It is a Second Stage debate.

I welcome the Bill. As has been said, a few weeks ago we tabled a motion which set out the major problems with this issue across the country. We all acknowledge the serious lack of investment in special needs education over the years. The provisions in the Bill dealing with special needs education go some way to dealing with that. The section 37A process gives a lever for a Minister to try to make things happen, which is welcome. Parents, particularly in a rural constituency like Sligo-Leitrim, trying to find a pla…

All of us in this House have made the choice to put ourselves before the public and become public representatives. We have made choices to make political decisions. The people in the Gallery, those with houses affected by pyrite, did not make choices to be political. However, they have been forced into this by the consequence of what has happened to them. Unfortunately, the Bill the Minister has brought before us today does not deal with the matter sufficiently. He heard the testimony from the people in Donegal, Ma…

On the same issue, during the week Deputy Harkin and I had a Topical Issue matter on the issue of a cath lab for Sligo. I know all of the Deputies in the constituency are extremely annoyed and frustrated with this situation. A private company, InHealth, was providing a two days a week mobile service, but that will be withdrawn as of tomorrow. The whole people of the north west will have no cardiac service in the region, which is a disgrace. We also have a copy of this review from Professor Philip Nolan, with the ma…

There can be no doubt there is a significant problem with organised crime here in Ireland. Over the past 20 years, gangland feuds and other organised criminal activity have been the scourge of urban communities and have even reached into rural communities throughout the State. Only last week we saw an organised crime related shooting occur in broad daylight here in Dublin city, the third such attack on the same individual in a matter of months. As spokesperson on justice and with the support of my party colleagues,…

They can appeal the conviction but they cannot appeal which court they go to.

We support the proposal. I understand what it is trying to do. We all recognise the aggression of Russia against Ukraine and many of its neighbours in recent times is something we in a civilised world have to stand firmly against and ensure we are very strong in this regard. One of the measures the European Union is using against all of this is sanctions. They are a key tool being used by the European Union against the regime in Moscow, and it is quite appropriate. We all understand the logic behind what the sancti…

None of the amendments are a problem. The only clarification I would like on is amendment No. 10 and the provision for no fewer than three members, one a lay member and at least one a member of the Judiciary. While expenses and all of that is dealt with through these amendments, what is the issue with regard to training of the people who will be carrying out these interviews? It is a very important job that they will have to do to select people. Will sufficient training be put in place to ensure they will be able t…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 26, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: “(i) in the case of all offices specified under paragraph (a) , (b) , (c) , (d) , (e) , (f) , (g) , or (h) , he or she has not held the office of Attorney General for a period of two years prior to their application under section 43 .”. This is a very simple little amendment in respect of the Attorney General's role in all of this. There have been issues in the past with regard to that. We feel that the amendment is appropriate be…

They are already members of the Judiciary.

Deputy Ó Broin is indicating.

We are out of time, unfortunately.

I am also glad to be here today to speak on the issue of equality for everyone in our society. I wish the Minister and everyone else in our communities a happy and joyous Pride week. The Minister touched on many issues in his opening remarks, with which I concur. As someone who grew up in a very rural part of Ireland, the advancement we have seen in the past ten years, and in particular the last seven years since the referendum on marriage equality, has been immense. It has been immense in the mindset of older peop…

I thank Deputy Connolly and the Independent Group for bringing forward this motion on respite care services. Levels of respite services were seriously deficient across the country even before Covid-19. This has been an ongoing and long-term problem. The Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, was in my constituency recently at a meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon. We met with a group of parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities and other disabilities who attend the St. Ciaran's centre. Many of those moth…

It is in Tullaghan, County Leitrim. I also spoke with a person yesterday who related his experience of a man with a wife who has early onset dementia. The woman is only in her 50s and he has tried to care for her at home. He had to give up work. He is with her 24-7. It is a nightmare for that man and he has no services whatsoever, no respite is being provided and nothing is being done for them. This is despite continuous representations being made around this. The real recognition needs to be that it is not just ab…

The issue of insurance reform probably affects every citizen in the State, in particular those who are driving and working. Car insurance is one of the key issues that needs to be dealt with because, in spite of the claims by various insurance companies about what will happen once claims come down through PIAB and all the measures we have to bring them down, we still have very high insurance costs in this country for motoring. That needs to be dealt with. The issue is that it is a private cartel. They are looking a…

Deputy Harkin and I, and in fairness all of the other Deputies in our constituency, have been talking about cath lab services for Sligo since I was elected to the House in 2016. It was a one to two day a week service in a mobile unit. It was totally inadequate and not doing the job. I remember speaking to the cardiologist in the hospital, Dr. Murray, and he told me that when he retires, it will be very difficult to get another cardiologist because nobody will want to work in a hospital that does not have the diagno…

I am very disappointed with the answer that the best the HSE can do is to provide a temporary service in Galway. A service existed in Galway anyway. This is not something new. There is a cath lab in Galway. It is totally inappropriate to suggest that is the best that can be done. Why can a temporary cath lab not be supplied in Sligo now? Why can that not be the plan? There is no mention of anything happening in Sligo University Hospital. A previous Topical Issue discussed a school operating in temporary accommodati…

It is an example of the failure of a private provider doing something. It can turn its back and walk away at any time. The State has to step up to the mark on these issues.

I am chancing my arm.