We want to meet our 2030 climate and energy targets. SSE Renewables has a lease in place for the Arklow wind project, which is, fortunately, under the Foreshore Act. Senator Casey asked when a decision will be made. I do not have the information, but I will bring the question back to the Minister to see if we can expedite the matter as quickly as possible. It is good that an Oireachtas Member has chosen to raise this issue. There can sometimes be blockages so it is no harm to keep an eye on things and progress matt…

I thank my colleague, Senator Murphy, for reading that letter into the record. I will bring the issues of concern to the attention of the Minister. Earlier this year, the Government published its employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025, which contains commitments to expand the capacity of our public employment service. The strategy also provides for an increase in resources that will deliver the regional employment service across the entire State. In late 2019, the Department of Social Protection c…

I thank Senator Murphy for both of his contributions. In the drive to enhance and deliver State-wide employment services for the long-term unemployed, and other cohorts, we cannot forget about the welfare of the people who provide those services, as the Senator rightly said. In the consultation phase of this process, I understand Department officials visited every single job club in the State and saw for themselves the quality service provided by many of them. They have provided a great service on the ground and, a…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. We are now midway through the term of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. We are looking at a health-led approach because, unfortunately, drugs are in every town and village in the country. The Garda and all stakeholders are working as hard as possible. There is already a lot of collaboration with local organisations such as the GAA. We are only too delighted to work with them. I addressed the issue of problem gambling in the Sea…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions on the very important topic of breast cancer awareness. October is breast cancer awareness month but our commitment and alertness to any indicators of breast cancer should extend year-round. As Minister of State with responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy, I encourage all to be aware of what they can do to reduce their risk of cancer and other diseases through a healthy lifestyle, as many Deputies have said. As stated earlier by the …

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter today. I am glad to take the opportunity to set out the position regarding the assessment process for primary medical certificates. A primary medical certificate is a requirement for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme. This scheme is underpinned by statute and comes under the remit of the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. The extent of the involvement of HSE community medical doctors in the scheme relates…

I accept the impact it has on people's lives and I hope the appeals will be dealt with more urgently than they have been. As I said, some 1,270 assessments were undertaken up to the end of June this year. I assure the House that if an applicant's case clearly meets the strict criteria that govern the primary medical certificate, a community medical doctor may be in a position to grant it, on the basis of supporting documentation from a consultant and without an in-patient assessment. This may go some way in providi…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: “Dáil Éireann resolves that the Statistics (Decade of Centenaries) Bill 2020 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for greater analysis of the complex issues concerned and for such considerations to be taken into account in further scrutiny of the Bill.” Is mór agam an deis a fháil labhairt leis na Teachtaí faoin gceist thábhachtach a ardaítear sa Bhille seo, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó S…

If there are other such issues, it is in the interest of us all that they be resolved. I think we are all mature now and cop that this should be done. I would applaud anybody for bringing them to the Minister for Defence, maybe, to get them resolved. I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for his contribution. As for the Army records and the archives, Deputy Martin Kenny and I share a very interesting history. I refer to the divisions of the past 100 years, with partition and so on. My grandfather, James Feely, was imprisoned …

I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, I welcome the opportunity to address the House. I sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for scoliosis treatment and I remain conscious of the burden this places on them and their families. The priority of the Minister for Health and the Government is to improve waiting times for all patients accessing hospital treatment, and reducing paediatric waiting lists for orthopaedic procedures r…

Again, I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am acutely aware of the distress and inconvenience caused to patients and their families when urgent care is delayed. Improving waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures is a priority. I will relay the Senator’s concerns and annoyance to the Minister and the Department. It is recognised that waiting times for all scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the past 19 months as a direct result of Covid-19. There have been some positiv…

I again thank the Senator for raising this issue. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the funding allocated in budget 2022. I echo her contribution regarding the work the task forces do. I will put on the record my great admiration and thanks for the great work the volunteers and people in the task forces have done. I am providing €6 million in new funding for new measures to support the implementation of the national drugs strategy. This funding will strengthen the health-led approach to drugs and alc…

Following agreement on the strategic priorities for the national drugs strategy for the period from 2021 to 2025, I recently met with the drug and alcohol task forces, as the Senator said, to outline the additional funding I am providing to deliver on these strategic priorities. This includes €1 million in funding for the development of a programme of community-based drug and alcohol services. The programme will adopt a population-based approach to the provision of drug and alcohol services in line with the Sláinte…

I thank Senator Gavan for raising this matter, which has been the subject of much media comment in recent years. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, has informed me that officials of his Department are following the case of Mr. Julian Assange. Mr. Assange, an Australian citizen and the public face of the WikiLeaks website, was arrested by British police in London in April 2019 after he left the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador because the asylum that had been g…

I thank the Senator and have taken note of his remarks on the matter, specifically those on our seat at the United Nations Security Council and what is, effectively, a difference of opinion on matters related to Belarus and Russia. I will bring them back to the Minister. This is a legal matter within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and it appears to be the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, as I have already explained. The next steps in what happens to Mr. Assange rest with the UK judicial authorities. Ag…

As part of budget 2022, I am announcing investment of €16 million for new measures to support the national drug strategy and Healthy Ireland along with a further €13 million allocated under Covid-19-specific funding. Under healthy Ireland, €10 million-----

I do not have a second copy but I can give my copy to the Deputy when I am finished.

I will give the Deputy my speech when I am finished.

Under Healthy Ireland, €10 million is provided to implement the national healthy weight campaign, an innovative and co-ordinated approach to encourage physical activity through Sport Ireland and the HSE. Funding is also being provided to scaling up the HSE’s online sexually transmitted infections, STI, services. Some €6 million is being provided under the national drugs strategy and this funding will increase access to drugs and alcohol services, expand the Housing First programme and enhance health services for vu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue today. I am glad to have this opportunity, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to set out the supports currently provided by the Irish Government to Irish thalidomide survivors. As the Deputy will know, following an Irish Government decision in January 1975, each Irish survivor is provided with health supports, including a medical card issued on an administrative basis regardless of means, in addition to appliances, artificial limbs, equipment, housing ada…