The multidisciplinary teams will include specialist consultant roles in colorectal care, urology and radiology, along with women's health physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists, specialist nurses and healthcare assistants. Recruitment for these funded posts is actively ongoing to further expand specialist capacity. The Minister for Health and the Government are committed to promoting and improving women's health outcomes, including the expansion of specialist services in endometriosis. Our commitment is spelle…

I thank the Deputy for once again raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to put on record the work that has been done by this Government and the previous Government and the work that is ongoing and, indeed, to thank him for his advocacy in this area. The Government remains fully committed to delivering a fairer, more transparent and affordable insurance market. Substantial progress has been made under the Action Plan for Insurance Reform 2020–2025, which we are building on, and we are finalising a new acti…

Let us be clear. Insurance premiums increased proportionately by about 65% in the UK from 2016 to 2024 and by around 20% across the eurozone. In contrast, Ireland saw a 34.3% proportional reduction in the average motor insurance premium over the same period. I accept that in the last number of years we have seen the change going the other way and that is why there is a commitment in the programme for Government to establish and carry on the work of the Cabinet subcommittee on insurance reform. In the next number of…

Again, I highlight the work the Government has done in the last number of years. It has rebalanced the duty of care and enhanced the role of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board. I take the opportunity to once again highlight the positive effect that has had. We are aware that claimants who are going through the Personal Injuries Resolution Board have their claims dealt with twice as quickly as claimants who go through litigation. The cost of legal fees going through litigation is 22 times the cost of going throu…

-----and the Deputy will see further actions that will build on the work that has been done.

I thank Deputy McCormack for raising this issue. Insurance reform, including increasing the affordability and accessibility of insurance, remains a key priority for the Government as outlined in the programme for Government. Many reforms have been introduced, yet it is regrettable that the level of savings and the supply of cover for consumers and businesses has been subsequently eroded due to the rise of international inflation and consequential damage costs. A key focus for me in my role as Minister of State with…

The Deputy is right. Despite the reforms introduced, premiums are too high and are higher than where we would like them to be. International inflation can account for some of those reasons but there are two other reasons: legal fees are too high, and insurance companies, in certain years, are making profits that are too high. With regard to the legal fees, the Injuries Resolution Board is a tried and tested mechanism by which people can submit their claims and have their compensation paid out in a timely and cost-e…

I compliment the Deputy for the work he is doing and his engagement with the SME sector as a spokesperson on SMEs for the party. When I met RGDATA with the Deputy last week, we listened jointly to the challenges facing the industry, which are not just about insurance but the whole competitiveness area. The Minister for enterprise is bringing forward an action plan on competitiveness. One of the key decisions taken by the Government was not to impose the recommended price increase with regard to personal injuries aw…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the first home scheme. The scheme, which was launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme for eligible first-time buyers, eligible home buyers and self-builders. The scheme is designed to help bridge the gap between their deposit and mortgage and the price of their new home. The price of the new home must be within price …

I assure the Deputy that the price ceiling review being undertaken on the first home scheme is done so in a considered manner. To minimise the risk of price distortions in the first-time buyer market, the first home scheme introduced the concept of price ceilings and six-monthly reviews of the ceilings from the outset of the scheme. I understand that all local authorities, including Tipperary and its surrounding local authorities, are considered in these reviews. The reviews reflect local market conditions by takin…

I thank the Deputy. Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world and, according to the latest Global Food Security Index, ranks second of 113 countries assessed for food security. The resilience of the food supply chain was clearly demonstrated over the past number of years when dealing with the effects of Brexit and Covid-19. Currently Ireland produces significantly more food than we consume. The Irish agrifood sector is globally orientated, with approximately 90% of Irish beef, sheepmeat and dairy…

Food Vision 2030 looks to protect and build on Ireland's global reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality, safe and sustainable food to consumers both at home and abroad. As I noted, 90% of what we produce is exported. Irish agrifood has been successful in accessing and developing new market opportunities both locally and in the international markets. Diversifying and developing markets will continue to be a priority. Our new Ministers are working very hard in this area. Food Vision 2030 aims for the sector …

Food Vision 20230 provides a vision of a dynamic, sustainable and innovative agrifood sector ready to adapt and embrace change for a more sustainable future. It is a strategic framework that enables Ireland's agrifood sector to work to achieve its ambition as a world leader in sustainable food systems. The Deputy has a made a number of points. He will appreciate this is not my area of expertise. I will relay his points to the Minister and Ministers of State at the Department of agriculture. The Deputy has a direct …

I am taking this important issue, which the Deputy set out so passionately, on behalf of the Minister for agriculture. The Veterinary Council of Ireland announced in April 2024 that it had updated its code of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemi…

On the behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I thank the Deputy for his dedication to this topic. The Minister agrees that more can be done in this regard. Both he and his Department are fully committed to progressing this work. I have to admit that I honestly was not aware of this practice until I was asked to cover this Topical Issue Debate this evening. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has lead policy responsibility within the Government for animal welfare and takes its role most seriously. Th…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which has been raised recently in national media. As the Senator will be aware, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for the financial well-being and effective financial management and accountability of local authorities. Where a policy change in relation to local government finances and funding is sought, the first consideration will be by that Department. The Senator will be aware that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and…

Senator Fitzpatrick said the task force would not report until 2026. Perhaps I am wrong, but it seemed like she was saying that is a long time away. It is not really.

Budget 2026 is probably only 12 or 13 weeks away. Preparations for it are well advanced in my Department. We are meeting various groups to hear pre-budget submissions and work is under way. If we could get something agreed in the task force, a realistic timeframe would be for budget 2027, given that it is only 12 or 13 weeks to budget 2026. I do not need to tell Senator Fitzpatrick what to do because she is acutely aware of how to do her work, but I encourage her to focus her efforts and work with the local authori…

I acknowledge the good work Deputy Ardagh has done in this area, both in this Dáil and in the last Seanad. She galvanised support across the various political parties to ensure that cancer survivors who have come through cancer for a prolonged period can access life insurance when availing of a mortgage. Owing to the good work the Deputy has done and the legislation that has been drafted, I am pleased to advise that my Department will be uploading an electronic submission for the Cabinet's consideration next Tuesda…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We are all quite rightly sickened with the recent "Prime Time" exposé about how certain nursing homes treated residents, the impact that has had on the families of the affected residents and also the impact that has on families who have people in nursing homes. My family has just gone through an agonising number of months, deciding whether nursing home care was the right care for my father. We arrived at that decision a number of weeks ago. It is important tha…