Pot and kettle.

It gets better.

It is important to clarify the position on the reply to a parliamentary question that Deputy Ó Laoghaire received a number of weeks ago, which attracted many headlines. At the time, the Deputy referred to 714 vacant posts. Let us be clear that 555 of the posts in question are vacant. Some of that figure relates to people who are on maternity leave, a total of 120. The Deputy would have got the breakdown, but it is important to lay out the position. On recruitment and the filling of those posts, in the context of wo…

If I was to talk specifically about what is happening around the CDNTs in the various CHOs, I would say that CHO 4 - if Deputy Ó Laoghaire was here I would have explained - is piloting recruitment within Ireland to the colleges. As they are exiting, they give them the opportunity and show them the attraction of work. One of our biggest challenges is the fact that in our CDNTs the population of clinicians is so low and we do not have a critical mass of clinicians. We are failing to grasp the opportunity to give that…

I thank the Deputy for giving me the chance to answer this question. He is right. Therapy assistants work with, and report to, therapy managers and children’s disability network managers, and work under the supervision and direction of nominated supervisors, as appropriate to the healthcare area and role. While a FETAC level 5 qualification or an equivalent qualification from another jurisdiction is desirable, some staff are employed in therapy assistant roles and are undertaking further training to develop therapy…

As I said, it is a whole-of-Department of Health response and I am ably supported by the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in trying to find those solutions and putting proposals to the Department of Health and the HSE to take this on board. That is why we met Paul Reid a number of weeks ago in terms of trying to redesign the progressing disability services, PDS, programme and that transition piece and the gaps that are there, trying to work it all out as to the various co…

There is a clear desire within the Government to ensure that all of our teams are filled. There is a clear desire among the Deputy’s colleagues in government to attract as many staff into the service as possible. It should not be just in urban areas and we need to ensure we can get staff out to rural areas. Creating a career pathway and ensuring people have the ability to engage with these teams, support the families and, most importantly, deliver intervention is what we want to achieve.

She does.

I acknowledge Gary Carney, John Dolan, CEO of DFI, and my good friend Jackie Conboy from Portumna, along with Emilie, who represents DADA. I thank the Social Democrats, particularly Deputy Cairns, for giving me the platform to have a conversation about this on the floor of the Dáil. The ongoing cost-of-living debate has a tendency to focus on other aspects of society but Deputy Cairns can be assured that I, as Minister of State for disability, and all my ministerial colleagues across Government are acutely aware of…

I want to begin by apologising on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, who would have liked to have been here but he is delayed. I am going to read his script but I have taken a note of what the Senator mentioned in respect of Donard community play group and Creative Kids & Co. I thank Senator Sherlock for raising this issue and for offering the opportunity to respond. I regret to hear that early learning and childcare services are being displaced from school premises although I can appreciate the position of t…

I appreciate the pressing need for schools to ensure there is sufficient accommodation for children with additional needs. I also appreciate the importance of early intervention. Indeed, substantial and significant developments have been made in the early learning and childcare sector to ensure children with additional needs have full access to the ECCE programme through the access and inclusion model, AIM. The Senator has unearthed a serious issue that requires the Department of Education and the Department of Chi…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which is very timely in light of everything that has gone on in US. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, sends his apologies. I am taking the matter on his behalf and I will read out his exact script if that is okay. It is important that we acknowledge the very upsetting situations faced and difficult decisions made by the people behind these statistics, and the very sad circumstances that surround these terminations of pregnancy. As the Deputy will be aware, the Health…

I thank the Deputy and I take on board everything she has said. I will bring back her comments to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. The Deputy mentioned medication that might stop women being hospitalised because of sickness and I will bring it up again. My understanding is that it was to progress. I believe it is called Cariban and I will get the Deputy an update on its availability in the drugs scheme. We all believe it should be included.

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to provide an update on social and affordable housing provision. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, who sends his apologies but who has provided me with the reply to the Deputy's question. Housing for All is the Government's plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental hom…

Housing for All is a clear priority for the Government. We are committed to delivering on targets across all pathways of the plan. The delivery of social and affordable homes is central to the plan and these homes are expected to comprise approximately half of the housing delivery over the next decade. The provision of individual local authority targets and the development of housing delivery action plans addressing delivery over the next five years has introduced a more strategic approach to housing delivery. Loca…

I wish Members a good evening. I am taking the report on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who sends his apologies. When I use the word "I" in this response, I am referring to the Minister. I thank the Business Committee for raising this matter. I welcome the opportunity to address the Public Accounts Committee's report on the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board's 2019 financial statements. As Members are aware, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, NPHDB, has stat…

I apologise again that the Minister is not here. I am taking this on his behalf. If he was here, I am sure he would have issues with the use of the word "corruption" by Deputy Mattie McGrath. It is important to say that. I acknowledge the input of all Deputies. I thank the Business Committee for facilitating the debate on this matter and providing an opportunity to address the report of the Committee of Public Accounts on the development board's 2019 financial statements. I am aware of concerns that the development…

I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin and the Labour Party for bringing this Bill to the House. Along with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, I support the Government's decision not to oppose this Private Members' Bill at this stage of the process. I would like to bring the House through my thought process in this regard. I read through this proposed legislation intensely. By any manner or means, this is not a million miles from the autism innovation strategy I have got up and that I am trying to pull together. This …

I note the good intent behind the amendment but I cannot support it as I do not believe that it is necessary. The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 already protects the rights of those making a protected disclosure under that Act. The Act does not in any way prejudice the rights of those making a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act. While it is an offence under section 32 of the Institutional Burials Bill to intentionally or recklessly disclose confidential information, the Protected Disclosures A…

I cannot support the amendment. On foot of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the provision in the general scheme was significantly revised to ensure that appropriately qualified persons deliver excavation and post-recovery analysis in line with international standards, and according to professional rules and guidelines. It is clear that the works need input from a range of disciplines and it is not necessary to refer to that in the legislation. Only a multidisciplinary approach can meet the international standa…