He wanted to open-----

I will be more gentle. I ask permission to correct the-----

I am conscious that there has been much debate in recent weeks about the return to school for students. Yesterday the Taoiseach again stressed that the return is a priority and that within that phased return there is a priority for students with special needs. For many students, it is not just a question of when they will return but to what they will return. The facilities in a number of these schools are not fit for purpose. One such school featured in a special report in The Irish Times on Friday - the Stepping S…

I thank the Minister very much for his presentation. I join him in thanking all those on the front line in this particular sphere of housing and local government who have done so much since March of last year to assist those most in need during this crisis, particularly those dealing with homeless people. I also join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in praising Senator Ruane for the work she has done in her capacity. I commend the people who volunteered for the Community Call initiative, which was vital in providing home su…

I always do.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter and I thank the Minister of State for being present. Last Friday evening with no advance warning to employees or to the National Union of Journalists, a large number of journalists across a range of well-known local newspapers were laid off. These included the well-known titles, The Midland Tribune and The Tullamore Tribune , the Clonmel Nationalist , the Tipperary Star , the Donegal Democrat , the Leinster Express , and the Leitrim Observer , all of which are par…

The Minister of State correctly stated that there should be consultation in scenarios such as this. That is the exact point. There was no consultation, none. On Friday night, Ian McGuinness, the Irish organiser of the National Union of Journalists, stated, "At a time when we need solid, public service journalism more than ever, we have seen Iconic Newspapers announce their intention to impose another round of savage cuts." These cuts were taken without prior consultation. I very much welcome the commitment the Gove…

Yesterday representatives of the newspaper industry, both local and national, attended a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. They set out the challenges facing the print media industry today, particularly in the context of Covid-19. They outlined the work they have done during the pandemic and the financial hit they have taken. First and foremost, we must remember that media outlets are businesses and the aim of their owners is to make money because i…

I want to welcome the news in the past hour that €2.5 million in funding will be set aside for swimming pools across this country. I want to thank Sport Ireland and the Government for releasing this money, because swimming is one of the great participation sports in Ireland. In October, Mr. Peter Conway, the chairperson of Swim Ireland came before us at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. He spelled out the very precarious position the organisation was in at tha…

In accordance with the order of the Seanad today the division is postponed until after the Order of Business on Wednesday, 9 December.

When is it proposed to sit again?

From the contributions the Minister of State has listened to over the past two hours, in particular from Government Senators, he will have a sense of the passion and anger felt about this matter. I support and commend Senator Casey, as someone with professional experience at the very core of this industry which has been hit so badly. Decisions by the Government in any sphere should support the industry and not hurt it further. If something that has been working for three decades is still working, why try to fix it …

I welcome the National Transport Authority's review of its transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, launched last Thursday and which will take in counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. The strategy will set out a policy and a blueprint for the next 20 years. One of the projects included in the review is one for which we have been waiting 20 years already, the Navan rail line. One wonders how much longer we are going to have to wait. I have read the assessment study and its objectives. It refers to undertaking …

I welcome the Minister of State. I acknowledge his words and his work in ensuring that businesses that were forced to close as a result of the pandemic and their staff were supported. It is important that this debate is framed by acknowledging how it was predicted last spring that our economy would shrink by 8%, but now it is predicted that it will only shrink by 2.3%. I wish to highlight the resilience of business in Ireland, especially in the multinational sector and the strong exports by IT companies and pharmac…

They are not here.

They are not here.

Please address the Chair. We are not engaging in a to-and-fro here.

I call Senator Keogan.

Do not mind him.

Senator Ahearn will have five minutes on his own.