I raise the important matter of roads funding, which the Tánaiste touched on earlier. Counties Cavan and Monaghan are completely dependent on the rural road network as there is no public transport or railway line. As I have said many times, we need to be imaginative and creative and consider reopening the local rail line. There is a very sad article in The Anglo Celt this week by Sean McMahon about an elderly lady, Kitty Clarke, who is 74 years of age. A picture speaks a thousand words, as they say, and the article…

I ask the Minister of State to outline the plans in regard to Brexit preparations. As a Border region Deputy, this is of huge concern to me. Businesses on the ground feel the political agenda has been somewhat taken over by the pandemic, naturally enough, but it is a very worrying time for small and medium businesses, the agrifood sector and local authorities.

I thank the Minister of State. I accept his point that very strong measures have been put in place in terms of Brexit readiness. There was always hopefulness in the businesses’ viewpoint as to where Brexit might leave them. We are on the eve of Brexit and we will certainly be doing business very differently than in the past. Despite the fact the Border region has received significant EU funding since the 1990s, it continues to lag behind national and regional averages in areas such as productivity and household inc…

I concur with the Minister of State on the local authorities. Both Cavan and Monaghan county councils have done tremendous work in bringing businesses to the table in facing up to the realities of Brexit, along with our LEOs, which have organised round-table conversations, encouraging and enabling them to access the supports the Government is making available. I ask the Minister of State to continue that work. We are on the cusp of Brexit. It will have a significant impact, with a very particular set of circumstanc…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to deal with this important issue, which concerns the midwifery-led unit in Cavan General Hospital. I am sure he has been briefed on the background to this unit, which was established back in 2004. Sixteen years on, it has delivered many babies to many happy mammies and daddies across the Border region and the midlands area. In 2016, the national maternity strategy was launched and, as part of that, there was huge emphasis on promoting the importance of midwifer…

I thank the Minister of State. I cannot help having a suspicious mind as to why a review is being held in the first place. That said, the Minister of State's response is welcome. I sense that he, the Minister for Health and the health team are fully behind the midwifery-led unit, and that is clear in the response. This is an issue I feel passionate about. This is a terrific service which provides an option for women in maternity care, not just in County Cavan but throughout the Border region and in the midlands. As…

As the Minister will be aware, we in County Cavan do not have any rail line and do not have any east-west link as yet, though I am still hopeful. We are totally dependent on our road network. Some 70% of our population lives in rural areas. Our county sees very intensive rural commercial activity, leading to very high volumes of heavy goods vehicles on the local road network. There are very poor drainage conditions and, therefore, our roads are structurally weak. Page 9 of the programme for Government features a co…

In fewer than 100 days, the UK will be outside the EU's Single Market and customs union. I wish to compliment the Minister on his steady hand in bringing the country through these negotiations. As someone from a border county and constituency I know that no one is more fearful than people living in border areas and we appreciate the Minister's tough but steady hand throughout these negotiations. From 1 January 2021, the way we trade with the UK will be dramatically different. Even if a free trade agreement is concl…

It is with a heavy heart I stand before the Minister of State to speak about the issue of mental health. As I speak, another family in my constituency is trying to come to terms with the untimely death of their 16-year-old daughter. There is another community gripped by grief and it just is not right. It is every parent's worst nightmare to see their own flesh and blood feel so lost and down and to see no way out. Unfortunately, I have seen a significant rise in the numbers in recent months, particularly since Covi…

I reiterate the requests I have made to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, which I know the Minister of State present will relay back to her. I ask that she come to Cavan to meet people on the front line dealing with these situations. Prevention is what we all want. I request we have more resources put into psychology support in primary care, that we get a SCAN provided for Cavan-Monaghan and that we get Jigsaw. These are the things we need, from talking to professionals on the ground who are providing youth int…

I support my colleague. The Minister mentioned a financial package of €5 million for additional student counsellors and to recruit additional psychologists for institutes. I am concerned that the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, Cavan Institute and Monaghan Institute will miss out on this very important funding. I ask that the Minister consider this in future allocations. Not every county has a third level institution and the area of further education is equally deserving of investment to create a s…

I congratulate the new Minister for Health on his role and commend him on the remarkable achievements he has had so far along with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Foley, over recent days. In one week or two we have had the reopening of the schools, our teachers back in place, our Montessoris back in place and our crèches back in recent months. That has all gone incredibly well in my view and from the feedback I have received from teachers and parents. Of course, parents are utterly delighted to see th…

I congratulate the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on a very comprehensive and detailed roadmap and on the financial package of €377 million to reopen our schools. The additional teachers and support staff, the enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures, and the extra psychologists and guidance counsellors will go a long way in supporting our principals and teachers. I will speak on the important matter of social distancing and the associated physical implications and need for extra classroom space. Bailiebor…

First, I welcome the Taoiseach's pledge to work towards a consensus on a shared island and the establishment of the unit in his Department. A key part of the work ahead will be to undo the damage done by Brexit over the past four years. I know it will be a priority for the Taoiseach to protect the peace process and the all-island economy in the context of the future UK and EU Brexit agreement. Will the Taoiseach outline the status of the shared island unit and how he intends to move forward? The Border region must …

I will leave time at the end for the Minister to respond to my comments. I congratulate him on his appointment as Minister with responsibility for housing. It is a big portfolio but I know he brought great energy and enthusiasm to the role of Opposition spokesperson. I agree with my colleague that he has hit the ground running. I have no doubt that he has taken the bull by the horns in the Department to ensure delivery. I also congratulate the Minster of State, Deputy Noonan, on his appointment to the Department. H…

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and the Ministers of State, Deputy Butler and Deputy Feighan, on their new roles. I know the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, very well. If they bring the same vigour, enthusiasm and energy they brought as Opposition Deputies to their portfolios, and I have no doubt they will, we can look forward to a very busy and proactive team in the Department of Health. I will use the few minutes available to me to have a brief question and answer session and I wo…

I thank the Minister. I remind him, though I know he is very much on top of his portfolio, that Cavan-Monaghan was the worst-hit area in the country by number of Covid-19 cases. With that in mind, the area requires particular attention. I would like to direct a question at the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. Covid-19 has presented huge mental health issues for the young and the old. In Cavan and Monaghan we have some amazing volunteers who run voluntary organisations like SOSAD. My own town has the Bailieborough …

I too congratulate the new Minister for Health, who was a very able and capable spokesperson for our party for the past four years. I am thrilled to see him in this ministerial position. I was also thrilled to have him in Cavan and Monaghan not that long ago. Then he got the full guided tour of Cavan General Hospital and of the minor injuries unit in Monaghan hospital. As he will be aware, there were concerns about the midwifery led unit in Cavan hospital recently. I am delighted the Minister's predecessor, Deputy …

I will be sharing with Deputies Niall Collins, McAuliffe and Pádraig O'Sullivan. Fianna Fáil welcomes the opportunity to debate the annual transition statement as it relates to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Unfortunately, due to the time lapse between when this debate was supposed to happen in January and now, the circumstances in which the transition will take place have changed utterly. Though only six months old, the document is in many respects a relic of another time. For example, it m…

I will ask the Minister a question on the Cavan midwifery led unit or MLU. I am sure he was not expecting this question today. Sixteen years ago, there was a vision for providing the women of the Border and midlands region with a new model of maternity care. On 5 July 2004, the midwifery led units in Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda opened their doors. Since then, thousands of babies have been born under the compassionate and professional watch of midwives. The many mothers to who…