I welcome this opportunity to discuss the disproportionate impact that Covid-19 has had on women and to reflect on where women are in Irish society today as we celebrate women on International Women’s Day on 8 March. In the 100 years since women won the right to vote, there have been millions upon millions of stories of strong women forging the way ahead, fighting for equality. Wives, daughters, aunts, mothers, grandmothers and sisters are still fighting because, in Ireland today, women are not equal. They are call…

I welcome the fact that primary school classes up to second class are back to school, which is so important, as are leaving certificate students and, of course, students in special schools. However, there are still questions to be asked. Do schools have sufficient PPE? Do they have adequate staffing provision? Are sufficient supports available to children who are still home-schooling? Those are questions that I am still being asked. I wish to highlight a case that came up in my virtual clinic this morning. I was as…

Thank you, Deputy. Your time is up.

The purpose of this Bill is to provide for the mandatory hotel quarantining of inbound travellers from listed countries owing to Covid-19. We have all been calling for this measure for a long time but I am concerned about a couple of matters. I have been contacted by a number of host families who welcomed students from Spain and Germany in September. These students paid their fees, enrolled in our schools, took their PCR tests and quarantined. They did not go home to their families in December and now many of them,…

This week, from 14 February to 20 February, is international children of alcoholics week, so it is a good week to raise matters that affect children in this way because of Covid-19. According to the independent research of the Silent Voices initiative, one in six children lives in a home with problem parental alcohol use. This has become much more of an issue in lockdown and I am deeply concerned about the continued closure of schools, a place where children affected by these matters could reach out to find support…

I also wish to discuss the technological university for the south east. Speaking as a proud Carlow woman, where we have two excellent institutes of technology, those being, Carlow College, St. Patrick's, and Institute of Technology Carlow, we are delighted with the proposed technological university, but we also believe that we should have the headquarters. I do not want this to be a contest between Waterford and Carlow. We must first ensure that we get the technological university, which we are told will happen in …

We are expecting a new reopening plan, which will be welcome, but I have concerns because the latest scientific evidence is that Covid-19 will always be around, with vaccination. We may not see the same death rate and sickness but it is here to stay and we need to make sure our plans reflect that. Much of the correspondence coming into my office is based on the last plan. I will give an example. Indoor and outdoor play centres were designated as open in level 3, but then closed in level 3 a few months ago. I am ask…

According to Ireland’s Rural Development Program 2014-2021, less than 7% of Irish farmers are under the age of 35, which is of concern for farmers and their families and something we need to review seriously. In the past year, farmers have worked extremely hard, but they have watched their income fall. Some have suffered mental health issues. There is a real threat to supply of machinery and parts and the knock-on effect will be felt by all of us. Beef quotes are being slashed each week, with some factories having …

I welcome the reopening of schools for students with additional needs. I know the living with Covid plan is coming. It was reported in the newspapers today that we could be going into another five or six-week lockdown. I have been approached by small businesses in Carlow that are finding it difficult as they are unable to trade online. The food sector is operating a click-and-collect system. Could the Government consider extending it to small retail businesses? I understand we must be 100% compliant with Covid rest…

We all have three minutes. I will take one minute and I will then ask the Minister to respond.

I will just take one minute. I have been informed by the National Transport Authority, NTA, that the provision of an urban bus service in Carlow town is currently at the top of the list of the NTA towns project but requires funding from the Department. This troubles me because there was supposed to be funding coming for this project. I have been told that it is at the top of the list many times yet, at the moment, my understanding is there is no funding. The estimated cost of providing a Carlow town bus service is …

I thank the Minister. I will keep working with him on this.

This practical Bill is most important in helping to speed up criminal trials, by ensuring that any preliminary matters are dealt with before the trial starts in front of a jury. Measures proposed to make it less likely that jurors are sent away during trials are most welcome. Jurors often make preparations to undertake their civic duty, and are most disturbed to have the trial they are sitting on extended beyond the date they expect because of trial delays caused by issues such as the admissibility of evidence. Oft…

We are in the middle of a virus pandemic and I am afraid there is a mental health pandemic waiting at the other side of it. Day after day, I am contacted by people in genuine trouble. This week, from 1 February to 7 February, is Children's Mental Health Week. Mental health issues have come to the fore for children and adults alike over the past year. The pandemic has taken a great toll on everyone's emotional well-being. Among children, including young children at home, and leaving certificate students, it has led …

That is perfect, a Cheann Comhairle. I will perhaps get a written reply if that is okay. Early learning and childcare is important to children and families across the country and these services have done an incredible job throughout the pandemic. I wish to thank our front-line workers, without whose efforts these supports would not be available. Childcare is something we should all care about. If we have appropriate childcare, society can function. Some 7,000 front-line workers needed childcare last month and their…

I will ask a few questions and I would like the Minister to respond at the end. First, I acknowledge all our workers who have been working so hard throughout this Covid-19 pandemic. I have also been thinking of all those families who have lost loved ones because of Covid-19. Some 70,000 front-line workers have yet to be vaccinated, however. I have seen the concern this causes in hospitals. In my constituency, only half of the staff in St. Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny, have been vaccinated. Will those who have …

In November the report of the HSE clinical advisory group on medical cards in cases of terminal illness was published. The Minister for Health called on his Department to devise legislative options to give effect to the programme for Government commitment to extend eligibility for medical cards for patients who are terminally ill. What is the status of that review? Is there a plan for a public consultation to ensure the voices of patients, families, carers and advocacy groups are heard on this matter?

The moratorium on evictions remains in place for the duration of Level 5 restrictions, which is vital. The deadline for applications for local authority mortgage payment breaks has been extended until 31 March 2021 but that does not go far enough and I ask the Minister to look at it again. What are we doing for private mortgage holders? Is the Government actively calling on the banks to do the right thing and reinstate mortgage and loan payment breaks? I have had many phone calls from people who are out of work thr…

In the programme for Government, the word "housing" is mentioned 68 times, "home" 35 times and "homes" 29 times. Two of the five-year housing objectives are to tackle homelessness and to ensure that local authorities are central to delivering on the housing for all mission. The Prime Time Investigates programme on Monday night reported that a 59-year-old homeless Carlowman in Dublin was told he could not access an emergency bed because he was not a local. We heard on that programme the phone call which was made. Th…

Before I begin, I wish to take a moment to congratulate the most Irish US President since JFK, Joe Biden, and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, on their inauguration and wish them a successful term in office. In a speech yesterday Mr. Biden said "To heal, we must remember...it's hard sometimes to remember but that's how we heal". The report, which is 3,000 pages long, is a map but there are pieces missing in what is a very complicated journey. The survivors should have been given printed copies of the report and e…