The Acting Chairman interrupted me at the crucial part of my speech.

I presume that was an unintentional mistake. The point I was making before the Acting Chairman interrupted was that we need to look at this again. The purpose of section (2A) is that it will provide the mechanism for the court to get out of a situation in which a child witness or a child accused may be identified. The reality of it is that when one looks at section (2A), there is no discretion given to the court because it states that the court shall not dispense with the requirements of subsection (1) in circumsta…

I would delete subsection (2A) as well. I thank the Acting Chairman for not listening to me.

I commend the Minister, the Minister of State and school staff on the reopening of schools. It has been great to hear young children back at school. My own view, as the Minister and Minister of State will be aware, is that all schoolchildren should be back at school. I share the view expressed in the editorial of The British Medical Journal , published last week, which says that school closures are not evidence-based and they harm children. We need to reflect on what the Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, s…

I will go first. The departure of Ulster Bank from the banking sector is a major development of significant proportions. It is, unfortunately, a negative development not only for the banking system, but also for the economy. We know that Ulster Bank has been in this country for more than 160 years and during that time, it has provided a service to a large number of people. Its decision to depart means, unfortunately, that the banking system is very uncompetitive at present and, to a large extent, the main players i…

I acknowledge the extraordinary sacrifices that Irish people have made in responding to this pandemic over the past year. During that time, their constitutional and personal rights and their civil liberties have been significantly infringed and, in many cases, fully restricted. The people have gone along with that because they recognise, to a large extent, that those restrictions have been necessary in our ongoing battle against this pandemic. As politicians, however, we need repeatedly to acknowledge that sacrific…

It is very important that we all remember that pandemics end. The Spanish flu ended, the black plague ended and the Covid-19 pandemic will end as well. The important thing for policymakers and politicians such as us is to ensure that we keep in place the fundamental structures in society while this very difficult period proceeds. The Minister's responsibility is to ensure that public transport continues as effectively as it can in light of the circumstances so that when the pandemic has passed, we will be able to a…

I commend the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, on the excellent work they are doing in respect of childcare. The pandemic has underlined the fact that childcare is fundamentally important to the operation of our economy. Prior to this, people have looked at childcare as though it is the responsibility of an individual or an individual couple and a difficulty for them in their lives. However, the pandemic has shown that it is crucial to the operation of our economy. I agreed wit…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Children Act 2001 to permit the publication or broadcast of details pertaining to a person who has been charged with an offence against a child where that child is deceased, and to permit adults who were victims of an offence committed against them when they were a child to waive the anonymity provided for under the Children Act 2001. I seek leave to introduce this Bill along with my colleague, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. The Bill seeks to …

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

To understand why so many Irish women were forced by society into mother and baby homes in the 20th century, we have to try to understand the role afforded by the new Irish State to women when we got our independence 100 years ago. I regret to say that although everyone in this House praises Irish independence, it is unfortunately the case that the role afforded to Irish women by the new State was very limited and very sexist. This is particularly surprising when one thinks of the revolutionary era. Everyone in thi…

The violence in Northern Ireland that overshadowed this country for nearly 30 years has left a long and harrowing legacy. That legacy is most acutely felt by the families of the 3,700 people killed in that violence in Northern Ireland. It is apparent that their killing continues to have a significant impact on the politics of Northern Ireland and this country. It is important that we recognise that the dead of Northern Ireland are frequently referred to for the purpose of making a political point. That is perfectly…

I thank the Minister of State for his considered and measured response. I also welcome the fact the Government is prepared to explore trying to purchase the rights of this book. This would be a beneficial step for this State to take. It is also important that we recognise it is asking much of the two communities in Northern Ireland to organise mutual reconciliation themselves. That is something any community would find extremely difficult to do. That is why it is so important that the Irish Government and, indeed, …

The Minister of State will be aware of Pearse House. It is one of the largest flat complexes in the inner city and is located in my constituency. Pearse House is located in a fine area but it is in dire need of refurbishment and retrofitting. What are the plans in this regard?

I thank the Minister of State. I do not know if he is aware of Pearse House. It is a remarkable flat complex in the inner city, between Pearse Street and Hanover Street. There are 345 flats there. It was designed by Herbert Simms. It is a fantastic location but it is in dire need of refurbishment and retrofitting. Great people live in Pearse House but for the past 20 years they have had to put up with substandard accommodation. One significant problem in the flat complex is the significant dampness. That needs to b…

I note that the Minister of State refers to heritage, which is important, but, obviously, from the point of view of the residents of the flats, it is of secondary importance. The problem with the flats is that they were built in the 1930s, and many were built to a size that would not be acceptable today. For example, the one bedroom apartments are there are 37 sq. m to 39 sq. m, compared with the current minimum standard of 45 sq. m. Two bedroom residences are 49 sq. m to 56 sq. m, compared with the minimum standar…

The pandemic has had a significant impact on people's health and lives. It also has had a significant impact on the economy. Since we have gone to level 5, there are obviously much greater calls upon the resources of the Department. Will the Minister set out the impact of the country moving to level 5 and the impact it will have on public expenditure for 2020 and beyond?

I thank the Minister and commend him on the measures he has introduced. It was very appropriate for the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment to go back up in light of the imposition of level 5 restrictions. The Covid restrictions support scheme is also very appropriate and is much needed. However, this all costs money. There was a question around whether we would move to level 5. It is the most severe level of restrictions and the cost to the State is quite considerable. I do not know whether the Minister can sta…

I thank the Minister. The real effect of level 5 is its significant impact on the domestic economy. An overview of the effects of the restrictions on the economy's performance shows that the multinational sector has performed well. The difficulty is that when we impose level 5 on the country, we effectively close a large part of the domestic economy down. We close non-essential retail outlets, hairdressers and restaurants. It may be a difficult thing to say, but we need to be careful if pressure is put on us to go …

We all recognise that we are now approaching the Brexit end game. Irrespective of whether there is a trade deal agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and I hope there is, we all need to recognise that Brexit is a momentous occasion not just for the United Kingdom but also for this State. In years to come, when the history of the 21st century is written of Ireland and of the UK, Brexit will feature very strongly and prominently. It will have such a momentous impact on this country because our his…