It is not agreed.

Last week, I said that there should be a step change in Government policy around how we deal with children and adolescents in the context of mental health. This should be a watershed. It should be a moment in time when we say we can no longer allow our services to be so depleted and exhausted that so many people go without and those to whom services are provided receive, in some cases, services that are dangerous. However, I am not convinced that is going to be the case. I am not convinced that the Government is ac…

In my own constituency and especially in west Donegal, I regularly engage with principals and boards of management of schools in the DEIS scheme. Despite being an area of deprivation by all accounts and statistics, the 2017 DEIS review excluded some primary and post-primary schools in my area that should not have been excluded. As part of the budget, the Minister announced a 20% increase in the allocation of funding to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage, and that is…

My question is quite simple. When are the schools going to know whether they are in or out of the expanded DEIS programme? That is what principals are asking me. Principals in secondary schools are saying they need to do workforce planning and look at what we are offering schools. They cannot be told in July or August whether they are in a DEIS category or not. I have been raising the issues of Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair, Scoil Rann Na Feirste, Scoil Náisiúnta Gort An Choirce and Scoil Náisiúnta Mhín Teineadh Dé sin…

Of course it is going to be operational in September 2022. We have known that since last year when the budget was allocated for this year. We knew that. When are the schools going to be notified? Is the Minister saying they will be notified on the eve of it becoming operational or are they going to be notified in August or perhaps July, June or April? Does she know when schools are going to be notified? Schools have to plan and they need to know now whether they fall under a DEIS category, which changes the workfor…

Which month?

Tá an méid a tharla sna seirbhísí meabhairshláinte i gContae Chiarraí scannalach gan dabht. Ní hamháin gur ligeadh síos na páistí seo ach rinneadh dochar dóibh agus gortaíodh iad. Cuireadh na páistí agus déagóirí seo i mbaol. Tá impleachtaí móra anseo maidir leis an muinín atá ag daoine anois sna seirbhísí meabhairshláinte ar fud an Stáit. Tá géarchéim sna seirbhísí seo agus ní géarchéim ó inniu nó inné í seo. Tá post ann go gcaithfear líonadh agus tá ais-amharc iomlán de dhíth ann anois. Níl sé maith go leor go bh…

As I mentioned, this is not the story of one location, one doctor, one problem or one scandal. This has been going on for years now. The Tánaiste could be forgiven if he was just coming into office and he had an approach or a view on how to fix this but he has been in government for ten years. He has been at the Cabinet table as Minister for Health, Taoiseach and Tánaiste. He could have given the same script, speech or response three years ago when a psychiatrist resigned from the south east because it was unsafe a…

The Government is failing these children and has been for a decade.

Nonsense.

Propaganda.

In fairness to the Tánaiste, only he could claim that rents increasing by 2% is a freeze on rents. By God, if that is where he is, God help renters out there. I will ask him about an article by Darragh McDonagh published this morning that is based on records released under freedom of information. It clearly debunks the line peddled by the Tánaiste and other members of the Government that the event held in Iveagh House in June was an impromptu one. We now know that departmental officials were told to gather "down th…

The Taoiseach should do something about it.

You are out of time. The voters are not stupid.

You should cut rents and freeze them.

I welcome this debate. I will start by quoting the words of Dr. Anne Doherty, who is a psychiatric professional: We all make decisions every day about who is sick enough to warrant that bed of the four people in front of us. Ideally, you would admit all four. That deals with the reality faced by many people. I refer to the services simply not being there, whether those are inpatient beds in facilities that we need or community supports through CAMHS, autism or voluntary services. We have seen the pandemic expose ma…

What about the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the wages spiral?

I have previously asked the Minister of State about the issue of flood defences in County Donegal through parliamentary questions and when he has appeared before committee meetings. He has acknowledged that works in Donegal town were being planned but stated that the "project for Donegal town is not in the first phase of projects to be progressed" and that "the OPW and [Donegal County Council], DCC, are working closely to ensure that it will be commenced as early as possible in the current programme". What is the u…

Donegal town needs to be moved into phase 1. It is located in the mouth of the estuary where the River Eske meets the Atlantic Ocean at Donegal Bay. It is an absolutely breathtaking place but, unfortunately, is susceptible to all types of flooding. In the past we have seen flooding from rivers overtopping, flash flooding and flooding from high tides and storm surges. There have been a number of devastating events in Donegal town since 2019, in the aftermath of Storm Abigail and Storm Desmond in the winter of 2015 a…

I am aware of some of the projects being held up that are outside of the Department's control but, as the Minister of State said, that provides an opportunity to move this scheme into phase 1. If it is possible to move the scheme into phase 1, is the Minister of State willing to do so? He mentioned that he hopes to go to Donegal. I welcome that. The local councillors, if they have not already done so, will in the coming days invite him to Donegal town to meet with them and the residents again and hear about the hug…