On the questions raised by Deputy Paul Murphy, we always provide consular support to Irish citizens in any sort of difficulty. I will check to see that the embassy will be represented in the courts tomorrow. Greece is a member of the European Union and we do not, ordinarily, interfere in the judicial process in countries but we will keep a very close eye on this. We support humanitarian endeavours to protect migrants and we have been involved, as a state actor, in helping migrants in a very challenging position on …

There was a discussion. Again, the bulk of discussion concerned whether there could be pan-European measures on pricing.

I launched the shared island dialogue series to foster inclusive, constructive civic dialogue on key issues for a shared future on the island underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. Over the past year, there have been seven dialogue events and two round-table discussions. I participated in the first dialogue event last November, hearing from young people on their perspectives for the future of the island. Subsequent dialogues have focused on climate and environment, civil society, equality, economic recovery, hea…

I thank the Deputies for raising these questions. I take the point made by Deputy Paul Murphy. I would like to think that the National Women's Council has formed an all-island women's forum that could become a good forum and channel for discussion and debate of the issues identified by the Deputy. I cannot comment on Sinn Féin having a dual approach. It is not new.

Sinn Féin has a different approach on a lot of issues North and South, but we do not have time to go into it here.

Sinn Féin could have ended it a long time ago with Covid certificates, but it chose not to. Sinn Féin might have changed that last night after a long period. The point has been well made by Deputy Paul Murphy. I refer to Deputy Ó Murchú's point on the citizens' assembly. I have said that 1,000 people have already met in the shared dialogue, covering subjects from biodiversity and climate change to women's rights and women's issues. Young people have met. Enterprise has met. That does not happen in a citizens' assem…

That is why we need to be careful about presenting it as a cause célèbre and suggesting that it is the most important thing, because it is not. The most important thing is to get people engaged with each other. I have experience from many years as a public representative and I have learned a lot throughout that journey. I do not go into the sloganeering anymore. When I was younger, we used to have slogans too but they did not advance anyone too far. We should use the Good Friday Agreement. I regret that Sinn Féin t…

On the ESRI and National Economic and Social Council, NESC, reports, the research programme with the ESRI is focusing on aspects of health, education, enterprise and an all-island economy post Brexit, which NESC has worked on. Scoping papers for each research topic were published on 17 May. Final reports will be published in December and early 2022. They will be important reports. Specifically, in 2021, the ESRI worked on building understanding of the structure and composition of cross-Border trade and services, so…

Ní aontaím leis an Teachta ó thaobh an plean atá foilsithe ag an Aire, an Teachta Donnelly, mar is léir gur plean cuimsitheach é. Caithfear é a chur i gcomhthéacs an plean a bhí againn anuraidh ina raibh an-chuid áiseanna agus airgid curtha ar fáil do na hospidéil ach go háirithe agus na seirbhísí sláinte go hiomlán. Diaidh ar ndiaidh, tá níos mó leapacha againn anois agus tá i bhfad níos mó daoine ag obair sa tseirbhís ná mar a bhí. Is léir go bhfuil dul chun cinn le feiceáil ach, dar ndóigh, tá dúshlán an-mhór am…

Since I became Taoiseach we have had record recruitment to the health service and record capital funding and beds provided. That is not enough and I am not resting on that. I want to do more. I want to accelerate capital programmes. In some cases, proposals have not come from certain hospital groups.

I met Cork consultants, who were taken aback when we said funding was available if they wanted to increase bed capacity in the short term. We are there to respond as quickly as possible.

I made my point and instanced Cork. What tends to happen is working parties are set up and various consultants can have different views as to where particular elective facilities are to be located. They all have preferred options and there is too much analysis, which leads to a degree of paralysis. That is before it ever gets to the Department. That is something I want to cut through and we are going to cut through it to get badly needed facilities done. There will be 1,000 beds provided, more or less, by the end o…

If we add this recruitment to what was recruited for the vaccination and testing programmes, the figure is enormous, to be fair to the HSE.

We should give them credit.

I disagree with the Deputy's analysis of the country and the Government's performance in relation to Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic. For instance, one key aspect has been the vaccination programme, which has been one of the most successful across the world in terms of speed, efficiency and effectiveness. About 90% of those over 12 years old are now fully vaccinated. That is no mean achievement and it is a tribute to the public, the robust debate within public media and those inside and outside officialdom…

In fairness, I just outlined the timelines the Deputy asked me for in respect of the booster programme. If you add it all up, including those four in seven and all people aged 50 to 59, there are now between 1.97 million and 2.2 million eligible under the NIAC advice. Those figures come from the HSE. There are timelines to consider with regard to when people got their second doses. That will be a key factor. It is not as simple as considering how the first and second doses, particularly the first, were administered…

Our public health advice has been consistent from the get-go that our schools are safe places in respect of the management of Covid-19. A total of 35,000 CO2 monitors have been issued to our schools and they are in use. As I have said, the advice is that if children are symptomatic, in terms of colds or whatever, they should not be sent to school. The biggest issue facing children is RSV, a non-Covid respiratory illness. Those are the facts right now in respect of the challenges that face our healthcare system in r…

Why does Deputy Paul Murphy ignore public health advice and deny it every time he comes in here talking about schools? I did not repeat a line. I gave a line that we have received in respect of consistent public health advice, but he continually ignores it because it suits his propaganda approach to all of this.

The Deputy does not look at this issue from a purely public health perspective. He looks at it from a party or movement advancement perspective. That is my genuine take-away. The Deputy was an advocate for zero Covid for a long time, but now he will not even facilitate the extension of legislation to give capacity for Government to do things, if necessary, in the middle of an emergency. He objects to that and makes a big deal about objecting to that.

I am answering the Deputy's questions. The Deputy ridicules the idea that public health advice in respect of schools is valid. He has just ridiculed that.