Emer Higgins

As I stand here, I am really conscious of the pressures people are under. At petrol stations, people are paying more and more for their fill. At supermarket tills, people are paying more and more for groceries. The cost of living is rising and the cost of doing business is rising. That is why the Government has acted with the largest support package in the EU. For those with disabilities and their…

I thank all Deputies in the House and on the disability matters committee for their constructive and robust engagement on this important Bill, both to date and on Second Stage and Committee Stage. I know there is widespread agreement on the need for this Bill to ensure that wards of court who are due to transition out of wardship have the legal certainty that they require and they are enabled to m…

On Deputy O'Rourke's question, the Department briefed IHREC on the proposed amendments in advance of taking the legislation through the Houses. In the context of Deputy Quaide’s question on resourcing, the decision support services received an uplift in their budget this year for that reason. We trust that the services will use that money accordingly. We all agree that consultation is the name o…

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I am really sorry to hear of this and would be happy to engage with the Deputy to get the details of the situation, if his constituent is willing to share them. I will take it up directly with the HSE for the Deputy.

I wish to start by thanking and welcoming everyone to the Dáil Chamber today. In particular, I wish to pay tribute, as the Ceann Comhairle has done, to Ms Brigid Walsh, who is 90 years of age and has just left the Gallery. It is great to see women of all ages here today. It is a real honour to be here celebrating International Women's Day, which took place last week, and recognising the wonderful…

.I thank all of the Deputies who spoke on his really important Bill both last night and tonight. I acknowledge Members who contributed to the debate and indicated their support for progressing what is urgent and important legislation. I really appreciate the fact that support came from both sides of the House. A lot of different issues were touched on both tonight and last night, so I going to do…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Disability Matters pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on Second Stage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026. This is urgent legislation, intended to ensure legal certainty for wards of court who are moving to a decision-making process, as set out in the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act of 2015. I appreciate the understanding shown b…

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley. The Minister would like to thank Deputy O'Donoghue for raising this important issue and for offering her the opportunity to respond. I will deliver her response to the Deputy. Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Governme…

I am glad to hear that some of the policies the Minister is pursuing and introducing may be of benefit to the Deputy in his constituency, but most importantly, the parents and children in his constituency. Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year, and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the national developm…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Government and I, like the Deputy, are committed to early intervention for children with disabilities, to ensure they can access the appropriate supports at the earliest possible stage. Those services are delivered through our children’s disability network teams for children with complex needs. Recruitment and retention of health and social…

In terms of staffing, this year's budget has allocated €8 million, which will provide for 150 new staff across our CDNTs. We will prioritise the placement of those new staff on the teams that have the highest vacancy rates. That is to make sure that we are providing more therapies to children who need them and who are waiting longer on lists. It is also to make sure that we are supporting the staf…

There are 45,000 children receiving support and therapies through our CDNTs nationally and that is really positive. We are embarking on a recruitment campaign to make sure we are bolstering our teams. Part of that will be international and national recruitment but it will also be making sure, for example, that we are expanding training places, which happened in June of last year. There will be up …

The delivery of an effective, efficient assessment of need system is a priority for the Government, which is why we are bringing in reforms in this area. There has been intensive work by the Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of assessments of need to children and their families. Children do not require an assessment of need to access health services, including primary care,…

I want to be absolutely clear, and to reassure parents in particular, that proposed legislative changes will not in any way remove any right for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their child, and will not alter the six-month timeline in the Act. That is important to say, and I do not want parents to be misled on that. The changes include changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, which…

We know that at the heart of this are children - children with disabilities who need access to therapies. Right now, they are waiting too long for access to therapies and too long for assessments of need. That is wrong. That is why, just in December, we outlined reforms. Those reforms include statutory guidelines, which will streamline and standardise the process. That will include decisions being…

There will be a new pathways option for children who are potentially autistic. They will be set up by in-reach teams, 11 of which will be created across the country.

I will revert to the Deputy with that exact number. I have the exact number that he requested in his question, which I read out, but I will get the number for last year too and give it to the Deputy. That is no problem. We are also hiring more people for the CDNT teams. We have a new single point of access that ensures no child is on the wrong waiting list, and there is no such thing as a wrong d…

I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this really important topic which I am taking today on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. From the outset, I want to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, however neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public…

I fully agree. It makes absolute sense to utilise existing routes. It makes sense from a sustainability perspective, from an efficiency perspective and, most importantly, from a public transport users' perspective. I will absolutely take that feedback back to the Minister for Transport. Orbital routes have been a success in most instances. There has been huge investment in them and that is because…

I thank Deputy Ó Muirí very much for raising this Topical Issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. To clarify, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, but he does not have responsibility for or involvement in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. That rests with the National Transport Authority. The…

I thank the Deputy. He is right. He has to raise these issues on behalf of his constituents. At the end of the day, transport connectivity is massively important to people. It is important to people who are using it to get to work or to get to study. It is a part of day-to-day life. Public transport is something that should be able to be relied on. The Deputy spoke of published timetables being a …

A meeting is being arranged.

I remind Members that the Minister, Deputy Foley, in her opening remarks, set out the objectives and principles underpinning this Bill. Its core function is to revise and update the Child Care Act 1991. This Bill is aimed at reflecting changes in child welfare and protection services in Ireland over the past 30 years. It will capture current legislative, policy and practice developments. Most impo…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Children and Equality pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).