David Cullinane

"We are not going to regain any of the abilities we've lost, but Skyclarys will give us time. Time when you're dealing with our progressive relentless disease is everything. We all deserve time with our loved ones." Those are the words of Emily Felix, a 28-year-old trainee solicitor from Kilkenny who is living with Friedreich's ataxia. It is a rare, progressive and life-limiting neurological condi…

I met many of those patients and people with the illness yesterday. Many of them were here in Leinster House. They told me, as they have in the past, they cannot walk and they cannot swallow and, as the Taoiseach acknowledged, it is also very difficult for their families who have to watch as their condition worsens and the disease progresses. This drug was approved by the European Union in 2024, o…

Today must belong first and foremost to the survivors of the horrific abuse perpetrated by Bill Kenneally. To Jason Clancy, Paul Walsh, Colin Power, Kevin Keating, Barry Murphy and every survivor, those who have spoken publicly and those who have carried their pain privately, I want to say this: our hearts are with you every day, but today especially. I recognise the enormous courage you have show…

85. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the data collected on private practice in public hospitals; the level of private activity occurring in public hospitals; her plan for removing this in its entirety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52167/26]

I acknowledge all that work. Data is important in this area because it allows us all to hold hospitals and consultants to account and to ensure that the terms of the contracts that people have entered are being honoured. As the Minister knows, the Oireachtas health committee met recently and had witnesses in from the Rotunda hospital, the Department and the HSE. I have been asking questions for th…

That is a sensible approach. I do not disagree with it. I welcome the fact that there will be an audit because data is rich when it comes to allowing all of us to see what is happening under the bonnet of hospitals and the level of private activity. I am not against private healthcare, by the way, but it needs to happen in private hospitals. Where it happens in public hospitals, it has to be withi…

87. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health her plan for tackling primary and community care waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52168/26]

This question is in relation to community care waiting lists, which I have been tracking for some time. There are now 280,000 people, unfortunately, on community waiting lists, with many of them waiting far too long. I know the Minister has talked about new initiatives to reduce community waiting lists, which I respect and want to see implemented, but, unfortunately, the numbers have been going in…

As I said, 280,000 people are on primary and community care waiting lists. Of those, 86,000 people are waiting for physiotherapy, 60,000 people are waiting for occupational therapy, 34,000 people are waiting for psychology, 32,000 people are waiting for speech and language therapy, 24,000 people are waiting for audiology, 22,000 people are waiting for dietetics, 20,000 people are waiting for ophth…

I accept all of that. In my constituency of Waterford, I deal with these issues all the time.

We receive representations from people who have been waiting far too long for an occupational therapist or a speech and language therapist. The Minister mentioned children. Very often, children are on these waiting lists. A number of weeks ago, we had a debate in the House on dental services. The number of children waiting for orthodontic treatment and dental treatment is shocking. So much more ne…

93. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health her plans to increase clinical training capacity across health professions in the south east; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52161/26]

Workforce planning is an important component of planning for health services. This question is about the south east. What additional clinical training capacity is being looked at for the coming years across the south east?

Recruitment is important and every additional staff member recruited in acute primary or community settings in the health service is to be welcomed. My question, though, was on increasing clinical training capacity. I know that also falls under the Minister for higher education. I think the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, was in the Chamber this week when I raised issues in relation to South E…

Obviously, there has to be an element of cross-departmental and cross-ministerial work on workforce planning. The health service cannot recruit quickly enough if we are not training and training capacity is very important. I imagine a lot of collaborative work is being done between the Ministers and the Departments. What I am saying is that I will raise this with the Minister for higher education-…

-----but I am raising it with the Minister for Health also. We could also have more training capacity in the south east and get the benefit from SETU and its plans. The hospital manager, whom the Minister has praised for other matters, sees this as an exciting opportunity. The 24-7 cardiology care was a big day for Waterford and is a big step forward for health in the south east. I commend the Mi…

I welcome Cian and Jordan Adams and everyone else in the Public Gallery. I thank them for their fundraising efforts and for shining a spotlight on the issue of dementia. As the Minister of State said, I am sure their late mother Geraldine would be very proud of their work. They are very welcome here today. Dementia is a significant health and social care challenge facing the State and it is growi…

The proposed pharmaceutical, veterinary and one health buildings at the South East Technological University, SETU, are really important opportunities for enhancing third level education in the south east and Waterford. All those buildings are to be housed in the Glassworks site, which is also a real opportunity for the south east. Lots of plans have been progressed by SETU. It has set out its ambi…

In 2019, RPS was commissioned to develop a feasibility study on developing Dunmore East Harbour. As the Minister of State knows, Dunmore East Harbour is in the east of County Waterford. It is a fishing port. It is also a home to a lot of leisure activity that is very busy, by the way, during the summer months. There are fantastic facilities for children and adults. It also takes in cruise liners, …

In the Minister of State’s response, she acknowledged that in 2016, the Department commissioned a feasibility study. It finished its work and reported back in 2019. We are now in 2026. That is seven years later and no progress has been made. Since 2019, that plan has sat on a shelf. The Minister of State said the Department has seven-to-ten-year plans for all fishery harbours. Dunmore East Harbour…

1. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [46894/26]

13. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [48668/26]

I support the motion and commend an Teachta Kerrane for bringing forward all the solutions, which I hope the Minister takes on board. I want to get to a point where we have the €200 per month childcare promised not just by a lot of parties before the last election but also by Government representatives. That simply has not been delivered. Even if we get to that point though it is not going to be o…

7. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on water quality will next meet. [46893/26]

I will raise an issue in respect of Woodlands, a housing estate in Portlaw, County Waterford. At the moment, water is provided through developer-provided infrastructure. This is costing the residents in this housing estate a lot of money. They obviously want to be connected to the public infrastructure. That will come at a cost. Catherine Burke, a councillor in the area, has been engaging with Iri…