I thank the Deputy. I read the letter that she alerted me to and I have replied. Actually, I have received many letters from parents of children with autism, with intellectual disabilities, with behavioural problems. I know they are really distressed. I am concerned about their welfare and I know they are, too. They may not have a powerful lobby, but they do have a voice at Cabinet. That voice is the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, the first Cabinet Minister for disabilities that we have had…

The decision made by the Government on foot of advice from NPHET back in March was that schools would close - all schools, including special schools - so I cannot give the Deputy any commitment now about them reopening. I would love to see it happening if it can be done, but it would require public health advice from NPHET and the co-operation of staff and unions. I am sure that will be forthcoming, but I cannot make a commitment to the Deputy here that I might not be able to follow through on.

As the Deputy knows, it is my practice not to arrange meetings in the Chamber. I do not think that is fair to people who do not have a Deputy who can seek an appointment with me in the Chamber, so any request for meetings will be considered in the normal way.

Rent supplement is means-tested. I think everyone in the House appreciates that. Rent supplement is not provided to people who can afford to pay their own rent or mortgage or buy their own home. If we were to extend rent supplement to any group that does not need it for financial reasons that would be a big policy change and an expensive one and I am not sure it would be the right course of action, notwithstanding the very difficult individual circumstances that people may find themselves in. In terms of the advice…

I acknowledge that financial abuse can be part of the abuse that people who suffer domestic violence face, both men and women but mostly women. The solution is probably the urgent needs payment, which is available under the social welfare code.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. Gach lá bíonn an iomarca daoine ag fáil bháis de thoradh an víris seo. Tá an iomarca ag éirí tinn agus fós san ospidéal. Smaoinímid orthu go léir agus déanaimid comhbhrón leo inniu díreach mar a dhéanaimid gach lá. Is dea-scéal é, ámh, go bhfuilimid ag dul ar aghaidh sa treo ceart. Dá bharr sin tá mo dhóchas féin ag dul i méid go mbeimid in ann bogadh ar aghaidh le céim a haon Dé Luain, 18 Bealtaine. Déanfaidh an Chomh-aireacht an cinneadh seo amárach ina dhiaidh di comhai…

I thank the Deputy. It is a matter of great regret that the childcare scheme for healthcare workers cannot go ahead. The focus of the Minister, Ms Zappone, and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for the next couple of weeks will be to get crèches and childcare facilities open by the end of June for all essential front-line workers first, and then more broadly after that. I know that the Minister and the Department put a lot of work into developing this scheme. They developed it, and there was consultation…

I am sure that this issue will be ongoing. It is a matter to which we will have to give consideration as we work with the childcare sector to reopen crèches and childcare facilities by the end of June. We will examine, of course, what is being done in other countries and other jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland, to see if there are things we can learn from those because there are other parts of Europe where crèches and nurseries did not close and others where they have reopened. The question I would ask is w…

I thank the Deputy. She raised the issue of the capacity of the HSA. Environmental health officers in the HSE will play a role. Capacity is a very real issue. We have had discussions about that at Government level. The Ministers for Health and Business, Enterprise and Innovation might be able to give the Deputy a more comprehensive answer than I can because they have been dealing with this issue. It is acknowledged by the Government that the HSA will need more staff and more resources. The plan, which may or may no…

I have not been involved personally in any of those kinds of discussions but that may well have happened. There is a regular quad meeting involving Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive and Ministers from the Government here. Under our memorandum of understanding, MOU, there is ongoing contact and co-operation between the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, in Northern Ireland and the CMO here. Certainly, anybody coming from Northern Ireland to work here in construction will still be bound by the protocol and by ou…

It is both, Deputy. There are additional financial resources and additional staff, mainly redeployed from other areas in the public service. There are also real consequences. The approach that is going to be taken by the HSA, as is always the case, is one of compliance and working with employers to enable them to comply. The HSA will, however, be able to close businesses and sites, if necessary, and prosecute employers under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, if needs be. The approach that will be pursued …

We disagree on many issues but there are issues we agree on. One of the issues we agree on is that the best economic policy and the best social policy is high levels of employment and full employment where that can be achieved. That is the best economic policy. It is also the best way to reduce poverty and to reduce disadvantage. The best new deal for people who have lost their jobs is job creation. Something the new Government, and this Government for so long as it lasts, will have to do is to make sure that we cr…

I am afraid I do not have any information or details on the companies or particular workplaces the Deputy has mentioned, but I will absolutely make inquiries with the HSA. There is a procedure that the authority will follow if complaints have been made. I will make inquiries with the HSA about it today.

I thank the Deputy. As I said earlier, I will have to make inquiries with the HSA. Before coming to any judgments, I would like to hear its side of the story. I have heard the Deputy's in this Chamber but I have not heard the HSA's. I will make inquiries with the HSA and find out what the factual position is. As the Deputy knows, employers who breach the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 can be prosecuted and fined. If it is appropriate to do so, they should be.

I am not sure if there was a question there. As I said, I will make inquiries with the HSA about this today.

It is always a pleasure to converse with somebody who is another doctor as well as another Deputy. I was feeling a bit lonely in the previous Dáil. There have usually been a few doctors in the House and I think I was the only one in the previous Dáil.

Of course. I am sorry. He is gone. It was always a pleasure to converse with Dr. Harty as well. It is good to see Deputy Berry is here as well, so there are at least two of us. I look forward to a good, robust and positive relationship. As the Deputy rightly said, about 500 people have expressed an interest in rejoining the Defence Forces, which is really encouraging. Those 500 will certainly not turn into 500 re-enlistments but it would be really welcome if we could re-enlist 100 or 150 people, especially those wi…

On testing and tracing, the HSE will publish its revised plan on testing and tracing today, with updated key performance indicators. On the volume of testing, as I stated earlier, 44,000 tests have been carried out in the past seven days. That works out at roughly 6,000 per day, which I think is the figure referred to by the Deputy. As he rightly pointed out, the capacity is there to do more. The current clinical guidelines are to test people who have symptoms, as well as carrying out some screening in certain plac…

I agree with the Deputy. Water mains that need to be repaired should be repaired and replaced if they need to be replaced. Deputy Carey mentioned this to me as well. I will make inquiries at Irish Water about that and find out if we can get the work done quickly. We all know the importance of clean water in terms of public health and general hygiene. In response to Deputy Harkin, when it comes to face coverings, there is an active scientific debate on that. We have been waiting for quite some time for advice from N…

Gabhaim buíochas le muintir na hÉireann as ucht na difríochta móire a rinne siad chun dul i ngleic le Covid-19. Tá an cuar á mhaolú againn agus tá an chuid is measa den ráig thart. Tá na mílte daoine sábháilte againn. Níor sháraigh obair na foirne ospidéil agus an lucht cúram sláinte orthu. In ainneoin sin, tá an iomarca cásanna nua againn agus tá an iomarca daoine ag fáil bháis go fóill. Cuireann sé sin in iúl dúinn go laethúil go bhfuilimid fós ag iarraidh smacht a chur ar an aicíd. Mar is eol don Teach, tá plean…