I thank the Minister of State. I agree with him. I went to school for 13 years and have lots of Irish in my head but actually having the confidence to speak it is different. That is why we need to support community organisations to actually reach out to people so that people can join these organisations and use whatever Irish they have, because if you do not use it, you lose it. In the months coming up to the budget, 138 community organisations from around the country came together to formulate and propose to Gover…

I am approached on a regular basis, especially by young people who cannot get affordable accommodation near their places of study. There are no reliable public transport systems in many areas. These young people rely on driving and are looking for tests. Previously, the average waiting time was 30 weeks. It has come down in Cavan. It is down to probably 18 or 19 weeks now, which is very welcome. This is because there is an extra tester in place. However, we need Monaghan and other areas to be looked at. The questio…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I know that testing is actually scheduled now for 27 and 28 December in Cavan. This has been brought to my attention. It has not happened before. The testers were not made aware of this and some of them had plans made for the Christmas period. They are just asking if communication from the RSA to the testers could be improved. It makes sense to have testing when young people are out of college and not at work and it might be possible to deal with quite a number of peo…

I thank the Minister.

Deputy Neasa Hourigan will take this question.

I raise the issue of the high level of vacancy in the CDNT in Cavan, which is operated by Enable Ireland. There are currently more vacancies than staff in the team. There are 10.32 whole time equivalents employed in the service but 14.78 vacancies. I know of one couple who have spent in excess of €15,000 for private therapy and assessments for their children. The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, have produced a road map for service provision and I am hoping those actions will m…

I have been contacted by the parents of a 22-year-old girl who has suspected cerebral palsy but she needs the diagnosis confirmed through an MRI scan in order to access supports and services. She was referred last April to Temple Street for an MRI scan and she got an appointment for this coming January. That is a nine to ten-month waiting list. I presume every other child on the list is waiting that length of time as well. What is the issue? Is it that there are insufficient scanners or insufficient radiologists? I…

The recruitment embargo put in place by the CEO of the HSE has been triggered directly by this Government's mismanagement of the health budget. Job offers have been retracted and recruitment has been frozen for thousands of essential front-line posts. More than 7,000 critical posts have been scrapped. As we head into an extremely difficult winter, the Government has decided to underfund the health service. Basically, this will mean there are no additional experienced nurses and healthcare assistants, in spite of hu…

In accordance with Standing Order 80(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time tomorrow evening.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the removal of two bus stops on the North Strand Road, Dublin 3. Deputy Dessie Ellis - To discuss the lack of preschool places for children with special needs in Finglas and Ballymun. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore - To discuss the lack of secondary school places for Greystones, County Wicklow. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh - To discuss t…

Last Friday, in Ballyconnell in County Cavan, a woman in her 80s slipped on concrete steps. An ambulance was called, and it took an hour and 20 minutes to come. In the mean time, she was lying on cold and damp ground for that length of time. She had suffered a severe head injury and a broken arm. What measures is the Government taking to increase personnel and resources within the National Ambulance Service, NAS, and is the recruitment of NAS staff affected by the HSE recruitment freeze? Are there plans to properly…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue. Epidermolysis bullosa, EB, is an extremely painful and rare skin disease, unknown to many people. People living with EB are missing proteins that bind the layers of their skin together so any minor friction causes it to break and blister. It is a debilitating and excruciating disease, with no known cure. There are four forms of EB that can vary in severity but all carry their own life-limiting symptoms and life-long pain. EB can effect not only the skin …

I thank the Minister of State. Debra Ireland is an excellent charity. It provides brilliant support to people with EB and their families. As the Minister of State has responsibility for mental health, I want to focus for on mental health issues, a subject I mentioned in my opening remarks. In a survey conducted by Debra Ireland in 2019, people living with or caring for someone with EB spoke about experiencing feelings of isolation, despair, loneliness, an inability to cope and helplessness when a child is in pain. …

I commend the Social Democrats on tabling this motion which I fully support. Israel's ongoing aggression against Gaza and the West Bank has so far resulted in the killing of over 11,000 Palestinians in Gaza and, up to last night, 177 Palestinians in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem. The Taoiseach had said that Israel is engaging in collective punishment against the people of Gaza, that Israel has no right to breach international humanitarian law and that Israeli attacks in Gaza resemble something more approa…

I think the question is grouped with Deputy Ó Murchú's Question No. 14.

Okay, yes.

Many people are considering this scheme positively, particularly since it was extended to people who live in rural areas. This is because those from rural areas who want to continue to live there are finding it very difficult to get planning permission. This scheme is an option if there is a derelict or vacant house in a locality, enabling people to bring such a building back into a liveable condition. However, the time scale from grant approval to having the grant-aided works completed is proving to be a problem i…

I just-----

-----clarify again that we never opposed this scheme; we would just do it much better. The scheme also requires that the work to be done must be paid for upfront, with the grant moneys being claimed back afterwards. Again, the cost of materials and of work is rising and doing so very quickly. This is also causing problems for some people as well. It has been brought to my attention that it would be beneficial if consideration were to be given to paying the grant in phases. I do not know if this is an option but it …

It could-----