I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue. The HSE is working to standardise the grants available for wigs and hairpieces. Based on the work done to date, an expert group has made a proposal for the development of guidelines by the HSE to standardise the grants paid. The Senator is absolutely correct that it just does not add up that somebody in Wexford would get €200 less than someone in Dublin. As I said, while the finalisation of the guidelines was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, much signific…

I thank my good friend and colleague, Senator Ó Donnghaile, for raising this important issue. He raised it on many occasions during my time in the Seanad. In response to the evolving needs of Irish society and its relationship with the wider Irish diaspora, the previous Government agreed in March 2017 to accept in principle the main recommendation in the fifth report of the Convention on the Constitution that Irish citizens resident outside the State, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, should have the…

Again, I do not have that detail, but I will bring the Senator's views back to the Minister. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Foreign Affairs have worked closely on this issue. They have agreed to facilitate the holding of a referendum on this important issue. If passed by the people in a referendum, it would extend the right to vote for the Office of President to all citizens, irrespective of where they reside when an election is held on or after 1 January 2025, the ye…

I appreciate the urgency and I will bring the Senator's views to the Minister. I thank him for raising this issue because we would like to see a situation whereby wherever green is worn, as it were, across the world every Irish citizen would have a franchise to elect the President. I understand the logistics but the sentiment is shared by us all.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. Innovation 2020, the national strategy for research and innovation, recognises that for Ireland to become a global innovation leader, our research and innovation system must be open with strong international collaboration links. Membership of leading international research organisations is an important mechanism for facilitating this engagement. It is particularly important for Ireland as a small county due to the resource-intensive nature of cutting-edge research. For th…

As the Senator knows, the reply I delivered is not from my Department. The Senator spoke about knowing the price of everything, but the relevant Department values research and international collaboration. We saw how important that is during the pandemic. Ireland, as a progressive country, should be able to take its place at the forefront of what is happening around the world. As I said, four organisations were identified, namely, CERN, the European Southern Observatory, ELIXIR and LOFAR, and membership of three of …

I thank Deputy Richmond for giving me the opportunity to discuss this issue on behalf of the Minister. From the outset, I note that the Department of Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding with regard to public transport. However, it is not involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The National Transport Authority has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services nationally and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant t…

I thank Deputy Richmond, who came up with some interesting views regarding serving the public and anticipating difficulties. He also mentioned the NTA and that we need to deliver short-term solutions to short-term problems. We sometimes need outside-the-box thinking and I appreciate that. I want to advise the Deputy that the introduction of the Transport for Ireland, TFI, 90-minute fare last year, as envisaged by the BusConnects programme, has hugely benefited public transport users in south Dublin. The TFI 90-minu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and welcome the opportunity to discuss Ireland's progress towards its sustainable development goals. A renewed focus is currently being given to progress Ireland's commitments to agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Substantial progress has been achieved in recent months in respect of reviewing Ireland's implementation of agenda 2030. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has overall responsibility for promoting the sustainable development goals…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. Ireland’s second SDG programme is currently being finalised. It is intended that the draft plan will be made available - I know the Deputy might not like to hear this word - shortly. However, we will try to get a timeline as quickly as possible to form the basis of discussion at the next SDG national stakeholder forum. This will allow for a final round of input from stakeholders prior to finalisation and publication. It is important to note that the report uses offic…

I thank the Deputies for raising this timely issue, given what has been happening today. District heating offers the potential to make use of renewable and waste energy to heat homes and businesses as part of a range of measures to reduce carbon emissions. In Ireland, district heating currently accounts for a small share of the heating sector, estimated to be less than 1%. The Government is committed, however, to ensuring that advantage can be taken of this technology to decarbonise the built environment. The Clima…

Deputy Ó Murchú talked about the CRU needing the power to take action and I will convey those views to the Minister. He went on to state we need a solution for Carlinn Hall and I thank both him and Deputy O’Rourke for raising that issue. Deputy O'Rourke raised the issue of the Tallaght data centre and the provision of town gas. Unfortunately, gas prices will continue to increase and we hope the Government can bring in some measures that will reduce the serious impact that will have. The position of successive Gover…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann, while acknowledging the relevance of the Social Welfare (Payment Order) (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the context of the current conditions in the child maintenance system, resolves that the Bill be deemed to be read a second time this day six months to allow for consideration of the outcome of the Child Maintenance Review Group, as its terms of reference include an examination of the liable relative provisions which th…

I thank Deputies Kerrane, Martin Kenny, Mairéad Farrell and Gould for their contributions on this debate and for their interest in this important topic. We have had a useful debate. We all understand the importance of child maintenance and want to improve the system. The liable relative provisions that are operated by the Department of Social Protection are just one element of that system. I reiterate the Government's commitment to reform of the child maintenance system. It was because of this commitment that the G…

I thank Deputies Tóibín and Berry for giving me the opportunity to set out the Government's view on the issue of car park charges at our hospitals. The Bill seeks to provide for an entitlement to parking free of charge for outpatients attending public hospitals. The question of car park charges for those attending hospitals and the financial burden this can place on patients is well recognised and has been spoken about in this House recently. I acknowledge the spirit and intent of the Bill in seeking to ease the fi…

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to today's discussion, in particular the Bill's sponsors, Deputies Berry and Tóibín. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and I acknowledge the spirit and intent of the Bill in seeking to ease the financial burden on those attending hospital. It is important to acknowledge that hospitals are already aware of the financial implications of parking costs, and do have various concessionary arrangements in place. Separate to reviewing and improving on these arrangements as need…

I thank Deputy Murnane O’Connor for raising the issue of replacing the current ambulance base, which is located at the Carlow health services complex at St. Dympna’s Hospital, Carlow town. The National Ambulance Service is the statutory pre-hospital emergency and intermediate care provider for the State and it seeks to serve the needs of patients and the public as part of an integrated health system, through the provision of high quality, safe and patient-centred services. Carlow ambulance base is an integral part …

I wish to thank the Senator for raising this important matter today. The Phoenix Centre in Longford is utilised for both adult and paediatric services, including a day respite service for adults aged 18 to 65 years; a children’s disability network team providing therapeutic family-centred clinical assessments and interventions for children with complex needs; and providing support to the carers, service providers and the local community with the emphasis on sharing resources, skills, knowledge and expertise. The HS…

I thank Deputy Murnane O’Connor again for raising the issue of the provision of the ambulance base located in Carlow town. A significant programme of work is under way to transform the National Ambulance Service from an emergency medical service into a mobile medical service. As I said, this is a model which aims to treat patients at the lowest appropriate level of acuity, resulting in a better experience for the patient and more efficient use of resources. Carlow ambulance base is an integral part of the National …

I thank the Senator for raising the issue of the building not being fit for purpose. I will bring his concerns back to the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Deputy Rabbitte. This Government will remain focused on providing the best services we can for children and adults with disabilities, whether it be therapeutic interventions, day services fit for the 21st century, independent living supports or respite or residential care, while keeping the health and well-being of people with disabilities…