For more than 30 years, I worked in the private sector before being elected to the Dáil and I understand the fear and uncertainty that businesses and employees are facing as a result of Brexit. Approximately 15% of Irish goods and services are destined for the UK and, in the agrifood sector, that figure goes up to 40%. In a report commissioned by the Government, Copenhagen Economics found that a Brexit resulting in the application of World Trade Organization trading regulations - in other words, a no-deal Brexit - …

A person who recently retired received a cash payment, but when she wanted to buy her council house she could not do so because she has no income and is in receipt of a pension. She is in a catch-22 situation. She thought she would be able to buy the house when she retired. Another lady, who unfortunately was in a severe car accident and is now in a wheelchair, received a large sum of money but as a result of these criteria cannot buy a house. I agree with the two Deputies that something has to be looked at.

The Minister of State raised the first issue I wished to raise with him, which is good. However, I still find the response unbelievable. I raised the issue of 12-step meetings with him. I refer to meetings of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and others as well as other meetings for people in recovery. The key word here is "recovery". I wrote to the Minister of State on 20 August on behalf of the people who attend these meetings and I believe they are essential services. U…

In light of recent high figures of unemployment, I ask the Minister of State his plans to incentivise young people typically excluded from higher education due to socioeconomic status to engage in education past school. Covid-19 has shone a serious light on the need to get young people into higher education to improve their chances of employment and the quality of that employment and to break the cycle of poverty.

We have heard an announcement here about additional places in third level to be offered to students. Will students be included who are exploring alternative routes to third level through schemes like the higher education access route, HEAR, for socioeconomically disadvantaged students or the disability access route to education, DARE, scheme for students with additional needs? These are wonderful schemes and it is important this year especially that they are not excluded from the new plans. Covid-19 has shone a lig…

I accept some of the points the Minister of State made. For the people I represent, sometimes the barrier to education is not just points. There are many more issues that affect people. There are transport, accommodation and finance considerations, and people who are involved with care-giving duties. In the area I represent, only 10% of the people who go to third level education consider themselves from disadvantaged areas. My constituency includes a rural area and a city. Across the constituency, there are differe…

The fact we hear stories about members of the Defence Forces having to sleep in cars, or that someone who is employed by the State and engaged in such critical work is unable to afford to live on their wages, is a scandal. Both this and previous Governments have ignored representations from my colleagues and members of the Defence Forces regarding the pay and conditions under which they work. Last Saturday we were told make some noise for front-line workers. This, in itself, was a great idea to show our appreciatio…

House parties have been a particular issue in Cork on an ongoing basis. They are having a negative effect on neighbourhoods and communities. This did not begin during Covid. The communities of Magazine Road, College Road and Connaught Avenue and surrounding areas of Cork have been negatively affected by house parties for years, but it has got particularly bad during the lockdown and the Covid crisis where there have been parties night after night. People who are self-isolating and cocooning, following the guideline…

I support Deputy Grealish. In my own constituency, as is the case for many other Deputies, the issue of whether pubs can remain viable in the long term is a cause for concern. Even if they do reopen under the next phase, when one takes into account the social distancing requirements, for a lot of pubs, especially smaller ones, reopening might not be feasible. Pubs and bars employ more than 50,000 people and we need a package to support publicans to get them over the next 12 months, by which time a vaccine will hope…

I support the amendment as well. The protections we have put in place during the Covid-19 crisis have led to a reduction in the homeless figures. In Cork and the south-west, we have seen those figures reduce from 111 people in January to 84 people last month. That shows that the protections we put in place worked. Why would we row back on them now? That is why this amendment is so important. We need to give protection to renters. Families are being evicted under the guise of renovation of properties and people are …

The Minister said the Government wants to bring in strong law and that the Government wants to protect tenants' rights. I believe the legislation will create strong law but to protect vulture funds and landlords and not tenants. The Bill is about profit. That is what it is about. I am here, as are many other Deputies who have tabled amendments, to stand up for people, families and tenants. I am dealing with numerous families who were given notices to quit, in other words eviction, before the emergency legislation w…

The Minister is talking about a different Bill.

I will be very brief. I wish to raise the help-to-buy scheme. There is a significant error in the legislation. I was contacted by a woman, Susan Brackett, and her partner who signed a contract in January 2020 under the new help-to-buy scheme. Her husband, like many other people, will not get his quarterly bonus as a consequence of the pandemic. Susan was on the PUP but has now gone back to work, albeit on a reduced income. The Covid-19 crisis stopped work going ahead which means they will have to rent for an additi…

I also welcome the safe reopening of schools. One of the biggest issues on which I am being contacted by the people of Cork North-Central is that of children's access to autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units. There is a complete shortage of such units at the moment. This morning and yesterday, parents have told me that, although schools are to reopen in four weeks' time, their children have nowhere to go. There are no places for them. I ask that new units be set up urgently in Cork city and particularly in the const…

On the same issue, I wrote to the Minister last week asking that advice be sought from the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, as to whether it is possible to increase the number of people attending matches. A figure of 200 was given out but that figure is incorrect because 40 people are needed for each team, which is 80, and the venue staff, including stewards, referees, media and first aid providers take up another 40, so there are only 80 tickets left between two clubs, which is only 40 each. Páirc Uí …

I will come in at the end of the Sinn Féin slot.

The latest statistics from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection show that 27,800 people are in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in Cork. Last week, that figure was 30,600 and, on 5 May, it was 61,900. These figures show there has been a serious reduction in the number of people claiming the PUP and that people who have jobs are going back to work. That is what this payment was there for. These are not people who are unemployed; they have jobs and are waiting to go back to work. Sug…

I will finish with this. When the Covid-19 crisis started, myself and others went out with Penny Dinners and more to deliver hampers and we were told we were all in this together. This Bill goes to show we are not all in this together as far as this Government is concerned.

I welcome the establishment of the new Department. I particularly wish to emphasise the area of apprenticeships and having a co-ordinated strategy to engage with people and get more people to take up apprenticeships. In the past, Governments have allowed the private sector and some local authorities to manage apprenticeships in an ad hoc fashion, depending on the market. I am looking for a constructive plan to be put in place by the Department to give apprenticeships their place in the educational system. The syste…

The programme for Government gives a commitment on page 5 to value our older people and in this regard I raise the closure of Mount Cara on Redemption Road in Cork city. This is a residential care setting with capacity for 25 patients and which currently has 15 patients. The latest HIQA report from January indicates that residents reported being happy and content in this setting. This is another devastating loss to the north side of Cork city and the patients, their families and the staff are very worried about bei…