I will raise two matters with the Taoiseach. The first pertains to the redundancy law which was extended today. With this law the Government has effectively allowed companies to make workers redundant while refusing to allow workers who have been laid off to invoke redundancy to get the payments to which they are entitled. Instead these workers are being left in limbo. They cannot get their redundancy payments from the company, but they are told by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to look …

Are last week's media reports accurate in suggesting the Government is seriously planning to take the power to hire and promote senior gardaí from the Policing Authority, which was a reform designed to protect whistleblowers in particular, and give that power back to the Garda Commissioner? In light of all the scandals, can that really be the Government's plan?

I think that means the answer is "Yes", but I ask for confirmation. Is The Irish Times accurate in stating that the Garda Commissioner would regain power to make appointments and promotions in the force under plans agreed by the coalition? That is a very serious decision that has significant implications. The report of the Smithwick tribunal found that loyalty is prized over honesty within the Garda Síochána. That is one of the reasons that in 2017, as a reform to protect whistleblowers such as Maurice McCabe, the …

If the Government gets away with this, in future whistleblowers or perceived whistleblowers may be discriminated against in terms of promotion by a Garda Commissioner. The power was taken out of the hands of the Garda Commissioner and given to the Policing Authority for a very good reason. We all saw the disgraceful treatment of Maurice McCabe and others. It is an astounding counter-reform to recentralise power in the hands of the Garda Commissioner given the chilling effect that can have within the ranks. How much…

I will vote to annul the regulations. We have consistently opposed the granting of additional powers to the State and the creation of criminal offences in an attempt to deal with Covid-19. There are two reasons for that. First, we do not trust that these measures will not be used against protesters and as a general incursion on civil liberties. The regulations do not make any distinction to allow for peaceful protest. They treat protests outdoors in the same manner as a barbecue or something else. We know that thes…

It is no offence to the Minister of State but it is scandalous that we are here to discuss health and the Minister for Health was present for the statements of a number of the other Opposition groups and backbenchers but then will not be there for a whole load of groups. I have a question that I will pose to the Minister of State and she might not know the answer because she is not the Minister for Health but the Government has chosen to put her in this position so I will ask her the question and leave her time to …

I left time for an answer.

It was allowed earlier.

Maybe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle did not but it was allowed earlier.

It was allowed when a Sinn Féin speaker was speaking.

It was.

Sessions such as this have been carried out interactively. It is said that if time is left over then answers can be given.

I hope I will get an answer from the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, at the end and he has time to get the answer because it is a huge issue and it has received relatively little coverage. The issue is that there is a plan to downgrade the children's department in Tallaght University Hospital to an urgent care centre as part of the national children's hospital but that is not open. It seems that the coronavirus has been used to speed up that process and that the children's department was closed because of the co…

I am sharing time with Deputy Mick Barry. This is the first debate in which I have spoken under the new speaking rules and what an attempt it is to muzzle the Opposition. By the time we get to speak for five minutes the Government has spoken for 32 minutes. By the time our slot comes up, instead of four slots before us there have been eight. By the time some of the other Opposition groups get to speak for five minutes, the Government will have spoken for a total of 60 minutes. No wonder they tried to drive this pro…

Deputy McConalogue will today become the fourth Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in four months and nothing sums up the dumpster fire that is this Government as succinctly as the revolving door at the Department. It goes around, bringing in a new Minister each month. We started lockdown with the former Minister, Deputy Creed, who rushed to the defence of the meat plant owners, ignoring the pleas of the workers and the left for factory inspections. His legacy is the outbreak of Covid-19 in these plants.…

Before addressing the Bill I will briefly address a matter that is down for decision without debate today. It would be very unfortunate if we made a decision on it without any debate. I think it would be wrong to proceed with the proposal in question. It was agreed between the Government and Sinn Féin representatives at the committee dealing with Dáil reform and saw dissent at that meeting from me and Deputies Catherine Murphy and Thomas Pringle. This proposal would marginalise all groups from the Opposition other …

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

It is not about how much time is given.

The Government is trying to muzzle the Opposition.