Conor D. McGuinness

I thank Deputy McCormack for bringing this up because it is an issue very close to my heart and one I have been considering for a while. I had the opportunity to meet with the Irish Postmasters' Union yesterday morning. Speaking to it, a topic that came up was the impact and availability of the post office network, particularly in rural Ireland, to offset some of that exclusion and isolation that …

The Minister of State will agree it is unacceptable that Waterford is the only city, and the south-east region is the only part of the State, that does not have a Jigsaw youth mental health service. These services are not only physically based in premises but also offer outreach services. People I am dealing with right across Waterford city and county and also those in parts of south Tipperary, so…

I agree that young people in particular are under huge stresses in this day and age. There is of course a need to constantly improve our acute mental health services, particularly for young people - children and adolescents. As I said, there is a need for early intervention and that wellness piece. There are great organisations working on the ground across Waterford and I met Pride of the Déise re…

What we are witnessing in Gaza is not just a failure of diplomacy but also a moral collapse of the international order. The bombardment, forced starvation and displacement of Palestinians are not abstract tragedies; they are livestreamed horrors etched into our collective conscience. Ireland, with its history of colonial oppression and enforced starvation, cannot look away as mams and dads – those…

It is utterly shameful.

In Waterford, 147 children are waiting for an assessment of need and some have been waiting for nearly two years. That is illegal. That is the Government breaking its own laws. As the Government knows, under the Disability Act children are entitled to an assessment within six months. That is not optional. That is the law. Yet, the Government breaks that law every single day. Across the State, more…

I thank the Independent and Parties Technical Group for introducing this Bill and giving us the opportunity to speak on the issue to which it relates. I am a trade unionist and have been since I entered the workforce as a teenager. I am the Sinn Féin spokesperson on community development. I worked for many years in the community and voluntary sector. What I want to talk about in the brief time I h…

Aontaím le mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, go háirithe i dtaobh an leasú seo. Tá cuspóir leis na leasuithe ar fad atá curtha síos agam féin agus ag mo chomhghleacaí taobh liom, agus leis na leasuithe atá curtha síos ag an bhFreasúra go hiomlán, cuid acu ag teacht ó Chonradh na Gaeilge. Is é an téama ginearálta atá ag rith tríd na leasuithe seo ná an daonlathas agus Údarás na Gaeltachta a …

Luaigh an tAire na treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta. Mar a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, táimid ag feitheamh leis na blianta leis na treoirlínte sin. Tá ár gceantair Ghaeltachta i gcruachás i ndáiríre. Tá clanna óga ach go háirithe i gcruachás mar gheall ar easpa tithíochta. Tá sé seo pléite againn go mion minic sa Teach seo de bharr theip an Rialtais tithíocht inacmhainne agus shó…

Le cead an Chathaoirligh Gníomhaigh, is mian liom cúpla focal a rá maidir le leasú Uimh. 22.

Mar a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, ní thuigim cén fáth a bhfuil leasú Uimh. 22, a chuir Conradh na Gaeilge isteach ach a bhfuil ár n-ainmneacha air, as ord ach go bhfuil leasuithe an-chosúil ón Aire ceadaithe. Is dócha go bhfuil double standard de shaghas éigin i gceist. Nílim, mar Theachta Dála agus ionadaí poiblí, sásta leis sin. Ní thuigim é. Is dócha gur ceart míniú a thabhai…

Beidh mé an-ghasta mar tá sé ráite go beacht agus go soiléir ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, atá in éineacht liom. Tá m’ainm ar an leasú agus aontaím go huile is go hiomlán lena bhfuil ráite ag an Teachta Ó Snodaigh. I slí amháin, is féidir léamh a bheith agat ar an srian seo gur ardú céime é do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta agus a chomhaltaí mar beidh siad ar chomhchéim le hUachtarán na …

Gan athrá a dhéanamh ar an díospóireacht, bhí muid ag iarraidh go mbeadh gach comhalta tofa agus ní hé sin an cás. Dóibh siúd atá le bheith ceaptha ag an Aire, ba cheart go mbeadh sé leagtha síos go beacht sa bhunreachtaíocht na scileanna, an taithí agus an cumas a bheadh acu, ionas nach bhfuil aon dul as - táim cinnte nach ndéanfadh an tAire reatha an méid seo ach ní hé sin le rá nach ndéanfadh A…

Hear, hear.

This question relates to the waiting times for inpatient admission for eating disorders and plans that are in place, or not in place as the case may be, to increase the number of inpatient eating disorder beds and to properly resource the model of care. We know from the HSE's estimates that there are 1,700 new presentations of people with eating disorders every year. Between 2018 and 2022, those f…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. As she outlined, the fact is that there are only three specialist beds and they are in St. Vincent's Hospital. When the current Tánaiste was the Minister for Health, he promised to deliver 20 beds by 2023. He did not promise to deliver them for no good reason. It was understood at that time that there was an urgent need for additional capacity in the sy…

The other issue, and the Minister of State touched on it, is the number of people opting to go private. Often, parents are putting their hands in their pockets or borrowing money to access care for their children or young adults. It is important for the HSE to do work on this aspect. I understand the Minister of State does not have these figures and that they are not readily available. Whatever me…

The Government is stifling the economic potential of Waterford and the wider south east. That is the simple truth of it and there is no getting away from that. Every week that goes by without this decision being made puts a noose around the neck of the regional economy in the south east. Our region has been left waiting and waiting for critical investment in infrastructure that would unlock jobs, …

With respect to the Minister of State, the line about engaging with stakeholders is wearing fairly thin at this stage. We have heard it over the years. Everything that needs to be done in Waterford has been done by the local authorities and by the airport. Planning is in place, the regional funding is there and the project is ready to go. What is missing here is the decision by the Minister for Tr…

Do we know when?

Hear, hear.

Education is the foundation of any progressive society. It shapes our children's futures, reflects our values and must adapt to the needs of a changing Ireland. For too long our education system has failed to keep pace with the diversity of modern Ireland. We need real diversity in school patronage which respects freedom of religion and finally puts parents and children at the heart of our educati…

Europe Day should be a moment for us in Ireland to reflect on our place in the European Union, on what we have achieved as part of the European Union but also what we have failed to achieve and what has been stilted through our membership and through some of the policies of the European Union. We have seen some real benefits to rural areas from our membership of the EU over the decades, including …

On International Workers’ Day, we honour those whose work sustains our communities, public services and society. As a trade unionist, I reflect on the many struggles over many years for workers' rights and fairness. I want to speak for a group of workers who are far too often forgotten by the Government, namely those employed in the community and voluntary sector. These are people who run domestic…

A national planning framework should be a road map for fairness, decent living standards, balanced development and a future where no community is written off. What we have before us in the draft framework falls far short of that. It is a framework that gestures at ambition but lacks the backbone to deliver. It reads more like a vague wish list than a serious plan for action. This Government has fa…