A revealing and noteworthy report marking eating disorder awareness week shows how the health system is failing people with eating disorders. Only 55% of the staff of three new teams promised for 2021 have been recruited and less than one third of available funding has been invested since 2016. According to a freedom of information request, there is no implementation plan for the recruitment and training of staff despite the HSE previously stating in a response to a parliamentary question from me that there was a p…

Only 55% of the staff promised for 2021 have been recruited.

With respect to the Minister of State, only 55% of the staff promised for 2021 have been recruited.

That is not an answer to the question.

Fertiliser prices have increased significantly in recent months and Irish prices are among the highest globally. These high prices are likely to continue, with uncertainty around supply and distribution and, in particular, international restrictions on ammonium nitrate. This will impact most on non-organic small family farms, which are already squeezed with any profits made from, for example, meat prices being eroded by rising fertiliser costs. I ask the Minister to outline the actions being taken to support family…

I thank the Minister. Any measures that will immediately address the prices will make a big difference to families. I welcome the Minister's intention to address Irish agriculture's dependency on chemical fertilisers. It represents the type of intensive farming that has been forcing farmers to do more and more for less and less for a long time now, only to the great benefit of those fertiliser companies. I think the term "sustainable agriculture" has become almost meaningless. It is frequently used by the Departmen…

I acknowledge the proactive approach the Minister is taking. I agree with Deputy Carthy that we need a more robust, short-term solution. When we are talking about medium- and long-term solutions, it is important to acknowledge that difficult times like this can also be opportunities. Farmers, as we know, are some of the most innovative people. The Department needs to look at ways of embedding methods and efficiencies which are coming out of the rising costs of fertiliser. Slurry and farmyard manure can be used in l…

The programme for Government commits to establishing a citizens' assembly on drug use. It is an incredibly important issue that requires reform. We must take a holistic approach in tackling the issue of drugs in Ireland. Addiction requires a health-based approach, and the focus should be on harm reduction and prevention and, ultimately, saving lives. Best practice, such as the Portuguese model, suggests that decriminalising possession of small amounts for personal use is very effective. We must reform our drug poli…

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund is a mechanism to address issues relating to the lack of integration and diversity in sectors of Irish society. While we pride ourselves on being welcoming people, the reality can be very different for migrants and people of colour who experience anything from microaggression to racially motivated attacks. The recent incident of performers from "The Lion King" musical being subjected to racial abuse in Dublin is just one of many examples we could draw on. The State needs t…

One in two people will develop cancer during his or her lifetime. Getting a cancer diagnosis is overwhelming and terrifying. Many or most, if not all, of us have lost loved ones to cancer but we also know many people who have survived. Screenings, improved treatment and excellent care are all increasing survival rates. However, this comes at a deep physical, emotional and, disgracefully, financial cost. This financial cost is callous and uncaring. Not only are cancer patients charged for their care but hospitals us…

I will not speak for too long on this. I welcome the Bill, especially the mechanism to allow for and encourage small-scale forestry planting on farms and other land. This is the type of practical intervention needed to help local afforestation with native broadleaf species. The right type of planting has multiple benefits that range from improving carbon sequestration to improving biodiversity and air quality. We need more measures like this to help farmers and landowners to increase our levels of native broadleaf …

Many of the fundamental flaws identified by the fishing sector in the pre-legislative scrutiny remain. Today’s amendments highlight the lack of due process and natural justice in this regulatory system and the Government's bizarre commitment to an impaired approach, which must be called out. Penalty points can be issued on a balance of probability rather than on the principle of beyond a reasonable doubt, as Deputies have said. The Government is enacting an ambiguous and worrying threshold that has no place in any …

The programme for Government committed to reviewing the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 in 2021. This deadline has already been missed. I welcome the appointment of an independent chair for the review but there is still considerable confusion about the nature of the process and its timeline. All we have heard about is the very limited budget of €60,000. We need a real review that examines the lived experience of women who have been forced to travel abroad for care, who have had to wait unne…

I thank the Labour Party, in particular Deputy Nash, for facilitating this important discussion. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Inflation has leaped to a 21-year high of 5.5%. Families and especially those on fixed incomes are feeling the effects every day. Energy prices are soaring and young families are burdened with rents and incredibly expensive childcare costs. Pensioners and disabled people are unable to heat their homes. Households are depending on the fantastic work of food charities to ge…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for including this Topical Issue. Emergency services response times are a constant concern in rural areas and County Cork is one of the areas seriously affected by significant ambulance delays. Despite the best efforts of paramedics and other staff, over a third of calls had response times in excess of an hour in the first half of 2021. The distances involved have been cited by the National Ambulance Service as one of the reasons for delays. This is a massive source of worry for rural re…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and for his overview of the situation. This is a sensible policy with the potential to save lives and make a real difference in dispersed communities in rural areas. The National Ambulance Service is pursuing this approach and many fire and rescue personnel support this idea. Also, the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council priority dispatch standard allows for the use of appropriately trained fire and rescue staff to respond to certain categories of emergencies as first res…

As the Minister of State will be aware after his recent visit to Bantry following the flooding there in December, it continues to be an ever-present risk for businesses and homes. The town has been flooded four times in the last 18 months. Will the Minister of State provide an update on the scheme and outline the interim defences that will be made available?

I thank the Minister of State for the update and his recent visit to the town. Progress on this scheme is always welcome. The Minister of State, though, will also appreciate that residents and proprietors are anxious to know when they will start to see physical work starting on the ground. All flood events can have a large impact on households and businesses, including through damage to structures and destroyed stocks. The social effect can also be very demoralising for communities. The risk of repeated flooding on…

I thank the Minister of State for that information. Bantry is just one of several towns in west Cork with work in progress on flood defences. The Minister of State recently marked the completion of the Clonakilty scheme. It is fantastic and is already making a big difference to the community there. In responding to my parliamentary questions, though, the Minister of State noted that both the Skibbereen and Bandon schemes are "substantially completed", rather than completed. As this distinction has a major impact on…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Given that the Tánaiste and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine are in the Chamber, the programme for Government commits to securing a sustainable future for the fisheries sector while supporting coastal communities. The small piers spread across our coastline and offshore islands are key pieces of infrastructure that support local communities. They enable the type of sustainable fishing that has been practised in Ireland for generations and facilitate recreational t…