I thank the Deputy for raising this. We know that living with mould and damp can have a profound impact on people’s health and well-being. They are known to cause respiratory illnesses and can also affect mental health. Children and other vulnerable people often feel these effects more than most. The Government recognises the difficult and painful situation that many families are in and is working to address the root cause through the defective concrete blocks grant scheme. We are very mindful of that. This scheme …

Working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, we will come back to the Deputy on that and see what we can do. Working with the Minister for Health, as a public health approach, this issue has to address the underlying cause of ill health. The best way for us to help those affected by mould and damp in their homes with defective concrete is to address the housing directly. That is a priority. I have been speaking to the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, about this too. We need to move on this u…

I understand people living with defective concrete in their homes experience real challenges. You can see it - families are really affected by this. That is why our Departments are working together to get the funding to get this done. The scheme is a major commitment by the State to help impacted homeowners to move on with their lives. We have to make sure the families who need counselling or support get it and that there is a commitment from Government. We know mould and damp can have a huge impact on people's hea…

I agree with the previous speakers. I welcome the statements on post office closures. It is important to highlight the work of the post offices across the country and what the Government is doing to help this sector and provide the key public service. It is a huge public service and a service we depend on. It is important, particularly for our rural post offices, which have always played an important role in connecting people. Whether a letter or package needs to get from Buncrana to Bantry, Bagenalstown to Carlow,…

I thank all the Deputies who have spoken on this important Bill. The amendment seeks to change the existing definition of single-use vapes by alternating its construction. The intention of the existing definition in the Bill is to prohibit any vape which is not refillable or rechargeable. This means a vape must be both refillable and rechargeable to avoid prohibition. We are banning any vape which can be refilled but cannot be recharged, any vape which can be recharged but cannot be refilled or any vape which canno…

We are not modelling it on the UK law.

We are not modelling it on the UK law. The UK has taken steps to do this. I assure the Deputy that we are learning as well, and this is a very good step forward for us. The Attorney General has also been working on this. As I said, we will not be accepting this amendment.

Yes.

The Deputy's amendment proposes to expand the range of circumstances related to the sale which would constitute an offence. There is already a comprehensive definition of the word "sell" in section 2. This includes "offer or expose for sale", "invite the making by a person of an offer to purchase", "distribute free of charge" and "supply for any of these purposes (whether or not for profit)". The Deputy's amendment is nearly a duplication. It is not substantial enough to change the scope of the offence. The consult…

We are very mindful of that. I thank the Deputy for highlighting it.

Providing for 12 months for the taking of prosecutions is a standard provision. For example, this is already the case under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023. A great deal of investigation and analysis goes into bringing cases of this type. I see no benefit in making it easier for businesses that have broken the law to avoid prosecution, so, unfortunately, that is why we will not be changing the provision. I cannot accept the amendment.

I thank everyone. The Bill will now go to the Seanad. Some questions came up from Deputies. All the Deputies' points were very relevant. I thank them for their valuable contributions to the debate on this important Bill. Yesterday, the Government approved publication of our other Bill on nicotine products. I will provide an update on that. The Bill will prohibit the sale of nicotine-consumption products, such as pouches, to those under 18; prohibit the advertisement of nicotine-inhaling and nicotine-consumption pro…

I thank our colleagues in the Social Democrats for raising the matter of expanding access to general practitioners. The Government acknowledges that there are issues regarding access to GP services in some areas, including certain rural and underserved areas. GP availability is limited and GMS GP vacancies have been difficult to fill. Others have spoken about this today. To improve access to GP services, we need to increase the number of GPs practising across the country, improve the support provided to GP practice…

I very much welcome the Government's apology today to the survivors of abuse in residential institutions. This apology builds on the State's apology to all victims of childhood abuse made in May 1999 and also takes into consideration the 2021 apology to survivors and former residents of the mother and baby institutions. This apology comes as we reflect on one of the darkest chapters of our history - a chapter we must look back on and learn from. On 22 September last year, a number of brave, determined and committed…

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. Hello to Mr. McGinley. I am thinking of him at this time. It is not easy, but it is important that we raise this issue. As the Senator knows, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, who cannot be here today. She sends her apologies. I understand that clarification on the question was sought from the Senator and it has been confirmed that it is relates to medical confidentiality and clinical regulation in relation to a per…

I thank the Senator again, and Mr. McGinley in the Public Gallery. I assure the House that the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health is aware of the importance of family members being involved to the greatest extent possible in a person's care and treatment. People should also be encouraged, though, to involve their family members throughout their treatment. This is something the Minister of State is also working on. Confidentiality is the cornerstone of medical ethics and is central to building a…

I thank the Senator. As she said, awareness of cardiovascular disease and strokes is important, as is the face, arms, speech and time, FAST, messaging. The main thing is to get to people quickly. I thank Senator Byrne for facilitating the opportunity to discuss this important matter of cardiovascular disease policy. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who cannot be here today. Cardiovascular disease encompasses a range of conditions, including heart attack and stroke. It rema…

Absolutely. The Government welcomes the development of the EU safe hearts plan, which was published in December 2025. The plan offers an opportunity for the EU to strengthen strategies for prevention of cardiovascular disease. The Senator is correct, in that it is about early detection and prevention, and other diseases have shared common risk factors. We have to be mindful of the latter, too. A flagship initiative, the safe hearts plan, will see the European Commission supporting countries to update or develop nat…

I thank the Minister of State for his statement and his work on this matter, in particular his commitment. The Minister of State has visited Carlow and Kilkenny but I have seen him and the Taoiseach go around the country to anywhere that was flooded, which is important. It is important that they see what is happening and are able to speak to everyone. It is safe to say that we have never seen rain as heavy or flooding as bad as that which we have experienced over the past number of weeks. I acknowledge the upset an…

Senator Fitzpatrick has been so helpful and has worked extremely hard on the drugs committee. As she will know, the national drugs strategy is the centrepiece of the Government’s commitment to a health-led approach to drug use. It has been almost ten years since our last strategy was drafted, which is a long time. The drug situation has changed dramatically, as we all know and as the Senator said. This is about everywhere now, from rural Ireland to our cities. Drugs have reached every part of the country, and I am …