Last week, I raised the issue of nursing homes in the context of the troubling contents of the recent report by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, into the handling of the Covid outbreak. I spoke on that occasion about the need for a formal inquiry into what has happened. In the United Kingdom, the authorities have started their inquiries into similar problems in that jurisdiction. This week, the Committee of Public Accounts at Westminster published its report, which found shocking failures in deci…

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well in his brief. I welcome this Bill. Tenants in Ireland have historically had far fewer rights than their counterparts on the Continent. This imbalance has been substantially addressed in recent years, and we should have no fear about continuing in that direction. This Bill places restrictions on property rights guaranteed under the Constitution. As such, the Oireachtas has a legal and moral duty to act responsib…

I thank Senator Craughwell and the House. I have just two points to make. I will start, of course, by welcoming the Minister. Senator Byrne spoke of the disconnect between the public health response to an outbreak in a meat factory and the response to an outbreak in a direct provision centre, which was a complete failure by comparison. It must be made clear that, once people are in our State and under our protection, they must be given the same level of care and protection as the citizens of our State. Today is Wor…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Go n-éirí go geal léi ina dualgas nua. During the interregnum I saw the Minister on a number of occasions. She has had a busy time and I wish her well in her brief. I will start by quoting a letter I received from a supporter of mine which expresses the confusion and fear caused to people where there are governance and administrative complications such as the one that has arisen in respect of the pandemic unemployment payment and the impact on people of travelling abroad, in respect of …

The Government would get a fair few Garda drivers for that.

Beimid trína chéile.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus guím gach rath uirthi agus a dualgas mór tábhachtach á chomhlíonadh aici. The Minister is very welcome. I listened very carefully to her speech. Naturally enough, at the moment most people will be focused on the plan to reopen schools, which is extremely welcome. Education is a very important and challenging brief at any time. Everybody recognises the particular importance and sensitivity of the work before the Minister now because of Covid-19. We recognise the vital importance of g…

I congratulate the Minister on her appointment and wish her well in the time ahead. Go n-éirí go geal léi. The Bill is generally welcome, although others may well already have commented that here we are, yet again, taking all Stages of an important Bill in just a few short hours in a single day. While this is certainly excusable and necessary for Bills relating to emergency health or financial measures in response to Covid-19, or one-line Bills such as the Minister and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, which was debate…

There were celebrations on that occasion.

The section concerns statements of truth, a matter that was raised on Second Stage and that was a subject of focus previously in the House. To be clear, section 20 will provide for "the lodgement or filing of a document with, and the making of an application to, a court by transmitting the document or application by electronic means". Clearly, it is very welcome that such an adjustment to the way things are done will be made in the interests of efficiency and so on, and providing that documents, applications and so…

I thank the Minister for her reply and Senator Ward for his very helpful analysis. I have much sympathy with that analysis. There is a great deal to be said for efficiencies here. I still think, and it probably has to be said, that the commentary and reaction of the Law Society to this was unhelpful. To some degree, it raises certain issues that may not actually arise at all, depending on what the relevant committee produces in terms of options. There is a big difference between getting rid of the requirement of an…

I am in favour of pluralism provided it is a genuine pluralism.

I agree with what Senator Paddy Burke said about deceased former Members. The late Farrell McElgunn, a former Senator and MEP, departed this life in March as well. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé. It was reported, a Chathoirligh agus a Threoraí, that the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Civil Law and Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020, under which terms a witness would no longer be required to swear before God or to make an affirmation when filing an affidavit. What is proposed instead is that people will be …

I endorse what my colleague, Senator Boyhan, said earlier about the ordering of business. I respectfully suggest the business of the day should not be a revelation when the Leader gets up to speak. I know that there is goodwill on all sides and that it will take time to get these things sorted but I think what Senator Boyhan said is important. The HIQA report into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted a number of issues with which most of us are now very familiar, such as the delays in testing, a lack o…

It is just like old times.

Guím gach rath ar an Aire Stáit nua. I wish him very well in his work. Somebody once said that if one thinks education is expensive, one should try ignorance. It is important that we get our education policy right. As other speakers have said, investment in education is absolutely critical. We are all aware of the funding crisis at third level. Looking at what this legislation seeks to bring about with regard to the establishment of a new Department, however, I ask whether the business case has been made for its es…

An article in The Economist this week refers to Ireland being an unlikely diplomatic superpower. The point is that relative to our population size, we hold extraordinary clout in Europe. The Brexit negotiations being effectively shaped around our interests is an example of that. The article also mentioned our access to the corridors of power in the United States. It might have mentioned our membership of the UN Security Council. Unfortunately, it did not give much focus to how we use our diplomatic clout on issues …

That is always a mistake-----

Some days ago I heard that Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin has communicated to the family of a young woman with Down's syndrome aged 15 that her appointment for an MRI would not take place until 2029. I did not think it was a joke because one would not joke about something so serious. I thought it must be evidence of a computer glitch or a clerical error. Like many people, I was astonished to discover that this is what happened in deadly earnest. I am sure that many people are aware of this case as raised…

In honour of Jack Charlton.