Not for-----

I want to raise the issue of the termination of the special scheme of paid leave for those who suffer from long Covid. In fairness, the payment has been extended on several occasions over the past number of years. Despite the Minister for Health asking for an extension to the end of June this year, the request was denied by the Minister for public expenditure. A number of my constituents - nurses - who are on this temporary special scheme have contacted me. With its termination, they now feel totally let down. Duri…

I am before Deputy Pringle.

Yesterday, I raised the issue of cuts to the provision of post-mastectomy bras and prosthesis to breast cancer patients. I am pleased to say those cuts have been reversed. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for her intervention on this. However, there is still the outstanding issue of wigs and other hair loss solutions for cancer and other patients, for example, those who are suffering from alopecia. I have a memo from the HSE dated 25 January which states that the new procedure considers that hair loss …

Alopecia.

I sympathise with Deputy Michael Collins and his family on the tragic death of his nephew. I thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling this motion on the significant and ever-increasing gaps in healthcare provision in rural communities. Over two thirds of rural GPs are unable to take on new patients and there are waiting times of up to two weeks for non-emergency appointments. In my limited time, I want to raise three issues, the first of which affects both rural and urban patients and relates to the shocking c…

Rarely have I heard so many breast cancer survivors and their families express such a level of outrage and anger as I have heard with regard to the HSE's 50% cut to the provision of mastectomy bras, mastectomy prostheses and post-mastectomy swimwear. These medical devices are essential to help to prevent lymphoedema, and to give women just a little confidence to face the world. The HSE is now saying to women that it will provide one mastectomy bra per year instead of the current two. How is this possible? Who has d…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this really powerful motion. It gives all of us an opportunity to once again discuss this terrible situation with paediatric, orthopaedic and urology services. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for being here. The senior Minister is not here, but I listened to what he had to say earlier. Despite the fact he was talking about all his reviews and all his efforts, it remains true that 78% of children are waiting longer than the Sláintecare target time for a paediatric…

In the context of building defects, when does the Minister propose to formally include County Sligo in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme? In June 2021, I put forward an amendment to a motion to include County Sligo in that scheme and it was carried overwhelmingly in this House. Over the past two years, I have had many letters from the Minister's Department and to be fair, the Minister has always responded promptly. In the most recent letter, which I received at the end of January, the Minister stated the D…

I thank the Regional Group for highlighting the crisis that is facing so many micro, small and medium-sized businesses, which everyone says are the backbone of this country. The crisis is one that threatens their very ability to remain viable or, in simple terms, to just keep their doors open. As in life, I accept that there is no certainty in business. None. However, businesses have to be able to plan and find a way to make a modest profit. Otherwise, they have to close their doors. Some of the Government's polici…

There are about 16 minutes left. Perhaps it could be shared.

I thank the Deputy. I asked for advice but I did not get-----

I ask the Minister of State to adhere to Standing Orders.

We now have the totally unacceptable and unbelievable situation where a new €37.6 million community hospital in Ballyshannon, with 52 long-stay beds, 20 short-stay beds, eight dementia-specific assessment beds and a day hospital service, has been ready to open its doors for several weeks now. However, because of a dispute between the HSE, SIPTU and the INMO on planned staffing levels and clinical governance, which unions say would pose a risk to staff and patients, a state-of-the-art facility that could relieve som…

I ask the Taoiseach to use his influence today to get this community hospital opened.

I support the amendment tabled by Deputies Ward and Daly, which requests that within 12 months of the date of commencement of this Bill, the Government would bring forward legislation to reform the Coroners Acts 1962 to 2024. The important part of the amendment is that any new legislation would have due regard to the recommendations contained in the Joint Committee on Justice report. The committee made 15 recommendations. From what I can see, none of these recommendations made 12 months ago is advanced in the curre…

I have.

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Minister.

I thank the Deputy.