I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on social affairs and equality was established in July 2020 and oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy, equality and public services, including matters relating to justice, policing reform and community safety. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers the implementation of commitments and reforms. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and o…

First, I will respond to Deputy Kelly's questions about the reopening. Dance classes are a very difficult area. The issue is where one draws the line. Individual tuition is allowed in terms of culture, arts and music, but where does one draw the line with dance classes?

There are so many different types of dance. One is also drawing children from different communities and backgrounds to the one centre, so one is potentially facilitating the spread of the virus. As I stated in my address on Friday, we are prepared to go so far but no further. Unfortunately, quite a number of groups were left out in the modifications to level 3. The objective was to try to limit the spread of the virus and that was our motivation. There is a limit of 15 people meeting outdoors, which is to prevent c…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I share in the Deputy's expression of sympathies to the family and friends of the homeless individual who passed away. I also convey to the House my deep sadness at the passing of Trish Carrick, whom we lately honoured and spoke of. I offer her husband Damien and children Ciarán, Ríoghna, Sorcha and Eoin our sincere sympathies. The programme for Government is very clear and has a very strong commitment …

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The programme for Government is very strong on this. It includes a number of relevant and key commitments, including the development of the third national strategy, which would place a priority on prevention and reduction and include a national preventative strategy. As I said, an immediate audit is to be conducted in terms of responsibility for this area across different Government agencies and Departments. The Government is committed to implementing a plan for …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. In relation to the Presentation Secondary School in Carlow, I did not hear the interview this morning but I agree with the Deputy that there is no place for victim shaming in any context and the Department of Education and the Minister will clearly receive a report on it. If the principal is challenging the report of what we read in the media, in fairness to the House we have to seek out the full facts before passing commentary on it. In terms of the broader issue, the Dep…

Let us not have a row about something that is important and good. We should press ahead and do it. Also in terms of the O'Malley report, the Minister has already brought it to Cabinet and published it and is determined to take action and deal with this. In accordance with the commitments in the programme for the Government we are determined to do it.

I recently met Mary Crilly from the Cork Rape Crisis Centre and I have had long engagement with her through her extraordinary work over the years on behalf of rape victims. When I was Minister for Health and Children, we were involved in setting up the first forensic sexual violence centre in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork. Mary Crilly is a tireless worker. I met Mary Crilly, Caitriona Twomey and Lavinia Kerwick at Cork Penny Dinners recently to discuss the phenomenon of the rape of homele…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. There is currently a project under the remit of the Department of Transport to consider development of a new marine search and rescue, SAR, aviation contract for future service provision, as the Deputy has outlined. The Deputy has been fair in saying the provision of search and rescue aviation services in Ireland has, to a great extent, involved a mix of private provision since the 1980s, and has been fully provided on a 24-7 basis by a private entity since 2004, with the …

In these Covid times, it has been very occasional. That is a very good idea. I will certainly avail of that opportunity to visit and see at first hand the helicopters, the equipment and the various facilities that are available in Baldonnel, and I will ask for that to be facilitated. I will take the Deputy up on that suggestion, which is a good idea.

Data are extremely important in terms of the entire experience of Covid-19 and learning from the first lockdown, which we did, and then informing the experiences of different phases of Covid. For example, coming out of the first phase when the country reopened and cases began to rise again during the August and September period, we brought in a team from the HSE, commissioning EY, to look at all of that detail with greater analytical tools and to identify where outbreaks happened and what was the correlation, what …

Recently, at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting, the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Mary Butler, presented a comprehensive report on mental health services generally but also in respect of the impact of Covid. Generally speaking, services have been maintained at 90% or 95% throughout the Covid period, which is a great credit to all of the professionals and staff involved. Very significant additional funding has been secured by the Minister of State for the mental health budget. Followi…

I am giving it to the Deputy now. The information had come from the National Office for Suicide Prevention, which is located in Cork. We will publish any data we have and send it to the Deputy. I have no difficulty with that. All data should be published. Data are there to inform public policy and public commentary, so I have no issue with that. That was the presentation made by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, at that Cabinet sub-committee meeting.

In terms of accountability to the House, and if I could be given a minute or two on this and pre-empt further questions, I have answered questions on this issue twice on Leaders' Questions, on 18 and 24 November, with Deputy Shortall and, if I am correct, Deputy McDonald before that. The Tánaiste has taken Leaders' Questions three times on the appointment of Séamus Woulfe from Deputies Doherty, Kelly and Catherine Murphy. There have been seven written questions from Deputy Kelly which I have answered.

I am going to answer the Deputy's questions.

I am not. I will come to the core, if I may.

That is the Deputy's observation.

There have also been ten parliamentary questions from Deputy Kelly to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, which have been answered.

There have been two from Deputy Shortall. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has made it clear that she is willing to answer questions in this House. She said that last Thursday evening. The Opposition opposed that and any facilitation of that, which was due to happen next Tuesday, because of the format of how the questions would be asked. I believe withdrawing from the Business Committee based on the format of how questions are asked is wholly disproportionate. That is a reform that I championed. I believe in the Busin…

The Minister is committed to coming into the House to answer questions.