I also want to thank my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, for all of the work he does on housing. I was somewhat astounded over the past number of days to see the surprise expressed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about the tax avoidance measures enjoyed by the real estate investment trusts, REITs. It is absolutely mind-boggling. For heaven’s sake, they designed, sat down and worked them out. They either did not know what they were doing or they were persuaded of the merits by the vested interests that these investment vehic…

I, too, offer my good wishes to the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I do not know if the Tánaiste is aware that students have been pushed out and denied SUSI grants because they have accepted the pandemic unemployment payment. If they were on the TWSS, they would be treated differently. At a minimum, I am asking the Tánaiste to introduce the normal disregards for student employment income. This needs to be implemented immediately. That is a deduction of €4,500 for holiday earnings. The PUP is an exceptional payment and m…

As my colleague stated, the Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021 seeks to end the rip-off relating to students and their families. I would first like to commend the USI and the previous speaker, my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, and his team for the work they have done on this Bill. In addition, I acknowledge the 56 Opposition Deputies who have already signed up to the Bill. We are living through a housing crisis that has a real impact on access to third level education, espe…

We have a real opportunity with CAP to introduce fairness to farming. I will not go over the many years when farmers have been let down. I am speaking particularly about farmers in Mayo and the west of Ireland. A Minister from Donegal should understand what I am speaking about. I am very concerned about the complete breakdown of trust between farmers and the Minister and the Government at this particular time. The fear is palpable among the farmers I have spoken to. What they are afraid of is the derogation that we…

Today, Sinn Féin is providing the Minister and his Fianna Fáil colleagues, as well as Fine Gael and the Green Party, with an opportunity to clearly demonstrate that this Government cares for family carers. Family carers have been severely impacted by Covid-19. Many of them have not had a break for over a year now. As always, they are taken for granted. It is also taken for granted that family carers will just keep going regardless. We must remember that many of these family carers have families themselves. They hav…

Has the Minister done a risk assessment for the provision of respite in instances where the residents in respite centres have been vaccinated, all of the staff have been vaccinated and those who seek respite have been vaccinated? How many non-front-line HSE staff, their relatives and friends have been vaccinated? Has the Minister done an investigation into it? I welcome the walk-in test centres in Tullamore and those that have been set up in Dublin. Does the Minister understand how aggrieved the people in Belmullet…

Why is the human papilloma virus, HPV, vaccine not covered under the drugs payment scheme for women who are advised to get it by their consultants or medical practitioners? The reason I ask is that the cost of the HPV vaccine is €600. Many families and women who do not qualify for a medical card because the thresholds are so low are under severe financial pressure. Forcing them to pay €600 for a medical intervention that is deemed necessary by their medical practitioners demonstrates to me that we have not learned …

I am sharing time with my colleagues and would appreciate being cut off after eight minutes. My thanks to Solidarity-People Before Profit for bringing forward this important motion. While it might contain some things that we have differences on, I wholeheartedly support the vast majority of it. The first point arises in terms of removing the barriers in place. I hear the Minister talking, I hear students talking and I hear tutors within colleges talking, but it simply does not add up for me. The first point is in t…

I am sharing time with Deputy Cullinane. The Minister will be aware that, until now, people with disabilities have been forced to choose between academic scholarships and disability payments, including two very impressive women from my county, Mayo. Catherine Gallagher is planning to do a PhD in political communications at Dublin City University, DCU, and Muireann Cosgrave is in the process of completing her undergraduate course in analytical science in DCU and has been offered a PhD position in the Royal College o…

This is also in connection with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially in relation to a person who has been in contact with me, namely, Catherine Gallagher from Achill. She is 23 years of age and has undergone dozens of operations. She ploughed through college and has now been offered a scholarship for a PhD. She is told that if she takes up that PhD and scholarship, her disability benefits, medical card and travel pass will be taken from her. The Tánaiste has been Minister for Hea…

I would like the Minister to respond to those two important questions, about music and mock exams, after my contribution. There needs to be clarity there. On the issue of safety, what has the Minister done specifically to avoid a situation such as that in Claremorris Boys' National School before Christmas? She talked about autonomy. If a board of management, a principal and parents all agree it is not safe for children to attend a school because there are increasing numbers within the community, how does the Minist…

The Minister might respond to the questions on music and mock exams, if the Minister of State does not mind. I appreciate her response.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to make provision in relation to certain tenants’ obligations to pay rent in respect of dwellings used for accommodation during academic term times, to make provision in relation to the maximum period of notice required by such tenants to terminate a tenancy, to oblige certain landlords to refund relevant payments in certain circumstances relating to Covid-19, for those purposes to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and to provide for related m…

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

One of the most important elements of the New Decade, New Approach agreement and of all the preceding agreements, is the provision of educational innovation and research opportunities across the island. The agreement commits the Irish Government to delivering for the people of the North on a sustainable economic basis. A post-conflict education system must be underpinned and permeated by the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, by parity of esteem, by mutual respect and by equality of opportunity. Indeed, the a…

Notwithstanding what the Tánaiste said about Ulster Bank in the House earlier, if redundancies are to happen, will he be calling for the money from the sale of the bank's existing loan book to be ring-fenced for a decent redundancy package for workers? Is it acceptable that he respond to each of my questions in turn?

I foresee that as the various schemes for workers and businesses come to an end, a number of companies will be withdrawing from the State. What legislation does the Government have in place to ensure that workers' rights will be protected in that scenario and that we will not end up in the circumstances in which we ended up recently regarding the Debenhams and Arcadia workers? When is the rates waiver due to end? What arrangements has the Tánaiste put in place to ensure it can be extended so businesses will not be …

I thank my Sinn Féin colleague, Deputy Doherty, for the painstaking work he has done in taking on the insurance industry. He has done this in a hostile environment where those who fiercely defend the status quo allow the insurance industry to dictate how much and how often it demands money from policyholders. Unfortunately, this has been facilitated by compliant governments that have adopted the role of spectator rather than legislator. Insurance is a legal requirement. Preventing policyholders from being robbed sh…

I wish to talk to the Minister about the green cert programme. The Minister will have received correspondence from me. There is a real problem with the part-time online courses. We had a situation in Westport some weeks ago where the course was over-subscribed to the extent that there were hundreds of applications but only 200 places. Applicants were accepted and then they were told later the same evening that they were no longer accepted but that they could be given a place in 2022. What has the Minister put in pl…

I thank the Minister for that response. Can the Minister guarantee me that every young farmer who wants a place on a course to do a green cert online or part-time will be guaranteed such a place? I need not outline to the Minister the implications for farmers in terms of income if that does not happen. This is done both through Teagasc and the higher and further education colleges.