I am asking about Sunday.

Please, answer the question.

I asked the Minister a specific question. Will he answer, please?

The Minister is not.

That is fine.

I asked the Minister a question.

That was the only information for which I asked. Will the Minister ask one of his media monitors to go through the Twitter feeds of political correspondents from Monday regarding the response from Government sources to the NPHET recommendation of the evening before? It was an outright attack. It was broadcast live to every home in the country that had "Claire Byrne Live" on a television set last Monday when the Tánaiste launched an unprecedented attack. The Minister will be aware that I have raised the issue of mea…

Is it not ten minutes?

Next week, the Taoiseach will attend a European Council meeting which is, arguably, taking place in potentially one of the most pivotal periods for the future of our country for some time. Many have alluded to the fact that Brexit will loom large. Who knows but maybe between now and then, we will have seen some indication from the British Government that the theatrics will be put to one side and we can get down to negotiating a fair settlement. The omens are not good. The fact that the British Government has alread…

There have been many powerful statements in support of people with disabilities in this House tonight from all political parties. I commend my colleague, Deputy Tully, on tabling this motion and for securing support from across the Opposition benches. The truth of it will be judged by our actions rather than by our words. In my home town of Carrickmacross, the action that people want to see is the opening of a group home for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This facility was committed to in 2006, the …

Is there a response from the Government?

The Minister will be well aware that I and many others have sought to develop a public swimming pool in Carrickmacross. We are now at the point where a former member of Carrickmacross town council is the Minister who can help us to make this happen. Will the Minister do that?

I am very disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, did not take the opportunity to come in to champion the charge of Carrickmacross. I am sure she will be doing so behind the scenes with her officials. The programme for Government rightly highlights the importance of sporting activities for people of all ages. Swimming is a unique sport because it allows essentially everybody to participate. It is the most inclusive sport that there is in many respects because people can do it as part of competition…

I welcome the Minister of State's responses. In his final remarks, can he deal with the resistance to these types of projects from local authority officials, which is an issue that has become more prevalent? I am most aware of the case of Carrickmacross, where local elected members are united in their determination to see this project delivered. As the Minister, has rightly said, the local community has been campaigning and fundraising for a swimming pool for several decades. Every time something has been asked of …

I was disappointed by the Minister's earlier response on school transport. Essentially, he said there was nothing to see here and that everything is working as planned. In County Monaghan, I am dealing with more than a dozen families with school transport problems. In some instances, one child from a family is permitted on a bus while another child is not. I am dealing with families with children with special needs for whom no provision has been made for their school transportation this year, as was the case in pre…

There are kids who cannot get to school, however.

A previous speaker from the Fianna Fáil Party suggested that we should all put our differences aside and simply get behind our health services and the Ministers. I would like nothing more than to do that. It is very difficult, however, to just simply get behind our Minister and our health services when dealing daily, as I do and, I am sure, as other Members do, with sectoral interests, people who are at the coalface and people who are in need of services and treatment, none more so than those reliant on our disabil…

I apologise to the House. I have been unavoidably absent for the past 24 hours or so. I was waiting for a close contact to get a Covid test result. Thankfully, it was negative and we are back in action. I wish to record my thanks to Deputy Martin Kenny, who took over the lead for Sinn Féin during that time. I thank all Members who have contributed on this important debate. I hope that it will be a small part of the much larger debate on forestry policy that we need to have. I have put on the record in the Chamber a…

I want to speak in support of the point Deputy Cairns made. I find it bizarre and incredibly frustrating - I imagine the same goes for people watching - that the Opposition has essentially let the Government off the hook. We will not hear how the Government will respond to the vast majority of amendments. These are important amendments that have been put in following consultation with communities and the sector in respect of: the membership of the forestry appeals committee, the period that individuals, organisatio…

I am not backing the Government.