2026-04-16

The Government is closing down ten beds at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, for children in mental health crisis at a time when so many of our young people are crying out help and left in awful situations. We are talking about children in some cases with severe depression, anxiety, self-harming, eating disorders and suicidal. It is real pain. It is real suffering here. Their poor parents are at their wits' end and sent from pillar to post desperately seeking services for their children and banging on doors of a broken system. Waiting lists continue to grow and grow. We only have 50 CAMHS beds right across the State. That is half of what is needed. The lives of children and young people in mental health crisis are on the line. Every single bed counts. We need more and now the Government is closing ten of them. The head of the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland calls this decision "inconceivable". I call it dangerous. It is dangerous for children who need urgent help. The Government cannot close these beds. These children need them and more.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I heard Peter Hughes, who the Deputy referenced, on the radio this morning. The Government is very happy to engage with him and the union he represents. The note available to me is that the use of the beds in Fairview was intended to be a short-term measure while other CAMHS beds were temporarily closed. There were always limitations around the beds. I do not say this in any way to disrespect the staff who do a good job. Admissions are restricted primarily to 16- and 17-year-olds. There were no out-of-hours or weekend admissions. There was not a dedicated eating disorder pathway. There were significant staffing constraints and unsuitable physical infrastructure with the current building no longer fit for purpose. This was to fill a gap while they were waiting to open additional beds, including 11 additional beds in the state of the art 22 bed facility in Linn Dara in Dublin. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Buter, to come back to the Deputy with more information and that we engage directly on this important matter.

We need them all.

There is some logic in that. My notes suggest it is not a question of like for like in terms of the beds but let me check further.

Yesterday we saw the announcement of new special classes across the country and, for the first time, the introduction of these new so-called classes or hubs which will be in our schools and in which schools can enrol up to 12 students. I welcome proposals and reform but they do not negate the need for appropriate classes. I note the name of the proposed model is "inclusive autism classes". All autism classes are inclusive - I think the Tánaiste will agree with me on that. Was any consultation done with stakeholders or schools about this? How will schools be supported? It is my understanding there will be no increase in staffing. Will there be an opt-out facility? It also raises serious questions about the apparent contradiction in the Minister, Deputy Foley, stating diagnosis will not be required for primary school while introducing classes that appear to rely on an autism-specific threshold for access. Will the Tánaiste please clarify?

Absolutely. I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this issue and for raising the word "reform". If we are to have - as we are having - an honest discussion about special needs education, reform will have to be part of that. We cannot have a system that is designed around the system rather than around the child. We are constantly, quite rightly, opening more classes and more schools - we should, we must and we will. We are constantly increasing resources. We had the debate around SNAs and worked to fix that. We also have to make sure the model is right. My understanding of these five inclusive special classes at post-primary that have been sanctioned is there was engagement between the schools and the Department. I thank the schools for that. This is an effort to try to address an acute and worrying situation. I heard Deirdre Matthews from the joint managerial board on the radio this morning. She was very positive about this model. There will be engagement more broadly with stakeholders, including disability stakeholders. This is an honest effort to make a positive addition to the range of supports available. I do not wish to say these five schools have put up their hand. I am not sure that is correct but they have engaged constructively. I thank them for that. We should learn through this process and keep an open mind on it. It is a positive development. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to come back to the Deputy with the specifics.

Reports of double- and now triple-tap strikes are coming through from southern Lebanon. This is when the site of an initial air strike is hit again while medical personnel are in attendance. Four medical personnel were killed yesterday in Mayfadoun. These included two paramedic volunteers: a young man of 22 and a boy of just 16 years old. These are war crimes being committed by Israel and they are chillingly familiar as the tactics it has used in Gaza for the past two and a half years, with the death toll now rising to 72,000. Meanwhile, this globe fails to hold Israel to account. Why is the Government not speaking up more? When did it last push for the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement? What is it actively doing towards that? Will the Tánaiste stand in support of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as he raises his voice louder than ever before in calling out Israel's war crimes? And where oh where is our occupied territories Bill, which the Tánaiste promised would be on the Dáil floor last November?

I condemn outright the actions of Israel and the actions of Hezbollah. Israel is breaching, in my view and the view of the Government, international law. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has been extremely vocal on this and is working with European counterparts. She has joined a number of statements and the likes speaking very clearly in relation to our foreign policy position around this. We must also condemn Hezbollah. I was in Lebanon not that long ago and welcome the Lebanese Government's very constructive efforts. In relation to the occupied territories Bill, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has received updated information and advices from the Attorney General and I expect her to be in a position to update this House shortly. I think we all want an urgent ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. I hope these peace talks get back under way. I hear some of talk of that, potentially, today. I am conscious there are many Irish troops stationed in Lebanon who serve with absolute distinction as part of UNIFIL. I am pleased the Minister has informed me they are all safe and accounted for. We thank them for their service.

The continued delay in I.S. 465 means families are still being exposed to defective materials with devastating financial consequences through no fault of their own. Following an EU complaint by Donegal homeowners, quarry audits were carried out and the Government is confident there have been no market surveillance failures since 2021. That claim is deeply questionable. FOI material released to me raises serious concerns about these audits, including the reliance on incomplete sulphur testing and clear compliance gaps. This points to failure in oversight and enforcement. Will the Tánaiste act to ensure accountability and strengthen legal protections, including legislative change? Have these issues been raised with the European Commission? When will I.S. 465 be delivered?

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this matter. He raised it with me in the House relatively recently, as he rightly should. I gave him the latest update then. I believed that process was drawing to a conclusion. I do not have any further information today but I will make sure the Minister, Deputy Browne, comes back to him on the timeline for the conclusion of that and any contact we have had with the European Commission.

In the past month, Ireland has seen the damage we have done to our own economy by not being energy independent. We import fossil fuel and now we know how delicate this is. One major disruption and Ireland goes dry. We all know we must steer away from fossil fuels and towards renewables but the Tánaiste knows for today, tomorrow and far into the future, tractors, lorries and hi-macs will need fossil fuel to keep the country going. Since I came into the Dáil, I have been calling for the exploration of the Barryroe oil field. Minor checks look positive and indicate it has the potential to create 45% of our gas and crude oil, which could even be more. This could be a chance to accelerate towards renewables and meet all the targets, which are not realistic at the present pace we are going. In 2021, the company sought a licence to do exploratory drilling. This was refused by the then Minister, Eamon Ryan. Now that we are in a time of crisis, will the Government meet with the company and hear its proposals? I am not asking the Tánaiste to say yes to drilling - just to meet and see how we can tie renewables into the proposed plan for Barryroe and how the State can benefit.

I thank Deputy Collins for raising this matter. I will ask the relevant Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to consider his request for a meeting. From a factual point of view, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 sets out changes in relation to not accepting new applications for petroleum authorisations or for future petroleum exploration licensing rounds. There are a number of existing licences - 13 across the country. If the Deputy is talking about a renewable element of this, I will ask the Minister to consider engaging and to come back to him directly.

I raise the need for increased oversight and accountability with regard to owners' management companies, OMCs. It is an issue in my constituency where we have larger estates that are delivered on a phased basis. Parts of the developments are occupied while other parts are still under construction. The developer of the estate can retain control of the OMC for extended periods, which is against the spirit in which OMCs are set up. In addition, the current model allows for a voluntary resident director to take on significant legal and fiduciary responsibilities. That can cause difficulties regarding transparency of who sits on the board and in terms of understanding decision-making process. Under the programme for Government, we have committed to transferring regulation of the OMCs and the Multi-Unit Developments Act to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Will the Tánaiste provide an update on when that transfer will take place? Are there any plans to review the MUD Act 2011, to create regulations providing for the establishment of a register for OMCs and their directors, to increase accountability and transparency relating to them, to support the residents who live in these areas, to make sure they understand decision-making processes in their developments, to honour the spirit of the legislation and to truly make these companies into owners' management companies?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I thank him for raising this issue, which is a growing issue in a number of constituencies. Perhaps his constituency is very prominent in that considering the volume of homes and apartments built and the number of multi-unit developments in place. Of course, that is very welcome but it means we need to put ourselves under pressure to keep the laws of the land and the regulatory structures up to date. It is utterly unacceptable that owners have no access to their OMC and that where concerns are raised around AGMs and the likes, people often cannot straight answers. That is not good. The programme for Government commits to transferring these functions to the Department of housing. The Government remains committed to that. I need to check the exact timeline and come back to the Deputy. My personal view is there is a compelling case to review more broadly the existing law. I will discuss that with the Minister for housing and ask that he liaise with the Deputy.

I want to talk to the Tánaiste about one of my constituents, Eimear Byrne. Eimear is a 30-year-old from Arklow, a primary school teach in a Gaelscoil and a very talented and popular young woman but she needs our help. She has an extremely rare genetic disorder which led to open-heart surgery at the age of just ten. Three years ago, Eimear had again to undergo emergency heart surgery. The surgery saved her life but there were complications and she suffered a severe stroke. Recently, she was told there were three more aneurysms that required immediate surgery, which is highly complex. She has been advised by multiple hospital consultants that this operation cannot be carried out in Ireland and can take place only in Baltimore, USA. Eimear has worked with the HSE. I have been in touch directly with our Minister on a treatment abroad scheme application. The wonderful community of Arklow and beyond are fundraising. Eimear is running out of time and we must do everything possible to ensure she gets this life-saving critical surgery.

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this issue with the usual passion, empathy and decency he brings to all matters on the floor of the Dáil. Our colleague the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who is present, is working with the Deputy on this. I will certainly work with him on it, too. We are all thinking of Eimear. We send our very best wishes to her and her family. None of us can even begin to imagine how difficult the last number of years have been. A factual point to make is that the HSE operates the EU treatment abroad scheme for people entitled under what is called EU Regulation 883/2004. I am putting that on the record to be helpful. The scheme is consultant led and allows for a public consultant based in Ireland to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the healthcare service of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. There is no statutory framework for the referral of patients outside of that. I do not say that to be difficult; I just say it to be honest. However, the HSE has informed officials in the Department that it has received an application in relation to Eimear's situation this April. The HSE is now trying to evaluate that. It has sought some further information, and when it has received that documentation, it will work its way through it and engage further with the family. The Minister for Health will continue to seek urgent updates on the status of that application, and of course she will engage directly with the Deputy.

I want to raise today the issue of St. Cecilia's School, Sligo. It is a special school that takes children with special educational needs up to the age of 18, and it is a lifeline for many children. However, we have been contacted by parents, many of them very frantic and frustrated because they are unable to get a place in the school. This is because the necessary funding cannot be sanctioned. I spoke to the principal of the school. She is very frustrated. It is the first time this has happened. There is a feeling that there is an attempt to try to get the children to go into special classes in mainstream schools, which would be totally inappropriate due to the severity of their disabilities and special needs. I submitted a parliamentary question this April and the reply I got basically stated how many new special schools had been built and what had been done here, there and all over the country, including in places like Cork and Dublin, but stated nothing about the specific school I had asked about. This is totally frustrating. One of the issues with parliamentary questions that needs to be brought up is that often when we ask about a specific thing, we get an answer about general matters. That needs to change, but that is a separate point. I appeal to the Tánaiste to intervene in this case to ensure the children get the special classes they need in St. Cecilia's special school.

I thank Deputy Kenny very much for raising the issue concerning St. Cecilia's School. It is absolutely the position of the Government that it is a matter of providing appropriate school places. The Government has shown that through investing in special schools. There was a view in the past, perhaps, that everybody could be mainstreamed. That is not practical for some children. Every parent would like to see it, I am sure, but some children will always have additional needs that mean they require special provision, and that is fine. On foot of the Deputy having raised the specific situation with St. Cecilia's special school, I will speak directly to the relevant Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the relevant Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and ask that they revert to her on the specifics and see what can be done.

I wish to raise again the issue of low water pressure in the village of Ballyhooly in my constituency, Cork East. I have spoken on several occasions in this Chamber about the need to repair and upgrade the water network serving Ballyhooly because daily disruptions to water supply have persisted for years. Low water pressure in certain areas of Ballyhooly continues to disrupt daily household practices and this only gets worse as we approach the summer months. While some repairs are being conducted by Uisce Éireann, funding is needed for a complete upgrade of the local water network. This would improve the pipework from the reservoir to the village and eliminate the low pressure problem. With more housing development due in the area, I ask the Tánaiste to liaise directly with Uisce Éireann on the possibility of a full upgrade of the network being facilitated.

I thank Deputy McCarthy for raising this issue concerning Ballyhooly in Cork East. As he has reminded us, it is not the first time he has raised issues around the water network and the need for an upgrade. I am informed that Uisce Éireann has introduced a number of measures to try to address the issues with the Ballyhooly network. I believe it has put in place a programme of mains monitoring. A leak find and fix was carried out to reduce the leakage levels. Uisce Éireann tells me this has increased pressure at properties where customers had experienced low pressure. It has also implemented pressure management to help maintain pressure levels across the village. However, its work is not yet done. It needs to do more. Its network management team is continuing to examine the issue of leak detection, whether more can be done in that area, and whether further flow arrangements can be put in place to improve the reliability of the service. On foot of the Deputy raising this here today and the very significant additional investment of the Government in Uisce Éireann, I will follow up directly with the body and ask it to communicate with the Deputy.

It will not surprise the Tánaiste and Minister for Health that at another session of Questions on Policy or Legislation, I have another question about rare diseases. Like Deputy McCarthy, I am going to keep raising this until I see some action. The programme for Government commits to an early access scheme. It also commits to a review of the reimbursement process, which numerous Deputies have raised here over the past few months. We have had people with Friedreich's ataxia and different types of muscular atrophy and dystrophy. The list goes on. Dr. Rónán Collins was before the health committee and I asked him about vaccinations. Vaccinations are subject to the same assessment process as drugs, from the most simple form of application to the most complex. We have an archaic, outdated system. Can we please knock heads together and undertake to carry out what is committed to in the programme for Government, or at least begin to do so? It is going to take a significant period to carry out the reviews. Can we please get on task and do the job at hand?

I thank the Deputy for raising this again. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet many of the people with Friedreich's ataxia whom he brought to the Dáil. I want to highlight to Deputies that, importantly, our drugs budget has increased significantly this year, being well up at 9%. This is what the Department expected it to be. We made provision in the overall budget for a 7% uplift, and we are now at a 9% increase. We will make decisions more quickly. We are working on the reimbursement process more quickly, but Deputies need to be aware of the scale of the growth of the drugs budget and where that is going. That is because of people living longer and access to drugs of very good quality. As we make decisions on reimbursement and rare diseases in a shorter period, which is a really important part of what the Deputy is talking about, we need to be aware of the very significant additional costs we are already incurring in this period of 2026. I assure the Deputy that the Department is considering every aspect of an early access scheme. We will continue to work with the Deputy on that, but I do need to flag the important budgetary consideration to all Deputies.

The Irish Coast Guard is launching an enhanced aviation service from Waterford Airport today. I fully support and welcome it because it is a really important service. We all know that the search and rescue service has huge support right across the State, but particularly in the south east. Unfortunately, there were tragedies in the past and colleagues were lost, but it is great to see an enhanced service. I want to raise a wider issue in relation to Waterford Airport because there is now a real opportunity to develop it. It is still a very sore point that the Government dragged its feet for too long on funding a runway extension. As the Tánaiste knows, a very wealthy private investor is now going to come in with money and extend the runway. We want to see that happen. If it happens – I think it will very quickly – it will create huge opportunities economically, in addition to enhancing connectivity with, I hope, Britain and the rest of Europe. The Government will then have a role in supporting the airport. It has not got State funding for so long because there have not been commercial flights, but with the enhanced service from the Irish Coast Guard and the runway extension I hope will be built, there are real opportunities. I hope that when the extension is built, the Government will come with money and support and enable us to have a fit-for-purpose airport that I believe can transform the south east region.

For a rare occasion, I agree with the Deputy. I agree with everything he said about the very important work done by the Irish Coast Guard service. We think of all of those who have lost their lives in the service of others, and also of their families and communities. I am really pleased to hear today about the enhanced service for the Deputy's community and constituency. I agree that there is a wider issue in relation to the development of Waterford Airport. I am pleased - I am going from my memory of a discussion - that reference to Waterford Airport is in the regional airports policy as well, which is important. This is an island nation. We need to do more in terms of capacity at Dublin Airport, including lifting the cap. All of that is true, but we will still need our regional airports and there is a real chance to help to develop the south east if we can get this right. The Government will continue to work on this.

At a time when the Minister for communications, Deputy O'Donovan, was calling for a review of RTÉ's coverage of the public protests, it is reported that he also approved a €20,000 pay increase for the CEO of RTÉ. This raises legitimate concerns around Government transparency and the potential of undue influence. In a separate matter, the former Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, approved an additional €10 million for the International Monetary Fund, IMF, prior to subsequently taking a role with the organisation.

That is the wrong organisation.

This has given rise to the question of conflicts of interest.

That is wrong.

Will the Tánaiste confirm whether the matter has been referred to the Standards in Public Office Commission for examination for potential breaches of ethics? If not-----

Please do not heckle me. If not, does the Government intend to make such a referral in order to ensure accountability and maintain confidence in the ethics and standards of public office?

Disgraceful.

The Deputy's comments are disgraceful and inaccurate and that has become the norm.

They were questions, not comments.

No, sorry, excuse me-----

Deputy O'Flynn, you have asked a question. Allow the Tánaiste to respond.

The Deputy will shortly be required-----

It was not a comment-----

Allow the Tánaiste.

The Deputy will shortly be required to correct the record of the Dáil because I think the organisation-----

No, I will not. That is not true.

Allow me to speak. This is not a blockade. The organisation that the Deputy is referring to is the World Bank, not the IMF, first of all. I ask him to please correct the record because he did not even bother to do his research. It was the World Bank. The second point is that as the current Minister for Finance, I provided to the Oireachtas committee all relevant documentation, which proves that the then Minister, Paschal Donohoe, followed the recommendation of his officials. He did not have to, by the way, because he was the Minister and he made the decision, but he followed the recommendation. They are all published and available to the Deputy as a member of the Opposition, but he did not read them. He just came in to slur him. That is the way the Deputy operates.

And the other question? The Tánaiste did not answer the rest of the question.

The answer to the other question is that the Deputy should read how State companies actually operate in terms of the role of boards and responsibilities.

You are missing the first part of my question, Tánaiste.

You referenced the IMF incorrectly. You should correct the record of the House.

Sorry, but address your remarks through the Chair.

I correct that.

Correct the record and get your facts right.

Okay. The record is corrected.

There are 60,000 households, many of them families with children, in receipt of the housing assistance payment, HAP. They are classed as having their housing needs met but I want to give the Tánaiste a case of one person in my constituency. Last night, I met a father with two young children who told me that he was sick with worry about being able to afford the weekly shop. He got to the Lidl counter and his debit card was declined. He had to walk away and explain to his kids why they had to leave the week's groceries behind. He lives in a private rental property that is riddled with mould and damp but he cannot complain for fear the landlord will evict him. Where would he go? He receives the HAP and now faces rent increases from Dublin City Council that will push him over the edge. He told me his story last night with incredible dignity but in the end, he broke down and cried. He feels hopeless but he is doing is best to keep going for his kids and his community. The social contract is broken for this father and for thousands of families in Finglas, Ballymun and across this country who cannot afford the rent hikes from private landlords or, now, from city councils, too. They face eviction. They live with mould and damp, which is damaging their and their kids' health. What is the Government going to do to support these households to ensure that they are not going to face eviction and that councils have enough funding to deliver maintenance so that tenants are not living with mould and damp?

First, I thank the Deputy for sharing that story with the Dáil. If the Deputy sends on the details to my office, I will be very happy to engage directly with Dublin City Council. People should not feel that fear if they are in a damp and inadequate property that - I say this not to be disrespectful - the taxpayer is helping to fund. They should not be expected to endure substandard accommodation. Dublin City Council, which is one of our largest local authorities, must intervene there. I would argue that, when it comes to the issue of the social contract, fair rents being set for social housing is an important part of that, too. It is an important part of getting that balance right. There are significant supports, as there should be, available to help people in need in relation to housing but it is also very important that the rent levels reflect reality. Local authorities, generally, exercise significant restraint in relation to that. There is obviously a very difficult and very upsetting case there of a man doing his best for his children. If the Deputy is happy to send me the details, I am happy to follow up.

The Tánaiste will be aware that since Brexit, Rosslare Europort has seen an increase in freight of some 350%, which is obviously very welcome. However, Rosslare Harbour village is inundated with trucks parking right across the village. This is despite the existence of the old customs post. When I say old, it was fully refurbished, resurfaced and lined out and has capacity for approximately 50 trucks. However, it is locked and inaccessible, and in the meantime, people in the village have to endure trucks parking all over the place. I ask that a bit of common sense would be used and this old customs post, which was totally refurbished prior to the massive investment in the harbour at Rosslare, be made available to allow trucks to park up while they wait to board ships.

I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this matter, which I know has become a real issue around Rosslare Harbour. I have been engaging with Revenue officials in relation to this and they have informed me that the old customs facility is being used to facilitate truck parking but, to the Deputy's broader point, the site is owned and managed by the Office of Public Works, OPW. What I will do, on foot of Deputy Lawlor raising it, is ask the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to engage with him on this. I will also ask that the OPW engage with Revenue and see if we can make progress on this.

The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has highlighted that over-65s already account for more than 60% of inpatient bed days and that this group will grow from one in seven of the population to one in five by 2040. The national immunisation advisory committee has recommended respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, vaccination for those aged 75 and over and also for high-risk groups. The programme for Government committed to expanding RSV vaccination. I ask the Tánaiste to outline the steps the Government will take and the timeline for deciding whether an RSV vaccination programme for older adults will be implemented as part of managing future pressures on the health system and protecting the health of the older population.

I thank Deputy Burke for his question. It is certainly true to say that we have had enormous success with the RSV vaccination programme for infants, which significantly reduced infection, mortality and very severe illness for infants. I can confirm that we have sought a health technology assessment, HTA, for RSV immunisation by HIQA. The outcome of that will inform the policy decision that I make as to the most appropriate RSV immunisation strategy for infants but also for adults aged 65 and older. That HTA is due in the coming weeks. It is always the case with vaccinations that we take the World Health Organization's advice as well as the advice of our expert groups. We do that on an annual basis because, of course, circumstances change every year. I expect that HTA in the coming weeks and we will base our decision on that and on the intersection of the HSE's pathfinder as well.

What is happening in schools across County Kerry is simply not acceptable in 2026. I wish to be clear from the outset that we do not have a minor works problem; we have a systemic underinvestment problem. Nowhere is that clearer than in Scoil Iognáid Rís in Daingean Uí Chúis. The school is located in what is considered to be one of the most affluent towns in the country, yet the conditions in the main boy's national school are, in the words of the principal, "archaic". We are talking about children tripping on broken concrete and sustaining injuries requiring stitches, a basketball court from 1980 that is now unsafe and crumbling, a roof and window structures at risk of collapse, no proper toilets, no corridor, no hall, and no entrance space. There was a situation recently where a stranger was able to walk into the school unchallenged. That is not just outdated, it is dangerous. I am calling for a comprehensive assessment of all primary and secondary school buildings in Kerry to properly identify the scale of refurbishment and modernisation required.

I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this important issue. Of course, he will know I am going to say that, at the macro level, we are significantly increasing the capital budget for education, and quite rightly so. However, at the level that he rightly raises of his own county of Kerry and the specific issues he highlighted for an individual school, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, come back to him directly on that, but also on his request more broadly that we would look at the school footprint across the county of Kerry and the plans that could be put in place in relation to schools. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy on that.

I recently met with the parents of an adult child with an intellectual disability. They told me that they were involved with the Before We Die campaign. Over 2,000 parents over 70 years of age are caring for adult children with intellectual disabilities, a rise of 20% since 2020, and there are nearly 500 who are in their 80s. These are parents who are mentally, physically and emotionally stressed as to what is going to happen to their children after they pass away. It is woefully under-resourced. People with disabilities are people with rights too. Will the Government commit to delivering more residential places for adults with intellectual disabilities? Respite services are closed. There is little support from housing and little tie-in with local authorities. It is causing enormous stress.

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this issue. I will get him the numbers, but there is a commitment to increase the number of residential places and respite services this year in the HSE service plan. Allow me to ask the Minister, Deputy Foley, to write to the Deputy on that. On the broader issue, Before We Die is an excellent group. I look forward to meeting them directly. I know they met the Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, recently as well. They are raising a lot of very important issues, including how the State needs to get much better from a planning perspective, and the stress and worry it is causing people. I think they have had good engagement with the Government so far. I look forward to sitting down with them shortly myself, too.

What we have in Laois and Offaly in relation to services for children with special needs and autism is a black spot. There are roughly 900 children at any one time on a waiting list for assessment of needs. There is no occupational therapy, OT, in primary care for children and young adults in Laois, and the latest information I have is that there is no approval to recruit such an occupational therapist. Four OT posts are vacant in children and young people's services. I asked the HSE on 17 February to confirm if approval had been given, but I still have not received an answer. The Minister for Health is sitting beside the Tánaiste. Is there approval from the Department of Health and the HSE management to recruit occupational therapists for young persons and children in Laois and Offaly? What progress is being made on that? Is the answer "Yes" or "No"?

I thank Deputy Stanley. I know that much of this is the responsibility of the Department of disability, which, obviously, works with the HSE. The Deputy raises an important issue. My understanding is that there is now approval for 11 therapy posts in the midlands. Let me follow up with the HSE on that. Deputy Clendennen reminds me of this. I will come back to the Deputy directly on the OT piece. There is also the broader body of work that I hope we can get right, as an Oireachtas, in terms of the assessment of need legislation that we are looking at together. I believe that pre-legislative scrutiny at the committee is due to conclude shortly. We need to look at the legislative structures that we have in place to make sure everybody has a right to an assessment of need, absolutely, but that the structures work much better. That is a really important thing. With regard to the therapy posts, let me get the Deputy a note in relation to the midlands.

I ask that it be followed up.

I will follow it up.