To date, in excess of 276,000 vaccines have been administered. It is expected that this group will be substantially completed in the coming weeks. The 60 to 69 age group are being vaccinated through vaccination centres, with more than 208,000 vaccines administered to date. The expectation is that this group will be substantially completed by the end of December. Importantly, test positivity has been reducing in some older adult age groups, which shows that where people have been taking up the offer of a third dose …

I understood that was being addressed, as the Tánaiste said today on Leaders' Questions.

I will check it out.

I will bring that back to the Minister.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the House on the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021. This Bill was published on 1 December and concluded its passage through the Dáil on 8 December. I welcome the support received in that House for the core principle of community rating, which is long-established and well-supported Government policy for the health insurance market. Our community-rated health insurance market means that the cost of health insurance is shared across all members of the market. This …

I thank the Senators for their contributions to today's debate and facilitating the passage of the Bill. I thank them for their support. I will try to deal with a few of the issues that were raised. Senator Clifford-Lee raised the issue of the reduction in stamp duty. Taking into consideration the surplus built up, the stamp duty on advanced health insurance contracts will be €406. This is a decrease of €43 from 2021 rates. On non-advanced health insurance contracts, the stamp duty will be €122. This is a decrease …

Absolutely, I certainly will.

The purpose of the Bill is to specify the revised credits and corresponding stamp duty levies to apply on health insurance policies from April 2022. The credit and levy rates for next year strike a fair balance between the need to support community rating while maintaining sustainability of the market. I reiterate the Government's commitment to improving public health services under the Sláintecare programme. I thank everyone for their co-operation on Second Stage and for supporting this technical Bill.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the warm welcome, as always. I also thank Senator McGahon for raising this important matter. The Senator outlined very well how access to a driveway or garden system rules out electric vehicle ownership for thousands of people and homeowners. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, and Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who are unable to be here as they are both in Cabinet. The Government's policy regarding the increased usage of electric vehicles, EVs,…

The EV policy pathway working group, consisting of seven Departments and the SEAI, considered a mix of policies to enable Ireland to meet the climate action plan target which will require a significant ramping up of EV sales. At the end of October, there were 46,600 EVs registered for taxation. We committed €10 million from the climate action fund to support ESB investment in the charging network. This has leveraged a further €10 million investment from the ESB, with the infrastructure to be in place by the end of …

As Senator Ó Donnghaile rightly said, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is at the Cabinet meeting at the moment, but he has given me a comprehensive response. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter, which is of great concern. The Minister stated that we are closely monitoring the UK's new Nationality and Borders Bill as it progresses through the legislative process in Westminster. As the Senator will be aware, the Bill was passed in the House of Commons last week and has now proceeded to the House of …

I have taken note of the Senator’s comments on this very important issue. As he knows, this Bill is an outworking of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union as it plans to tighten its border security and reduce levels of immigration. Brexit always had the potential to be profoundly disruptive for Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as a whole. Along with our EU partners, we have consistently sought to minimise this disruption and we will continue to do so. The Government is conscious of the cross-Borde…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who is in a Cabinet meeting. I understand Department officials recently discussed this issue with the Senator and colleagues at the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. As a result of Brexit, the EU cross-border directive ceased to apply in Northern Ireland. To mitigate this loss, this Government made the important decision to introduce…

Regarding utilisation of the EU cross-border directive, I understand the Senator asked officials at a recent meeting of the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU which EU member state patients had accessed treatment in under that scheme. HSE data indicate that the top three EU member states where treatment was accessed so far this year under the directive are Spain, Poland and Germany. I hope the Senator has found this update helpful and assure Senators that the placing of the Northern Ir…

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, regarding the provision of NAS motorcycle services in Cork. I am sure Senators will join me in paying tribute to the incredible work the NAS has done and continues to do in delivering testing and vaccination services and helping to protect us all since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This work is done in addition to its primary emergency response functions and the dedication of NAS staff to maintaining normal …

I could not have put it better myself, and nobody would disagree with Senator Buttimer's last point. It is regrettable that the motorcycle response unit has had to cease scheduled operations for the time being but as the Senator and this House will appreciate, we have been living in extraordinary times over the past two years. In addition to its primary emergency response function, the NAS has been at the forefront of efforts to combat the pandemic. We are incredibly grateful for this. To accommodate these testing …

The continued development of specialist services for eating disorders, including improved access and shorter waiting lists, remains a key priority for me and the Government. Funding was made available in 2021 to complete the three existing specialist eating disorder teams and establish three additional eating disorder teams — one in the Deputy's community healthcare organisation, CHO, namely, CHO 4, adult; another in CHO 9, adult; and another in CHO 2, child and adult mental health services. When I entered my post …

Tá an freagra seo as Béarla. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The west Kerry community hospital provides important and valued services for the people in the west Kerry area. As the hospital is one of just two units providing long-term care on the Dingle Peninsula, I understand the significant role it plays in the community and the depth of feeling associated with the hospital. As well as providing long-stay residential care, the community hospital also provides short-stay beds. These beds are us…

I sincerely regret the situation that Máire Bean Uí Bheaglaíoch finds herself in. The waiting list for the long-stay places in west Kerry community hospital is of ten people. As the Deputy knows, community nursing units and hospitals are an essential part of our social care infrastructure and will, at a certain point, be a necessary option for some older people in order to meet their healthcare needs. They play a vital role in an overall continuum of care for older people over the coming years, as our older populat…

I apologise on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. He is not in a position to attend the debate due to family issues. I spoke to him late last night and he has no issue talking to the Deputies. The flood risk management plans launched in May 2018 included a recommendation to progress the project-led development and planning of a flood relief scheme for Bantry. As Deputies will be aware, a steering group comprising representatives from the Office of Public Works and Cork County Council is in place to …