On Monday, Virgin Media will show a documentary about special education in this country. The sneak previews I have seen show there are still children without an appropriate school place. However, equally shocking is that those who do get a place in school are being educated in cleaners' rooms with no windows or natural light, or they are being educated under staircases in classrooms. On top of that, a regulation room in one of the schools shown has been put in a disabled bathroom. Thankfully, the caretaker blocked …

I welcome the effort to streamline things for children with disabilities but I have a number of concerns. It starts from when a child is born. In my own constituency of Dublin South-Central there is a lack of public health nurses so developmental checks that take place at zero to six months, six to 12 months, one to two years and three to five years and so on are not happening in my constituency. There is not enough staffing. The challenge parents have is that they might get their zero to six month check when the c…

Question No. 7 is in the name of Deputy O'Dea, but Deputy Dolan is taking it.

All Ministers and Ministers of States should finish within their time because we have to get to as many questions as possible.

The Deputy can come back in. He should allow the Minister of State to reply.

The Irish Men's Sheds Association has been contacting its members around the country to let them know that funding for 2025-26 will now not proceed. The association has been told that funding may proceed in 2027. The Taoiseach has been around as a politician for a very long time and I am sure he has visited many men's sheds. They are set up to help with men's mental health, their social, emotional and psychological well-being, friendships and social cohesion. They rely on this very small grant in many cases to rema…

Like my colleague, Deputy Gannon, I welcome aspects of this Bill. It is important that gardaí are able to police our communities in the most effective way possible and that things are clear as to how communities will be policed and how their safety will be affected. To that end, I was at a safety forum meeting in my constituency on Monday and tonight I will be at another one. For years, the conversation has been that communities like mine in Dublin South-Central want more gardaí, particularly gardaí with powers to …

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. It is very timely. These are the summer months when parents start to think about how we will we stretch our finances to autumn, get everything that we need to ready and then still maybe take a holiday, organise summer camps, etc. The motion is, as stated, very timely. I thank everyone involved for their work on it. It has been very interesting to listen to the contributions so far. Everybody recognises that there are challenges in the country in the context…

I welcome this register. It is important that we send a very clear message in this country that there is no place for domestic violence or gender-based violence. I read with interest that others want it broadened to include more things. It is very important that the register exists. The more we talk about and call out behaviour that is not acceptable, that is costing people their lives and that is ruining people's lives, the better. I worked in a domestic violence project in London back in the 1990s. I was struck b…

We move on to Question No. 19, also in the name of Deputy McGuinness.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Sinéad Gibney - to discuss the closure of Carlow College. Deputy John Connolly - to discuss the provision of appropriate public housing for families that provide foster care. Deputy Michael Cahill - to discuss delays in payments to subcontractors to Uisce Éireann. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - to discuss issues being created in the court system by the new l…

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak about James Weir nurses home on Cork Street in Dublin 8, only a stone's throw from where I live. This building was built in 1903. It was originally built by James Weir, a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist. It was built for nurses working nearby in the fever hospital, which was also called the house of recovery. It accommodated up to 50 nurses, who were able to stay there. Only around the corner, about 20 years later, the first tenant purchase scheme was built …

I appreciate that the HSE has gone through all of the steps it needs to. The challenge is that the country has a problem with housing. If we are giving away State-owned buildings and State-owned land - not giving it away but selling it on the open market - where are we going to start to develop things? There is fear in my constituency. The building should really be protected as an historic building and it should also be used either for healthcare accommodation needs or affordable housing in a housing crisis. Why do…

I am heartbroken to be standing here today having learned of the disgraceful decision to continue with the plans to build in Bessborough. For 923 children, being born in Bessborough was a death sentence, and the burial sites of 859 of those children have never been found. If this development goes ahead, their remains could be lost forever. I pay tribute to Councillor Noelle Brown and everyone who has been advocating to prevent this from happening. This decision is unfathomable and we need the Government to step up …

It is so valuable to listen to how other people have experienced dementia in the lives of their family members. What unites people in this Chamber is our desire to make sure anyone who has dementia is supported to the best ability this country can provide and to support family members and loved ones around the person with dementia. As has been so eloquently said, it is important because it is such a confusing time for the person with dementia but also the people around them. My mother-in-law had dementia. She died …

I read with interest of this item on contraception. I cannot help noticing it is happening on the day the decision on Bessborough has been made. Considering the whole mother and baby scenario that happened in this country and the devastation faced by so many people born in Bessborough or who had children in Bessborough and do not know where their children are, it is poignant to have this conversation today. It is fantastic that women aged 17 to 35 can get free contraception. That is excellent but I agree with those…

I thank and congratulate my colleague, Deputy Quaide, for the work he has done on this topic. Since he was elected to Dáil Éireann, he has been relentless in getting information and making sure that people who are vulnerable are represented in this Chamber. He has done so well to get this prepared and has worked so well with the Before We Die campaign. The numbers have already been stated. There are 2,300 adults with an intellectual disability living with their parents who are aged over 70. Of those, 500 are living…

The Council of Europe convention is quite a technical document. I was reading it today. For people listening in, I will explain a little bit about it but then I will talk about why it is so important we have it. It is a leading international treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The four pillars are prevention, protection of victims, prosecution of perpetrators and co-ordinated government policy. Ireland signed the convention in 2015 and ratified it in 2019. It informs our…

It is with great pleasure that I speak about this Bill. I congratulate Sinn Féin on the work it has done in putting the Bill forward. It is a very timely conversation. Preparations for a united Ireland need to start. It needs to be respectful, evidence-based and inclusive. The Social Democrats have called on the Government to establish formal structures to examine the practical implications for reunification. In order to have genuinely inclusive and respectful dialogue, it is vital that there is a framework to esta…

The summer break is ahead. I am sure many leaving certificate students are relaxing on a beach somewhere. Others have got jobs and are planning the year ahead. They are trying to figure out what they are going to do next year, how they are going to do it, where they are going to live, etc. However, what they want to know the most is the level of fees next year and whether it will be reduced.