I thank the Department and the Minister, and indeed Bus Éireann, for the work they are doing in trying to resolve the difficulties. The question I have to ask is why it takes until the schools go back after the summer holidays to deal with this. The schools return in September but we are still dealing with problems right up to October and November. We surely should be able to announce the decisions at an earlier date so that we can resolve the issues. Another issue I wish to discuss relates to feeder schools. Where…

First of all, like my colleagues, my thoughts are with the parents of any child who has to undergo surgery. I know that planning and getting a child ready for surgery is a huge challenge in itself for every parent. It is really difficult for any family when children have to go through a multiplicity of operations and surgery. They all need our full support. The major problem we now have is that even where surgery has been successful, parents now require reassurance. It is difficult to get that message out there. Hu…

There is a lot of uncertainty in the media coverage in respect of the consultants who are available in the hospital to perform these operations when one consultant is no longer available and a file has gone to the Medical Council. What consultants and teams are now in place to continue the work that is required? What effort is going to be made to recruit additional people with the relevant expertise to fill the void? In 2022, €19 million was provided for current and capital expenditure to tackle the waiting lists i…

It was reported this morning that a French yoghurt company, Danone, has made €3 billion profit from trading in Russia since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. That company has strong connections to Ireland. What action is the Government taking in respect of companies that are based in Ireland and have continued to trade in Russia, in view of the commitments given that we would disconnect from Russia while this conflict continues?

At any one time, there are more than 500 people in our hospitals who could be discharged. What level of engagement has taken place with the private nursing home sector with a view to expediting the discharge of people from hospitals to free up hospital beds? What further engagement has occurred as regards reconciling the difference between what is paid for a public nursing home bed and a private nursing home bed?

I will follow on from that regarding the recommendations being put in place. Are there target dates for having all the recommendations fully in place? The Tánaiste referred to transformation. We also have challenges in retaining people in the Naval Service. Does he believe that in the next three to four years the current difficulty with retention will be resolved with the implementation of all these recommendations? Will the Government be over the hurdle of the challenges it currently faces within the next three to…

The Tánaiste has already announced funding for accommodation for members of the Defence Forces. Are we likely to see the roll-out of a five-year plan dealing with accommodation? While there are certain restrictions on what changes can be made, substantial change can be made in the area of accommodation to make it attractive for people to come into the Defence Forces and stay in them. Can further progress be made in the offering of accommodation?

I want to raise the issue of radiation therapist training. I am wondering if the Department has engaged with third-level colleges, the HSE and the Department of Health with a view to increasing the number of places. Currently, there are only 30 places per annum available in Trinity and 12 places in Cork. There are 42 in total. It is not adequate. I am wondering what level of engagement has occurred as regards increasing the number of training places available.

I understand there are four treatment machines currently idle because there is a shortfall of 34% in the number of radiation therapists. There was also a survey done which indicates that over 60% of the current radiation therapists intend leaving within the next five years. As regards funding for postgraduates, for those who have already got a primary degree and want to go on to do radiation therapy, I understand there is no funding for them to do that course. Currently, Cork has 12 postgraduate places. It is a two…

In regard to the issue I raised about grants, there is a disincentive in that the grant is available for taking some postgraduate courses, whereas it is not available for studying radiation therapy. Will the Minister look at that? It is one of the key issues as regards why people are not attracted to the course. Furthermore, can we expand the number of postgraduate courses in September? This relates to a two-year course, so even if we do that, it will be two years before new people come on stream, in addition to th…

I thank the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, for coming to the House to deal with this matter. This is about having a national strategy for dealing with haemochromatosis. It is about having equal access to testing, diagnosis, and treatment. I understand that there is a proposal to the National Screening Advisory Committee as regards having a national screening programme. It is something of which we need to be conscious in the sense that, if the illness is n…

My concern is that the Irish Haemochromatosis Association's figures indicate that at any one time up to 20,000 people have not been diagnosed. That is why we have the ongoing problem of people developing health problems and suffering organ damage, as the Minister and I have mentioned. Accordingly, why not have a national strategy and a screening programme that would identify people where an immediate family member has already been diagnosed? Much work could be done. There is a benefit to the person who has haemochr…

Can I raise the shortage of radiation therapists? I understand there is a 34% shortfall and, as a result, four machines, which are extremely expensive, are not being used. Will the Minister work with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Simon Harris, to increase the number of training places? There are currently only 30 training places in Trinity College Dublin. A postgraduate course in UCC has 12 places. Only 12 people at any one time are in training in this count…

As the Tánaiste is aware, there was a huge extension to Mallow hospital. It is a four-storey building. There are 48 rooms between the second and third floors for hospital beds. Between the ground and first floors, there are 40 rooms - 20 rooms on each floor - and the whole idea was that they would be developed as rehabilitation facilities. There now appears to be a question mark over what the rooms will be used for. Could this be clarified? As the Tánaiste is aware, there is great pressure on Cork regarding hospita…

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with this issue. In view of a recent meeting where coroners presented details of more than 40 remains on which they have information but who have not been identified, will the Minister give consideration to the establishment of an office of State forensic anthropologist to complement and support the work of the State pathologist, coroners, gardaí and other relevant authorities? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter? The coroners gave information to the…

I thank the Minister. My understanding is that the Coroners Society of Ireland, the Office of the State Pathologist, the Dublin District Coroner, the missing persons bureau of An Garda Síochána and Forensic Science Ireland support the proposal I am making. I presented it to the Department and the Minister of the day five years ago, but it is only in the past three weeks that we have had a database with 44 cases. My understanding is that there are many more cases, which have not been presented to the Department, of …

I ask the Minister to outline the progress that has been made in expanding the hot school meals programme and to make a statement on the matter.

I welcome this decision. There are quite a number of DEIS schools in my constituency of Cork North-Central. I welcome the fact that the hot meals programme will be available in all DEIS schools from September. One problem with rolling out and expanding the programme is that we started off in 2020 with 30 schools on the hot meals programme. Now it is up to 500 but the Minister believes we can have all the structures and the necessary supports in place by September to double the number of schools that are currently i…

I recall being involved in a pilot project which provided meals at breakfast time when the children came into school. That had a huge effect in getting children into school. Likewise I believe this programme will have a huge advantage for schools, especially DEIS schools. I very much welcome the decision. I hope that all the schools being targeted will be able to offer hot meals from September onwards.

I would like to support my colleague on this matter. There was huge commitment and dedication by medical staff throughout the Covid period. They were there to do the best possible job for people who had Covid or other medical care requirements. People contracted it as a result of their commitment. We cannot ignore that some people have long Covid. They contracted it in their place of work and that should be given recognition. Serious consideration should be given to providing for them, particularly while they conti…