I would share my time but I am here solo and I do not expect to speak for the full time. I welcome the Minister and congratulate her on her position. I have a long history through the education system myself as a parent and I am a former chair of the Home Education Network. I take the opportunity to speak about the fact that children are going back to school and to say it is fantastic that we have in place now such a comprehensive plan. I hope the Minister will adjust and make changes, having seen how schools and c…

I want to explain the reason we will support this Bill. Pre-legislative scrutiny is essential, and I am sure many of my colleagues have spoken about that today. However, this Bill contains, first, necessary measures with expiry dates attached, which is essential when we are talking about Covid-19 and, second, low-hanging fruit measures in terms of the type of legislation needed for our courts. I have spoken to the Department with regard to that and I am satisfied that they are low-hanging and that they are containe…

Lockdown has left us with a legacy of domestic violence. Early in lockdown, I spoke extensively about this issue and warned of the dangers, as did many of the organisations who deal with it on a daily basis. It became a powder keg for already difficult situations. In hidden homes, people were experiencing violence and felt they had nowhere to go. The Garda followed up on all previous incidents of domestic violence to ensure that women and men were getting help. However, we now have a legacy that we must deal with. …

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Ryan. This is not just an amended Bill. It is a statement of intent. We have a list of projects. If we can continue in that manner, actually to show the practical ramifications of the Bills that we have passed, that is the best way to get the public on board. We see a number of these projects dealing with climate in tandem with fuel poverty. Let us continue that and show that this is a Government and a House that is putting in place the practical measures that can change people's live…

I wish to share my time with Senator Alice-Mary Higgins. We will have four minutes each.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy English, for joining us today. We must point out that we have a good news story here today. This is something that businesses and communities have been coming to us about for months and at last we have some good news. When we support small business we support communities in rural Ireland. The sector has 1.3 million jobs but behind the number of jobs there are communities and people. In supporting and investing in small businesses and communities we are also supporting the envir…

I do not know you very well, a Chathaoirligh, but from the few conversations we have had you strike me as an energetic, enthusiastic and creative person and I look forward to working with you. Earlier we discussed your idea about having children in the Chamber to talk about climate and the environment and I would love to work with you on that. I look forward to working with you and the Members of the House. This is a proud day for me, my family - my parents are here - and for my children, Finn and Cara, and my husb…

I extend hearty congratulations to the Minister. From our small engagement on European affairs I found her to be serious, compassionate and intelligent. That arms her well for the job at hand. I served on a jury, I qualified as a solicitor and I am now a politician, so I wish to say a few words from those perspectives. It is not just that justice is done but that justice is seen to be done. That does not only mean what happens in the courts but also what happens here and in the legislative process. We must take our…