Sorry, the Deputy should always be ready.

He should stop politicking.

The Deputy had his opportunity and did not turn up.

The Deputy did not turn up. He had his opportunity to speak and he did not turn up. He was not here to take up his speaking slot.

I thank Deputy Connolly for the proposed amendments. As she pointed out, the humanitarian assistance offence would be reframed as an element of the offence. The burden would be on the prosecution to prove the absence of a humanitarian assistance motive in almost all cases. The reversal of the burden of proof is a central policy element of the Bill. Our primary motivation for amending the legislation in this area is to increase the effectiveness of criminal sanctions for these offences. The clear advice we received …

Yes.

I understood it could be adjourned at 9.30 p.m.

I do not mind adjourning.

No.

We can simply agree to adjourn, can we not?

There are a number of issues there. I will take Deputy Howlin's point. If one excludes from prosecution anybody working for a bona fide organisation and if such a defence is raised, the prosecution will have to prove a negative - that somebody was not part of a bona fide organisation. It is almost impossible for a prosecutor to prove a negative. It would make it extremely difficult. I will deal with the definition first. The reason we have not defined humanitarian assistance is that it is almost impossible to find …

In order to answer that question, I would have to give the opinions of previous justice ministers and governments, which I cannot do.

I propose that we adjourn the debate.

I thank Deputies for their contributions on this important Bill over the last number of days. As Minister of State at the Department of Justice, I am determined to see our communities made safer. We make our communities safer by ensuring that the most vulnerable, women and children in particular, are protected. The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021, which I am recommending here today, helps to achieve that. It does so by reinforcing the law on sex offenders. It strengthens the powers of An Garda Síochána to monit…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181.

I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this very important matter. I know the issue of the home care sector is an important one for the Deputy. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and the Government are committed to the development of improved community-based services, shifting care to the home and offering greater choice for older people. Last year, an additional €150 million was secured for home support to progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme for the financ…

Enabling people with care needs to continue living independently at home for as long as possible is a priority for the Government. That is why there have been significant inroads in some of the waiting lists. I acknowledge, however, that almost 5,000 people have been assessed and are waiting for home care hours to be delivered. It is a distressing situation for anybody to be in, but I assure the Deputy that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, with the support of the Government, is making every effort to ensure th…

I thank Deputy O'Donnell for raising this very important issue around University Hospital Limerick. The Deputy has been passionate on this issue for a long time and raises this matter on a consistent basis, both behind the scenes and in the Dáil Chamber. I acknowledge the scale of the challenge facing our emergency departments as we head into what is expected to be a very difficult winter. I thank our emergency department staff for their ongoing commitment to delivering a high standard of care to ED patients, while…

I thank Deputy O'Donnell again for raising the important matter around University Hospital Limerick and capacity. The health service capacity review 2018 was clear on the need for a major investment in additional capacity in both acute hospitals and community, combined with a wide-scale reform of the manner and location of where our health services are provided. In January 2020, 795 additional beds have been provided on a permanent basis, over the number available at the end of 2019. The programme for Government, O…

I thank Deputies Smith and Costello for raising this important matter around St. Michael's estate and on how the rent will be set. I am aware the Minister of State, Deputy English, responded to a similar query from Deputy Joan Collins on Tuesday, 16 November on this important cost rental development at Emmet Road. As indicated by the Minister of State, I can confirm that any rent levels for the cost rental homes to be delivered in the Emmet Road development will not be directly related to, or set based on, tenant i…