I thank the Minister of State for being here. It will not be the first time we have had this discussion. It is a very difficult discussion to deal with. We all know that in Ireland we have a history of it being far too easy to get an involuntary admission to mental health services. The problem is that, on some level, the pendulum has swung too far the other way. There can be difficulties at times. I am talking people who are obviously sick. While they may not be, from the Garda's point of view, an imminent danger t…

I understand what the Minister of State is saying in relation to the lead-in that is required for the new Mental Health Act. However, even in the short term, is it the case that we need guidelines, whether they are being given to local authorities or GPs at times? We could all have an argument about what is immediate or serious harm and whether someone is going to seriously deteriorate. I would argue on the cases I have cited that there has at times been a deterioration that is very obvious, but people are afraid. …

It is about getting the person to that point.

People have to get them to the psychiatrist.

Many have said it before; we all accept that Government is not responsible for what has happened with the war in Iran. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are responsible and we are all suffering as a result. However, let us be absolutely clear. There are things the Government can do. It did reduce the cost of petrol and diesel when it was forced to. We all know an insufficient amount was done in relation to that. How do we know that? We know that because we can look at the forecourts at the minute. We are looking …

-----costs of up to €300 a month. Some of that is fuel. We need help on that as well. Some of that is heating.

We need to get serious. Regarding the cost of disability payment that the Government took away, we need to ensure that is delivered. We have a lot of people under pressure, and the Government could help a lot of them now.

On some level, this is a technical Bill, but because it deals with assessment of need, the Minister will understand that there is a huge level of trepidation and worry out there about the delivery of a service that has seen abject failure over many years. We know that the reason this is being tackled is because, at last count at the end of June, we had 23,282 children on the waiting list for an assessment of need. That was 1,286 in Louth. That is a phenomenal amount of families. We all know that even those who have…

As I follow my two colleagues, the Minister will have got the idea that we have a particular problem with section 8, and why would we not? Anyone who had needed State services in the last while knows that, in order to access them, particularly online, a public services card is required. We need to just knock the idea that it is voluntary on its head straight away. We know there are huge issues. For want of a better term, how the State came upon something like 70% of the biometric information and data was illegal. I…

Táimid críochnaithe le hobair an lae uilig. Caithfidh mé rud éigin beag a rá. It was great to see Louth GAA and Louth LGFA in the Oireachtas. I could not let this occasion go without thanking them for the great results across the board that we have had. I thank Sean McLean and his team for delivering what is going to be a top-class stadium. I just hope that Gavin Devlin and his team can go ahead and we can learn from Mayo, get some of that magic and just go a little bit further next time. Go raibh maith agaibh. An …

I ask for an update on assessments of need. There are now over 23,000 on the waiting list. This is not working for anybody, particularly families who are awaiting services and therapies. Since August, the autism assessment service has been up and running and the disability amendment Bill has been brought to Cabinet. I ask for an update on how this is going and how we can improve the circumstances for the children and families who need therapy.

I suppose that information is the information that is available, even from the press release yesterday. I would like the Minister of State to get into some detail on what is being proposed in the legislation because we are talking about statutory guidelines that will standardise the assessment of need processes and procedures State-wide. The statutory guidelines will be used by the HSE to ensure consistency in how assessments are carried out across the State. I would like know how exactly this is going to happen be…

Could we actually see the Bill as quickly as possible?

Usually, I do not trust myself when I am doing a search online but I have not been able to see the wording of the Bill, so I ask that we ensure copies go out from that point of view.

I checked it with somebody else because I would never generally trust myself in my ability to search for documentation. Could I get the updated number of those on the waiting list for assessment of need at this point in time and over the six months? I accept the Minister of State is saying that people are not losing that statutory right so there is a need to deliver on that. I understand she will explain it more next week, but how will this streamlining process work in relation to AON? When will we see the offering…

It is fair to say that we all welcome any moves in relation to anything that streamlines or simplifies, particularly when we talk about road traffic, whether it is from a point of view of retention of information and sharing information in relation to collisions or anything that can lead to something that is safer. We have all seen the absolute slaughter on our roads in recent times. Unfortunately, we have had too many tragic circumstances that are in the public domain that we all unfortunately have to comment on. …

I had the privilege of being in Dundalk District Court this morning to hear incredibly warm and deserved tributes to the late solicitor and senior counsel, James MacGuill, who died unexpectedly on 6 September. James, as many will know, was a titan of the legal profession, not just in Louth or the State but across Europe. In many ways, he was passionate about the rule of law but he also rewrote the rules himself at times with cases he brought to the highest courts in the State and Europe, which meant that legislatio…

The irony is not lost on solicitors and the public that this was the first piece of legislation to come before the Dáil in the new term. This Bill places on statutory footing the existing right of people in custody to consult a solicitor before and during interview and provides for electronic recording of interviews by gardaí where, previously, everything that was said in a Garda interview had to be handwritten. The Minister now faces, because of this strike, solicitors not attending at Garda stations any more. The…

I think Aaron Rowe summed up Irish history quite well and I commend him for the stance he has taken: But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.... I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland. He spoke about that as he stood on the side of right in relation to Gaza and the rights of the Palestinian people. That is the history we have and it has been followed by a proud history of mil…

In relation to grants for assistive technology for students, are there plans to increase the funding for the scheme or to update or change its criteria? The Minister is aware of what brought this to my attention. It is a ten-year-old boy from north County Louth with dyslexia. Following assessment, it was found he would benefit from a computer and assistive technology but who is not eligible for the grant. I have discussed this with the Minister. We need to find a solution and to look at the overall criteria. There …