Is that agreed? Agreed.
Petition No. P00067/22 relating to the New Zealand tobacco initiative, is from Mr. Robert Carty. The petition requests that the Irish Government look at the New Zealand tobacco initiative to reach the target of less than 5% of the population smoking by 2025. New Zealand recently passed a law that makes it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The committee recommended: that the correspondence from the Department of Health be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days and the petition and correspondence be forwarded to the Joint Committee on Health. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Petition No. P00019/23 relates to urgent need for the regulation of physician associates by CORU from Mr. Adam Cummins. The petition relates to the lack of regulation of physician associates by CORU. The petitioner states that physician associates are valuable new members of the healthcare workforce, capable of providing high-quality care under the supervision of licensed physicians. The petitioner is asking the committee to support the introduction of legislation that mandates the regulation of physician associates by CORU, which would bring the profession in line with other similar health professions. The recommendations are that the response from the Department of Health is forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days and the committee writes to the Minister for Health to ascertain whether physician associates are on the roadmap for regulation. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Petition No. P00029/23 seeks the reduction of the size of Russia's diplomatic representation in Ireland. The petition asks that, considering the illegal invasion and continuing war perpetrated and being waged by Russia into and against Ukraine that the Government reduces the number of personnel having diplomatic credentials of the Russian Federation permitted to reside in Ireland to the number that corresponds to the absolute minimum necessary to reflect ongoing Irish Russian trade and cultural ties and citizens of each country in the other's territory. The recommendations are that the correspondence from the Department of Foreign Affairs be forwarded to the petitioner, and, in consideration of the response from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which states that the Government will continue to monitor the situation in line with our obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, un.org, the petition cannot be progressed further by the Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsman and the petitioner be advised of same. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Petition No. P00033/23 regarding Carrick-on-Shannon tree removal is from Mr. Fionn McWeeney.
The petition relates to the plan by Leitrim County Council to cut down 40 trees on a section of the N4 in Carrick-on-Shannon. The recommendations are that the correspondence from Leitrim County Council be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days, the correspondence from the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days and the secretariat writes to Leitrim County Council requesting a copy of the detailed survey report from the arborist when available. Is that agreed? Agreed.
That concludes our consideration of public petitions. I would like to invite members of the public to submit petitions via our online portal, petitions.oireachtas.ie. A petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a matter of general public concern or interest or an issue of public policy.
Is there are any other business? Would members like to make any final comments?
