I am raising the very important issue of funding for youth services across Laois and Offaly. Funding for youth services comes through the local education and training board. Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board has not been receiving its fair share of it. Laois-Offaly has the highest percentage of young people aged between ten and 24 years of age. The 2022 census verified this. Based on what I see locally, if a census were taken today, two years later, it would show that it has increased further. Laois and…

The Minister of State listed off a lot of sums for once-off funding that are relatively modest. The particular funding stream that goes to ETBs for distribution in Laois - he also referred to Louth - is far lower. It is just above €15 per head of youth population in 2023. I accept and understand that there are parts of Dublin with the highest needs, but a gap of 1,000% needs to be looked at. The Minister of State also stated that what was received in previous years is taken into account. That is a bit like trying t…

I welcome this opportunity to address this with the Minister because I have been contacted by a number of schools across Laois-Offaly in recent weeks regarding the funding crisis and they have outlined to me the dire financial situation they are in. I have also met the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the Irish Primary Principals Network to listen to them and their concerns about the funding crisis. I have listened to them and the Government needs to listen to them. While costs continuously go up, supports …

The Minister should do the right thing.

Seven years after the towns of Mountmellick and Portarlington flooded, work on the relevant flood relief schemes has not started. The schemes for both towns are stuck at stage 1, preliminary design. More than 70 houses were damaged in the Mountmellick area when the flooding occurred. The Committee of Public Accounts had the OPW before it in the past two weeks. It confirmed that the timeline for a project is 11 years, including four years for preliminary design. That is crazy stuff. The process then moves on to publ…

It cannot be 11 years.

We need a fair, efficient and enforced immigration system. To date, we have not had this. Our system over the past couple of years has been shambolic. We know that from people working in the system and genuine applicants. We can see what is happening on the ground. Things have been contradictory, with no coherence or consistency. We need a transparent and common sense system where the Irish people can trust the process. That is all anyone wants in terms of migration. If the Government signs up this State to the EU …

My question relates to the nursing recruitment embargo. Yesterday, I heard the Taoiseach say there was no embargo. I received a letter from somebody who is waiting to be transferred to CAMHS in Portlaoise. The person is currently working in Dublin, but is on a panel to work in Portlaoise with Laois CAMHS and the position is being delayed due to the nursing recruitment embargo, with no start date in sight. There is a huge shortage of staff. Perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, can help in this regard. I am …

There has been a cut in the grant.

The issue of special education provision has been raised many times in the Chamber by ourselves in Sinn Féin. It is a huge issue out there. More ASD classes are needed. I have had news recently that some extra classes are being provided in Laois. It is welcome that they are being provided but more needs to be done. Our proposals tonight seek to address the further downgrading and reduction in funding of the summer programmes that are vital to children in special education during the summer months. We are having to …

Staying with the health issue, we know how important primary care services are in keeping people out of hospital. As we move towards implementing Sláintecare, which has been moving way too slowly, I want to ask in particular about people in the east of County Laois near the County Carlow border. The people of Graiguecullen, Ballylynan, The Swan, Doonane, Crettyard and Killeen depend on the centre in Graiguecullen, which sits right on the border on Oakley estate. Before Covid, a lot of services were provided in that…

Graiguecullen on the Laois-Carlow border.

What is happening is that if elderly people and other people from that area need an eye test, they have to go to Athlone, which is a 230 km round trip.

Elderly people who need physiotherapy have to go to Portlaoise. They may not have a car. That is 85 km.

I am asking the Tánaiste to bring this back to the Minister for Health to ask him to get that centre expanded and upgraded in Graiguecullen.

No, it is a health clinic, but a substantial number of services were provided there.

I accept that it is not a primary care centre-----

-----but we need is to have that health centre providing more services-----

-----for the people in that corner of Laois.

People have to travel 230 km for an eye test.