I want to raise the very dangerous waiting lists under primary care for children in Roscommon and Galway, particularly those children waiting for psychology services. At the moment there are 769 children in Galway waiting for psychology services. Children on the high priority list, and I would imagine they are the most urgent of cases, are waiting for over one year to be seen. Those under a generic referral are waiting up to four years. We all know when a referral is made that the child needs to be seen now, not in…

It is incredible that in 2023 as another school term begins, we have the long list of issues we have every year. The same issues arise over and over again. Every year, during the summer months, the school transport circus begins. I cannot fathom how it cannot be resolved once and for all. There is a long list of cases in my office coming through from the Roscommon side in Ballaghaderreen and Ballinasloe in east Galway. Situations arise where in one family, a brother gets a ticket but a sister does not and has to cy…

There was widespread disgust last night at the vile scenes and blatant disregard for our existing laws shown on the investigative programme by “Prime Time”. Young calves were being kicked, beaten with sticks, dragged by their tails, legs or ears and thrown on and off trailers. These cruel practices by some people in some marts are very much not reflective of how handlers, mart staff and farmers treat animals. I welcome the investigation undertaken by the Department. I am conscious that will take time. It needs to b…

I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: To insert the following after "supports the development of a Nature Restoration Regulation, which": "ensures that: — public participation underpins the whole nature restoration planning process; — any such schemes that are developed are voluntary and not mandatory; — those who undertake the nature restoration measures are financially supported to do so; — all such plans shall be subject to socio-economic impact assessment; and — public bodies are mandated and legally oblig…

I welcome the motion and commend the Rural Independent Group on bringing it forward. We are happy to support the motion. There is a great deal in it and it is important we have this debate and this conversation. As I have said many times, farmers are ready, willing and able to act in regard to climate action. It is farmers who have protected our land for generations. The vast majority of farmers have been farming with the environment in mind for generations and, of course, that was to their benefit, as well as to t…

I spoke yesterday to a paramedic who told me that morale in the ambulance service is in the gutter due to the long-running and ongoing recruitment and retention crisis. We have seen the recent capacity review by the HSE to show that we need to double the workforce in the next three years. We know industrial action has now been voted for. We know that the director of the National Ambulance Service has written to management across the State to say he is drafting a cost containment plan which will include a pause on r…

I welcome this motion and commend the Regional Group on bringing it forward. There is an awful lot in it, and a lot that needs to be done in relation to home care and the care of our most vulnerable citizens overall. I want to speak first on those who remain on waiting lists in Roscommon and Galway and across the board, both for home care in the first instance and for additional home care where the need is there. It has been said - I think it is something we all agree on - that people want to be cared for at home a…

Nursing Homes Ireland held a briefing here yesterday to outline the very real crisis facing the sector, one that is laid bare in black and white in a report prepared by PwC. In the past three years, 950 beds have been lost, mainly in rural and regional areas. Some 31 voluntary and private nursing homes have closed, a number of which were in Roscommon and Galway. The report makes three recommendations. I ask the Minister of State to consider the recommendations, including funding via the National Treatment Purchase …

I thank the Minister for her statement. I listened to her and her colleagues. One thing that I certainly would not agree with is the idea put forward by the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, to the effect that nobody is talking about the death of rural Ireland anymore. I certainly would not go as far as to say that. A prime example of in this regard is the Macra protest whereby young people walked 79 km from Athy to Dublin just a few weeks ago. They did not do that for the good of their health. They did it to raise…

I listened to the Taoiseach earlier as he was being questioned by my party leader about the crisis in the retained fire service. He said over and over again that the Government values retained firefighters. The Minister has told us here this evening that he admires them. These are nice words. If the Taoiseach and the Government valued them, however, retained firefighters would not be on picket lines across counties Roscommon and Galway and the rest of the State today. They have been forced into this situation and i…

I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the fact that we are having this debate because as we all know in this House, this is a matter of real concern for farmers. I think most of us would agree that the way in which this has been handled in recent weeks has been a mess. Reports of what was being looked at in Europe came as a bit of a surprise to a lot of farmers and it was made known to them through the media, which is not the way this should be done. That is how most farmers learned that this debate and…

We did make amendments.

Apologies, I am coming from the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which always meets at the same time that we are taking this Bill.

Yes, it is. I move amendment No. 2: In page 10, line 5, to delete “prescription and dispensing” and substitute “prescription, dispensing and prescription endorsement”. This amendment was discussed on Committee Stage. We are bringing it forward again. It is an amendment we were asked to bring forward by the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU. Pharmacists want to be reflected in the Bill. That is important. I understand the Minister has engaged with the IPU. The amendment relates to administration and record-keeping, which is…

Sometimes, one does not get one's full prescription. If one gets a prescription for six months, one can collect one or two.

I move amendment No. 8: In page 56, line 14, after “statute” to insert “anonymised”. I understand these amendments were discussed on Committee Stage. The amendment seeks to ensure that when information is shared with third parties, it is provided on an anonymous basis, so that individual farmers are not identified, similar to other data privacy concerns. It also arises from concerns that have been expressed by the farming organisations about how data would be used under the provisions of this Bill. Maybe the commit…

No, on the basis of what the Minister said. I welcome the engagement with the Data Protection Commissioner.

Last November, my party brought forward proposals on how we deal with the continuing recruitment and retention crisis in the retained fire service. Many retained fire fighters came here that evening to listen to the debate and they made it clear they could not go on. They told us the service was on its knees and on the brink of complete collapse. Six months later, nothing has been done to address those issues. What will the Taoiseach do to re-establish the talks that have collapsed? What will he do to ensure meanin…

Does the Minister of State intend to extend what was announced for the interim scheme for farmers and other landowners whose trees have been affected by ash dieback? The clear response from the likes of the Society of Irish Foresters, SIF, and the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, is that what was announced for the interim scheme, including the enhanced features, does not go far enough. Does the Minister of State intend to go further, given their remarks?

I thank the Minister of State for her response. Even with the enhanced features of the interim scheme, several issues have been flagged. The likes of SIF and the IFA have said the scheme, even with the enhanced features, does not go far enough. The Minister of State has said it includes grants to cover the cost of site clearance. Does she know what those costs are? Again, the organisations are telling us that what the Government has announced does not cover all costs associated with removing affected ash dieback tr…