The Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality has done incredible work cataloguing and making recommendations on a suite of issues that impact on inequity and discrimination concerning gender. It is important to note at the outset that this is a discussion about how gender affects individuals and groups in society. It is not a discussion about women and girls. However, the patriarchal nature of our society means that it is women and girls who are most frequently disadvantaged. The assembly’s report is an outline of man…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for including this important issue in today's Topical Issue debate. This is pregnancy and infant loss remembrance month, a time to mark loss in pregnancy or soon after birth. This is an incredibly sensitive matter which represents tragedy and bereavement for thousands of families. Pregnancy loss in the form of miscarriage or stillbirth occurs in up to one quarter of all pregnancies. This loss can have a devastating impact on parents, other children and family members. It is vital t…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. For the families involved in this campaign, public registration is a means of recognising their children. It is a relatively minor change in legislative terms but one that can have a major impact. The Minister of State indicated that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, will look at the matter with a view to change, but perhaps not to the extent I am proposing. It is important to highlight that Féileacáin wants to give parents options for how they register their child, rat…

As we recover from the pandemic, this budget was an opportunity to improve quality of life by investing in our public services. Housing, childcare, disability services, SNAs and fair climate action are issues people raise with all of us. We need substantial and sustained funding of our health, education and local services. In the limited time I have, I will raise just some of the issues in the budget. Disability is a complex area. Government policy must reflect this in providing interventions where they are most re…

Just one last point. Sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. To give context of a previous budget, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind was allocated €886,000. It had to raise €5 million itself. Why is it not getting a fraction of what the greyhound racing industry is getting?

On the same issue, as we speak, people are gathering outside for the march for maternity to call for an end to restrictions on partners attending maternity services. This has been a consistent call from families for more than a year now. Women are separated from the partners for much of their labour, visiting hours are still severely curtailed and partners are still banned from attending antenatal scans. How much of this a person is subjected to is still a complete geographical lottery. The situation is now growing…

The Minister has not actually answered the questions, though. What is he going to do about it? Who is in charge?

People can go to nightclubs on 22 October.

No words can describe the pain of the 18 families involved in this horrific incident. The loss of a baby is an unimaginable tragedy but the inhumane treatment of their retained organs compounds that pain and trauma. No one can imagine what these families are feeling. My condolences to the families involved; all our thoughts are with them. We acknowledge the strength and bravery shown by the parents who have been able to speak so powerfully on this matter. It is incomprehensible that an incident like this could happ…

Is the review that the Minister is referencing going to ensure this has not happened in any other hospital in the country?

Can I take it from the Minister's reply that there will be a review of all hospitals to ensure this has not happened in any other hospital?

I do not get much face-to-face time with the Minister so I wanted to raise quickly the issue of baby Kate from Dunmanway. I want to ask the Minister and the HSE to do all they can to approve Zolgensma, a drug used to treat spinal muscular atrophy. This has been called a miracle drug that could save the lives of very small children like Kate who have a rare muscular condition. Kate Mynard is 17 months old and this drug is generally only administered to children under the age of two, based on their weight. Kate’s par…

Last year, data centres took approximately 11% of the total electricity used in Ireland, and it is projected that they could account for over 30% of all demand by 2030. This is unbelievable. A sector which most people have only recently become aware of is using over one tenth of our electricity, and this is likely to rise to over one third in nine years. Does this industry employ a corresponding number of people to justify this massive power usage? Does it pay a similar amount in taxes to the State? Is it a sector …

In the middle of a housing crisis, any plan to build more homes is welcome, but we also need a plan that matches the scale of the problem and addresses the causes. I will highlight four areas that would make a substantial difference to the families and individuals affected. The first relates to the obvious need to build more social and affordable housing. Every week, I, like other Deputies, am contacted by families seeking a home, cohorts of people on social housing waiting lists, or people who cannot find affordab…

People with disabilities in Ireland vastly and disproportionately experience greater poverty and social exclusion. Disgracefully, it took Ireland more than ten years to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and we are still awaiting the ratification of the optional protocol, which crucially enables people to enforce their rights acknowledged in the convention. The programme for Government commits to ratifying the optional protocol after the first reporting cycle, but it is now very likely…

When the Taoiseach says she is working, is there a timeframe for that work?

When will we ratify the optional protocol?

As I know the Minister is aware, flooding continues to be a real risk for Bantry, with businesses and homes regularly enduring flooding events. He saw the extreme flooding in the summer of 2020. The Bantry scheme has been in the works for several years. I ask the Minister to please outline the progress made on the project, including any interim defence measures that will be made available.

I thank the Minister of State for the update. The flooding in Bantry, like other areas of west Cork, is a significant risk and source of uncertainty for households and businesses. Bantry is at risk from both tidal and fluvial flooding. It is important that these elements are considered together to put in place an integrated infrastructure to address the interconnected issues. As we approach the consultation phases of the project, I encourage the Minister of State to proactively engage with the community, which has …

The Minister of State mentioned that there are several schemes in west Cork that are at a more advanced stage, namely, Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen. In response to parliamentary questions that I submitted, the Minister of State noted that these schemes have been substantially completed, except for outstanding issues in respect of the Cork Road and Rossa Road in Skibbereen and the issues with the fish pass in Bandon. The residents with homes in those areas that are now protected by flood defences need access to…