Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government continues the failed policies of its predecessor. It lacks ambition and is deliberately vague with no costings or timelines. It means the continuation of the housing and homelessness crisis, the cost-of-living crisis, hospital overcrowding, long health waiting lists, a broken disability service and the continuation of the health recruitment embargo, the so-called pay and numbers strategy. Everybody agrees the housing and homelessness crisis is the most fundamental issue facing this country. This programme continues the failed policies of the previous Government. There is no new urgency, no emergency measures, no reset of housing policy as recommended by the Housing Commission and the commitment to hold a referendum on the right to housing has been reneged on. The section on disability services is weak, vague and non-specific. There is no proposal to eliminate the long waiting lists for therapy services. Indeed, the programme foresees the continuation of the long backlogs. It continues to decide to deprive children with additional needs of their legal entitlement to an assessment of needs within six months.

I want to draw attention to two areas in the programme for Government that directly affect my constituency of Tipperary South. The first is palliative care. The Government states it is committed to enhancing palliative care services to provide best end-of-life and bereavement support for patients, families and carers. The Government closed St. Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir. That hospital provided high quality palliative care in three of the most modern hospice suites in the country. It is a big loss to the people of area and to the people of Waterford and Kilkenny. It should be reopened without delay.

The other issue is the question of mental health. The commitment is to promote good mental health and ensure access to appropriate supports when and where people need them.

The former Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people in the 32nd Dáil, Jim Daly, had agreed with all stakeholders to construct a 20-bed inpatient mental health unit at Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel. There are no inpatient services in the whole of Tipperary. I ask the Minister to bring that back to the two respective Ministers responsible for palliative care and mental health and ask that these issues be dealt with without delay.

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