We have all seen Europe's unified stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It shows just how powerful a force Europe can be in the quest for peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world. This has united the European Union in the face of an unjustified war of oppression and tyranny. It is the same force for good, this unwavering support in the face of tyranny, which the beleaguered people of Palestine are desperate for. The ongoing merciless raids conducted by Israel's forces and the illegal incursion…

Two weeks ago, during the pre-European Council statements, six Opposition Deputies raised the situation in Palestine and in his closing remarks, the Minister of State did not mention Palestine once. He completely ignored six Opposition Deputies. Will he do the same today in his closing remarks? Will he just stick to the script? I just listened to Deputy Haughey. The Government is talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to Palestine. We hear really strong words with absolutely no action. The internation…

It is very important that we include public consultation in this from the beginning and make a requirement which serves several purposes. It first ensures that people know what the rules are and that they know the law. This is a chance for the people to understand how An Garda operates and for them to feed into consultation. I accept that the Bill states: (i) the Minister; (ii) the Policing Authority; (iii) the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; (iv) the Garda Síochána Inspectorate; (v) the Data Protection Commis…

The Minister herself has said that this legislation is very new. It is new for An Garda, for the public and for ourselves in here. As much awareness as we can get out there - I take the Minister's word on it - and an awareness campaign would be very beneficial for the general public. As Deputy Howlin said, what is the harm in having an information campaign within the legislation?

Sinn Féin supports this legislation. People deserve unhindered access to abortion healthcare services. This is not a new issue. In fact, Sinn Féin's Senator Paul Gavan was the primary sponsor of a similar safe access zone Bill drafted in conjunction with the Together for Safety group. This Bill passed every Stage in the Seanad, but as we have seen before with other Opposition legislation, the Government has been slow in progressing it further. I thank the Together for Safety group and progressive Senators for their…

Mental health and addiction issues are all too common in the prison population. Information I received from the Department of Justice indicates there are 2,259 people in prison waiting up to two and a half years for mental health treatment. What plans are in place to address the long waiting lists for people in prison to access psychology services?

There is a high rate of recidivism among people who leave the prison system. Although I agree with the Minister of State that we need to break the cycle, we need to put treatment plans in place for people while they are in prison. Mental health and addiction are always problematic and prominent. It is imperative that people get the help they need while they are in prison. It would lead to less reoffending and would benefit society in general. I referred to 2,259 people awaiting treatment in prison but I will also p…

In the context of referrals into psychology, people in prison are suffering from a multitude of conditions, including mood and anxiety disorder, neurotic and stress-related disorders, disorders of personality and behaviour, complex and other post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm, suicidal behaviour, substance use, eating disorders, psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction, dementia, cognitive decline, traumatic brain injuries, impulse disorders and disorders of sexual preference. There is a multitude of issues for p…

Front-line community drug services are having to turn people away due to the lack of funding. Those concerned have said services are now on life support. I was present for the pre-budget submission by the local drug and alcohol task forces yesterday. The name of the submission is "Services on a Shoestring", and that says it all. The services face a huge increase in demand. I have worked in front-line community addiction services and have been a director of the Clondalkin Drug and Alcohol Task Force, so I know at fi…

RTÉ needs root-and-branch reform to end the insider culture. There has been a lot of talk about the culture in RTÉ and protecting "the talent". RTÉ board chair, Ms Siún Ní Raghallaigh, has suggested binning the word "talent", and not before time. The use of the word "talent" is an insult to the ordinary workers in RTÉ. It shows the disconnect between the haves and have-nots. Issues have been raised about RTÉ in respect of bogus self-employment, the two-tier system for workers, pay disparity, the gender pay gap and …

-----but they were very reluctant to pay their television licence. If they do not pay their television licence this year, they are liable to fines of up to €2,000 and up to two months in prison. The latest figures available to me show that court proceedings were taken against 11,000 individuals in a single year for not paying their TV licence. That should be put in the context of what we heard from the Committee of Public Accounts of deliberate attempts to conceal secret payments to Ryan Tubridy. Will there be cons…

Over the last nine months, Luxembourg has taken different positions to Ireland on how to address the impact of energy hikes on domestic users and businesses. Recent figures published by EUROSTAT show that Ireland is the most expensive state in the EU with the highest energy costs and the highest health costs in the Union. CSO data tells us household energy prices have risen by 60%. Since the first quarter this year wholesale prices have fallen by 64% in the same period. Why do Irish electricity prices remain so hig…

One of the glaring shortfalls in the child poverty and well-being programme office is the absence of a clear commitment to incorporate mental health in its stated remit. The number of children waiting on first-time appointments with child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, has increased by 112% under this Government's watch. Nationally, there is a record high of 4,513 children waiting for appointments with CAMHS. It is the first time the number has broken the 4,500 barrier. Of these young people, 747 hav…

One of the items on the agenda of the upcoming meeting is that leaders are expected to give further guidance on EU security and defence capacity. In his contribution, will the Taoiseach acknowledge that years of under-investment in our Defence Forces by successive Governments have depleted our defence capabilities? It is little wonder that the Government now wants us to further align with military blocs, to undertake tasks it has rendered our Defence Forces incapable of doing. The consultative forum on Ireland's in…

It is like groundhog day. Another month has passed with another record high of young people who are waiting on first-time appointments with child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. There are now 4,513 young people waiting for a first-time appointment, with 747 of them waiting for over a year. These figures have gone up month on month and year by year. When this Government was formed, there were 2,112 children waiting for an appointment. That figure has risen by 112% in the Government's time in office. La…

Youth justice and the right for our young people to be young people are priorities for how this State should operate. Every child and young person deserves the right to reach their full potential. I have said this often in the Chamber and it is true concerning mental health and also in youth justice. Young people are our future and we must invest in them. A troubling trend prevalent in organised crime for some time now has been the grooming of minors into criminality. Criminals offer a lifestyle of flashy clothes a…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on issues that affect members of our LGBTQI+ community. I take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Pride week and month. I hope everyone has a great time in the spirit of equality and inclusiveness. Ireland is considered to be a champion in advancing equality for the LGBTQI+ community. In 2015, through a constitutional referendum, we became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage with the introduction of the marriage equality Act. I remember the emotiona…

We welcome this legislation to bring the regulation of e-cigarette and vaping in line with the regulation of tobacco products and to update some elements of tobacco products regulations to ensure consistency and standards. As has been said, we will make a number of amendments. I have a couple of points and questions. I would appreciate it if the Minister could address some of these in her closing remarks. At the moment, a person need only walk outside most secondary schools to see one of these vape shops in the vic…

During the meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health of 24 May, Mr. Bernard Gloster, CEO of the HSE, stated in reply to me that the HSE had "a serious question to ask as to whether we continue to maintain more than 70 partially staffed [CAMHS] teams or reduce them to 55 or 50 full teams". Are there plans to reduce the number of child and adolescent mental health service teams from 75 to 50? What discussions has the Department had on the matter?

I accept that, but we are getting mixed messages. For example, when Mr. Gloster said what he said at the health committee meeting, that was the first I had heard of it, although I had heard inklings on the grapevine. The Minister of State now indicated that the number of CAMHS teams might be reduced from 74 and that parents might be asked to drive a little further to get a full service but I got a response from the HSE yesterday stating there were no active plans to reduce the number of CAMHS teams nationally. Mixe…