I wish to raise three issues with the Minister. Covid is rampant within our community and it is spreading quicker than ever before. As reported this week, Ireland has the highest rate of infection in the world in recent weeks. This is a truly frightening time for everyone. With this in mind, the first issue I wish to raise is the safety of students and staff in schools once they return. I have spoken to many parents and staff who are genuinely worried about the safety, not only of their schoolgoing children but als…

One of the most contentious issues which I deal with in my constituency office concerns planning, and particularly those people looking to build in their home parishes. The opinion now seems to be that county councils, and Louth County Council in particular, do not want any one-off housing construction to take place. The current Louth county development plan severely curtails one-off housing. I completely understand the rationale behind the idea that it would be better for people to live in large urban areas, where…

I raise the issue of the location of the Covid-19 test centres around the country, in particular the test centre in Ardee, County Louth. The Covid test centre in Ardee was opened in October of this year. It has the capacity to carry out 3,500 Covid tests per week. It operates with a six-lane capacity and can operate on a seven days a week basis when needed. I visited the site shortly before it opened and I must say it is a fabulous facility and very well staffed. At the time, as the Taoiseach knows, I raised concer…

One does not have to be a genius to realise that there is a problem in Ardee. A few weeks ago the incidence rate was 5 per 100,000 compared to 205 per 100,000 now. It is vital to get the bottom of what has gone wrong in Ardee. I appreciate the Taoiseach's promise to come back to me. I ask him not to put this on the long finger. The last thing we want is for more people to catch the coronavirus and die. It is very important to ensure that when a test centre is opened the people living in the area are protected. Peop…

I welcome the opportunity to speak. As a member of the Regional Group, I am delighted that we have brought this Private Members’ motion to the Dáil today. We call on the Government to publish all data on mental health and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. We want the Government to give a commitment to the effect that mental health will be central to the plan to combat Covid-19. We also want the Government to recognise that mental heath services are an essential part of its response to Covid-19. Domestic violenc…

The personal insolvency (amendment) (No. 1) Bill is listed under the justice and equality heading on page 11 of the legislative programme. When is it expected to be published and tabled in the House? I have been contacted about a recent High Court decision by Mr. Justice McDonald concerning debt-for-equity swaps in personal insolvency cases, which has effectively excluded thousands of distressed mortgage holders from achieving a solution that allows them to retain their homes. Will this situation be addressed in th…

I welcome the opportunity to speak. Covid continues to dominate the daily lives of everyone, not only here in Ireland but worldwide. I welcome the fact there are positive signs that a successful vaccine is not too far away. Everyone’s life has been affected and put on hold during the pandemic. Many people have paid the ultimate price. We must learn from this pandemic. We must prepare ourselves for the future pandemic because there is no doubt we will be faced with this at some stage in the future. I suspect that li…

I want to raise with the Tánaiste the issue of the different approaches being taken on both sides of the Border on the island of Ireland in regard to Covid. It has been reported in the media today that the Government is considering relaxing the lockdown restrictions after the current period ends and limiting the public to seeing only family members in terms of close contacts over the Christmas period. As the Tánaiste will be aware, the Northern Assembly is deadlocked and playing petty political games in its approac…

We need to protect our people and businesses. I asked the Taoiseach the exact same question on Tuesday and he basically gave me the same answer, that the Ministers are speaking to each other, as are the chief medical officers. We have a serious issue at the moment. Everything the Tánaiste told me indicates that we need to do something across the Border. I come from Dundalk. What will happen on Friday in the North if they start opening pubs and restaurants? People will travel from the South across the Border and vic…

The number of Northern number plates I have seen is unreal. I ask the Tánaiste to do something to protect the citizens of Ireland, please.

Recently, I raised the issue of churches and the celebration of mass being banned as a result of the current lockdown. I strongly disagree with this approach. Like many other people, I see the celebration of mass and the sacraments as an essential service, at the least. Churches have gone to great lengths to ensure that they are safe places in which to congregate and I do not believe any outbreaks of Covid-19 have been associated with attendance at mass. Has the Government discussed this and are there plans in plac…

On a point of order, I asked a specific question, as I am entitled to, and I would appreciate a reply. If the Deputy wants to ask a question, that is no problem at all. I would like to have a specific answer.

Coming from a Border county area I know too well the devastating effects a hard border would have on the region. In recent times, we have almost forgotten that a border exists as people and trade flow seamlessly both ways across the Border on a daily basis. I am also old enough to remember when this was not the case, a time when there were Border checkpoints, cross-border smuggling, daily killing and attacks. I genuinely thought we had left all of this behind us and I hope we do not go back to those dark times. The…

As we speak, the Northern Ireland Assembly is discussing restrictions in Northern Ireland, which are to be reviewed on Friday. I come from a Border county. We in Louth, Meath and Monaghan have busted our backsides getting the coronavirus rate down. Our number of deaths has dropped, as has our number of positive cases. The North's numbers have doubled. Is the Government negotiating with the Northern Ireland Assembly? Everyone is talking about a united Ireland, but we seem to be on two different planets at the moment…

We do not want another lockdown. We have had two so far.

If something is not done with the North, we will have a third lockdown. Please, sort out the North.

What the Tánaiste did in handing over confidential documents to a GP friend was wrong. That the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, was not aware of that sharing of information was also wrong. It displayed a lack of trust in the then Minister. The bottom line is that the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, displayed a complete lack of judgment and undermined his colleagues in government and in his party. If such a situation involving one of his colleagues in government were to arise, I doubt that the Tánaiste would …

We are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and also facing the prospect of a hard border within two months. Overall, I believe this budget is the right budget for this time and will give us an opportunity to get the economy back on track, once we get over the Covid crisis. Brexit, on the other hand, will be a more difficult challenge and will, I fear, have longer-term consequences for the country, particularly for Border counties like my constituency of Louth. The budget has not delivered answers or solutions in …

The Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 was signed into law by the President on 11 September 2020 and it provided An Garda Síochána with statutory enforcement powers to ensure strict adherence to public health measures in licensed premises and registered clubs in respect of the grave risk to human life and public health posed by Covid 19. These provisions are due to expire on 9 November 2020 and the motion before the House is to extend them until 9 June 2021. I put on record my support for an…

It is vital, at this critical time, that Dáil Éireann gets behind this motion and supports our call. Post offices need urgent Government assistance in order to survive the current crisis and build for the future so that we will have a profitable and sustainable post office network. An Post is more than the post office, it is a vital part of every local community in every village and town. Post offices are not only a place where people conduct business, but also a place where social interaction takes place and, more…