I asked the Tánaiste about the health passport app.

I asked about the testing that was done in Roscommon and the development of a health passport app. Does the Tánaiste know anything about those contracts or how they came about?

I appreciate that the Tánaiste may not have been prepared for this but I would appreciate it if he would check the records. I accept that many people made contact offering help and business opportunities. It is important to know where that contact came from, given the background of the company and how it came to pass that such an important order was placed with a company that ostensibly had no expertise in this area whatsoever. I would appreciate it if the Tánaiste would check for contacts, either with himself, wit…

A few minutes ago, the Tánaiste reminded people of the public health advice. It would be a good idea if he included ventilation in that, given that people will be coming together in enclosed circumstances for long periods and ventilation is critical to assist that effort. On promised legislation, we are all waiting with bated breath to get the detail on the vaccination strategy and there are many unanswered questions. A key question relates to the IT system to underpin the database that will be developed for when p…

I apologise for not being here earlier but I expected the Government speakers who are listed to be here and I did not realise they were not. I am happy to support the Appropriations Bill 2020. Given the year that is in it, any kind of comparisons are fairly meaningless. It has been an exceptional year. Many decisions were taken about spending, most of them correct but some of them questionable. It is important that as we approach the end of the year consideration is given to how those decisions were taken. As I sai…

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on these statements this evening. However, I would make the point that it is not the ideal format for us. There are two major issues facing the country. They are being discussed here tonight at the tail end of the Dáil session and they are only statements. We are going into an almost four-week break over Christmas. It would have been really helpful if in both cases, the vaccine and Brexit, we could have had a question and answer session. It is quite unsatisfactory and diff…

It is very hard to understand what this motion is about. There are lots of words in it and it comprises two and a half pages. It makes 24 different statements about different aspects of the impact of Covid on the country. Many of those statements are valid enough. The motion calls on the Government to do 12 different things. To use the word "omnibus" understates the motion. Everything seems to have been thrown into it, including the kitchen sink. It is a poor use of time. The 24 statements in the motion are divided…

The fantastic breakthrough with Covid-19 vaccines has given terrific hope to people the world over. In this country, everybody is anxiously awaiting tomorrow's Government announcement on the proposed roll-out of the vaccine. Last Tuesday, the Minister for Health released the first report on the proposed priority groupings for the vaccine. I note the list is referred to as a provisional list so I hope it means there is potential to make changes to the list. I want to make a case for that now. This relates to people …

I thank the Tánaiste and I appreciate that positive response. It was suggested there would be an announcement by the Cabinet tomorrow but I note the Tánaiste's indication that it will be next Tuesday. I hope this allows time for the Cabinet to reconsider the matter. I am not making the case for everybody under 18 to be brought up the priority list at all but I refer to a particular category of people under 18 - teenagers - in this very difficult position. I very much appreciate that the Tánaiste will discuss this w…

I want to speak specifically about the business in hand, the legislation. The Social Democrats welcome the legislation and support it. Clearly, there are three main provisions: to facilitate credit unions to hold meetings virtually; to increase the number of consecutive terms of office of a member of the IFAC; and to include the EU as a facility lender. Essentially, this is tidying-up legislation. It addresses a number of administrative issues. The Social Democrats do not have a difficulty with that. I want to make…

I am glad to have an opportunity to make a few brief comments on this legislation. The Social Democrats welcome the Bill and support it fully. We have been talking for a very long time about the relocation of the Central Mental Hospital from Dundrum to Portrane. It is very good that we have gotten to this point where we are about to pass legislation to provide for that relocation and to provide the legal underpinning of that very important move. There are a few issues about which we just do not have full informatio…

Today's motion from the Regional Group has been brought forward against a severe backdrop for the people of Ireland. Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on our nation's physical and mental well-being. At a time when demand has increased, service delivery has slowed and, in some cases, stopped, meaning that the pandemic has had a double hit on our nation's mental well-being. With higher levels of depression and anxiety recorded across many nations, the UN has warned that the pandemic risks sparking a major glob…

As others have said, this is the annual event at which we look at the 2013 permanent risk equalisation scheme and make the normal annual adjustments to elements of that original legislation. The legislation is introduced at the end of each year to make adjustments to the risk equalisation scheme in respect of the stamp duty levies, risk equalisation credits and hospital utilisation credit rates. Private health insurance is regulated by the Health Insurance Authority and it is on its recommendation that these annual…

On behalf of the Social Democrats, I am glad to participate in this debate and to say that, as a party, we very much support the motion. It simply would not make sense to do otherwise or for the Government to consider transferring a huge amount of money into this fund. We welcome the clear decision in this regard. There is no doubt that we are in a situation where unprecedented spending is required. I support the Government in what it has done to date in regard to the response to Covid, both in terms of the health …

It should bring shame upon the Minister for Health and the Government that our student nurses and midwives are being exploited for cheap labour under the current clinical placement scheme. There is no other way of describing it. This has been a glaring issue for many years now but the severe additional pressure placed on student nurses and midwives this year during the pandemic has brought it even more to the fore, and rightly so. There has been a public outcry over this exploitation. The Social Democrats fully sup…

There is a fair degree of caution and concern among the public about what is likely to happen over the next month or so in respect of Covid rates. In that respect, I feel that a lot of the public health messaging is quite weak and needs attention and reinforcement. I prevail upon the Taoiseach to try to get that right because people still do not know what the arrangements are going to be over Christmas. They want to make arrangements and plans at this point and they still do not know what exactly the guidelines and…

The Taoiseach's response does not inspire confidence. There is a lot of nervousness about the real dangers of the importation of the virus, but the Taoiseach has not provided any reassurance at all. We are into December now and we are likely to have a big increase in travel over Christmas and the new year. What the Taoiseach is saying is that at this point the Government is looking at whether there is a need for a legal underpinning of the regulations. That is really late in the day. It is not sufficient for the Ta…

Thanks to the "RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running for their Lives" programme that aired last year, the cruel and inhumane practices of the greyhound industry were revealed to the public. For many, this was the first time they were confronted with the reality of what goes on behind closed doors in greyhound racing and it spurred a major public outcry. Since the airing of that programme, there has been an increased public focus on welfare practices. However, 18 months on it is difficult to point to the practical ap…

Events of the past few weeks with regard to an appointment to the Supreme Court have put the spotlight very much on the relationship between the Government and Oireachtas and the Judiciary. They have certainly created problems for both and potentially brought both into disrepute. There is no doubt that we need to deal with the issue at hand, in particular the appointment to the Supreme Court, but we also need to see the much-needed and long-promised reform of the relationship between the Oireachtas and the Judiciar…

The Taoiseach is insulting people's intelligence.