I spoke to them already. Do not worry about it, a Cheann Comhairle.

I do not know any retained firefighter who wants to be on strike. Eight months ago I stood on the main street in Creeslough and I saw retained part-time firefighters rush into a building that had collapsed. I saw them work through the night and work diligently and respectfully as they recovered ten bodies from that scene. Today those firefighters and their colleagues are on strike. Why? It is not because they do not love their jobs; they love their jobs. It is not because they do not love their communities; they lo…

Tá Cumann Altraí agus Ban Cabhrach na hÉireann, IMNO, i ndiaidh líon na n-othar a bhí ar thralaithe ospidéil i mí Bealtaine a fhoilsiú. Bhí beagnach 12,000 duine ar thralaithe le linn na míosa sin agus ba leanaí iad 300 acu. Is daoine iad seo a bhí ar thralaithe sna hospidéil an mhí seo caite agus tá an figiúr níos airde ná mar a bhí i mí Eanáir i mbliana, an mhí ba mheasa ó thosaíodh cuntas na n-othar ar thralaithe. Níl aon phlean ag an Rialtas seo dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim seo inár seirbhíse sláinte. Yester…

These are not instances. A total of 11,856 patients spent time on trolleys last month. If a person is 75 years of age and is admitted to the accident and emergency department, the average waiting time before he or she is admitted is 13 hours. It is an absolute disgrace; it is a scandal. The Minister talks about facts; I will give him facts. The Government promised beds three years ago; they still have not been delivered. It promised 10,000 members of staff in the health service; last year just above half of that nu…

More people on trolleys, more people on waiting lists.

More people dying as a result.

Okay.

There are 12,000 on trolleys.

It is disgraceful.

The Government has no plan.

The Government does not even have a plan.

The census results show that under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, home ownership has collapsed. Last year, the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, found that 15 years ago, of those between the ages of 25 to 32 years of age, 60% of them owned their own home. Today less than half that percentage is the case. Yesterday the EU agency found that the number of young Irish people living with their parents has seen among the largest increases in Europe since 2010. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have pushed home ownership …

Home ownership has collapsed under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

The facts are there in the census figures. Home ownership has collapsed under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in government.

The facts are the facts.

The Minister's party has collapsed home ownership.

It is a blank cheque.

Gabhaim buíochas le mo chomhghleacaithe a chuir síos an rún seo. There is no doubt that carers and families have been failed right across the State and failed far too often. I commend the fact that Deputy Cullinane has tabled this motion today. These parents and children often find it difficult to have their voices heard. Respite services are not a luxury. They are a necessity. As was said earlier, this is what families need in order to attend a funeral or a family wedding, or simply to have that break to be able t…

Níl dabht ar bith ann ach go bhfuil tuismitheoirí agus cúramóirí á ligean síos ag an Rialtas seo agus ní féidir teacht ar sheirbhísí faoisimh do leanaí agus dá ngaolta. Tuigimid gur dhiúltaigh Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte do thogra an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Rabbitte, deich leaba fhaoisimh a athoscailt do leanaí faoi mhíchumas i gContae Chorcaí, buille eile do thuismitheoirí agus do theaghlaigh. On RTÉ news this weekend, we learned about Julie Anne Cunneen from Upper Glanmire in Cork and her 16-year-old son L…

With respect, the Government is not looking after the child and the family. Julie Anne went on national radio and said that for 16 years, she has not had one night of overnight respite. She puts her pain level between eight and nine and that of her son between seven and eight. She has been failed over and over again. How can the Tánaiste say the Government is looking after the child and the family in that scenario? How does he say that to the people who took to the streets in Wexford? Their service was withdrawn wi…