Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

"Yes" is the answer to Deputy Barry. I absolutely agree that Uisce Éireann should accede to that request for a face-to-face meeting. I have written to the chief executive on behalf of the Deputy's constituents following his representations in the House last week where he showed the Dáil the horrific situation his constituents are experiencing with water quality. I have written directly to the chief executive. I attached to the letter I sent a copy of the transcript of the discussion we had here in the Dáil and asked what action Uisce Éireann intends to take. I certainly support the Deputy in his request for that meeting to take place on behalf of the residents.

In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, as I said earlier on Leaders’ Questions, we tried to take a number of measures to assist student nurses post the Covid period. Fourth-year student nurses get paid in Ireland, and while first to third-year students do not, there are supports available. There has been a significant increase, and rightly so, in the level of that support since Covid, according to the Minister for Health when speaking earlier in the House. The Minister said to me today he is happy to engage further with nurse representative bodies on this issue and I would like to see that happen.

On the issue of mental health funding, I accept there is a real mental health challenge for our young people, which was exacerbated by Covid, although it was there before. I certainly know that during my time as Minister for further and higher education, we significantly increased the mental health funding to universities following engagement with student unions. I will inquire further on that. We have taken a number of measures. The Deputy will argue it is not enough, and I take his point, but the student assistance fund and the SUSI grants have increased well ahead of inflation, college fees are being reduced and the renter’s tax credit has been extended.

In response to Deputy Murphy, I want to be clear that this is not about somebody who has a mental health challenge and cannot go to work or is sick and cannot go to work. This is about people who have not been certified as sick and who will not engage with any form of education or training after a protracted period. I take very seriously the point the Deputy makes about children in a household led by a jobless parent being more at risk of child poverty. That is a truthful statement and is factually correct. That is why we have taken measures in this budget, led by the evidence of the child poverty unit in my Department. We have increased the qualified child income payment, and I think it was the largest increase ever. After the weekly payments in the budget for social protection, the next largest total amount of increase was in regard to those child poverty measures. We have also increased working family payments as a result of this budget. This is a measure that is the opposite of how the Deputy characterises it. There has to be some degree of correlation between the benefit people receive for a sustained period of time and their ability to either enter the workforce, enter training or education or certify they are sick or have a disability. I certainly do not see it as in any way drastic or dramatic. I see it is a common-sense measure, although we may disagree on that.

Deputy O'Callaghan raised the issue of Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. I corresponded with the Minister for Education after the Deputy and I spoke and I will follow up as to where that is at. Given the context of the very significant extra funding that has been provided to the Department under its capital budget, I asked if it could provide timelines and progress in that regard. It is an extraordinarily long period of time and I can only imagine the frustration. I will again follow up with the Minister for Education directly on the concerns of students and the staff working in Gaelcholáiste Reachrann, which the Deputy outlined. I am happy to come back to the Deputy directly on that.

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising the issue of Kyran Durnin. There is not a person in this country, including myself, who can think about this case without getting extraordinarily upset. This is a devastating situation. Not only have we a criminal investigation and a Garda investigation - we will let that run its course and we all hope for progress - but we also have an eight-year-old child who was utterly failed by child protection services for a sustained period of time when he effectively disappeared. The Deputy is right to say there is a serious child protection issue of absolute concern and, parallel to any Garda investigation, that needs to be looked at. It horrifies all of us, as public representatives and as parents, and it is deeply concerning. I cannot put it stronger than that.

I join with the Deputy in expressing sympathy to the family of Michael Reade, his wife, Sandra, his son and his extended family, and all the listeners at LMFM. Michael was definitely a tough and robust interviewer, and I was on the receiving end of that a number of times, but he was always fair. He was a strong and powerful voice for the people of Louth and Meath in making sure the issues, good and bad, were brought to their attention and keeping politicians in the region on their toes. The loss of him at such a young age is tragic. He is a huge loss to journalism and to LMFM, and he is in all our thoughts and prayers, as are his family, his colleagues in LMFM and his many listeners. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

With regard to CAMHS in Dundalk and north Louth and the challenges concerning administration, I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health to see if that issue can be resolved and to revert to the Deputy directly.

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