Niall Collins

That needs to be acknowledged and put on the record. Very often, the political narrative around UHL dismisses the very fine work that is going on there at all levels by porters, nurses, doctors, senior house officers, consultants and those at administration level. Of course, there have been some very unfortunate high-profile individual cases which have been in the news. They should never have happ…

I have outlined the significant investment and the significant progress that the Government has made over recent years, particularly since Fianna Fáil returned to government in 2020, by almost doubling the operational budget, increasing the workforce by well over 1,000 and increasing bed capacity. There has been a robust response. The Deputy said there has not been a robust response. I would argue…

Sorry, I have the floor. Sinn Féin describes the problem and provides a commentary on the problem, which is fine and we are all well able to do that. What would Sinn Féin do differently? How would it resource it differently?

Sinn Féin has never outlined a detailed proposal.

It will not take An Coimisiún Pleanála two years to reach a decision on the second 96-unit block.

The delivery time for decisions through An Coimisiún Pleanála has drastically fallen, thankfully.

I passed UHL recently; it is a massive building site.

There is huge investment going on there.

A lot has been done and I accept that more needs to be done. It is incumbent on everybody to point out the positives of it as well.

There are challenges there, but there are plenty of positives.

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this important matter. Addressing waiting lists is a high priority for the Government and substantial investment has been made to address waiting lists across a range of acute and community health services. A previous review of audiology services, published by the Health Service Executive in 2011 as the national audiology r…

If the Deputy passes on the details to me, I will absolutely convey them to the Minister for Health and the HSE. I will also be conveying to the Minister and the HSE the urgency the Deputy has articulated. As I outlined in my initial contribution, the HSE has partaken in a process as to how it intends to address this issue. It is at a cross-roads now in terms of coming out of a tender process and …

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter with respect to dog-breeding establishments and the number of exports internationally. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has asked me to take this matter on his behalf. The Dog Breeding Establishments Act provides a regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog-breeding establishments by local authorities …

I absolutely agree with the Deputy that more needs to be done in this area. The whole area of dog breeding is a huge industry at the moment. The 2019 Act was a very progressive start but we must revisit it and probably update it. I have always been a huge advocate for animal welfare. We must always strive to continue to do more to promote a better culture of animal welfare, whether it is for dogs,…

I am happy to address Dáil Éireann on the final piece of business for this term. I thank the two Deputies who we have just heard from and also acknowledge former Deputy Patricia Ryan. All three were involved in introducing this Private Member's Bill in December 2023. The Bill addresses a topical issue in the administration of a fair system of justice and one which has the potential to contribute t…

I thank the Deputy very much for his contribution. I know he has a great interest in this area. He has partaken in discussions on youth diversion before. At the core of our democratic model is the idea that no policy or proposal is above criticism and that the exchange of ideas that takes place here ensures that new policy and legislation reflects the needs of our people. With that in mind, I tha…

I acknowledge the very fine work of my colleague the Minister in this area and, indeed, the work that has been done across government and beyond to implement the zero-tolerance strategy. The fight against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is one we all need to engage fully with. As we have heard from the Minister, affecting substantial change in this area is possible. We can, and will, d…

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practices in areas of alternative care. The Child Care Act 1991 is the statutory framework for child welfare and protection i…

To be clear, the Deputy has told me that he has already written to the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, with regard to this. Arising from today, I will speak to the relevant officials within our Department, and I will ensure that the correspondence and communication the Deputy has sent to the Department via the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan's office, is acted on pro…

That is fine.

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this important issue. I also wish to extend the apologies of the Minister for State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Naughton, for being unable to attend today. She is currently on a delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina on behalf of the Government to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The Minister of State has also asked that her…

As previously referenced, in July 2024 an enhanced package for health and social care supports for thalidomide survivors was announced. That included prioritised and simplified access to local health and social care professionals, access to therapies, both clinical and holistic, independent living supports to include housing adaptations, car adaptations and home supports, annual health assessments…

As we know, the problem of disinformation is not a new one. What is new is how easily mistruths can be produced, how sophisticated and convincing they are, and how it can be amplified and circulated at astonishing speed. According to the Digital News Report 2025 published just last month, 68% of people said that they are concerned about what is real and what is fake online. This is clear evidence…

As I set out, the national counter disinformation strategy explores the challenge of disinformation in Ireland, its harmful effects on society and its complexity as a policy issue. It is important to state that it is not the role of our Government or, indeed, any regulator to decide on individual instances of disinformation. As mentioned, one of the fundamental aims of the strategy is to promote …

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position regarding the major building project for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire in Parnell Square. The Minister and the Department of Education and Youth are fully committed to delivering a new school building for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire as quickly as possible. Department officials …