Next Tuesday.

Next Wednesday at 2 p.m.

I am glad to hear the Minister of State has hit the road and is visiting the various CAMHS teams, because to acknowledge that there is a disparity between certain CAMHS teams is very valid. Today, in the health committee, one thing that struck me was that Jigsaw said that some CAMHS teams do not accept referrals from it, but others do. That is wrong. It is almost a postcode lottery as regards where accepts referrals. I was not aware the Minister of State had hit the road on it, but I am happy she has and I am glad …

Before we move on, can I ask a quick question? Would it be possible for us to come in slightly earlier and start at 12 noon tomorrow? A break is scheduled.

Over the weekend, I received the heartbreaking news that Ziva Cussen had passed away. She was just 24 years old. Ziva visited the Seanad on a number of occasions and was present when we held a debate on breast cancer services. It was her strong belief that the system must do better for young women. Ziva was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at just 21 years of age. I first met her in February and we spoke at length about diagnosis, treatment and the realities of living with breast cancer at such a young age. Fro…

I commend Senator Boyhan on emphasising the rights and welfare of children in the context of this matter. I wish to speak about children being put into adult services or wards in emergency circumstances. The picture I am have in my head is of a 12-year-old in a ward with 50-year-olds. I accept that it does not happen like that; it is an emergency reaction. There were two 17-year-olds in a private room on their own.

We have spoken about the aspirations for this Bill. The bar should be very high, as the Minister of State said. What strikes me is what was said about recovery. We want to see people getting better. We want to see them recovering and returning to their lives. We want them to go back to their communities and families and living their lives again. That is what lies at the core of this matter, and it is what struck me during the debate. I commend those who did so on raising concerns about this. I also think as a paren…

Just speaking on the issue of a child being put into an adult facility, what is age-appropriate? I just want to address that. If they are in an adult facility for a very short time, under the care of nurses 24-7, in a room on their own, is that not appropriate for their age for a short space of time? If for one second they were going to be put into a ward with four people, I would be saying that is not age-appropriate. If they can be shielded from the other adults, let us say, are they not in an age-appropriate set…

I thank the Minister for being here today. In 2024, the previous Minister published the review of the enforcement of child maintenance orders. There were 26 recommendations grouped under three approaches, a consensus-based approach, a compliance-based approach and a deterrence-based approach. I acknowledge the Minister's work on the matter of child maintenance and efforts on the implementation of these guidelines. Every day, in every room we sit in, chances are we are in the company of a parent raising children or …

I thank the Minister for his response. When he took up this role, I knew that there would be movement in this area because I had spoken to him about it previously. He understood at that time how important it was, and it was something he had worked on prior to taking up his current role. In that context, I am happy with today's response. I am happy that he took the 26 recommendations seriously and that he has made certain moves, particularly as this was a priority for him previously. Prior to his being in this role,…

I share the Minister of State's concerns in respect this matter. As the previous speaker mentioned, we have all read stories. I have heard conversations when a story hits the headlines about someone being hurt. People ask why nothing was done and say that something could have been prevented. If people are admitted involuntarily, it might divert them from the criminal justice system. It could prevent them being incarcerated on criminal charges. It could help them. It was asked whether it was worded correctly. When I…

Tomorrow morning at 10.30.

I welcome the Minister of State. Day services for adults with disabilities provide a vital network of support for more than 25,000 people across this State, individuals whose personal circumstances, interests and aspirations are widely diverse. There are people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. They range from young adults beginning their journey into adult life to older people of retirement age. They live in small communities in isolated rural areas and in towns and cities in every part of our coun…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am concerned about the self-evaluation. An independent evaluation is needed. If we want to do things right, renting a room in a community centre is not the correct standard for the people in question. I have a few questions. What is the current budget for day services? How much was secured in budget 2026? What was last year's day services capital budget allocation? What was secured for 2026? The Minister of State may not have those answers to hand but I would apprec…

I thank the Minister of State and welcome what she said. I had concerns about the changes involved and spoke to the Minister of State openly about them. Being a mother, I nearly think of 18-year-olds as children. I know there is the Gillick competency test. This was something I was looking at in the context of the capacity to consent and in establishing if a child possesses that capacity between the ages of 16 and 18. I would like to flesh this out a bit more. Who is going to have the responsibility for determining…

Regarding those aged under 18 being admitted to adult facilities, I was under the impression that there are only two such facilities. Ambition is being shown, particularly as the numbers have decreased so drastically. I appreciate and completely understand and respect the concerns expressed, which are very valid. The Senators are right to raise them. However, I feel ambition has been shown because the numbers have decreased so drastically. It was my understanding that if a child aged 17 and a half got into difficul…

I welcome the news today that the national cancer registry of Ireland has confirmed that there was no consistent rise in late-stage cancers following the pandemic and that survival rates for 2020 and 2021 remained broadly in line with previous years. I know it will monitor this as the years pass. This is reassuring news and reflects the huge efforts made across our health services during what was a challenging time. However, we know that cancer diagnoses dropped sharply in early 2020 as Covid-19 disrupted GP visits…

I also want to refer to something that Senator Ruane raised yesterday about people who may have had criminal pasts but are helping people now. We have to acknowledge that people can change while also having due diligence. I would hate it if someone who was a really good asset and really understood the struggles of some people was not able to help others. We have to acknowledge that while some people may have a past, they can make a huge contribution in helping other people break the cycle. I just want to acknowledg…

I have been listening to the debate and can see where Members are coming from. As a parent, if my child was in an emergency situation, I would want them in any unit that would be able to help them in that emergency moment. I understand where people are coming from. However, could I honestly live with myself if a child did not get emergency care because of something we legislated for here? I do not think so. Would it sit right with us, after this goes through, if a situation arose and a child was not able to be faci…

I agree.