I am sharing time with Deputy Paul Donnelly. I have two questions. The first relates to the critical skills list that is linked to work permits. It has not been updated in ten years. It strikes me as a little odd that there are no skills coming off the list. This is a deficit that needs to be addressed. Clearly, the training is not happening. If the Minister examines the area, as I am sure he has, he will see there are many subgroups, working groups and groups doing this and that but none sitting down to consider h…

Is it being ruled out?

I want to use the brief time I have to pay tribute to the many women who are struggling through the pandemic. They are getting by and the women in the Chamber, and some men as well of course, will know what getting by is like. They are getting by but they are struggling and it would be remiss of us to pretend that people are breezing through this, particularly women, because they are simply not. This is a tough time and it is a particularly tough time for women. We are having this discussion on International Women'…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate, which is happening at a very opportune time. I wish to raise several points that relate particularly to businesses. The recent announcements by Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland are of very significant concern for people who hold individual personal bank accounts with those banks. However, the situation for SMEs and family-run businesses is particularly concerning. Ulster Bank has a €5 billion business and a substantial corporate loan book that is made up o…

It is nine months since NPHET recommended that discretionary elements of travel should end, which is nearly 300 days. Consistently, throughout this crisis, NPHET and others have called for real checks and controls at our airports and seaports. In April of last year, Sinn Féin called for a quarantine regime for people entering the State. On 5 May, I stated in the media that our failure to impose New Zealand-style entry restrictions was undermining the efforts to combat Covid-19, but nothing was done and so here we a…

I share some of the dissatisfaction expressed by the Deputies. I note that at least one of them had a second opportunity to come in. It is very rare for some of us even to get one opportunity. That aside, there is scope for us to look at the system. It is deeply frustrating. We know the reasons there have to be constraints but I caution that any system needs to be reflective of the relative size of the Government to the Opposition parties and it has to be fair. The Business Committee should be alerted to this and s…

I am sharing some time with my colleague, Teachta Doherty. I ask the Minister that we would go back and forth with the questions and answers and try to respect the time, if possible. Time is short and I do not want to go into my colleague's time. Also, if there is a question that requires a follow-up I ask that we may engage afterwards on it. I will start by raising the issue of Ulster Bank. I am aware that my colleague, Teachta Doherty, raised it already in the context of the broader implications but I want to foc…

I want to raise the issue of bogus self-employment, which the Tánaiste will be aware of. The pandemic has exposed the nasty and disgusting nature of bogus self-employment within this State. We know that those workers misclassified as self-employed receive reduced entitlement to social welfare but also they do not have access to the same level of sick pay. We could debate all day the adequacy of the sick pay arrangements but these people have none. The recent judgment regarding the Domino's workers shows that cognis…

I would dispute the use of the word "flexible" and I do not believe that is what people want. I used to represent home helps and employers were always telling me that they did not like to be tied down with anything awkward like a contract. Believe me, workers like being tied down with a contract. They like having that contract codified, particularly in these times, in terms of their entitlement to sick pay and all of those other things that those of us who are properly employed regard as the absolute basic minimum.…

I raise the question of Aer Lingus, which is relevant to my constituency and that of the Tánaiste. I received an email from an Aer Lingus worker. She had some savings that she hoped to use to buy a home but she is now regarded by the bank as an "uncertain" customer. Will the Tánaiste engage with the Minister for Transport to ensure all the recommendations of the aviation task force are put in place? Will the task force recommendations be refreshed in light of the fact that the aviation industry is looking at a seco…

I commend my colleague, an Teachta Doherty, not only for this Bill but for the tireless work he has put in on this issue over recent years. I note that, in the Minister's contribution, he said that he has some concerns. It is very regrettable that the concerns he outlined were only for insurance companies and providers. Anyone watching this debate would prefer it if he had expressed even a small concern for customers. That is what the Opposition has been speaking about today - the customers of insurance companies w…

A few weeks ago, in response to a parliamentary question I submitted, the Department confirmed that the HSE database for vaccinations for healthcare workers is live and managing all vaccinations for healthcare workers. What percentage of healthcare professionals have been vaccinated, by grade, group and category, and how many have received one dose and two doses? I ask the Minister to confirm that the figure includes contract staff, including contract cleaners, agency nurses and people who may not be part of the HS…

I ask for that to include contract cleaners. There is a very specific issue - I can talk to the Minister about it afterwards - with contract cleaners not necessarily being included, even though we all agree they should be. I wish to ask about an issue relating to procurement. The HSE paid Roqu Media International €10 million to import ventilators from China which were never used. Roqu Media is a festival management company. I suppose we can all roll our eyes collectively over why we were getting ventilators from su…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. As advised by an Teachta O'Rourke, Sinn Féin will be supporting this legislation. We support the substance of it and we will, of course, be putting forward constructive amendments. I sincerely hope that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, will work with us to ensure the Bill is amended where appropriate. I very much welcome her statement that if more needs to be done, more will be done. As the debate goes on, we will hear about those things that need to be done…

It will be me.

I was tucked away so the Ceann Comhairle could not see me. I will take five minutes and the balance will be shared between my colleagues, if that is okay.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak this afternoon on the motion to extend the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS. I very much welcome the extension of the existing rates of the EWSS until 31 March. It is something for which Sinn Féin has been calling for a number of weeks and it is welcome that the Government has finally got around to putting the motion before the House. It is timely that we are having the debate here today. Extending the EWSS will provide continued support and much-needed c…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The trading online voucher scheme, which now falls under the Tánaiste’s Department, has seen the grant issued cut from 90% of funding to 50% at the start of this year. Will the Government consider reinstating the funding at 90% for as long as the current level 5 restrictions are in place so that businesses under enforced closure can have some input into moving online? This would be important given that the level 5 restrictions are going to be in place until at least t…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on housing, which unfortunately is a topic I deal with in my constituency offices on a daily basis. The Minister has responsibility for housing in the State but, like me, he is also a representative of the people of north County Dublin. As he is aware, we represent the fastest growing constituency in the country, one that has also has one of the youngest populations in Europe. Many of the people we represent are renting or looking to buy their own homes but the housing mar…

I asked the Minister how many affordable homes will be delivered.