We cannot be soft on white-collar crime. White-collar criminals should not be allowed to operate under a shroud of acceptability. There is a direct connection between the visible crimes that we see daily and white-collar crimes. Proceeds from street muggings, car break-ins, burglaries and other daily occurrences in our streets filter their way up to white-collar criminals and just because these white-collar criminals do not have dirt under their fingernails does not mean their hands are clean. Money laundering, cyb…

I will use approximately four minutes initially, allow three minutes for the Minister of State to reply and an Teachta Donnelly will come in after that. Under this Government we have gone from a mental health crisis to a mental health emergency. There are 2,500 children and young people waiting for child and adolescent mental health services. More than 8,500 children are waiting for a primary care psychology service. Behind each of those figures is a child with a family who is being left behind. When will the Gover…

On the same issue, the Disability Act 2005 states that an assessment of need for a child should be completed within six months. There have been 115 applications by parents to the Circuit Court seeking the enforcement of assessments of need. The State agency has reported to me and the HSE that it has received 30 claims in respect of assessments of need. To date, no payments have been made to any parents. Whilst no payments have been made to any families, children or parents, the State has paid €700,000 in defence co…

An old Dublin saying from the tenement days - "first up, best dressed" - describes how those in a family who got up first thing in the morning had a better chance of being fed for the day. It is now a hundred years later and nothing has changed. Anyone who is on the PUP should be getting fuel allowance. They have been put out in the cold by Covid and they should not be cold at home. Our proposals will benefit not only those on the PUP, but also those who have lost their jobs, lone parents, carers, older persons, pe…

I agree with my colleague, Deputy Daly, that while dog theft may not be a significant issue in the mainstream, it is a big issue for the individuals directly affected by it. Dog theft is a particularly cruel and nasty crime because a pet is not just property, it is an integral part of a family. Harsh sentences should be handed down to anyone caught stealing dogs in order to deter others. Under current laws, pets are considered property. Their theft is treated the same way as mobile phone theft or items taken from p…

There are only three dedicated adult eating disorder beds in the State. It should be noted that these are not national beds but beds that have been dedicated for eating disorders in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 6. In other parts of the HSE, adult patients are admitted to local general mental health units and attend generic inpatient treatment programmes. Generic treatment does not work for people who have anorexia or bulimia. When will the Government uphold its promise in the programme for Government to …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the inclusion of services for persons with dual diagnosis in the annual service plan prepared by the HSE for approval by the Minister. I am sharing time with my comrade, Deputy Gould. There can be no wrong door when it comes to treatment for dual diagnosis. The Health (Amendment) (Dual Diagnosis: No Wrong Door) Bill aims to compel the Government to uphold its promise in the programme for Government where it states its intention to "Pro…

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

It is time now to pay student nurses and midwives. A payment of €100 is an absolute insult to the hard work put in by student nurses on the front line. Student nurses and midwives did not go into hiding when they were called upon. They have put themselves at daily risk for the common good. They have gone above and beyond what they were asked to do. These students were working, they were needed to work and they should be paid for working. It is as simple as that. The €100 the Government has offered will not cover tr…

Significant amounts of money have been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, over the years. The last figure I have since its inception in 1996 is €150 million. I come from an area in Dublin called north Clondalkin that has been disproportionately affected by drug use and drug dealing over the years. I have seen whole families being wiped out. Some of these have been relatives, neighbours and friends of mine over the years. The money seized by CAB originates from areas like my own in north Clondalkin. Will the…

I compliment the Sinn Féin Whip for making sure the Ceann Comhairle had the correct list of names and I suggest Fianna Fáil get its ship in action and do it properly. When the first lockdown and restrictions were introduced last year, they caused concern and increased people's worries and anxiety levels. People who had a history of mental health problems were adversely affected. A proportion of the population also experienced mental health problems for the first time. This resulted in a significant increase in dema…

There is no doubt but that Covid has shone a bright light on the inefficiencies of the health service. Years of underinvestment and systemic mismanagement are there for all to see. Up to 21,000 children are waiting for occupational therapy, 9,000 children are waiting for psychology treatment and 4,000 children are waiting for an assessment of needs, while an astonishing 41,000 children are waiting for speech and language therapy. Successive Governments have failed these children. Children are being moved from list …

I commend my party colleague and Dublin Mid-West colleague, Deputy Eoin Ó Broin, for tabling the Homeless Prevention Bill 2020. Prior to becoming a public representative, I worked with those experiencing homelessness, so it was no surprise that since I became a public representative the biggest issue that I have come across is the housing crisis. At any time of year homelessness is an emotional subject, but it always comes to the forefront at Christmas. Taking into consideration those who are homeless that the Gove…

We heard at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration that the State is failing children in terms of assessments of need. The committee heard from parents and stakeholders. What is the average time a child is waiting for an assessment of need in the context of the legal requirement on the HSE to commence such an assessment within three months and complete it within six months and will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging that because there are real people behind these different Acts and procedures. They are parents and children and this issue has a knock-on effect on the overall family structure, society in general and school. It is crucially important that these children receive intervention and assessment in order that there are no lost opportunities. That is what we are talking about here: lost opportunities for children. Parents face a dilemma when their children do not reach thei…

I look forward to that conversation at the committee meeting next week. The committee heard from the Ombudsman for Children last week and he basically said it is an old fashioned three-card trick, that children are being moved from one list to another and their needs are not being met. I am glad the Minster of State mentioned intervention because that is another problem. When children get their assessment of need and what they need for their development going forward is outlined, the actual wrap-around services the…

Sinn Féin will be supporting this Bill because it is technical in nature but I wish to raise some issues regarding the move of the Central Mental Hospital from Dundrum to Portrane. I am aware that one of these issues is not within the remit of the Minister of State, but I need to address it today. A significant land bank will be freed up when the Central Mental Hospital moves from Dundrum. We are and continue to be in a housing crisis and it is important that this land is used to provide public housing. I refer to …

I thank the Regional Group for tabling the motion and keeping mental health on the agenda, and Sinn Féin will speak in favour of it today. The tragedy of suicide has touched nearly all communities and sectors in Ireland. The Government relies on non-governmental organisations to plug gaps in mental health services but we must become proactive rather than reactive and put in place support services and policies to help prevent suicide from occurring. Access to counselling may often be a barrier to people obtaining ap…

Yesterday, at a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, we heard the Government is not meeting its statutory obligations on children obtaining assessments of need. It was proposed by witnesses at the meeting that a cross-party motion be tabled reaffirming the intentions and aspirations of the Oireachtas regarding assessments of need for children under the Disability Act. This motion would insist that these assessments are delivered in full and on time, as provide…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion on pay and conditions for student nurses and midwives. I thank Solidarity-People Before Profit for putting this important issue on the agenda today. Members have all stood to give a round of applause to all front-line workers, including in this mutual appreciation, to student nurses and midwives. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has stated its student members are being exploited during Covid, however. Students on placements in hospitals are facing addition…