How many people are on CAMHS waiting lists in CHO 4? I ask the Minister of State to make a statement on the matter.

It is vitally important that we get this sorted out and that we keep challenging the system in respect of CAMHS. All Members, as public representatives, meet families in distress and know challenges that exist and the difficulties accessing services. There is a growing acceptance that there is a mental health crisis on the back of Covid. In terms of the figures being provided to the Department by the HSE, does the Minister of State see a significant challenge, particularly in respect of CAMHS in CHO 4 and the rest …

I admire the Minister of State for her determination and I thank her for her work to date. Is there a shortage of psychologists in CHO 4? Is there a challenge in recruiting psychologists there? On the issue of primary care, what is her view on how it is being rolled out to alleviate some of the stress within communities and address the enormous challenges coming down the line?

I am sharing time with Deputy Murnane O'Connor. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Bill. There are a number of issues, one of which relates to the commitment in respect of the pension that is outlined in the programme for Government. It is very important that it be tied down in legislation and that there be no ambiguity about it. We must ensure that the pension is given at the correct age because, as people reach their 60s, they will have been working for more than 40 years in some instances, and changing th…

My question relates to the Department's arrangements for working with parents to address the transportation needs of pupils with disabilities.

I thank the Minister for her reply. I have in mind two cases that have been brought to my attention which are probably a reflection of general issues with the scheme. In one of those cases, a pupil who was travelling to post-primary school for the first time applied for special transport and was accommodated on the taxi service that was being run to and from the school in question. Unfortunately, due to the child's needs, the arrangement did not work out and the parents have been doing the school run themselves. Th…

It does.

I thank the Minister and appreciate her offer. I will take it up immediately. The other issue relates to children who have attended a special school which is the nearest special school to them. However, their needs would be better met in a special school that is further away from them. The decision of the parents to transfer their child to the other special school is supported by documentation from consultants, professionals and people who assisted the parents in making the decision. It is also supported by numerou…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate. We could have a wide-ranging discussion about rural Ireland and communities outside the large urban centres. We have to look at the possibilities and the achievements that are found within those communities. We must ensure that our agriculture industry thrives and continues to be one of the major driving forces in rural Ireland. We want to make sure that this industry, which is heavily regulated, is encouraged. Whatever the outcome of negotiations across th…

Both Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan and I are delighted that you allowed us to raise this hugely important issue, a Cheann Comhairle. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities granted a 66% increase to the gas installers of Ireland and a 20% increase in their registration fees. We saw the regulator taking to the airwaves to advise on the safety issues concerning gas, and all of the media outlets highlight and bring to the public concerns about gas. In 2015 the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications made clear …

What consultation did the Commission for Regulation of Utilities carry out with the industry in coming up with this increase? It is important for the Minister of State to highlight to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, that a number of Deputies have raised this issue in the House. It is causing serious concern. Following the consultation in 2015, why are the recommendations of the joint committee not being implemented? Does the Minister accept that making a decision on 9 October and backdating it to 1 October for cer…

I commend the Bill to the House and welcome the opportunity to speak on it. The legislation that is before us is made up of many Parts and straddles many Departments. It is a complex omnibus Bill that tries to deal, insofar as possible, with many of the issues that are facing us with Brexit six or seven weeks away. I wish everybody who is involved in the negotiations well - those on the Irish side, including the Minister who is here to take the debate, and also those on the European and British sides. I wish them w…

I welcome the Bill and its many measures. The Finance Bill gives us an annual opportunity to reflect on the budget and the measures contained therein, but also on issues that we need to consider. This is my first time to speak in the Chamber with the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, present in his new role. I congratulate him on his position and wish him well. I listened intently to his passionate discussion on the issue of insurance. I know he will make a major impact on that area and I wish him well on that. Th…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I am sharing time. I come from a rural community in Kiskeam, County Cork, where we are privileged to have John Murphy as the postmaster. He refused the package that was offered a number of years ago to keep the post office within our community. That is a testament to him and his commitment to his community, to which he has given his life in many forms. We have to salute people like him and I salute him for what he has done. Everything being said about how impo…

I ask the Minister to outline the role his Department is playing in promoting disability inclusion and if he would make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister for his reply. He mentioned his Department's ongoing engagement with Enterprise Ireland and entrepreneurs who have disabilities and hope to set up businesses or who have an idea they can develop into a business and career for themselves. What is the status of that in the Department? What work has been done in the Department and Enterprise Ireland to bring forward a meaningful scheme? It is vitally important that in the process of bringing forward that scheme there is engagement, insofar as is h…

I thank the Tánaiste for that offer and I will certainly do that. It is of great importance as we go forward to realise that there are various strategies within all Government Departments on inclusion. This has to be developed to its full extent. It is also very important that those who have been struggling to get beyond the red tape, for want of a better word, and those who are frustrated by the system are listened to and engaged with. I will bring the details of all of the correspondence and discussions I have ha…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the budget debate and I welcome the measures of the budget. There is a number of issues I would like to raise. On the agricultural side, the long-promised food ombudsman was a commitment going back many years but we particularly zoned in on this over recent years to try and resolve issues in relation to food, especially what the food processor and producer get for their product and what is paid by the consumer for the end product. There has always been a major debate about…

Absolutely. Kiskeam is the centre of civilisation as mankind knows it. I am glad the Ceann Comhairle clarified at the very start that we can speak at length on the issue.

Over the past number of months as the pandemic wreaked havoc in our society and the world, we have seen a societal change in terms of how people have conducted themselves since the first week of March. A significant number of people are now working from home and have adapted enormously in that regard. Students, from primary school children to university students, have worked from home. Those working in State jobs, multinationals, local and indigenous companies and manufacturing and everything else have adapted. Soc…