It is important, when somebody makes a complaint about harassment or any other form of bullying or unwanted activity, that the person has the capacity to have that raised, heard and acted on quickly. Speed is one of the most important factors in respect of being heard, having access to justice and having the matter resolved quickly.

The Government has published the Housing for All update on the Government website. I met yesterday with two groups calling for one-bedroom apartments. Young professionals are trying to move out of home. The Dublin Simon Community is desperately seeking one-bedroom accommodation for rental. I want to ask the Tánaiste about the status of the planning objection legislation under the planning advisory forum chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke. Concerns about supply have been raised by Deputies in my co…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I have written to the Minister of State, so I have given him notice of many of my questions on the national broadband plan. I thank him for the letter I received yesterday. To put it on the record of the House, my questions to the Minister of State, which were in December and he may address them in his answers, were whether his Department had been notified about whether the principal investors or funders of the national broadband plan were about to exit the deal in December, wheth…

I thank the Minister of State and for his answer and for his letter, which contained more responses. I have two more questions. I saw yesterday in the Seanad that a number of 54,000 connections was mentioned. I think the milestone was set at 60,000 homes being ready for connection by the end of January, although I am open to correction on that. Is that correct? I am told that there are 34,000 and that the Minister of State can forward order another 20,000 that are not yet ready for connection. Is that accurate? Wha…

What about the 2022 targets?

This is a very important debate, especially as we come out of the pandemic but also in the context of what we are hearing in regard to the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, throughout the country. We know as Deputies there have been long-term problems with CAMHS for many years. If anything, this is an opportunity to step in and make the changes that are needed in the long term. Back in July 2020, the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response met with Jigsaw and other stakeholders to discuss the menta…

I ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to give more detail on the extensive suite of legislative measures she announced yesterday in respect of sexual offences, particularly the welcome legislation regarding non-fatal strangulation and stalking. Can she outline the timing for that and what she expects to be able to bring to the House later in the year?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. I thank the Minister for bringing this Bill forward to enable us to discuss it. I also acknowledge Deputy Funchion and her work as Chair of the committee which did such significant work to analyse where and how this Bill should go. She will be returning to the Chamber shortly as she has been here all along. I am not a member of that committee and have not been part of that same level of detailed process but I wanted to reflect upon this Bill from slightly different perspec…

I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and Deputy Gannon highlighted the #NotAllMen movement that emerged last week because it is all women, and all women all the time. It has to be called out. Any of those men who were unwise enough to have their little feelings hurt in the context of the debate last week can just take a hike or spend that time thinking about how they can make the women in their community feel safer today and every day. I want to take a moment to put on the record of the House a few nam…

I wanted to ask a follow-up question on the EWSS which has been important in keeping businesses going. The Minister gave a county breakdown to Deputy Crowe. Does he have a similar breakdown of the sectors that are receiving EWSS? The scheme involves a huge amount of money. A larger budget than many Departments have has been, and continues to be, spent on it. Are sectors still receiving the EWSS despite not being impeded by restrictions? Well over a year ago I asked the Minister to extend the EWSS to the hospitality…

I thank everybody and wish them a happy Christmas and a restful break. It was good to get an update earlier on the vaccines. Indeed, pharmacies in my constituency have outlined the additional support from relationship managers that they have received. I wish to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about preparation for the Omicron wave with regard to therapy staff and the provision of therapy services. In my area in Dún Laoghaire, Carmona special school, Saint Augustine's School and Ballyowen Meadows Special…

A substantial increase in the budget of the Minister's Department of €183 million brings funding up to €2.1 billion. It is great to see such support for the Department and I congratulate him on securing that in the budget. Will the Minister outline to the House the plans for how he will use that and the progress in that regard?

That is great. I have another question later on childcare and I will leave that point until then. On international protection, the Minister is doing an awful lot of work in trying to end the direct provision system. Will he give us an outline of how the additional €41 million will expedite that process? There is also €3 million specifically for refugee and migrant integration and anti-racism projects. Will the Minister provide a list of those projects? Similarly, €2 million has been allocated for actions in gender …

The €3 million for refugee and migrant integration.

I believe there is also extra money for Traveller and Roma integration and support. There is an extra €5.6 million. I know it is not under the direct remit of the Department, but the national Traveller education strategy is overdue and necessary. It is the central plank for supporting the Traveller community. It is always the first ask when one speaks to representatives from the Traveller community who are trying to do more. I appreciate the additional funding, but are the Minister's officials working to expedite t…

This series of questions is to find out from the Minister the status of the ongoing work within his Department to dismantle direct provision, as detailed in the White Paper. Will he make a statement on the matter and update us on the details?

I thank the Minister for the update. It is important today to acknowledge the work of both the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on undocumented migrants. It will have an important effect on asylum seekers. Undocumented migrants who have been here for four years are being given today a once-in-a-generation amnesty to remain here and have their status regularised. It will affect 17,000 people, including 3,000 children. This is welcome bec…

I thank the Minister and I congratulate him, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, on the work here. It is a very important piece of work and is a credit to all of them. I wish to raise an issue on which I have spoken to a number of asylum seekers and I know that this is not a universal one but is about the plans on housing. Many have told me that they do not necessarily want the housing assistance payment, HAP. They are working and capable of work and of earning,…

I thank the Minister for taking the question relating to the status of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, published in April of this year. This is a seven-year plan for giving better support to childminding in the home. Can I have an update on that please?

The Minister is correct to identify the amount of work that has had to be done in the childcare sector over the past ten years, where, ten years ago, the Government spent nearly nothing on this sector. We are now spending, I believe, €716 million, with a doubling of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme of childcare places and a real focus, that has had to be there, on the regulatory standards around that sector. There were some very good childcare providers and childminders but very many that were n…