I previously raised the case of a 13-year-old boy who was referred to an orthodontics department on 8 August 2019 and not offered an assessment until 3 March 2022. His family was also informed that if he needed treatment, he would have to wait five years for it. When I inquired about this, the HSE also confirmed that the consultant orthodontist for south-east community healthcare carries out all assessments in Clonmel clinic and that the consultant is available one day every fortnight. Leaving aside the fact that a…

I accept the Minister of State's comments but the response does not even mention the four-year waiting list, which is shocking. This family does not need facts and figures and the girl needs treatment instead. That is the only thing that will help her. Her father has told us that this young girl is very good at sports and is a very bright child, with a good future ahead of her in school and college. The comments from others, however, are causing psychological harm and holding this girl back. In 2015, the Department…

I assure Deputy Durkan that I cannot imagine anybody falling out with him or hating him. He is a likeable fellow. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, on being here for the discussion. Too many times, Ministers do not appear for debates. In light of recent events, it is important to discuss and air our views on equality, inclusion and diversity. Where equality, inclusion and diversity are poor and resisted, one of the many levels on which it presents itself is discrimination. We now live in a world in wh…

Even though the personal injuries guidelines came into effect last year, many groups and organisations have still not felt their benefits. The Alliance for Insurance Reform has found that liability premiums have actually increased by 16%. The same survey found that 42% of organisations which responded believe that insurance costs have put their future in jeopardy. While those increased costs are affecting the organisations, the premium rises are impacting the communities which these groups serve. For example, the e…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the proposal for a directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence. It is important that progress is continually made in responding to violence against women but it is also important to ensure we have a range of supports for victims that are comprehensive and accessible. The key elements of the proposal include: first, the criminalisation of rape, female genital mutilation and cyberviolence; second, safe reporting and risk-assessment procedures; third, respect f…

The disjointed approach towards the accident and emergency unit in Navan hospital sums up the misdirected approach the Department and the HSE takes towards the provision of emergency care. The Government has been attempting to shut down the service in Nenagh for years under the small hospitals framework. The Minister of State, Deputy English, asked us to listen to doctors and experts. The Government has had 11 years and nothing has moved. It needs to start listening. People in my constituency, especially those who …

I am raising this issue for a number of reasons. The first is the fact that workers on the ground within our horticultural sector feel as though decisions on access to horticultural peat have been seen as a done deal. It is felt as though now that the furore over the issue has abated, the Government feels as though it is business as usual and the sector has been left to pick up the pieces and carry on. That was the distinct impression a representative of the sector got after confronting a junior Minister at the Dep…

I thank the Minister of State. In her response, she said that an estimated 17,600 people are employed in the sector. If the Government would only listen to the sector, it would realise that it is putting those working in the sector at risk of losing their jobs because of the price of importing peat from 3,000 miles away. As a member of the Green Party, I do not know how the Minister of State and her party can stand over the practice of importing peat from 3,000 miles away. Hundreds of trucks bring peat to ships ove…

One of the biggest things the Minister of State could do is actually listen to the sector and try to engage with it.

While reading through this annual transition statement, I went to the section on forestry because I have represented many foresters during my time in Leinster House. One of the first things I read was that "Forests will play an important role in meeting EU emissions reductions targets during the 2021 to 2030 period". The statement goes on to note, as we all know, "The Climate Action Plan 2021 sets an afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year." Unfortunately, despite the expense that has gone into hiring new e…

I also welcome the chance to speak on the Bill. The importance of the Bill, brief though it may be, cannot be overstated. It seeks to address the findings in Liam Varley v . Ciarán Davitt that there is no legal basis underpinning the system of garda court presenters at District Court level. This effectively means that no garda, other than the prosecuting garda, has the right of audience in respect of a case. Needless to say, an irregularity of this type can have profound consequences in dealing with crime or with s…

A common theme that I hear on education is the allocation of special classes in schools locally. I have raised it here in the Dáil on a number of occasions yet the situation does not change. The parents of children with special needs still have to contact schools far outside their areas while at the same time they are told that there is no need for such classes in the areas where there clearly is a demand. One area that needs such a class is Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary. In September I raised with the Taoise…

I am nearly embarrassed to start talking now about Tipperary without mentioning Carlow. For counties like Tipperary, there has been some positivity on the third level education front. This provides the opportunity to study closer to home, if that suits the course people have chosen or have been accepted for and is more than welcome. The fact, however, that the technological universities that I am talking about here have less funding allocated to them than the so-called traditional universities is a matter of shame …

Much like the outdatedness of the housing assistance payment, which has no bearing on current rental costs, the upper limit on the housing adaptation grant has remained the same for 13 years. It no longer has any bearing on the actual costs that many people in my constituency of Tipperary face. The annual rate of construction inflation hit 13.4% from January to December 2021. In Tipperary, this has led to some people, who have been waiting years since applying, finding they now have to give it up because they canno…

In April this year, 63 adults were confirmed to be homeless in County Tipperary, which is up 32 since April of last year. The number does not include children. The monthly figures have been increasing steadily over the past year and local authorities are coming under increased pressure to assist those individuals and families. For the entirety of last year, Tipperary County Council stated it spent €390,804 on emergency accommodation. To date in 2022, that bill is already at €279,394. In just over 18 months, the cou…

Sinn Féin realises that the way in which wardships of court operate needs to be reformed, but the manner in which the Bill is being brought forward, with particularly tight timeframes, goes against the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under Article 4.3 of the convention, disabled people have a right to be consulted on policy and on the laws that affect them, yet the amending Bill was published just the day before yesterday for debate today and tomorrow on Second Stage, with am…

Before I start, I also want to express my disgust that the Minister for Transport came in here for 20 minutes and then scooted off again, leaving the Minister of State to take the flack. The buck stops with the Minister for the shambles that went on at Dublin Airport. I welcome the opportunity to address the issue of transport and air my views on some of the recent developments. I start by expressing my concerns at a report in the press yesterday that seemed to throw cold water on the prospect of the Limerick-Water…

My question is for the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. On Friday, 8 April, staff at the minor injuries unit in Cashel were told the unit would be closed from the following Monday because of the inability to replace a doctor who had left because of the low pay. After hearing this, we made inquiries. Fair play to the HSE in that we were told the unit would open fairly quickly, which it did, but last week I found myself having to make inquiries again because the unit is now open for only two out of five …

Journalists are our eyes and ears when it comes to the many conflicts across the world. They have an important role not just in reporting what is going on in these conflicts, but also in dissecting the cause of the hatred or economic opportunity that prompts or prolongs conflict, or examining how certain conflicts are used for purely economic gain, bigotry or discrimination. Many regimes see that as a threat to their purpose. The work of journalists is seen by some of these governments as putting an unwelcome focus…

I thank an Teachta Ó Broin for bringing this Bill to the House and for his continuing work on the issue of housing. The current state of the rental market means we must do whatever we can to ensure that as much supply as possible is available to the thousands of individuals and families who are in immediate need of accommodation. That is why we have brought forward a Bill that simply calls for the laws that allow property owners to rent their properties on short-term leases to be enforced. In many counties, especia…