Rose Conway-Walsh

I acknowledge the hard work done by my colleague Deputy Cullinane in this area. He has presented all the proposals and solutions to fix what is happening in dental services. Dental care is a critical part of the health and well-being of any human being but it is not treated as such by the Government, which has failed to address the critical shortage in this area of healthcare provision. Between 20…

16. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to improve turnaround times on decisions regarding applications for supplementary welfare allowance to cover transport costs for getting to hospital appointments for patients who receive notification of an appointment at short notice and do not have sufficient time to apply and wait for approval of their travel supplem…

I was really pleased to see this on the agenda. It is very important that we have this discussion in the Chamber today because it really matters. On orphan drugs and clinical trials, it is important to have that negotiation power for the leverage we need, and it is really important that we address this on an all-island basis and have an all-island system. We have been looking at this within the Go…

21. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the most recent EU Leaders’ meeting or council. [45616/26]

41. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the revised national digital and AI strategy. [45617/26]

137. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide an update on his engagement with a company (details supplied) regarding recent job losses and redundancies announced by the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45929/26]

139. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reason the export of €20 million worth of dual-use technology to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Ministry of Defence was sanctioned by his Department in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45930/26]

140. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on his Department's investigation into exports to Russia from a company (details supplied); when the investigation is expected to be completed and if the findings will be reported in a full and transparent manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45931/26]

For counties such as Mayo, tourism is a critical economic driver. The Wild Atlantic Way has helped to showcase the extraordinary beauty of our coastline, our islands, our heritage and our communities. Yet, despite the success of these attraction, there remains significant untapped potential that requires sustained investment and support from Government. I am glad to hear the Minister talk about th…

There is a fundamental flaw at the heart of this Bill. That is the exclusion of services. It is no more complicated than that. I certainly wish to pay tribute to Senator Black who showed leadership when successive Governments refused to act. Senator Black's occupied territories Bill set out a clear and principled position. Before the 2024 general election, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised the Ir…

90. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) has been excluded from DEIS and DEIS plus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40726/26]

I have raised the unsustainable situation at Roxboro National School in Ballinrobe with the Minister's office numerous times since last November. I have visited the school, spoken with the management there and seen the urgent need for additional resources. That is why I was extremely disappointed to hear that the school had been excluded from the DEIS programme. I ask the Minister to explain to th…

I will outline to the Minister how Roxboro National School more than meets the criteria for DEIS status. It is a two-teacher rural primary school serving one of the most diverse and disadvantaged school populations in the country. The school currently has 35 pupils; 17 are from the Irish Traveller community and 18 are either in the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, system, refu…

There is transition and integration funding that can be used for other purposes when we have extreme cases like this. The management feared that the inclusion on the scheme to which the Minister refers would lead to Roxboro's exclusion from DEIS. which has now come to pass despite every other school in its HSCL cluster having DEIS or DEIS plus status. The school management and I are really struggl…

It is actually quite shocking that there are not already emergency plans in place that can respond more quickly and more effectively during periods of severe economic disruption. Businesses and workers need certainty. They need to know that when extraordinary circumstances arise, there is a clear and co-ordinated plan to support employment and cash flow. We need practical measures that can help bu…

I will set my script down and instead talk to the Minister about my biggest concern at the moment, namely, youth unemployment. It is at approximately 12% and could grow further. Graduates and their parents and families have invested in education to the point where they are coming out with four or maybe six years of education, but they do not have employment opportunities in their own country. Obvi…

14. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will meet next. [37563/26]

This week, Knock airport will celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is a huge milestone for Mayo and the wider western region. I congratulate Joe Gilmore and all the staff and board of Knock airport. At a time when many thought it was impossible, Monsignor James Horan showed extraordinary vision and determination to make Knock airport a reality. He took the "Build it and they will come" approach and …

I just could not bring myself to do it.

I only had 30 seconds.

I thank Deputy Stanley for this very important motion. Our neutrality is not an accident of history. It is a conscious expression of our independence, sovereignty and belief that small nations can be a force for peace in the world. Our non-participation in foreign conflicts or military alliances has earned Ireland respect across the globe, but this reputation has been steadily undermined by Fiann…

Mikey Henry Benson, who has scoliosis, as the Taoiseach will know, recently turned 18. I visited his home on Saturday, where he is in the loving care of his mum, Penny, his dad, Michael, and his sisters. He is a bright and happy young man despite the torture he has been through. Mikey Henry has been utterly failed by Children's Health Ireland, CHI, while his spinal curvature has regressed to 130°,…

I will do that.

10. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [34828/26]

The Taoiseach knows there are over 600,000 Irish citizens or people who hold Irish passports in the North. Obviously, there has been a significant surge in Irish passport applications from citizens living in the North since Brexit. Over 120,000 applications were received in 2024 and almost 85,000 last year. Given this sustained demand, does the Taoiseach agree that Irish citizens in the North dese…