Like everybody else who has spoken I regard sexual offences as heinous crimes which are exceptionally damaging to society, which is why we punish them as crimes, and to individuals. These offences leave a long-lasting mark on the victims. I can understand some of the calls in the Chamber for far greater punishment of perpetrators in that regard. Nevertheless, I have a couple of questions about the Bill. It might not be very fashionable at the moment but I still think it necessary to tease out legislation and do wha…

Antigen tests have been available to be procured through the EU joint procurement agreement of last November. Since then I have been calling for that to be availed of. I have raised the issue several times with both the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health. There was a Professor Ferguson report at the end of March, beginning of April recommending their use. The Taoiseach and various members of his Government pay lip service to antigen testing. Can the Taoiseach explain why there are 1.5 million antig…

There are 1.5 million tests in storage.

Snake oil is, I believe, the word it has used.

Can I speak?

I thank the Acting Chairman.

I will take the slot if the Acting Chairman wishes.

The Deputy will surely find something to speak on for 20 minutes.

I welcome the fact that the Bill is before the House and will bring a bit of legal certainty to this matter. It is something I raised in the Minister's absence yesterday. I welcomed her yesterday and congratulate her on the birth of her baby. I have a question mark over the approach taken. It seems to be all duck or no dinner. Deputy Calleary outlined in 2009 the many reasons put forward for the proposed changes, and I can only imagine that they were along the lines of what Deputy Boyd Barrett has stated, namely th…

I meant it in a-----

I certainly did not mean it in the criminal law sense of the word, but in a different sense.

No, I would like to withdraw that word.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention. However, it is the wanton abuse of the environment that has been entrusted to Coillte.

Like most previous speakers, I congratulate the Minister and welcome her back. I would like to urge her, now that she has experienced the necessity of maternity leave, to impress upon her Cabinet colleagues the fact that if one is reliant on statutory maternity pay lots of people have to return to work on that basis and cannot live on that amount of money, including, but not limited to, many self-employed people. We know the vaccinated can efficiently transmit Covid-19, including to vaccinated people. That is the s…

I do not mean to be ageist but everybody in this Chamber probably remembers when we had ambulance drivers and they were able to take two people in an ambulance at a time. Everything has changed and we no longer have ambulance drivers but paramedics and advanced paramedics. They are highly trained health professionals and many people in the State owe them their lives. Equally, we determined, in line with best practice, that ambulances could only take one person at a time rather than two. When that decision was made,…

I concur with Deputy Ward regarding the necessity to regulate scramblers, etc. When his Bill, or at least a Sinn Féin Bill, was being debated in the House previously I raised the issue of regulating jet skis. I appreciate that the regulation of jet skis is not something that belongs in a road traffic Bill, but nevertheless it is something that must be regulated because of the nuisance and the danger they can cause to humans and to livestock, especially when they are being used in areas not accustomed to them. I rai…

I wish to clarify or correct something that I said earlier, if that is in order, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

An offence by a person in authority and an offence against a relevant person by a person in authority are contained in Part 2 and attract a disqualification for a specified period. However, a sexual act with a protected person is not contained in Part 2 so there is no disqualification, to be very clear, before the Minister of State takes to her feet.

Deputy Fitzmaurice has had to leave to attend a CAP meeting in Castlereagh and he sends his apologies. I have listened to all of the debate and I agree with many of the contributions that have been made, including the criticisms. I know they are difficult and I do not wish to personalise it. I do not hear a sense of urgency from the Minister of State. It may be that it is like a swan gliding through the water and underneath something is furiously happening. I hope this is the case. We really do need a sense of urge…

That would be very welcome.