Go raibh maith agat.

The local enterprise office, LEO, supports the creation of many jobs in County Meath. The 2024 annual employment survey of LEO clients once again shows positive job creation across most LEOs. In 2024, the local enterprise office in County Meath provided grant assistance to 259 small businesses, thereby helping them to support 1,455 jobs and to create 255 new jobs. The plan the Deputy mentioned has five clear strategies to balance regional development. Highlights from the mid-east region include the Boyne Valley foo…

The Central Statistics Office, CSO, has responsibility for collating information on the number of enterprises that close each year as part of its work in developing and maintaining the CSO's central business register, CBR. The CBR is developed using data provided by the Companies Registration Office, CRO, and the Revenue Commissioners. The most recent data available on enterprise closures from the central business register, published as part of Business in Ireland - Insights on the Lifecycle of Businesses 2022, is …

The reason information is not available is that European business statistics regulation requires data to be transmitted with a two-year time lag. For example, 2022 data were transmitted in June 2024. The CSO is always trying to enhance the timelines of its publications. It is examining new products relating to signs of life for businesses, which it is hoped will provide a timelier picture of enterprise activity. There is some good news for County Mayo in terms of information on new enterprises that have been create…

The Government's legislation programme, which was published on 18 February 2025, sets out the Government's legislative priorities for the current parliamentary session. We all understand that it is a shorter session than usual, but we will have a new programme again just after Easter. This is the first legislative programme of the new Government, which includes 50 Bills for priority publication and drafting during this Dáil session. There are 14 Bills at various Stages across both Houses of the Oireachtas. These in…

I thank the Deputies very much. The Government, and me as Chief Whip, believe the best way to address changes to Standing Orders is within the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform. This process should be respected. A meeting of the committee will take place this evening. It is imperative that the Dáil can function and that Oireachtas committees can be established as soon as possible. I am sure we will have a robust session later. In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, the Department of Defence has p…

One would assume pre-legislative scrutiny will take place in committee, when we get the committees up and running. I am very anxious to progress the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill. A lot of work has been done on it in the past six months.

With the help of the Ceann Comhairle and the House, I hope we can take Committee Stage on the floor of the Dáil in a couple of weeks, given that we currently do not have the option to do it in committee.

I move: Tuesday's business shall be Statements on Disability (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins). Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Driving Test Waiting Times, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on the Third Anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins) - Statements on the Future of Healthcare for Longer, Healthier Lives (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Gender-Based Vio…

The Government remains firmly committed to enhancing specialist mental health services, including those relating to eating disorders. It is factually incorrect to say that nothing has happened. When I came into this role in 2020, we had three eating disorder teams - one in place. By the end of this year, 14 of the 16 eating disorder teams will be in place across the country-----

That is by the end of the year. Would the Deputy like me to answer or does she want to heckle me?

We have 14 teams funded. It takes a year and a half to set up a team. They are multidisciplinary teams. We have 100 clinicians and ten consultant psychiatrists working on eating disorder teams across the country. The Deputy is right in that we have not made progress in relation to the bed capacity, but 90% of those with an eating disorder are treated in the community. That is what we priorities in the first instance. We are reviewing the model of care and looking at all situations in relation to inpatient beds.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and from the outset I congratulate him on his recent election to Leas-Cheann Comhairle. It is great to see him in the Chair. I thank the Deputy for her forbearance. Last Thursday I was not in a position to take the question. I thank her for agreeing to have the debate tonight. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in the House this evening. While I cannot discuss the details of an individual case here, I acknowledge what the Deputy has told me and am sorry to hear ab…

The new CAMHS eating disorder team will transform the experiences of adolescents with eating disorders in the mid-west, giving them earlier and enhanced supports and reducing the need for hospital admissions. As I said, there are currently 20 dedicated eating disorder beds across the four CAMHS inpatient units. The Deputy is right to say there are only three adult beds in St. Vincent's hospital. We have done a full bed capacity review of all mental health beds across the whole country. I have asked the HSE to condu…

I congratulate Deputies Sheehan and Quaide on their recent election to the Dáil and I thank them for their interest in all health matters. The Minister for Health has asked me to thank Deputy Sheehan for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on it. Primary care therapy services, such as speech and language therapy, play a central role in providing care and treatment to children and adults in the community. There have been persistent challenges in recruiting certain grades of healt…

I thank the Deputy. We have had the change from the nine community healthcare organisations, CHOs, to six individual health regions. Each of the six health regions and each national service has been provided with a specified number of whole-time equivalent staff members that they can hire. They can replace, recruit and prioritise staff within the approved numbers they have. By the end of this year, there will be 133,000 whole-time equivalent staff members working across the HSE. That is an increase of over 20,000 s…

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform entitled ‘Rotas and arrangements for Leaders’ Questions, Questions nominated for priority and Private Members’ Time’ (without debate) - Statements on Mental Health (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Provision of Special Education, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Finance Act 2004 (Sectio…

Further to the Order of the House of Thursday, 23 January 2025, I wish to announce for the information of the House that the following Members have been appointed to the Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny), established pursuant to Standing Order 140: Deputies Cathy Bennett, Malcolm Byrne, Seán Fleming, Erin McGreehan, Conor D. McGuinness, Aindrias Moynihan, Paul Murphy, Michael Murphy, Robert O'Donoghue, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Pádraig Rice, Peter Roche and Barry Ward.

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and until further notice in the 34th Dáil, the rotas and arrangements recommended in the Report of the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform titled "Rotas and arrangements for Leaders' Questions, Questions nominated for priority and Private Members' Time", a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 17th February, 2025, be adopted - ( a ) in relation to Leaders' Questions pursuant to Standing Order 38, with effect from 18th February, 2025, ( b ) …

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to discuss the important topic of mental health today. It is fitting that mental health is one of the first themes for Dáil statements of this Government's term. It highlights the fact that this House recognises the importance of mental health and emphasises the well-known saying that there is no health without mental health. It was an absolute honour and privilege to be reappointed as Minister of State with responsibility for mental health last month and to be the firs…