When circumstances change, we need to change our approach. The information that we have gleaned in the past few months has to be factored into any ongoing policy decisions. What do we know now that we did not know two or three months ago? At that point, vaccines were on their way but we were still awaiting European Medicines Agency, EMA, approval. Now we know that there are a number of variants, namely UK, South African and Brazilian variants. Some are much more contagious and some seem to involve higher levels of …

I thank the Minister and Minister of State for waiting. I have two questions and I will take a written answer to the second, if necessary. I have spoken before to the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, about the need for essential funding for Sligo Airport. As it is not a regional airport, it no longer qualifies for funding. We know that and therefore we must look elsewhere. As I explained to the Minister of State approximately a month ago or perhaps more, the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, told Sligo Airport that…

I welcome the appointment of Deirdre Malone by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. She will make a significant positive contribution to the work of the authority, which plays an important role in ensuring confidence and trust in the legal profession. I welcome the fact that the authority is ensuring gender equality in its membership with seven women and four men as members. It is also important that the majority of members on the board are what we call lay memb…

I ask the Minister to consider an extension of carer’s leave for family carers who find themselves unable to return to work because of continuing care needs during the pandemic. There are many reasons we need to extend carer’s leave for now. Children with special needs have been unable to return to school and when they do, many will return on a phased basis. I congratulate all involved in ensuring the continuation of day services but, for many people, the hours are reduced. In these instances, family carers have to…

The EWSS has been a real support for many workers and businesses throughout Covid. It is important to recognise that. I have three issues, however, that I will raise with the Minister of State, the first of which has been raised with me by a number of constituents. I have also raised this matter with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, previously. To avail of the scheme, the turnover of businesses must be less than 70% of previous turnover. What happens if a business has a turnover drop of 20% or 25% or 27%? …

I have time only for a statement. I raised with the Minister a few weeks before Christmas the need for a separate Minister or Department or part of a Department, or a separate and unique voice, in the overseeing of the roll-out of the Covid vaccine. While my suggestion was met not quite with derision, nonetheless there was a strong sense of we know what we are doing, that we do not need a separate Department or section to deal with what I then described as the single most important piece of work this Government wil…

As the old phrase goes, when the facts change, I change my mind. The facts have changed.

I wish to raise the issue of vitamin D supplementation as part of a suite of measures to help to protect our citizens against Covid-19. We all know that the vaccination roll-out will be somewhat delayed and we still do not know if the vaccine will prevent transmission of the virus. We also know that many new variants are emerging and will continue to emerge over the next period. Therefore, it is pretty clear that the fight against Covid-19 nationally and globally will be much longer than we had hoped. I am being as…

I am pleased to hear that, like many people, the Tánaiste is open to the real possibility - in my view it is a certainty - that vitamin D supplementation may help. The European Food Safety Authority has concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship has been established between dietary intake of vitamin D and normal functioning of the immune system. The Tánaiste has mentioned this. We know that we do not have enough sunshine in this part of the world to ensure a sufficient dietary intake. Vitamin D protects the imm…

I strongly support the inclusion in the CRSS of businesses that do not operate from fixed premises, such as event management businesses, companies that are part of the supply chain such as taxis and, in fact, all companies that are not public-facing. I too read the Tánaiste's article in the Business Post where he stated that he would look at further supports for businesses. We are ten months into this pandemic. If a scheme that the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, estimated would cost €80 million per week is costing €15 m…

First, I sincerely thank everybody who is involved in the vaccination process from start to finish. We have a long way to go but we have made a start. A few days ago I listened to a report on the TV about a care home where the process of vaccination had started. Everybody was delighted and happy. That is the way it should be but, unfortunately, it is not always the case. An example of that is Sligo University Hospital, in my constituency. The vaccination process started and then it stopped. The questions asked were…

I thank the Minister for waiting. It matters when a senior Minister does that. Today, I spoke to an importing and exporting company in Leitrim that has been meticulous in its preparation for Brexit from day one. As part of its business, it imports and exports materials from Europe and the carriers pass through the UK, where delays are up to a week. To maintain a reduced level of production, the business's only solution is to import three or four times the quantity of raw materials it needs. Will the Minister use hi…

As a Member of the European Parliament for about three years during the Brexit negotiations, I had a dual perspective. As an Irish MEP, I worked with others to ensure overwhelming support in the European Parliament for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and no hardening of the Irish Border. Equally, from a distance as it were, I could see Brexit through the eyes of MEPs from different member states. Throughout that entire process Irish politicians and officials in Dublin and Brussels were efficient and…

I am delighted that the Minister expects students with special needs to return to school on a staggered basis next week. It is the best news I have heard all week. Like many others, I have received many emails from parents of children with special needs who are beyond devastated as they see their children regress before their eyes. Equally, I have received many emails from teachers who are frightened and petrified by the prospect of returning to the classroom. While I am delighted about what is happening, what has …

I raise the question of the Connacht-Ulster alliance, as I have done on many previous occasions. We had hoped that the application would be submitted by the end of last year but that has not happened. However, I believe that negotiations are in the final stages and hopefully the outcome will be positive. Can the Minister confirm what I have said regarding the Connacht-Ulster alliance application? Is the Government actively supporting this process? Deputy MacSharry spoke about the possible linkage of St. Angela's Co…

I am really pleased with the Minister's response. He is taking a regional perspective, which is absolutely essential for the development of the region and of course, for my own particular issue of concern, namely balanced regional development. My second question relates to a specific query from a constituent who is doing a bachelor of arts degree in social care in NUIG. As part of this course, students have to complete 800 hours of unpaid placement work over four years. As the Minister can imagine, that was especia…

I want emergency funding for Sligo Airport to continue its search and rescue operations and its emergency medical evacuations for a region that stretches from Clifden to Belfast. I direct this question specifically to the Tánaiste because he quite rightly supported €750,000 funding to Waterford Airport in 2018 to supply similar services. Waterford is a bit like Sligo in the sense that it has had no passenger flights since 2016. I wish the airport good luck as it provides an emergency service. So does Sligo, however…

I wish to make two main points to the Minister. I have read his vaccination strategy and implementation plan. It is impressive and I wish him, the task force, and everybody involved well because this is the most important piece of work that the Minister and his Government will undertake during its term of office. That is why I have previously called for a separate Ministry to take full and final responsibility to ensure effective, efficient, safe and timely roll-out of the vaccine. Let me assure him that in no way …

As the Minister of State is aware in 2011, the public service obligation, PSO, was withdrawn from the Sligo-Dublin route, which led to the end of commercial flights. However, since then Sligo Airport has focused on four services: search and rescue; medevac, which is medical evacuation for critically ill patients to centres of medical excellence and, God knows, we have few of those in the west; out-of-hours urgent operations and a facility for refuelling; and the maintenance of a 24-hour air traffic control service …

I am gutted by what the Minister of State said. She said it all. It has been a decade since the airport received any Government funding. She went on to say that funding of airports in contingent on their providing passenger services. Let us consider another airport. Waterford Airport has not had passenger services since June 2016. Let me say, good luck to Waterford Airport; it needs the money to provide its services and it has got it. That is what balanced regional development is - a balance across the regions. In …