I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health. Firstly, I wish to acknowledge and pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. As the Deputy has quite rightly said, medical scientists play a valued and vital role within our health service. They worked tirelessly during the pandemic. Their efforts in testing Covid-19 samples were and remain very significant. It was not just during Covid that they ha…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. I welcome the fact that there is a meeting today and that all sides have decided to participate. I do not know whether the Deputy listened to RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday morning when Tony Canavan, the CEO of the Saolta Hospital Group, was interviewed. He gave a fantastic interview that clearly explained the work done by medical science laboratory practitioners in all of the hospitals. I say to anybody who thinks that their role just concerns patients within hospitals that …

I will be delighted to take it. It is important for the Deputy to know that the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and I are working closely together to ensure that all children can access education through the Department of Health and that it is needs-based. I met the Deputy in the past two weeks to discuss children in her area. In relation to children awaiting assessments of needs, a plan is being devised by community healthcare organisation, CHO, 5 to ensure all children awaiting such an assessment will receive …

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. On a broader level, it provides me with an opportunity to restate the Government's commitment to children and young people with disabilities, as well as their families. In the first instance, I wish to state that I visited the facility in April, to which the Deputy alluded. I saw first-hand the hydrotherapy pool lying idle. The service covers the Cavan-Monaghan area. Following inquiries by my officials, the HSE has advised that Enable Ireland commissioned completion of the…

I take on board what the Deputy has said. This is a priority for me. I am delighted that Enable Ireland has submitted its business case. I am equally delighted that the HSE is looking over it. I do not think we need to ponder too long on this because funding was awarded in the past and should be awarded again.

I thank the Deputy for tabling this Commencement matter and keeping it on the agenda. It was fantastic to meet him when I was in counties Cavan and Monaghan. I commend the teams I met with, both the Enable Ireland team and our HSE team on the ground. Both gave their time willingly to discuss the issues the Senator has eloquently raised and both said the same. One of the issues related to pay, the variation between teams and how difficult it is to recruit into those teams. The Senator is correct that there is a gap …

I will of course.

I thank the Senator for his contributions and concern. Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People is the policy underpinning children's disability services. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and I met the CEO of the HSE, Mr. Paul Reid, and senior officials on Wednesday to discuss a number of disability issues, including Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People. An agreed outcome of the meeting was that a plan would be developed in the coming six to eight weeks with a number of a…

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. Having read the Topical Issue matter before I came into the Chamber I do not know if it will address all of the questions the Deputy has raised. The most immediate factor affecting electricity prices in Ireland is the continuing upward trend in international gas prices where we are a price taker. Gas prices have been rising steadily since March 2020 and were further exacerbated followin…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. For me to actually answer the Deputy's Topical Issue matter here tonight, I do not believe I have the skill set to be able to engage with the Deputy at that level. I know the amount of work and detail that the Deputy has put into this over the past months and years. The answer I have scripted in front of me from the Department to discuss the recent EUROSTAT findings on electricity prices is perhaps not in response to the Deputy's question. I will take that on board y…

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, in response to the need for additional funding to sustain the Irish Community Air Ambulance service. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on behalf of the Minister in this regard. The National Ambulance Service, encompassing the emergency aeromedical service, operates the helicopter emergency medical service, HEMS, in Ireland. The service operates in conjunction with the Irish Air Corps from Custume Barracks, Athlone, and th…

I too acknowledge the wonderful work done by community air ambulance services, of which there is no doubt. I fully understand the challenges they have faced trying to fundraise over recent times. That is why the commission last week approved the establishment of the scheme. In line with a direction of the Department of Health, the NAS will establish and administer the scheme. I hope I have outlined the commitment of the Government and its agencies, including the HSE and the National Ambulance Service, to ensuring t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to respond to it. I am very aware of the case of Caroline Goldsmith, whom he mentioned. On my ministerial visits throughout the country, I was horrified to hear about the experience parents had whereby they had got their diagnoses but were not allowed to use them, given they were not accepted by the HSE and so on. It is important for me to set out what is in place. I am sure the House will be aware children’s disability services are provided ba…

I again thank the Deputy for his contribution on this issue. If a parent provides reports, whether diagnostic or otherwise, that have been completed by another service, the relevant HSE service will consider those reports. I have used the name Caroline Goldsmith already. It is important to say that if parents have got a diagnosis but have not been able to access services, that is, parents who procured these services because they were not able to access the waiting list, they should contact my office. It is not fair…

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. I will keep to the script. I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to provide clarity on some issues. As both of them will be aware, management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the Judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and, given the separation of powers in the Constitut…

I agree we must protect those women. Regarding Deputy Stanton's request that the Minister meet with all the local Deputies to discuss the concerns, I do not think that would breach any powers. It is about ensuring there is an informed opinion on the matter. I believe in the good work the Deputy and the previous Government did in regard to the understanding and knowledge of coercive control. The more information we have, the better. When it comes to removing services, I speak for myself, not for the Minister, in say…

I thank the Deputy for her continuing work on this particular case and for highlighting to me that the respite house in question was not working at full capacity. The respite house has come into full capacity in recent days. I have been reassured by the HSE that Louisa's family will be contacted about the reinstatement of her respite care.

It is important we are having this debate today. Regardless of one's views, the development of a new national maternity hospital is a major milestone in the delivery of women's healthcare in Ireland. The women of Ireland deserve better, and we are finally getting it. I have not spoken on this topic too much to date. I have previously stated my concerns around how this project was developing and the need for the State to own the land and site. I have also flagged the potential need for a compulsory purchase order. H…

I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I understand the Deputy’s question is in regard to the extension of the recently introduced 20% fare reduction initiative on public transport services to include private transport operators. Commercial bus and coach operators are an integral part of the overall public transport system in Ireland. They play a pivotal role, particularly in areas around the country which are not covered by existing public…

I reassure the Deputy that both the NTA and the Department of Transport have been engaging directly with the commercial bus operators to help inform policy decisions with regard to the public transport sector, especially those related to the ongoing impact of Covid on the sector, and with regard to the various fare initiatives being introduced this year. In addition to the working group I referenced earlier, the Department has been engaging with the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, CTTC, since May 20…