I thank the Deputies for their thoughtful and constructive statements in support of the motion before the House. It is clear from the statements over the past hour or so that there is widespread support in Dáil Éireann for a citizens' assembly on drugs use. There is also a clear sense of the urgency of the task. As I said in my opening remarks, this country has seen too much pain and suffering caused by drugs use. Too many families have lost loved ones through overdose. Too many lives have been ruined by addiction.…

The planning, management and allocation of health resources has been particularly challenging over the last year, due to the arrival in Ireland of over 80,000 refugees in 2022, the majority of whom are from Ukraine. Refugees arriving in Ireland have different health needs from the rest of the population. Furthermore, being a refugee is a social determinant of health, which is associated with considerable trauma and vulnerability. We need to recognise that refugees and migrants are a population group that has to be …

I too thank Deputies Ward and Gould for the opportunity to discuss the important topic of dual diagnosis. I highlight the progress made in relation to dual diagnosis under the national drugs strategy, which comes under my remit as the Minister of State with responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy. The national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, represents a whole-of-government response to the problem of drug and alcohol use in Ireland. As Minister of State with …

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate) - Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 (Second Stage) (( if not previously concluded, to stand adjourned either at 5.56 p.m. or after 2 hours, whichever is the later ) Private members' business shall be the Motion re Spring Bonus and Cost-of-Living Supports, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday’s business shall be: - Motions re Revised Estimates [Votes 12 to 15, 17…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those next set down to the Minister for Health, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Minister for Rural and Community Development Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister for Environment, Climate and Comm…

I move: Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Consideration of Estimates by Committee ( without debate ) - Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Report Stage of the Bill) - Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021 (Report and Final Stages) (to be taken no earlier than 3.50 p.m. and to conclude within 3 hours) Private members' business s…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 215A(1), the Select Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community may complete its consideration of the Estimates for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2023, standing referred to it pursuant to Standing Order 215(2) later than the sixtieth day, but not later than the ninetieth day, being the 14th day of March, 2023, after the Estimates had been so referred.

I move: That, pursuant to Standing Order 187, it be an instruction to the Committee to which the Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021 may be recommitted in respect of certain amendments, that the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill, in relation to amending the Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Decisions on Supervision Measures) Act 2020 to give further effect to Framework Decision 2009/829/JHA o…

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. It is a terrible reality that sexual assault and violence continue within our society. The 2022 annual report for sexual assault treatment units, SATUs, in Ireland is yet to be finalised but the provisional data for 2022 show that approximately 1,050 people attended across the six units in Ireland in that year. This represents an increase of 191, or 22%, on the 2021 attendance figure of 859. I note that the 2018…

I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, who has asked me to thank Senator Garvey for raising this issue. He welcomes the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the development of primary care centres. A central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare, with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home first approach. Primary care centres play…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this important topic. In my concluding remarks, I wish to refer to the SATU policy review, which began in September 2018 and concluded in February 2019 and examined the efficacy of these treatment units. The review team comprised staff from the Department of Health, the then Department of Justice and Equality, the HSE and the SATUs. I am pleased to say the implementation of the policy review recommendations has been completed. The fifth edition of the National Guidelines on Refe…

The Minister would again like to thank the Senator for raising the issue. Primary care centres provide important primary care infrastructure. They can also support the delivery of integrated care by facilitating closer co-ordination and co-operation between health professionals from across different disciplines. They also provide a single point of access to services for the individual and can serve as a resource for the community more broadly by creating a focal point for health initiatives or providing community g…

I move: That the following Committees may complete their consideration of the Estimates for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2023, standing referred to them pursuant to Standing Order 215(2) later than the sixtieth day and not later than the ninetieth day, being the 14th day of March, 2023, after the Estimates had been so referred: — the Select Committee on Health, — the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, — the Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action, — the Sele…

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Protocol and arrangements for President Metsola’s address to a Joint Sitting of both Houses of the Oireachtas ( without debate ) - Statements post European Council meeting of 15-16 December 2022 pursuant to Standing Order 124 (not to exceed 130 mins, including 20 mins Q&A) Private members' business shall be the Motion re Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Presentation and Circulation of Furth…

The week after next. We discussed that at the Business Committee.

I move: That the following arrangements shall apply in relation to any meeting of the Dáil on Thursday 2nd February, 2023: ( a ) the ordinary routine of business shall be interrupted after Questions on Policy or Legislation pursuant to Standing Order 35A, and the sitting of the Dáil shall thereupon stand suspended; ( b ) at 2 p.m., the Dáil shall be enjoined with Seanad Éireann to constitute a joint sitting of both Houses of the Oireachtas in the Dáil chamber for the purpose of an address by Her Excellency Roberta …

I move: That Dáil Éireann, in accordance with section 8(3)( a ) of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003, as amended, appoints Deputy Jennifer Whitmore to be an ordinary member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in place of Deputy Seán Sherlock who has resigned his office in accordance with the aforementioned section 8.

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity ( without debate ) - Motion re Presentation and Circulation of Further Revised Estimate 2023 [Vote 42] (without debate) - Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled " Orders of Reference for Special Committee on Assisted Dying "…

I move: That, in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform pursuant to Standing Order 118A(2)( b ), a Special Committee on Assisted Dying is hereby established, with Orders of Reference as contained in the report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled " Orders of Reference for Special Committee on Assisted Dying ", a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 19th January, 2023.

It is proposed that notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 34(a) or in the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders, Leaders' Questions pursuant to Standing Order 36 shall be taken now, followed immediately by the Order of Business pursuant to Standing Order 35.