I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will take this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. To begin, I would like to clarify that under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each chief executive of a local authority is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority. Each local authority is a separate employer and the Local Government Management Agency represents…

I thank the Deputy. We are all on the same page. There is a claim and a dispute. The two parties to the dispute need to resolve the matter. There are established State mechanisms to resolve disputes and, to their credit, they have worked and kept industrial peace for many years. A very successful pay agreement, namely, Building Momentum, is coming to a conclusion. As I stated, talks will soon get under way, if they are not under way already, to provide for a successor agreement. There is no reason both parties to t…

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important and very salient question with regard to researchers. One of the objectives of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy is to foster a consistent research student experience across research funders, higher education institutions and research disciplines. These highly talented people, our PhD researchers, and are a vital part of Ireland’s research talent pipeline. As Ireland’s research and innovation system has evolved organically over the past quarter …

I wholeheartedly agree with the Senator. These people find themselves in a situation where they are neither here nor there and it is very timely that we bring some certainty to their position. The first report which I referred to provides a picture at a point in time of the range of important issues which need to be considered by everyone. Any budgetary implications of the recommendations will be dealt with through the normal budgetary process. A review recommendations will inform the development of a longer term w…

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Senator Seery Kearney for raising this important matter. The Minister recognises the role community pharmacists play in the delivery of patient care. Community pharmacy is often the most accessible avenue to receiving such care and provides a vital link in our healthcare service by ensuring the safe supply of medicines to people. Medicines are the most common healthcare intervention, and the use and complexity of medicines are increasing. Pharmacists are the healthcare …

In the interests of clarity, I will point out that the regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure made under section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 expired at the end of 2019. Under the aforementioned Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, those regulations were replaced on 1 January 2020 to maintain the statutory basis for the contractor payments and prescribe the fees payable from that date. The current pharmacy fee structure was put in place and, as I said, came in…

We have highlighted the extensive work done to promote, improve and transform the FET and apprenticeship sectors. This is a considerable priority for our Department. I assure the House that these actions are only beginning. The Department will continue to drive these reforms through engagement with our partners. At the heart of our Department's work in developing our apprenticeship, further and higher education and research systems is the goal of ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, age, gender, abilit…

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in the House. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes the allocation of Garda resources. The Minister for Justice has no direct role in this operational, policing matter. The Government is committed to creating stronger and safer rural and urban communities and a strengthened Garda Síochána is at the heart of that. The Departm…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter. I want to underline again the Government's steadfast commitment to supporting An Garda Síochána in its critical work at community level via a multi-stranded approach encompassing record funding, targeted policy initiatives and robust legislation. The Department of Justice continues to prioritise the delivery of our new community safety policing via the ongoing progression of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 through the Oireachtas. The establishm…

I thank the Deputy for his submission. The Minster, Deputy O’Gorman, given his responsibility for children, is committed to upholding their best interests in all situations. Ireland, like many other countries, has recognised the child’s right to protection from sexual exploitation by ratifying a number of legal instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention. Tusla completes a notification of any suspected child sexual exploitation to An Garda Síochá…

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, as the responsible Minister, welcomes the important research to which I referred. His Department and the Department of Justice will work together to review the matters raised and the recommendations set out. As I mentioned, Tusla and An Garda Síochána will also review the findings outlined in the report. While a number of developments have taken place in recent years to assist with the identification and reporting of child sexu…

I thank Senators Higgins, McDowell and Mullen for tabling this panel debate and providing me with an opportunity to discuss the commitment of the Government to address the complex and multifaceted issue of academic precarity. The Government does not intend to oppose this motion. As the speakers before me outlined in their insightful contributions, there can be no doubt that academic career precarity is a pressing issue, especially in the research system. It is true that insecure employment can and does have a detri…

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. Our climate action target of almost one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030 is a challenging one which needs to be matched by meeting the equal challenge of providing enough charging points to meet demand. We are pleased to say that we a…

Like all climate change issues, this area is complex, but the Government believes it is making the right moves in creating an environment where EVs become not just an option but the preferred option for those who need to use a personal vehicle. All indications suggest we are approaching a point where the technology and the market for EVs matures and begins to match, then exceed, internal combustion in practically all areas. Our charging network is, similarly, on a journey towards maturity, with strong growth under …

I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming our guests. I thank the Senator for raising such an important issue. A priority for the Government is to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to cater for the needs of children with special educational needs. It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. To support children with more com…

I thank the Senator for raising what is a very important issue for the Tramore school planning area, not only for the students but also for the parents and the wider community. I reiterate that the Government is absolutely committed to supporting children with special educational needs. The fact that 27% of the entire budget of the Department of Education is allocated to it is a very strong and significant statement by the Department and the Government. With regard to the clarification that the Senator seeks, I can…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. As he noted, I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health. I am grateful for the opportunity to address the House on the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. As the Senator is aware, the Minister for Health commenced the review of the operation of the Act in line with statutory and Government commitments at the end of 2021. The review was based on wide-ranging independent research and comprised two phases. The fir…

As the Senator is aware, the Minister for Health commenced the review of the operation of the 2018 Act in line with statutory and Government commitments. The review was led by the independent chair and based on comprehensive independent research. The Minister received the final report of the review at the end of February and it was considered by the Government on 25 April. In line with the Government decision, the HSE will now proceed to progress the operational recommendations in line with the report, while the re…

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, and I welcome the opportunity to outline the current position. He is referring to the criminal ransomware attack on the HSE in May 2021. The cost of the response and recovery from the cyberattack was €50,909,769. In 2022, the cost incurred was €38,796,638. This is a total cost for those two years of €89,706,407. It must be recognised that all organisations that operate online are operating in a threat landscape of cyberattack, given the global economic and geopolitical u…

The HSE has introduced important changes to the governance of cybersecurity across the organisation based on the recommendations of the post-incident report. An interim chief technology and transformation officer and chief information security officer were appointed in 2022. Competition to fill these roles on a permanent basis is under way. Members of the HSE executive management team formed the oversight committee for the implementation of the recommendations of the post-incident report. Finally, the board of the …