John Clendennen

I thank the Minister. Previous speakers have mentioned the likes of town and village renewal and rural recreation development funds. In many cases it requires an input from the local authority and the community. The likes of the local development company also need to get involved to fund the initial feasibility plans or design plans to ensure the projects are ready to progress to the next stage. W…

I thank the Minister for his time here today. I welcome this legislation - the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) Bill - and its important and timely measures. It is being introduced in a moment of real pressure on households, businesses and our wider community, when we need a measured response. In recent months, as other speakers have alluded to, global energy markets have been significantl…

9. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any analysis or action plan currently being considered in terms of additional healthcare capacity in the midlands, in particular elective care capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17322/26]

This morning I would like to ask for an update for a position regarding any analysis or action plan currently being considered in terms of additional healthcare capacity in Offaly and the midlands, particularly in relation to elective care capacity.

I thank the Minister. It is welcome news that we are looking at new elective capacity in the midlands. It is something I have raised here in the past in this Chamber. We have a situation where patients and carers are travelling to every corner of the country rather than the midlands for that surgery and medical care. It will assist in relation to providing better care and local care but also with …

I appreciate the Minister’s support in this regard. The objective is to get to a stage where there will be a call for expressions of interest and follow-through of this plan in order that surgical procedures will happen in Tullamore or elsewhere in the midlands. That is what we all have to aspire to. I acknowledge the Minister’s recent visit to the midlands regarding ongoing facility works, such …

Last week I submitted a paper to the Department of Tourism, Enterprise and Employment to protect customers, an equal playing field for businesses, to address bid rigging and to dismantle cartels. We saw the conflict that is taking over the Middle East at the weekend. We have seen the price of brent crude oil increase by 26% in global markets over the last 90 days and we have seen the same increase…

This is a very important issue for rural Ireland in particular. In October 2024, in my own local village of Kinnitty, which has a few hundred people living there and a thousand-odd people in the parish, news broke that the postmistress, Breda Byrne, was retiring. We had a public meeting to try to see if somebody could take it on. We tried to get a shop to take it on, but there was a very deep woun…

I concur with Deputy Kelly in relation to roads and the condition they are currently in. Roads have taken an absolute pounding in recent months as a result of relentless bad weather. We received funding last week, which is very much welcome, but the pace of the provision of funding and the pace of deterioration are at two very different levels. Will the Government consider a special supplementary …

I will start by acknowledging the commitment of the Government to SNAs. Over €3 billion has been provided this year and there is a commitment to reach 26,000 SNAs by September. I also acknowledge all the other services and supports for education such as books, transport, uniforms or meals. The role of the SNA has evolved so much in recent years and now comes with a level of complexity around beha…

100. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on staffing levels and vacancy rates across the children’s disability network teams; how these are affecting service access for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13292/26]

My question this morning is about referrals to children’s disability network teams, CDNTs. Will the Minister of State provide updates on staffing levels and vacancy rates across teams and how they are affecting services access for children?

I congratulate the Minister of State on her new Ministry and I wish her the best of luck with it. I agree with her on the need for early intervention. At the end of the day, we need results. Children and their families cannot wait and critical windows of intervention can be missed, which ends up with complex cases becoming more complex. My concern relates to with families, who have seen a child d…

I thank the Minister of State for that update. Where they are being assessed and availing of a service within the CDNT, generally the feedback is positive but where they are not, they are ending up in a private system and having to pay. Alternatively, they are ending up in the primary care system. Where there is complexity of need, more often than not the facilities and services they need with reg…

The tragic deaths of Mary Holt and Tadhg Farrell in an arson attack caused profound shock and concern across the community of Edenderry and beyond before Christmas. As the investigation continues, I have met with many members of the local community who want the opening hours of the Garda station to be extended and increased visibility of gardaí on the ground in the town. Last week, 168 new gardaí …

In December 2020, the west Offaly power station in Shannonbridge closed due to the failure to secure planning for transition to biomass. This left a financial void of €1.7 million per year from a commercial rates perspective. Thankfully the Government stepped in and has supported Offaly County Council ever since. However, that support is due to conclude at the end of 2026. Measures have been taken…

I certainly welcome this plan. It is very timely in terms of where we are as a country. There is a commitment from a multi-annual funding perspective, and it shows delivery, whether it be housing, energy, transport or water. In order to achieve delivery, however, we need co-ordination. I can give the Minister of State just one example of where modern methods of construction today are being used to…

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak this evening. Before I start, I want to reflect on how far we have come as a nation in the last 25 years in relation to health. Our budget in 2000 was €5.6 billion and this year it is €27.4 billion, which is a fivefold increase. We see improved individual outcomes, economic growth with a healthier and more productive workforce, increased life expectancy a…

I appreciate the Minister of State's response but the options that will be given to patients in the midlands are in every geographical location around the country except the midlands and that is exactly what needs to change. Sláintecare commits to reducing waiting times, bringing care closer to home and regional delivery. We want to see all three delivered in the midlands. On a basic human level, …

Birr Men Together is a men's shed established in recent years. It is trying to find a permanent home. We made inquiries to the Department about an old weather station. We were told it is currently under consideration by a State body and is therefore not available for community use. The problem I see here is that this property has been lying idle since 2009. It has been idle and decaying. Now, when…

I am very proud to come from a small village called Kinnitty where we have benefited significantly from multimillion euro investment in the public realm, public services and the development of the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails. However, in the last 12 months, we have lost our post office and our last shop, which had served the community for decades. Thankfully, a 68-year-old man, Mr. Jodie Fla…

This week, Offaly County Council unanimously supported new hospice care for Offaly, clearly demonstrating an appetite for further healthcare provision in the county and in the region. Meanwhile, we need the same ambition now in elective surgery. We see people sitting in congestion on trains and in cars, while too many are also on waiting lists. We really need ambition now to ensure we increase tha…

174. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his long-term strategy for ensuring the sustainability of public finances given the demographic pressures outlined in the Department of Finance's Future Forty: Ireland's Demographic Outlook, which projects an increase in the old-age dependency ratio from 23.1% in 2022 to 55.2% by 2065; and if he will make a statement on the ma…

I agree with the Tánaiste that long-term forecasting models are very welcome. When we look at some of the measures we have introduced already, like the Future Ireland Fund and saving for days of pressing future financial demands, the question is whether we are doing it at a fast enough pace. Regularly, in this Chamber, we hear negative connotations and associations concerning migration. This repor…

One point in relation to funds is that the strength of deposits in Ireland on a domestic and international basis must be noted. The registration of auto-enrolment on 1 January is a big step forward. It is certainly welcome. Given the objective that it is set to achieve, it is going in the right direction. I have one ask. There is an element of apprehension, particularly among small businesses, abo…