I am up in the gods. I acknowledge the Minister's commitment on this issue. I know how hard he worked to get this commitment into the programme for Government and how hard he has worked within his Ministry since to deliver the White Paper, which, I believe, is finally providing a pathway to ending direct provision, which has been a blight on our nation for the past 21 years. I have taught some of the children who have lived in direct provision. I have taught children who were born in Ireland but lived in no other c…

My original question deals more specifically with the issue of timelines. While I acknowledge 2024 as an endpoint, the Minister referenced a number of initiatives, such as the implementation team, the programme board and the external advisory group. In order that the people currently within the direct provision can see light at the end of the tunnel, are there specific timelines for any of those elements in order that we can map progress and tick off the different stages as we move through them? Can the Minister pr…

Concerns were raised during the previous two lockdowns that inspections of direct provision centres were done over the phone. This is very much a suboptimal alternative when one considers the vulnerability and exposure to risk experienced by people living in direct provision centres. Will the Minister detail the in-person inspections of direct provision centres during level 5 of the public health restrictions in the first five months of 2021?

To clarify, IPAS and QTS Limited inspections are being conducted over the phone. When does the Minister believe we will get back to in-person inspections? We must acknowledge there have been additional pressures on what is an already congregated setting, particularly in light of school closures. While allowances would not go so far as to be able to have social coffees every day, people in direct provision were very much limited during lockdown in what they could do. Have any of those additional pressures on the con…

On the European Commission guidelines into which we voluntarily opted, will the Minister comment on the benchmark we are setting in direct provision? One of the recurring messages I have got from my interactions with people in direct provision is about being able to prepare their own food. I know progress has been made in that area. Will the Minster add a general comment on where we are in terms of the standards we apply to direct provision centres? We are looking to phase them out and make them something of the pa…

Since I was elected to Dáil Éireann a little over a year ago, and certainly since the Government was formed, we have had to pass a raft of legislation that in ordinary times would be absolutely unthinkable because of its severity and draconian nature. Everybody in here accepts the necessity for the legislation that has been put in place, and mandatory hotel quarantine is part of this. The scepticism that we share about legislation is healthy and correct, and it is very much the job of the House to examine legislati…

The next slot is a Government one but I do not see a Government speaker offering. Likewise, I have a Sinn Féin slot but I do not see a speaker from Sinn Féin offering. I call Deputy Pringle, although I am putting him on warning that I will ask him to adjourn the debate in approximately 90 seconds. We will let him clear his throat anyway.

It is 7.15 p.m.

I hate to put a stop to the Deputy mid-gallop but I must ask him to adjourn the debate.

The Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development and the Islands has completed its consideration of the following Revised Estimates for public services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2021: Vote No. 37 - Social Protection.

As no other Member is offering I will ask the Minister of State to address the amendment.

He is on his way into the Chamber.

A message will be sent to the Seanad acquainting it accordingly.

Amendment No. 1 has been ruled out of order.

I thank the Deputy. I remind Members we are on Fifth Stage and as such should be speaking directly to elements within the Bill.

The Bill will be sent to the Seanad.

I will be brief and focus on the digital green certificate, with two fundamental but interconnected issues, namely, freedom and privacy. On the one hand, the certificate would help facilitate the safe reopening of EU economies, with the crucial word being "safe". People who fear putting their loved ones at risk with the simple act of spending time together no longer need to worry about that risk and tourism can slowly begin to reboot in cities, towns and villages across the EU without fear of future lockdowns. Impo…

We are right up against the clock but if Deputy Clarke would like to put the question, I will ask the Minister to supply a written response, if that suits her.

I ask the Minister to revert with a written response because we are against the clock.

I thank the Deputy. We have other Deputies waiting.