Educate Together secondary school on the Mill Road is finally being given the go ahead. I have been contacted by the parents' building committee which is seriously concerned that the school is still only at the pre-planning stage and may not be completed until 2024 or later. This is despite the fact that the Minister, Deputy Foley, announced that the school would be delivered under the Department's design and build programme which usually takes 18 months or le…

I welcome the Bill. It aims to limit the period for including the value of family farms or businesses to three years for financial assessment under the fair deal scheme, where the family successor continues to operate the farm or business for six years and takes over the running of the farm or business within three years. It is, indeed, a welcome reform. However, it is a real shame that the Bill does not address some of the other issues with the scheme that I and others have been highlighting for several years. For…

There are concerns in the hospitality industry that a two-tier industry is emerging based on the reopening plan signed off by the Government. Hotels and guest houses will be able to operate indoor dining from the first day they open on 2 June. Restaurants and pubs that serve food and cafes will operate outdoor dining only from 7 June, with no date for indoor dining. The industry is also looking for clarity as to how indoor dining can be deemed safe in hotels and guest houses but not in other businesses that serve f…

Last month I raised the issue of the lack of a vaccination centre in Drogheda. The HSE had originally identified Drogheda and Dundalk for vaccination centres. The centre in Dundalk is up and running, which is good news, but there is no excuse for the delay in the delivery of a vaccination centre for Drogheda. I contacted the HSE again recently but there is still no update. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree that the efficient, fast and effective roll-out of the vaccination programme is of the utmost importance but t…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The previous speaker said that Sinn Féin should bring forward legislation. I remind the House that the Fianna Fáil Party has voted down every single piece of legislation that my party colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, has brought forward. The rental situation in this State is going from bad to worse. It is hard to imagine that it could get any worse given the astronomical rents people have been paying for many years now. Five years on from the launch of the Rebuilding Ireland plan, outsi…

The Tánaiste is well aware that several applications for funding for the port access northern cross route have been rejected, the most recent one under the urban regeneration and development fund. I wrote to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, almost six weeks ago seeking a simple answer to a simple question on whether there was an appeals process under which local authorities could appeal. Almost six weeks later and he still has not bothered to respond and give clarific…

If not, could he ask the Minister to do his job and respond to a simple straightforward question and give the local authority an opportunity to apply while there are still moneys left in the fund?

I ask the Minister to outline her plans for tourism and hospitality for the 2021 season, the additional supports or initiatives she plans to introduce to support the sector when it opens in the coming weeks, and if she will make a statement and outline those supports.