There are none at all-----

He has been waiting 37 months for the service.

Public health nurses.

I also welcome the Palestinian ambassador, the campaigners in the Gallery and those outside Leinster House today. I am proud to be able to speak on this historic day as Ireland finally recognises the State of Palestine. It has been ten years since the Dáil unanimously supported a Sinn Féin motion calling for Ireland to recognise Palestine. It should not have taken ten years, but it did. Not for the first time, the Irish people are ahead of the Irish Government. The Irish people have always recognised Palestine. For…

On 16 May Lucan Lodge nursing home management informed residents of the de-registration of the facility with HIQA. Families were understandably distressed and sought answers from a HSE representative at a meeting yesterday. They reported that the HSE representative refused to intervene or answer any questions. Lucan Lodge has 73 vulnerable residents, many of whom require significant support and forcing them to relocate would cause immense emotional and physical trauma. Families demand immediate action from the Gove…

The Bill is timely and relevant to HIQA and the HSE. As the Minister of State will be aware, I previously raised the issue of elderly residents being moved from their homes in the Willow and Sycamore units in Cherry Orchard Hospital. To my knowledge, 33 residents have been moved so far and 16 remain in the hospital. Sadly, 19 of these families have since been bereaved. I raise this issue again in the hope that I will receive some answers. In the case of Cherry Orchard, the Minister previously said that it was the r…

The Government is far behind delivering on Sláintecare. Sláintecare's vision is to deliver one universal healthcare service for all, providing the right care in the right place at the right time. You would have to be living under a rock to believe this is actually what is happening on the ground. Tens of thousands of children are waiting for assessments of need, appointments for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and the list goes on and on. When it comes to providing the right care at th…

Sinn Féin is determined to work towards a future where all children get to go to school with their siblings and peers. At the moment, this is simply not happening. I spoke with members of the Clondalkin autism support group this morning. They outlined many of the challenges that children with special educational needs face. They informed me of a six-year-old child who will have no school place again this September. One parent has had 35 refusals from 35 different schools in respect of their child. Can the Minister …

Yesterday, alongside my colleague Councillor Daithí Doolin and other public representatives, including Members from both sides of the House, I stood in solidarity with the families of residents of the willow and sycamore units in Cherry Orchard Hospital. The families I met yesterday have called for urgent action to be taken by the CEO of the HSE and the Minister to address their concerns. As the Minister of State will know, in November last year, 68 residents and their families were told the residents would have to…

Many aspects of this Bill are welcome. However, following on from report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, it seems that the Government is determined to squander this opportunity. Poor pay and conditions in the Defence Forces are not a new phenomenon. I speak as the son of a former Defence Forces veteran. My father spent 25 years serving this country at home and abroad. I saw growing up my father having to work side jobs or nixers as he used to call them. People would ask where my father is today, when he wo…

I want to raise a niche issue in housing, which is the social housing passport. It provides for someone to move from one local authority housing list to another. At present, people on the Dublin City Council list cannot move over to the South Dublin County Council list without losing their time. I will give an example of why this is needed. I have a constituent living in Newcastle, County Dublin in my constituency. She has been living in Newcastle for 12 years. She has set down roots in Newcastle. Her children go t…

I wish to share time with Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Ó Murchú.

I was a member of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when I heard at first hand the heartbreaking testimonies of those affected by the mother and baby homes. The last time I spoke on this issue, I read testimonies that survivors made to the commission of investigation. I will read again some of these testimonies because it is important to hear these women's voices. One woman spoke about the conditions her mother endured while giving birth. She stated her mother "was tied to…

Last November, 68 elderly residents living in the Willow and Sycamore units in Cherry Orchard were told they would have to move out of their home. So far, 40 residents have moved and approximately 16 remain. At least 19 residents have died during this period. Families have been protesting outside Cherry Orchard since November. Information I received in November highlighted structural problems in the units. The response I got from the HSE in February said there were no significant structural problems. Something is n…

I would meet the residents.

Will the Minister of State meet the families?

Parents of children with disabilities who are being failed by the public system should automatically be able to avail of private treatment for their children at the State's expense. Parents of children with disabilities who are waiting for assessments of need currently face extraordinarily long waiting times. While waiting for these assessments, children are often failing to reach their developmental milestones. Some parents get private assessments, often at great personal expense. I am aware of parents in my own a…

I will speak to amendment No. 17. It is a common-sense amendment. People with lived experience add value. It is not only me saying that as it is evidence-based and has been proven. I worked in addiction services for countless years before I came in here and I have seen people with drug problems, alcohol problems and gambling problems. I have also seen these people recover. I have also seen these people come into organisations, whether to work directly for organisations or to come on to the board of organisations, a…

I feel the same as Deputy Gould. When you are in the throes of addiction you can lose hope. It is a really dark place to be. When you enter into recovery you get your hope back and it is an absolutely fantastic place to be. I was at a presentation at a recovery café and other parts of an addiction centre today and I could see the hope and the recovery in the room. The people in there who show bravery and have the support to come through that journey need to know we are listening to them in here. They need to know t…

I want to use my limited time to speak about how children with disabilities are being failed by the Government. I acknowledge this is more related to the brief of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, than that of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I will give the example of a young boy from my constituency, whom I will call John for the purpose of anonymity. John is 11 years old and started the assessment-of-needs process in 2020. His mother reports that he is showing signs of ASD and has been waiting for a psychol…