I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

If I were to sum up Government responses to the multitude of questions it receives from Sinn Féin and other Deputies in the House in respect of mental health, the response could be summarised as "Wait until next year". That seems to be the answer I get to any question I put. It is shameful that we have to bring forward a motion in respect of people presenting at emergency rooms in a mental health crisis. This indicates that there is a crisis across the mental health spectrum, despite absolutely brilliant work being…

Many people will be surprised to learn that there is no set quality or standard in respect of interpretation and translation in legal proceedings in this State. Many would argue it is undermining our criminal justice system. Is it the Minister's intention to bring forward legislation or regulations on the use of language interpreters in court?

The Minister referenced a 2021 case. The Court of Appeal found "serious, and potentially far-reaching, inaccuracies" in that case. The interpreter in that case had assisted in more than 240 other cases that had been before the courts. After that judgment the interpreter continued to work in that role for another 40 cases. I find it hard to believe the Minister does not accept this case highlights that having no regulation - no competency tests - in respect of interpretation can potentially undermine our justice sys…

Is the Minister seriously saying he will wait until there is a series of overturned convictions before he acts on what is clearly a gaping problem? He is right that the State pays a significant amount to companies under contracts for translation services, but the translators, it has to be said, are fairly poorly paid. I have to ask the Minister what checks are in place, through the Courts Service or An Garda Síochána, to ensure interpreting is of a good standard. Are there digital audio or video recordings? Are the…

What are the mechanisms?

The Minister of State's colleague, the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy James Lawless, told a media outlet at the end of last month that some English language schools were acting as tick-box exercises to allow people to get work permits. Is that an assertion the Minister of State agrees with? On what basis has that assertion been made? If other Ministers have been making similar assertions and that were the view of the Government, it would be incomprehensible that the Minister of State would stand …

On one hand, the Government says English language schools are a tick-box exercise to allow people to get work permits. The Minister of State has indicated this evening that a number of people are securing stamp 2 visas, which are in effect precarious work visas. I think the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has confirmed that. However, levels of inspections are minimal and no school has been closed as a result of those assertions. The ESRI Asylum and Migration Overview 2024 was published just in Decembe…

The problems that are caused by Garda vetting delays to community organisations, sports clubs and childcare services, among others, have been well set out by Deputy Daly. People will agree that the most bizarre revelation has been that Garda vetting is actually affecting the gardaí themselves. The Minister confirmed to me today that some Garda recruits who were due to attest from Templemore next week will not be able to even start work, because, bizarrely, their Garda vetting has not been completed yet. That is cra…

Was someone sacked just ten days before graduation?

I ask the Minister of State to give us an update on the status of the new acute mental health unit at Cavan hospital and, more importantly, the timeframe in which the unit will be completed and delivered.

I am a bit taken aback, to be quite honest. The Government and the HSE have given a commitment that there will be a new acute mental health unit - a psychiatric unit - on the grounds of Cavan hospital. Previously, a date of 2030 had been provided. I hoped that the Minister of State would be able to announce today that the preliminary processes had been advanced so that we could reach that. The Minister of State will know that previous Mental Health Commission reports in respect of this unit have been quite damning.…

I will explain what I do not understand. I have a letter from the HSE, dated last July, which states that the HSE capital plan includes this provision and that the HSE is looking at appointing the design team. Has that happened or not? Is the Minister of State saying that the last year has basically been wasted in terms of moving this project forward? Will there now be a new appraisal of whether this project enters the capital plan at all? Along with Senator Tully, I recently met the mother of a young man who spent…

Is it going to be delivered?

The Minister of State has not answered the question I asked.

It is an acute care unit that is needed.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, on which, as the Minister says, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration completed pre-legislative scrutiny in the latter part of last year. Úsáidfidh mé mo chuid ama den chuid is mó chun labhairt faoin ngá atá le deireadh a chur le húsáid nótaí comhairleoireachta i dtrialacha foréigin ghnéasaigh. During the pre-legislative scrutiny process and again today I have repeatedly made the point that the approach of the Department and the Minist…

Hear, hear.

Molaim mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Mark Ward, as a chuid obair feachtasaíochta ar an gceist seo. Deputy Ward deserves huge credit for the work he has done not only in bringing forward this legislation but in setting out the issues around nitrous oxide for this House. We know it has legitimate uses in the medical and catering sectors but it is clear that its sale must be regulated in the interests of public health. That case has been made very strongly. Given what has been said by gardaí, customs officials, youth w…

I have been in elected politics a long time and I have to say that the state of local roads generally has never been as bad in all of my time. It is evident not enough funding is being provided to local authorities. Will the Minister indicate how much funding was allocated to local authorities in my area, Cavan and Monaghan county councils, last year? What is the proposed allocation for 2026?