The Government left us with a free-for-all.

Yes, but we-----

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The State has ratified the UNCRPD and the Government now has a strategy. I welcome all of that but let us see how we are doing on it. The diagnosis of autism has increased. That is obviously because there are more diagnoses being done. That is good, but it is too slow. There is a 16-month waiting list for a lot of families. That is simply too long and must be improved. The convention asked that we promote and protect people with disabilities, so they have …

In the short time I have, I want to raise the issue of special school places in County Laois. The Saplings school in Graiguecullen had to move out of the building it was in. It is now located in the village of Killeshin in prefabs. The construction work started on a new school in March 2023, However, after ground works were carried out and the walls were built on the greenfield site at Fruithill, provided by Laois County Council, work stopped in late 2023. The school was told that work would resume but no details w…

I raise this important issue because 132 workers at Leprino Foods in Portlaoise received the news on 18 and 19 August that the plant will close and will be wound down over this year and next year. This is an important facility. When it opened there were great hopes and I certainly had great hope because at last we had a large, substantial manufacturing plant in the constituency. The record of IDA Ireland has not been good, but more than 100 jobs were being created in the new business park. It was very important and…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. If 145 people are employed in IDA-backed companies in Laois, that is actually a decline of nine from the last figures. It is very disappointing. As question has to be asked about why Laois is being ignored time and again. I know everybody will back his or her own corner but I think if one looks at the map of the 26 counties and at the number of IDA-backed jobs in various counties, Laois is way down at the bottom despite the fact that it has that excellent infrastructure …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the School dental programme for children is not providing adequate and timely treatment for primary and secondary school students; — children are not seen for their first screening examination in second, or even fourth or sixth class in primary schools and in many areas, they are receiving their first examination in fourth year in secondary school; — in Co. Laois, based on Health Service Executive (HSE) figures of 6,433 are waiting on their first exam invitation, and that is…

I join with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in welcoming the visitors to the Gallery. I welcome Fintan Hourihan from the Irish Dental Association, as well as Pat Fitzpatrick. As a councillor, I met Pat Fitzpatrick a few times in his former role. We are all elected here to be the voice of the people - Teachtaí Dála, Dáil delegates. Not to take any cheap shot, but the Government benches have been empty throughout this debate. Not one member of Government, apart from the Ministers of State, spoke. Maybe they do not see ther…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I will do the easy bit first. I have gone through the Bill and welcome a lot of what is in it. It is welcome that the service plan will be replaced with a performance delivery plan. It is welcome that we will be able to measure things. The Minister for Health is to prepare a strategic direction statement in respect of health service priorities to guide the HSE in preparation of its corporate plan. That is welcome. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is…

I welcome our guests in the Public Gallery. I have heard similar stories to the testimonies from the last two Deputies, and particularly the testimony Deputy Whitmore read out from a woman who wrote to her. It might not have been as long, but snippets. As a man, constituents have told me similar stories about this problem over the years and particularly in recent years. We have to stop exporting our health issues and people for treatment, particularly women in the case of this chronic condition. Not nearly enough a…

My question is on the International Criminal Court. Has Ireland sought to include the slaughter of starving Palestinians queuing for aid in South Africa's case, which we have joined? I welcomed our joining that case.

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. I gather from it the International Criminal Court has already included this. I ask that the Tánaiste and his diplomatic staff do everything possible to try to ensure that case is pressed. The horror show in Gaza continues. There is bombing of tents with innocent civilians in them as well as of hospitals and schools. The four Gaza Humanitarian Foundation centres have been turned into shooting galleries where people are herded in and shot for fun. If firing tank shells into crowds …

I thank the Tánaiste. I welcome that support for the International Criminal Court. It is important. The international order is under attack, without a doubt. The Tánaiste's reply has caused me more concern due to the feedback he got last week. It is important Ireland and other countries continue to support the International Criminal Court and not allow the United Nations to be undermined, and indeed for the whole organisation to be reformed and improved. The Government has stood out. We need to continue doing that.…

I also welcome the visitors in the Gallery. The HSE has stated that the assessments of need for 15,292 children are overdue, meaning they have gone past the legal timeframe of six months. Legally this should be completed within a six-month period. A total of 13,002 have been waiting for more than nine months and 418 of these are in counties Laois and Offaly. This is totally unacceptable. The cohort affected are missing out on essential interventions at a crucial point in their development. Within the past week, the…

While I know there has to be procedures, I want the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to put some urgency on this and get the HSE to shorten the procedure period to get these private clinicians in place to provide the services. Nine months is too long.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. By and large, the Bill is necessary. Some would say there is a magic wand for solving the housing crisis. I certainly believe that a whole lot of magic wands are needed. There are a number of components that are needed, and this is certainly one of them. In general, I welcome the Bill. Some of the proposed amendments might set things back. While some of the amendments may be worthy of consideration, others might cause further problems. The proposal to extend planning…

The terrorist state of Israel continues its campaign of horror, genocide, starvation and every war crime imaginable. Civilians queuing for food because they are desperate and starving are being slaughtered. Refugees in tents are being bombed. Only one of more than 20 hospitals is now able to operate, and with great difficulty. Water supplies are being cut. Medics and journalists are being murdered. That is not to mention what is going on in the West Bank with settlers and the Israeli militia. The State of Israel co…

I raise the issue of students. It has been a bad couple of weeks for them. I listened carefully to the Minister's earlier answers. He framed this in the context of a once-off measure, as did the Minister, Deputy Lawless. However, the programme for Government states that the Government will continue to reduce student contribution fees over the lifetime of the Government, to ease the financial burden on students and families, at the start of each academic year - not some academic years. Some of the Government Deputie…

I have the question. I ask the Ceann Comhairle to bear with me for a moment. The rest of the Deputies got good latitude.

Was the reduction just for last year because there was an election?