I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Inniu táimid bailithe le chéile chun dul i ngleic le héigeandáil nár tharla riamh roimhe seo. Sular phléimid an éigeandáil seo, ba mhaith liom ómós a thabhairt dóibh siúd go léir a tháinig le chéile ar aon chéim leis an iarracht náisiúnta ollmhór seo. Is meitheal é. Ag obair ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine: ár bhfoireann chúram sláinte, ár státseirbhísigh, daoine atá ag obair sna húdaráis áitiúla, daoine atá ag obair go deonach, Óglaigh na hÉireann, An Gard…

We are meeting today to take unprecedented actions to respond to an unprecedented emergency. A Cheann Comhairle, I am grateful to you, and to all our public representatives for facilitating this work. I also want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the staff in Leinster House for going about their business with such efficiency while following the recommended guidelines on physical distance. Our laws derive their legitimacy, in the first place, from being passed by a democratically elected Oireachtas. Such wo…

I think they are a non-essential service at the moment, if that is all right.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I also thank the Deputies for their suggestions and measured responses. This is a matter no one will want to politicise in the weeks and months ahead and it may well go on for many months. The Business Committee made a wise decision in not advocating for a full Oireachtas committee at this stage. We have a relatively small number of very competent and hard-working health officials, including the Chief Medical Officer and his team, some people in the HSE and some other senior public heal…

I attended the special meeting of the European Council held in Brussels on Thursday, 20 and Friday, 21 February, the first meeting of EU leaders this year. The meeting was convened by President of the European Council, Charles Michel, following our request at the December European Council for him to take forward negotiations on the post-2020 multi-annual financial framework, MFF. When we last met in December, the MFF was discussed but as part of a longer agenda. This included climate action - we endorsed the object…

This proposal was informed by a series of bilateral meetings he held with leaders in the preceding weeks. I discussed Irish interests and concerns with him on 12 February. It also built on extensive consultations at official level. As the House will be aware, the Commission published its proposal for the next MFF in May 2018. This proposed an overall level of 1.11% EU 27 GNI. Sectoral proposals covering 37 EU funding programmes were also presented by the Commission. Negotiations intensified in the latter half of la…

I did not realise the Taoiseach was present at the wedding feast at Cana but you never know. Ar dtús, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an gCeann Comhairle. Is lá speisialta é dó féin agus dá chlann. Guím gach rath air. Is dea-chomhartha é den ardmheas agus gean láidir atá ag daoine ó gach taobh den Teach air gur toghadh é tríd na ballóidí rúnda. Táim cinnte go rachaidh sé i mbun a chuid oibre le hionracas agus comhionannas a léireoidh an onóir ar thug sé don Oireachtas mar Bhall den Teach. Tá a fhios agam nach mbeidh aon…

First, I offer my congratulations to every Deputy who has been elected to the House for the first time. This is a really special day for them and their families, and one they will never forget. In June 2007, I was one of 49 first-time Deputies taking their seats. On that day, there were more first-time Deputies than today - change always happens in politics. That, too, was a change election. For the first time, the Greens entered Government. Fianna Fáil entered Government again and there was a third party that no l…