In 2012, there was extensive flooding in Glanmire in Cork. On the night of the flood, I was contacted by distraught residents who told me about the damage that was being done to their homes and their businesses. I travelled down on the night to find that there were no sandbags and no support from the Government. Water was rushing through people's doors, destroying their homes and their lives. I then drove to Cork city, where I went to a depot and got sandbags and travelled out to support the residents and do what I…

I begin by welcoming the Government's decision to reverse the cuts to the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment and the employment wage subsidy scheme. I am delighted that the Government listened to me and my Sinn Féin colleagues. We had been calling for these reversals. It goes to show how out of touch the Government was and is that it brought the cuts in in the first place but finally had to concede that they were wrong. It was good to hear a Fianna Fáil Deputy state that a wrong was righted, but when the cuts c…

I do not wish to use up the time if Deputy Daly is just running late. I support Deputy Martin Kenny's amendment to the motion. Will the Acting Chairman indicate whether I may return to the point I was making in my contribution on Second Stage of the Finance Bill 2020?

I agree with the points made by Deputies Martin Kenny and Cullinane.

I will give way.

Over the weekend, we heard about how the tracking and tracing system broke down and collapsed. I wish to briefly outline what that meant for me and my family. My wife is a secondary schoolteacher and last Thursday she was notified by the Covid app that she was a close contact of someone who had tested positive. The same day, her school notified her that a positive case in the school had been confirmed but after risk assessing the situation, she was not deemed to be a close contact. She was informed by the app that …

I asked the Minister a question.

On 10 September, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Feighan, announced in the House that he had approved emergency funding to offset the cost of delivering drug and alcohol services in a Covid-19 environment. Six weeks on, there have been two upward movements in levels and four Government scandals, but the funding is still not available. The only response I have received to multiple parliamentary questions I have tabled on the funding shortage is that it will be announced shortly. I have spok…

I hope this group of amendments will be taken on board by the Minister. The Bill seeks to address the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions for people who are limited to a 5 km radius in trying to find rental accommodation. The Minister said earlier in his contribution that he noticed in August and September that 182 notices to quit were issued.

These are families and individuals who could technically become homeless. As a consequence of the ban on evictions during the first phase of lockdown, we saw the homeless figures go down, but because of what happened in July, we will start to see the figures go up again. I am telling the Minister what people are telling me when they ring me in my constituency office. I know of one family that will be evicted at the end of October. I am aware of people who have a notice to quit for November, December or January, at …

I agree with my colleague. It is vital now that the Tánaiste steps in to convene a meeting with KPMG and the workers and their unions to resolve this matter. It has been going on for six months. We need the Government to step in now because my worry is that this could escalate next week. We need it resolved now.

No problem.

Today's announcement by Ryanair that it will stop the service to Cork is devastating news for the workers, Cork Airport and the wider region. Before Covid-19, Cork Airport was Ireland's fastest growing airport and in the face of Brexit and the Covid-19 crisis, now is the time to build Cork Airport up and position Cork as a counterbalance to Dublin. Without an airport, this is impossible so we need the Minister's support. The spin about this week's budget was focused on pro-jobs and pro-business but today we heard t…

I asked what the Minister is going to do to keep Cork Airport open and ensure its connectivity. The airport is vital for the region and the economies of Cork and the wider region. Will the Minister and the Government consider measures to support Cork and Shannon airports? As my colleagues have also asked, will the State now step in to support the airports and regions? Without State support, we will be left in need and in dire straits.

I welcome the announcement of funding to complete the Dunkettle interchange. This is much needed but it is disappointing that there is still no real commitment to Cork's northern ring road. Overall, this has not been a good budget for Cork. In the face of Brexit and Covid-19, with a Cork Taoiseach and a Cork Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, this was a serious opportunity to deliver Cork as a counterbalance to Dublin, which is policy. Also, the legislation on increasing the carbon tax every year for the n…

The programme for Government states that the Government is very serious about making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. I am not sure if the Tánaiste is aware but there have been serious issues in Cork in respect of disabled parking. Cork city has rolled out an initiative to pedestrianise some streets to get more people to dine outdoors, visit restaurants and utilise the city centre. This is a very good initiative and I welcome it. However, it has caused serious issues with disabled parking spac…

I am trying to ensure adequate and proper disabled parking spaces are provided. I am asking the Government to step in if that is not being done locally.

I welcome this Private Members' motion and I thank the Deputies who have brought it forward because it is so desperately needed. At a time when this Government has just caused chaos and confusion to most people, it is time for clarity and to show people support. From the beginning, the Government has said we are all in this together but the cuts to the pandemic unemployment payment have shown that this Government does not include everyone in being in it together. It is a huge issue for people because they must deci…

I spent 11 years as a councillor. We have many fine Sinn Féin councillors in Cork. I know what I am saying when I say that Cork City Council is on its knees financially and needs Government support. Cork City Council has a budget deficit of €2.5 million, excluding the rates deficit. Without support from central government, ordinary people and families will lose out yet again at the hands of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Those parties are only too happy to bail out banks and big business, but not local authorities. The…

I will clarify something that the Minister of State perhaps does not know or has forgotten. Was it not a Minister from his party who gave banks 20 years tax-free on their profits? Perhaps I am wrong but I do not think so. The Minister of State can check that out. Cork City Council has increased the local property tax by 7.5% which should bring in an additional €1.5 million but there will still be a shortfall of €2.5 million. The question for the Minister of State and the Government is whether they will betray local…