It is apt to raise this question on the national service now that it is under way. Does the Minister have any figures for the number of practising guardians ad litem , GALs, who have signed up and will now be part of the national service?

I thank the Minister. I am glad she referenced record-keeping at the end of her contribution because an issue has been brought to my attention about the records of children. The new service is not going to seek any existing records of children and is not going to hold any records moving forward, which I find very odd. There will be children who will grow up who will have GALs. They might have one or they might have a number of them throughout their time. When those children get into adulthood, they may seek their r…

I believe that the Minister would agree and acknowledge that legal representation has been a major issue and one that GALs themselves have brought forward. It is something that they are genuinely concerned about it and something I have raised with the Minister many times. Given that it genuinely has been an issue, will it be looked at and data kept in terms of where legal representation from a GAL is sought and either approved or not approved? I have asked many times and I still do not have an answer as to why we w…

As my colleagues have said, the funding Galway County Council receives is below the national average, yet it is the second biggest county in the State. It makes no sense and it has a huge impact on every single person who lives in County Galway. It impacts council resources, and it has a significant impact and is really seen on the ground in terms of outdoor staff, who have been absolutely slashed across Galway County Council. I am very proud to represent east Galway, and in particular the town of Ballinasloe. It i…

It is true to say that the level of funding is not adequate. Galway County Council, even with the recent uplifts in additional funding that have come from here and there, is so far behind due to years of underinvestment and not receiving an adequate amount that it is going to take some time to catch up. That is why the specific ask from the council should be heard by the Government and made available. The nub of the issue remains. There are smaller counties with smaller land areas and smaller populations that have …

I am very glad to co-sponsor this legislation with my colleague, Martin Kenny. For those living in Roscommon and Galway, the people I represent, and particularly for those in north Roscommon, no part of Roscommon is immune from trees falling on power lines during storms. Storm Éowyn really put a spotlight on the issue, with householders at the time left for 15, 16, 17 or more days with no electricity, no water and in some cases no heating either. We have a vicious circle when this happens. A storm comes. There is h…

I have just attended a press conference held by my colleague, Kathleen Funchion MEP, Patricia Carey, the special advocate for survivors, and two survivors who spoke at the conference and who are excluded from the mother and baby institutions payment scheme. It is hard to look at a survivor in his 70s who recounted the abuse that he faced when bordered out and that he lived with for so many years of his childhood. The other survivor was from Temple Hill, one of the institutions excluded and an institution that I hav…

Some €800 million was set aside.

These people got nothing.

There are two very straightforward asks in the motion. They are asks that deal with the reality that disabled people the length and breadth of our State are living. It is a reality that was shared with us by them when they came to the gates of Leinster House. It is difficult for people to come to the gates of Leinster House to tell strangers that they are rationing fuel or struggling to put food on the table, and to feel that they have to say it. That is a great shame on one of the richest countries in the world. I…

Everyone in this House should be extremely concerned at the ongoing situation within the National Ambulance Service. Paramedics save lives. We need them and we need more of them. I was very proud to stand with paramedics and others on the front line on strike in Loughglynn in Roscommon town last week. During that first strike action there was a lot of commentary on deals that had been on the table previously that were rejected. Of course, what was not said was the fact that those deals gave with one hand but took a…

As my party spokesperson on children, I am really glad to have the opportunity to speak on this motion, particularly about the importance of the voice of the child in court proceedings. This is an issue I have been raising with the Minister, Deputy Foley, repeatedly and I am glad to get the opportunity to raise it here this morning. The Minister of State will be aware of the new service being established for guardians ad litem , GALs, a system that will regulate them. That is welcome and GALs have no issue with it.…

I acknowledge that the Minister is here tonight to take this Topical Issue. I am sure she will agree that last week's "RTÉ Investigates" was appalling. It gave us just a glimpse into the experience of some children in care and what they experience. I certainly felt, having watched it, that somebody needs to be held accountable for what we saw in the programme and it cannot just be Tusla. I have said before that the Government is in charge. The Minister and the Department have a responsibility for children who are i…

I thank the Minister. In her closing remarks, she might let us know the action that has been taken. Has she met Tusla since that programme was aired last week, for example? Why are we not looking at the 13 voluntary residential services that have agreements in place with Tusla? Staff in them have experience of 25, 30 and more years' experience. We should be looking at those providers. There should not be any room for profit-making when it comes to children in the care of the State. Again, I make the point that we h…

I want to ask the Minister about the landmark High Court ruling made in February of this year. It specifically examined two institutions, Temple Hill and St. Joseph's, that are excluded from the mother and baby institutions payment scheme. The judge at that time directed the Minister to consider adding these institutions to the scheme and I would like to seek an update on that direction please.

The Minister will no doubt acknowledge the ruling of the court and the views and comments made, most especially by Judge Alexander Owens about the exclusion of the institutions, particularly of Temple Hill and St. Joseph's, because they were the cases brought before him by survivors of both institutions. I have raised the case of Michael Grant in this Chamber and in committee many times. He spent the first year of his life in Temple Hill. He was a healthy child and his mother paid rent for him to remain there for t…

I acknowledge a review is coming up. I understand the review is quite niche but I hope the Minister might be able to confirm that the review towards the end of this year will look at the institutions. The special advocate who has been put in place to do a job has been clear in seeking the urgent expansion of this scheme. Having met Michael Grant and his daughter Rachel, my genuine fear is that he may not live to see such an expansion to institutions like Temple Hill. There are other survivors in that situation as w…

If anyone wondered about the value of guardians ad litem , they only had to watch the "RTÉ Investigates" programme last night. We saw and heard from guardians ad litem who are powerful voices for the children that they look after, speak for and very much support through what can be a very challenging State care system. We also heard from Judge Dermot Simms, who I had in here last month for a briefing along with GALs to speak to the very serious concerns they have and he has for the national service. On a number of …

When I hosted AGALI and Judge Dermot Simms last month I asked them to share one example case with me at that briefing. They spoke about two children under the age of 16 who were received into care for the first time and placed in a special emergency arrangement, SEA, which we saw much of in last night's programme. This was the first time they were placed into care and there was nothing else available. Tusla reported on the SEA over several months and they noted the staff were engaging positively with the children e…

In relation to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, what is the number of applications made to that scheme to date this year and what is the number that have been processed?