I welcome the Smith family. I also welcome the proposed legislation on civil registration of stillbirths. My wife is a midwife and I do not think a Christmas goes by where this issue is not discussed. It is very important legislation on an issue that affects so many families on a daily basis. It is very important that we progress this, if we possibly can. The other issue I will raise is where our tourism industry is going. In my part of the world, like the Cathaoirleach's, we are very dependent on tourism. American…

Yesterday, I read in the Irish Examiner an article from 1985 about Cork County Council being under exceptional financial pressure with its budget and needing £2.3 million to stay afloat. I read the Irish Examiner today, 37 years later, and it features a similar headline. The council now needs €24 million to stay afloat. It is amazing that this issue occurs on a continuous basis. How do we fund our local authorities and ensure they are providing appropriate services for the people? I was opposed to the new arrangeme…

This Commencement matter asks the Minister for Health to make a statement on the proposed human tissue Bill, which has been mooted for so long. I have raised this issue here previously. On 10 November 2021, I asked the Minister to make a statement on the incineration of baby organs in Cork University Maternity Hospital, CUMH, and asked what changes he proposed to bring forward. The backdrop to this is a sad case in which the organs of 18 children in the maternity hospital in Cork were incinerated without the knowle…

I thank the Minister of State. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. It is almost verbatim word for word of what I heard from the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, 11 months ago on this issue. On that occasion she told me the Bill would be published before the end of 2021. Now we are saying it will be done towards the end of this Oireachtas term. This is a frightening statement. The past 12 months have come and gone. These parents have no security when it comes to the legislation that has been promised. Th…

I raise the issue of where we stand regarding our public transport corridors and our local government in this context. A delegation came to see me at one of my clinics in Kinsale yesterday about the Cork-to-Kinsale route. It is a significant one used by tourists every day. The starting point for that route has been changed, however. Instead of starting at the bus station at Parnell Place, it is commencing from Clontarf Street. This is about the process in this regard. Things change, but the process is the key thing…

It is five weeks since we discussed children returning to school and the lack of school transportation. The matter has not yet been solved and is a major issue for many people throughout rural Ireland. In my part of the world, children in Rossmore, Newcestown, Dunderrow, Nohoval and Ballinhassig have all contacted us in the past week seeking clarification on the Minister's announcement last week regarding putting money aside to put in place a scheme that ensures children can get to school. There is a complete vacuu…

I wish to start or continue a debate on where we are in respect of the issue of fuel and our fuel security. I note the UK energy regulator came out with a warning in recent days about energy supplies in the UK where natural gas will be affected. It is a grim warning and has highly significant knock-on implications for Ireland. If we have a situation where there is rationing of natural gas in the UK, the knock-on implications are direct for this country. We are dependent on the UK for 70% of the natural gas coming t…

The Minister has ten minutes.

I call the Minister, or Senator Joe O’Reilly.

I thank the Senator.

I thank the Senator.

We will come back to that point.

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. It has been a very robust debate so far this afternoon with many passionate contributions. I acknowledge the amount of work the Minister has done on this issue. There has been a major change in the Government's attitude and focus on this issue, in particular in the past 18 months. The past two months since the report was published have been very positive. The Minister referred in his opening statement to the engagement he had and the fact that he visited the majority of barrac…

I was not expecting a call first. I welcome the budget we had yesterday. It will be a significant injection into the economy. When we look at the coverage it received and the impact it is going to make on the economy in the next few days, weeks and years in particular, it is a significant piece of work. I want to acknowledge the work done by all Ministers in particular, in getting this budget passed last night. There were issues mentioned in the budget debate pertaining to education. We had a significant debate in …

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I acknowledge the commitment by the Government to the agricultural community in the last few hours. The budget has been very fair and honourable towards them, particularly when it comes to the energy crisis they are suffering. That acknowledgement is greatly welcomed by the farming community. I acknowledge in particular the commitment to primary schools and to the free books scheme, which is a significant development and an important budget measure. As a parent of fou…

In the run-up to the budget there has been a lot of talk about cost-of-living measures and what is going to be required, particularly in the context of energy, to make sure that households and industries are sustainable going forward. In that context, I would like to raise the issue of our sporting clubs. The cost of running sports complexes has increased dramatically in the last 18 months. Obviously there are the normal running costs pertaining to sports halls but some sports complexes are of such a magnitude and …

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this matter. I ask for an update on a significant issue in Bantry at present relating to the mental health centre there, which is a very important part of the campus of Bantry General Hospital. A reduction of nearly 40% in beds in the acute wards is proposed. We are looking at a reduction from 18 to 11 beds. This is a very significant issue for the entire region. As the Minister of State is very much aware, given her west Cork roots, Bantry hospital i…

The Minister of State makes a very interesting point about the knock-on implications of this judgment. The judgment could be the catalyst for a complete change in capacity across the entire sector and the country. It is a massive issue for us. It is a real worry now that, because of the decision of the Mental Health Commission, there could be a reduction in acute care across the country. On the issue of going to court, it is bizarre that two agencies of the State are taking the legal route. I would still hope that …

The Minister of State is very busy today. She is taking all four Commencement matters.

Are Senators Malcolm Byrne and Casey proposing to share time?