Grace Boland

I agree that the roll-out of the national broadband plan has been a success. We just need to make sure that people, families, residents and businesses are not left behind. I will contact the Minister's office in relation to the specific areas.

I wish the best of luck to Deputy Donohoe. He is the standard to which we all aspire in Fine Gael. I thank him for all of his support. Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Garristown, Balrothery and Oldtown are all principally served by Balbriggan Garda station. Balbriggan is the youngest large town in the country. It is the most culturally diverse town in the country, yet we have not had a permanent superinten…

82. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has examined international best practice in public transport app design; if lessons from other jurisdictions are being considered in the digital strategy for TFI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63379/25]

88. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Fingal has been identified as a priority area by the forward planning unit; the criteria used to determine such prioritisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61499/25]

I have mentioned many times that Fingal is the youngest area in the country and is also the fastest growing. Balbriggan is the youngest large town in the country and yet, we have a serious lack of childcare places. In January 2024, a supply management unit was set up in the Minister's Department. It was later renamed the forward planning unit yet nearly two years later, families in Fingal are stil…

It is nearly two years. There has to be a sense of urgency by this unit. We need to see a plan from it and we need to see a clear timeline as to when we are going to see outputs. I am not asking for the specifics but I am asking to make sure this Department is delivering. Two years is simply not good enough. People who need childcare are putting off their lives and quitting jobs. They are not part…

I appreciate that the Minister has only been in her position for nine months, but the Secretary General of the Department confirmed to me that the supply management unit or forward planning unit was set up in January 2024. It is nearly two years later and we still have not seen any visible output from this unit. Will the Minister commit to publishing the criteria that will be used by the forward p…

Deputy, please confine your contribution to the question submitted.

Deputy Murphy-----

An Tánaiste, Simon Harris, has spent his entire career standing up and leading in the face of challenge - showing courage and compassion as he led this country through Covid. Within a month of taking office as Taoiseach, he led Ireland in formally recognising the State of Palestine and apologised to the families and victims of the Stardust tragedy. He has ensured continued humanitarian aid for Ga…

87. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis; the plans to introduce public awareness campaigns and GP training to support earlier intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52381/25]

Endometriosis is one of the most common women's health issues. Far too many women, including women among my family and friends, often endure chronic pain, fatigue, fertility issues and emotional distress. They often miss time at work and in education. They miss out on life generally. The average diagnostic delay is nine years. I know this is an area on which the Minister is focused. I would like t…

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive update. I mentioned the nine-year average diagnostic delay. Women have felt ghosted by their GPs. They feel like they have not been offered supports and have not been listened to. It seems that women are expected to put up with this intolerable, intense and chronic pain, and are essentially made to feel as if it is all in their heads. It is important tha…

I thank the Minister. I really appreciate her focus on this and as I said, women are so impressed that they now feel heard having literally been told that it is all in their heads for so long. In terms of public awareness, sometimes women, particularly younger girls and women, do not necessarily know what to be looking out for when they are talking about endometriosis. This is particularly true fo…

97. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the implementation timeline for the next generation ticketing system; the oversight mechanisms in place to ensure the project is delivered on schedule and within budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52160/25]

Next generation ticketing is something we absolutely need not just in Dublin but all of Ireland. This project was first mooted in 2012, yet here we are in 2025 and we still are waiting. Can the Minister please give us an update as to where we are with this project, the oversight mechanisms and how we can ensure this project is delivered to the new timelines? Can he give us confidence as to when we…

I thank the Minister and I appreciate the update. When we look at other cities across Europe, we see they have introduced contactless payments much quicker. Milan did it in 24 months across multimode transport. One of the things I am concerned about is we have a contractor, Indra, who is to work with the NTA to deliver a very complex IT deployment across Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, and Lu…

On the operating model for the NTA, am I right that after the deployment of next generation ticketing, the NTA will be moving from simply doing oversight to directly managing fare collection, system operations and having regulatory oversight? Does this give rise to a conflict of interest between the various roles, particularly when it comes to disputes? Is there a clear operating model for the NTA…

90. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to develop a pension solution for foster carers, in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50587/25]

The Deputy is eating into his colleagues' time.

Thank you, Deputy.

8. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out the timeframe within which her Department intends to bring forward proposals for the establishment of a child death review mechanism; when implementation is expected to commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50199/25]

In light of the recent and heartbreaking death of Daniel Aruebose, I raise the urgent need for a statutory child death review mechanism. The Ombudsman for Children in the April 2025 child death review again raised his concerns as to the current system and provided clear recommendations for the Government. Such a mechanism is also provided for in the programme for Government, which is very good to …

While the State cannot control every tragedy, we do have a duty to respond to tragic deaths such as this with clarity and compassion, and that means heeding the ombudsman's recommendations. One of the ombudsman's recommendations relates to the Minister's Department where he is looking for immediate engagement with his office to find a resolution to the many limitations with the NRP in accessing in…

The Minister will know from the review and also from engagement with the ombudsman that one of the things he is really calling for is that the reports of the NRP should be shared with families and every effort be made to remove barriers to information. The frustration with timelines and communication with families can be seen throughout the report. Like everything in life, communication and clarit…