Cuirim fáilte roimh an Uachtarán go dtí an Teach. As a former MEP, I remember her when she was also an MEP, in particular in her role as vice chair of the petitions committee, where many petitioners from across Europe, including Ireland, came to make their case. I remember her humane approach and consideration, which was appreciated. However, we did not always agree politically. As a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, ALDE, which is now the Renew Europe group, I remember we were sometimes …

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take this matter. I wish to discuss with him the need for some type of support schemes or compensation measures to assist businesses and individuals dependent on seasonal tourism, in particular, where there is a very substantial reduction in available tourism accommodation, due to the fact that hotels and other accommodation providers are now providing accommodation for refugees. This, of course, has a significant impact on local businesses depending on tourists and vi…

I thank the Minister of State. There is still a lot of goodwill out there and it is crucial that we harness it. The people best placed to harness it are the Government in the decisions it makes and local Deputies and politicians in trying to support communities. We have to make sure it happens and it is real in order that when people get up tomorrow and the day after they can see it is happening. This is in the context of extra public services such as transport. I am specifically asking about supports for business.…

I want to raise some concerns about accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. One constituent is owed more than €400,000 since last October for accommodation he has provided. Unless he is paid, he will have to withdraw that accommodation. Nobody wants that. What is the delay? The second issue is the need for good, timely communication with local communities about the location of refugee accommodation. Lack of clear information allows rumours to spread. The damage is done and is impossible to repair. One constituent gav…

No, it is an individual house on its own.

I will pass that on.

I have serious concerns about the NowDoc service. The NowDoc service is an out-of-hours GP service covering three municipalities, Carrick-on-Shannon and Ballinamore in south Leitrim, and Boyle in north Roscommon. There is a possibility that this will be privatised and moved from HSE control. I am concerned about the impact of that. There is a probability, which I will explain in a moment, that this change would ensure that out-of-hours calls would be diverted to a centre in Carlow and that out-of-hours services in …

I thank the Minister of State for that. She said, "The HSE has given assurance that no decision has been made on the redesign of the operating model for those areas, and no decision will be made without the active involvement of relevant stakeholders." It is fine that there are no plans. However, this is the document I am concerned about. This is the consultation document that the HSE has put out there. One of the options is to locate Carrick-on-Shannon under Sligo Caredoc. The options cover three phases and this i…

I raise the unique, or at least very special, case of a constituent of mine who suffers from a most painful congenital condition and other illnesses. When this person has to attend essential medical appointments or scans, they have to travel by car as there is never a HSE ambulance available. As a consequence, the person is in absolute agony. It is a cruel situation. The private ambulance services are not just prohibitively expensive but also impossible to source. I ask that, in this instance, an ambulance transfer…

I thank Sinn Féin for this motion. I thank my colleague Deputy Fitzmaurice especially for opening this can of worms at the agriculture committee meeting before Christmas. At that meeting, he questioned representatives from Coillte. I have read and reread the transcript of that meeting and noted it is completely at odds with much of what has been said by members of the Government here this evening and in recent days. The speed of the backtracking on what Coillte representatives said before Christmas is breathtaking,…

That is right.

I listened to what the Tánaiste said about Coillte's liaison with Gresham House. I am not clear whether he is in favour of a review of this arrangement, but it was reported that he is. I would welcome some clarity on the issue, what form it might take and the timeline. One of the arguments the Tánaiste and others have used to support the Coillte arrangement is that we cannot get to 18% afforestation without significant investment from investment funds, vulture funds or whatever other source. The Tánaiste said he mi…

Could the Tánaiste confirm that he supports a review of the Coillte plan? Could he give us a timeline and tell us what form it will take?

I could not disagree with a word the Tánaiste has said, but the problem is that it is not what is happening. I support the Government's forestry policy in terms of getting to 18%, but I do not support how it is going about part of it because the implications of that, as I have outlined, are significant. The Tánaiste says he wants land to be in State ownership; I fully agree with him, but is the policy that is being currently pursued going to ensure that? Last July, 1,000 acres in County Tipperary were bought by Gre…

-----instead of inviting in the investment and vulture funds to tick the box and get it done quickly. Could he please pause what is happening and conduct a review?

The Minister tells us in his amendment that he has delivered record funding to the health service, and that much is true, but a crucial point flows from that, which is that this is taxpayers' money and the Minister's responsibility is to ensure it is well spent. It is not to tell us he has spent it but to ensure good outcomes from that spending. How does the Minister's amendment read to those very sick people who spent their time in corridors, on trolleys, in side rooms and in outside wards over recent months? This…

On a personal basis, I wish the outgoing Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, all that is good and thank him for his service, especially during the pandemic, and his stance on Brexit and Ukraine. I also wish the incoming Taoiseach all that is good. I do so not just because it is Christmas but because when our Taoiseach and Government do well, it is better for the country. In my short contribution, I will draw a parallel with that statement. When our regions do well, it is better for the country. When the outgoing Tána…

This evening, each one of us is being asked to vote confidence in the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. As an Independent Deputy, I try to look at the evidence of how he has performed to date as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am not interested in the politics or optics or in a call for a general election. That will not build a single house. My only concern is whether the Minister is doing his job. Are we building enough homes for our people? In less than two minutes, I will try to look at co…

Many day centres in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal and elsewhere have not reopened or only partially reopened since the Covid-19 pandemic. Before I go into detail as to the location of these centres, it is important to make clear why I am raising this matter. It is very simple. Day care centres are a lifeline for many older people. Above all, they provide company, a social setting and an opportunity to meet other people of a similar age in a social setting and to chat in a warm, safe and cosy space. Mo…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister of State. She mentioned, as I did, the importance of day care centres which is a social setting. It gives people an opportunity to get out of their homes and makes such a difference to their mental health, as well as their physical health. That is all a given. The Minister of State stated that one of the reasons that some day care centres were not reopened related to infection prevention and control. While that is important, we have to strike a balance. We cannot j…