-----whereas the reverse approach is being taken in Northern Ireland. It was the same last summer when the Northern Ireland Executive agreed a green list of 60 countries, supported by Sinn Féin and the DUP-----

-----and that contributed enormously to the Spanish strain coming into this country and seeding the second wave.

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. A big part of our climate action strategy is to increase the amount of land under the cover of forestry. That will not be possible if we are living in a country where it is virtually impossible to get a licence to plant or fell. I know many people are experiencing that at the moment. It is something the Government is apprised of and it relates to certain court cases. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, who is totally committed to sustainable forestry, is wo…

I thank the Deputy. I am going to check this out. I only read about this yesterday. What I launched this time last year was a one-off announcement that we provide an extra 200 or 300 internships, particularly for medical students from overseas who train in Ireland and often struggle to get an internship. I had hoped that would continue. It seems it is not and I do not know why. I do think we treat overseas doctors and foreign medical students unfairly in Ireland, and that is not right. I will check it out over the …

I thank the Deputy. I am sorry to hear about the experience his constituent is having. I am afraid I do not have any information on the particular issue. Reimbursement is a matter for the HSE. I will certainly let the Minister for Health know the matter was raised in the Dáil.

I will get that checked out. I will let the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, know the Deputy raised the matter here, and we will see whether we can find a solution.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide them with a written response.

I thank the Deputy. All of us in this House, when we voted for and supported GDPR, the new European law on personal data, understood it would mean that people would have access to their personal information, that it would be protected and that it would be corrected where it was wrong. The law on people who have been adopted, both legally and illegally, has been interpreted in a different way. In fairness to Tusla, it is just following the law as it understands it so the responsibility falls on the Government and Oi…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as a gcuid ceisteanna. I am told the Garda Síochána Bill will be published in this session, an seisiún seo. On Deputy Bruton's question, there are two ways we can deal with this. In the first instance, it is a question of Garda action. It is unlawful both to organise and participate in these gatherings so Garda action to prevent them and police them is part of the solution. Another part is putting pressure on digital platforms to take down sites that promote violence or encourage p…

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to acknowledge that today is World Engineering Day. I acknowledge the enormous contribution that engineers make to strengthening our economy and making it a better place, particularly when it comes to housing and infrastructure. I very much agree that finding a sustainable model for higher education is essential because we need to continue to educate people and train people for the professions of the future. Engineering is one of those.

I thank the Deputy. I very much appreciate the sentiments. I am sympathetic to them. At the moment, it is too soon for us to make those kinds of decisions and calls. The next decision date is 5 April. In the run-up to that date, the decisions in question are the kinds of decisions we will consider in consultation with NPHET, the public health doctors and the scientific advisers. There has to be a dividend for being vaccinated and a benefit for people who are vaccinated. We need more data and we want to see the case…

I thank the Deputy. I have come across similar cases. I am not sure if it is the exact same constituent. I will raise it with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on behalf of us both. It is a hard one to solve because any time a boundary is moved, the same issue arises. If the Dublin 15 figure is applied in Clonee, why not apply it to Dunboyne and then Dunshaughlin? These things are always difficult but the Deputy makes a good point.

I am sure the Deputy will not begrudge Kilkenny being one of the eight areas that benefited from those grants, but she makes a reasonable point as to why Carlow should be included as well. I will take that up with Fáilte Ireland. On the small business aid scheme that Deputy McAuliffe raised, that will be launched next week or so and it is a cash grant to help those businesses with fixed costs. It will only apply to businesses that have a rateable premises, and I acknowledge that raises an issue for people whose bus…

I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising this issue and acknowledge his interest in issues relating to people with disabilities and his advocacy in this area. I checked in advance and that Bill has not been restored to the Order Paper when the new Dáil was formed. There are issues around policy and principles that need to be worked out. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to provide more detail on that in the form of a written response.

On that latter question, if I recall correctly from my time as Minister for Social Protection, someone in receipt of the disability allowance can move over to the back to enterprise allowance and receive both social welfare payments and grant support to get their business up and running. Perhaps I will come back to the Deputy with some more information on that. On the issue raised by Deputy Conway-Walsh, a similar issue was raised by Deputy Dillon in our parliamentary party yesterday. I imagine it is the same case,…

I thank the Deputy. I am aware of the media reports in regard to the future of Ulster Bank in the Republic of Ireland. This is, as everyone in the House will appreciate, a commercial matter for its owner, NatWest. It will not be a Government decision, nor does it require Government approval. However, it is a matter of real concern and one that the Government is taking very seriously. It is a matter of real concern to Ulster Bank's customers, staff and the communities it serves. The Minister for Finance has been in …

I thank the Deputy. I will be speaking to the Minister for Finance about this again today. I am sure he will be willing to engage with Opposition spokespeople and members of the committee on this issue as things develop. I will take that up with him later but I am sure he will be happy to brief spokespeople and engage with the committee. As the Deputy knows, the Minister has already engaged with representatives from both Ulster Bank and NatWest in recent months. He also met with the Financial Services Union last De…

I thank the Deputy. Parents and students asked for clarity, choice and some compassion, and that is what we have provided in making the decision yesterday. A decision from the Government gives students the choice to opt for either a calculated grade or an accredited grade, or to sit the traditional examinations, which include written, oral, aural and practical examinations. They can make their choice subject by subject and they can also choose both options, taking whichever grade is highest. On school reopening, NP…

I thank the Deputy. We will certainly take on board the suggestion and request from the Labour Party on a hybrid option but I understand there are some difficulties with it. One reason we want to have the calculated grade or accredited grade system is in case, for some reason, schools close again and oral, aural and practical examinations cannot go ahead. I am not saying they will close again. Having two systems, with the examinations and accredited grades, at least allows us to know that if things go wrong, there …

I have referred here in the Dáil to the plan. The plan for quite some time has been for the phased reopening of schools, starting with the opening of special schools, which has been done, and moving on to special classes. Across the period of March and April, the plan is to open schools on a phased basis. I totally appreciate that what parents want is a clear plan and clear message. We will have that in the next few days.