Next Friday is the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. We remember the victims of one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, when three bombs exploded in Dublin and a fourth one in Monaghan. This resulted in the deaths of 34 civilians, including baby Martha O'Neill, and the injury of almost 300 people. I pay tribute to the families and campaigners from Justice for the Forgotten in the Gallery. I acknowledge their long struggle for truth and justice, which is a testament to their commitment and d…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a bheith anseo. Scoil Chiaráin was founded in 1970 and educates boys and girls of primary and post-primary age with mild to moderate special needs. Scoil Chiaráin helps them to develop socially and educationally within a stimulating, friendly environment. Every child, particularly those with special needs, should be given whatever supports are necessary to remain in education. Scoil Chiaráin provides a caring and friendly atmosphere that helps children to develop to the best of thei…

Scoil Chiaráin, as I said, is a unique, special school covering the north side of Dublin. It has been more than ten years since the school was surveyed and deemed not fit for purpose. The planning permission was granted in 2021. What the Deputy outlined is going to take us to 2026 and beyond, from what I understand. That is unacceptable. The Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Government, signed up to the UNCRPD for people with disabilities. These children are being treated abysmally. The pupils and the families are no…

The Minister of State did say that stage 3-----

As many commuters have found to their cost, having to rely on public transport in Ireland, in Dublin in particular, is very challenging. A great number of people rely on public transport to get to their place of work, to university or to college. Often, however, they are faced with unpredictable delays, insufficient coverage, capacity issues and accessibility challenges for mothers with babies in prams or those with disabilities. In 2023, environmental campaign group Greenpeace ranked Dublin as the worst for public…

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death across the State. It is particularly prevalent in areas of the country that are more economically disadvantaged. A report published by National Cancer Registry Ireland in 2023 showed that people in such areas have an almost 30% higher risk of dying from cancer within five years of diagnosis than those from less economically vulnerable areas. Irish Life Assurance's annual claims report from 2015 to 2023 showed that cancer has resulted in the largest percentage of cau…

My constituency of Dublin North-West has a large urban population of approximately 90,000 but it has a severe lack of medical facilities. This area has been neglected for many years and has been badly served when it comes to the provision of health services. For example, there has not been a single GP in the north and west of Finglas for more than 20 years. This alone should make the provision of a primary care centre all the more urgent. It has been more than a decade since Finglas was promised a primary care cent…

The Sacred Heart Boys National School in Ballygall caters for boys from Ballygall, Glasnevin, Finglas and Ballymun. The school requires two additional newly built classrooms for 12 children with special needs. There is an urgent need for autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units and classroom facilities for children with autism and special needs in the area. The Department of Education planning section is holding up progress on this badly needed facility. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency as families and…

Tá áthas orm go bhfuilim ag labhairt mar gheall ar an tairiscint seo. Tá timpeall 23% den daonra faoi mhíchumas de sórt éigin agus a lán acu ag fáil cuidiú ó chúramóirí. One of the great failings of this Government and those that preceded it has been the disparity between what they say and what they do. Disability services in this State are dysfunctional. People with disabilities are suffering because of their inability to properly access services or specialised therapies, and there is a lack of expertise across se…

Statistics provided to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs in 2019 showed that one third of young people were struggling with mental health issues on an ongoing basis. My constituency of Dublin North-West is an area that reflects the dysfunction in the provision of mental health services, with a lack of proper resourcing and severe underfunding. Since 2019, when it was clear there was a crisis in youth mental health, there has been very little improvement in the provision of such services f…

The funding model for play and language support, PALS, preschools needs urgent reform. In its current form payments are delayed, often up to two months, putting many of these preschools in jeopardy with regard to their ability to offer a valuable service to the community. The Minister for Education and her Department need to look at the way the current service agreements are implemented, with a view to overhauling them and making them fit for purpose. Will the Tánaiste ensure that these concerns, raised by parents,…

The issue is the delays.

Is the Tánaiste talking about section 31?

The homeless figures released before Christmas showed a shocking increase in both adult and child homelessness. They showed that there is no respite in the growing number of people becoming homeless. The reality is these figures do not reflect the true number of those who are in homelessness. These figures do not tell us how many people are couch surfing or how many rough sleepers there are. The crisis in the rental sector has led to a growing number of people being made homeless or who are in danger of becoming ho…

Is it a mansion?

The latest housing scandal involves the bulk-purchase of 85% of houses in Belcamp Manor. This is just another example of what is both an unacceptable practice and a kick in the teeth to those struggling to buy their own homes. The most recent homelessness figures show a record level of homelessness, with 13,500 people having been made homeless, over 4,000 of them children. Renters are paying exorbitant rents each month for often inadequate accommodation. A 2022 study showed that nearly 1 million people are at risk …

The co-ordinator of the Finglas and Cabra local drugs and alcohol task force, Mr.John Bennett, who did an enormous amount of work, passed away recently. A temporary co-ordinator has been put in place until the vacancy is filled. Due to the HSE embargo on recruitment, and budget restraints, the task force is unable to fill the position. This position needs to be filled as a matter of urgency because of the serious drug and alcohol problems that need to be addressed in the community. When will the embargo be lifted? …

It is just the like for like.

Renters' greatest concerns are security of tenure and affordable rents. In this dysfunctional rental market, during this rental crisis, neither of these concerns is realistically achievable. I regularly had people coming into my constituency office or ringing us to say they had been given notice to quit from their rental property. There is nowhere for them to go once they have vacated the property. Families are in despair, knowing that within a few months, they could find themselves on the street with no proper sup…

It could not get any worse.