I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health, but can I just say that from my own perspective, as Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I am of the view that the rent-a-room scheme is invaluable in light of the challenges we have in the context of accommodation and the pressures that exist. It is also invaluable from the perspective that an elderly person who is living alone could decide to rent out a room under the scheme. Having the company an…

I listened intently to what the Deputy said. The one thing we have to consider is that this is a voluntary scheme. Some 90% of providers overall have signed up to it but, as the Deputy said, it varies from 81% in some areas to 100% in others. There are positives here in that there is a total annual budget of €221 million to support the childcare sector. This includes €138 million to support staffing costs and improve pay and conditions; €25 million to support administration, incorporating the old programme support …

I again thank the Senator for raising the issue and will take on board the points she made, which I will feed back to the Minister. As she will be aware, persons aged 70 or older are assessed under the over-70s medical card income thresholds, which are based on gross income. Income from the rent-a-room scheme is not currently exempt from the medical card assessment process. This issue not only lies with the Department of Health but also with the Department of Finance. On what the Senator said about a proposed revie…

I thank the Senator for giving me, on behalf of the Minister for Health, this opportunity to inform the House on the progress made to date in respect of introducing the regulation of international surrogacy. I acknowledge, and thank her for, all the work she has done in regard to surrogacy. The undertaking of surrogacy arrangements in other jurisdictions raises complex ethical questions concerning areas of law that intersect the remits of several Departments, as the Senator noted, namely, the Departments of Justice…

I thank the Senator for sharing her personal experience. I can understand her upset and frustration. It must be borne in mind, however, that policy and legislative proposals that may arise following the completion of the Department's examination of the committee's recommendation will require consideration and approval by Government. The Senator will be aware that, overall, there are significant challenges to be addressed in respect of policy and legislation, but also in the context of operational matters including …

I thank both Senators. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is currently in the Dáil taking a Private Members' motion on the cost-of living challenges and different issues. He was in situ as I was leaving the Dáil Chamber. On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Senators for the opportunity to address the issue before the House. It is not my area of expertise, to be fair, but I will read out the response. Coastal railway construction and maintenance have always been challenging and throughout …

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank both Senators for their comments and interest in the important issue of rail infrastructure concerning their counties of Wexford and Wicklow. If we are serious about climate change, rail infrastructure must be important. I have further news. Iarnród Éireann has been monitoring this line and the effects of coastal erosion on it for many years. Noting the increase in severity and frequency of erosion impacts, Iarnród Éireann has developed a series of infrastructure pro…

I thank the Deputy for the question. I will bring her concerns to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and ask him to respond to her in writing.

I thank the Deputy for his constant advocacy concerning UHK. He raised the issue concerning haematology and also referred to an isolator for chemotherapy. It would be helpful if he could put this information into an email and I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to respond directly. Three or four issues were raised, but I do not have details available here on the floor to enable me to respond.

I think there is some confusion here. Personalised budgets are only facilitated for people with disabilities; they are not part of the older persons' model. As we speak, 55,000 people will receive home care at a cost of €670 million annually. The tender for these services is currently up for renewal and a new call for tenders will be issued on 1 January 2023. We are considering including personalised budgets in that tender. As I speak now, however, older people receiving home care have that allocated through the pu…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. It is lovely to see the students in the Seanad. I passed them as I was walking down the corridor from the Dáil. They are welcome, as are their teachers. I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. This affords me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to teaching redeployment schemes currently operating in post-primary schools. Teacher allocations to all second level schools are appr…

I thank the Senator. I agree with the Senator's point about that simple exchange where there are two people who are compatible in terms of the exchange and what they are teaching and where both school communities agree to it. One must wonder why there would be any barriers there. I will certainly raise this with the Minister. I agree also with Senator Kyne that the only way to reach a solution to an issue is through positive engagement around the table. I will certainly take on board the Senator's comments and I wi…

I thank Senator Buttimer for giving me the opportunity to speak to this issue and provide an update on the monkeypox vaccination programme. I acknowledge his genuine contribution on this matter. I believe I might have some information that might not be in the public domain. Since the notification of the first case of monkeypox in Europe, Ireland has moved quickly to respond to the disease outbreak. The Department of Health and the HSE have implemented a broad range of public health measures to control the outbreak …

I thank the Senator. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to work with the European Commission and the manufacturer to secure sufficient doses to enable us to vaccinate all of those recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC. The Senator is right about how, when we look at the last two and a half years, the Covid vaccine was rolled out to all communities. Based on current indications about global supplies of vaccines, Ireland is likely to have increased vaccine supplies later th…

We have the funding.

I met the society.

I thank the Deputies for raising these matters. As discussed with the Deputies, I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley, who is unfortunately unavailable this evening due to another commitment. Deputy Cronin asked about the transport issues in Waterford. I am a mother of three and for the past 17 years, including this year, I have put somebody on the school bus. Living in Portlaw, where there is no secondary school, we have no choice. Five school buses leave Portlaw every morning; thankfully…

Some 25 students are using private transport and the Deputy has exhausted all avenues and spoken to Local Link. I will certainly bring that back to the Minister on her behalf. What I have found in my constituency office is that if there are two or three children in a particular area, it is very difficult. However, when there are 25 students, it is easier to deal with that. It is very hard to provide the bus for one or two children, which is not what parents want to hear. However, in this case, there are numerous st…

It is important to point out that 124,000 tickets for the mainstream scheme alone have been issued to applicants and 124,000 children are on the bus. As part of the cost-of-living packages introduced by the Government, they are able to travel to school by bus free of charge. Notwithstanding that there are difficulties, that point cannot be lost. All present accept this is very important for many families who might not ordinarily get supports, possibly because they are working, for example. It is important to acknow…

The review will consider how the scheme currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families. The review encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs. The review of the primary and post-primary school transport schemes will examine each element of the schemes, including eligibility criteria, trends, costs, cost drivers and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the …