Some people in this House understand that very clearly, but have not articulated it. These statements are very important. They are an opportunity to set out what Government does to ensure the concerns of rural and coastal communities around the nature restoration law are addressed. This is an emotive area, as we saw today, for those farming on peat-based soils. Thus, it is important we dispel some of the fear around this proposal. Since the publication of the commission's proposal last year, Ireland has been workin…

Central government, local authorities and State bodies all have to play their part as well.

Together with those across the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors we have a really positive impact.

It is important too that the right funding mechanism is in place. The Deputy will not shut me down on that one. The CAP cannot be the sole delivery mechanism-----

The Deputy should let me make my point; I did not interrupt him. The CAP cannot be the sole delivery mechanism for all obligations of the proposed regulation and we must fully consider all financial instruments available, including the opportunity to leverage private financial investment. I again acknowledge the clear concerns over the proposed regulation. Our focus here is to achieve a proposal that reflects our national priorities and that works for farmers, fishers and the communities in which they live. Along w…

You are not.

You are not.

I hope that the Deputy is happy that it is I who will respond to this point. When he talks about people being part of a narrative, people on that side of the House have been part of a narrative for a long time. They have told farmers something that is not true, namely that the Government somehow wants to take cows off people and force a cull of the national herd. That is not the case. We have always been very clear about options, and supporting farmers in those options and supporting them financially to make the be…

I thank Senator Dolan for raising an important issue. I acknowledge her passion for this and her frustration. I give apologies on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, who could not be here today. The Senator clearly articulated the frustration among her constituents and the healthcare workers not just in her area, but also around the country, who are in cohort 3 and therefore impacted by this. Last year, as the Senator knows, the Government announced a tax-free Covid-19 recognition payment for front-line health…

I will take the valid points the Senator raised back to the Minister for Health, on whose behalf I am taking this Commencement matter, and his officials. The pandemic recognition payment scheme is in its final stages, with more than 205,000 eligible employees having now been paid. The payments to eligible workers in the HSE and section 38 organisations are substantially completed, as I have outlined, with more than 3,500 appeals also completed. The HSE and KOSI Corporation continue to process payment applications f…

I thank Senator Ward for the practical and important points he has made on this issue. I convey the apologies of my colleague, the Minster for Justice, Deputy Harris, who regrets that he cannot be here due to another commitment. He assures the Senator that it is a priority for the Government to resource the courts to administer justice efficiently and effectively for members of the public in all areas of law. As the Senator is aware, management of the courts, including operational and logistical functions, is the r…

I thank Senator Ward again for raising these points, which I undertake to bring back to Department of Justice officials and the Minister, Deputy Harris. I acknowledge that the Senator speaks from a level of expertise and personal experience on this matter. The Government endeavours to fill all judicial vacancies at the earliest opportunity and, as I said, a number of such vacancies have been filled recently. We have also committed to investing more than €270 million over the next five years in capital projects in t…

I thank Senator McGreehan for raising this very important issue. I can imagine how emotive this is in County Louth. She has clearly articulated the concerns and has been very fair in her approach to this matter. I have been provided with this response on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, who sends his apologies. Funding to local authorities under the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation…

I again thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am here in my capacity as a Minister of State in the Government but I am also a Deputy who does constituency work. I know the value of housing adaptation grants to older people in Kildare South as much as the Senator knows their value in Louth. The Senator is dead right that it is a common-sense approach as well as the right thing to do. When we get older, we all want assistance to be able to stay in our own homes. That is where our family members can spend the m…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. He has summed up the situation, which I am very familiar with from my role in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Senator has summed up both parts of the situation. There is a real need for seasonal work permits from an industry perspective. Certain industries, such as horticulture, are seasonal by their nature and annual work permits do not work for them. They need that element of flexibility. As a State, we must ensure that when we provide …

That is exactly right. If I could reassure the Senator of one thing, it is that there is no complacency in the Government when it comes to making sure the appropriate safeguards are in place. We see the benefit for business. We see the benefit of seasonable workers for our economy. That flexibility is there in our permit system. However, that will not be at the cost of the rights of the workers. If anything, we will strengthen those rights even further. The Department has recently held a consultation with stakehold…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. We probably do not shine a light on it often enough. Mental health is a critical issue facing all of society, including farmers. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to pressures owing to the issue of isolation and all the pressures that come with the role. I am aware of the UCD study. I have met its authors because I was keen to get their take on not just the results but also the process they went through. The study has revealed the extent to which Irish far…

The Deputy is dead right. I do not think it was a surprise for him when he saw the three main contributors to the stress. In any of his dealings with constituents, with farmers down in Cork or at the farmers' meetings that I and my ministerial colleagues have, the same points keep coming up. Farmers feel blamed when the debate about the environment comes up. As the Deputy says, farmers are custodians of the land. I want to put on the record that we as a Government have farmers' backs. We will continue to articulate…

The Deputy is dead right. Covid brought this home to us when the main social interactions farmers had were all taken away from them - the mart, the pub at the weekend for a pint, a local sports match or a religious service. They were all opportunities for farmers, who spend most of their week on their own in isolation. That compounds the pressures they might be facing. If a farmer is sitting in a tractor for 12 hours a day and listening to media commentary telling them they are to blame for all the challenges in th…

Up the lilies.