Yes.

A Bill such as this is needed because of the situation created by the Government and its broken housing policy. Only this week, people contacted my office in Cashel because they had nowhere to go after their tenancies ended. One case involves a single mother and her children. This family just cannot find accommodation in a market that is strangled through a lack of supply. The mother, who has tried all the local estate agents in an effort to get a house, had to sleep at her neighbour's over the weekend and is now i…

We have come around to this again today. I want to express my own frustration as well as that of people in the mushroom industry, producers and the wider horticulture industry at what they see as the inaction of three Departments on the issue of horticultural peat. There seems to be a continued failure to even acknowledge some of the recommendations within numerous reports or to ensure access to the minimum amount, 1%, while alternatives are being developed.

Part of the problem is that all these reports, surveys and the whole lot are going no place. I am quite sure the Minister of State will have watched the committee meeting on 7 October or someone will have informed her what happened there. There is deep frustration in the sector because of the lack of the three Departments working together. We have been looking for months for the three Departments to come in front of the agriculture committee and we still cannot even get a meeting with them. The Minister of State ca…

The Minister of State can give me all the figures she likes. We have had committee meeting after committee meeting with the sector and they are telling us they are in trouble for lack of peat here. The Minister of State talked about the sub-30 ha bogs. There has been no action there, according to the stakeholders. What can the Department do? Without the co-operation of the three Departments involved, everything is at a standstill. Where we are looking at it as a committee and from listening to the stakeholders, eve…

All the more reason that the three Departments have to come together. The sector is in serious trouble.

I appreciate the time to speak on this Bill as there are a number of key factors that need to be addressed further. The area of leave for domestic violence, in particular, seriously falls short of what should be best practice. This Bill will see the introduction of paid leave for victims of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. While always welcome, it is unfortunate to note that only five days of leave will be provided for under this Bill. In November 2020 Sinn Féin Deputies, Deputies McDonald and O'Reilly, i…

I welcome this Bill as finally, it sees real and proper movement on the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based Violence. For too long there have been gaps in our legislation that have failed many people over the years. I am grateful to see that the provisions of this Bill are seeking to address some of those shortcomings. One of the provisions of this Bill is to provide a legal basis for the stand-alone offence of stalking and the amendment of the current offence of harassment. It also provide…

At times such as this, it is only natural and right that we look at our workforce needs and what needs to be done to address any shortfalls in labour availability. Employment permits are an important factor in filling vacancies or meeting employment demands in areas where there are shortages of the necessary skills in our economy. Exceptional circumstances may, therefore, present the idea that it is right and proper that our employment permits legislation be adopted to address these shortcomings. At the Committee o…

I commend Deputy Tully on bringing this motion forward. It is with a heavy heart that I have taken the opportunity to address the House on the motion. I will focus specifically on CDNTs and multidisciplinary teams, specifically in the area of autism and the eating disorder called avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, ARFID. This relates to a young boy called Riain in my town of Cashel, County Tipperary. People with autism spectrum conditions are much more likely to develop ARFID. As such, his anxiety towards f…

While the one-off measures contained within the budget are welcome, they do little to hide the fact family carers are still undervalued by the Government. Pension entitlements are still an issue, and whatever increases in money that carers will see are likely to be offset by their having to continue to pay to go private for various therapies because State provision cannot keep up. The HSE recently told me, in regard to a family whose occupational therapist is advocating for respite, that it was not possible to prov…

It is encouraging to see some movement on what appears to be the seemingly insurmountable problems inherent in our health system when it comes to the provision of doctors. This Bill seeks to remove the obstacles for people who hold a British medical degree from availing of medical intern posts here and to ensure a route to registration on the general division for international doctors. While it a positive avenue to go down, it does not take from the fact that Irish doctors are leaving this country at a rate of knot…

Any progress that is made in enabling the quicker and cheaper settlement of claims without having to go to the courts has potentially positive benefits for individual private customers and for businesses across Tipperary and nationally who are facing severe cost increases. It is Sinn Féin's desire that a properly designed Bill will assist in this by cutting down on litigation and getting the issue of compensation resolved quicker and at a lower cost. We have all seen too many instances of businesses closing or cutt…

I am happy that Deputy Cahill got those phone calls in the first ten or 12 hours because, since then, listening to our local radio station, Tipp FM, there is a great deal of disquiet among our constituents in Tipperary about the gaps that are left by this budget and the number of people who will fall through them. A budget of this size should have given people certainty that they will be able to meet the challenges as we go through the winter. However, to fill the gaps in our public service, the chance is gone. The…

I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill. In recent years, the self-regulation of online media has not worked. Social media operators have always tried to present their obligations as being subject to levels of oversight and standards different from those that apply to traditional media. This has led to regulation that is difficult to enforce and allowed them to shirk responsibility. That is the reason it is past time that this Bill came before the Houses of the Oireachtas. If it is to be effective, we need an…

I also thank the Rural Independent Group for the opportunity to speak. The various motions that have been put before the Dáil since we returned suggest the Government cannot lead when it comes to the current energy crisis. It shows no foresight and has no comprehension of how to do right for the people. I followed the debate in my office before coming to the Chamber. Looking at the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, across from me now only confirms my belief that they do not have any interest in solv…

I also thank the Regional Group for bringing the motion forward. The response of the Government to the crisis being inflicted on families and businesses across the country has been dreadful. Earlier this year, the Government was pushed to introduce measures to assist families and businesses but as the crisis increased, the Government refused to have an emergency budget, opting instead to take the summer off from making any decisions. This was a dereliction of duty. Families of people who have to use oxygen concentr…

Let us be clear that Irish Water as it stands is a complete disaster. There is no denying this. Before I continue, I note my unshakeable belief that water should be provided based on need, free at the point of access and funded through general taxation. This Bill separates Uisce Éireann from its parent company Ervia. It was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in committee, yet some recommendations have been omitted. One of these was that the chair of the new entity would be appointed via the Public Appointments Ser…

I have to agree with Deputy Cairns. This is one of the issues that we dealt with more than any other at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I would love to see the figures the Minister of State is using because everybody in the sector says the Department will not reach the target this year. No one, other than those in the Department, is convinced the target will be reached this year. The stakeholders keep telling the Minister of State that. Can we see the figures? Deputy Cairns is correct. The …

I appreciate what the Minister has done so far but there is more that could be done. Farmers repeatedly hear that it is not possible to support them in certain ways due to European state aid rules, yet the European crisis reserve provided €15.8 million and allowed for co-financing at 200%, up to €31.6 million. However, the Minister opted for the minimal approach instead. What could have been crucial revenue for many farmers, including the pig farmers about whom the Minister spoke and who have been impacted by this …