Patients using private hospitals are now facing a fee for Covid-19 testing before they go for a procedure. These are the hospitals that got millions of euro in taxpayers' money during the pandemic. I got a telephone call this morning from a constituent whose daughter has cancer and has to go to one of these hospitals regularly. She has been told that at every visit, whether for a check-up or chemotherapy, she will be charged €250. This fee is being charged in respect of children's appointments. We need clarity on t…

Coming from a Border town, Dundalk, I know the devastating effects that Brexit will have if we do not put in place the necessary measures to deal with it. There are many unanswered questions and a lack of information available to businesses. Will there be a hard border? Will there be customs checks on the Border? What will be the situation with tariffs? How will workers travel from Dundalk to the North and vice versa ? Will people be stopped at the Border? Will driving licences and car insurance still be valid in b…

No. I am taking the full ten minutes.

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate. I wish to offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives due to Covid over the past week. I also offer my best wishes to those who continue to fight this terrible disease, be they in hospital or isolating at home. It is clear that we are winning this battle, but we must not become complacent. I urge the public, particularly the younger generation, to continue following the guidelines as laid out by the Chief Medical Offic…

I am sharing time with Deputy Tóibín. I wish the incoming Government the very best of luck in what will be a very challenging time for our country over the coming years. The programme for Government is ambitious, and while I do not agree with everything in it, I will support it as long as it means our country is on the road to recovery. In recent Dáil terms, my constituency of Louth and east Meath has been neglected at ministerial level. As a result, we have lost out on valuable resources and supports. As an Indepe…

I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have passed away in the last week due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I again give my full support to all the front-line heroes who are keeping us safe during this most critical time. I am particularly pleased to note that there have been no new cases in my constituency of Louth since last Friday which is a testament to the efforts, commitment and resilience of the people of the constituency. If anything, this Covid-19 crisis has shown us the value o…

I am pleased to take part in today's debate and I acknowledge the comments made by the contributors so far. I take this opportunity to pass on my condolences to family and friends of those who died as a result of Covid-19 in the past week. I also want to pass on my sincere thanks to all those front-line workers who continue to perform heroically in the fight against this disease. As can be seen from the daily figures, the Irish people are winning the battle against Covid-19, which is a great testament to their dete…

As the country now enters phase two of the lockdown I once more pay tribute to the many heroes working on the front line, helping to keep us all safe during this period. I also offer my condolences to the family and friends of those who passed away in the last week as a result of this horrible disease. The people of Ireland are putting in a truly great effort in keeping this virus at bay. We have heard many media reports that the emergency weekly pandemic unemployment payment will be changed shortly. I believe this…

On a point of order, there are many Deputies here belonging to different groups. I thought there was a maximum of two allowed per party. I see many Deputies who should not be in this Chamber. I ask the Acting Chairman to have a look. I am not trying to be smart on this. If people outside are obeying the rules, I do not see any reason we should not obey the rules in this House.

Sorry, if the Acting Chairman does not do that, I will leave the Chamber. There are too many Members in this Chamber. Can the Acting Chairman please ask that Members who are not supposed to be in the Chamber to leave?

It has nothing to do with the social distancing.

There is a maximum number of TDs. At one stage, there were four from Fianna Fáil to speak.

It does not matter. Sinn Féin is one of the ones. The rules are the rules. They have three Members at present. Three Members are not allowed in here at present. There should be only two Members from Sinn Féin here.

It is wrong.

I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate. First, I offer my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones to the coronavirus during the past week. I also take this opportunity to thank all the heroic front-line staff who have been magnificent in helping to keep all of us safe during these very challenging times. Finally, I thank the Irish people for their continuing support in our fight to eradicate this awful disease. The fact that the numbers dying and contradicting the virus continue to drop dr…

Louth has probably the two biggest towns in Ireland, Dundalk and Drogheda. There are also big towns such as Ardee and Carlingford. I go through these towns on a daily basis and the amount of houses that are boarded up is an absolute disgrace. Every time I approach the county manager or the housing manager, they tell me that the Government will not give them money. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could contact the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, because this …

For a long time, constituents in Louth and, I am sure, every county in Ireland have encountered this problem of local needs. For the past number of years, I have been challenging the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State, Deputy English. In the past two or three years, they keep telling me it is the European court and this and that will be sorted out. People who live in villages, who want to stay in their own community and who want to build their own house cannot get planning permission. These c…

I welcome the opportunity to participate in today's debate. I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died over the past week due to Covid-19. The number of deaths is decreasing, which is to be welcomed but the sorrow and grief of those who have lost loved ones to this terrible virus is as painful as at any other time. I would also like to take this opportunity to offer those who are currently fighting Covid my full support and I wish them well during this very difficult time. I a…

I want to raise another important issue regarding the recent handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, that is, the "do not resuscitate" order. Most families are totally unprepared when confronted with the discussion around a "do not resuscitate" order when a loved one becomes gravely ill. I am aware the HSE guidelines place an obligation on healthcare providers to consult with patients where possible or, alternatively, with family members regarding the issue of "do not resuscitate" orders. However, the reality is that ma…

What percentage of residents in nursing homes and residential homes suspected of contracting Covid-19 between February and May 2020 were admitted to hospital for treatment? I know the percentage of residents from such homes admitted to hospital during a typical flu season is quite low. We all know that Covid-19 poses a much more serious health risk than a flu and I would have thought the percentage of residents being admitted to hospital should be considerably higher. There are many distraught families who have los…