Seamus Healy

It is an absolutely excellent hospital. I worked there for 21 years.

I made sure it was not transferred.

A Cheann Comhairle, that is not an acceptable answer.

Maybe the Taoiseach would get an answer for us.

A Cheann Comhairle, this motion of confidence-----

A Cheann Comhairle, this motion of confidence is a cynical political manoeuvre. A motion of no confidence has not been lodged and we have seen no details of such a motion. This procedure is unprecedented in this House and has more to do with the presidential election on Friday week. The culture of broken promises - making promises and commitments in the full knowledge they will not be kept - is un…

I get an extra minute, a Cheann Comhairle, thank you. In the 2024 general election campaign, promises and commitments were made and have been reneged on. The Tánaiste promised that a maximum childcare payment of €200 per month would come into force within 100 days of the new Government. That has not been done, it is not in the budget and there has been no mention of it or of a public childcare ser…

I will be opposing this motion.

It is accepted that persons with disabilities and their families face a much higher cost of living than people generally. A Government-commissioned report prepared by Indecon in 2021 confirmed this. It reported the additional cost at between €9,500 and €12,000 per annum. Research by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice put the additional cost at about €244 per week. A study this year by t…

I respectfully ask the Tánaiste to reflect on the decision to reduce the VAT rate for the hospitality industry. On mature reflection, the Government might reverse this totally baseless and unbelievable decision. The State is proposing to gift millions of euro to a very small number of very large and very profitable businesses. I suggest that the Government fell for a fierce lobbying campaign that …

Huge profits.

Bring in a targeted measure.

The Government is proposing to spend €681 million on what is clearly an unnecessary and wasteful cut. At the same time, the Government has raised tax on PAYE workers, reneged on its commitment to abolish the means test for carers and reneged on its commitment for a weekly cost-of-living disability payment. The Government has cut all cost-of-living supports in the budget. There is no second tier of…

Abolish it.

Nonsense.

The disabled person's grant scheme and the housing adaptation scheme are vital elements in ensuring that older people and disabled persons can remain in their homes for as long as possible and enjoy a better quality of life. These grants also support employment and small builders. Tipperary County Council has stopped taking grant applications, effectively meaning that no work can be done for nearl…

This is a budget of broken promises. In the run-up to the general election, all parties promised the abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance. The public believed this would be done in the first 100 days of the new Government or, at the very least, in its first budget. That was a promise reneged on in this budget. This means that thousands of carers are locked out of getting the allow…

This is a budget for the rich and powerful in our society, namely developers, vulture funds, big landlords and millionaires. It is certainly not a budget for PAYE workers, the homeless, housing applicants, families, children, the disabled or even social welfare recipients. This Government is completely out of touch with ordinary people. Those in government live in a bubble here in Leinster House. …

For almost two years, we have seen the Israeli state deliberately attempting to exterminate the Palestinian people by bomb, bullet and starvation. Gaza is now one big concentration camp and 2.3 million people are facing annihilation and starvation. Some 65,000 people have been murdered, included 25,000 children. Every international agency of note has condemned Israel, including the international c…

The acid test of the bona fides of this Government on carers and caring is the immediate abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance. This has been the demand of carers and Family Carers Ireland for years and was promised by all political parties during the course of the last general election. It was understood by the public that the means test would be abolished within the first 100 day…

What is happening in Gaza is the ultimate appalling vista with 65,000 people murdered, including 25,000 children. Every day, on our television screens we are witnessing the deliberate destruction of the Palestinian people by bomb, bullet and starvation. Gaza is now one big concentration camp and 2.3 million Palestinians are facing obliteration and starvation. In January 2024, the International Co…

The Government must stop the insurance rip-off. Insurance companies are still ripping off the public despite the fact that claims and awards are significantly reduced. Claims statistics show a fall of 40% in the claims between 2019 and 2023 and awards are down over a third. The Central Bank has pointed out that premiums increased by 17% between 2020 and 2023. At the same time, insurance companies'…

The child poverty and child homelessness statistics are absolutely shocking. They are an utter scandal. We as a nation should be ashamed of ourselves. There are 104,780 children living in consistent poverty, up 45,000 in a year. There are 225,000 children living in families below the poverty line, and 5,014 homeless children in emergency accommodation, up 14% on last year. These are not just stati…

There has been no public eye care service in south Tipperary for more than 12 months. The former permanent consultant, Dr. Hillery, retired last September. She provided a wonderful service for a long number of years. She gave more than adequate notice. Unfortunately, the HSE has failed to fill the vacancy and provide a vital service. There is now a huge waiting list, running into thousands, with h…

A fit-for-purpose school transport service is absolutely essential. The current system operates about 8,200 vehicles on 10,600 routes. This year, it distributed 142,000 tickets and aims to cater for another 100,000 students by 2030. However, there are recurring difficulties with the scheme every year. This year, some parents were told at the last minute that no service was in place even though the…