I raise an issue that goes right to the heart of how we care for and support some of the most vulnerable children in our education system. It is the proposed redesignation of schools that currently cater for children with mild general learning disabilities, MGLDs. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Scoil Eoin in Crumlin, Dublin, where I met the principal, Debbie O'Neill, and the vice principal, Richie Doran. I also met the children and can say without any hesitation that the work done in Scoil Eoin …

I do not take comfort in the response that the Minister of State has read out. Expanding the designation will break schools, such as Scoil Eoin, that are not currently broken. They are not failing; they are succeeding. That success is rooted in the fact that these are specialist environments led by professionals who have committed their lives to special education. I saw it myself. I met the staff and the children. There are real stories and real lives, and there is real progress being made in schools such as Scoil …

I ask that time be provided for a Private Members' Bill I introduced before Christmas, colloquially known as the right to be forgotten Bill, in order that it could proceed to Second Stage. The Bill seeks to prohibit financial service providers from discriminating against cancer survivors who have completed treatment and have reached key milestones. It aims to ensure that a person's past illness does not continue to unfairly restrict their access to life insurance or other financial products. The Bill progressed to …

I know the ground on carer’s allowance has been covered a lot, but the programme for Government contains a commitment on the abolition of the means test for carer's allowance during the Government's term. Will the Minister provide an update on where this now stands, on the work has been done on the costings or preparations and on whether we can expect progress or a first step in budget 2026?

As the Minister stated, more than 100,000 people are in receipt of carer's allowance. There are 500,000 carers, however, which means that 400,000 people are not getting benefits under the scheme. Will the Minister increase the disregard in the forthcoming budget? The means test hits families who are doing their best, often one-parent families or where a parent is working part time and might have some savings. It is outdated and creates huge hardship, especially for women. This is because the majority of carers are …

Carers are saving the State billions of euro. The highest figure we have seen for the amount involved is €3 billion. In any event, the savings being made are enormous. People provide care for children with complex needs, older people and family members with serious illnesses. They do so out of love and with very little support from the State. While the increases to income disregards are welcome, they are not a substitute for fully abolishing the means tests. Carers, as the Minister stated, are the backbone of our s…

As no other Members are offering, the Minister of State has ten minutes to conclude.

Seanad Éireann has passed the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025, without amendment.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Ciarán Ahern - To discuss teacher allocations and class mergers in St. Kevin's BNS and St. Kevin's GNS in Kilnamanagh, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss anti-social behaviour in the Northwood area of Santry. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss why the capitation grant for primary schools is significantly less than that paid to se…

It is very difficult to listen to my friend's sanctimonious rant on this issue. We all know from junior cert economics-----

I am sure the Deputy is familiar with this. I think he is a lecturer in economics. We know from junior cert economics that when supply is increased in the market, prices stabilise, if not come down. This is something we have probably all studied and it is really the basics of economics; it is economics 101. I am very glad to speak on this Bill. It is about ensuring fairness, certainty and protection for renters across the country. My constituency of Dublin South-Central has been part of a rent pressure zone, RPZ, f…

I rise again to discuss therapeutic supports for children. As the Taoiseach said, the in-school therapy programme has been a huge success. Even people in the Department were blown away by how many applied for the positions. Therapists like working in the school environment. It is the best place for therapies to be delivered to children and for their parents, the majority of whom work. In CHO 7, more than 2,700 people in Dublin South-Central are waiting for first contract. Some 2,100 of them have been waiting for mo…

I rise to speak about the Loreto Centre Crumlin in Dublin 12. It is a trusted and vital mental health and community support service that has been serving families, individuals and young people in Crumlin and Dublin South-Central more widely for more than 25 years. The Loreto Centre Crumlin was founded by the Loreto order of nuns and has grown over the decades into a cornerstone of the community. It provides counselling, education and support services to those in crisis or in need of emotional and mental health supp…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I must respectfully state that the situation with this centre is now urgent. The suggestion that the centre should be a section 39 agency is understood but the process for becoming a recognised section 39 funded body is opaque, lengthy and deeply under-resourced. In the meantime, the centre is expected to maintain 3,000 units of counselling per year with only one salaried staff and the rest of the team working voluntarily. I am asking for interim financial support or …

Families are exhausted as a result of battling not for something extraordinary but for something fundamental, namely an assessment of need. It is supposed to be a gateway to support. In practice, it is a locked door. Without it, children cannot access home tuition, school places, the domiciliary care allowance or, most critical, any therapy. The message that families receive is simple: no assessment, no services. More than 15,000 children have been waiting for more than six months for an assessment of need, and the…

I welcome Francis Gorman, president of the IFA, to the Gallery.

The Deputy is eating into his colleague's time.

Apologies, I skipped Question No. 154 by accident.

I will now go to Question No. 154.

The tenant in situ scheme funding allocation to Dublin City Council in 2025 was reduced to €95 million, a significant decrease on last year. Coupled with the new exclusions that a property cannot be in need of refurbishment and has to have been in HAP or RAS for the past two years, this has limited the council's ability to work. There are currently more than 100 tenants with applications pending a decision from the council on whether it will go ahead with the purchase, leaving many families in this city at risk of …