We need a new collective pay agreement and I think I am correct in saying that the Minister will be the first in the history of this State not to have such an agreement in place. It is extremely important to ensure that an agreement is reached with the unions which brings about real pay equality in our public services. We need to have good public service wages. We have been quick to clap in this Chamber. I have been here when we clapped front-line public sector workers since the onset of this crisis but applause do…

Today we saw the leaders of the pro-Remain parties in the North travel to Dublin to raise their concerns about the impact of the UK Internal Market Bill on the North. The Bill flies in the face of strands one, two and three of the Good Friday Agreement. It allows the British Government to remove powers that were devolved to the Executive in the North, which is in complete disregard to strand one of the agreement. We now see the Assembly has voted to oppose this UK Internal Market Bill. The word "precedents" was use…

Agus muid ag dul i dtreo fhoilsiú bhuiséad 2021, beidh go leor plé á dhéanamh faoin ráta dífhostaíochta agus faoin mbealach inar féidir linn fostaíocht a chruthú, taobh amuigh de na cathracha móra ach go háirithe. Ar ndóigh, beidh tionscnaimh chaipitiúla lárnach sa phlé sin. Sílim gurb é seo seans don Rialtas cuí a chur ar bhóithre Chonamara. Níl bóthar maith amháin istigh i gConamara faoi láthair. Tá roinnt oibre á déanamh ar an N59 as Gaillimh go dtí an Clochán ach tá deacrachtaí leis an gcuid eile dóibh. Ba chea…

This is an interesting week to be discussing this particular Bill and these considerations. At the start of the week we had the latest revelations of shady practices within the global financial system involving many top global institutions. The so-called FinCEN Files of approximately 2,500 leaked documents involving about $2 trillion of transactions have revealed how some of the world's biggest banks have allowed criminals to move dirty money around the world. They also showed how Russian oligarchs have used banks …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus táim ag iarraidh ceist chéibh Inis Oírr a ardú léi. Is iomaí duine a bhíonn i dteagmháil liom ó Inis Oírr maidir leis an ngeall a rinne an Rialtas chun athfhorbairt a dhéanamh ar an gcéibh seo agus tá sé ardaithe agam arís agus arís. I want to raise with the Minister the issue of Inis Oírr pier. This was promised in 2015 and yet no works have been done. Will the Minster detail her plans to develop Inis Oírr pier?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. We all know that the pier at Inis Oírr is just not fit for purpose. It is a danger and a hazard. It is a critical piece of infrastructure for Inis Oírr and is essential for public safety as well as being fundamental to the survival and sustainability of the island's economy. Muintir Inis Oírr cannot afford any further delays nor do I want to be raising this issue in the time ahead. I welcome that €0.5 million has been set aside to begin the development of Inis Oírr pier. Will the Mini…

I understand there will be competing priorities but capital investment projects will be extremely important in the period ahead. If there is a situation of competing priorities, I will detail exactly how important this piece of infrastructure is for the people of Inis Oírr and I will detail some of the issues that have arisen over the past months. The hazards relating to the pier are endless and include extremely damaged hand rails, uneven surfaces, broken lights, and trip hazards in the form of broken wires and pi…

Ag 6.30 a.m., i mo chathair féin, cathair na Gaillimhe, sheas iaroibrithe Debenhams taobh amuigh den fhoirgneamh ina mbíodh siad ag obair agus iad ag éileamh a gcuid cearta bunúsacha. Tá siad tar éis seasamh taobh amuigh de na siopaí seo ar feadh os cionn 160 lá anois agus tá sé thar am dúinn seasamh leo. At 6.30 a.m., workers of Debenhams in my home city of Galway started their picket outside their former employer. They have waited, protested, engaged for 161 days for a just exit package. They continue to stand ou…

I am sharing time with Deputies Pearse Doherty and Brian Stanley. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus an Aire Stáit as an méid a dúirt siad. Ní fhéadfaí beag is fiú a dhéanamh de thionchar an choróinvíris ar ár ngeilleagar, ár bpobal agus, ar ndóigh, ar shaol na cosmhuintire. Cailleadh daoine le linn na paindéime seo, chaill teaghlaigh a n-ioncaim ar fad agus níl a fhios ag go leor daoine céard atá i ndán dóibh. Teastaíonn infheistíocht inár ndaoine, inár ngnóthaí agus inár bpobal. Cinntíonn infheistíocht níos airde…

Bhí mic léinn ó Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, i dteagmháil liom le roinnt seachtainí anuas faoin bhrú uafásach airgeadais atá orthu. Tá mé tar éis fadhb na dtáillí do na hathscrúduithe a ardú leis an Aire i litir cheana féin. Fuair siad réidh leis na táillí seo i go leor ollscoileanna, ach ní bhfuair siad réidh leo in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh go dtí seo. Impím ar an Aire brú a chur ar an ollscoil sin fáil réidh leis na táillí seo. I have been contacted by a large number of students in recent weeks and month…

Caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil mé buartha faoi thodhchaí go leor de na ceantair is iargúlta sa Stát seo. Bíonn na hoileáin amuigh ón gcósta ag brath ar thurasóireacht, agus níl tionscal ar bith eile i mbailte beaga ar an gcósta. Tá siad ag brath ina iomláine ar thurasóireacht. Teastaíonn cinnteacht uathu go mbeidh airgead ag teacht isteach chucu láithreach. Is mór an trua í go bhfuil éiginnteacht fós ann i measc gnólachtaí agus teaghlaigh, fiú amháin tar éis seoladh an July stimulus agus an reachtaíocht seo. I am conc…

Táimse ag tosú do Shinn Féin. Tá sé dochreidte go bhfuil muid anseo inniu ag plé athruithe airgeadais agus muid i lár paindéime. Sa tseachtain chéanna inar chlois muid go mbeidh Airí Stáit ag fáil ardú pá d'os cionn €16,000, tá daoine agus gnólachtaí faoi bhrú uafásach. Níl a fhios acu cén t-ioncam a bheidh acu sa todhchaí. Léiríonn an cinneadh seo nach bhfuil tuiscint ar bith ag an Rialtas ar shaol an gnáthdhuine. B'fhéidir, fiú, nach bhfuil suim ag an Rialtas i saol an ghnáthdhuine. This has been another chaotic …

Bhí go leor gnólachtaí i dteagmháil liom le tamall anuas mar gheall go bhfuil an t-uafás éiginnteachta ann maidir lena dtodhchaí. Tá faitíos an domhain orthu nach mbeidh siad in ann iasacht ar bith a fháil agus nach mbeidh deontais ar fáil dóibh. Sinn Féin has consistently stated since the onset of this crisis that these are extraordinary times which necessitate extraordinary measures. Many SMEs are starved of capital right now. The reality is that these businesses are the backbone of our economy and provide much n…

We hear the triumvirate of taoisigh will have up to 17 special advisers. At the same time, there are reports that the Government plans to cut the Covid-19 payment by €50. Cutbacks do not appear to apply to well-paid Government advisers. Ministers of State will get extra allowances. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, will cost taxpayers an additional €200,000. Will the Minister outline how many special advisers will be employed across all Departments, disaggregated by Department, and the sal…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis féin. Tá brón orm ach bhí deacrachtaí anála agam tar éis an cheist a chur. When Ministers have entire Departments to assist them in their work it seems less than prudent to spend taxpayers' money on costly advice sourced from elsewhere. An Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, is to have a chief of staff, a deputy chief of staff and three special advisers, not to mention an economic adviser. The Fine Gael leader, Deputy Leo Varadkar, is to have an aide-de-ca…

I agree special advisers add a great amount to the work of a Deputy and, I am sure, even more so to the work of a Minister. We also hear a great deal about responsible Government and fiscal prudence. Yet here, where taxpayers' money is concerned, it seems to the public - people have contacted me - like reckless spending on special advisers. How can we reiterate time and again that we are all in this together when it is quite clear we are not? I have no problem with people having to tighten their belts but the reali…

A major reason for the cost overrun of the children's hospital was the extremely deficient way the guaranteed maximum price contract was handled. I have here a quote from the independent PwC review into this debacle. It states, "There was a lack of formal planning, strategic direction and preparation in relation to the process by which the GMP would be determined." Have there been any reforms to the procurement process related to the issue of guaranteed maximum price contracts to ensure that substantial cost overru…

I believe a guaranteed maximum price is essential, because it gives price certainty to the State about the cost of large public procurement projects and ensures taxpayers are not left on the hook for the types of cost overruns we have seen, which have seen the cost of the children's hospital balloon to what I am worried will be around three times the original cost, making this the most expensive medical centre in the history of the world, which is embarrassing to say the least. It seems to me from the Minister of S…

It is good to hear there will be an examination of this issue. It is a pity the PwC report also makes clear that the business case proposal upon which the State based this investment decision contained material errors regarding not adhering to the public spending code, to which the Minister of State alluded. Will the Minister of State advise why it was not adhered to? Who is responsible for ensuring it is enforced? It will be the most expensive hospital in the world.

Will the Minister provide the agreed capital ceilings for each Department in tabular form and confirm if there have been changes in respect of committed and pre-committed expenditure as a result of the Covid-19 crisis?