The most important thing the Minister has said is that the Government is waiting for the HSE to deliver a plan to it. We in Tipperary and Roscrea all know what the HSE will deliver to us. It will deliver a short-term unit with no long-stay beds. The future of Dean Maxwell is now a clear-cut political decision. The unit is doomed as it is at present unless there is an explicit and clear directive from the Government to the HSE to develop and bring forward a plan that will include a full range of services and long-st…

The hospitality sector has suffered enormously since the pandemic began. As the Minister is aware, people had barely settled back to work when it was deemed necessary to implement further restrictions. Hotels are being particularly hard hit by these restrictions. Room bookings, meetings and numerous events have been cancelled. This will drastically curtail seasonal trading for hotels in Tipperary and throughout the country. They most certainly will not have the thin layer of financial security they had hoped for as…

In Ireland, we have a God-given opportunity to play a vital role in climate action. This comes with an opportunity to significantly boost our economy and create substantial employment. Ireland has the untouched potential to develop more than 70,000 MW of offshore renewable energy. We have the natural resources needed to be a major exporter of green energy which could power much of Europe by 2050. We are ideally placed to become a major player in the areas of wind-generated electricity and hydrogen. To focus on our …

The horse racing industry in Ireland is respected both nationally and internationally. Our racing and breeding activity is among the most prominent and respected in the world. The core breeding and racing industry in Ireland is estimated to generate a staggering €1 billion in gross expenditure. This figure, in turn, provides an input of €914 million to our economy. In recent years, Ireland has been second only to the US as the biggest seller, by value, of bloodstock at public auctions. We bred more than 20% of the …

Earlier this year, the Alliance for Insurance Reform made a presentation to the Department of Finance which outlined that as many as 35 sectors were either struggling to get insurance or could not obtain insurance at all. That list continues to grow. Throughout the summer months, numerous businesses offering a myriad of activity to all ages were forced to close. They had either completely failed to get insurance or the cost was such that it made no economic sense for them to continue. The most recent casualty of th…

A wider solution to the issue of liability claims awarded by the Irish courts is needed in the long term. I notice that recent measures have resulted in reports that insurance payouts have reduced by 40%, yet the insurance companies remain staunchly rigid when determining risk. As a direct result of lack of insurance cover, horse sports face the immediate threat of extinction. This will have a serious social and economic impact on everyone involved in the sport. Insurance companies have made massive profits for the…

I welcome confirmation that the much anticipated motor link between Cahir and Limerick Junction has been included in the national development plan, NDP. The provision of this vital link not only makes sense but is crucial to providing safe road infrastructure. Equally important at this time is the provision of a bypass for Tipperary town. The Minister has acknowledged this need and is on record as being in favour of an early resolution to the menace of traffic in the town. As he knows, it is in an area of high traf…

It is not usual for me to get good news, a Cheann Comhairle, so I certainly welcome the Minister's commitment to the project. I acknowledge that support, from the time I made the proposal to him and to the House that a bypass for Tipperary town be prioritised and should happen as the start of any project to upgrade the N24. It makes sense and I am glad he still agrees with the proposal. I welcome that he has informed TII of his priority in that regard. The commitment he has given today makes it a good day for Tippe…

I support the motion. I raised this matter with the Taoiseach last week. I requested an urgent independent review of the ambulance service. Since I highlighted the issue, I have been contacted by paramedics, patients and medical professionals from every corner of the country. Story after story has been relayed to me, some through anger and others through tears, but all of them through frustration and desperation. This service is in crisis and I am not sure that the Minister, the HSE or those who are responsible for…

How many social housing units are to be completed by Tipperary County Council by the end of 2022? Will the Minister make a general statement on housing in Tipperary and rural Ireland?

The housing department of Tipperary County Council is progressive and organised and it does a pretty good job in delivering social and affordable housing. However, it must be noted that due to a lack of building over the years and because of changes in policy, we have a problem in Tipperary regarding the availability of social housing. When many people read about housing issues, they think the problem is a city issue and a Dublin issue, but it is not. It is also an issue in rural Ireland. In my constituency of Tipp…

On a related matter on the subject of housing, the Minister will be aware that technological universities can borrow money from the Housing Finance Agency, under the auspices of the Housing for All plan, to allow them to construct purpose-built student accommodation. St. Patrick’s College in Thurles is a campus of Mary Immaculate College, MIC, and it trains teachers. The college has a development and expansion plan. It has been a successful venture for everybody involved and for the economy of Thurles. I contacted …

Last week, a woman in her 60s died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. Two hours before this woman died, an ambulance was en route to transport her to hospital. In this case, the ambulance, on its way to the critically ill woman, was stood down and was diverted to care for a man with a back injury. When the paramedics arrived, the man walked out of his home and stepped into the ambulance. When a crew eventually arrived for the woman, she was carried out of her home by stretcher. This was the last time that she …

I do not think the Taoiseach or anybody in the Government has the full facts regarding what is happening. For example, ambulances are criss-crossing the country. You do not have to be a genius to know that this is not efficient or cost-effective. I will give the Taoiseach another example. It has happened in recent weeks that an ambulance was sent from a base in Kenmare to Waterford. An ambulance that left Kenmare, arrived in Waterford and did a call in Clonmel on the way back. It left Clonmel for a three-and-a-half…

The educational needs of their children are taken very seriously by every parent, and particularly so when a child has additional needs. Across Tipperary and the country, numerous children are in their final year in autism units of primary schools. Secondary school enrolments are under way. Autism units in secondary schools should be structured to be capable of accepting all pupils who are making the transition up from primary schools. Parents want their autistic children to transfer to secondary schools that provi…

One in 65 people in Ireland is on the autism spectrum. This figure includes men, women and children and each one of them is deserving of their rights as Irish citizens. Each one of us has a moral and a civil duty to ensure that they get them. If autism is not part of our lives we will most certainly have heard of it. We will most certainly know a person or a family dealing with autism. Many people do not understand the barriers faced by people with autism. The dictionary definition of autism is a lifelong non-progr…

The wealth of a nation is said to depend on the health of its citizens. There are many aspects of the budget today that I welcome. There are also aspects of the budget that we as rural Ireland would have huge concerns about. In the short time available to me I will focus on the health service. When taking into account that line, "The wealth of a nation depends on the health of its citizens", Irish citizens are among the poorest in the world. In fact, we rate 80th out of 89 countries in providing health services to …

I have been contacted by numerous people across County Tipperary regarding concerns about diabetic services in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. These concerns were highlighted in an article in The Irish Times , which concluded that diabetics in the mid-west region are offered a disgraceful service. There are 20,000 registered patients between counties Tipperary, Limerick and Clare. There are 225,000 people with diabetes in Ireland. Of this figure, between 10% and 15% have type 1 diabetes. People of any age can be…

That information from the HSE, which is the kind of information that it has been giving us for the last nine months, is cold comfort to the patients who are waiting. They are living with a life-altering illness and need access to the services and support to which they are entitled, in keeping with other patients attending other hospitals around the country. I will quote one of the many patients who has contacted my office seeking help: I feel, as a patient, that the HSE is letting us diabetics down as they are not …

The Minister of State has acknowledged that the rebuilding of our domestic tourism sector will take a long time. While staycations helped to bridge the gap to some extent, hospitality and retail in our well-known tourist locations have suffered two bleak summers. With the majority of people choosing to holiday near our beautiful coastline, inland tourist attractions have been largely bereft of visitors. Well-known attractions like the Rock of Cashel, the Swiss Cottage in Cahir, Nenagh Castle, Damer House in Roscrea…