Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Today is a profoundly important and solemn day. I want to add my voice to the full and formal State apology and to acknowledge the courage, dignity and perseverance of those survivors who fought for truth and accountability for so many years. The Report of the South East Commission of Investigation, which was published last month, lays bare not only the horrific crimes committed by the paedophile…

I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very important issue and the 161 recommendations. First, I thank the Joint Committee on Drug Use for its work. I welcomed the report and I am in agreement with many of its recommendations. As the Deputy will be aware, earlier this year I published a draft of the national drugs strategy. I delayed it because I wanted to work with the committee. Three things …

No.

No. I thank the Deputy again for her work on the drugs committee. The vast majority of the 161 recommendations will be in the new drugs strategy but one of the recommendations was on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. It falls under section 3. That legalises drugs. It is important we tell the people of the concern. The programme for Government reaffirms the Government’s commitment to a health-led appr…

Again, I have to disagree with the Deputy on that. We had a total of 15,422 cases in treatment, so we are doing work and that message needs to get out there. I visit the services around the country. I know we need to do more. The Minister and I are very mindful that we always need to put more funding into services but there are services there. As I said, there are challenges too but we are providi…

I am delighted to speak today. I welcome Jordan and Cian. I met them in Carlow a few weeks ago when they came to Barrow Brew and had a cup of coffee with me. It is important. When I met the two of them, I was so impressed because they were so passionate about the awareness of dementia. They spoke about their mammy. As everyone has said today, we are all here united in the fact that we need to make…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026 to the Dáil on behalf of the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The main purpose of the Bill is to make provision for the inclusion of retail pharmacy businesses as scheme providers and to provide a subset of contracepti…

I thank the Deputy. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister. Ireland is one of 196 signatories to the Convention of Biological Diversity, signed in 1992 and ratified in 1996. However, the treaty requires Ireland to establish a system of protected areas to conserve biodiversity. To implement this across member states, the habitats directive was adopted by the European Council of Ministers in 19…

I would like to assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to support individuals who have ceased turf cutting on protected bogs. The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has operated, as the Deputy said, for 15 years, and the majority of turf cutters on these sites have accepted compensation. Many others have consented to restoration works under the protected raised bog restoratio…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned fishery harbour centres. The Department also has responsibility for the North Harbour at Cape Clear Island, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights an…

I was in Waterford recently. There is a lot of work being done in Waterford. I understand what is happening. Dunmore East is an important part of the infrastructure that supports the Irish and EU fishing fleets, and it facilitates an increased level of leisure and tourism activity. There are ongoing improvement projects that have increased the operating efficiency of the harbour. Work has been don…

I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for education. The Department of education wishes to outline the current position in relation to the new school building for Scoil Chrónáin in Rathcoole, County Dublin. Scoil Chrónáin is an all-Irish, co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. The brief for the permanen…

I thank the Deputy for raising this. The Department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with continued roll-out of projects on a priority basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, the Department published a list of 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. While a lot of work is being done in the Department, information is needed. That will be vital when I speak to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, tomorrow and bring back these issues. I am taking this matter on her behalf. The school building project for Coachford primary school was approved to enter the Department of Education and Youth’s pipeline u…

The Department is committed to ensuring that appropriate accommodation is available for all school pupils and will, in the wider context outlined, ensure that each school project on the school building programme is subject to the due diligence required under the Government’s infrastructure guidelines. Since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has provided €796.5 million in capital funding…

Since I have known him, the Deputy has consistently come to the Dáil and raised issues relating to rare diseases. He has worked so hard not just in respect of this particular drug but also in respect of several others. I thank him for his commitment and his hard work on this. I know he is constantly meeting the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The State acknowledges the importance of access to …

Two new frameworks are agreed with Medicines for Ireland. This is the Irish pharmaceutical healthcare association on the supply and pricing of medicines. These have been successfully reached following extensive negotiation with the pharmaceutical sector. These two new framework agreements will change things. A tender for conducting this review was published on Monday, 15 June. Once commenced, the …

I am pleased to join my colleagues today in marking Pride month. This is an important month to reflect on the role we each play in supporting equality and inclusion in Irish society. Pride is about visibility, dignity, respect and celebrating identity and belonging. As a Minister of State in the Department of Health, I am particularly conscious of the importance of inclusion services. Good public …

I thank the Deputy for tabling the amendment, which relates to flavours and packaging law being introduced in respect of vapes as a result of a nicotine consumption order. The Bill introduces measures relating to nicotine consumption products, including pouches or any other products containing nicotine, in order to protect our children and take action while the use of these products is low. The me…

Again, I understand. Pouches have been spoken about. We are all learning about pouches. Vaping was new to us a while ago. We are looking at pouches now, and that is why there will be a second Bill to deal with pouches, colours, flavours and packaging. There are directives from the EU. We moved very quickly on this. We feel that this younger people, and we need to move on pouches, colours, flavours…

I thank the Members for this very important motion and for giving me the opportunity to discuss dentistry services and to provide an update on the developments in the sector and the oral health action plan. The Government allocates over €240 million to the provision of public oral healthcare services every year across the Department of Health and the Department of Social Protection. This ongoing i…

I do understand the challenges that are there. I see them daily. With our new action plan, going forward, we want to make those changes. We are not opposing the motion.

I thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important issue. The Government is committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention and maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates and timely access to treatments. The availability of appropriate, fit-for-purpose facilities and equipment is critical to the safe and timely delivery of cancer care. Since the launch of the national canc…

I thank Deputy Burke. As he said, this is a serious issue. I know the Government is committed and I will certainly bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Ensuring better prevention, maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates and timely access to treatment are priorities for the Government. Access to state-of-the-art and fit-for-purpose facilities and equipment is fundamenta…

I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for older people and housing, Deputy O'Donnell. Long-term residential care is a crucial part of our healthcare system. Across the country, our HSE community nursing units, CNUs, and community hospitals play a vital role in the provision of long-term care and other services. The …