This is probably more a question for the Minister for Health than a question on promised legislation. We are confident that we have done enough to ensure that schools are safe. So far, the return to school has been successful but, of course, more could be done in future. The Deputy will know from the plan that was published by Government two weeks ago that ventilation is a matter to which we are going to give more consideration because ventilation is increasingly understood to be of enormous significance when it co…

I extend my condolences to the Nkencho family as well. I have spoken to them in person and to their solicitor. I have also been in contact with the Minister for Justice and the Garda about this matter. It is my strong view that there needs to be an independent inquiry into the death of George Nkencho. The way we do that is through the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. I have confidence in GSOC as an independent body to carry out an investigation such as this.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. There should be no tolerance of illegal dumping which is an attack on our environment, communities and landscape. Penalties for illegal dumping are significant. People who are found responsible for unauthorised disposal of waste are liable to a maximum fine of €5,000 on summary conviction and-or imprisonment of up to 12 months, and to a maximum fine of €15 million on conviction on indictment and-or imprisonment for up to ten years. The upcoming circular economy …

I thank the Deputy. I am sympathetic to the case he is making. I am not an expert in the area by any means. It is such a shame when we had got on top of the backlog of driving tests that we now have a very big one again. It limits people's freedom and their ability to take up employment. Later I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to let them know that the Deputy has made some suggestions in this regard.

The company may only continue to carry out those works if it is exempted under the regulations. Without having the details in front of me, I cannot say whether it is exempted. Obviously, it can only carry out that work if it is exempted under the public health regulations. The extension of the licence which flows from the Deputy's question would depend on the answer to that question and will be a matter for the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

I thank the Deputy. I am sure the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, will want to honour any commitment she has made on the matter. We all extend our condolences to the family. As the Deputy will appreciate, knife crime is a complex issue. He will be familiar with some of the studies from London and Glasgow as to which actions can help and which ones do not. It requires a response that is not just about criminal justice but is also a comprehensive social response. I know that the Minister has been apprised of th…

I am also very sorry to hear about that man's passing. I know the Minister is already aware of the issue. Having more accurate and up-to-date data on people who are in touch with homeless services would be very useful. As the Deputy knows, people who are homeless, just as people who are not, die for all sorts of different reasons. Having more information on that and the precise cause of death would be useful to everyone.

IVF treatment and assisted human reproduction treatment are tax deductible at the standard rate and most of the medicines people may need to help them in their treatment are covered under the drug refund scheme. That still leaves couples bearing a very large cost if they need to avail of IVF services. Money has been set aside to help people with the cost of IVF, to do it through the public system. The last I heard was that it was the strong view of the Department of Health that we should introduce a law regulating …

If I remember correctly, the programme for Government commits to recognising the state of Palestine as part of a two-state solution. We want to see a two-state solution, ensuring the security and longevity of the state of Israel and also allowing a state of Palestine to be established, with control over the West Bank and Gaza as well. That has not yet happened but it is a matter in which the Minister for Foreign Affairs has an enormous interest and we will be using our position on the UN Security Council this year …

I thank the Deputy. I have not been in direct contact recently with the Kerry Group, but my Department has and the information we have is that this is a consolidation exercise between Naas and Charleville and that redundancies will be voluntary rather than compulsory. I am alarmed to hear the Deputy's suggestion that, perhaps, job losses of a larger scale may be mooted. I will ask my officials to check with the company and I will come back to the Deputy with more information when I can.

I thank the Deputy. I am sorry to hear about Sarah's experience. I caught a tiny bit of the interview on the radio this morning, but I did not hear it in its entirety. I will listen back to it in order that I can understand it a bit better. I do not know the details but I do know that conversations between therapists and, for example, doctors and clients are privileged and confidential. Maybe that is not always the case with counselling services. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is signalling to me that sh…

I thank the Deputy. I know this is an issue that the Minister, Deputy Harris, and Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, are very interested in and committed to. We are in the process of a major overhaul of the apprenticeship system, creating more apprenticeships, different types of apprenticeships and also, from my side, helping to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. We want to increase the number of apprenticeships to 10,000 every year, which would be significant. We need apprentices because the ar…

I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising this important issue. I am not familiar with all of the details but I can understand how that could be a significant problem. Getting from Waterford city to Dungarvan is not easy if one does not have a car and it takes a lot of time in any event. I will raise the issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and let her know that the Deputy raised it here in the Chamber and I will ask her to engage with him directly on it. I am sure she will want to do that.

I thank the Deputy. One of the real improvements in healthcare in Ireland in recent years has been rapid access diagnostics for cancer, particularly when it comes to breast cancer. I do not know the details of the case the Deputy raised but I would expect any employer, particularly a public sector employer, to give someone the necessary time off to attend a cancer investigation appointment. If the Deputy wants to send me the details or to send them to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, we will look into the cas…

I will have to take that matter up with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and ask her to get back to the Deputy with a more detailed reply. I imagine the intention will be to enable people to catch up on any lost time or lost training that they missed out on due to Covid. At the same time, that has to be balanced with the need to have a churn of people coming on and off schemes in order that other people get those opportunities as well.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. To my recollection, it has not been brought to Cabinet but I will follow it up with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and ask him to provide the Deputies with a more detailed response.

We are all grappling with the appropriate use of the GDPR in our work as Deputies and Ministers. I know that people working in public administration and business feel the exact same. The more clarity we can provide for people the better. If there is a specific aspect of the regulation that the Deputy has in mind, perhaps to do with medical cards, and he wants to give me more details later, I will be happy to check it out.

I thank the Deputies. I am certainly sympathetic to the proposal that car parking should be free for cancer patients. Everyone in this House would be sympathetic to that, although it raises the obvious question of what should happen for people receiving treatments for illnesses other than cancer. Why would they have to pay and others would not? There would be an inequity in that which would have to be considered. We also need to bear in mind that not all car parks are owned by the hospitals. Some are privately owne…

I thank the Deputy. I met with representatives of National Broadband Ireland last week to raise these issues with them. I know Deputies raise them all the time. We all support the national broadband plan, or at least we all do now, and we all want to see it rolled out as quickly as possible. However, even with the best will and the best intentions, there are technical difficulties. It is a project that will take five to seven years. Approximately 100,000 homes, farms and businesses will be connected every year. We …

The Deputy has raised an important issue that requires a response. I will have to ask the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, to make contact with the Deputy and give him a response. Unfortunately, I do not have any detail on it.