I again thank Deputy Hayes for raising this important matter. I listened carefully to the points he raised. The Government is working diligently in conjunction with key stakeholders, particularly local authorities and approved housing bodies, to increase delivery of housing for older people. We also want to work with the private sector because everyone has a part to play in the delivery of housing, including for older people. The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new builds and affordable …

I thank Deputies across the House for their contribution to the debate. I also thank Deputy Stanley for bringing forward the motion. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, announced, the Minister for Health and the Government are not opposing the motion, which provides a chance to update the Dáil on developments in this sector and to outline the Government's priority to fundamentally reform dental services. As the Minister of State noted, there was €4.85 million in additional HSE funding this year, building on an…

I thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this important matter in the Seanad this afternoon. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. As the Senator stated, just last month, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, had the opportunity to visit Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel. It is a model of best practice on how we support people with disabilities, acquired brain injuries and mental health challenges. The centre provides a wide range of services, including …

As stated, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Mary Butler. I thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this important matter. I assure the House that we understand the value of work being done in the Cluain centre. It is a good example of person-centred community-based care at its best, offering a pathway to greater independence and inclusion by ensuring that no one is left behind. As I said in my opening statement, while the majority of funding comes …

It is always a pleasure and an honour.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important issue. The programme for Government highlights the importance of community services for older people, which assist them to remain independent and to live in their own homes with dignity and independence for as long as possible. Many older people living at home rely on the services they receive through day centres and the outreach that these centres provide, including meals on wheels. These wrap-around supports also help to reduce loneliness and social isolation.…

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter. I ask her to come back to the Department on it. She has stated that she has engaged with Kildare County Council. I will go back through my Department to the HSE to advise it on what she is now looking to do. I assume that Kildare County Council and the HSE are engaging with each other. To bring clarity to light, I ask her to come back to me with an update. In the interim, I will communicate what the Senator is proposing.

The visitors are in very good hands with Deputy Feighan. They are welcome. I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to speak on the issue of Lyme disease awareness. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, and it can occasionally lead to serious illness. Each year, it is estimated that between 200 and …

I thank the Senator for her comments highlighting the importance of continued action on Lyme disease awareness. I reiterate I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. In 2011, Ireland became one of the first EU countries to make Lyme disease a statutory notifiable disease. The notifiable entity is Lyme neuroborreliosis, a more severe form of the disease which affects the nervous system. Between four and 21 cases of Lyme neuroborreliosis are notified annually in Ireland, significantly less than th…

I thank Deputy Burke for raising this important matter. I know his keen interest in this area. I welcome the ESRI report on future capacity requirements in older people's care, which was published on 30 June and encompasses residential care for older people and home support. The analysis in the ESRI report utilises the Hippocrates model to update baseline estimates of demand in 2022 for residential care, both long term and short term, and projects demand and capacity for these services out to 2040. The ESRI report …

I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. He will be aware the ESRI health capacity review on future capacity for care for older people is the third in a series of capacity reviews on Ireland's health services, following reports on public acute hospitals and general practitioner services. The ESRI will publish further analysis later this year. I note the points that the Deputy raises in the other matters he highlighted. The ESRI report provides an evidence base that is crucial for future planning and ensuring w…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking this Topical Issue debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation is the lead-Department on protected disclosure legislation and provides guidance on all protected disclosure processes and guidance. Section 21(1) of the Protected Disclosures Act in Ireland empowers the Minister for public expend…

On behalf of the Minister of Health, who I am taking this on behalf of, I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter. The Department of Health encourages all staff to speak up and raise any concerns they may have relating to potential wrongdoings in the workplace. The Department provides the necessary supports for any staff member who raises any possible wrongdoings. A staff member who makes a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act is protected from penalisation or threatened penalisation. The…

I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. I was speaking to him this morning in advance of the debate. He sends his apologies. He has to attend a meeting with the UK fisheries minister this morning. He will be in direct contact with the Deputy in the coming days on the matter. I hope that provides some level of reassurance. I will deal with the answer now, but at the top, it was important to make that point. I stress that the Government is f…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As I already stated, I am taking it on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, who will be in direct contact with the Deputy in the coming days. He would like to have been here to take the debate in his capacity as the Minister of State with responsibility for this area but had a prior arrangement to meet the minister for fisheries in the UK. This Government is fully committed to maintaining support for the important inshore fishing sector and prom…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for public expenditure and reform, Jack Chambers TD. The community and voluntary sector plays a vital role in delivering public services across Ireland. Various organisations in the community and voluntary sector are contracted to provide services on behalf of the State and are provided with funding for this purpose. These organisations are not public service bodies, nor are the employees of these organisa…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As I have stated, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for public expenditure and reform, Deputy Chambers. Given how diligent Deputy McGrath is, I have no doubt he has already taken the matter up with the Minister. I ask him to outline the specific circumstances to the Minister directly following the debate. As I mentioned, the community and voluntary sector plays a vital role in delivering essential public services across Ireland. These organ…

We have to welcome anyone from Limerick, so I welcome our visitors. I thank Senator Duffy for raising this important matter. Addressing vacancy and bringing existing properties back into use as homes is a key priority of the Government. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. A key initiative introduced in 2022 under the croí cónaithe towns fund is the vacant properties refurbishment grant, which provides support of up to €50,000 to refurbish vaca…

Having listened carefully to the points raised by the Senator, I will say that the Government is committed to addressing vacancy. The vacant property refurbishment grant has been successful in this regard, along with the other schemes and measures in place. It is supporting bringing properties back into use as homes and the regeneration of villages, towns and cities. The Senator raised a point in respect of the croí cónaithe cities scheme. I will bring his suggestion back to the Minister and the Department. I sugge…

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the future of social housing PPP bundle 3, the individual project at Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare, and the next steps following the recent decision regarding the procurement process. The Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are committed to increasing the supply of new-build social and …