Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the new Minister for Health on his role and commend him on the remarkable achievements he has had so far along with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Foley, over recent days. In one week or two we have had the reopening of the schools, our teachers back in place, our Montessoris back in place and our crèches back in recent months. That has all gone incredibly well in my view and from the feedback I have received from teachers and parents. Of course, parents are utterly delighted to see their little darlings all back in school and that has been one big positive in recent weeks.

I wish to raise a couple of issues with the Minister. The student nurses entering their final-year placements are a concern. I have had quite a number of queries in this regard. It is very obvious that they could not work part-time for fear of transmitting Covid during the peak of the virus. We ask, however, that financial supports be put in place or that the Minister consider something to support our student nurses.

They are coming to their final year of placement. They are our next generation of nurses. We are incredibly indebted to our nurses and healthcare staff throughout this global pandemic and it is important that we recognise that and give them encouragement for the future in terms of their own careers.

I agree with many of my colleagues that, for expectant mums, not being able to have their partner with them during the crucial time of giving birth has been difficult. We have received a number of calls on that. I understand that the less footfall there is in hospitals, the more the risk of Covid-19 spreading is suppressed but I ask the Minister to consider that as part of his roadmap for lifting restrictions.

There were outbreaks in Cavan General Hospital, meat plants and so on in my own constituency. The front-line staff in Cavan General Hospital have been exemplary in how they have dealt with Covid-19. The Minister during his time in opposition came to visit Cavan General Hospital and Monaghan Hospital, for which I am grateful. He met the staff and he knows the depth of compassion that they have. They are inspirational people. When Covid-19 hit, Cavan General Hospital had to be ingenious in how it dealt with space and social distancing, to the point that they had to hire Portakabins to deal with restrictions. Will the Minister, in his deliberations over future funding, please have a look at that? He has visited those hospitals. Capital investment is crucially needed.

I have received many calls from staff on the front line. Many are deeply affected by their dealings with Covid-19 and Covid-19 patients. Some of my colleagues have raised mental health and supports for front-line staff following this trauma. I ask that the Minister take this into consideration in any roadmap he lays out in the future.

I will comment on the reopening of wet pubs. Cavan and Monaghan are Border counties and we recently met many publicans who are mainly running rural pubs and have a problem that does not exist right elsewhere in the country, namely, the Border. These family-run businesses are mainly run on pride rather than financial gain. They are important fixtures in our community where people meet up and congregate with social distancing. I am convinced that these people know what they are doing. They are professionals. With the reopening of those pubs, they will adhere to guidelines. In the Border counties, they have seen a mass exodus of people going north. We have heard that from the publicans. They are concerned about whether they will ever see their businesses returning to what was normal.

We know there were lengthy delays for serious hospital appointments before Covid-19. We know that is compounded by Covid-19. Will the Minister consider speeding up of important operations?

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