I am sharing time with Deputy Pringle. We will take five minutes each. I am up here in the balcony. This Bill deals with how to handle civil and criminal hearings during the Covid crisis. It broadens the types of hearings that can be heard electronically and allows for evidence to be presented electronically. It provides that the rules of court may provide for a statement of truth to be transmitted with the document in place of the affidavit or statutory declaration instead of an oath. It also provides for the appo…

We have another venue, the Gillooly Hall in Sligo. It was used previously when the courthouse was being renovated and is available also. Efficiency is the order of the day. I hope the Minister will listen to what I said on the issue.

The measures the Minister announced in the July stimulus are positive. I think I heard him describe the package as the next stage in the Government's response to Covid-19 and in that context those measures are welcome. There are some omissions and missed opportunities, but there are many positives. The plan in its entirety has been described as lacking in scale and ambition by SME Recovery Ireland and there is more than a grain of truth in that statement. This seems like a holding measure, steadying the ship in tur…

Must musicians and the thousands employed in the arts and creative industries actively seek work, even though these sectors are in lockdown? Do those who own coaches, minibuses or any other vehicles used to transport mainly foreign tourists around the country need to actively look for work? Apart from anything else, this would have significant displacement effects on some sectors that are struggling to find a way to survive with Covid. These are sectors in which people are using their imagination, ingenuity and cre…

The VAT rate for this sector should have been reduced from 13.5% to 9% or lower. My colleagues spoke about the regions. This cut will have a huge impact on tourism businesses but it will have a much bigger impact in the Border regions, counties such as Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan. In many areas of these counties, the Border is only a few hundred yards away, beyond which the VAT rate has been reduced to 5%. That will make a real difference to many Border towns and to many resorts dotted along the Border. It wi…

I want to ask the Minister about the steps taken by Ireland and the international community to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. I want to ask him about the nature of his discussions with international partners with regard to facilitating a permanent ceasefire in Yemen. I specifically emphasise his role at EU level, particularly with regard to the EU common position of 2008. I also want to ask about the value to the EU of arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which, of course, serve to perpetuat…

I thank the Minister of State. I want to concentrate more on what we are doing to prevent the continuation of this crisis. I hear about the aid we give, and it is important, but the Minister of State mentioned the fact that arms export licences are a member state competence, which they are. However, we have the EU common position of 2008, which requires all member states to deny export licences if there is a clear risk that the items exported might be used to commit serious violations of EU law and international hu…

The Minister of State said that we do not have an arms industry, and I understand that. However, we are part of the EU and we signed up to the EU Common Position. In fact, together with Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, we had a resolution before the UN to cease the arms supply to this conflict. We are on the same side here, but that is not the question I am putting to the Minister of State. Specifically, what is Ireland doing to try to persuade some of our European colleagues such as Italy and Franc…

I wish the Minister well in her new role. It is a huge undertaking and I wish her the best. While people have commented on rural affairs being in with the rest of the Department, I have no doubt that a good Monaghan woman will see to it that rural affairs does not take second place. As far as the legislation is concerned, I am pleased that the PUP will be put on a statutory footing. It will be a social insurance benefit within the social welfare code. However, by putting it on a statutory footing, it will come unde…

I ask that the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, pass on my best wishes to the new Minister, Deputy Foley. I think everyone agrees the opening of our schools is, perhaps, the most important issue facing this country in the next few months. It is important that we get it right, not just that children go back to school but that we can keep the schools open. Education matters for everybody but most of all for our most vulnerable children and for those who, in some way or another, have got detached from the system ove…

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her new role. She described herself yesterday as a bean láidir. I would like to add that she is a bean láidir ón iarthar. Déanaim comhghairdeas léi. I also congratulate the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on his appointment as chair of the Eurogroup. It is certainly a very prestigious appointment for him personally and for Ireland. I suspect the issue we are discussing here may be raised at some point in those meetings. As far as I am concerned, there are two aspects to this si…

I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment. I look forward to working with him in his role in the new Department which is the subject of the Bill and which will be known as the "Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science". This title reflects the importance of the new Department. I fully support the Bill and I do not see a reason to amend any of the sections as proposed. What is important is the work the Minister of State and his Department colleagues will carry out. I…

It came to my notice late in the day that this aspect to the Bill had been slipped in. I would have been very supportive of the Bill because it is an important one to set up this new Department, the new Minister and so on. To be honest, however, I really am flabbergasted that the Government would put this forward and would look for an increase of €16,288 for each of these new Ministers of State. If that is divided by 52, it gives a figure of €313 per week, and that is an increase, which is not a lot more than the p…

Like many, I am relieved that a deal has been done. I congratulate the Taoiseach and the Minister of State on whatever part they played in it. There are many different views in the House about the budget, and there is a kernel of truth in each of them. The budget is not enough, but it is never enough. I would prefer to have seen more grants and fewer loans, but we must remember that we, as citizens of Ireland, are underwriting those loans. Some programmes have been cut and others have received extra resources, incl…

I will ask one or two questions of the Minister of State. I have already said what I had to say. I ask him about the 9% cut to the CAP. As I stated earlier, it is a major concern. The Taoiseach spoke about the extra €300 million and that we have the Brexit fund but that is a one-off. We have absolutely no idea how much money we will get from that. I ask the Minister of State about rural development payments. Farmers are supposed to meet environmental and climate targets but all they see are cuts to rural developmen…

Please do not forget about me. I congratulate the three new Ministers, Deputies Foley, Harris and Madigan, on their appointments and wish them all the very best. I echo the words of my colleague, Deputy Connolly. As I have said in previous debates, value for money needs to be part of the discussion. For now, however, I will leave that aside. I fully support the Minister, Deputy Foley, on the principle of reopening our schools. Many parents and teachers have contacted me and for all of them, the continuing education…

I am sharing time with Deputy Fitzmaurice. I offer my sincere good wishes to the new Minister, Deputy Calleary, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, and the new Minister of State, Deputy Fleming. I am especially pleased that we now have a Minister of State with responsibility for credit unions. I look forward to working with him to ensure there is an appropriate regulatory framework for the not-for-profit, member-owned credit unions that have consistently supported communities. I wish all three appointees well. …

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, on his appointment. I wish him and the Taoiseach well at the important meeting on Friday. It is the Taoiseach's first meeting and there will be many intricate negotiations ahead on the MFF, Brexit and all of that in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope the Minister of State will be part of a good outcome for Europe and for Ireland. I am pleased to see President Michel's proposals on the new negotiating box. It shows that if leaders from small member s…

I am happy to speak in support of this Private Members' motion from the Social Democrats on the issue of decent work, workers' rights, inequality and precarious work. The motion highlights the structural problem of low pay in the Irish economy. Many people are not aware that Ireland has one of the most unequal distributions of market income in the European Union. It is true that when our tax and welfare systems kick in as a safety net we have a more equal outcome, but our tax and social welfare systems should be fo…

I am afraid my question will not be as topical or controversial as some questions today but it matters a great deal to the people I represent. I want to ask the Taoiseach about his commitment to developing regional growth centres and, specifically, to developing Sligo as one of those centres. Project Ireland 2040 makes many promises but the programme for Government is light on detail. We are told the Government will develop the cities of Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway and there is mention of regional towns pr…