Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

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…

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 p…

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…

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. …

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 k…

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 w…

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 wo…

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 liv…

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 s…

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 eff…

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 drug…

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 vap…

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 …

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 prioritis…

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 addres…

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. A…

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 …

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 ty…

And the services. I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very serious issue today.

I begin by acknowledging the anxiety that many young patients and their families will be feeling this week as they read the report's findings on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. I can only imagine the distress and upset the families are experiencing. There is clearly an urgent need to establish why so many childr…

I thank everyone for the opportunity to address the House on the issue raised by the Deputies who tabled this motion. I begin by echoing the opening remarks of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and thank the Deputies for their constructive and positive contributions to this important motion on the issue of fair and sustainable funding for carers, home support and nursing home …

We can all see how passionate the Minister of State is about National Biodiversity Week. I am pleased to follow my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, and to join this important discussion as we mark National Biodiversity Week. It is a key moment in our national calendar when we reflect on, celebrate and, most important, act to protect and restore Ireland's precious na…

I thank the Deputy. What he raised this evening highlights an issue of concern. I want to give him an update on the patient transport service in County Tipperary. The patient transport service, which provides non-emergency patient transport for some patients in the south-east region, was set up in 2013. It was set up on a discretionary basis by the HSE for the region. Hospitals there were given a…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and giving me the opportunity to update him on transport in County Tipperary. The Deputy mentioned the Red Cross, Order of Malta and Civil Defence, and it is important we pay tribute to the great work they do. They are excellent. It is important the Deputy recognised them and that we all recognise them. I assure the Deputy the HSE and Tipperary University H…