One is a landline alarm, which is installed when the participant has a standard telephone line. The second option is a broadband alarm, which is installed when the participant has a broadband line. The third alarm is the GSM version, which is installed when the participant does not have a standard telephone or a broadband line. This latter unit works off the mobile phone as well.

There are different ways of doing it. There really should not be anyone who, as I said earlier, wants to avail of this scheme but is not getting it. It is, by the way, demand-led as well. When the demand is there, we will meet it.

Our charity sector is an important and valued part of Irish society, playing an integral role in the provision of services to our communities. With over 11,500 charities on the Charities Register, the work of the Charities Regulator is also vitally important. The aim of the charities (amendment) Bill is to improve the ability of the regulator to conduct its statutory functions, providing greater transparency, clarity and fairness in the regulation of charities, leading to greater public trust and confidence in the …

I will take the opportunity, and it is very relevant to the Deputy's question, to acknowledge the fact that this is this is Charity Trustees' Week. It is a week of acknowledging and recognising the efforts of over 76,000 volunteers who are trustees of Ireland's 11,500 registered charities. There is an extensive calendar of events this week organised in partnership with Boardmatch Ireland, Carmichael, the Charities Institute Ireland, Dóchas, Pobal, Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel. As well as celebrating the work of …

I echo the Deputy's sentiments, thanks and acknowledgement of the work of trustees. With this Bill coming forward, we are seeking to create an environment where trustees feel assured as they are carrying out their duties and where people are willing and confident to volunteer to become trustees in the first instance. It will further enhance and empower both existing and potential trustees by giving greater clarity in respect of roles and responsibilities. In many cases, the Bill will ease the administrative burden …

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. On my behalf and that of the Government, I express sympathy to the people of north Louth, including the Cooley Peninsula, who had their houses and businesses flooded last week. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, visited some of the affected areas last week to see the impact of this flood event at first hand. The flooding experienced in…

The flooding events in north Louth and the Cooley Peninsula last week as a result of heavy rainfall on saturated ground show the importance of the OPW's planned programme to manage Ireland's flood risk. The completion of 53 flood relief schemes is already protecting 12,000 properties from flooding and avoiding damages of some €2 billion. The 2018 OPW risk management plans were evidenced from the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, through the catchment flood risk assessment and management prog…

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for this opportunity to speak to the House on the important topic of HRT provision for women in menopause. The Department of Health and the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, are committed to improving women's health. Since the establishment of the women's health task force in 2019, they have listened to what women want from the health service and have taken a number of positive steps to improve women's experiences and health outcomes. This includes the free contraception scheme, which is availa…

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick. Considerable progress has been made in menopause care at primary and specialist care level. Six specialist menopause clinics are now open for women who have complex experiences of menopause. A quick reference guide for menopause was launched to support GPs and practice nurses in diagnostics and treatment at primary care level. A national menopause awareness campaign was launched in October 2022. This was a direct response to demand from Irish women for greater knowledge and understandin…

The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, would like to thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to provide her with an update on the Drimnagh primary care centre, PCC, at Curlew Road, as well as an update on the HSE-owned site on Davitt Road in Drimnagh. The central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services, to enable a home-first approach. Primary…

I will not read the closing statement because the Senator will know much of what is in it already. I will speak directly with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I will see him in the Chamber today or tomorrow, and I will pass the views of the Senator on to him directly. I would say that, from the text, the Davitt Road site does not seem to have been ruled out. Yet, as the Senator said, from reading between the lines, that would appear to be the case. However, it does not say “No”. That is what I am interpreting…

Indeed.

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising the matter of the minor injuries unit at Monaghan hospital and I welcome the opportunity to update the House on this important service. The minor injuries unit at Monaghan hospital plays a vital role in providing valuable services to the local community and helping to alleviate pressures on our emergency departments. There are a total of 12 HSE minor injuries units under the governance of HSE acute operations, all operating on a seven day per week basis. This includes the injur…

I thank Senator Gallagher for his contribution. Monaghan hospital, serving the people of counties Monaghan and Cavan, has a reputation for the delivery of high quality, innovative and safe care to patients. Over the past ten years, the minor injury unit at Monaghan hospital has treated thousands of patients each year. The National Ambulance Service has established medical assessment pathways to allow patient referrals by National Ambulance Service paramedics to each of the existing seven model 2 hospital-based MAUs…

The Department is currently dealing with the unprecedented challenge of accommodating people fleeing war in Ukraine and seeking international protection in Ireland from countries across the world. Our communities and neighbourhoods have responded with a generosity of spirit, as Deputy Dillon has said, in keeping with both our international reputation and our obligation to recognise the human plight and trauma people are experiencing and their right to seek protection and help from the international community. The p…

I want to acknowledge the co-operation of local authorities, local development companies, Deputies and Senators of these Houses and local councillors who have helped us to bring communities on board. It is a function of the community engagement team to do exactly what Deputy Dillon has described, namely, to talk to the relevant Government Departments. We have contact points in all of the relevant Departments. Another part of the structure that we are growing into, as part of the new community engagement team, is th…

This is a timely opportunity to mention the fact that the Department has allocated additional resources to every local authority to recruit local authority integration teams. They are all at different stages of the recruitment process. Some have finished while others are yet to start. It will lead to up to four additional staff per local authority to assist and grow into this new place. It is a new area to grow into for some local authorities. I am glad to say the Department of Rural and Community Development, at w…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Supreme Court judgment in this case, the Revenue Commissioners v . Karshan Midlands Limited, regarding Domino's Pizza delivery drivers is an important decision and one which the Government welcomes. This is a complex area of employment law where the classification of some employment relationships is not easily deduced. Indeed, this judgment further highlights the reality that each case must be determined on its merits. The fact that the Revenue Commissioners have purs…

The misclassification of a worker as being self-employed when his or her terms and conditions mean he or she is in reality an employee is a matter of real concern. There is no single clear legal definition of the terms "employed" or "self-employed" in Irish or EU law. To determine a person's employment status, both the written or oral contract and the reality behind the contract must be taken into consideration. At EU level, a directive has been proposed on improving working conditions in platform work. A key eleme…

I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position on the Department of Education's planning for school accommodation for children with special educational needs, specifically in regard to the application for additional accommodation made by Sooey National School, County Sligo. The Deputy may be aware that Sooey National School is a Catholic primary school. The school had an enrolment in September 2022 of 120 pupils and, in September 2023, of 117 pupils. As o…