I congratulate the Minister of State on his elevation and new appointment. Deputy Sherlock and I are here 12 months after bringing this issue up previously regarding the treatment of pensioners in An Post. It is always topical and it has come to our attention again, given developments in pay increases for An Post workers announced in recent months and other issues. What is rooted in all of this is the exceptionalism with which pensioners in An Post are being treated. This year, the CWU reached a two-year pay agreem…

The response, which is very similar to the response received 12 months ago, mentions section 46 setting a minimum level of parity between the An Post scheme and the scheme that applied to staff members as it stood on the day and that it does not provide that the conditions in the An Post scheme "must continue to match any subsequent improvements in pension conditions". However, as the former pensions ombudsman stated, and as I stated in my opening contribution, based on his experience, pension increases are in prac…

I thank all contributors. On the issue of sexual and gender-based violence and violence in general, you always think there is a case that will be a tipping point and kick the State into action to put in place measures ensuring it never happens again. Unfortunately, that is not the case and with the assault on Natasha O'Brien we are again debating and discussing this and retraumatising the victim. As has been summed up, Natasha intervened to help a member of the LGBTQ community who was being abused. She was brave en…

Public transport workers keep our cities, towns and rural areas moving. They get essential workers to their jobs and people to college and to school. They connect us all. Far too often, they face abuse and violence on the job. Following a recent survey by SIPTU, it was revealed that more than 80% of public transport workers suffer regular instances of abuse, which is absolutely unacceptable. SIPTU's Respect Transport Workers campaign demands change now. Even over the past couple of weeks, we have seen further repor…

I thank Deputy Harkin and the Independent Group for bringing forward this motion. I have a speech prepared but I received an email from a principal in a school in my constituency at 10.05 a.m. which I would like to put on record because it relates to funding challenges for the provision of autism classes, which is within the broader scope of this motion. There is a school in my constituency which is one of the leaders in providing special classes for children with autism. In 2021 the school was granted €590,000 for…

We are bringing up again - this has been brought up a great deal - car park charges for patients. It remains a major cost and burden on sick people accessing our hospitals to obtain acute care. We need to see a strategy from Government that will bring these costs down. I thank the Minister.

I thank the Minister. That is good to hear. There are different costs in the various hospitals. As the Minister knows, there will be sick people who might have treatments in different hospitals. There is no uniformity to it. I acknowledge progress has been made and costs have come down and I want to acknowledge the work of the Irish Cancer Society and others with respect to their advocacy on car park charges. However, there are still anomalies and costs for people such as those I have outlined in my question with r…

Okay.

Does the Minister have any plans to provide State funding to the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association to help it carry out its ongoing work?

That is encouraging. The support to access existing funding pots while the scoping exercise is under way is welcome. The ILFA appeared at the health committee in April and has made a request to meet the Minister. Its asks include: additional financial supports for patients; consideration of tax rebates and grants - I welcome the Minister mentioning the latter; State funding for ILFA programmes, which I am sure will be included in the scoping exercise; and the streamlining of the oxygen provision system. If the ILFA…

What are the Minister's plans to develop a consultant-led helicopter emergency service that would bring lifesaving expertise to the scene of crashes and accidents? It was news to me that Ireland is an outlier among our European counterparts as regards this service. It is something we need to provide. I think the Taoiseach or the Minister has made positive comments on this matter. I would welcome an update.

I agree with what the Minister said in terms of how highly skilled our advanced paramedic teams are and the level of care they provide at the scene of accidents and crashes. However, having examined this consultant-led model, I think it is one we need to look at because there are things consultants can provide that cannot be provided by advanced paramedics such as anaesthesia to protect the brain, blood transfusions and accessing major blood vessels to stop haemorrhaging, so it is something we should explore. It is…

Before I begin, I send the best wishes of the Labour Party to Deputy Jennifer Whitmore. Last night's "Prime Time Investigates" exposed some shocking practices in the Irish horse racing industry focusing on how horses, most of them racing thoroughbreds, are treated in the final period of their lives. After a life which many of them spent in the public spotlight being worked, they then enter what appears to be a very murky chain. It is nearly 150 years since Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty about the appalling treatmen…

Can the Minister give a categorical guarantee that this is not happening today and that there are now vets in Shannonside every day, not just when the slaughter is happening? Regarding animal welfare, we are putting €95 million of taxpayers' money into the Horse and Greyhound Fund, with €76 million going into Horse Racing Ireland. Animal welfare is not just about animal welfare on the gallops, the paddocks, the stables or the racecourse. It is from cradle to the end but that has failed here. We do not know if there…

The European football championship begins tomorrow and the Republic of Ireland will not have a team there. We do not have a permanent manager. It has been nearly a year since the Labour Party brought the first ever debate on football and grassroots football funding into this Dáil. Football is still the most widely played sport in the country, and despite the vibrancy of the League of Ireland and great moments and achievements of our women's football team in recent years, both sections of that football world would s…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to give further effect to the Aircraft Noise Regulation in so far as it relates to Dublin Airport by transferring the functions of the competent authority for the purposes of that Regulation from the Fingal County Council to the Environmental Protection Agency; and to provide for connected matters. The Bill is about transferring the functions of aircraft noise from Fingal County Council to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. It is in response t…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Before I begin, I wish Martin all the best in his retirement and thank him very much. I had the privilege of being in this House as both a Member and a staff member for a number of years, and the courtesy I was shown did not differ. That is the same for everyone, which is a testament to Martin and his colleagues, so I wish him all the best. I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am seeking Government support for this Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to criminalise and make an offence of the practice …

Criminal.

I have had support from Deputies and parties of Government.