My understanding of the question is the need - it is an important point - for best protocols and practice in terms of dealing with trauma and emergency care. Getting a patient to the right place as quickly as possible is essential to better outcomes. It is important that a child or an adult would not be unnecessarily diverted to another hospital where that optimal care would not be available. I too affirm and salute the work of Keith Synnott and the entire strategy which the Minister and the Government have endorse…

I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue for the residents of Clare Island and for those who travel in and out of the island. I will certainly consult with my Government colleagues on what further enhancements can be provided to facilitate ease of travel.

I think I spoke on that yesterday in the Dáil. Work is progressing on it. It is under the auspices of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and his Department. The Government is committed to it.

We have invested in Shannon Airport and we will continue to do so. I had a very constructive engagement with all of the public representatives, including Senators and Deputies, from the mid-west region last week in respect of the absolute need for connectivity and enhancing connectivity between Ireland and the rest of the world but particularly between the regions, and in that context Shannon is very important. On the broader issue, the decision was made a number of years ago to create an independent airport author…

I thank the Deputy as I know of his commitment in respect of this case. My sympathy goes out to the family and to the young girl as well who is going through considerable trauma. I will engage with the Department of Health. Quite a number of patients on medical cannabis get reimbursed if the product is imported under an import licence. The medical cannabis access programme has now been developed. I will engage with the Minister and the HSE in respect of this particular case and I will talk to the Deputy again about…

I agree with the Deputy and I have pushed this point both with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Minister and other colleagues. Cork Corporation introduced a very good scheme two to three years ago and won a national award where it facilitated and incentivised downsizing for people who bought their houses from the corporation many years earlier. Time had moved on and in a deal with the corporation, a substantial number of residents downsized to apartments that are now provided by the cor…

I have not seen that report and I do not buy it, by the way. People can commission reports to get the outcomes that they might want. I have not seen it and I would like to see at first. Yesterday there was a very significant announcement for Cork in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 in respect of public transport. The urban regeneration and development fund allocation has been substantial. I will have to see that report to analyse it. No one in Cork County Council has approached me about it from offici…

I appreciate that this issue been raised and I think the Deputy is the first in the House to wish the leaving certificate cohort of this year the very best in their examinations. He is correct in saying that dhá bhliain aisteach a bhí ann. They have had two very strange and difficult years because of Covid-19 both in fifth year and in the leaving certificate year. We wish them the very best as they prepare for their examinations. The Deputy is also correct that there has been an increase in CAO places, partly we su…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together. The Government Information System, GIS, co-ordinates cross-government communications and comprises the Government press office and the Merrion Street content team. GIS co-ordinates communications for cross-government programmes such as the State's response to Brexit and Covid-19. The team also manages press conferences and media briefings both for the Department and in support of cross-government programmes. GIS manages the Government of Ireland identity…

On Deputy McDonald's comments and views on the recovery plan, today hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, guest houses and hostels are opening. This is evidence the Government's strategy is working, in terms of reopening society and the economy and getting thousands of people back to work in construction, retail, personal services, hairdressing and childcare, which we are keen on doing. We are also providing substantial resources to provide additional job opportunities, in particular for young people. It is all …

I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 9, inclusive, together. The national reform programme is an important element of the European semester, the annual cycle of economic and fiscal policy co-ordination which takes place among EU member states. As part of the semester, each member state prepares and submits a national reform programme to the European Commission each April. This provides an overview of reforms and policy actions, including in response to country-specific recommendations. Preparation of the national …

On the points made by Deputy Boyd Barrett, we are not pulling supports early; we are extending them. Notwithstanding the fact Deputies thought we would be ending them at the end of June, we are not. We are extending the pandemic unemployment payment until September and, with reductions, from September right out to February. By then we will have reopened our economy and society. We will be getting people back to work and giving supports to people to get back to work and create new jobs. The EWSS alone supports 315,0…

The Deputy does actually. He says nothing is being done and he ignores the very substantive allocation of resources to protect jobs and to create jobs. I must put that on the record. There is a variety of support schemes. The Minister will continue to work with all those involved in the arts and music industry because we realise it has been severely hit and needs help and support. We are very committed to doing that. A number and variety of schemes have been provided. There will be a new youth employment charter fo…

That is something we should work on.

The Exchequer will provide funding for the equalisation fund, but we believe that providing 100% to each local authority is the right thing to do.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 17, inclusive, together. The European Union and international division of my Department works on all aspects of European Union and international policy within my Department, including issues relating to the European Union and the United Kingdom relationship. The division assists me in my role as a member of the European Council and in my other European Union engagements. It provides advice and briefing for meetings of the European Council and other EU summits, multilateral eve…

In regard to the range of questions on the Middle East, Deputy McDonald correctly raised the issue of the appalling violations of human rights in Gaza and East Jerusalem. The Irish Government has been very consistent and very strong in regard to this issue, both at the UN Security Council and in terms of our engagement at European level. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, has pursued these issues robustly in all fora. We have supported the collective, united approach from the Dáil in respect of the t…

I will just conclude on this quickly. We raised the matter at an international stage at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 March. Likewise, the EU has made a number of very clear statements on the situation in Hong Kong, including most recently on 11 March. Again, it is a matter of regret that fundamental freedoms, democratic principles and political pluralism that are essential to Hong Kong's identity and prosperity are under increasing pressure by authorities. We are working with our EU partners to do everything w…

First of all, I agree with the Deputy in terms of the good news in recent weeks that people are returning to work in considerable numbers. We have been in a position to do this through our management of the pandemic and through a successful and efficiently run vaccination programme that is having a dramatic impact on the severity of illness in society from the virus and on reducing death and hospitalisation and numbers in intensive care. The efficient national vaccination effort is enabling us to return to economic…

As I said earlier, hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation and guest houses will open again tomorrow. This will create jobs and get people back to work. Next week, restaurants, pubs and other facilities will open. All of that will help. Last February, approximately 481,000 people were on the pandemic unemployment payment. This figure has already decreased to 334,000 and it will continue to decrease over the summer months. We have extended the pandemic unemployment payment until September.