We move on to a statement by the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government on Covid-19, as it relates to local government, and to questions and answers on Covid-19, as they r…

The broadband operators are seeing 30% more use in broadband. The idea of the broadband plan is to connect every premises with high-speed fibre broadband. We will light up, not with fibre, but with high-speed b…

While I am at it, going forward, we need to ensure we have one linear voice in regard to public health advice and that comes from NPHET through the Government. I was in meeting with the Taoiseach eight or nine …

Can he confirm that he is planning to set up a public inquiry into what went wrong in nursing homes like Dealgan House Nursing Home in Dundalk? In regard to Dealgan House Nursing Home, I very much welcome the f…

I am engaging with stakeholders across the heritage sector to assess and measure the wider impacts and implications of Covid-19 on and for the sector and, of course, supporting all-of-government well-being init…

Included in those 240 inspections were meat plants. According to SIPTU, 70% to 90% of workers in meat processing plants are migrant workers. Three weeks ago, he accused me in this House of smearing the meat pro…

In his response to Deputy Michael McGrath in respect of women returning from maternity leave being excluded from the wage subsidy scheme, the Minister said the matter was being examined.…

First, as the Deputy is aware, the roadmap is following the advice in terms of the reopening of childcare services and what happens during that reopening for the childcare profession.…

I look at those over 66 for whom, through no fault of their own, the businesses they work for have closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic or their own businesses have closed down, and yet they are not entitle…

I want to focus on three particular areas, namely, the leaving certificate and preparations for the calculated grades system, the planning under way for reopening the education and training sector, particularly…

I am sure the childcare sector and the more than 25,000 early education and childcare workers across the land are very alarmed at what happened for front-line workers. First, I have asked the Taoiseach step int…

The Mental Health Commission, a State agency, has stated that it has been highly critical of the inconsistencies in staff testing and has criticised unacceptable delays in Covid-19 testing in mental health unit…

Employers, particularly small businesses, need an off-ramp to the wage subsidy scheme. These include a €10,000 restart grant for micro and small businesses based on a rates waiver or rebate from 2019 and a thre…

This reduction in the access to culture has had an enormous effect on our artists, arts practitioners and all arts and cultural workers. My Department has worked with the Arts Council, Screen Ireland and other …

The business for today shall be as set out in the second revised Report of the Business Committee dated 12 May 2020. In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that, notwithstanding anything in Standing…

Regarding students who cannot be given a predicted grade, such as external students, those who have been home schooled, some students who may be repeating in a different school from the one they originally atte…

My colleagues and I have mentioned the rural bus services, especially the Clare Bus Company, also known as Clare accessible transport. The NTA has advised that the direct award arrangements with Clare Bus for t…

We have had multiple warnings, as well as reports and studies that have documented the inadequacy of the direct provision system and although the Minister said that 20% of residents are now in own-door accommod…

The Taoiseach has said that we now have the capacity to test 12,000 people. The Taoiseach must see the need for a roadmap on testing as I have outlined. There is nobody on NPHET who is a voice for a particular …

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, will there be a hard border on the island of Ireland?…