The Deputy is quite right; I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I thank her for raising the ongoing issues with water quality in Dublin Bay. I point out that primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government Acts and related legislation. As the Deputy will be aware, since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, d…

The Senator has used the words "shocking", "heartbreaking" and "a breach of faith". There is not one word he has said that I disagree with. I feel so much for the 18 families. I did not realise that one family found out on the eve of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and that the other 17 families were informed before then. There are no excuses for that, and nothing I can say here will give comfort to the 18 families, not least the one family that was not included. It is absolutely heartbreaking. I was very upset wh…

I thank the Deputy for her ongoing comments on and interest in Dublin Bay. It is interesting that all 35 Deputies across the Dublin area have signed the letter in question and are very concerned. She is right in what she said. Many people now swim all year around. They do not swim only during the summer season, as we call it. Today is a mild day and I am sure there are plenty of people in swimming today in their bathing suits. As regards the Deputy's remarks, officials are currently examining the most suitable opti…

I do not disagree with anything the Senator has said about the breakdown in communication. I will ensure that both options are available if some families want to meet in person and others want to meet online. How they engage will depend on how those families want to address the matter. The Senator is right about the legislation. It is hugely important that we do not lose any more time on it. The South/South West Hospital Group has confirmed that the capacity issue around cemetery places has now been addressed with …

I thank Deputies Pádraig O'Sullivan and Colm Burke for raising this important issue concerning plans to upgrade the Carrignavar wastewater treatment facility. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services, planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning, investment and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programm…

Once again, I thank the Deputies for raising the matter of the Carrignavar wastewater treatment facility, County Cork. Irish Water, the public water utility, has developed a long-term investment perspective to address strategically the many deficiencies in the public wastewater system. It is optimising investment decisions to ensure it utilises scarce capital by making investments that deliver the best possible service improvements for communities. Irish Water will have to consider its investment plans in line with…

I welcome this debate and I thank colleagues from all sides for their contributions. The Government accepts consumers are currently facing volatility in energy prices due in particular to a spike in international gas and oil prices. We know over the coming winter they will be faced with higher energy costs as suppliers and energy companies seek to recoup their energy outlays. Current market expectations on energy commodities, particularly gas, indicate that wholesale gas prices will remain high during the winter mo…

I thank Senator Carrigy for raising this important issue and for outlining the position in such a comprehensive manner. Palliative care can be highly emotive for people because it is end-of-life care. We all accept that. The Government is strongly committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based palliative care in Ireland. The Department of Health, in line with the national palliative care policy introduced in 2001, is committed to ensuring that the hospice sector is sustainable and that specialist palliative ca…

St. Joseph's Care Centre provides 24-hour nursing care. The newly refurbished room allows palliative and palliative-respite care to be provided. The HSE is committed to a continued review of the occupancy of the palliative-care supported bed with the option to increase the number of designated beds required, which is welcome. I imagine it will examine the statistics at the end of the year. The programme for Government aims to improve access to specialist palliative inpatient services through the development of a ho…

I very much welcome the opportunity to address the House on the important motion brought forward by my constituency colleague, Deputy Cullinane, on nurses and midwives. I would like to thank all Deputies who have contributed to this debate. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all nurses and midwives, including students, and all healthcare workers for their unwavering dedication and commitment as we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no doubt healthcare workers have made enormous s…

I am pleased to mark breast cancer awareness month and to discuss this important topic. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the great commitment of those working in cancer services in hospitals, screening services, community services and the charitable and voluntary sectors. This has enabled the continued provision of quality care to individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic and following the cyberattack in May. Cancer prevention is a cornerstone of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026. Prevention aims to improve…

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. As Deputy Lahart has outlined so well, of course someone presenting to an emergency department is anxious and upset. The presence of Covid has made it more fraught. I acknowledge the distress that overcrowded emergency departments cause to patients, their families and front-line staff working in very challenging conditions in hospitals throughout the country. I acknowledge the work and commitment of staff in ensuring …

I will bring the Deputy's concern back to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I am delighted to hear that they both visited the hospital recently and have seen the progress. Attendances at all emergency departments and hospitals have increased throughout the country. It is a very worrying trend so early in the winter. We are facing into the possibility of the winter flu and the vomiting bug. Luckily last year people did not present with those two conditions but already we are seeing the trends. Coupled with that…

I thank the Deputy for his question. This year saw the largest budget allocation to mental health in the State's history at €1.149 billion. The year 2022 will see an additional €47 million for mental health services, comprising the €24 million the Deputy mentioned for new developments, €10 million for mental health initiatives in response to Covid and €13 million for existing level of service. The €24 million is being prioritised for the continued development of mental health services, including out-of-hours suppor…

Due to my past as a person who was in business for 17 years, I was, and still am, really good at figures. Last year the budget for mental health was €1.076 billion. This year it is €1.149 billion, an increase of €73 million because of clearing the historical deficit, which will give me 350 whole-time equivalents. Last year, the extra €23 million I secured only gave me 153 whole-time equivalents, so the amount of money I have this year will be significant because there are challenges, as we all know, with recruitmen…

I am really glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity to talk about the primary care psychology list, because when I came into post last year I inherited the highest ever waiting lists in that area. I spoke at length with the Minister to see how we could deal with this. In the short term what I have put in place is as follows. For September, October, November and December of this year, €4 million was allocated to the nine CHOs. I asked them to come to me with a proposal. Would they do overtime on Tuesday, Wednes…

I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge the fact she has raised this several times. The Government remains committed to the development of the Castlerea mental health hub.  This project was announced in June 2020, comprising a new child and adolescent mental health service, called the CAMHS Connect day hospital and a psychiatry of later life day hospital.  In 2020, €800,000 was provided for refurbishment works and staff recruitment by the HSE.  In 2021, 14 posts were approved and €1.4 million allocated for this. Staffing…

I have a lot of control over certain things in mental health but I cannot control recruitment. I just cannot do it and unfortunately, it can take up to 50 weeks to recruit to a consultant's post. We also have to backfill the post that he or she is vacating. There are lots of difficulties with regard to recruitment. As I have said, 14 posts have been approved with €1.4 million in revenue allocated. The Deputy is correct that there are three posts outstanding but those remaining posts are at an advanced stage of recr…

I can only deal with the here and now and with the situation as it pertained when I came into post last July. We should look at the positives. This facility will be fully staffed by early 2022. It will be the first of its kind nationally and that has to be acknowledged and accepted. It will form the core of the new Castlerea mental health hub across HSE west and beyond. Having listened to both Deputies, one would think nothing was happening in Castlerea when in fact CAMHS multidisciplinary clinics are operating the…

I did not interrupt the Deputy. There is a huge amount happening and the €1.4 million that was allocated this year will be provided for staff.