I thank the Deputy for the question on respite. She might have missed my earlier contribution where I said that all of the over 65s in that cohort have been vaccinated. We have now moved into the cohort of under 65s right across disabilities, of whom 4,000 have been vaccinated. There is still a way to go on that. The risk assessment is being done on it but we have not got to the day services. As part of the formulation of it, this will be done in tandem so that we can have respite services up and running and more e…

I thank Deputies Mattie McGrath, Nolan, Michael Collins and O'Donoghue for raising this important matter. This is not the first time I have responded to the Deputies on this particular issue, which we also discussed a number of weeks ago. As the Deputies are aware, the current public health restrictions at level 5 will remain in place until 5 April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. This decision took account of a variety of factors, including the views of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHE…

Yet again, I thank the Deputies for raising this matter this evening. I do not want to stand here and not show empathy or understanding to what the Deputies have raised. I understand absolutely about the Internet. This is what some people in my constituency also experience. In all fairness, the Deputies' points are very well made. It is not that we are turning our back on the church. What has happened is that we have decided to put public health first. This is the most Christian thing we could possibly do. This is …

I thank Deputy Alan Farrell for raising this important issue. On 17 March 2021, the European Commission published its proposal for a regulation to introduce a digital green certificate. The aim of the proposal is to facilitate free movement in the EU through a common framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of certificates relating to vaccination, testing and recovery. Currently, the epidemiological situation in Ireland and across Europe remains very fragile, with case numbers increasing in many EU c…

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to demonstrate that the Department is fully committed to advancing consideration of the proposal. We will continue our engagement on the proposal and we will consider it in the context of the Government's travel policy. We will endeavour to ensure that every effort is made to achieve alignment across the EU, where possible, in preparing for a reopening of travel for non-essential purposes as soon as it is safe to do so. It is imperative for us that any such framework…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue of the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and its importance for women with disabilities. It also shows the relevance of the newly formed Committee on Disability Matters when we are getting into the nuts and bolts of discussing persons with disabilities and, on International Women's Week, bringing in such groups to show the impact of not having the proper legislation in place and how it is restraining them. I acknowledge that its commencement w…

I assure the Senator that everything that can be done is being done and we have a timeframe and it will be measured. At the end, it is all about communication and it is exactly about how we can empower people so it is completely person centred. Believe it or not, this is the only Commencement matter I will be taking that is from my brief. In this women's week, I also acknowledge the disabled women who were before an Oireachtas committee. There was a fantastic hashtag used on Twitter, which was #DisabilityIsNotADirt…

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and it is his script I am responding with. I thank Senator Mullen for raising the issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the position to the House. The Department of Health's role is to provide strategic leadership for the health service and to ensure that Government policies are translated into actions and implemented effectively. This includes governance and performance oversight to ensure accountable and high-quality s…

Perhaps the second concluding part of it will address that. I am scanning over it in the time allocated. Additionally, it should be noted that, in accordance with the above, all providers in receipt of funding are contractually obliged to adhere to all relevant legislation, which includes company law legislation as applicable to other organisations. HSE national mental health is aware of the Companies Registration Office, CRO, audited accounts filing by the company that has been referenced by the Senator. The reaso…

I do not know whether to start with the opening or concluding statement at this point. I have an answer but I would like to give the Senator the opening piece on the HSE first. I will then show how I have intervened, as a follow-up to the emails and the conversation the Senator and I had at back of the Chamber last Monday, and the work that has happened in the last four days. The Senator must recognise that what I have been trying to do in four days actually started in 2016. I am coming in at the tail end of a proj…

The Senator is right because I have been approached by my colleague, Deputy Cormac Devlin, and Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has come to me about the Carmona School. I have heard about it from all over the country. The Government has taken control of this issue. I took control of it last Monday and I have continuously engaged with the HSE for the past week. I will now read an important piece. In the context, the HSE introduced the national policy on access to services for children and young people with disabilit…

I thank Senator Dooley for raising this matter. He is right. He and I and Senator Byrne have had these conversations. For a few minutes, it felt as if we were having a parliamentary party meeting, with just the three of us having the conversation until Senator Conway came along. To be honest, I have to read this answer as it is the answer from the Minister for Health. However, I hope time will allow me to give my personal input because, ultimately, I am representing people with disabilities and that vulnerable grou…

We have all spoken to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. To be fair, he has been very open in his approach. As we are limited in our supply, there has to be a strategic approach. The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, have directed the supply towards the areas of greatest need, as demonstrated over the past 12 months. Of the 110,000 medically vulnerable people who have been moved to cohort 4, some 10,000 will get a vaccination this week. This is very welcome progress. As supplies come on board, …

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Collins. It is wonderful that we have this Department. It puts a strong emphasis on higher education as a stand-alone where a Minister and Minister of State work with a team in the Department. The full cost of a higher education place can vary depending on a variety factors, including the type of course and the specific arrangements for course delivery. At present, there is some differentiation in the costing approach within the sector. The universi…

The Department is working closely with the European Commission and the independently appointed consultants on this matter. The completion of this work will allow for an informed debate on the appropriate policy approach to future planning and funding of higher and further education provision, which is fundamental to Ireland's economic sustainability. The universal costing system and the work being done on it will lay the foundations for how to fund the sector fairly and equitably across universities and technologic…

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. She has provided a comprehensive reply which will address the concerns of the parents and children of the school in question eloquently raised by the Senator. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. It uses a geographical information system which employs data from a range of sources to identify where the pressure for school places …

I will. I will pass on the Senator's acknowledgements to the Minister, Deputy Foley.

I wish everyone a happy International Women's Day. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this issue and to confirm that the Government is firmly committed to the development of a new national maternity hospital on the St. Vincent's University Hospital campus at Elm Park. It should be acknowledged that the national maternity hospital project is unprecedented and inherently complex, given that we are relocating one volu…

I will note all the Senator's comments and relay them to the Minister. I take on board what she said about the Mulvey report being outdated and about Ireland having moved on a great deal since it was commissioned and finalised. I also take on board the point about the 99-year lease, although I am sure the State is examining all the legal frameworks. I will take on board everything the Senator said. Given that the matter will come before the Houses again, I am sure that further discussions will give everyone the opp…

I thank the Senators for bringing this issue to the floor of the Seanad and giving me an opportunity to address it. My speech is on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, but both he and I are acutely aware that the Senators have long been advocates on this issue. I wish to begin by emphasising that the Government is committed to promoting and improving women's health outcomes. That commitment is spelled out very clearly in the programme for Government and has been underpinned by a provision of €12 million in bud…