I want to comment on the desire of people to have as much information as possible on the vaccine issue. I heard the Minister's answer earlier and I appreciate his bona fides on it. However, I think we are setting up a situation where we are being forced to manage a story that is ultimately in the control of the manufacturers. In many cases, open source data is a great solution in terms of communication with the public in other areas of public policy and we should adopt it here because it would give confidence to pe…

After a decade of housing policy that effectively abandoned affordable home ownership, a new Minister in a new Government is publishing legislation that introduces cost rental for the first time, reintroduces council-led affordable housing, applies a permanent affordability charge on all public land and provides affordable home loans to those accessing housing in the short term while these measures come on stream. Let there be no mistake - Fianna Fáil and this Government are delivering public housing on public land…

I hope my colleagues will leave time at the end for the Minister to answer. I had hoped to be able to bring the Minister on a tour of my constituency when she was appointed. Unfortunately, I will have to do that virtually here today. I want to raise three school issues with the Minister. One is the issue of Clonturk Community College, which we discussed last September. I know the Minister was due to meet those involved but, unfortunately, because of the school reopening arrangements, the meeting had to be postponed…

In light of the threat of a collapsed Northern Ireland Executive and increased community tensions, it is timely that we review an agreement that was born out of similar circumstances. The Good Friday Agreement was an opportunity for us to demonstrate how a shared island might lead to a united Ireland. The commitments that the Irish Government gave in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, in particular those around infrastructure, are tangible examples of how that shared island can be developed. Our Government has…

Last week in my constituency, Ballymun, we saw the death of another man related to the illegal drugs industry. While other Deputies have spoken about addiction to gambling or alcohol, the reality is that if this gentleman had not had an addiction to illegal drugs he might likely be alive. If it is difficult to deal with the alcohol or gambling industry, try dealing with the Kinahans. The reality is that we need to consider the commitments in the programme for Government to move towards examining how we dismantle th…

I will take four minutes and leave some time at the end for the Minister's answer. Although I have raised many of these issues with him privately, I will do so here, on record. I put up a post today welcoming the Helix centre in DCU being used as one of the community vaccination hubs in my area. I was inundated by requests from people asking when they might be vaccinated. It is worth saying that in the context of a vaccination programme about which we thought there might be some hesitancy, we should be delighted th…

It is.

I will only use 60 seconds and leave 60 seconds for the Minister to respond, if he can. We all know that during Covid-19 public spaces have proved invaluable, yet some of them remain very unsafe as a result of illegally driven scrambler bikes. I thank the Minister and the other leaders for securing a commitment on this matter in the programme for Government. I thank the Taoiseach for the leadership he has shown in convening a cross-departmental meeting on this issue, the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, who …

There is no doubt that the pandemic has been difficult for everyone's mental resilience and mental fitness, but two groups find it even more difficult than most. When one's toolbox is full, one will find it easier to respond to a global pandemic, whereas when one has challenges and when there are complexities in one's life, it is inevitable that one will suffer more. The two groups I have in mind are dealt with in my area by the Finglas Counselling Service and the Finglas addiction support team. I imagine that the …

I am sharing time with Deputy Ó Cathasaigh. I have a number of questions for the Minister but I will begin by responding to the claims by both the Labour Party and Sinn Féin regarding the waiving of the tax liability for people on the PUP and those whose employers received the employment wage subsidy scheme. Both parties are showing blatant hypocrisy because they are not equally calling for the tax liability of workers who worked throughout the pandemic and earned the same amount of money in the same period of time…

While I appreciate that the Minister of State recognises the dual role and the fact that many CE schemes provide a community service, I believe some CE schemes are providing State services. A Meals on Wheels service is not equivalent to a CE scheme in a football club, GAA club or community hall. It is, and should be, a direct front-line service provided by the State. In many ways we are exploiting people who are on a training opportunity. I am a former Tús supervisor so I do not use the word "exploit" easily becaus…

I am thinking of the many people in my constituency who have approached me about the issue of affordable housing, some of whom may be tuning into this debate this afternoon. They can see Opposition spokesperson after Opposition spokesperson getting angrier than one another during their slots, which are the right length for Facebook, in order to get a video. They gesticulate at the Minister and give him 50 seconds to answer five questions, 11 seconds to answer two or 30 seconds to answer four questions although they…

A time slot of four and a half minutes gives little time to contribute to the discussion on a report which spans almost 70 years and covers 18 institutions - many more are not covered by it - 28 different Governments, ten local authorities, several religious orders, many trusted professionals, multiple churches and a society shaped by all of that. The report outlines the difficulty the commission experienced in providing its executive summary. In drafting my words today, I have some understanding of that difficulty…

On previous occasions I have started my contribution by offering my condolences to those who have passed away. Over the next few days we know that there will be families laying to rest their loved ones who have suffered the fatal consequences of this virus. They do so in the cruellest of circumstances, limited in numbers to ten mourners, often with a closed coffin, and without the support of their wider family or community. Tomorrow, I and my family will do that with my grandmother, Patricia McAuliffe, who was a ve…

I am reflecting a little bit on Deputy O'Connor's contribution as he said it would be his last contribution for the year. It makes us reflect on the year we have had. Certainly the election in February seems more than just a number of months ago. Since then, we have had to tackle two major issues. One is the impact of the virus itself, and I believe we have managed the virus well in this country. The numbers and comparisons with other European countries over recent weeks have shown we have managed the virus well. W…

I think the bulb blew but the best referee in Croke Park might not see me, I am so far back. I welcome the publication of the Bill. Previous speakers described it as technical legislation, and in some ways it is, but it underpins the vision for the relocation of the facility. I acknowledge the improvement in services and facilities it will bring about. I also acknowledge the provisions relating to child and adolescent mental health facilities that Deputy Costello mentioned. Anyone who has been to the campus for the…

I believe I am sharing with Deputy Carroll MacNeill, although I cannot see her in the Chamber. She may be on the upper deck.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Having been a Member of this House only since February, I am aware that a vast amount of the time in this Chamber is spent on the Opposition misleading many people that this Government does not protect the most vulnerable in our society. From the first days during which the programme for Government was being put together, that has been a core objective of this Government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. The passage of this Bill gives us an opportunity t…

I thank the Minister for his comments. There has been debate on this issue already and I will not extend it. A sum of €2 trillion is an eye-watering amount of money, but even that amount is not enough to entice Europe to deviate from its values. Many in the UK argued for a long time that the EU is a Common Market rather than a Union. That is an important aspect in respect of how we consider this matter. Ultimately, the EU is more than a Common Market. It is a Union and, ultimately, a peace project and at the heart …

I thank the Minister.