The Government is closing down early years childhood education facilities throughout the country. In 2019, there were 77 net closures; in 2020, there were 70; in 2021, there were 62; last year, on my last count, there were 80 net closures; and this year they are closing by the week. Currently, early years providers are suffering greatly. They have come to the gates of the Dáil to protest again about what is happening. Yes, the Minister has put €212 million into the sector, but where is it going? Some of these provi…

The option for parents to send their kids to these places is being lost.

There is a gap between what the Minister says and the experience of the providers.

No need to worry, so.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the State to make an application to the European Court of Human Rights, in the event of the enactment of British legislation granting amnesty in respect of criminal acts in or relating to the North of Ireland; and to provide for related matters. There is an incredibly urgent need for this Aontú Bill. We urge the Government to get real in terms of fulfilling the main aim of the Bill. It mandates the Government to warn the British Govern…

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

I thank the campaigners in the Gallery for the work they have done on this over the last number of months. Were it not for the work they have done, this issue would have gone below the radar and we would not have had the attention of the Government on it at all. The Government is sleepwalking towards a nursing home capacity cliff edge at the moment and that is putting hundreds of older people in real danger of being evicted or ejected from the nursing homes they are in. The nursing home sector has experienced a 36%…

I thank the campaign for sharing footage of older people having to leave nursing homes due to the funding crisis. That footage is absolutely heartbreaking. The residents are incredibly emotional. The staff are heartbroken and the older person leaving is at a loss as to what is happening. The level of anger in the community is exceptional. I know of one 99-year-old man who may have to leave his home if this crisis is not fixed. A woman who is in a secure dementia unit has been told by CareChoice that it can no longe…

It is ten days since Tara Mines closed and 2,000 people are facing job losses. Workers are facing a deadline of 14 July before the mines are put under care and maintenance. After that, 650 workers will be laid off. I commend SIPTU on its work in putting solutions to Boliden that could save up to €70 million. Boliden has obviously engaged with the Ministers, Deputies Coveney and Humphreys, on this matter. A key element is the Government's role. Currently, the Government is taking more taxes from energy than ever bef…

Will the Government reduce the cost base?

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil freisin leis an nGrúpa Réigiúnach agus le Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh as an rún seo a atheagrú inniu. I want to briefly discuss a related issue, namely, the nursing homes cases of which the Minister of State will be very aware. I welcome to the Public Gallery some of the families who have travelled from Cork today to protest the inaction by the Government in relation to the cost of nursing home care in the Cork area and the massive dange…

The Minister of State is responsible for the process, surely.

Last week, I and other members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement went to London to speak to MPs, peers and Ministers on the legacy Bill. The legacy Bill gives an amnesty to murderers. It is the son and heir of the British cover-up of the actions they took. There were heinous murderers in the North for almost 50 years. It was a unilateral decision that ignored the Irish Government. It undermines the rule of law and the human right to justice. It turns Britain into a…

Bord na Móna workers have created a modern, climate-solutions company. The company was valued at €400 million in 2018. Today, it is valued at €1.25 billion. Derrinlough briquette factory was closed on 1 June. How many of those individuals who were made redundant were redeployed to Bord na Móna's energy generation business? That should be the definition of a just transition as opposed to handing skilled technicians and engineers redundancy in a rural location with little local employment available. To add insult to …

In April I raised the issue of Tara Mines being under serious pressure in terms of costs. There are obviously a range of issues putting the 2,000 jobs in Meath under pressure and we do not have any control over many of these issues. However, there is one element the Government has significant control over and that is the cost of electricity. Electricity is the second highest cost that Tara Mines has and that it is dealing with. The cost of electricity in Ireland is the highest in the whole of the European Union. It…

I urge the Minister. This is really serious. These are 2,000 really important jobs in Meath.

Will the Minister do his best to lower energy costs and meet the workers and factory managers to keep Tara Mines open?

Actions.

No, that is not the case.

I have spoken to the management.