While I appreciate there are regular interventions and engagements between the Taoiseach and Ministers in a whole host of areas, it is slightly concerning that it has been a while since there has been a dedicated meeting of this Cabinet committee. It is important and I am glad to hear it is resuming at the end of the month. I very much hope by the end of the month that we still have an Executive in Stormont. I hope that the idle threats being made on a daily basis by certain members do not come to fruition. The lat…

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this important legislation. Since the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the elevation of its Minister to Cabinet ranking, this is probably the most important all-encompassing legislation to come to the floor of the Dáil. It is very easy to dwell on many different aspects of this so I will try to limit my contribution to two or three remarks. Deputy O'Callaghan rightly referred to the importance of retai…

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this extremely important and timely debate. Reconciliation on these islands will be built through a shared desire to move forward to brighter days, but to do that, we must ensure all commitments are met, especially those contained in New Decade, New Approach. Despite this important agreement being reached not that long ago, many of its core promises simply are not being met. The continuing boycott of the North-South Ministerial Council and near daily threats to collapse…

Will the Minister give details of the increasing network of Irish embassies and consulates opened throughout 2021, with particular reference to the embassy in Ukraine?

I thank the Minister. I have a few general questions on the approach to embassies and consuls but I want to ask some supplementary questions specifically on the new embassy in Kyiv. In light of current global events, that embassy is of particular interest to the House. Will the Minister outline the extent of the Irish diaspora in Kyiv? I appreciate that in recent days the Minister asked all Irish citizens to register with the embassy and to outline where they are based across the country. Will the Minister also exp…

Will the Minister elaborate on the work he is doing, in tandem with the Tánaiste, to develop those trading links? It is very important, in light of current events, that we continue to make the strong point that Ireland stands with Ukraine and that its sovereignty must be maintained. Ukraine is a key ally, not just of Ireland but of our partners in the EU. Should events unfold negatively in the coming days, the EU must not be slow to consider sanctions and other options. That said, it is essential to stress that Ire…

I raise two issues I am concerned about, one of which the Minister of State and I discussed previously in the context of oral questions. It relates to my constituency and those of the Minister of State and Deputy Duncan Smith, and to all those quasi-rural parts of Dublin that have not been covered. Will the Minister of State identify where they are being brought up to speed to ensure they will be included in the wider roll-out of the scheme? He will know the areas I am talking about, such as Rathmichael in his cons…

With regard to that commercial service and how it overlaps with the national broadband plan, this is an increasing phenomenon, particularly over recent years with so many people working remotely. The Minister of State mentioned Stepaside, which, as he will be aware, is where I live. In the cul-de-sac where I live, there are 40 homes and, during the pandemic, only two of us, namely, a nurse and I, were going into work. The rest all worked from home. Many of them will continue doing so, and rightly so because it is a…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this very important and timely discussion. I am grateful to the Taoiseach for his update following the Council meeting held prior to Christmas. While much has changed, much has not. There are only three areas I want to focus on this afternoon. One could focus on 300 areas if one really wanted to. First is the extremely worrying situation on the European Union's eastern flank, to pick up from Deputy Gannon. It has dominated much discussion over recent days and most recently…

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak, albeit briefly, in this extremely important debate. There are many areas from which one could approach this debate but there is only one I will raise. Following my colleague Deputy Higgins, I will speak to eating disorders, which predominantly affect women and young people. The average age for the onset of anorexia is 16 and for bulimia is 18. The Minister of State and I have corresponded on this topic many times and dealt with a number of harrowing cases. The cases we…

Over recent years, tens of thousands of individuals have filled key roles in our society working in hospitality, healthcare, logistics and much beyond. Many of these individuals are on precarious visas and work permits. While there have been some very welcome extensions throughout the pandemic, many of these people are facing a very precarious future. I ask the Government to commit to a blanket two-year extension of all work permits and all visas, to ensure that those people who helped us when we were at our worst …

I thank the Taoiseach for that update and for the report sent to our offices. I was struck by the remarks of the Taoiseach at the engagement in December and by the pertinent remarks made by Patrick Kielty that went viral. We must be honest about the shared island initiative and unit having great potential but, due to the impact of Covid-19 or a need for a wider buy-in, it may perhaps not be reaching that potential as much as it could be. I was very taken by the last comments made by the Taoiseach when he said the p…

I will be sharing my time with Deputies Brendan Smith, Flaherty and Phelan. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this extremely important and solemn debate, and one which, like everyone, I simply wish we had no need to have. First, like others, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family, friends and boyfriend of Ashling Murphy and all those in this country who have been touched by the brutal effects of that tragic murder. Unfortunately, it is yet another example of a woman being m…

I appreciate the update from the Taoiseach. He will appreciate that it is a brief update. That is no fault of his or anyone in the Government. That is the striking issue here. North-south relations are not operating at their optimum due to a political decision by a certain party in Northern Ireland. I note that the last telephone conversation call was in the area of dealing with Covid-19, where back and forth discussion needs to be increased in the coming weeks as we look to loosen restrictions and possibly moving …

After such an explosion of festive goodwill, I am loath to ask about mortgages, but I am afraid I am going to have to. As the Minister of State knows, Ireland has one of the highest mortgage rates in the eurozone. I ask him what efforts are being made by the Government to look at competition across the EU for mortgage rates and for loans.

I want to pick up on one of the last points. The Minister of State mentioned the very welcome decline in interest rates to an average of 2.73% in this State in October but we have to remember that compares with a eurozone average of 1.28%, so it is more than double the average for comparative European markets. To put that into actual figures, the average Irish mortgage holder will pay almost €180 a month more for every month of their mortgage compared with the European average, so that can total €2,200 a year. The …

The Minister of State rightly says that this is a small market with unique challenges, particularly in the requirement for retained capital, but we are part of the world’s largest economic bloc and the Single Market. We see in so many different areas the opportunity and competition that present not just to Irish consumers but also to Irish exporters in terms of goods and services. One area where it is not being felt is in financial services, particularly lending and mortgages. While the declining interest rate is w…

I raise a difficult case on which I have been working all week. It relates to a constituent who simply has not been able to access particular services for an eating disorder. I give thanks for the efforts of the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and even more welcome has been the wider funding. The issue is being resolved. However, this is a clear case of an individual and a family who have been caught between the stools. The person in question is over 16 but under 18. There has been a failure within …

I appreciate the opportunity to raise several issues ahead of yet another vitally important European Council meeting. I appreciate as well the comments made by the Taoiseach. I look forward to the response from the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, as well, because I think this is the first time I have had the pleasure of hearing him respond to this traditional subject of debate. It is a jam-packed agenda because a great deal is going on. It is difficult, as we will all find, to try to address every issue due to come…

As we know, the vast majority or a large proportion of Irish agrifood products have gone and will continue to go to Great Britain. However, Brexit has changed the trading situation utterly. What efforts are the Minister of State and his Department making to diversify the trading destinations of Irish agrifood produce?