I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Title of this Bill, the Prohibition of Sulky-Racing Bill 2018, might be a bit misleading. As the Minister will know, I introduced similar legislation in 2018 in an effort to bring together different communities. The horse is a wonderful animal. I am glad to see Deputy Gino Kenny is here because I know he has an interest in these projects. As a buachaill óg and a young man, I worked with a horse on the farm. We drew the water and covered the spuds and so on. I l…

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate. Tradition cannot act as a veto on legal responsibilities. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, did not even stay for the full debate. He probably would not have been here at all only he had to correct the record about something else. The Minister of State referred to the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and the Roads Act 1993. As Deputy Quinlivan noted, 43 years ago the issue of stray horses was brought up by a former Deputy, Mick Lipper. That was 43 years ago.…

Pass the buck to another Department. Around the kitchen and mind the dresser. What was the name of the famous man from "Céilí House"? The Acting Chairman, Deputy Durkan, is here longer than I am and he will remember him. It was Kieran Hanrahan. Around the house and mind the dresser. Around the country and mind the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Garda Síochána, the county council and the health authority. Why does the Government with all its Departments and resources not bring forward robust leg…

This is a very important issue. As others have said, services were strained before Covid ever arrived on our shores, but the onset of Covid has had an enormous impact. We have no way of assessing its damage because people are cocooned or unable to access medical centres, which have great pressure on them. Tipperary is particularly challenged, as the Minister of State will be aware. I thank her for coming to visit us. There is a dearth of mental health beds there. The implementation of A Vision for Change destroyed …

There are a lot of inconsistencies and anomalies in the Covid lockdown. I appeal to the Taoiseach to do something for yoga classes. I met with Lara Slattery of Sukha Wellness Centre in Cahir on Monday. She has a wonderful studio that would fit 14 people in pods safely, hygienically and everything else. The Irish Federation of Yoga Teachers held an online Yoga Supports Health day on 28 November to show the benefits of yoga. It not only helps with movement and so on but also helps people's mental health, which is und…

It can be done safely.

I too welcome the measures in the budget that were helpful. It has been a very challenging year, as we know, for everyone from the cradle to the grave but especially for older people, those of pension age and, in light of the work they do, family carers. Indeed, research carried out a year ago found that there are hundreds of children - children who should be at school or out playing and enjoying themselves - who are obliged to care for a sick relative, for example, a parent. That is a very unfortunate situation. I…

Well said.

I thank the Minister for engaging. I worry that the money and supports are not getting down to ground level, that is, to ordinary musicians who might not have the wherewithal. Significant funding is going to certain groups. I raised this at the Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht when Fáilte Ireland appeared before it. It is a big agency and has a number of sources of funding because it had the wherewithal to apply. I am worried about the man in the van, the girl in the van or …

I am happy that the Minister has said that she will examine this and listen to the carers because they need to be listened to with regard to when the payment is made. I already welcomed the increase in the payment. Unfortunately, the reality is that it is meant to be spent on a holiday but it often has to be spent on getting extra hours of private care, on facilitating some very necessary repairs or in getting equipment to help the person being cared for. It is great, good and welcome and it is important to listen …

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to support Deputy Naughten on section 12 because this is discrimination against large families. The children of such families need to be fed, clothed, looked after and educated as well. It is discriminatory and I would like to see the Minister address this point because we are supposed to treat all of our children equally and it is very important that this negative impact on families of more than four children is not allowed to continue. It should be a level playing field…

On the very same issue, as outlined by Deputy Naughten, it is discrimination. The Minister said she was disappointed with our use of the term. It is basic, naked discrimination against large families, especially considering the impact of carbon tax, which we are to have for the next nine years. It was forced through, or voted through, in the Finance Bill. Large families have lots of expenses. If they live in the country, they will have to pay even more carbon tax because they have to travel and there is no public t…

JobPath leaves much to be desired. Turas Nua and Seetec are not private companies per se , but they are acting like private companies. This is the wrong formula. They get paid when someone is referred to them and when someone gets a position. I have dealt with some awful cases where mental distress has been caused by the abuse people received and the hardships they were forced through under JobPath. "Turas Nua" means "new journey", but I call it "Turas Uafásach", which means "awful journey". It has been an awful jo…

Cá bhfuil an tAire Sláinte? Tá sé as láthair arís. It is like: “Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad? Tá deireadh na gcoillte ar lár”. Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan an tAire? Cá bhfuil sé? He is never here to deal with serious debates. That is no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Frankie Feighan, but the Minister for Health is so precious. If he was here, he would leave before any of our group come to speak. It is a total abdication of his role as Minister and our right to have him present for these debates…

I agree. I also want to register my concerns for the readiness for the fishing industry and the serious losses that will impact it, as well as connectivity with Europe and the cross-border health directive. We need a debate on these. We are being held on a string with the EU cross-border health directive. Thousands have travelled to use health services but we understand the scheme will now be handed back to the HSE, which failed the people in the first instance. We need to debate those issues in the Parliament this…

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Perhaps a Friday sitting might be necessary. We have only two more sitting weeks before Christmas and we need to deal with this very urgent situation.

Next week then.

I note also that the Government has indemnified all these big pharmaceutical companies. I know of people in my constituency, as I am sure do other Members, if they are honest, who have been affected by vaccines. I know that many young children in constituencies were affected by the human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccine and they had to fight all the way through the courts to get compensation. Why will the Taoiseach not give them some kind of indemnity or supports? We will have a debate about this Covid-19 vaccine but p…

Horse manure.

I too welcome this motion. Certainly, we cannot invest the €500 million at this time to be used in the rainy day fund. It is foggy tonight but it is raining every day. I think the Minister is in the fog and is hiding behind his mask because he has handled this economy appallingly with his Thatcherite policies by allowing the banks to run away and do what they like, like a runaway train. Deputy O’Donoghue has just outlined what they have done. They are not giving out the money and should not have been given or have …