I welcome this Bill, which has been a long time coming. I commend those who have campaigned to put this issue on the table. I am sure the Bill will be welcomed by families and potential parents who have been waiting a long time for proper regulation in the area of assisted human reproduction. Many have had to travel abroad to access surrogacy having not been able to conceive themselves. The fact that this option will now be available domestically is a significant development for those in need of assistance. The HSE…

I welcome the report. I thank the Chairman of the committee, Senator Flynn, as well as the Vice Chairman, Deputy Ó Cuív, and the staff of the committee for the time and effort they put into it. I also wish to thank the members of the Travelling community in Dublin, Cork and Galway for welcoming us into their communities and homes and being so generous with their time. I welcome our visitors in the Public Gallery. This report contains 84 recommendations across the areas of health, education, housing and employment. …

We have spare time so, with the agreement of Deputies, I will add two minutes to the speaking time.

Waiting lists are completely out of control. They have reached the point of being dangerous and people are suffering because of the Government's failure. The lack of action on this issue is failing children, the elderly, families and those who work in our hospitals. The cost of this inaction is having a real impact on waiting times and people's lives. The Minister's latest plan will not put a dint in the numbers. If we have learned anything from previous plans, it is that its targets will be missed once again. In m…

I welcome the Government’s announcement of a citizens’ assembly on a directly elected mayor for Dublin. It is an issue that has been discussed many times over the years and is something that I think there is support for. Sinn Féin has made the case for directly elected mayors previously and we will be following the discussion of the assembly closely. To be effective local government needs to be reformed to serve the people it represents properly. A directly elected mayor is a step towards that. The office will need…

The people of Dublin Bay North whom I represent are at the end of their tether. Week after week, more families are living hand to mouth. By the end of a working week, mothers and parents are struggling to put food on the table to feed their children. After they pay their bills, there is no money left. We are in a cost-of-living crisis and there are simply not enough targeted supports available for families and children who need them most. Food banks, school meals and voluntary groups are filling a serious poverty g…

Is it agreed that we go back to Question No. 9 in the name of Deputy Higgins? Agreed.

The Government’s track record on retrofitting has left Irish homes behind when it comes to energy efficiency. Its plan repackages commitments made years ago and little progress has been made in the meantime. Retrofitting 500,000 homes by 2030 was committed to by the previous Government in 2019. Three years on, we are still looking at the same press releases with the same numbers. The scheme falls well short of what is required. Sinn Féin has been raising the cost-of-living crisis for months, and the Government had …

The Minister has gone over time.

We have gone way over time.

The Minister is over time.

We are over time and we still have speakers to come in on this.

Time is against us. I propose the Deputies ask one supplementary question each and the Minister wrap up.

On the next group of questions, I ask colleagues for a bit of co-operation as there are many speakers trying to come in on this and we have limited time.

I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Bill along with my colleagues Deputies Ward and Kenny. The Bill will make it a stand-alone criminal offence for any adult to use children for the purpose of selling or distributing drugs. It is simple legislation that could have a positive impact in all of our communities. Offences under the Bill would be prosecuted in the Circuit Court regardless of the quantity. I hope the Bill will act as the deterrent we intend it to be so that anyone using children to distribute or se…

Leaving certificate students have faced huge disruption in their lives over the past two years. Their leaving certificate cycle has been repeatedly interrupted with many teachers struggling to cover the course because of the significant disruptions. Teachers and students have had to self-isolate with some having to isolate multiple times. There are cases of students not having access to the Internet due to many parts of the State still lacking basic broadband infrastructure. For a lot of young people these are seen…

I thank the Minister for bringing this legislation forward, despite its many flaws. Many Ministers before him made promise after promise but failed to deliver, so I must give credit where its due. The Bill is far from perfect, but if we all work together it can be improved. The treatment of adopted people seeking access to personal information has been well documented in the last few years. It is shocking that in 2022 they are still fighting for their rights. Many of the issues were discussed in detail during pre-l…

Men carrying out violence against women is the reality the world over. In Ireland, it is an issue we need to tackle head on. Women in Ireland experience sexism and harassment in their everyday lives, whether in the gym, on the bus or online. Women face harassment by just being present in public spaces. The vast majority of sexually violent offenders are men and, unfortunately, a lot of the abuse and harassment is not reported. For me, that says something about the lack of confidence women have in the justice system…

The next slot is being shared by Deputies Verona Murphy and Fitzpatrick.

We will go back to the Sinn Féin slot. Deputy Paul Donnelly has two and a half minutes.