The schedule has been set for the week, but if there is agreement in the House, time could potentially be found to discuss child safety and ensure every party has an opportunity to set out its procedures to ensure it. Child safety is paramount, whether it is in a political party or another type of organisation. The safety of the troops in Lebanon is paramount. There is daily engagement between the Tánaiste and representatives of UNIFIL and others who are assessing the situation daily. On the question Deputy Boyd Ba…

A record amount of funding is going into health, which means we are making progress in reducing the number of patients on trolleys nationwide. The Minister for Health chairs monthly meetings with senior HSE figures to drive improved performance. There has been a significant reduction in the cumulative daily 8 a.m. trolley count over the first eight months of 2024, with numbers down 11% to over 9,000 when compared with the same period. This has been achieved despite an increase in the number of patients presenting t…

We must appreciate that this Bill has had over 170 hours of debate, which is more than I have seen for any Bill during my time in this House. Deputies and Senators have had the opportunity to raise all of these matters on various Stages. The most important thing I hear from constituents, developers and those working in this sector is they need many of these amendments and this legislation to be able to build more homes for people to be able to move into. Be it building social, private or affordable homes or address…

It is extremely important we learn from the mistakes of the past and that we learn from the past, whether it is the banking crisis or any other issue. There are times when certain information cannot be put in the public domain, and while I am not clear why that decision has been taken, I have no doubt the Minister can explain or provide information on why those decisions have been taken. We should learn from the mistakes of the past but sometimes it is not possible to provide certain information or certain details.

We have provided significant investment since 2020, with more than €56 million allocated specifically to the HSE for the implementation of the safe nurse staffing framework. This is on a phased basis nationally. Our health service has been funded again this year to expand its overall numbers but also to do so next year. However, it is important the HSE operates within its budget levels. We all have to within our Departments. Whether it is justice, housing or health, we all have to work within those budgets. That sa…

I think we all agree how important the adaptation grants are and how beneficial they are to so many people. The increase in thresholds and the changes are to make sure more people can avail of these vital supports. I cannot give the Deputy an answer on his request regarding the timelines but I can raise it directly with the Minister and ask him to get back to the Deputy about it.

I fully agree. It is absolutely essential we have the appropriate number of dentists to be able to provide a vital service to people, children and adults alike. The figures I just mentioned about a 23% increase of staff overall for our health service includes 9,300 nurses and midwives, 4,000 health and social care professionals but also 3,300 doctors and dentists, so funding has been provided to increase the overall numbers. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly on his specific question.

I think we all agree and know that so often our small businesses, our coffee shops or cafés, are what makes Ireland a wonderful place to visit but also for people to live. You do not get in many other countries that kind of service or the kinds of cafés and shops we have. This Government is absolutely committed to supporting them and making sure not only that those businesses are sustained but also that they can grow. That is why significant investment is going into those businesses in the budget. Just today, the C…

I assure the Deputy one of my top priorities has been to increase the number of gardaí overall as well as to get our college up and running, having had to close it because of Covid-19 and the health challenges there. To increase numbers and get recruitment back to what it was, I have done a number of things. I have provided significant funding, increased the age at which people can join and doubled the allowance people get when they go into the college. We are making sure we can keep more gardaí until 62, if that i…

I fully support the Deputy's call for the Leader of the Opposition to make a statement on recent claims concerning individuals in her party, particularly where it has become clear that child safety was not paramount and children were potentially put at further risk because of the actions and decisions of that party. It is essential child safety is to the fore of everything we do. I support the Deputy's calls and the Business Committee may meet later today to perhaps discuss it.

I will have to come back to the Deputy on that.

I acknowledge the week that is in it and the time that has passed since that national tragedy. I am clear, as I think we all are, that families must get answers as to what happened to their loved ones and that we must ensure this never happens to any family again. As the Deputy will be aware, there is a Garda investigation under way. I have been assured by the Garda Commissioner that a file will be sent to the DPP. Work is under way through the energy regulator review and through the HSA. It is important this body …

As the Deputy rightly pointed out, this is an area we can be rightly proud of given the work and companies that have flourished in recent years. There has been significant investment in our arts sector overall, including our studio and film sector. In this year's budget there was a specific recognition of the work they do, the jobs they create but also what they add to our overall cultural gift, I suppose. On the specific question the Deputy asked about the project, I will have to go to the relevant Minister and as…

Come on now.

As the Deputy has rightly acknowledged, there has been significant investment in UHL in recent years, including a 59% increase in funding, a 58% increase in the region overall in the satellite hospitals, as well as a 42% increase in the staff specifically. I do not have the exact details for the oncology area the Deputy mentioned, but of course we want to ensure that investment is going into all elements of the hospital and that anybody who is waiting for appointments or treatment can be addressed. I will ask the M…

I thank the Senator for his overall support for the objective here, which is radical change. I do think it is needed and necessary. To the Senator's point, we have a situation where family law matters are often put at the end of a list. They are not reached by the end of the day and the next sitting is months later. As public representatives, all of us have countless people coming to us saying they cannot get a hearing to deal with the issues they want to deal with. We need to make sure we can address that while ad…

At the moment, despite the work of the wonderful people who work in family law, the system does not work for people. Families are waiting too long and seeing cases adjourned because it is not a family-friendly environment and the system was not built for these difficult situations or even for the less complex cases. Thankfully, we are starting to see the effect of the additional judges and the investment in our courts. Only in the past year, the number of District Court and Circuit Court sittings has risen, as has …

These are technical drafting amendments. Amendment No. 2 takes account of the change of title and responsibilities of the relevant Minister since the Bill was published from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Amendment No. 10 and others seek to address minor editing matters and punctuation.

I will respond to this and the other amendments as well. I thank the Senator for his amendment. At the outset, I am fully supportive of the objective and the intention to ensure the welfare of children is not in any way at risk of being overlooked throughout this Bill or in any family law proceedings. As he has rightly mentioned, Article 42A of the Constitution provides that "the best interest of the child shall be the paramount consideration" in the resolution of all proceedings brought by the State for the purpos…

These are a series of amendments that reflect issues raised by stakeholder groups working with those affected by domestic violence. The amendments make provision to ensure that when considering the suspension of proceedings to enable mediation or other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to occur, the court is required to endeavour to ensure that its suspension does not negatively affect the safety of any party to the proceedings or to a child to whom the proceedings relate. This is again consistent with the …