I wish to voice my disappointment and dissatisfaction at the fact that the Taoiseach has consistently failed to answer the very simple questions put by me and Deputy Paul Murphy.

The Taoiseach may think that is clever but it is not clever at all. It is disingenuous and unhelpful to the people we represent. The Enough is Enough - Every Voice Counts campaign has been raised this afternoon and I wish to return to it. The stories have been set out of those whose day-care facilities have been closed and the kind of devastation that has meant in their lives for them, their carers and their families. I spoke to families who reported regression, depression, isolation and loneliness and a real desir…

I would like the Taoiseach to answer questions. We all like things but it seems we are not going to get them.

I wish to raise the absence of the arts from the July stimulus strategy with the Taoiseach. The Government's treatment of people in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in recent times has been well voiced by all of us in opposition. The Government's decision yesterday evening to oppose the Sinn Féin amendment to the Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020, which recognised the unique situation of workers unable to return to work due to the public health emergency was very disappointing. The Taoisea…

The sooner we have some sense of the shape and direction of this new unit, the better. The objective of working towards a shared Ireland and an Ireland in which we have agreement and consensus where that is possible - and we are not going to have consensus on all matters - is worthy. However, there is a need that must also be met in preparing for the reality and prospect of constitutional change on the island. I look forward to a dialogue through which we figure out exactly how that is done in a staged fashion. I s…

I am glad to hear that news about the British-Irish Council. I am, however, disappointed that the Taoiseach is maintaining what I regard as a fairly passive stance towards the absolute necessity for an all-Ireland approach to human health. We have such an approach to animal health. Why on earth would we not have one for human health? The Taoiseach will recall from leaders' meetings before he was Taoiseach that I have raised from the beginning the absolutely essential nature of the island as a single epidemiological…

The North-South Ministerial Council is the Taoiseach's opportunity to bring his critique of the Northern position on international travel to the table, to debate it with our colleagues and to press for a solution. We will support him in that because that is our view as to what must happen. We need a single island system of protection. That is the only way we will get ahead and stay ahead of this virus. That is the truth.

I was describing the Taoiseach's passive-----

No. This is about an all-island approach.

I did not attack the Government.

Last week, we had the debacle around the Government's green list. Its travel advice was, and is, confused and ambiguous and relies on citizens using their best judgment. Personally, I would prefer that nobody travel abroad this year but the fact remains that we have been given advice only, not a firm instruction, much less a legal requirement. Despite this, the Government has taken it upon itself to send officials to our airports seeking out people on the Covid payment who have decided, in their best judgment, to t…

I am sure the Taoiseach is not suggesting that those 287,000 recipients of the Covid payment are scamming the system or that they qualify as scammers. I would like him to make that very clear. These are people who have lost work and hope to return to work as soon as they possibly can. They are out of work because we are in the throes of a public health emergency. It is the case that the Government is singling out a section of the population for special and negative attention, because the fact is that there is no pe…

It does feel like the Government is picking on a very particular section of the population. The Taoiseach avoided each and every one of my questions, so let me put a very straightforward question to him.

An individual in receipt of the Covid payment will be penalised by loss of that payment should he or she travel abroad. Will the Taoiseach tell us when that decision was taken and who decided to change the social welfare guidance? Was it the Tánaiste or the Taoiseach and was it discussed at Cabinet? More to the point, will he tell us if he sees fit to end this ludicrous, farcical and deeply unfair situation?

They were the Taoiseach's words.

As I said earlier to the Taoiseach, it is clear that this is blatant discrimination against one section of the population. It is a policy that would penalise them uniquely, not others, for travelling overseas even though the Government's advice is just advice, and confused and ambiguous advice. It is important that the statutory instrument in question is rescinded. There is a motion on the Order Paper and it is imperative that it, or another motion brought forward by the Government, is taken. This situation cannot …

I wish to record our disappointment at the fact that Government parties have voted to maintain a discriminatory system which penalises people on the Covid payment. That is a disgraceful action, particularly given the public backlash over the €16,000 pay increase for three super junior Ministers. I understand the Taoiseach has been publicly shamed into stepping back from that position and the three super junior Ministers will now receive a pay increase of €10,000 each. Can the Taoiseach confirm that? Can I also ask …

Is it true that the Taoiseach's salary, notwithstanding this cut, will be €1,500 higher than that of his predecessor, Deputy Varadkar?

That is incorrect.

The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020 that the Government is seeking to rush through the Dáil this week is a far cry from the Fianna Fáil new deal for renters that was promised by the Taoiseach just a few months ago. In fact, he and his Government are now moving to allow for rent increases, notices to quit and the misery that will ensue in the heat of a global pandemic. It is noteworthy that the Cabinet committee has not yet met. The protections in place have resulted in a significant drop in the number…