I thank the Deputy for a very important question. As he knows, the independent evaluation of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, assisted with the expansion of harm reduction in a significant way. Our new drugs strategy will be launched next year, hopefully. That is very important to us. We have found that the harm reduction initiatives were a central component of the health-led approach …
TDs / Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Minister of State at the Department of Health
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
71
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
73,689
words spoken in the chamber
73,206 as a minister, 483 as a TD
397
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
28
topics asked about
Across 17 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 71 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 156 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 12 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 33 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 0 | 3 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 17 |
| June 2025 | 2 | 5 |
| July 2025 | 4 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 4 | 2 |
| October 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 6 | 14 |
| December 2025 | 2 | 11 |
| January 2026 | 1 | 10 |
| February 2026 | 0 | 3 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 15 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 20 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 10 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 17 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 79 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Carlow-Kilkenny 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Health 29 January 2025 to now
Everything is being assessed. The evaluation of what is happening with drugs around the country is being looked at. As I said at the meeting the other day, we have 610 services around the country. We are very mindful of that and that all have equal access to services. We are assessing every opportunity here, working within the Department, the HSE and, as the Deputy knows, our drugs task forces, which do huge work wit…
Absolutely. All the Deputy's concerns are very important. We are talking about lives, and it is very important that we remember that one life lost is one too many. We have to do what we can to save lives and make sure we work with what we have and the services we have. We have to make sure that we deliver the services we can deliver and that people who want to access them can do so. We also have to work with their fa…
I thank the Deputy. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, who unfortunately cannot be here today. The total allocation for mental health services in 2026 is almost €1.6 billion, the sixth year in a row in which the mental health budget has increased. This increase in funding for mental health services will enable continued policy implementation and service improvements in l…
I absolutely agree. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is very passionate about this and has been working very hard on it. There are three new crisis resolution services, that is, crisis cafés, to support people in distress. They are located in Donegal, Kerry and Tullamore in the midlands. An allocation of €4 million has been given for this. Funding of €1 million has been provided for 12 additional suicide service…
I certainly will go back to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on those very important points. I absolutely agree we need more beds. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is very much aware of that. It is something the Government is looking at and the Minister definitely will work on it.
There is a challenge in dealing with suicide in extremely complex cases. We have seen cases where a single event is the factor…
I thank the Minister for her opening statement. I know how hard she has been working on this for the last few months. My heart goes out to the families. The Minister and I are thinking of them, the children who are on waiting lists waiting for surgery and those who have lost children.
It is right to say that we are not where we need to be, as the Minister has said. We need to address the urgent problems in spinal ca…
Municipal districts.
I thank the Deputy. This is a very serious issue for children who are waiting for public dental assessment in the Deputy's county of Monaghan. The HSE oral healthcare service aims to provide an oral examination and necessary treatment for children between second and sixth class and, in some cases, fourth class. Emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16 and for those with complex and additional need…
I have taken the Deputy's points on board. She also spoke about Cavan, which was the one over the one-year period. I will bring that back to the Minister. The Government is committed to addressing immediate difficulties patients are experiencing in accessing oral healthcare services as well as fundamentally reforming dental services through the implementation of the Smile agus Sláinte programme.
The two key goals of…
I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery, sets out the Government’s strategy to address the harm caused by substance misuse in Ireland up to 2025. Work is ongoing in the development of a successor strategy. We are working on that and it is to do with everybody. I am making sure that everybody is involved in it.
I am keenly aware that dru…
I am very much aware of the excellent work the task forces do. They are very much part of what we see when we look at what services are needed within the communities. The Department and I are working with the HSE to include the 24 task forces in everything. We have an all-together group. All of us working together is not about being excluded. I am making sure everyone is included. Anything to do with drugs and famili…
I will be working with the different groups. The reference group has been set up, but I will continue to meet the chairs of the task forces. This needs to go back to the task force groups that the Deputy is working with. I can assure the Deputy that I appreciate the work they do.
Auto-enrolment is a whole-of-government approach, working through the Department. It is something the Department is working on. There have…
I am delighted to inform the House on recent developments and achievements on drug policy. The Government will not oppose the motion. It is not helpful to get into a political dispute about drugs policy. It is important not to argue over something that affects the lives of so many. As new Minister of State, I assure Members that I am very mindful that we are talking about families and people's lives. It is my absolut…
I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak about men's health and describe some of the initiatives that my Department and the HSE have in place to improve men's health. As a society, we are living longer and Ireland has one of the highest life expectancies in the EU. This should be celebrated, but it also brings challenges. We need to help people to enjoy good health and well-being at every stage of life and try…
Yesterday, I attended the briefing in the audiovisual room and listened to the parents and families of children on the waiting list. My heart goes out to them. I welcome that the Government has committed to an inquiry and I urge that this happens as soon as possible. It is right to acknowledge that we are not where we need to be in addressing urgent problems in spinal care, despite the sincere efforts of successive M…
I am delighted to announce further investment in budget 2026 for the national drugs strategy and health and well-being. The total allocation for drugs and inclusion health has increased to €289 million. This is an increase of €11 million in non-pay related measures. I am determined that people throughout the country will access timely quality care. I am committed to the continued expansion of drugs services across al…
I am pleased to address the House as Minister of State with special responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy. I will talk about vaping and the use of other nicotine products by our young people and what the Government is doing about this public health challenge. Every day, I hear from parents, teachers and coaches who worry about how many of our children are vaping. Residents and T…
First, I thank everyone for the points that have been raised and for this important debate. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and I are very much aware of the issues of bringing the legislation before the House. Some TDs said we are not moving quickly enough in respect of it, but we are. It is a priority. I assure Members of that.
We all want our children to have the best start in life, and that is why it is im…
Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a major problem in society that affects many women and children. The Government and the Minister are committed to tackling it. The Government is delivering on the commitments in the zero-tolerance strategy to achieve a society in which sexual violence and the toxic attitudes that fuel it are not accepted. Since taking office, the Minister has prioritised legislation in th…
I thank the Deputy. I understand that this issue is very important. The provision of out-of-hours GP services is an important part of healthcare and it is essential that people have access to out-of-hours GP services when needed. It is worrying that the Deputy spoke about children travelling in a taxi during the night to the hospital. That is a concern and is definitely something we need to address.
As the Deputy kn…
I understand the Deputy’s concerns. It is something I will go back to the Department to clarify. I have been informed that, as of 5 June last, 22 patients have been seen at the Blackpool clinic in 2025 and approximately 410 home visits were carried out in the Blackpool area in the same period. SouthDoc has confirmed that the Blackpool treatment centre remains operational on an appointment basis. Alternative care may …
I thank the Deputy for highlighting such a serious case for the child and her family. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
Scientifically advanced machines such as PET-CT scanners play a significant role in the diagnosing of cancers and other conditions. A PET scan shows how tissues and organs are functioning by detecting radioactive tracers that can show up parts of…
As I said, the Deputy might give me the particular case and the details of what he has said today. If he could send it to the Department of Health, I will make sure we get back to him. I thank everyone here today for the attention they have given to this really important matter. I reiterate that the PET-CT scanners are an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of a variety of conditions, but they are typically used for can…
And the services. I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very serious issue today.