-----because the representative from Sinn Féin is on his feet. I call Deputy O'Rourke.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Does the remote working strategy offer an opportunity to fulfil the recruitment targets that will be set out in Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2019 in terms of 20% of recruits to the Civil Service being competent in Gaeilge? Is there an opportunity within the remote working strategy to relocate some of that work to Gaeltacht areas? I refer to Gaeltacht na Rinne in my constituency, which would benefit enormously from this kind of remote working strategy, particularly if some of those civil servant jobs are de…

I would like to speak to an item on the European Council agenda dealing with Covid-19 vaccination. I want to pivot away from speaking about this in just the European context and to talk about the moral imperative that rests on us to show solidarity with low and middle-income countries. In the words of Dr. Tedros, the head of the WHO: I need to be blunt: the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure - and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world's poorest countries. …

I want to raise with the Tánaiste the reconfiguration of services in the children's disability network. I have met a number of parents from Tramore and the outskirts of Waterford city who have been recently informed that their children's services, for example, occupational and speech and language therapies, have been moved from Waterford city to Dungarvan. The Tánaiste knows the geography of County Waterford better than most people here. It is quite a distance to travel from Tramore to Dungarvan. These people are m…

Casaimid anois go dtí Grúpa Neamhspleách. Deputy Joan Collins is sharing time with Deputy Connolly.

I welcome the ambitious reform agenda and vision the Minister is setting out for his Department. I welcome in particular that commitment to further education, literacy and apprenticeships, which is really important, but the Minister will not be surprised if I return to the issue of the technological university for the south east, TUSE. My constituency colleague, Deputy Cullinane, has already covered quite a bit of ground on this. This was discussed extensively at the Oireachtas committee recently and the Minister d…

On page 78 of the programme for Government, there is a commitment to enshrining disability rights by finalising the legislation required following Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I note the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 lapsed on the dissolution of the previous Dáil and has not been restored. Will the Tánaiste give me an update on progress for legislating on this important issue?

Táim lánsásta an deis seo a ghlacadh chun labhairt ar son na Gaeilge agus muid ag tús Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Táim buíoch gurb é an Taoiseach a chur tús leis na ráitis seo inniu agus gur labhair an tAire sinsearach agus an tAire Stáit ar an ábhar seo freisin, rud a léiríonn cé chomh tiomanta is atá an Rialtas seo i leith na teanga. Cé go bhfuil sé oiriúnach dúinn an plé agus an díospóireacht seo a bheith againn chun an fhéile a mharcáil agus a cheiliúradh, tá baol ann go bhfuilimid ag caint linn féin, go ligtear do …

This matter arises from the annual sustainable progress index published yesterday by Social Justice Ireland, which mentions Ireland's progress implementing the UN sustainable development goals. I compared this year's index to last year's and I note that there has been little or no positive change in how the Irish economy is integrating sustainable development and well-being objectives into everyday strategies and actions. Most worryingly, consecutive reports highlight poor and deteriorating performance on particula…

I thank the Minister. To give him his due, I know that the information in this year's report pre-dates our participation in government. We may not have our knees under the table for long but I would say that this reply sounds like business as usual, as if we are doing grand. Unfortunately the figures show that we are not doing grand, especially with environmental and sustainable development goals. We are ranking dead last. I want to see a step change in how we implement the SDGs. We should take them seriously and d…

I have been speaking to Waterford businesses and chambers of commerce in the city and Dungarvan and I have been struck by the similarities in the Covid stories as well as the differences that have been related to us. There is great appreciation for the supports that were put in place for businesses during the pandemic. I have listened to stories of small and medium enterprises that have used online training vouchers, business continuity grants or restart grants to innovate, remain open or get back on their feet, an…

My question is on the rapid antigen testing and it follows on from a similar question from Deputy McNamara earlier. This morning we saw the roll-out of two rapid antigen testing centres to cater for the needs of our hauliers. There is also mounting scientific evidence of the efficacy of such a test. I am not proposing that it would be a replacement for the PCR test but it certainly should be considered as a complementary tool. It is particularly useful for identifying the period or phase during which a person is in…

I will attempt to be brief to allow some time for the Ministers to come back on my questions. There is no doubt that the pandemic has had an extraordinary and adverse impact on our labour market as well as broader society. Our response in social protection measures has had to be equally extraordinary. As the Minister detailed earlier, the cost to the Exchequer for the PUP is in excess of €5.5 billion and climbing all the while. This is necessary. In a broad sense, it has been effective. The ERSI has found that the …

I very much welcome this Bill, particularly as we progress towards the end of what has, by all accounts, been an extraordinarily challenging year for people. When budget 2021 was published in October, I specifically addressed the social protection measures therein. They represent very progressive levels of support that have been made available for people who have not only had a very difficult 2020 but may continue to face hardship well into 2021. They will support people living alone, low-income families, one-paren…

Almost one year has elapsed since President von der Leyen presented the European Green Deal setting out an ambitious pathway towards making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The agenda of the upcoming European Council includes the aim of agreeing a new EU emissions reduction target for 2030. These discussions do not often arise so I ask the Taoiseach to use the opportunity to the fullest to strengthen our commitment to proposed measures to tackle the climate crisis. I draw the Minister of State's …

I wish to ask about the development of a national clean air strategy, which is a commitment of the programme for Government. According to the EPA, 1,300 people die prematurely each year due to air pollution. Long-term exposure to air pollution has also been linked to higher Covid-19 mortality rates. Is there a timeline for the development of this strategy? Will there be investment in our network of air monitoring stations, as promised in the programme for Government?

I was due to share time with Deputy Murnane O'Connor so I will not be taking all the time allotted.

Yes, I saw him prowling and I specifically referred to the spare time just in case he was prowling for just such a reason.

I welcome the formation of this new Department which was warranted and I hope that we see consequent and substantial improvements in our provision and learning outcomes as a result. I welcome in particular the emphasis that this Minister and Minister of State placed on the training and skills facet of the Department and their commitment to prioritise lifelong learning, one of the aspects of education which we do not currently do well in this country. I will use my time, like many before me, to address the critical …