I welcome the opportunity to speak about the proposed local community safety partnership pilot project which the Minister for Justice announced last week and which will operate in Dublin's north inner city, Longford and my constituency of Waterford. The project represents the implementation of some of the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and is a welcome signal of intent on the part of this Government. I refer specifically to recommendation No. 5 of the commission, which states…

No Deputy wishes to be here debating this Bill. That the UK, our nearest neighbour and the nation with which we share our deepest cultural ties, has chosen to leave the EU is regrettable in the extreme. Ireland and the EU have been patient and will remain at the negotiation table for as long as needs be. I can see why that is the case. This is not a straightforward process. In the decades during which the EU has existed, its policies and measures have evolved dramatically. Walking away from everything might seem si…

The issue I want to raise relates to the flu vaccine, particularly in the context of its availability to GPs and pharmacies throughout the country. I am sure all Deputies have been contacted about this matter. I have been talking to my local pharmacist in Tramore and he stated that he is fully up to date in terms of his returns for the vaccine. He has a waiting list of 200 people. He has already identified those he wants to prioritise in terms of underlying health conditions but he is in a position where he cannot …

I am disappointed we are going to be unable to source extra vaccines. This is perhaps approaching the issue slightly tangentially but perhaps we need to leverage what we do have in a better way. The Minister of State made reference to the children's vaccine which is still available. It is free at the point of use and I am advised that there is plenty of it available. Perhaps the Government needs to think about an awareness-raising campaign on this. The flu often finds a reservoir among our younger population, which…

It is only right that I begin my statement by acknowledging the deep hurt and trauma experienced, and still being experienced, by people affected by this issue. I am sure I am not alone in the House in saying that no other issue has seen so many people contact my office, by either phone or email or indeed in person. I have had a number of conversations with survivors about their experience. The period investigated by the mother and baby homes commission is a very dark chapter in the history of this country and one …

It is fair to say that this budget has been framed at a pivotal point in our country's history; a perfect storm of pandemic, Brexit, climate and biodiversity breakdown, all of which interconnect and impact on our people and our environment. While the current challenges may seem too great for any one budget to overcome, I am proud of what was presented yesterday and of the role the Green Party played in forming a budget that has a strong focus on both social and environmental justice. The social protection measures …

Uaireanta, is iad na rudaí beaga a chuireann isteach ort mar Ghael - nuair a fhiafraíonn daoine “What is that name in English?”, mar shampla. B’fhéidir gur ceist saonta, gan dochar í, ach tar éis tamaill, cuireann sí isteach ort. Is sampla eile é an síneadh fada. Níl an Ghaeilge neamhchoitianta i dteangacha sa tslí ina bhfuil diacritics aici - tá an umlaut ag na Gearmánaigh, an cédille sa Fhraincis, ach fáth éigin, tá an síneadh fada deacair dúinn anseo in Éirinn. Go dtí le déanaí, ní raibh Iarnród Éireann in ann é…

Like many of us, I suspect, when we heard the sad news of the passing of Derek Mahon over the weekend I went to the bookshelf and pulled out a book to reacquaint myself with some of his beautiful and lyrical work. In reading "An Bonnán Buí" two lines jumped out at me: the whole unfortunate country frozen over and your voice stilled by enforced sobriety -- Those words really strongly resonate with the country at the minute, coming into the winter with increased Covid restrictions. Our towns and cities are increasing…

We had an unhappy birthday lately in the south east with the tenth anniversary of the closure of the Rosslare to Waterford train route occurring within the past few weeks. This put an end to a rail link that joined towns across south Wexford to Waterford city, as well as supplying heavy rail infrastructure to two major ports, Belview and Rosslare Europort. Since the closure of the line, advocates for its reopening have kept a close eye on the fate of the Barrow Bridge, which is a 650 m span that links County Kilken…

I am afraid it feels like a point of no return. It is something that has been closely monitored by people with an interest in this route over the years. It feels a little like a managed decline. I am also worried that we will end up tearing out an excellent and strategic piece of infrastructure with a view to developing a greenway on it. We have a EuroVelo route which has been developed by Wexford County Council and runs from Rosslare Europort to the Ballyhack ferry, which transports people over onto Passage East a…

We no longer live in the world we think we do. In our mind’s eye, we still see ourselves in the relatively benign setting of the Holocene, a period of comparative stability in our climate, which cradled the advent of human civilisation. When I was born, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere was 333 ppm. That was above pre-industrial levels, but consistent with a relatively constant global temperature range. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, in the United…

I am sharing time with Deputy Cathal Crowe. This time last year, Deputy Crowe and I would have been welcoming a class into school. This is the first September in 15 years that I have not done so. In the past week, I visited a number of schools in my constituency, from the larger schools such as my own school, Glór na Mara in Tramore, to some of the smaller country schools such as Newtown Junior School, Ballydurn. I visited one particular classroom in this school that I want to speak about. There will be countless e…

I welcome the appointment of a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion. It was sorely needed. I am very hopeful that it will drive some of the changes needed in this sector. I am glad there is someone with specific responsibility for this and I wish the Minister of State luck with this role. I would like to acknowledge the huge difficulties faced by all parents minding children at home during the lockdown period. These challenges were even greater for parents of children …

I want to ask about commitments outlined in the programme for Government regarding a new way of measuring economic progress. I refer specifically to the commitment to establish a set of well-being indices to move towards creating a holistic, well-rounded view of how our society is faring. The programme for Government promises to use new well-being indices and balanced scorecards in the development of Government budgeting. Against the backdrop of Covid-19 and its far-reaching impact beyond just economic consequences…

Ar dtús báire, déanaim comhghairdeas ó chroí leis an Aire nua as a bheith ceaptha ina ról nua. Tá sé suntasach domsa mar bhall den Chomhaontas Glas mo chomhghleacaí a fheiceáil sa ról sin, ach freisin mar Ghael tá sé suntasach go bhfuil beirt Airí sa Roinn a bhfuil tacaíocht don teanga léirithe acu ag gach uile dheis go dtí seo. Guím gach rath ar a gcuid oibre amach anseo. I will ask my questions in two parts to allow the relevant Minister or Minister of State an opportunity to answer. My first questions pertain to…

Admhaím nach mbeidh seans nó am ag an Aire Stáit freagra a thabhairt ach b’fhéidir go mbeidh sé in ann freagra scríofa a thabhairt dom ar an gceist seo. Maidir leis an uimhir mhoil dhigiteach atá leagtha amach laistigh de na Meastacháin seo, le 31 luaite mar sprioc don bhliain seo, an bhfuilimid ar an treo ceart chun an sprioc sin a bhaint amach an bhliain seo? I bhfianaise an mhéadú ollmhór cinn oibre atá tar éis tarlú de bharr na géarchéime sláinte Covid-19 agus na gealltanais atá sa chlár Rialtais ó thaobh cinn …

Before I come to the subject of today’s debate, I would like to welcome the important announcement made yesterday on additional support for the arts community. As the Minister knows, I spoke about the issue not long ago and drew attention to the enormous contribution the arts sector makes to our society despite the precarious nature of the work for many artists and staff. The Covid-19 crisis has magnified this vulnerability, not only today but possibly for months or years to come. Therefore, it is a very welcome mo…

We all have that Chinese blessing, or curse in disguise - may we live in interesting times - rattling around in our heads. The times we are in at the moment are far more than interesting. They are challenging in the extreme. They are tragic for many and they do not have precedent in the past 100 years. We find ourselves, however, as a Dáil today in a very difficult position. These Estimates, normally, would have been subject to scrutiny by a Dáil committee. They only landed on our desks yesterday. We have had very …

Like Deputy Cathal Crowe, I am not long out of the classroom myself. As such, the topic of education is of special interest to me. I welcome the chance to address the challenges posed in the sector by the current health crisis. In the first instance, I commend the efforts being made by teachers and other educators throughout the country to help parents structure the work they can do at home with their own children. In my home, the padlets sent out by Ms Power and Ms Walsh from Glór na Mara are a great resource. My …

I very much welcome the opportunity to address some of the issues arising within our arts communities due to the Covid-19 crisis. We in Waterford are very lucky to have a vibrant and thriving arts scene but, in common with the rest of the country, our venues, performance spaces and festivals have come to a dead stop. The arts community is among the sectors most acutely affected by the shutdown of our economy and those who work in the performing arts have been particularly badly hit. They have little sight of how or…