2026-03-03

20. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [10448/26]

21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [11872/26]

22. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [71663/25]

23. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [71665/25]

24. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [71667/25]

25. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [12356/26]

26. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [14282/26]

27. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [14304/26]

28. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [14306/26]

29. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [14448/26]

30. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [14451/26]

31. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [16304/26]

32. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on implementation of the well-being framework published by his Department. [16764/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 to 32, inclusive, together. Ireland's well-being framework is a cross-government initiative to measure progress and policy impact in Ireland in a more holistic way. The framework consists of 35 indicators grouped under 11 dimensions which reflect different aspects of well-being. It is supported by a dashboard hosted by the Central Statistics Office which brings together all of the framework's economic, social and environmental statistics in an integrated way. Each year Understanding Life in Ireland is published, which assesses Ireland's well-being performance across these 35 indicators. Ireland's framework tracks 35 indicators grouped under 11 dimensions. These dimensions are subjective well-being; mental and physical health; knowledge, skills and innovation; income and wealth; housing and the built environment; environment, climate and biodiversity; safety and security; work and job quality - both paid and unpaid; time use; connections, community and participation; and civic engagement, trust and cultural expression. The 2025 assessment shows that Ireland's overall performance is positive, in particular in areas including work and job quality, and our social connections and community. Only two of the 11 dimensions - the environment, climate and biodiversity dimension and the mental and physical health dimension - showed a negative performance. The analysis also highlights there is more work to do. In particular, there are some groups in our society for whom progress is unequal across multiple areas of well-being, including people with long-term illness or disability, single-parent households, unemployed people, younger people in the workforce, households with lower incomes and households in rented accommodation. To assist expenditure policy-making, we continue to integrate the framework into the budgetary process. The well-being framework was featured at last year's national economic dialogue and is part of the summer economic statement. The well-being framework was also part of the documents and analysis underpinning budget 2026, and this included analysis of the dashboard in budget day documentation and a paper showing how selected expenditure measures in budget 2026 are enhancing well-being was published by Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

I am sure the Taoiseach would agree that the way sexual assaults survivors are treated is a key part of well-being in any country, and we have already seen the battle for people not to have their own therapy notes used against them in court. This week, we are seeing how third level institutions treat victims of gendered violence. I highlighted the medical student who was raped, had image-based sexual abuse used against her and lost her place on the medical course. She tried to get reinstated and, long story short, UCD won that court case against her and are imposing costs. I have spoken to other students who have been victims of sexual assault at UCD. The dignity and respect policy seems to be utterly meaningless - for example, even to have the assailant not be allowed to go into a building where they attend courses. Even something as simple as that is impossible, and in all cases, it is the victim who ends up losing their education. Another student had to do the rest of their degree online but the rapist, of course, continues on with their degree, affecting their mental and physical well-being as well as affecting how they do in their degree overall.

The Taoiseach has already mentioned the fact that those with a disability are unfortunately in a different set of circumstances. Many of us were at the Affordable Ireland campaign march at the weekend and we heard directly from those with disability about the severe pressure they are under. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, it comes down to heat or eat. These are decisions that have to be made that fortunately nobody in this room has to make. We need to look at the cost of disability in the round and I welcome the review process. That is fine but it is about the people who cannot afford to make payments now. Whatever about not making one-off payments across the board but for those with disability, it could be looked at. I also ask that the Taoiseach looks at the issue in relation to the high cost of hearing aids and that we would see that working group review. Beyond that, there could be up to 400 trainees for the National Ambulance Service, who could be looking at having to reapply and who are not sure of their jobs. That is a particular issue that needs to be dealt with.

I want to raise the section under quality of water or water bodies. The report outlines that the water body assessment showed that 55.3% of Ireland's rivers were assessed as high or good in comparison to 56.2% a number of years prior. The reason I am raising it is that it is specific to one case in Carrignavar, which is in my constituency. Over the past few months, we have been able to tell people that record funding is going to be given to Irish Water to fix many of the problems that have been historic in nature and were carried over from various local authorities. The reality here is that our water quality is disimproving in that period, according to this report. I attended a briefing with Irish Water last week. We listened to plans that go out to 2080. None of us in this room will be on this planet in 2080 and Irish Water is talking about improving water quality, in a Cork context anyway, by 2080.

Deputy O'Sullivan might make it.

I have a good chance compared with some in the room. I believe we need to get real here. We spoke about developer-led infrastructure in particular with regard to improving our housing delivery. That seems to be taking a backseat now.

The well-being framework shows the overall national progress on, in particular, incomes, job quality and mental health indicators. However, it makes clear that progress is not evenly felt. Single-parent households, unemployed people, renters and young people continue to experience lower well-being outcomes. We need to have more community-based supports for mental health. I believe in social prescribing. We can do more to support people beyond clinical services. What will be done to provide for initiatives such as social farming and community health projects to support voluntary groups that would reduce loneliness and improve mental health resilience in a practical and measurable way?

The Government's well-being framework is supposed to be a means by which preliminary budgetary decisions can be made. As the Taoiseach might be aware, last month, Social Justice Ireland published an alternative well-being framework entitled Measuring What Matters. It critiques the Government's framework design as not being sufficient to identify and understand disparities, so it took it upon itself to create a more comprehensive picture that reflects the lived experience of different groups. The report states: The social contract must foster societal wellbeing if it is to last. If it fails to do so, it risks a breakdown in the social fabric and a loss of faith in our democratic institutions. I could not agree more. The report found that there are significant disparities and inequality across the housing and built environment dimension, as well as the work and job quality dimension, suggesting a deepening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Importantly, in the environment, climate, and biodiversity dimension, the report suggests that progress is reversing, inequality is widening and sustainability is declining. What steps will the Government take in the forthcoming budget to ensure that these trends are reversed and, in particular, that the environment, climate and biodiversity dimension remains a top priority?

I want to focus on the mental and physical health dimensions of the well-being framework and return to the issue of special class places for September 2026. We heard at the public accounts committee last week that the Department of education, and I presume the Minister, intend to bring a memo to Cabinet imminently in relation to meeting the unmet need for special classes. The Taoiseach might let us know if he expects that to be about funding. What does it mean for SNA places? There will be hugely increased demand for SNAs, which was not part of the conversation last week, and we know an additional supplementary budget is coming for those.

Outside the Dáil today, there was a protest by a large number of mostly young people who are newly qualified paramedics. The Taoiseach may have seen that they gathered a petition over the weekend. About 10,000 people have signed it. For the last three years, they have been doing a degree to become paramedics and they have also been working part time for the HSE. When they were brought in through a recruitment campaign in late 2022, into this degree course and into the part-time work, they were given the clear understanding that they would be given permanent contracts. This was reiterated as recently as December of last year. All of a sudden, they have had the rug pulled out from under them and they have been told they have to reapply in a competition for their own jobs. They are absolutely gutted. They are being told, having believed they would be working relatively close to where their children go to school and so on, that they could be sent to another side of the country and not even got a job with the HSE. This is a shameful way to treat these young people. Can the Taoiseach intervene on their behalf?

War is a racket. It is an opportunity for many profiteering companies and individuals to try to rip people off. With Trump's new reckless, illegal, criminal, imperialist war in the Middle East, energy prices are going to rise even higher. In some cases, they already have, so the cost of home heating oil has gone up €80 since last Friday, for which there is no justification. That oil would already have been bought before the bombing started. The Taoiseach said earlier that he was going to raise this price gouging with the Minister for energy and has asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to examine any unfair pricing practices. This is like "Back to the Future". We heard all of this when the cost-of-living crisis started five years ago. Ultimately, the Government refused to do anything at all. Report after report seemingly vindicated energy companies and supermarkets, claiming they are not profiteering when it is obvious that they are. The Taoiseach has the power to introduce price controls. Will he use that power?

Nuair a bhí na horduithe dianghlasála i bhfeidhm, bhí faic le déanamh i mBaile Átha Cliath thuaidh agus bhí go leor daoine ag snámh san fharraige. Tá sé sin an-mhaith don intinn agus don tsláinte. Maidir le well-being, will the Department commit to more funding for north Dublin's swimming areas? Regarding Bá Bhaile Átha Cliath, tá an méid pollution atá ann uafásach. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil a lán airgid ag dul isteach sa Ringsend centre but for the Dollymount Dames, Blue Balls Ireland, and the swimmers at Dollymount beach and Howth and in all the coastal areas that I represent, getting into the water is an escape. Will that be prioritised in wellbeing?

I think swimming should be obligatory and mandatory for everyone in this House. It would take a lot of tension out of the House. It would be very therapeutic for all the Members. Táim an-sásta an-chuid oibre a dhéanamh chun níos mó tacaíocht a thabhairt do na daoine atá ag snámh sa tír seo.

The Taoiseach would want to do something about water quality in Dublin Bay.

Come up to the north side.

Táim an-bháúil le daoine a bhíonn ag snámh san fharraige go háirithe. Níl an t-am agam é a dhéanamh mé féin i rith an gheimhridh ach, le cúnamh Dé, beidh níos mó seansanna agam chun snámh san fharraige i rith an tsamhraidh. In respect of sexual assault, Deputy Coppinger is not here, but I need the background of the case. I think the assertion was that in UCD, a student lost their place in medicine as a result of a sexual assault, which should not happen. I do not know the background to it but I would be interested in getting the full case. I will ask my officials to contact UCD in respect of this, because the dignity and respect framework should be observed and adhered to and absolute priority must be given to a victim of gender-based and sexual assault. Also, I do not understand how a rapist would be allowed to complete their degree on campus, if that was the assertion. Rapists should be in jail and convicted for such heinous crimes. If I could get the background of that, I will engage with UCD in the first instance because it was mentioned and I would like to hear its perspective on it. In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, is preparing work on the cost of disability and has already initiated a public consultation on that. That is a sustainable way of dealing with the cost that people with a disability undoubtedly have. It is better to do it in a proper, measured, sustained way that is researched properly and evidence-based. That is the approach the Minister is taking. The Deputy has already raised the issue of the hearing, which I have already responded to. On the National Ambulance Service, I will talk to the Minister for Health to get the full background. If commitments were made to people, they need to be realised. It is a pity because the professionalisation of first responders and emergency paramedic technicians is the one area we have made great progress on. It is a very important area that has done a lot to reduce death and provide early interventions prior to someone being transported to a hospital. It is critical. I was involved in establishing it, in terms of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, so I have an interest in it. Deputy O'Sullivan raised the issue of water quality. My understanding is that overall water quality has improved but there is an issue in Carrignavar. There is an issue on the north side of Cork city in terms of water quality, which is quite poor. We have made a lot of representations to Irish Water. There has been some progress made in some areas. Again, however, Irish Water has internal reforms, which it is progressing in respect of addressing any issues that might pertain to Irish Water itself. Deputy McGreehan spoke about social prescribing and community health projects. I would be very enthused by those. They are very important. There is a lot more we can do there. The Deputy has identified some areas of the report in terms of single parents being under pressure and the area of mental health, where there is a greater need for not just clinical interventions or primary care and community care-based interventions but also broader supports and strengthening multidisciplinary teams in addition to psychiatry alone. Deputy Hayes raised the well-being framework. Again, he mentioned social justice. The well-being framework we have is a very comprehensive one. I would prefer if social justice inputted into that framework so that we would have one framework. Maybe this framework is too positive in most of its outcomes. That is the problem; we do not do positivity very well in this country

That was not really the issue.

We are not positively disposed to positivity - I will put it that way - which is fine. I can understand that, too, to a point. We must always strive for better and do things better in some areas. Deputy O'Rourke raised the issue of special classes. We spoke earlier on that. The Minister will be coming back to us in respect of that. There will be further discussions at Government level. I have answered Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, which was similar to Deputy Ó Murchú's in terms of first responders-----

Paramedics.

Paramedics, yes. I would say to Deputy Murphy that war is a terrible thing. I have no interest in war. I would prefer if all issues could be resolved diplomatically through peaceful means. I am satisfied that Ireland's approach to world affairs is one of peace and trying to help other people, generosity and particularly helping those who are furthest behind, which has always been the hallmark of Irish foreign policy, aid and peacekeeping.