The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, acting as Minister for fisheries, signed a statutory instrument which introduced a penalty points system on fishing fleets a few weeks ago while the Dáil was in recess when we had no chance to debate or stop that or at least submit amendments. Those penalty points have the potential to do major harm to the Irish fishing industry. I remind the Dáil that Fianna Fáil opposed a penalty points system when the former Minister, Deputy Creed, tried to introduce one some time back. What…

I will concentrate on the tourism, entertainment and community and voluntary sectors in my contribution. The tourism sector is hugely important for my constituency of Cork South-West. The increase in VAT rates from 9% to 13.5%, which happened pre-Covid, had devastating consequences for the tourism industry. It was a serious error made by the Government which it could have rectified, as the UK Government did, and in terms of other models used in Europe where the rates went down to 5%. The Government had an opportuni…

I am delighted to see the Minister back in the Chamber and I wish him and his family the best. Climate change is a key topic and I am keen to ensure our actions in the Dáil will continue the safeguarding of our livelihoods and our way of life in our Ireland. I congratulate the Minister on the recent passing of the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Act 2020 which will establish the Climate Action Fund. I sincerely hope it will be developed properly and efficiently by…

I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment as this is my first time speaking to him since his appointment. The plight of taxi drivers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic has been very severe. It is impacting on taxi drivers across the entire country. Clearly, taxi drivers have been forgotten in the response to Covid-19. The Government must step in and establish a taxi Covid-19 response unit in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. These drivers depend on people moving around. They are being …

The Matt Talbot Services announced the closure of the Cara Lodge in Ahiohill, Clonakilty last week with the loss of 27 jobs in west Cork. As well as the loss of these jobs, a much-needed service for young people in west Cork will close. We have never had such a high incidence of mental health issues and substance abuse among our young people and there has never been such a need for this kind of treatment centre. One would never hear of a methadone clinic being closed in Dublin as it would cause massive problems on …

I thank Deputy Joan Collins and the rest of the Independent Group for tabling the motion. Former Debenhams workers in Cork are carrying out a 12-hour fast while on a picket line today to raise funds for Marymount hospice in the city. They feel that the people of Cork have been so good to them that it is time they paid them back. Tomorrow will mark 161 days of industrial action taken by Debenhams workers, which brings us in line with the Vita Cortex workers, who ended their action after 161 days. The former Vita Cor…

This is a hugely important time to protect jobs and support businesses but the Government is doing the exact opposite. Take how businesses and private residents in west Cork were destroyed following recent flooding in Bantry, Skibbereen, Rosscarbery, Bandon and Rathbarry, when the only support they got was humanitarian aid, which businesses cannot get if they already have insurance. No private residence will get anything from this fund even if they have no insurance. The Minister tells me that he wants to protect b…

I raised the issue of the cross-border directive with the then Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, 12 months ago in the House. The question was whether the cross-border scheme would continue in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Many people have gone to Northern Ireland for hip, knee and, most importantly, cataract surgery. In the last year and a half, myself, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, Councillor Ben Dalton O'Sullivan and Councillor Danny Collins have taken over 2,000 people for eye-saving surgery. Fianna Fáil itself used the cros…

The Taoiseach is saying it is over.

Is the legislation in place?

No, I am on my own.

I am. Is the Minister of State aware of the closure yesterday, out of the blue, of the Cara Lodge Residential Treatment Centre, run by the Matt Talbot Adolescent Services in Ahiohill in Clonakilty in west Cork? This was a free residential centre with a programme for 14 to 18-year-old males with substance misuse issues. The centre had a capacity for six young people and they could remain there for up to 12 weeks. It was an ideal setting in a tranquil part of west Cork. It gave those young people the space they neede…

I wish the Minister of State the best in his position. This has been my first opportunity to congratulate him and wish him well. On Thursday last, 110 Deputies in this Dáil fell over themselves to vote in favour of the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020, giving further powers to the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and others. The Deputies, from Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party, the Green Party, the Social Democrats and the so-called Independents in the Region…

Vótail.

I congratulate the Minister of State on her appointment and I agree with my colleague, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, who said last night that there is no better person in terms of her care for the unborn in our campaign some time back. She gave great support to that and if she gives the same support in the job she is in, we are in safe hands. The mental health system is preparing for a tsunami of cases from young people. Staff working in the sector are worried. The sector cannot cope. Ireland's mental health services hav…

I thank Sinn Féin for giving us the opportunity to speak on this motion. More than 9,000 people die from cancer every year in Ireland. Therefore, urgent action is needed to ensure that the national cancer strategy meets its targets of being in the top quarter for five-year survival rates among EU states. There are major backlogs in cancer screening and treatment in Ireland due to Covid-19. The HSE has advised that the CervicalCheck screening service resumed on 20 July and that bowel screening services resumed at th…

Over the past two weeks, the beautiful constituency of Cork South-West has seen devastation due to severe flooding which has destroyed businesses, private homes and people's property. The people of Rathbarry, Rosscarbery, Connonagh, Leap, Skibbereen, Bandon, Dunmanway and Bantry have experienced flooding beyond belief. Businesses such as the Eldon Hotel in Skibbereen, Wiseman's shop in Bantry and Con Linehan's clothes shop in Bandon are just a few that I can mention which had substantial losses due to these floods.…

I am disappointed to hear the Minister say today that there is no clear compensation package being considered by the Government for the businesses and properties that have been destroyed in west Cork. Humanitarian aid through the Red Cross is nowhere near enough. It will not even cover 20% of those people who are affected. Has the Minister any idea of the pressure these people are under? Whether they are in Rathbarry, Rosscarbery, Connonagh, Leap, Skibbereen, Bantry or Bandon, people face tens of thousands of euro …

I support Deputy Howlin’s amendment. The Government plan is to rush new Covid-19 enforcement laws and powers through the Dáil, and it is nothing short of draconian. There are two aims to the Bill: to provide additional enforcement powers to An Garda Síochána to shut down bars and restaurants; and to give gardaí the powers to go into every house in the country. What in the name of God are we doing? We in the Dáil have supported different legislation since March and I have supported it, but enough is enough. People a…

I support Deputy Howlin’s amendment. This whole legislation is another attack on the publicans of this country. I have already said in the past week in the public domain that Fine Gael spent four years trying to get rid of the rural pubs, aided and abetted by Fianna Fáil, but now Fianna Fáil is doing its level best to close their doors, and the doors have been slammed shut, unfortunately, for the past number of months. We have been told that a pathway is now being considered to open the doors of the pubs but this l…