Kieran O'Donnell

I thank Deputy O'Hara for raising this important matter which I am taking on behalf of Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary. In responding to the question, I will first provide an overview of the occupational injuries benefit scheme and the supports available from the Department of Social Protection to people with long Covid. The occupational injuries benefit scheme is a group of benef…

Once again, I thank Deputy O'Hara for raising this important matter. As I said, I am taking this matter on behalf of Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary. The Government and I recognise the great work of healthcare workers during Covid and, in fact, the continual great work of healthcare workers. As referenced in my opening statement on behalf of Deputy Calleary, the Minister for Socia…

I thank Deputy Nash for taking this amendment, which was tabled by Deputy Sherlock. The proposed amendment from Deputy Sherlock seeks to provide HIQA and the Health and Safety Authority inspectorates under the Workplace Relations Act 2015 with the powers to request information relevant to the performance of their functions, as set out under the Health Act 2007, and allows each organisation to shar…

I will go back over my contribution for the sake of clarity. I thank the visitors for their patience and welcome them. Neither the Health and Safety Authority nor the Workplace Relations Commission have many functions assigned to them under the Act, rendering the proposed provision inoperable for either body. Additionally, the established legislation for the Workplace Relations Commission, under…

I thank Deputy Rice for tabling this amendment. Section 69B(2) sets out the circumstances where a homecare support provider can seek an exemption to the requirement to register under the Bill. This ensures there is suitable clarity and transparency about when a person will be exempt from the requirement to register. Section 69B(2)(a) provides that where a person provides a homecare support service…

I thank Deputy Rice for his support for the legislation and assure him that all aspects will be covered in the review. In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, PA services are under the remit of the Department of children and disability. Our Department has been very open. The other Department has a review ongoing so PA is not included in the legislation at the moment, but we are open going forward in the …

Will the Ceann Comhairle permit me to make a final comment?

I thank all the contributors to Second Stage, Committee Stage and Report Stage. This is an important Bill and I thank them all for their contributions. The development of this regulatory framework has been a key priority for the Government and represents an integral part of the ongoing development of the statutory homecare scheme as committed to in the programme for Government. I acknowledge the w…

I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising this important matter. Long-term residential care is a crucial part of the overall continuum of care and, 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 Government is committed to continued investment in healthcare infrastructure that supports the hi…

I thank Deputy Healy-Rae. I join with him in commending all the staff in both St. Columbanus and the district hospital in Killarney who provide such a great service to the patients who are there. As I said, the 101 patients will transfer over to the new community nursing home unit. All current staff will transfer to the new facility and I have been advised that the recruitment campaigns for additi…

I will follow up on that request.

I thank Deputy Quinlivan for the opportunity to discuss the challenges and the ongoing developments to support University Hospital Limerick and our health services across the mid- west region. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I acknowledge that there are significant challenges at the UHL site, which are having an impact on patients, staff and …

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and the concerns raised by the UHL medical board. Like the Deputy, I am local TD in Limerick and I am fully aware of the concerns raised. The Government is fully committed to driving significant improvements to the health service at UHL and across the mid-west. As the Deputy stated, UHL is one of the busiest emergency departments in Ireland. Inc…

I sincerely thank the Members of the House for their heartfelt contributions this evening and the specific points raised. Today, the House has reflected on the scoping exercise in response to requests from Dignity4Patients on behalf of the victims and survivors of Michael Shine. As we close, I want to bring us back to the heart of why this process matters. It is because it affects the lives of th…

I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important matter. Heather House Community Nursing Unit, CNU, provides important and valued services for the people of the northside of Cork city and surrounding areas. There is a typo in the reply. I understand the significant role the CNU plays in the community and the importance of the facility. Heather House Community Nursing Unit was opened in 2011, and a…

Community nursing units such as Heather House form an integral part of local communities and provide invaluable service to the people who live in those communities as they age. I have already outlined that there are currently 60 beds open in Heather House CNU. I will once again reiterate that the new 17-bed dementia unit is at the final stage of applying for registration with HIQA. The HSE advises…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — while a large proportion of cancers are preventable, our growing and ageing population is a key driving factor behind the increase in cancers; — today, over 220,000 people in Ireland are living with or after cancer, a 50 per cent increase compared to a decade ago; — the National Cance…

I join with other colleagues across the House in acknowledging the great work of all healthcare workers, including medical, nursing and administrative staff and others throughout the health service. They do fantastic work. This year will mark the 13th anniversary of the launch of Ireland’s first national cancer strategy and is an opportune time to reflect on the progress made since 1996 and to loo…

Addressing the home support waiting list is a priority for me in 2026 and the HSE National Service Plan 2026 includes, for the first time, an explicit target to reduce waiting times. As part of this, I have secured funding for an additional 257 directly employed staff in 2026, with the highest allocation of 56.5 healthcare assistants, HCAs, and three managers going to the west and north-west regio…

I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn. I assure him that there is an intensive recruitment campaign for healthcare assistants for Donegal. As I said, 39 additional healthcare support assistants have been hired since September to the Donegal services for home support. Furthermore, 43 candidates have been offered roles and are currently progressing through pre-employment checks. Seventeen of those are clear…

In my role as Minister of State for older people, particularly dealing with home support services, I want to bring down the waiting lists. I want the HSE to actively recruit staff. I have met with the HSE about that on a number of occasions. For the first time, in the national service delivery plan for the HSE we are looking specifically to reduce waiting lists. As it stands, 39 additional healthc…

The 2025 programme for Government includes a commitment to explore the creation of a national centre of excellence for traditional skills. In furtherance of this commitment the Heritage Council established a task force on traditional skills. The task force met five times during the course of 2025 and is due to meet again later this month. The task force has to date commissioned three pieces of wor…

I thank Deputy Callaghan. It is a programme for Government commitment, which is as strong a commitment as we can get, to explore the creation of a national centre of excellence for traditional skills. A task force has been established and it has commissioned work. There will be a report from the Heritage Council to the Government in respect of the work of the task force later this year. By way of …

With regard to the ongoing work of the task force, I mentioned the RED C survey on public attitudes to traditional skills. There was also an audit of traditional skills courses on the island in 2025. More particularly, there is an economic assessment of the demand for traditional skills, which goes back to the point Deputy Callaghan made. The report on the public attitude to the provision of cours…

I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority, and the increase in homelessness figures is a concern for the Government. Budget 2026 allocated €513 million in current funding to ensure that indivi…