More than 3,000 people died from Covid in just one day in India yesterday. More than 360,000 were infected in the same day. The images on our television screens are ones of horror, showing a shortage of oxygen, car parks converted to crematoriums and a shortage of wood for funeral pyres. Meanwhile the Financial Times reports: "As industry lobbying has escalated in Washington, companies have warned in private meetings with US trade and White House officials that giving up the intellectual property rights could allow…

The Citizens' Assembly on gender equality has recommended a slew of changes. I will concentrate on the call by the assembly to amend the notoriously sexist Article 41.2, which states that mothers have duties within the home. This was part of the Constitution in order to give constitutional status to the social teachings of the Catholic Church. It is backward, sexist and sectarian and it is right that it should be removed. The role of carers and care work, including decent pay, job security and pension rights, shoul…

The transition year students of Cork Educate Together Secondary School went to the Lower Glanmire Road recently to erect a billboard. One of their spokespersons, Rachel Young, said: We know that government can act quickly when it needs to. Four more years is not ambitious, and we don't accept this. The billboard refers to the Government's four-year lead-in to what it describes as the abolition of direct provision. Those young people are absolutely right in what they say, and I echo it. The Government says that dire…

Yesterday, the The Irish Times online ran a headline which stated: "Easing Covid restrictions: Ministers want as wide a reopening as possible". This is not the first lockdown. We have had three lockdowns and a number of premature reopenings. We had two premature reopenings which had disastrous consequences. We should remember December and also last June. Last June the number of cases per day and per week was at quite a low level. If we had held out for a couple more weeks and had in place proper test and trace and …

I raise an issue that pertains to Aer Lingus workers. I am going to read from a letter I have: I am a cabin crew member working for Aer Lingus. As you know, myself and my colleagues have been on reduced wages and working hours since March 2020 when the pandemic hit. Since November of 2020 up until now I have been on 60% of my wages and working hours. My employer is currently paying me through the EWSS and I am paying PRSI stamp A contributions since 1 September 2020. I have been claiming jobseeker's benefit since 1…

What is at stake here? At the committee, the Minister said this was about avoidance of duplication and the enhancement of co-operation. More generally, Government supporters of these proposals have argued that they deal with less controversial issues, namely, military searches, bomb disposal, maritime surveillance, etc. The message really is that we should move along and there is nothing to see. There is a context to this, which relates to the tasks of the European Defence Agency. Part of the discussion must be aro…

I move: That leave be granted to introduced a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Companies Act 2014 to provide for preferential creditor status to employees in collective redundancy situations; to provide for recognition of redundancy payments in a winding up; and to provide for related matters. In the interests of full disclosure, this Bill was inspired by the actions of one group of people and by the inaction of another. Those whose actions have inspired this Bill are the Debenhams workers in Cork, Dublin, Limeric…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I will oppose any measure which would increase sectarian division among ordinary people. That includes any hardening of the Border North-South and any hardening of the border between east and west. Hardening of the east-west border would serve to increase the insecurity of ordinary Protestants about the future and generate a sense of their being coerced into an economic united Ireland. I am not sure whether I am the only Dáil Deputy who issued such a warning in the Brexit debate in this House. Does the Taoiseach no…

I have a question for the Minister about level 5, following the events last night in Blanchardstown. Four trucks arrived at the Blanchardstown shopping centre just after midnight. Debenhams workers had a tip-off that they were going to come to remove stock and they had to go there from their beds. There was a stand-off for five hours between the drivers of the trucks and the workers, who were women, shop stewards and some supporters. Twenty five gardaí arrived on the scene and after a five-hour stand-off they physi…

We have arranged for a debate to take place about the keeping of files on the families of children with autism who had the temerity to take legal action against the State and I welcome the fact that we have a debate. To have a proper session on that, we need to have - if the Deputy speaking now might excuse me - a situation where the Ministers who are in the Cabinet who are or have been Ministers for Health, namely the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, In…

Níl.

It is not agreed. I want to see all the former Ministers for Health in the Cabinet taking questions in the debate. I want to put the matter to a vote if that is not agreed.

The four Ministers in the Cabinet, namely, the current Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. The latter three are all former Ministers for Health.

To be clear, the proposal is merely that the former Ministers for Health in the Cabinet answer questions in the course of the debate. It is a simple democratic point. The Taoiseach doth protest a bit too much, methinks.

Will the Taoiseach confirm that it is the Government's intention to let the blanket ban on evictions and rent increases fall just ten days after the 5 km restriction is lifted, in other words, on 22 April? Does the Taoiseach have any concerns about a tsunami of evictions this summer if the blanket ban is lifted on 22 April and the ban more generally is lifted three months later on 22 July? Given that rents rose nationally during a year when a ban on rent increases was in play, for example, 4.5% in our city of Cork,…

I want clarity on one point.

A direct question was asked, namely, do the rent protections extend beyond 22 April.

I asked a direct question and could not get a straight answer.

This is outrageous.