Vaccine passports, Covid passports or EU digital green certificates, call them what you will, are the way forward. At this stage, the only way to look is forward. Looking backward or standing still is not an option. When viable solutions present themselves, we must grab them with both hands. These travel documents offer a solution to one of our main issues and will ultimately be a vital component in the universal quest for normality. Following agreement by the Council of Ministers, EU member states, including Irela…

I welcome the Bill which while overdue is a genuine effort to tackle the scourge of touting. Nobody likes to be ripped off; it goes against human pride and principles. Yet, every time a major and attractive event takes place, genuine fans and supporters can be forced to pay way over the odds to get their hands on a ticket. They know it is probably the only way to get a ticket; the seller knows this and will manipulate the buyer. Until now, the Government has been unable to take action. It has come to the brink but …

I previously articulated the serious difficulties and challenges faced by the community of Tipperary town. The area suffers from extremely high levels of long-term unemployment. In 2016, 40% of men and 26% of women in the Tipperary east urban area were unemployed. Some 40% of the households in the town are rented, half of which are socially rented from the local authority. This points to income levels and a lack of employment opportunities. Third level attainment is approximately half the national average, pointing…

I thank the Taoiseach and appreciate his support. I raise also the omission of DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools - status for schools in Tipperary town, which needs to be advanced and concluded. The omission of these schools, both primary and secondary, from the DEIS programme in 2017 was wrong and an injustice. This was acknowledged when the Department of Education yielded to pressure and reviewed the circumstances of these schools. As a result, an interim package of resources was implemented ac…

I was asking to get in on the same issue. I am glad that the Taoiseach understands the necessity to intervene through legislation in regard to this matter. We have a situation where we have vexatious, spurious objections deliberately obstructing and holding up investment by Glanbia, which is impacting on the ability to create jobs, impacting on the company's ability to expand and having a detrimental consequence for the farmers who are supplying Glanbia. This needs to be resolved. It is time An Taisce was reined in…

Town centres across Tipperary and the country were struggling before Covid. The lure of commercial centres was only surpassed by the convenience of online shopping. Government-funded urban regeneration schemes were a welcome and significant step forward but the pandemic has undermined their objective. A drive through town centres across the country is a dismal experience. Every year more retail premises are left vacant. As the number of vacant shops grows, these towns become less attractive to new retail ventures. …

As we progress our vaccine roll-out and move towards the reopening of society, we must avail of every option to get business and industry fully operational as safely as possible. I have consistently raised with the Tánaiste the urgent necessity to utilise rapid antigen testing. We now also have available new technology, namely, a rapid PCR test that gives an accurate result within one hour. I do not understand the reluctance to follow the worldwide example of using rapid testing to detect Covid. Professor Mark Ferg…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for her consideration. The entire world is aware of the need to enact change to prevent global warming. The human, environmental and economic costs of global warming are becoming increasingly clear each year. Every year, we witness the global results of, and the damage caused by, climate change. Major flooding, hurricanes, droughts and wildfires are not fears for the future but the realities of the present. Climate action is critical. We must stop the inexorable rise in global temper…

We have tabled amendment No. 1 to the motion. The Covid-19 pandemic has played havoc with the mental health of people of all ages. The brightest glimmer of light we have is the Covid vaccine. At present, the vaccine roll-out is gathering pace and a consistent supply of vaccines seems guaranteed. This should be a time of optimism, but almost every day the media have a story of conflict, confusion or contradiction. This undermines public confidence. Releasing vague information on undecided issues is doing a grave and…

I move amendment No. 1: (a) To insert the following after “acknowledges that”: “— positive mental health is fundamental to overall health and well-being; — mental health is central in building a healthy, inclusive and productive society;” (b) To insert the following after “8,893 children are waiting for primary care psychology treatment”: “— bereavement, isolation, family financial loss, economic hardship, trauma, chronic stress and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones; — follo…

Family carers across Tipperary and the country in general are one of the greatest assets to healthcare. They are undervalued, unappreciated and all too often overlooked. Despite the service they provide, they consistently remain on the bottom rung of the ladder when it comes to recognition. We can never hope to pay family carers their true worth. No price can be placed on love, compassion and selflessness. However, we can grant these people the recognition they deserve. The decision not to prioritise carers in the …

I welcome today's upbeat assessment. I certainly hope the Minister's expectations are delivered because there is a palpable change of mood in the country. That burst of hope that came with the news that vaccine roll-out was under way has evaporated. Despair, doubt and frustration have replaced it. With every passing day, patience and tolerance are fading. There have been problems, excuse after excuse and fingers pointing in all directions. As people hear about confusion and distrust, they become more swamped by des…

This Bill is long overdue. For far too long, a minority of people have brought false and fabricated insurance claims before the courts, in the same way as others might place a bet. They have gambled and taken a chance because they knew they had little to lose except perhaps the cost of their own legal representation, assuming they were not using a no-win, no-fee solicitor. Insurance fraud is prevalent across Ireland. It is so common that many do not see it as an offence. As it stands, there is no penalty or deterre…

In February 2017, Tipperary town primary schools were overlooked for inclusion in the DEIS programme. This omission was blatantly wrong. After a determined campaign to highlight the injustice, the Department of Education yielded to pressure and agreed to appoint an inspector to review the circumstances of all five primary schools. After extensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders and a thorough examination of statistics and facts, the inspector filed a comprehensive report. The report concluded that levels …

I compliment the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, on their innovative and creative approach to their new Department. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has the capacity and ability to play a central role in our national recovery plan. These are exciting and refreshing times for institutes of technology. I am delighted with the progress made in establishing a technological university between Limerick Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute …

We have entered the second year of the greatest crisis in recent history. The focus remains on suppressing Covid-19. However, those who have seen their businesses suffer and jobs evaporate are beginning to place serious emphasis on where we are heading and what the future holds. They are asking how the Government intends to rebuild for the future. As the lead Minister with responsibility for this vital task, will the Tánaiste outline his plans and his vision to revitalise our business sector and our economy? Many s…

The availability of and access to funding is crucial for small and medium sized businesses. The option of establishing a State-supported community bank should be reviewed. The post office network and the credit unions have the capacity and ability to bring financial services to the public. This community model works very successfully in Germany and other European countries. Pillar banks and community banks can co-exist in this market. The departure of Ulster Bank has left the Irish consumer reliant on a duopoly. Ul…

I welcome mandatory hotel quarantine. It should have been introduced several months ago. However late, it is a significant step forward. It will be one more gaping hole filled in our fight against the ever-evolving Covid crisis. I fully support the call from my colleague, Deputy Berry, for the Defence Forces to provide security at hotels selected for mandatory quarantine. They are highly trained, accountable, responsible and much better positioned to carry out such a task. The hiring of private security firms would…

I would like to leave some of my four minutes so that the Tánaiste can reply. The harsh impact of Covid-19 will not vanish when we finally suppress the virus. The landscape of our lives will be forever altered by the pandemic. Not everyone will win the battle for survival and there will be casualties. Local newspapers have been hit badly by events. The economic downturn in 2008 was the first blow, followed by advertisers switching their budgets to online platforms. Within two years, 16 local newspapers were forced …

This Labour Party motion is purely idealistic. It is a far cry from the Labour Party calling the lockdown too draconian and bonkers last September. Had it been presented at a much earlier stage of the pandemic, it may have had some advantages. That ship has sailed, however. Nowhere in the Labour Party plan is there mention of how business and industry would cope with a national aggressive suppression strategy. While they may have coped with such an approach in the earlier months of this pandemic, 12 months after Co…