Three weeks ago, a number of Deputies and I pointed to the need for statements on the situation at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, and the significant overcrowding that happens there on a daily basis. The Taoiseach mentioned at the time that he was going to raise the matter with the Business Committee. I am not represented at the Business Committee, but so far I have not noticed any statements being made on the situation at the hospital. Two weeks ago, I referred to the recruitment embargo and the fact that it i…

In this House, we quite often talk about numbers and statistics but each one of these represents a household, a family, a pensioner or someone else in need. When these people receive that relevant notice to quit, their world is turned upside down and inside out. The impact on children is astronomical. Mentally, it is a pressure like no other. In Clare, the local authority is working with more than 60 recipients of notices to quit. For further context, there are 2,866 on the social housing waiting list in Clare, 76%…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on housing. We have had two housing debates back to back. The Government mentions big statistics from this year and last and improvements in its figures, but we have come from a very low point in the first place, and that is why the Government is not getting the positive reaction for which it has been hoping. For months, I have been chasing progress on affordable housing schemes in Clare. One scheme of ten units was approved for Shannon even though it has a population of more than…

I also want to raise the need for additional funding for the LIS in County Clare. There are a number of live applications, but the local authority has advised that it does not have the necessary funding to include a number of them on the roads programme for this year. I recently raised the case of an area where people cannot even get deliveries of food or heating oil to their homes. Also, a brand-new car was bought in the locality and has been severely damaged. I welcome the recent announcement of additional fundin…

I want to raise a very serious matter in UHL, namely, the embargo in place for certain positions. It is having major effects on service delivery. I heard how ultrasound, nuclear medicine and other important services will suffer closures because at least 15 radiography positions have not been filled. I heard that morale is non-existent at this stage and more staff will leave because they are struggling to get cover for their holidays. Final year students in radiography will qualify in three weeks. Where will they wo…

I start by thanking the NCSE for assisting me with a very serious and complex case in County Clare. A child was left with no school place, which was a very serious and time-pressured situation, but I am happy to say the child now has a place. The NCSE was a great help in that case. I have raised previously the need for better forward planning for autism classes in post-primary schools. In County Clare, for example, there are 42 special classes at primary level but only 15 such classes at post-primary level. In west…

I am delighted that this Topical Issue was selected and thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this important discussion. It is an issue I am very passionate about and I hope to shed a bit of light on what the medical cannabis access programme, MCAP, and the ministerial licence mean. As we all know, the MCAP was established in 2019 as a five-year pilot scheme. However, the programme has shown limited reach. Data released to me shows that in the first quarter this year, a mere 53 patients have mana…

I thank the Minister of State for the new statistics showing that 362 licences have been issued, which is very positive. Recently a patient reached out to me who had applied for a ministerial licence. The Minister for Health will be very familiar with this case because I submitted a number of parliamentary questions on the matter. What has come to light is that because the consultant is the one who completes a ministerial licence application, he or she is then deemed to be the applicant, which means that the Depart…

I want to raise the matter of childcare with the Taoiseach. As he knows, the workforce in the sector is 98% female. The sector has had a very hard time trying to be heard by the Government. Meaningful engagement has been lacking. I specifically want to refer to Shannon. Last year, I raised the imminent closure of one of only two childcare providers in Shannon. I said then that they could not continue to firefight as they had been doing. If the issue is core funding, then how it is being administered seems to favour…

I welcome the opportunity for the House to focus on people whose lives are literally falling apart outside these doors because they cannot find a home, cannot find security, and therefore, cannot find stability. What I hear from people, which I am sure many Members also hear day and day out, is "we have no home, we have no hope". What they have in abundance due to years of lack of supply of housing is frustration and anger and they are riddled with fear about what is going to happen them, their children and their r…

I welcome the debate in the House on this particular issue, especially considering there has been a major reluctance on the part of the Government to debate such matters. Instead, it has exuded fear, which is hugely disappointing. Political debates should not be avoided, especially on contentious issues. Nothing positive comes from that. In the short time available to me, I will point to the clear mishandling of the migration issue thus far and the disagreements within the coalition on even the basic details of sta…

I raise the issue of assessment of needs given that 500 people are currently waiting in the mid-west region, 68 of whom are in County Clare. I was contacted by a single parent who was told that her son, Finn, will be waiting at least three years for his assessment of needs. Having been in contact with a private practitioner, she has had to get a loan of €1,600 just for an autism assessment. If any further assessments need to be done after that, she will have to pay an additional €1,600. The response to a parliament…

Clare County Council recently confirmed it has finally been able to secure additional emergency accommodation. It will take a number of months to develop but it is intended for women and children only. This is great news but the council will only be able to bring forward a handful of units once it is completed. I have been seeking additional emergency accommodation for the past two years. It has already been mentioned that some of the standards in existing emergency accommodation centres are not great. I know they …

I want to pay tribute to the survivors from the County Clare Nursery, Kilrush, and thank and acknowledge Ms Rita McCarthy in west Clare for all of her work and research that brought that little piece of history to life for us in west Clare. It is extremely disappointing that the Government has continued with this legislation for survivors, which allows for any survivors to be excluded. I cannot overstate how cold and heartless that approach is. That hurt can never be undone. It is a theme of the Government in this …

I also call for statements on UHL emergency department as soon as possible, specifically because the region is the only one in the State that does not currently have a supporting model 3 hospital. We are experiencing grossly overcrowded numbers on a daily basis, never mind the number of inquests we know are currently taking place.

I support this motion and what it sets out to do. Ireland is one of the most expensive countries in the EU in which to live. In the past four years, the cost of energy rose by 58.3% and mortgage interest has surged by 60.3%. Food prices have risen by 15.4% and transport costs are up 18.7%. Statistics show that even when energy companies began to drop their prices last year, energy costs to consumers rose by 5.1% in the very same year. These tax hikes will increase tax on fuel significantly and there is a genuine fe…

The Minister was very good to ensure that all children in Ennis Community School received hot school meals for the entire year. It has worked really well. It is the amalgamation of three schools, one of which is DEIS. I am raising it to highlight it again with the Minister this morning so that she might consider extending that for a further year as it was a huge success. All the children there like to be the same as each other as we all know.

I wish to start my contribution by extending my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the beautiful Aoife Johnston during what can only be described as the most heartbreaking and difficult time for them all. The worst that could happen at UHL has happened. I acknowledge the protest outside Leinster House today and the work of its organiser, Mike Daly, who sadly lost his beloved father at UHL. I would encourage a Minister to step outside and meet the protestors, as I will. UHL is grossly overcrowded dai…

I welcome the opportunity to speak up for farmers in County Clare. I wish to show the House a document that we recently received from the IFA in Clare, entitled “Enough is Enough”. Farmers have felt completely disregarded by the Government in terms of not receiving enough support and respect for the work they do, what that work provides to their local communities and the hardships they have faced in recent years. They feel that their concerns have not been heeded by the Government and that there needs to be a shake…

At the outset I want to acknowledge and congratulate the amazing team at FASD Ireland on its fantastic work and for reaching the recent milestone of the first anniversary of the FASD hub national helpline, which allowed it to provide support to more than 800 people living with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, their families, and professionals across the State. I also acknowledge the commitment of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to FASD Ireland. She has worked closely with the organisation and has made it h…