There is little doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed some of the issues regarding how we take care of the weaker in society, in particular the elderly. At one stage, much was made of the differing death rates between Ireland and the UK, where the use of nursing homes is more widespread, and places like Spain and Italy, where it is more common for multiple generations of the same family to reside together. Needless to say, the comparison eventually fell foul of the rising case numbers, and while heroic effor…

I spoke to a woman from Belfast a few weeks ago about Ballymurphy. She told me that her mother always said that her brother went out that day and came home a totally different person and was lost to the family. He reacted to the state-sponsored violence and the subsequent cover-up of what happened at Ballymurphy and on Bloody Sunday a few months later in the only way he could, which was by taking up arms. I was staggered over the past month or so by how few people to whom I spoke had heard about Ballymurphy. There …

I will finish on this. The names of people such as Fr. Hugh Mullan, surely a modern-day martyr, and all the others should inspire us to work towards peace on this island. It is only with justice that a lasting peace can be delivered. The campaign on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the campaign for Pat Finucane and the campaign for the truth about Rosemary Nelson go on, and the Government should act on those.

This is a very important Bill for our country. We have seen the result of climate change in every county and, globally, in the displacement of millions of people from the southern hemisphere. My county of Kerry has been affected by numerous weather events in recent years, including flooding. The Ring of Kerry has seen bad flooding on high mountain passes and White Strand beach in Cahersiveen was under water in February this year. Kenmare has had a number of very bad flooding incidents in the past number of years. I…

I thank Deputy Ó Broin, Ailbhe, the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, and all the team that contributed to this important legislation. This is a motion for grafters. It is for workers. It is for those who saved for years, paying their mortgage, USC and property tax, and who got nothing in return. Some have been trying to give their child an opportunity that they did not get. People from all around Kerry, from Listowel, Rathmore and Cahirciveen, have been in touch with my party's office because when the lockdown ha…

A Cheann Comhairle, I was due to speak on the Bill.

I was to speak after the Government on this, for one and a half minutes.

I will speak to the Minister of State afterwards.

I intended to make two points regarding the courthouse in Tralee-----

-----and the fire in the national park.

The purpose of this Bill is to rectify any constitutional infirmities in legislation identified by the Supreme Court in the case of Wayne Ellis. In its judgment in May 2019, the Supreme Court found that the Oireachtas could impose mandatory penalties but only if applied to all persons. It is not constitutionally permissible for the Oireachtas to specify a mandatory penalty which only applies to a limited class of persons, such as a person who had previously committed one or more listed offences. The Supreme Court h…

Is cuimhin liom, tuairim is deich mbliana ó shin, go raibh beirt fhear agus bhí cónaí orthu in ionad soláthair dhírigh i dTrá Lí. In my club, the Tralee Dynamos, we had two players who were living in direct provision. One was Samir, from Algeria. I remember talking to him. He was receiving €19 per week. He told us he had obtained work for a weekend. He worked for 19 hours over the course of the weekend and he got less than €100 for his work that weekend, which was around half the minimum wage. Samir was probably on…

Gabhaim buíochas don Teachta Mark Ward, Joanna Kelly agus an fhoireann go léir i Sinn Féin. I also thank the public health staff, community and voluntary sector workers and those working in family resource centres whom I have spoken to in the past week. They have spoken of a major increase in demand for services to address issues such as anxiety, drug and alcohol misuse and concerns over sexuality, education, employment, poor self-esteem and behavioural issues. They mentioned the need for extra outreach community-b…

I am sure many Deputies were contacted by a lecturer in Irish studies in the University of Liverpool during the week. I felt like writing back to him because anyone who wants to understand the inequalities in Irish healthcare would feel the lack of a proper system such as a national health service has been highlighted in the vaccine roll-out. I understand that pandemics highlight inequality. People who are housebound due to ill health have been contacting my office in Tralee as they have not received a vaccine. The…

I concur with the comments of Deputy Martin Kenny on our amendment. Another amendment, in the name of Deputy Pringle, calls for a review of the operation of this Bill within three years of its enactment. The Bill introduces procedures that will facilitate the trial of white-collar criminal cases and anything that will facilitate, strengthen and encourage more cases against white-collar defendants will be welcome. I used to work in the criminal courts and often saw the charges with which some people in court were fa…

Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo ag caint le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Tá a lán ceisteanna reatha ag baint leis an teanga. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le clann Margaret Keane tar éis an bua a bhí acu sna cúirteanna i Sasana. Rugadh in Éirinn í ach fuair sí bás i Coventry, áit a chaith sí an mórchuid dá saol. Ní raibh cead ag a clann an Gaolainn a scríobh ar a leac uaighe ach bhí bua acu sna cúirteanna. Bhí a muintir ag iarraidh: “Inár gcroíthe go deo” a scríobh ar an leac uaighe. Dhiúltaigh an coiste sin a…

I wish to raise a couple of issues on the processing of applications and appeals by the public, many of which have been languishing for months and years, paralysing farmers and operators in Kerry and grossly affecting their income. Many constituents have contacted me regarding tree felling licence applications. I inquired about the status of one licence in July. I checked again in January and was told that it would probably be another nine months and to check back again in six months' time. This was for an applicat…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Health Act 1947, and for that purpose to provide for parliamentary oversight of regulations made by the Minister for Health under section 31A of that Act and of orders made by that Minister under section 31B of that Act and to provide for related matters. From the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in May last year, the Government introduced the first regulations to deal with the situation. These have largely been to impose restrictions …

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

The Legal Services Regulatory Authority has been carrying out good work since it was established back in 2016. It is modelled on the core values of transparency; accountability; independence; protecting those who avail of legal services; protecting legal practitioners from frivolous complaints; and ensuring that justice is done and seen to be done. It has proven to be innovative, which is also among its core values. In November 2019, for example, it introduced regulations to allow partnerships of solicitors to appl…