Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yesterday, at a briefing session in Leinster House hosted by Deputy Billy Kelleher, a powerful presentation was made on behalf of people with cystic fibrosis and the question of access to Orkambi. Jillian McNulty, a 40 year old woman, explained how she spent up to 15 hours in bed before going on Orkambi and illustrated how she is now 19 hours on the campaign trail to get Orkambi made available. Rachel Byrne's eight year old daughter Beth has cystic fibrosis and has been hospitalised for quite some time but excels in everything she does in academia and education. She is anxious her daughter gets a chance in life and a chance to contribute effectively to society. Phil Hughes Dunphy's 23 year old daughter Sarah died as a result of cystic fibrosis. Her son Shane also has cystic fibrosis and he has climbed Kilimanjaro. Philip Watt of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland made a very reasonable and moderate presentation.

I have raised this issue on a number of occasions with the Taoiseach. Much is left to be desired in how the situation has been handled on both sides. The Orkambi drug is effective. Last week, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, acknowledged this. There have been too many attempts to belittle the effectiveness and impact of the drug by the HSE and others-----

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is not true.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Not by us.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----in terms of not accepting the 40% reduction in hospitalisation and the significant other benefits that flow. This is beginning to move and people are beginning to acknowledge it is an effective drug. The real issue comes down to price. We must put in context that Governments do not make drugs, pharmaceutical companies do.

The drugs in question are called "orphan" drugs because they are developed to deal with rare diseases but, for decades, big pharmaceutical companies have not invested in developing orphan drugs for rare diseases. Governments were shy on that front as well and there were numerous attempts at European level to get critical mass behind the idea of developing drugs for rare diseases. The cystic fibrosis population who might benefit from Orkambi is approximately 500 patients, with 3,000 in the UK, so it is difficult to make back the investment in research and that has to be balanced in the assessment of how to go about this.

In July the Minister announced drug savings of up to €750 million. To cut to the chase, I get the sense that there has not actually been intensive negotiations on this. Deputy Kelleher has had his own meetings and his own discussions with people and one has the sense that it is not being dealt with at a high enough level. There has been too much spinning and too much leaking, which have caused hurt and devastation to the cystic fibrosis population, and it is time for the bad blood to end. The Taoiseach has to get a grip on this and on the Minister to make sure there is intensive engagement between the company and the authorities. If that necessitates international mediation so be it, but something has to be done to break the logjam, the Mexican stand-off that is the current state of play.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This is obviously a very sensitive and personal issue for those people who have to meet the challenge of cystic fibrosis. Vertex is ripping off the taxpayer and I do not agree that there have not been intensive discussions. I do not agree that there has been an attempt to diminish the impact on quality of life which Orkambi can bring for those patients aged 12 and over who would benefit from it.

It is not a political process that determines the value and the impact of a drug and this has been pointed out by those who are qualified in clinical practice to determine such things on behalf of persons with cystic fibrosis. It is disappointing that the latest round of discussions between Vertex and the HSE have concluded. I trust Professor Michael Barry from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, who said last week that it was time for the company to put patients first and to significantly reduce its price. He said the five-year gross budget impact of reimbursing Orkambi was estimated at more than €390 million and that the centre had noted the significant opportunity cost associated with reimbursing the drug. That is not a political charge but one that comes from people who are qualified to determine these matters in the medical area.

The Deputy seems to be suggesting that the Minister or I should negotiate directly with the company but the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has travelled to Lisbon today and has written to his fellow Ministers in Australia, Canada, England and Scotland, where the medicine has also not been approved. He is seeking co-operation with these countries and to join forces to impact positively on and influence the manufacturer to accept other innovative pricing approaches to significantly reduce the cost of this medicine. There are those within the cystic fibrosis community for whom Orkambi does not work and even were Vertex to reduce the cost in line with the assessed proportion for whom it does not work, there would be a significant reduction in the cost of the drug.

Things have moved on from the days when the political process made a determination as to the value of a drug in terms of quality of life. We all empathise with and understand the sensitivities associated with this but this company is using cystic fibrosis patients. It has a drug which enhances quality of life but there is a percentage for whom it does not work and the charge being put forward by the company is grossly excessive, as determined not by a political process but by a clinical professor in charge of this who has been very clear about the situation regarding this company.

I urge the company to return to the intensive discussions that have already taken place and reduce the price. Then we can move on and those whom the drug will benefit will have the benefit of it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I disagree. I do not want the Taoiseach to get involved in negotiations. I want him to ensure proper, intensive negotiations take place. Since 2012, 32 new cancer drugs have been approved in Ireland. However, during the past 20 years only two new drugs have been developed for cystic fibrosis. One is Kalydeco and the other is Orkambi, which has not been approved. We are not comparing like with like. Globally, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation offered $75 million to the pharmaceutical world to start developing cystic fibrosis drugs. The top ten pharmaceutical companies rejected the offer. Only Vertex took it up. I am not here to advocate for any company.

The easy thing to do politically is to attack big, bad pharma. It is great political line. However, it does not resolve this. I have spoken to Deputy Billy Kelleher, who has spoken to people on all sides here, and I am not clear that intense negotiations have taken place. A figure of €30,000 has been thrown out. Nobody but those who threw the figure out believes €30,000 is a runner for a drug developed for a rare disease. It could be a bridge to a cure, which must be the ultimate objective of research and development.

I do not think this has been handled well. It is not good enough that the cystic fibrosis population should read about the outcome of negotiations on the front page of a Sunday newspaper and receive a tweet late on a Saturday night. This is the context, and there is bad blood. I did not like what I saw being argued publicly. A deal cannot be made if there is just hostility and bad blood between the two sides. That is no basis for resolving it. There is an issue with a rare disease globally. We have a huge problem. We must break the logjam and I do not believe there has been a realistic attempt to do it. I would like to get the evidence that there has been.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I do not agree with the way the Deputy has done down the negotiating skills and clinical skills of Professor Michael Barry.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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He is not negotiating.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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He is not negotiating. It is a senior official from the HSE. The Taoiseach should not personalise it. That is not the issue.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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He has pointed out that the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, which undertook an assessment of Orkambi, noted from a clinical point of view that the drug was not considered cost-effective in terms of quality of life for the people involved at almost €160,000 per patient per year, as submitted by Vertex. The NCPE estimated the cost-effective price at €30,000. There is a big difference between €30,000 and €160,000. It is in there that realism needs to-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The company says it has come way down. I do not know whether or not it has.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I did not hear the company say it had come way down.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It has said it publicly.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I did not hear it say that. If the company is prepared to come a way down from €160,000 per year per patient, let us see what it is talking about. The NCPE estimates the cost-effective price at €30,000 per patient, the NCPE will be flexible with realism. However, I very strongly believe in what Professor Barry has pointed out, that the price estimated by the company is grossly excessive.

The Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, has said that Vertex wants to meet with him and the HSE. The HSE is open to this and there will be realistic discussions with no animosity. The company has come in here, as it did in Australia, Scotland, England and Canada, where it was not approved on the public health bill. The price is excessive. If Deputies Micheál Martin and Billy Kelleher say the company is prepared to come way down, let us see the colour of its step. The HSE will be flexible in respect of the cystic fibrosis patients and will treat it with realism, but not at this cost.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Notwithstanding the vital importance of the issue, we must operate to time limits that are set not by me but by the House. If people completely disregard the time limits, we are going nowhere fast.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Tá mé ag cur an ceist céanna. As the Taoiseach knows, the island of Ireland has the highest number of people in the world suffering from cystic fibrosis and the largest proportion of families with more than one child who suffers from the condition. According to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, it affects around 1,200 adults in the State and citizens here suffer some of the most severe strains of the disease. There are also 455 citizens with cystic fibrosis in the North. In the past few weeks Oireachtas Members have heard two heartbreaking and emotional presentations, one hosted by Teachta Louise O'Reilly, made by citizens living with cystic fibrosis and their family members. We have heard from parents who have buried children and those who manage gruelling daily medical regimes and endure recurrent hospitalisation. Many of them are battling valiantly to be given the opportunity to access the potentially life-changing drug, Orkambi. Let us take the case of Finn Whitmarsh whose family members are living in fear that they will not be able to access the treatment that would give him a new quality of life. For Finn and his parents, Linda and Ronan, drugs like Orkambi have the potential to keep him well and assist in managing his condition. Finn is two and a half years old and has been hospitalised 38 times. Cathal Gallagher is nine years old and his health was good until recently. He has developed lung issues. The medication he is taking has affected his liver which has been permanently damaged. He is featured on the #YesOrkambi mural on the quays in Dublin. Only 40 citizens have been able to secure Orkambi on a trial basis, of whom Jillian McNulty is one. I asked her how patients were chosen and she said it was the luck of the draw.

I have asked the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, numerous questions about where the negotiations on Orkambi and other drugs stand, but we are none the wiser, as he has not told us. The families have requested six times to meet him. Will the Taoiseach ask him to meet them as a priority? Some of them were told recently by Vertex that it was open to a risk-sharing model of payment, among other payment schemes. I am not sure if I heard the Taoiseach properly a moment ago when he appeared to say Vertex was ripping off the taxpayer. That is what he said. I checked with my colleague. It is an extraordinary allegation and begs the question that if he is saying the company is ripping off the taxpayer, what is he doing about it? Will he confirm if all options have been pursued with Vertex? I understand the Minister is in Lisbon today. I agree absolutely that a collaborative approach could lead to significant reductions in prices and commend that approach. While the Minister in the North, Ms Michelle O'Neill, has no direct responsibility in the matter, she has indicated a willingness to work with the Minister here to assist in the process. Will the Taoiseach commit to formally approaching counterparts in the Assembly and other EU member states as part of a collaborative discussion to secure access to Orkambi? Will he tell us what he will do following his allegation that the company is ripping off the taxpayer, while citizen patients suffer?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Action is already being taken because the drug is not available in the public health systems in Australia, Canada, England and Scotland.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is available in Austria.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is true that Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis of many countries, if not in the world, but there are those who suffer from cystic fibrosis in other countries also and the drug is not available in their public health systems either. The Minister for Health has written to their Ministers seeking joint co-operation to talk sense to the company. It is not I who says Vertex is ripping off the taxpayer. The clinical professor dealing with the issue says, from his experience, expertise and understanding of its impact on people's quality of life, the cost of the drug is not justified at €160,000 per patient per year. If we now hear based on the analysis of Deputy Billy Kelleher, whom I respect for his work, that the company is prepared to come back down from the €160,000 charge, Deputy Gerry Adams should believe me when I say the HSE and the Minister are more than willing to be flexible in the interests of those for whom the drug may well be of benefit.

The point made about the excessive charge levied by the company comes from a person who is in charge of the NCP and has pointed out that this is not value for money for the taxpayer. Given the charge, people who need and may benefit from the drug will not have it made available to them.

It is not only in Ireland that the company is operating in this way. It is taking the same approach in Australia, Canada, Scotland and England. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is going to Lisbon to talk to his fellow Ministers and work jointly with the manufacturer in order to bring realism to the pricing structure.

We will work with the Executive in Northern Ireland and Ministers for Health in other countries to whom the Minister, Deputy Harris, has written in the hope that the manufacturer will see sense and bring the drug to Ireland in order to relieve patients who can benefit.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Taoiseach's remarks that he will work with others, including the Minister in the North. However, the Government does not have a good record in standing up to elites.

I met many people affected by this a number of weeks ago. The one thing that they all have in common is hope - it is probably part of the human condition that in adversity we all have hope. Their hope springs from the possibility that they can access this life-changing drug and, it is to be hoped, newer drugs in the future which can provide a cure. However, there is a pricetag involved and it seems, as someone more eloquent than me once said, we know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Everything is dependent on negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. People do not have the time for that. There is a need for clear information to be given to the families involved, transparency, collaborative negotiations and access to drugs like Orkambi.

Yesterday, one mother, Mrs. Dunphy, told us she had lost one child to cystic fibrosis and does not want to lose another. She held a photograph of a beautiful young woman as she said that. There is a real urgency about the provision of this drug.

I ask the Taoiseach to consider a proposition. Will he give a commitment to the families who are candidates for the drug that they will receive it while negotiations are ongoing, even on a trial basis?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The answer to the Deputy's last question is that the company can make the drug available to those persons who might benefit from it if it so wishes. The drug is not available in the Irish public health system because of the excessive charge being levied by Vertex.

I accept that transparency and collaborative negotiations are necessary. Why does Deputy Adams think that the Minister, Deputy Harris, wrote to his fellow Ministers in other countries where the drug is not available in their public health systems? He did so in order that they can get together, talk sense to the company and tell it X number of people in a given country suffer from cystic fibrosis whose quality of life would be enhanced by this drug. There are a percentage of people in Ireland aged over 12 years for whom it would not be of any benefit.

The decision was made by the clinical professor involved; it is not just a political decision. It is not a case of directing the company to reduce its charge. Rather, as the Deputy said, collaborative negotiations and transparency are required.

The point made by Professor Barry, who is an expert in this field, is that the charge being levied by the company is grossly excessive and it should retreat from that. I and the Minister have already said that the HSE and Department are prepared to negotiate with realism. I hope collaborative negotiations with other Ministers for Health will bring a sense of realism to the company. We congratulate it on having manufactured the drug. We need to be able to give it to those whom it would benefit, but not at any price.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That was said two years ago.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is sitting on the fence.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Deputy Dooley knows I do not sit on the fence.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Can we have silence, please? I call Deputy Pringle.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Muscle up, Finian. You are in government.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Deputy Dooley need not worry.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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You are on the high chair, Finian.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will Deputy Dooley restrain himself, please? I call Deputy Pringle.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I wish to read a letter that was sent to the Taoiseach more than six months ago by a local disability activist in Donegal, Mr. Frank Larkin. In his letter, he describes his experience as a person with disabilities travelling to Leinster House from Donegal in order to hand in a petition to the Taoiseach's office with more than 500 signatories calling on the Taoiseach to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities while he was forming his new Government in May. In his letter he wrote:

Let me give you a couple of examples from personal experience whereby I have been denied my rights:

1. Just this morning when I left Donegal to come here I got the bus. In order to get on that Bus, I had to ask two people to help me on to the Bus as accessible public transport does not exist in Donegal. This always is a humiliating and embarrassing experience.

2. In order to maintain the level of independence I currently have I decided to apply for personal assistance some time ago. I was subsequently offered 2 hours a week. This equates to around 17.5 minutes a day. How I am supposed to use this time in order to maintain my current level of independence, I would be interested to hear your thoughts on [this].

3. Despite having a number of excellent qualifications I am still no further forward in being able to find meaningful employment.

To date, Frank has not received a reply from the Taoiseach's office or that of the Minister of State. His honest account of his life as a person with a disability living in Ireland should be a reminder to us all that for far too long people with disabilities have been left behind in this country. Frank should not have to feel embarrassed. It is the Taoiseach who should feel embarrassed because it is his Government that has failed once again to meet the target for ratification by the end of this year. It has been ten years since Ireland signed the convention, but we remain the only EU country that has yet to ratify it. This is completely unacceptable.

Will the Taoiseach commit to a specific date by which Ireland will ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities? Will he progress the ratification process without delay so that people such as Frank and many others in the country who are living with a disability can live in dignity and on an equal footing to everyone else? We hear the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Health are blaming each other for the failure to ratify the convention by the end of this year. This is disgraceful carry on considering that every Department in the Government is responsible for seeing this through. It is a real indication that no real progress has been made to date despite the establishment of an interdepartmental committee on the convention and the drafting of a roadmap to ratification by the Minister for Justice and Equality.

What are the barriers that each Department claims are stalling efforts to ratify? They seem to be mystery barriers because no one can figure out why it has taken ten years to achieve something that should not be difficult to achieve so long as the political will was there do it in the first place. It is clear that the political will did not exist and we doubt it exists today.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Pringle is correct to raise this matter. We have referred to the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the House on a number of occasions. I am sorry that Mr. Larkin did not receive a comprehensive response. That is probably due to the fact that a number of pieces of legislation have to go through yet. We take our international obligations seriously and do not ratify such instruments until we can guarantee compliance. While this convention was signed on 30 March 2007, it has taken all these years to get to a point where we can ratify it. Other countries have ratified the convention before they have introduced the sectoral legislation that would allow for competence to be evident. Ireland has not ratified the convention and this is a recurring criticism by the UN as well as domestic civil society and non-governmental organisations.

Ireland has advanced the position of those with disabilities beyond that of many other European Union states. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is dealing specifically with this area. On 21 October 2015, the Government published a roadmap on Ireland's ratification of the convention.

The roadmap outlines the legislative changes to be undertaken to enable us to ratify the convention with competence, along with the estimated timeframes involved. It indicated a target date for ratification of the end of 2016. This date was reiterated by the Government when it approved the general scheme of the Bill in March 2016 and again in the programme for Government.

Three steps are involved. First, section 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 needs to be replaced. This matter is being addressed in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015, which has completed its passage through the Seanad and Committee Stage of which is scheduled to be taken in the Dáil today. Second, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act enacted in 2015 needs to be commenced. Third, the equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill will address all the remaining issues. Drafting of that Bill is under way and one particular section is taking up quite a deal of the time of the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. The Bill will have to address issues such as the convention's requirement in respect of reasonable accommodation and what is known as the deprivation of liberty. This matter will be dealt with by a specific amendment on Committee Stage. The heads of the Bill were recently finalised by the Department of Health.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will not be ratified by the end of the year. The section causing some difficulty is that which deals with reasonable accommodation and deprivation of liberty. A great deal of work is being done by the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, with the assistance and support of the Government. There has been a deal of serious investment in disability services in the past six months, with an additional €31 million in funding provided.

The Minister of State is drafting, with the Minister for Health, provisions on personal assistant hours, which are the focus of the case made by Mr. Larkin. While the matter will not be concluded by the end of the year, we have almost reached the point at which we can ratify the convention with competence.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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The Taoiseach's explanation will come as cold comfort to the many thousands of people with disabilities across Ireland. The rationale for the decisions of other European Union member states in opting for early ratification was that it creates an imperative to put in place the mechanisms required to ensure compliance. What we have seen here is the matter being put on the long finger for ten years.

The Taoiseach indicated that the general scheme of the equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill had been agreed in March 2016. It is now December 2016 and we are no closer to seeing the Bill in the House. Clearly, therefore, the target of ratifying the convention by the end of 2016 will not be met. Will the Taoiseach commit to a date by which the ratification process will be completed? We have all seen Bills being stalled and delayed for years before completing their passage through the House. It is time the Taoiseach committed to and stood firmly behind a date to ensure ratification takes place.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To be straight with Deputy Pringle on this issue, I cannot commit to a date because I will need Deputies' help. When the equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill comes before the House, we will have to deal with a question that has been outstanding for a very long time, namely, the convention's requirement in respect of reasonable accommodation and deprivation of liberty. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, have highlighted the investment over five years of significant money to build community houses rather than congregated settings. This element will have to be dealt with in terms of the reasonable accommodation, as identified by the United Nations.

The equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill will come before the House early in the new year and I expect we will secure the support of the parties and Deputies to put it through. Once it has been passed and the other two changes have been made, namely, the replacement of section 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 and the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, we will be able to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with competence. While it has taken a long time and it has been a long wait, the end of this saga is in sight.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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At the risk of being accused of parochialism, I raise the issue of the tourism capital of not only Europe but also the world, namely, the great town of Killarney.

I do not need to tell the Taoiseach the importance of tourism in County Kerry. It is well known in County Kerry that when Killarney town is doing well so too is the rest of the county, including Kenmare, Dingle, Listowel and Tralee. The Taoiseach, being a regular visitor to Killarney, knows the benefits of Killarney to County Kerry and the country. Credit for this must be given to the great families who have built-up Killarney through the years, including the hoteliers, the O'Callaghan’s, the O’Donoghue family of the Gleneagle Group and world renowned INEC, the great Liebherr family of the Hotel Europe and Liebherr Cranes Ireland-----

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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And the great Healy-Rae family.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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-----who provide massive employment in Killarney town, the Randles family of the Muckross Road, Padraig Tracey of the Killarney Park Hotel, the O’Donoghue family of the Killarney Towers, the Riordan family of the Castleheights Hotel and the Scally family of the Malton Hotel. These families have worked with others to build the town of Killarney to what it is today. As the Taoiseach was informed yesterday, in September 2015, Kerry County Council and Killarney Municipal District appointed Malachy Walsh and Partners, under the stewardship of Ciaran O’Callaghan and its director, Mr. Jack O’Leary, to carry out the Killarney Town Traffic Model-Traffic Management Study. The main aim of the study was to review the

transportation network and associated demands, with particular attention to the town centre area, with the objective of determining the impact of proposed infrastructural measures to cope with the existing and future vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist traffic volumes. This report has at its core sustainable transport initiatives, including non-car based travel. A number of recommendations have been made, including new road links to include an inner relief road linking High Street and New Street via Boreen Na Goun which would reduce peak hour traffic on the Park Road and the Killarney bypass road and a southern outer relief road linking the N22 to the Muckross Road, N71. This, in my opinion, is of vital importance to Killarney. It would also, in turn, be of great service to the world famous Gleneagle Hotel and the INEC. I believe funding for a southern outer relief road should be provided by the Minister and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, as soon as possible.

Another huge issue in Killarney is the lack of car parking. According to the study, a new multi-storey car park is needed immediately in the Beech Road-New Street car park area.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Order, please.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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It is not good enough that a town, the population of which more than doubles in the peak tourism seasons, does not have adequate car parking. For this reason, I am calling for provision to be made for a new 300 space multi-storey car park in Killarney. I call on TII and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to assess this situation. I have also called on the Minister on a number of occasions to provide a roundabout at the junction of Madams Hill where the L2019 meets the N22-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Order, please.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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-----which is a constant source of congestion on the outskirts of the town. The report also recommends that a transport hub be located at or near the railway station and that high-quality pedestrian links be provided between the hub and the town.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy's time has expired.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Kerry County Council cannot implement any of the above without adequate funding, which can only come from the Departments of this Government.

In future, when other Members of this House are raising issues, be they of national or local importance, I will heckle them and display the kind of bad manners that many Members have displayed here today.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Shame on those who did so. They should have some cop on when a person is trying to make an important point.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy went over time by approximately one minute. I know that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is watching these proceedings and taking careful note of the points he made. If ever there was an example of the inadequacy, as referred to at European Council meetings, of people not listening, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has demonstrated today that he is listening. Perhaps the Deputy should call in the family. The issues raised by him are maters for the local authorities. Kerry County Council held its budget meeting on 14 November last, at which the budget for 2017 was fixed. Deputy Healy-Rae will be aware that Kerry County Council will receive a local property tax allocation of almost €14 million in 2017 from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

It is a matter for each local authority and, therefore, the members to determine their own spending priorities as part of that budgetary process. The roundabouts, bypasses, slip roads and other projects have to be considered by the members of the local authority. I know that the Deputy knows a few of those very well indeed. They have direct responsibility. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is responsible for the general legislation in regard to traffic matters, and that Department has published its general guidance documents. These have been taken into account in respect of Killarney.

Killarney is facing competition because National Geographichas pointed out recently that, in its opinion, Donegal is now the coolest place in the world. At long last, the north west and Donegal have come to the fore to challenge the might of Kerry. We have had that on many fields, as Deputy Michael Healy-Rae knows.

The proposals in the study on new link roads and the regional and local roads are also the statutory responsibility of the county council, in accordance with section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. The Deputy has raised the point in the national Parliament and I respect his absolute right to do that but the responsibility here rests with the members of the local authority. I am sure that the traders and people in Killarney, which is such a magnificent town, will respond to their decisions on these matters.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I was delighted that Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney was chosen as one of the stadiums proposed to host the games should Ireland's bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup be successful. People cannot watch any game in Killarney, however, if they are backed up in traffic on the N22. I ask that the Taoiseach, along with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and officials from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, go through this important report and provide adequate funding to implement the important recommendations I have mentioned. They should be implemented in conjunction with Kerry County Council to ensure Killarney remains the great town that it is. I emphasise again that it is the tourism capital of the world. It should be made an even more accessible town and it should not be allowed to become a bottleneck like some of the other towns around Ireland.

Mr. Malachy Walsh produced an excellent report for Killarney town. Somebody would want to produce a report for Dublin because the traffic here is chaotic. While one can make a great run to Dublin now as far as the Red Cow roundabout. Thereafter one might as well get out of the car and walk the rest of the way.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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These are the challenges of the outstanding success of the Government in reducing unemployment and growing the economy. They have to be met.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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By cancelling metro north. What about the electrification of the line to Balbriggan?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I was glad to see the Castleisland bypass put in place a couple of years ago. The Deputy will be glad to know that the road from Ballyvourney through Macroom to Cork is already on the major programme for development over the coming years. I agree that it is right and proper that Killarney be included. I hope we do win the joint bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Killarney is an outstanding place with all the accommodation available. Would it not be nice if Australia, for instance, were based there for five or six weeks? The draw and the tourism impact would be enormous. Killarney is much better equipped than many other towns to cater for that. I am sure that in the time ahead, the plans and programmes laid out by both the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the local authority will continue to improve.

The Deputy has made his point and it is well taken. I hope the members of the local authority will make their decisions in respect of some of the issues to which he has referred.