This Sinn Féin motion, tabled by my party colleague, Deputy Kathleen Funchion, sets out to address the three big issues in the early years childcare sector. The first of these is the crippling costs of childcare to working families. The second is the lack of real respect, fairness and remuneration for the 30,000 highly qualified and skilled workers who deserve career opportunities and recognition for the essential work they do. Finally, I refer to the need for financial support in the form of the 100% restoration o…

It was obvious from the beginning that this global pandemic that a European response was required to meet the unprecedented challenges relating to Covid-19. We therefore welcome this Bill. The support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency, SURE, instrument within this Bill provides for €100 billion to be raised on the capital markets by the EU Commission. This will enable member states to temporarily mitigate unemployment risks and it will help us to finance our wage subsidy scheme. It is vitally important…

I want to-----

This motion is enormously important to thousands of mothers and families throughout the State, as the Minister acknowledged. I also acknowledge the work done by the National Women's Council of Ireland and the group campaigning to extend maternity leave in 2020. I further acknowledge Deputy Kerrane for bringing the motion before the House. We are only talking about 12 weeks, or 60 working days. This would help the likes of Lauren, who finished her maternity leave on 31 May. She has 16 weeks of extended leave. She ha…

Saturday will mark the fourth anniversary of the publication of the Cassells report. The commitments in that report have not yet been implemented and are now beyond urgent. Many families are being pushed into poverty because they are excluded from the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants. With the Covid crisis, will the Government assess SUSI to allow for the changes in families' financial circumstances so that they are not based on last year's figures. This especially affects the self-employed. A widow …

Last night, the report of a review in the UK led by Baroness Cumberlege into certain medical treatments, including sodium valproate, was published. In respect of sodium valproate, Baroness Cumberlege said: I have conducted many reviews and inquiries over the years, but I have never encountered anything like this; the intensity of suffering experienced by so many families, and the fact that they have endured it for decades. Much of this suffering was entirely avoidable... The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donn…

I wish to talk about the new wage scale. If someone was on a different wage agreement before the Covid-19 crisis, can they still be included in the wage-subsidy scheme? The main issue I raise today relates to dry cleaners and launderettes. There are no specific guidelines, supports or personal protective equipment, PPE, provided to the industry. On the contrary, the Government advised many members of the public not to use the services of dry cleaners and launderettes. The Government did not consult or engage with t…

Go raibh maith agat. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Ring, and this opportunity to get answers to some questions. I thank the Minister for the funding that has been made available to the community and voluntary sector and I commend the meitheal of volunteers that have done Trojan work throughout the country. We need to examine the value of the community and voluntary sector. I refer the Minister to the community employment supervisors and their pension entitlements, which issue has been through the many mechanisms o…

Businesses are now making crucial decisions as to whether they will reopen. This is happening every day of the week, yet we still see insurance companies fighting tooth and nail to cripple the same small businesses. These are the businesses that have come through the recession and battled through everything. I spoke yesterday evening to a businesswoman who has been in business for 40 years. She does not know whether she will be able to continue in business. Affected businesses are employing many people, particularl…

As we work our way out of the turmoil of this pandemic, the entire EU project faces an extraordinary test. There are opportunities, however, not only to address the democratic deficit that contributed to Brexit but also to reshape many aspects of our society and of the whole of our island. The EU has a major and crucial role to play in this transition, and the EU financial support package, the suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact, the temporary relaxing of state aid rules, the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP…

Is the Government concerned about the high interest rates to be charged by the Irish banks to distribute the EU financial package? Has it quantified the projected amount that is going to be made by financial institutions in delivering the Covid-19 package? The reason I ask is that the European Central Bank rates today are the lowest ever on record. Deposit rates are minus 0.5% and refinancing rates are 0.05%. It is very difficult for businesses which are taking on more debt to carry up to 4.5% in that amount. These…

I hope this will be my last contribution to the Seanad. I thank-----

Yes, moving down. I know that the Cathaoirleach will miss me.

I know. This is where all of the intellectual debates happen. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the manner in which he has presided over this House since I was elected to it in 2016. He has run it in an exemplary way. I also thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Coghlan. It is not just because my mother is from Kerry that I am saying thanks to him. His kindness and direction, no more than the Cathaoirleach's, needs to be acknowledged on a day like today as well as on many other tough days in the past. I will always re…

That is true. I thank Mr. Martin Groves, Ms Bridget Doody and all of the team, including the ushers and everybody involved with the Seanad, for the contributions they make and for the way they do their business. In his absence, I thank the Leader, Senator Buttimer, and Ms Orla Murray for the fair manner in which they run things. We have had many a spat but we have not fallen out so far. I thank my team. I have had the pleasure of leading the Sinn Féin team in the Seanad. There has been great diversity, consensus an…

Not yet. I will end my contribution by mentioning the importance of voting, regardless of how people choose to vote. At lunchtime, Geraldine, whom I acknowledge, said to me that, if one votes, one gets the representatives one wants, and if one does not, one gets the representatives one deserves. It is awfully important for people to vote. I would like this House to look at how it can make it easier for people to vote. We are asking people to go to council offices and Garda stations before going back to council offi…