I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We have record levels of child poverty and child and youth homelessness. We have really worrying waiting lists for children who require life-changing and life-saving medical procedures. We now also have 40,000 children on child waiting lists for crèches and early years education. Despite the Social Democrats offering constructive proposals, we are seeing an ignorance of the facts facing the Government with regard to children. There has now been a U-turn on a second tier of child benefit…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss overly burdensome application forms for medical cards. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the need for all special schools to accept children at different levels on the autism spectrum. Deputy George Lawlor - To discuss facilitating the treatment of individuals at the specialist Bardet-Biedl unit in Birmingham Children's H…

The Deputy can come back in.

I ask the Deputy to conclude.

We will move to the Sinn Féin members, starting with Deputy Gould.

I thank Deputy O'Reilly.

The time is up now, Deputy.

The House might join me in welcoming our Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition winners in the Public Gallery: Ciara Murphy, Saoirse Murphy and Laoise Murphy and their parents. We wish them well in making their presentation to the health committee at 12.30 p.m.

I thank the Minister and the Ministers of State for the opportunity to speak on this issue this evening. In doing so, as a very proud dad and youth worker, I want to maintain my focus this evening on the young people of Ireland. Professional youth workers in Ireland are doing a phenomenal job in working with young LGBTQI+ people to ensure they have a safe space to learn, share experiences, have fun and develop a critical social analysis. Speaking after this year's Dublin Pride, the CEO of Belong To, an organisation…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss a ban on pair trawling. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the construction of a new school building in Ballyfermot. Deputy William Aird - To discuss GP and primary care services in County Laois. Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss the granting of family reunification visas and visas for medical evacuees and their families f…

I thank the Minister of State. Respectfully, I remind Members not to discuss live court cases here and to stick to the topic.

I will build on my colleagues' comments by setting out some brief context. My office recently engaged with the Competition and Consumer Protection Authority on price setting and loyalty schemes operated by some of the larger supermarket companies. While I acknowledge the safeguards that the CCPC provides to customers, it has been calling for more substantial penalties for breaches of consumer protection law for some time. Will the Minister of State respond to some of that in her response to us this morning? What fe…

I return to this State's commitment to evacuate seriously ill children from Gaza because we all want to know what is going on. It is nearly a year since the Government promised to evacuate 30 sick children from Gaza and since then, just 12 children have been evacuated. We now hear that petty bureaucratic concerns about visas are delaying the evacuation of other children. The Taoiseach has been clear today that visas are not the problem. What is the problem? What is the delay? Why, if paperwork is not the issue, hav…

When?

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss a ban on pair trawling. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the need for all special schools to accept children at different levels on the autism spectrum. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the level of preparedness for a major cyberattack on the State. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing road safety issues on the …

The Deputy will have a chance to come back in.

I thank the Members of the Labour Party for bringing forward such an important motion. I thank the Minister of State for his opening statement, which is comprehensive, but it is unfortunate to see the Government amendment and what is contained in it. We have spent a considerable amount of time speaking about this since the TV programmes aired and the experiences highlighted. Profit can never be the guiding principle for care. If we use that as a starting point when we discuss reform, we will all start to see we agr…

I will open with the words of Professor Joseph Travers, who wrote about inclusive pedagogy in Ireland in 2023. He says: Given the exponential growth in special classes and the increase in special schools since Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD, a contradiction ... is apparent, which calls for a more radical appraisal of the purpose and role of these classes and schools. He continues: ... we need to envisage a future where all children can attend their local mainstream schools. This may entail creative responses …

I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to be here this evening. I am really grateful for the opportunity to raise the very important issue of suicide prevention. I am raising it from a place of concern and from a place of care - care for anyone who is grieving the loss of a partner, a family member or a friend and care for everyone who has dedicated their professional life to contributing to better outcomes when it comes to suicide and mental health in Ireland. The most recent statistics available to us …

I want to reiterate my thanks to the Minister of State for taking this tonight. I really do appreciate it and I ask that she pass on my thanks to the Minister of State for such a considered reply. I do not doubt for a second the sincerity with which the Ministers of State are approaching this at all. I hope she can hear that I am not here to critique Government policy on this issue whatever but rather to take the opportunity to highlight it specifically when it comes to men and young men in Ireland. I completely ac…