This morning saw the publication of Safeguarding Ireland's comprehensive discussion paper on safeguarding vulnerable adults. It called for the establishment of an independent national adult safeguarding authority, a recommendation I fully support. The chairperson commented: There needs to be a Statutory obligation on State bodies to do more than respond to crises. They also need to have accountability to take steps which prevent adult abuse and uphold people's rights. It is a timely reminder for a number of reasons…

Nobody has seen it. That is the problem.

Yes. I will speak to the Brandon report. This is a long, drawn-out saga and what stands out to me is that HSE management failed the residents of Ard Greine Court, who are vulnerable adults for whom we as a society are asked to care. HSE management also failed Brandon, a highly vulnerable adult. Importantly, in the ensuing mismanagement of the case, the HSE has failed its front-line staff as well. The concealment of the truth at any cost, which to my mind is the only conclusion one can draw as being the modus operan…

I joined my colleague, Senator Eileen Flynn, earlier outside the gates of Leinster House, where the National Traveller Mental Health Network held a protest calling for accountability in relation to Government commitments. In particular, the programme for Government includes plans to publish a Traveller and Roma mental health action plan. That has not happened yet, halfway through the term of this Dáil. I understand that it is to be published in the next few weeks, and I welcome that. Will the Minister, who has resp…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important legislation. I support the Government's intention to provide for same-day voting on islands in elections and referendums. This would affect many island voters in my constituency of Donegal who have been advocating for same-day voting for a long time. There is no reason why island voters should be forced to vote in advance. It is important that every voter is allowed access to all information on upcoming elections and referendums. This includes making sure…

I had planned to raise a different issue today but instead I want to mention that when I had to go out for something earlier, I was shocked to see tents that are used by homeless people for shelter being removed from the area outside Agriculture House on Kildare Street. The people doing this work were using a van from the infamous Aramark company. They were working on behalf of DublinTown, which is working on behalf of Dublin City Council to remove the tents. This is the only accommodation that homeless people have…

The apprenticeship programme should deliver an effective way to provide for the education and qualification needs of many of our young people. For too long the focus has been on degree level performance and that is seen as the only way to go in education. Currently in Donegal, outside of Letterkenny, practically the only way young people will be able to secure employment is through having a skill that would be gained by an apprenticeship rather than a third level qualification. That may be about to change, but it w…

It is unfortunate when somebody does not turn up as it throws everybody's timing haywire. I will take this opportunity to commend my staff in Donegal who have been dealing with a continuous stream of passport issues over the last few months and who have been struggling with an unresponsive passport service. It is nearly impossible to get through to the passport service through the normal channels and the Oireachtas line is rarely answered in our experience. Often days go by without being able to get through. There …

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak in this important debate. The legacy proposals put forward by the British Government in Westminster last week were a shocking attempt to cover up the wrongdoings carried out by the British state in the North and can only be described as an insult to the people of Northern Ireland. It is clear the proposals put forward on the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill were not about delivering justice, truth or peace for victims of the Tr…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion and I thank the Social Democrats for tabling it. I believe I speak for everyone when I say the Government's decision to gift €450 million to developers is a massive slap in the face for the many in this country who are struggling with the cost of housing. Why is it always the priority of this Government to put developers first? Why do we allow this at the expense of our citizens? I support this motion's proposal to scrap the subsidies at which the Government…

The one in Donegal, too.

The English Language Students Union of Ireland has highlighted that more than 2,000 people whose stamp 2 visas are due to expire and who want to continue to study here in Ireland are facing having to leave the country for three months and will possibly lose their jobs and accommodation in order to comply with visa requirements. I spoke recently to the labour rights officer of the union, who expressed anxiety that these students are feeling especially around the accommodation issue with the ongoing housing crisis. T…

I am sharing time with Deputy Connolly. There is no doubt that we are in need of a just transition in order to ensure a better quality of life for everyone in this country and across the globe. If we care about the future of this planet, we need to transition to a zero-carbon economy either immediately or as quickly as we can. The effects of climate change are already being felt across this planet and it will not be long until we are fully feeling them here. We need to do all we can to stop this process before it i…

I sat in the Taoiseach's office in 2016 following a general election as he was making his first attempt to ascend to the position he now holds. We talked at some length about privatisation within healthcare. I remember he used the private Bon Secours hospital in Cork as an example of private healthcare's over-reliance on the public system and the public purse to prop up its operations. He told me he was committed to the public provision of healthcare. Perhaps as a former leader of the Labour Party said, "Isn't that…

I did not ask that question. I did not ask about ownership.

My question was not about ownership.

It is a private site.

The problem is that the term "clinically appropriate" is not accepted because nobody really knows what it means. The Taoiseach has had to give lots of convoluted explanations today as to what it means to try to get it over the line. Why is the Government so hung up on it when everybody agrees that if those two words were removed from the lease, it would be acceptable? Indeed, even at the meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health last Thursday evening Professor Peter Boylan and Mr. Simon McGarr, who were t…

Did the Taoiseach not watch the committee?

The Taoiseach obviously was not watching the committee-----