I am unhappy at one level to hear the Taoiseach state he recognises the imbalance but I am happy at another because it is there and glaring. The Taoiseach mentioned the technological university. By the end of the year Sligo, Letterkenny and GMIT will make their application. Two of the colleges are ready to go but there is an issue about the third. It is allowed that two out of the three would go forward and the third could join when it is ready. I want a commitment that this can happen because when I read the progr…

Am I sharing my time?

Perhaps not. I will speak for a while and give the Minister a chance to answer. I congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on retaining his portfolio. I also congratulate our new Minister of State, Deputy Brophy. Seeing as more congratulations are in order, I will get them out of the way at the beginning. I congratulate those involved in Ireland's success in securing a seat at the United Nations Security Council for the next two years. I am pleased to see that the Revised Estimates increase our resou…

This Government has a real opportunity here to shape how it responds to the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis and how it responds to the significant challenges that will be faced by families and individuals as they struggle to pay their mortgages or their rent. If we are to learn any lessons from the previous crisis, it has to be that ordinary people do not pay the price for the economic collapse. The last time we bailed out our financial institutions and we socialised the bank debt. Ordinary people paid th…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and wish him well in his new portfolio. I look forward to working with him. This is the second opportunity I have had in this House to raise the issue of the bog slide on Shass Mountain in Drumkeeran in County Leitrim. I raised it with the Tánaiste last week, when he told me that in situations like this, where this is a disaster, the Government will normally step in to offer support. This is surely a disaster and it has now become an emergency. Many people who live in…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I know he has his own portfolio. He referred to the birds directive and the habitats directive. I am very familiar with both directives but the species under threat in the context of this disaster that is heading into an emergency are the people who live in the area and those whose lands have been destroyed. I hear what the Minister of State is saying regarding having people on the ground looking at the situation and assessing it, but I speak to people from Drumkeeran ev…

This is the first opportunity I have had to congratulate the Taoiseach on his appointment. I wish him and his Government well because good government is good for the people. We are debating the Revised Estimates today. When we vote on them, as Members of this House and representatives of the people, we will be deciding how our constituents' tax moneys are spent. We know these moneys are required because of the Covid-19 crisis and because we want to be better prepared for Brexit, which certainly is something we need…

Will the Taoiseach indicate whether the review process is automatic?

I thank the Taoiseach. I take this opportunity to join others in paying tribute to Dr. Tony Holohan and his work. He has stepped back now and I know that the good wishes of the entire country go with him. The Taoiseach talked about the co-ordinated response from his office. People want to hear that because it gives them confidence. He also spoke about public awareness campaigns around Covid-19. I would reiterate the importance of making sure we have a proper regional spread when it comes to giving out that message …

I am happy to have this opportunity to speak on the Microfinance Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill. On a personal note, for me it shows a real connection between the EU and what goes on here because nearly ten years ago I was one of the rapporteurs in the European Parliament on the microfinance fund when we set it up to help microbusinesses. It was an Irishwoman, Marie Donnelly, who led for the Commission in those discussions and we managed to pull together a fund that helped us support microbusinesses. The reason was tha…

I congratulate the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, on his appointment and wish him well. It is unusual to congratulate somebody on what could be seen as a demotion but, nonetheless, we wish him well because if he does a good job, that is good for the country. I will vote for the Estimates today. The Tánaiste knows I have spoken across the floor with him on many occasions about the huge challenges our SME sector is facing. According to IBEC, the average debt for an SME due to the Covid crisis is €50,000, which is a subst…

I am sharing time with Deputy Fitzmaurice. I congratulate our new Minister. We soldiered together in another life and I know how committed he is to what he does. I wish him well in his new role. I want to raise three points, the first of which I raised with the previous Minister for Health. The HSE's framework for the resumption of adult disability day services baldly states that the quantum of services supports will be cut back. We are talking to families, including adults who have disabilities ranging from mild a…

Today, history is being made. We see the two old enemies come together with the Green Party to form a Government. For some this is strange but for me, having spent 15 years in the European Parliament, it is not strange to see parties and groups with different perspectives come together to find compromises. After 140 days it is time we had a Government. We are in the teeth of a possible hard Brexit and businesses in all sectors are on their knees looking for support. We are in the trough of a Covid-19 outbreak, peop…

Earlier I stated I would work constructively with this Government and hold it to account. To be honest, I did not believe I would have reservations quite so soon. I will start by wishing all the Ministers well as they face significant challenges. I look forward to working with them for the good of the country. Like many others, however, I am extremely disappointed there are no senior Ministers appointed from Connacht, Donegal or Clare. A balance of development between the regions is at the core of my political phil…

I have been listening to the debate. I had hoped the Taoiseach would be here. The last time I addressed him in the Chamber, I spoke of grant aid which the German Government is providing for small businesses. I mentioned a figure of €50 billion. He told me he had not heard that and asked that I send him the information and I have done so. I will quote the German finance minister when he announced this measure. He stated: I want to make a crucial point: We are providing grants, not loans. Nothing has to be paid back …

I already asked three questions about the €50 billion fund, and while I am happy to wait for the Taoiseach to respond to me in writing, the Minister of State might respond now if she can. I am also happy to receive a response in writing to the question about own resources. I have two questions, however, that I would like the Minister of State to address now. On the issue of state aid, I stated that the Commission and the Council have spoken about maximum flexibility in regard to the budget and state aid rules. I as…

What about Brexit?

State aid.

The Minister and I have had conversations across the House regularly in the last weeks. I thank him for his attendance and his answers. I will fly through my questions to give the Minister time to reply. I put down a question on external candidates. I know one who is working, registered in her own school to do higher level Irish to access primary school teaching. She contacted the State Examinations Commission, the Minister's office and everybody. She said that people are very nice but nobody can give her an answer…

It is actually private grinds.