First, in response to Deputy McDonald's questions, I welcome the fact that we are having a North-South Ministerial Council on Friday, the first in three and a half years. I look forward to it. I hope it can create a structure that will help us deal with the undoubted difficulties, as Deputy Niamh Smyth pointed out, that Brexit has brought about in respect of relations on the island and in terms of its economic and social impact. We must navigate and manage the island in a post-Brexit situation and the North-South M…

Yes.

Deputy McDonald seeks to politicise this all the time. She uses language such as "a passive approach". I am not adopting a passive approach to all-island health - not at all. She knows this but it does not stop her from saying the contrary for political reasons.

The Deputy's presentation is always about politics, not the substance of the issue. She keeps going on about the all-island approach. I did not open up Northern Ireland to 57 countries.

You are attacking the Government here.

You did.

The Deputy is attacking the Government non-stop. I understand that the Northern Executive involves a wider engagement with others. My main approach when I met the First Minister and deputy First Minister was to say travel is a problem and that it is a problem that many will come back through Dublin Airport from about 56 countries. The Republic has a restricted list whereby it is stated that people coming back from 11 countries do not need to restrict their movements. I want to work in good faith with people. I do n…

It is about sloganeering, ascribing base motives to everyone and so on. That is what Sinn Féin is about. I regret to have to say that.

There is no debacle with regard to the travel advisory, as the Deputy suggested. In sharp contrast to the decisions taken in Northern Ireland by the Deputy's party, the decisions taken in the Republic of Ireland have resulted in some of the most restrictive travel guidance globally. The results of this are there for all to see. It must be acknowledged by all that the pandemic unemployment payment was an unprecedented and fair response to the Covid-19 emergency. At the height of the emergency, in May, as many as 600…

There is no agenda in terms of endeavouring to penalise any one sector as opposed to another. I recall the former Labour Party leader, Joan Burton, when she introduced the legislation to empower social protection inspections, referred to "the fight against the small number who scam the system", and said it was "important that we address this; otherwise, confidence in the system among ordinary contributors and claimants who only claim what they are entitled to will be eroded." She was referring to those who leave th…

In the first instance, Deputy McDonald should withdraw her inference that I suggested 287,000 people were trying to game the system. I never said that and she knows I did not say it. She should not have attempted to put those words into my mouth. She should disengage from that type of behaviour in here. It is unworthy of her. It does not deal with the issue. She is entitled to raise it but she should not attempt to do what she did.

It is not right. It is not fair politics. The whole purpose of introducing the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment was to help people through Covid-19. It developed very strong social solidarity. We want to continue to help people in that situation. That is why 600,000 people in the country were on the payment in May and why 287,000 are still on it. I would like the cases of genuine recipients who might not have been aware of this to be reviewed. That is something I would like to do because I do not wish to unde…

A statutory instrument was introduced on 10 July. Statutory instruments do not have to come before the Government and this one did not come before the Government. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection states that it had been saying this in response to numerous queries on and off since early July. That did not seem to capture anybody's attention at the time, including that of the Opposition, bar The Sunday Business Post of last Sunday.

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising with me on Leaders' Questions this issue concerning the Dean Maxwell community nursing unit in Roscrea. As has been said, this is one of a few residential units for the elderly in Tipperary which, as we are all aware, is a very large county covered by two separate HSE areas. Like many community nursing units across the country, the Dean Maxwell unit has a long, proud and reputable history of caring for the elderly community in Roscrea since it opened in 1974. It is a home away from …

Some refurbishment has been undertaken lately on the unit and more is planned for 2021. I am told the HSE have not received any formal proposal about the new unit being built on the same site as the new primary care centre in Roscrea but I know what the Deputy is saying in that regard. I assure him that the Government is anxious to see the Dean Maxwell centre continue to provide and develop services so it continues to provide a highly-professional and flexible service to older people and their families in Roscrea. …

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. At the outset, I wish to address the €146 million that was taken out of the proposed allocation to the rural development fund. As I secured €337 million in alternative funding for agriculture, we more than made up for that particular loss. Furthermore, the Common Agricultural Policy will now have a higher share of the multi-annual financial framework than it otherwise would have had under the pre-existing proposal that came from the Commission. On the immediate issue of the…

The Deputy makes fair points and this has to be done in a way that we protect livelihoods and families who are in traditional employments that are under threat because of the inevitable change. We have to accept this change is inevitable but what we must try to do is work with the families, workers and communities involved to make sure it is a fair transition and not an immediate cliff fall event but rather one that is planned and worked through. It has to be in all areas of economic activity. I will speak to the M…

Admhaím go bhfuil feachtas pearsanta á rith ag an Teachta maidir leis an gceist seo agus go bhfuil sí ag obair go dian dícheallach ar son daoine atá ag baint seirbhís síos ón tseirbhís sláinte. Aontaím leis an chuid is mó de céard atá ráite aici. Táim taobh thiar de straitéis na Roinne agus laistigh de sin, táim taobh thiar den phlean chun bord neamhspleách a chur i bhfeidhm chun scrúdú a dhéanamh ar pholasaithe agus dul chun cinn polasaithe Sharing the Vision. A national implementation and monitoring body or commi…

I do not have a date for that right now, but I indicated to the Deputy that I will support its establishment and talk to the Minister for Health about it. Equally, I believe the Deputy's voice matters. Every Deputy's voice matters. We have to keep at this. We can set up the independent implementation monitoring body to monitor the implementation of this, but we cannot be blind to certain constants in the mental health service. There have been certain positives as well that must be acknowledged. The establishment of…

First, I note that Deputy McDonald was saying last week that it was reckless for people to travel - that was her position - and that the Government was adopting a reckless policy generally. She was dead set against any travel whatsoever, but has obviously changed position within a week. Equally, the line now being trotted out is that the Government closed the economy. The interim Government with the support of Deputy McDonald, my support and the support of every other party in the House agreed that there had to be …