I welcome that mental health services have continued throughout the pandemic, albeit in a restructured and restricted manner. Specialist mental health services have continued to operate at 85% to 90% of pre-Covid levels. While that continuation of service is welcome, it is undeniable that the impact of the Covid-19 crisis will be felt for many years to come. Recent analysis in the UK found that those who suffered most throughout the pandemic in financial terms were also most likely to suffer some form of mental ill…

The programme for Government seeks to work to protect customers during and after Covid-19, with particular emphasis on business disruption insurance and supporting the Central Bank's direction on compensating businesses with disruption cover for infectious diseases. In recent weeks, FBD's attempts to deduct State supports like the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, and rates waivers from the overall awards to its clients have be…

My sentiments centre on, as previous speakers have discussed, what we can do here and now. I welcome the publication of the White Paper on ending direct provision and establishing a new international protection support service. It is a big step. It will be a complex process and, undoubtedly, will require time to deliver. We all are aware of the shortcomings of the current system. The new system will aspire to be based on a human rights approach. In time, it will allow access to the labour market for applicants and …

Last week, we had great news in Cork about the opening of a special education school in Carrigaline. I spoke to other local political representatives about it this morning. They like to play the north side versus south side dichotomy on many different issues. That needs to be called out for the political gimmickry that it is. I welcome the provision of the new school in Carrigaline to cater for 23 families who faced having no school place for their children this coming September. The programme for Government states…

I acknowledge the good work done by the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in recent months on the vaccination roll-out. I concur with Deputy Lahart's point that much of the time such work goes unacknowledged. I would like to leave most of my time for the Ministers to respond so I will ask three brief questions. Rapid antigen testing has been a hobby horse of mine for several months. Are there any plans for a mass roll-out of such testing and to encourage its widespread use…

I welcome the Minister's speech in which he reiterated there would be no cliff edge in the removal of supports and that they will continue for as long as is necessary to ensure a strong recovery. Given what we have gone through, we do not want to fall at the final hurdle and I welcome those sentiments today. The point about FBD Insurance was a recurring one made by many speakers today. Will the Minister comment on reports last week that FBD is deducting the value of State supports from pay-outs? We are all aware of…

I would like to inquire this evening about the status of the Glanmire flood relief scheme. I understood the period when it was open to judicial review was to be concluded this week. Can the Minister of State give an update on whether any observations or challenges were received? When will it be progressed to tender? Will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I am obviously glad to hear the possibility of a judicial review is now off the table. We need no reminding of the disastrous impacts that the absence of a scheme in this area has had on businesses and residents. In that respect, I welcome the Minister of State’s statement. However, it is difficult to accept that tendering needs to wait until the third quarter, that is, July, August or September. I implore the Minister of State to do everything in his power to ensure this happen…

I welcome the Minister of State's response. He visited Cork city during some of the flooding events last year. To be fair to him, while we were visiting the various businesses affected that day, he acknowledged that we needed to get on with the majority of these flood schemes. Cork is built on low-lying ground and there are obvious problems in the city. I reiterate the Minister of State's point that we need to get on with these schemes. While we have only a short distance to go to get this scheme over the line, if …

I have three or four brief questions to which I would appreciate responses. Given the alleged difficulties with the vaccination portal up to now, can the Minister clarify details about the veracity of the new portal? Will personal public service, PPS, numbers be used as identifiers? What legislation or statutory instrument will be required to address the problem with children's shoes? Will the Minister clarify when the change will be brought in? Will the Minister outline what contact he and his Department have had …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome the Government's Action Plan for Insurance Reform which was launched in December. I note the progress made to date and the update the Government provided last week. Actions delivered upon include the adoption of new personal injuries guidelines, a public consultation on enhancing the role of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, new regulations on solicitors' advertising, and a response to the Central Bank report on dual pricing. Many small businesses have…

Exaggerated and misleading insurance claims have for far too long driven up costs and impacted competitiveness. It was the case in previous years that businesses had to eat into their everyday cash flow in order to pay off the high cost of insurance. This will not be an option for most businesses post Covid-19 as many of them are financially vulnerable. In the past, areas such as hospitality were greatly impacted by increases in premiums. Hospitality is one of those most vulnerable sectors at the moment due to the …

I will be brief and will allow the rest of my time for the Minister to respond. Rapid antigen testing facilities have opened in Dublin and in Offaly today. For the past few months I have promoted the role of rapid antigen testing. I know why the centres have been opened in those two locations, but will the Minister clarify if he has any plans to promote this any further across the State? There is a bit of confusion around where heart transplant patients lie in the vaccination cohorts. Will the Minister clarify unde…

Deputy MacSharry will not be here to take his time, so he asked my colleagues and I to share it among us. I have four brief questions for the Minister and the Minister of State. On the issue of those in at-risk groups who it is hoped will be vaccinated in the coming weeks and months, if there a requirement for them to be vaccinated at home or in a safe environment, will provision made in that regard rather than these people having to travel to a vaccination centre or a local GP? Deputy Cahill raised the issue of th…

I welcome both Ministers. Following on from Deputy Farrell's contribution, it is an exciting time to be part of a new Department. As a former teacher and educator, it is the apprenticeship side of things which really excites me. I think apprenticeships will finally get their long-overdue respect. They need to be a focus of the Government in rolling this out. I note the good work done by both the Minister and the Minister of State in speaking positively about the need to improve our apprenticeship programme and to d…

I am going to be brief and allow the Minister one and a half minutes in which to respond to my question. Initially, it needs to be acknowledged that we are administering the vaccines as soon as they come in. That is lost here as Members play politics with the matter. Most of the vaccines that have arrived in the country have been distributed and are finding their way to patients. That needs to be acknowledged. I welcome the NIAC review that was undertaken in the past few weeks. It has given great comfort, including…

Beidh mé ag roinnt ama leis an Teachta Ó Cuív. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an díospóireacht seo a chur os comhair na Dála inniu. Mar iardhalta Gaelscoile, mar iarmhúinteoir agus mar thacadóir teanga le roinnt blianta, aithním Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019 agus an dea-obair atá istigh ann agus an dul chun cinn atá á dhéanamh ó thaobh seirbhísí Gaolainne a fhorbairt don phobal lasmuigh de na ceantair Ghaeltachta agus ó thaobh úsáid na teanga san earnáil phoiblí. Go stairiúil, ba cheann de bhunphrio…

I will make a number of points and observations, with a few questions at the end, and I would appreciate a response from either the Minister or Minister of State. Other Deputies have spoken about regression and how we quantify regression in the comings months. I understand, from both the Minister and Minister of State, that there will be expanded summer provision this year, which is welcome but I believe there is justification to quantify that regression. Will the Minister or Minister of State confirm if the Depart…

I have listened to the debate for the last hour and a half. It has been interesting. I believe, like many other Deputies, that we have to acknowledge that we are deeply disappointed with the branch closures in each of our constituencies. In my constituency, branches in Glanmire and in Munster Technological University have been lost, which is disappointing. My first question is on the Minister's response to Deputy Jim O'Callaghan in which he said that Ulster Bank took its decision because it obviously felt there was…

I thank the Minister of State for attending to address this important issue. I am glad that this has been selected as a Topical Issue matter and thank the Minister of State for taking the time to respond. I have been raising this issue for a number of months and am keen to hear about the Government's plans or intentions for the roll-out of rapid antigen testing. The WHO and the European Commission recommend rapid antigen testing that meets the minimum performance requirements of greater than 80% sensitivity and 97%…