Will the Minister give an assurance that disability services will not be affected by Covid-19? I wish to tell the Minister about a situation that is close to my heart. Since 2007, I have been working alongside a number of families on the issue of a group home for people with physical and sensory disabilities in Carrickmacross. At that point, the families had already been campaigning for a number of years. They are predominantly parents of adult children who have been cared for their entire lives at home. Their pare…

I am sharing time with Deputies Stanley and Ruairí Ó Murchú. There are fundamental problems that affect the narrative on agriculture, climate change and the transition we all know needs to happen. The fundamental problems lie in the analysis to the effect that, first, farmers are considered enemies of the process of delivering on our climate change obligations and, second, all farmers are essentially the same. When we speak of beef, for example, the suckler herd is discussed in the same context as factory feedlots.…

Before we begin, may I make a point of order?

I am seeking clarification regarding the health advice this House was given which has led to the Minister for Health refusing to attend a second session of the Dáil, and the serious implications this raises for businesses and workers all over the State. It is concerning that the Dáil debate he has refused to attend concerns the situation of meat factories, which appear to be operating to very different standards than those that were laid down before this House. It is ironic that in this very controlled environment,…

-----while, at the same time-----

-----the workers we are going to be discussing are in very cramped conditions for multiple hours.

The point of order I am raising is an urgent request for the Acting Chairman to make a ruling as to whether the guidelines that have been issued by the public health authorities imply that Ministers cannot fulfil their constitutional duties before this House by being here and answering questions on behalf of very vulnerable and concerned workers right across the State.

I am also asking the Acting Chairman to ask the Business Committee to meet again to reconsider our business.

With respect, surely when this House is getting different health advice than other workplaces that raises serious concerns.

I think these are really genuine concerns that many workers are asking about today. It would be remiss-----

-----if this House did not address them in a substantial manner.

Can I ask one question? The letter we received from the Minister's private secretary states that it would be against public health advice for the Minister to attend an additional session beyond the currently scheduled health session.

Imagine if one of the workers-----

-----in one of the aforementioned factories-----

-----sent that letter to his or her boss. He or she would be thrown out on his or her ear with immediate effect, and that is the unfairness at the heart of this.

Should it be different for other workplaces?

Can I ask the Minister-----

-----does that advice apply to other workplaces, because according to the HSE-----

-----that advice has not been conveyed to other employers?

I will give the Minister a minute to answer some of those questions.