This plan is further clear evidence of the Government’s commitment to investing in the economy and getting us over the Covid pandemic. The first issue I raise relates to the major plantation of trees on 33,000 ha of Bord na Móna land. This will be a great asset in our battle to reduce emissions and against climate change. I hope the carbon sequestered will be fully counted when we are calculating our figures in the context of our battle to reduce emissions. I hope licences will be issued more easily than they are t…

Over the past week, the Irish people have shown both their generosity of spirit and their care for global human rights in their response to the human rights violations against the Palestinian people. Due to our colonial history, we have a strong affinity with the Palestinians and the Government must honour that connection. First, it is important to look at recent events not in isolation but as examples of how Palestinians are treated on a daily basis. The current escalation began when the Israeli authorities attemp…

It gives me great pleasure to speak to this Bill, which amends the nursing home support scheme. Like others, I compliment the Minister of State on her doggedness and determination to get this Bill before the House. It has been a difficult year for the Department of Health and great recognition and praise is due to the Minister of State that in the space of 12 months, she has managed to get this Bill to the floor of the Oireachtas. I was president of a farm organisation when the fair deal scheme was introduced in 20…

I refer to the proposed new 170 km pipeline to bring water from the River Shannon into Dublin. It is proposed to pump 330 million l per day from the River Shannon into the pipe infrastructure in Dublin, which is leaking half its water. There is significant unease in the northern part of my constituency of Tipperary about this. The landowners along the route have already suffered as a result of a motorway going through their lands. We are seriously questioning Irish Water's use of its capital. Many of our towns need…

The Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Act 2015 introduced key protections for insolvent homeowners struggling to pay off their arrears. It has allowed them the right to seek a court review if their mortgage lenders or creditors refuse reasonable proposals for personal insolvency arrangements. The success of this Act has gone beyond insolvent individuals struggling to repay the mortgages on their homes to include in some cases farming families who are in financial difficulty with their land. I very much welcome the ad…

Will the Minister provide the status of each large-scale school building project in County Tipperary? I want to recognise on the record the Minister's tremendous record with regard to school infrastructure in my county and across the country since she became Minister less than a year ago. This level of investment in Tipperary has never been seen before. As politicians, we are very glad to see that investment, but we are always coming back looking for more.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Minister. I just acknowledged the great investment in Tipperary, from Carrick-on-Suir all the way up to Lorrha in the north of the county. In the last six weeks, St. Michael's National School in Holycross has been given two allocations from the Department. A number of large-scale projects have been approved in the recent past. Will the Minister provide me with an update on them? There are two in Tipperary town and there is to be very significant investment in Fethard. Presentation Secondary…

I thank the Minister. I will refer to two other primary schools which have had applications in for a period of time. I do not expect the Minister to have information on them in her briefing material, but will she come back to me with information on the status of applications made by Presentation Primary School in Thurles and Ballylooby National School? Will she let me know when those schools can expect a decision? I have been lobbying for them for a period of time. When does the Minister expect a decision to be mad…

I compliment the Taoiseach on his comments on An Taisce, which is trying to sabotage our dairy industry. I want to raise the issue of the medical assessment unit in Nenagh hospital. The unit was set up to take some of the pressure off the emergency department in Limerick. Unfortunately, it is not being staffed adequately. We need a permanent consultant to be appointed there. Last week, it was closed for two days. As we stand here, it is closed and it was also closed yesterday and Monday. I am told it will also be c…

It is right to acknowledge that the vaccination programme is certainly picking up pace. Since our vaccine supplies increased, we have seen a remarkable improvement in the numbers being vaccinated daily and weekly. There is no denying the early days of the vaccine roll-out were tough but the supply of vaccines was out of our hands and the control of the HSE. I acknowledge the exceptional work by front-line staff, vaccinators and testers in fighting this disease. Every week we see the vast majority of vaccines receiv…

The pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, has been a crutch of immense value for thousands of workers in our society. We are now emerging from the pandemic and employment opportunities are starting to re-emerge. I ask that there be a clear signpost and roadmap for both employers and people on the PUP on when this payment will cease as the job opportunities increase in the hospitality and other sectors. We want a clear roadmap as to when payments to people will cease when their old jobs or new opportunities become ava…

I come from an agricultural background. Before I was elected to this House, I spent a long number of years representing farmers. We run a family farm in County Tipperary and I am delighted the next generation is taking on that mantle. I want to ensure he is economically sustainable on that farm and that he can make a living like I did before him, his grandfather did before me and the generations before us did. I am proud to be one of the many thousands who make up the Irish agrifood industry. This is an industry th…

-----will result in the forestry sector being decimated and in financial ruin. It would be a pity for rural Ireland if the forestry sector is let down by the failure of the Department to issue licences.

The Covid pandemic has brought enormous challenges in the mental health sector. I acknowledge the considerable effort the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has put into the Jigsaw centre in Thurles since she took office in July 2020. I have been working on this issue since I was first elected in 2016 and it is extremely important for our county. Although the date for opening the centre has been delayed, that is completely outside the Minister of State's control; unfortunately, Covid has played a large part in that.…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for picking this Topical Issue and giving us an opportunity to discuss it, and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for attending. I visited Cappagh hospital earlier this week and received a briefing from its chief executive, Ms Angela Lee, and one of its surgeons, Mr. Connor Green. Its excellence, capacity, figures and results are phenomenal but it is an old-style structure and there are issues with meeting HIQA's standards. Its high-dependency unit greatly restricts its capa…

Deputy Brendan Smith has put it well. Detailed plans have been drawn up for a modern unit. Unfortunately, the current infrastructure will not meet HIQA's standards in future. Investment is essential. The hospital has a tremendous record. It breaks even every year and sees a significant throughput. Its figures are the envy of other hospitals within the health service. We can make a dramatic impact on the waiting list for orthopaedic surgery by investing in Cappagh hospital. It has the necessary space, which is somet…

I acknowledge the exceptional effort the Government has made in recent months to pump finances into our national economy in an effort to save jobs and protect businesses. In doing so, the Government has supported businesses and undeniably saved jobs, helping to prevent tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands from having to sign on the live register throughout the country. I acknowledge these supports cannot last indefinitely and they are emergency measures to shore up our economy until we can reopen fully an…

This plan to produce 50,000 tonnes of Gouda cheese would greatly reduce our dependence on the British Cheddar cheese market, which is exactly what we want to do post Brexit. It is extremely regrettable from that point of view. Farmers have made many commitments and it is extremely disappointing that An Taisce, following An Bord Pleanála's decision, can get a judicial review and delay this project for many years. That has the potential to make the project economically unviable. It will have huge repercussions for bo…

I very much welcome the Bill introduced by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to extend the period of emergency rental protections to those who have been impacted by Covid-19 and to strengthen the supports provided to tenants at risk of eviction. The ongoing restrictions have been very difficult on a lot of people. Many people are out of work and fear that they may have no job to return to. The economic and financial pressures on ordinary people are clear at the moment and the Government is acting to alleviate this as m…

I want to raise an issue I previously raised, namely resources for the ambulance service in the south-east region. Last weekend, as happens every weekend, resources from the mid-west region are sent into the south-east to provide an ambulance service there. The ambulance unit from the Thurles station spends most of the weekend in the Clonroche and Wexford area and servicing Waterford. This means the ambulance station in Thurles is without its service. This has a serious impact on response times to get to a patient …