Is it Yes or No, Minister?

I have good time for the Minister but I am asking him will he come to Dundalk.

Is that a No or a Yes?

At this time of year annually, we go through the process of deciding exactly what funding will be allocated to each hospital based on hospitals’ expected activity levels. An issue that keeps being raised with my constituency office is that of home care support. If an older person goes back to his or her own home after being discharged from hospital, he or she will need help from the public health nurse. The nurse provides the older person with care, dressings and injections and makes referrals to respite and day ca…

I will.

The Constitution states that there must be one Member for every 20,000 to 30,000 people. Therefore, the purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 is to provide for the number of Members of Dáil Éireann, the revision of constituencies and the number of Members to be elected to such constituencies in light of the results of census 2022, which showed a population increase of 8.1% on the 2016 population. While debating this legislation seems incongruent, we must scrutinise the reports to determine if they adhere t…

Some 152 people have been killed in crashes on Irish roads so far this year, an increase of 30% on this time last year. In addition, gardaí say they have recorded more than 900 serious injury traffic collisions up to the end of September. Every death is one too many. Although road fatalities are more likely to make headlines, the authority needs to highlight to motorists, and all road users, the life changing impact serious injuries can have. The cognitive and physical consequences serious injuries have for these p…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this essential Bill, the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023. I will support its progress today. Last year, the war between Ukraine and Russia generated a sharp increase in energy prices for gas and electricity and significant volatility in the energy markets. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, show that wholesale electricity prices increased by 4.8% between August and September of this year, but prices were 60.6% lower in…

The Department of Health is already facing an overspend of around €1.5 billion this year and €1 billion next year, which is an overrun that will require a Supplementary Estimate allocation. However, only €22.5 billion - current and capital - was allocated for the public health system as part of budget 2024. Despite this being an increase of €1.1 billion in current expenditure on last year’s budget, the budget 2024 allocation has been roundly criticised as insufficient to meet rising demands in the health sector. No…

We all know 1.58 million people in Ireland participate in sports. Based on current population projections, an additional 1 million people will need to participate in sport on a regular basis in order to achieve the 2027 target set by the national sports policy 2018-2027. Sports clubs not only provide improvements in physical and mental health well-being, they also provide a social and recreational space for people and improve integration into communities. Sport also fosters tolerance and empathy through shared expe…

The new stadium-----

We will invite you to the opening day.

I went into my local pharmacy last weekend and I again praised the staff for the great work they had done during Covid. The owner of the pharmacy was angry. She told me that the pharmacy was on the front line during Covid while doctors closed their doors and answered phone calls, which they were well paid for. Pharmacists got nothing, not even to cover the cost of printing all the country's prescriptions. They even made home deliveries to elderly people and they kept the show on the road. Her staff were not conside…

I am sharing time with Deputy Canney. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy McGrath, on his first budget. It was framed as a budget for children, workers and the planet. Measures include improved availability of early learning and childcare places, the expansion of free hot school meals to primary schools, and additional support for children with a disability or children experiencing disadvantage. The energy credits and one-off financial cost-of-living supports, totalling €2.7 billion, should aid many in the short te…

Is the Minister aware of the negative effect of the increase in the number of suburban DART services on the Intercity services from Belfast, Dundalk and Drogheda, such as the Enterprise, during peak times; the ticket-checking processes that occur to prevent dangerous overcrowding at peak times of which details are provided; if he has plans to increase the number of tracks from two to four on the Malahide to Connolly stretch of the line similar to the improvement that has been carried out on the Cork line between He…

I thank the Minister. As the Minister knows, thousands of people commute between Dundalk and Dublin every day. One of my constituents sent me an email during the week, on the subject of the 16:50 Dublin to Belfast train. The email states: This evening, for the second time in eight days I had to stand all the way from Connolly station to Dundalk on the 16:50 Enterprise. On each occasion the incoming train arrived late with no expected arrival time advised ... There was no one checking on tickets and no one managing …

I did my fair bit. I invested in a fully electric car, and I am proud to say that. However, I have been travelling up and down to Leinster House for the past 13 years. This morning was probably the worst. I left Dundalk at 6 a.m. It took me 20 minutes to get out of Dundalk. At Drogheda, it took about another ten or 15 minutes to get through the toll bridge. From Donabate the whole way to Merrion Street this morning, it was unbelievable. There were no accidents. I would have actually loved at one stage to wind my wi…

The Interdepartmental Pensions Reform and Taxation group was established to carry out a number of tasks related to pension reform. Its roadmap sets out the need to promote long term pension saving to address income inadequacy, in particular for low-income earners. The main income for a majority of older people is a pension. Last week I had a meeting with the Ministers for Finance and for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform at which I called for a thorough review of tax credits and the…

Yes.

No help-----