The EPSEN Act was passed in 2004. Almost 17 years later, we still do not have dates for when the implementation of the section relating to IEPs for children with disabilities will be implemented and made compulsory. In many schools where it has been implemented, it provides teachers and parents with the opportunity to have a practical and realistic dialogue about the student's needs and to develop creative ways to meet those needs. The IEP directs the student with special educational needs on his or her school jour…

The Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022 is welcome. How many times have we heard of incompetent builders leaving homeowners paying the bill after shoddy workmanship or builders getting planning permission for housing developments and not finishing those developments or housing estates before moving on, leaving the State or local authority to foot the bill in finishing the work? How many times have we heard of issues with new schools? In 2011, the then Minister, former Deputy Phil Hogan, set up a thr…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for choosing this matter for debate. It is of vital importance to people across my own constituency of Meath West and that of my colleague Deputy O'Rourke, Meath East. Tara Mines employs over 580 people directly and hundreds more indirectly and supports thousands of jobs across County Meath. The importance of Tara Mines to the economy of Navan and County Meath cannot be understated. There is considerable concern across the county about the seriousness of the flooding now occurring …

I thank the Minister of State for the response. I appreciate this is a unique situation and one that the Government will not have much experience of dealing with. Nevertheless, it is vital that we do all that we can to assist. I ask the Minister of State to engage with the Office of Public Works, which has experience in the area of flood management, in regard to the OPW offering its help to Tara Mines should it be required, be that in regard to pumps or expertise. From what I have heard, the flooding is very extens…

I tried over the last few days to think of new words somehow to crack through the State's deep-seated denial and awful treatment of the mother and baby homes survivors – women, girls and children who suffered horrific abuse and human rights violations in these religious prisons, one in my own constituency of Meath West, Castlepollard mother and baby home. I do not have words strong enough to split the State’s cruel and coercive attitude of disrespect towards survivors. It is an attitude beyond any language I know. …

I want to bring to the Minister's attention, and that of the Minister for Education, news that parents received last week in Trim, County Meath. They received letters stating that their children would not have a place at the local Boyne Community School next year. There were 362 applicants for just 192 places at the school, leaving 170 children without a placement. The population of Trim is growing every year and it is now over 12,000. Last year there was a farcical situation when twins applied for the school and o…

I wish to raise the issue of housing owned by local authorities. Meath County Council owns approximately 3,500 houses while Westmeath County Council owns approximately 2,500. Every week we contact local authorities about doors, windows, heating, plumbing and electrical issues, and the response is that there is no maintenance grant for these works. The Government needs to put in place a maintenance grant specifically for repair and maintenance of local authority housing. I ask the Minister to consider that. This iss…

With the draft transport strategy for the greater Dublin area, which was announced today, the people of Meath and the surrounding counties will be disappointed by the Government again but they will not be surprised. It has been revealed that building works on the Navan rail line that we have been demanding for decades will not commence until 2031 at the earliest. Given the shambolic record of this Government in delivering projects, it will most likely be a decade or more after that. We are in the middle of a climat…

We knew before the pandemic that drugs had taken a hold in every town and village in the country. Over recent weeks, prominent figures in the GAA have highlighted gambling, drug use and addiction within the sport. We can be sure that these issues are not restricted to the GAA and will be evident across all sports. Will the Government work with all sporting bodies in the country to examine this issue and see what strategies and supports can be developed to assist our athletes when they find themselves in personal tu…

I ask the Minister for Health if the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan will be downgraded from a 24-hour to a 12-hour service and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I hope consultation with elected representatives includes Opposition Deputies.

We did not get the meeting with the Minister that we were supposed to get. It was promised by the Minister of State sitting behind him the last time we raised this issue. While we welcome the temporary reprieve for the accident and emergency department and ICU in Navan hospital that the Minister announced today, we still need more clarity. I understand what the Minister said about being in consultation with the HSE but what is the long-term sustainable plan? The accident and emergency service and ICU capacity is cr…

We do not want to be back here every couple of months, which is what will happen if there is not a long-term solution. The people we are talking to are telling us that what is needed is for the Minister for Health to overturn the HSE decision to close Navan accident and emergency department and the ICU once and for all, and not pause it. We need the Minister to remove from the HSE policy documents that Navan accident and emergency and the ICU will be closed or downgraded in the future and we need the necessary inve…

People are living in fear. They are worrying whether they will have enough money to heat their homes this winter, enough electricity to turn on the lights and enough money to put fuel in the car. Household energy costs have gone through the roof. It is estimated that energy costs to homes will rise by as much as €800 this year. All these increases in energy prices are separate from the carbon taxes on gas, home heating oil, coal and briquettes. So far this year, 25 separate electricity and gas price rises have been…

There were rumours in August that patients who had presented to the accident and emergency unit at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, were sent to Drogheda. When I heard this, I called management at Navan hospital but I did not get a call back. I sent an email to the general manager of the hospital on 26 August and again last Friday, 24 September, but received no replies. What are we supposed to think? More important, what about the people we represent if the hospital will not answer calls or emails on such serious issues…

I would like to get a commitment in writing that these services will not be downgraded during the lifetime of this Government. It would be good if the people of County Meath could get that because I think it would allay an awful lot of the fears they have. Those are genuine fears. You never see so many people come together than when it is to do with a hospital. Another reason we are here is the HSE. It will not give any information, and not just to me. When radio stations, including our local station, LMFM, do not …

It is.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Local Government Act 1998 and provide for a statutory review of the demographics and socio-economic profile of each local authority in order to assess required funding and determine funding allocations. I welcome the opportunity to introduce this Bill which deals with a hugely important issue for all local authorities, none more so than my local authority in Meath West. The Bill seeks transparency in regard to local government funding. I…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

This morning, RTÉ was in Enfield talking to people who are experiencing disruption to their water supply nearly every second day. This is affecting 10,000 people. Households and businesses are left with little or no water. People are at their wits' end. I raised this issue with the Tánaiste on 29 January, when he said he would contact Irish Water and get back to me, but I heard nothing. I again raised it with the Taoiseach on 16 June and he said that extra allocations were being made. When will the money for these …