Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a major problem in society that affects many women and children. The Government and the Minister are committed to tackling it. The Government is delivering on the commitments in the zero-tolerance strategy to achieve a society in which sexual violence and the toxic attitudes that fuel it are not accepted. Since taking office, the Minister has prioritised legislation in this area, which is really important. The recently published Women's Aid annual impact report for 2024…

I thank the Members of Seanad Éireann for inviting me to update them on the development of the new national drugs strategy and related policy developments. A health-led strategy recognises drugs as a health issue and it encourages people to avoid, reduce and recover from drug-related harm. It promotes the principle of a right to health for people who use drugs by supporting people to access healthcare and promoting recovery as an initial response. It also seeks to protect and improve public health and well-being by…

Yes.

I thank everyone for the good wishes. I am delighted to be here in my role as Minister of State, particularly as it relates to the new drugs strategy. I want to work with everyone here. I can see the passion Senators have, and I have it, too. Every day, I see families who have been affected by drugs. I have learned a lot more since becoming Minister of State. I am working with all of the different services. I am talking to families. I see the way they are affected. I also see the huge stigma that is attached to bei…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I welcome the opportunity to outline the current position. The Senator is referring to the ongoing implementation of the national medical laboratory IT system. As with all clinical ICT system deployments, patient safety is the most critical element, and I am informed by the Department that issues raised by the doctors are being addressed by the HSE. I will come back to the Senator on that, but as I have been informed today, the doctors' concerns have been raised…

This is very important. As I said, I am informed by the Department that the issues raised by the doctors through the media are being addressed by the HSE. Significant efforts have been undertaken by the HSE to ensure that hospital teams are incorporated into the design and deployment of the MedLIS system at all hospital sites. MedLIS aims to modernise laboratory services, ensuring high-quality, efficient and patient-concentrated care across Ireland. Officials in the Department are not aware of any other general iss…

I thank the Deputy. I understand that this issue is very important. The provision of out-of-hours GP services is an important part of healthcare and it is essential that people have access to out-of-hours GP services when needed. It is worrying that the Deputy spoke about children travelling in a taxi during the night to the hospital. That is a concern and is definitely something we need to address. As the Deputy knows, for Cork and Kerry, out-of-hours urgent GP care is provided by the SouthDoc co-operative. It pro…

I understand the Deputy’s concerns. It is something I will go back to the Department to clarify. I have been informed that, as of 5 June last, 22 patients have been seen at the Blackpool clinic in 2025 and approximately 410 home visits were carried out in the Blackpool area in the same period. SouthDoc has confirmed that the Blackpool treatment centre remains operational on an appointment basis. Alternative care may be provided to patients in the area via a home visit. This change to operational arrangements is nec…

I thank the Deputy for highlighting such a serious case for the child and her family. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Scientifically advanced machines such as PET-CT scanners play a significant role in the diagnosing of cancers and other conditions. A PET scan shows how tissues and organs are functioning by detecting radioactive tracers that can show up parts of the body where cells are more active than normal. A CT scan provides detailed images of the body’s i…

As I said, the Deputy might give me the particular case and the details of what he has said today. If he could send it to the Department of Health, I will make sure we get back to him. I thank everyone here today for the attention they have given to this really important matter. I reiterate that the PET-CT scanners are an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of a variety of conditions, but they are typically used for cancer. I will find out about this situation for the Deputy. I will find out out about this machine we …

And the services. I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very serious issue today.

I begin by acknowledging the anxiety that many young patients and their families will be feeling this week as they read the report's findings on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. I can only imagine the distress and upset the families are experiencing. There is clearly an urgent need to establish why so many children received surgery when they did not need it. There must be accountability. I thank Mr. Thomas, the expert auditor, for…

I thank everyone for the opportunity to address the House on the issue raised by the Deputies who tabled this motion. I will begin by echoing the opening remarks of my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and thanking the Deputies for their constructive and positive contributions to this important motion on the issue of fair and sustainable funding for carers, home support and nursing home support schemes. I make the point, as did my colleague, that the motion is not being opposed. However, before spe…

We can all see how passionate the Minister of State is about National Biodiversity Week. I am pleased to follow my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, and to join this important discussion as we mark National Biodiversity Week. It is a key moment in our national calendar when we reflect on, celebrate and, most important, act to protect and restore Ireland's precious natural heritage. Throughout my time in public life, particularly during my work in housing, local government and communit…

I thank the Deputy. What he raised this evening highlights an issue of concern. I want to give him an update on the patient transport service in County Tipperary. The patient transport service, which provides non-emergency patient transport for some patients in the south-east region, was set up in 2013. It was set up on a discretionary basis by the HSE for the region. Hospitals there were given a budget to provide limited transport for patients to attend other acute services. The cost of providing the non-emergency…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and giving me the opportunity to update him on transport in County Tipperary. The Deputy mentioned the Red Cross, Order of Malta and Civil Defence, and it is important we pay tribute to the great work they do. They are excellent. It is important the Deputy recognised them and that we all recognise them. I assure the Deputy the HSE and Tipperary University Hospital are committed to providing high-quality service in response to local needs. Tipperary University Hospital has re…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very serious issue. I have spoken to families and I see the concern and hurt. It is important this is raised in the House. A clinical audit has been conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across Children's Health Ireland, CHI, and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, NOHC. The clinical audit involved a random anonymised sample of patients aged one to seven years of age who had pelvic osteotomy procedures…

I assure the Deputy that the Minister and the Department are taking this very seriously. This is very serious, and we know that. Nobody wants anyone, particularly those children or their families, to be in this position today. I can guarantee that the Minister is very conscious of the concern that will be felt by all the patients and families affected. The audit process is nearly complete and she has been advised that it will be finalised and completed soon. She will be in a position to comment further once the aud…

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today. As the Deputy said, improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and achieving our decarbonisation goals. Achieving these goals has been set out in the programme for Government. Progress is being made on a number of proposed light rail projects. There are four proposed expansions to the Luas network outlined in the current greater Dubli…

Again, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputy for his commitment, comments and interest in this important issue. Regarding current developments, as mentioned, I understand that the route selection and concept development phase of the project is now taking place, with a number of end-to-end options going through a detailed multicriteria analysis. As stated in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, as the project’s sponsoring agency, and the NTA, as the day-to-…