I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. My request is very simple. I ask that all people who are immunocompromised receive the second Covid-19 booster vaccine without delay. I cannot understand why this is not happening. We are told there is no shortage of vaccines. Clearly, it would make sense to vaccinate the most vulnerable in society. Someone with type 1 diabetes is in the same cohort as someone with type 2 diabetes. We all know that type 1 diabetes is much more challenging and has a much bigger h…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I would give NIAC nine out of ten rather than ten out of ten because it was slow off the mark in coming out with recommendations before Christmas of last year. It is just slow in making recommendations. The dogs in the street know what is ultimately going to happen and yet recommendations take forever to come out. It can be very frustrating. Will the Minister of State or his officials go back to NIAC on this specific issue and ask it to decouple type 1 diabetes from type…

I appreciate that. I thank the Minister of State.

Yesterday, I met a number of fishermen from Killybegs, County Donegal, with our colleague, Deputy McHugh. We need a debate on the fishing industry, particularly around the issue of licensing, upgrading of equipment and so on. The fishing industry has such potential in this country that is untapped. Clearly, it needs much greater Government support. I would appreciate it if we had that debate at some stage. We could all learn a lot from it and it would certainly inform the Government. On housing, I agree with Senato…

I welcome the fact that it has just been announced that the leaving certificate results will be available on Friday, 2 September. While it is late and there is no point in saying otherwise, at least the students now have a date. As the leaving certificate examinations draw to a conclusion, I wish all the young people involved a very enjoyable summer. They well deserve it and have it well earned. Unfortunately and sadly, there have been three suicides of young people in the Traveller community in recent days. One in…

Hear, hear.

I am sharing time with Senator Buttimer. We will take three minutes each. I thank my Independent colleagues for tabling this motion. I remind Senator Boyhan that I have, on a number of occasions, highlighted the lack of neurological nurses in the mid-west and nationally on the Order of Business and through Commencement matters. I very much support the Patients Deserve Better campaign. I acknowledge Alison Cotter of MS Ireland who is in the Chamber and who worked for me previously. I know the great work MS Ireland d…

I am sorry. I thought I spoke for under the three minutes.

It was a great job.

I wholeheartedly agree with Senator Fitzpatrick on what she said about public representatives objecting to housing. I can never understand such objections because ultimately the planners are supposed to be the professionals who can adjudicate on whether something is appropriate. The days of public representatives making such submissions should be well and truly over given the crisis we are in. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about the lack of a date for leaving certificate results to be released. It is very disappoi…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. At this time of the year we are regularly approached and briefed by non-governmental organisations, unions and so forth. Two very important engagements took place yesterday. One was with the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO. We all know the sacrifices teachers and young people made during the pandemic. One of the legacies of the pandemic should not only be a properly funded health system but also a properly funded education system. The INTO made a number of very s…

Along with some colleagues, I visited Shannon Airport on Monday. We had a very good engagement with the new chair of the board, Conal Henry. What is being done in Shannon is very impressive. The new security features, including new scanners, that have been installed during the Covid pandemic have made a great difference. Despite this, 87% of the aviation traffic in and out of this country goes through Dublin Airport. The Minister has acknowledged that we need a new aviation policy. I propose that we have a debate w…

I welcome An Tánaiste to the House and I welcome this Bill. It is extremely important because we really were an outlier in Europe in regard to sick pay. I fully understand the challenges and difficulties smaller businesses face. I welcome the provision for a gradual introduction of the statutory scheme and the sharing of costs between businesses and the State. The Government has a responsibility to legislate for sick pay because people do get ill and, when they do, they deserve some latitude and some little bit of …

I will make one further quick point. I welcome the proposal to increase the €4,500 students can earn over the summer without losing their Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant. All of these measures, taken together, will make it easier for businesses to hire and retain staff.

The Minister is very welcome. I know of her personal commitment to ensuring that the most vulnerable in society are cushioned as much as possible. That has been very clearly articulated by the decisions she has made as Minister, especially in the area of the fuel allowance, which has been increased by 45% in the past year to 18 months. That is significant. It is true that the Government is taking in more money now in excise duty because of the increased cost of fuel, but that is funding the increase in the fuel all…

I echo the words of Senator Boyhan regarding Councillor Noel Collins. I spoke in the Chamber less than three weeks ago when he stood down from Cork County Council after 54 years of dedicated, unbroken service. He was a great friend of mine for a long time. The last time I was in his home, he sat back and sang "The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door", which was quite amazing given the fact his house was called "St. Jude's". He did not have a mobile phone or a computer, he did not use social media, and his greatest chal…

Hear, hear.

I came into this debate late but I have been listening to Senator McDowell. I appeal to the Minister of State to actually listen to Senator McDowell. He has significant experience in Cabinet having been Attorney General. When he speaks about these things, he tends to know what he is talking about. What he is saying makes absolute sense and perhaps the Minister of State might reflect on it. That is the idea behind this Chamber, which has successfully amended many pieces of legislation over the years. I have been her…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. As we all know, during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the one group of people in the front line were nurses and healthcare staff in both the public and private healthcare sectors. The tax-free €1,000 that has been granted by the Government to these front-line workers is very welcome. It is not the money but the appreciation, the respect and the acknowledgement from the people of Ireland to nurses, healthcare providers and those who supported and cared for…

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. Everyone in the country acknowledges that the critical and vital role everyone in the hospitals, from nurses down to the porters, played on the front line during the healthcare emergency. This measure was announced in January. It is now 2 June. It seems it is a case of big wheels moving way too slowly. People are trying to plan holidays. They have already decided what they are going to do with this money. One healthcare worker asked me if they were ever goi…