I thank the Regional Group and Deputy Denis Naughten in particular for moving this very important motion. I have been a Member of this House for 13 years and every year we speak about the plight of post offices. Many reports have been compiled over decades but this report amounts to the last chance saloon. We seem to be able to find money for everything now because of Covid-19. We should remember that Covid-19 has put a renewed focus on the post office, which is the focal point of our communities, both urban and ru…

During the previous lockdown people with disabilities, special needs children and adults, were left behind, and now, as we face into another lockdown, they are still left behind. I wish to speak about a mother who contacted me. I raised this here on 21 September, and now it is 21 October and there is still no sign of a place for her adult child. She went to Scoil Chormaic in Cashel, an excellent school. They do great work there, but there is no place for her child because the Brothers of Charity, who want to give t…

I appeal to the Minister. I cannot believe what is going on here. The Green Party is in government with the two big parties, which have had a hand in dealing with this matter for a long time now, and it is colluding to keep these records and have them put away out of reach for 30 years. The records we get from the National Archives are the subject of 20- or 30-year limits. These survivors, Gold help us, have suffered long enough. Some of them have suffered for 40 or 50 years. What is the Government trying to do by …

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Thomas Pringle - to discuss the criteria for the coach tourism business continuity scheme; (2) Deputy Neale Richmond - to discuss access to pre-birth appointments for birthing partners; (3) Deputy Darren O'Rourke - to discuss testing and tracing of school staff and students in schools; (4) Deputy Steven Matthews - to discuss the timeline for a new …

That is gone now.

Today's schedule of business is packed and will run until almost 1 o'clock tomorrow morning. There are only going to be 45 minutes per segment to discuss the extension of the emergency powers, which is not enough. We will not have enough time to discuss the mother and baby home legislation either. What are we trying to do here? Are we trying to steamroll everything through? If we have to sit on Friday, so be it. We need a day's debate on the second lockdown that was announced last night. A full eight hours or more …

It is a simple proposal. I agree with the Sinn Féin proposal. It is a pity to waste time voting here. Many Members want to get in.

There are Questions on Promised Legislation. The Taoiseach does not listen to the Business Committee any week. Every week he does not listen to us.

Did I? No, I never-----

That is an insult to the Ceann Comhairle. He is an excellent chair of that committee at all times.

The Taoiseach has too much jest.

He does every week.

Yes, under the stewardship of the Ceann Comhairle.

I wish to say the very same as the previous speaker. This is a shambles. Those who were in mother and baby homes and families have waited long enough. The way the Government is treating them is shambolic. It is being rushed through the House without any proper scrutiny. We are also opposed to it.

He certainly does not.

In the first lockdown people could go for long walks and walk out in the countryside. The weather was good. The weather is so wet now with long evenings. The issue of people who use gymnasiums and hotel and private gym owners needs to be examined because they are safe places. Contact tracing is in place, people are booked in and they are highly disinfected. They should be looked at sensitively for the physical and mental health of people who are using them, young and not-so-young. Many of the elderly use them as we…

People in Ireland are in a difficult position. They are weary of Brexit, which we have been dealing with for three or four years, and now we have Covid-19. We have seen the ineptitude of the Government in dealing with Covid-19. We have also seen the ineptitude of the HSE, which has been unable to cope in any winter in recent years despite having €1 billion extra in annual funding thrown in for good measure to expand the health system. Now we see that we are unable to deal with Covid-19. I have to wonder if it is al…

What specific measures will be taken to help the self-employed, both those under the age of 66 and those over it, if new restrictions are imposed? It looks like this will happen because there was an announcement last night without any debate or discussion with any of the party or group leaders. What supports will be put in place for hard-pressed people who have given their lives to self-employment and to providing work for others?

I welcome the initiatives in the budget but they will not be enough for certain cohorts of people, particularly the self-employed. I accept that everybody is affected and we are all in favour of trying to avoid the risks to public health. As the Tánaiste noted on "Claire Byrne Live", however, we have to balance that with everything else, and we have not been doing so. The Minister of State referred to the €480 that self-employed people can earn. I welcome that, not because it is a support but because they want to k…

The Minister of State, again, is not getting the point. The over-66s have been excluded. They did not get even an additional €5 in their pensions. They got nothing. They got nothing in the PUP, which they were not eligible for. It must be increased to €350 for the other self-employed people who need it right now. Of course I appreciate that the wage subsidy scheme has been extended and that it may be extended past April, and the extension of the PUP, but they need to be increased. The Government must consider the o…