Substance abuse, principally drug and alcohol misuse, is rising throughout our country. As a rural Deputy, I see the growth of drug use in every corner of Cavan-Monaghan and north Meath. It is no longer confined to towns and the margins of society or shadowy places. It is in every strata of society in every village and townland. Young and old are represented in drug misuse statistics and the longer people sustain drug misuse, the more likely they are to die because of that misuse. There are more drug-related deaths…

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to facilitate our discussion on the commission for mother and baby homes, in particular the legal lifetime of the commission which is due to conclude on 28 February. The report from the commission reveals a very dark and disturbing chapter in our history, a history which none of us should ever forget. It is a piece of our history that should be recorded and archived to ensure that the 550 testimonies which make up the vast majority of survivor evidence is retained and pr…

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer. There is a commitment in section 43 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 that all information gathered will be kept as evidence. That is a basic and simple principle that we would all understand commissions of investigation to operate on. I appreciate that the Minister has written to and awaits the advice of the Office of the Attorney General on this. However, we must remember the human life stories of the survivors who are listening to the debate and feel …

As the delivery of the vaccine progresses, I ask that front-line staff like paramedics be urgently vaccinated, as they are in many cases on the front line and working in uncontrolled environments. Paramedics come upon car accidents, go into people's homes and deal with various situations, often going into unknown circumstances. Paramedics in Cavan-Monaghan have been in contact with me and they were frustrated, annoyed and concerned that they were being sent to St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park for their vacci…

If there is not time, I ask the Minister to respond in writing.

I stand here before the Minister of State following a very useful and informative meeting she had in my constituency with representatives from the GAA, the HSE, Pieta House and SOSAD, and, of course, people affected by the loss of a loved one through suicide. I stand here before the Minister of State to reiterate the points I made at that meeting on the critical needs that arise. There has been a disproportionate increase in the number of young people taking their own lives or attempting to do so in my constituency…

Last night "RTÉ Investigates" very powerfully demonstrated the horror, trauma and tragedy of the killings of Geraldine O'Reilly, who was 15, and Paddy Stanley, who was 16, in the Belturbet bombings 48 years ago. Nobody has been convicted. To compound the grief further, the families have suffered further because An Garda Síochána will not disclose the contents of the reports of the investigation to the families because it is still considered live, which is utterly wrong 48 years later. As we know, the Belturbet bomb…

I hope that the Minister will address the question of parental alienation, which is arising more and more in family courts and the Courts Service as a whole. Will she outline how the Department will deal with it?

Parental alienation is probably one of the most severe forms of emotional abuse. Last May, the World Health Organization officially recognised parental alienation syndrome for the first time, deciding to include it in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, coming into effect in 2022. When a couple splits and the people go their separate ways, it is so important that children born into the relationship do not become the collateral damage of a very acrimonious break-up. Our family court se…

I hope that the review, negotiations and the work of the stakeholders involved will bear fruit for the parents who find themselves in acrimonious break-ups. I am delighted to hear that children will be first and centre in all of the mediations and discussions. As the Minister has quite rightly said, early intervention is key in preventing children from being isolated in the context of the wrongful influence of one parent against the other. I welcome the Minister's response and encourage her to move the process, eng…

I want to ask about the Oriel Residential Care Home in Carrickmacross in County Monaghan. It is a beautiful, state-of-the-art building which is lying empty, with no staff and therefore no service users. The facility cost €1.5 million, and is a seven-bedroom residential care centre for people with physical and sensory disabilities. I understand the HSE has given a figure of €1.1 million regarding the annual running costs for the group home. Will the Tánaiste give us clarity concerning moneys being ring-fenced for th…

I wish to raise with the Taoiseach ear, nose and throat, ENT, services for children and what is a wholly inadequate number of paediatric ENT consultants covering significant catchment areas. Consequently, we have lengthy waiting periods for children who need access to a service through the public system. It is my understanding that there is little or no ENT service locally in Cavan and Monaghan. Children, therefore, suffering with problems are totally dependent on consultants within Temple Street Children’s Univers…

I will begin my remarks by acknowledging and thanking the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, for his announcement this morning of €2.5 million for swimming pools throughout the country. Bailieborough leisure centre and swimming pool and Cavan leisure centre were recipients of this and we know how desperately they need this funding. On a more pressing matter, I have to begin by commiserating with the Galway players and management team who found themselves in a most difficult situation on Sunday. Before the all-Irel…

I apologise, €700,000.

l thank the Minister of State. Players and management listening in will be heartened by what he has said. I have to acknowledge the work of Justin McCarthy of RTÉ, who did much research and interviewed many of the players. We have heard them talking very publicly and very honestly about their own experience. Of course, many of them are working and studying in cities like Dublin, Galway and Cork but are from more rural counties, like my own county of Cavan, and are perhaps travelling two or three nights a week. It i…

Some very disturbing photographs of a gentlemen in direct provision in St. Patrick's Accommodation Centre in Monaghan were recently circulated on social media. The phenomenon they show is not new. I would like to quote that gentleman: I am living in St. Patrick's Direct Provision centre in County Monaghan for a long time and sharing a room with 3 persons even during Covid-19 outbreak in this centre. Last week I got this infection all over my skin, I don't know if it is mould in room or the numerous cockroaches and …

That will come as good news to those of us who are concerned for people who are living in inhumane conditions, as the Minister said. We know from information provided by his Department and the inspections that were carried out that the man in question was not exaggerating. There was no intent on his part to put out any false information or anything like that. The Minister has addressed that to some extent. As for people who find themselves in these situations, where there is a cockroach infestation in a centre, the…

Will the Minister confirm whether inspections have continued during the Covid period?

One of the biggest impacts on society, particularly for women and children, is the massive surge we have seen in domestic violence. Shocking and disturbing figures have been announced. In the first six months of the pandemic, An Garda Síochána called to more than 27,000 domestic violence incidents. I dread to think what the figure might be today, nine months on. At the same time, the capacity in our refuges for women has decreased by 25% to comply with social distancing requirements. Behind all of these staggering …

Community policing, the presence of community gardaí and drug divisional units are important. These are the people with their finger on the pulse of where communities are at and show how information can be got. The divisional drug unit for Cavan-Monaghan is doing terrific work and is important for our community and society. Unfortunately, recreational drugs are more prevalent, more readily available and are becoming more socially acceptable. The drugs divisional unit in Cavan-Monaghan, unfortunately, needs more res…