Many people are struggling to pay their bills. The fuel allowance provides vital support for so many households across the nation and especially for older people and those with chronic pain. To qualify for fuel allowance one must live alone or with a spouse, in a civil partnership, or with a cohabitant who qualifies the person for an increase in his or her pension or social welfare. For a couple with a qualified adult under 66 the assessable income is €642 and for other couples it is €703.10. I have a case of a ret…

On the night of 14 February 1981, many parents' worst nightmare came true. Forty-eight young people in the prime of their lives went out to the Stardust nightclub in Artane to celebrate St. Valentine's Day but never came home. Witnesses spoke of fire exits being locked and chained, which was denied by management. There were two inquests, one tribunal of inquiry, a compensation tribunal and a number of investigations and reports, as well as countless hours spent campaigning. The families of those 48 young people who…

As recently as five years ago, Ireland was being celebrated within the EU for its road safety. Yet, in 2024, it is on course to prove the most lethal for traffic fatalities in 15 years. An alarming trend is in the disproportionate number of young people aged between 16 to 25 years who are involved in road fatalities. Speeding and intoxicated drivers are contributing to dozens of fatalities each year. With the prevalence of smartphones and other devices, distracted driving has become a growing concern. The forthcomi…

During budget 2024, the future Ireland fund was highlighted as a crucial measure to safeguard living standards and public services for both current and future generations. The fund will act as a new investment vehicle, which aims to accumulate €100 billion by 2035 to address the country's forthcoming expenditure pressures, specifically in relation to an ageing population, climate change, digitalisation, and other fiscal and economic challenges. The Government's strategy involves pre-loading the financial burdens as…

Massive population expansion has resulted in increased need for the creation of new schools and school places, special needs places in particular, and greater accessibility to them. In the budget, the Government made provision for additional special needs teachers and special needs assistants. This is very welcome. However, there are serious problems relating to early intervention. Normally, one or two people come to my constituency office daily about this. The situation has become very serious. Any time we contact…

While the upcoming referendum on care in the home aims to provide constitutional recognition for Ireland's family carers, the Government needs to provide much more substantial supports to both carers and those with disabilities. Financial supports for people with disabilities and family carers are inadequate and fail minimum essential standards of living tests. The Department’s own cost of disability report published in 2021 shows the extra cost in Ireland of being disabled ranges from €9,000 to €12,000. This is be…

The problems that exist in RTÉ are not of the Minister's making by any means. While I do not agree with how the situation was handled last week, the Minister is focused on her work in supporting RTÉ. She has been a champion for RTÉ and for the importance of public service broadcasting. Her sole focus has been on getting the truth, achieving maximum transparency and holding people accountable for the roles they have had within RTÉ. It can be a very difficult job, especially if you do not feel fully confident that yo…

In the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, published in 2021, 16 commitments were made to children and young people. While the Government made progress in areas such as online safety, affordable access to childcare and the schoolbooks scheme expansion during 2023, when it comes to mental health care and supports we continue to fall far short of what is required. Children with a dual diagnosis of mental ill-health and an intellectual disability are falling through the cracks, as are neurodiverse children. A…

As the Taoiseach knows, a thrombectomy is a surgery to remove a blood clot from an artery or a vein. The procedure can restore bloodflow to vital organs, such as legs, arms, intestines, kidneys, brain or other vital organs. A thrombectomy can also greatly reduce the risk of death or permanent disablement if performed properly. A thrombectomy must be preformed within a matter of hours to prevent life- or limb-threatening complications from occurring. Not all blood clots require intervention. Considering its impact o…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. What I am asking is that we make sure we have the funding and services going forward. As the Minister for Health knows, Louth County Hospital has a very good stroke unit, and the people from the local area avail of it. My problem is that the prediction for the period up to 2025 is a 60% increase in strokes. Therefore, it is important that we invest more money. Twenty units are already under severe strain and there is talk of some places not having enough staff or funding. The…

Last week, it was announced that the largest hotel in Drogheda, the D Hotel, with 113 rooms, is to become an accommodation centre for 500 international protection applicants, starting from 5 March. We were told the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will manage the arrival of the people. We were told that the provision of accommodation, health, education, income and other supports will be a whole-government emergency response, and we are told that the D Hotel signed a two-year contr…

Children with a range of needs rely on the orthopaedic service of Children’s Health Ireland, among them children with spina bifida, scoliosis, hip deformity and other orthopaedic needs. The complex patient needs of these children remains at the forefront of service provision. However, waiting times for many hospital procedures and appointments are unacceptably long. I remain acutely aware of the impact this has on children and their families, especially for time-sensitive procedures where time is a crucial factor i…

Micro, small, and medium enterprises, MSMEs, are instrumental in shaping the economic landscape of emerging markets. Their ability to innovate, generate employment, and contribute to regional development makes them indispensable. Despite challenges, the growth potential of MSMEs is undeniable. In emerging markets, the private sector consists of more than 95% of small but growing businesses, SGBs, also referred to as MSMEs. These enterprises play a crucial role in fostering innovation, generating employment opportun…

I welcome and strongly support the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and the assembly at Stormont. The people of Ireland, North and South, have been adversely affected by the behaviour of the DUP and its boycott of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. The political institutions of the agreement have not been fully functioning since February 2022. Since October 2022, the all-island institutions of the agreement have not met. I applaud the political leaders of Northern Ireland for taking the nec…

People are spending more time than ever consuming information, but in a more fragmented manner, thanks to the development of media gadgets whereby TV content can be seen live, recorded, accessed on demand and accessed via mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The value of the Irish entertainment and media industry is expected to increase at a 4.53% compound annual growth rate to €6.14 billion by 2026, up from €4.92 billion in 2021. This expansion is being driven mostly by increased Internet availability and a huge ri…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023 and will support its progress today. The Bill states that the FSPO has the statutory power to investigate complaints against a financial services provider that was regulated at the time of the conduct complained of, even if the provider lost its regulated status before the complaint was made to the FSPO. The amendments also give the FSPO the power to decide whether to hold any oral hearings requ…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of the Research and Innovation Bill 2024 and will support its progress today. The establishment of the new agency is a key action included in Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy and will serve as the foundation for achieving many of the strategy’s goals. The agency will help build the capacity we need for research and innovation excellence into the future. This is essential in order to ensure that Ireland has a resilient and agile research base …

I have spoken numerous times to the Tánaiste in his role as the Minister for Defence about soldiers being forced to be discharged from the Army when they reach the age of 50. I met an NCO chef who is coming up to 50 in January 2025. He is a very fit soldier who passes the fitness test and medical every year. He is currently running the kitchen in the local barracks where I come from-----

----and as the Tánaiste knows there is a big shortage of chefs and numbers of soldiers are at an all-time low. This chef has over 24 years' experience. He has a family with three children who will go to college and still has a 15-year mortgage to go. He would love to stay in his job but at the moment he feels as though he is being forced out and unsurprisingly is looking for a job. I have raised this with the Tánaiste many a time and he gave me a commitment. "Commitment" may be a wee bit strong but he gave me a com…

Will the Tánaiste please provide some kind of clarity on what will happen to these fit people who are being forced to leave the Defence Forces?