Dáil debates

Tuesday, 2 May 2017

2:50 pm

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Clare Daly to announce the Order of Business for the week ahead.

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Tuesday’s business shall be No. 5, motion re. change to Standing Order 21, without debate; No. 6, motion re. PQ rota change between the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, without debate; No. 13, Post-European Council statements, to conclude within one hour and 45 minutes, if not previously concluded; and No. 7, motion re. change to Standing Order 27. Private Members’ business shall be No. 28, Mental Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2017 selected by Fianna Fáil.

Wednesday's business shall be No. 14, Inland Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage, resumed; No. 15, Courts (No. 2) Bill 2016 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 16, Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) Bill 2016 [Seanad] Second Stage, resumed. Private Members' business shall be No. 108, motion re. maternity services, selected by Sinn Féin.

Thursday's business shall be No. 14, Inland Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded; No. 15, Courts (No. 2) Bill 2016 - Report and Final Stages, resumed; No. 16, Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) Bill 2016 [Seanad] Second Stage, resumed; and No. 4, Diplomatic Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. There shall be two Private Members' Bills taken. At 10 a.m., Second Stage of No. 29, Prohibition of Micro-Plastics Bill 2016 will be debated, and, in the evening slot, Second Stage of No. 30, Rural Equality Bill 2017 will be debated.

With regard to the proposed arrangements for this week's business, I refer Members to the second revised report of the Business Committee dated 27 April 2017. In relation to Tuesday's business, it is proposed that:

(1) the Dáil shall sit later than 10 p.m. and adjourn on the conclusion of the motion re. change to Standing Order 27;

(2) motion re. change to Standing Order 21 and motion re. PQ rota change shall be taken without debate and any division demanded thereon shall be taken immediately;

(3) post-European Council statements shall commence immediately after Taoiseach’s Questions, and will be followed by Questions to the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and shall be brought to a conclusion after one hour and 45 minutes, if not previously concluded. Statements of ten minutes each shall be confined to a single round from a Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead. A Minister or Minister of State shall take questions for a period not exceeding 20 minutes, followed by a five minute response from the Minister or Minister of State. All Members may share time;

(4) Second Stage of the Mental Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2017 shall take place on the conclusion of Topical Issues but not earlier than 8 p.m. and shall conclude within two hours;

(5) motion re. change to Standing Order 27 shall be brought to a conclusion after 40 minutes, if not previously concluded. Speeches shall be confined to a single round from a Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for parties or groups, or a Member nominated in their stead, of five minutes each, and all Members may share time.

It is proposed that the Dáil shall sit at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, at which time Leaders' Questions shall be taken. There shall be no suspension of the sitting under Standing Order 25(1). Private Members' business shall be taken at the conclusion of Topical Issues.

It is proposed that the Dáil shall sit at 10 a.m. on Thursday to take Second Stage of the Prohibition of Micro-Plastics Bill 2016, in accordance with Standing Order 140A. If the proceedings on Second Stage conclude before 12 p.m., the sitting shall be suspended until 12 p.m., at which time Leaders' Questions shall commence. The sitting shall be suspended for 30 minutes after the voting block and questions to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall take place at 4 p.m. The Dáil shall sit later than 7.48 p.m. and adjourn at the conclusion of proceedings on Second Stage of the Rural Equality Bill 2017.

3:00 pm

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy. There are three proposals to be put to the House. Is the proposal for dealing with today's business agreed to?

Deputies:

Agreed.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Not agreed. I am very surprised at the time of the debate on the motion re Standing Order 27 on the Dáil prayer. The proposal is a little bit of an insult. There has been an ongoing discussion and debate at the Dáil reform committee on the issue, in which there is also public interest. Scheduling five minutes per group, given that there are amendments tabled, is also a bit of an insult.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It was agreed to by the Business Committee. I stand to be corrected, but I think the particular proposal was agreed to unanimously. Presumably, when we sit-----

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Can I finish the point?

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Yes.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I know that it was raised that it was going to go through without debate. We challenged this before Easter. If a debate is to be scheduled, there should at least be time for a serious debate. For example, Fine Gael is to have five minutes. I am sure there are many views on the issue in Fine Gael; similarly in our group or Fianna Fáil. Having five minutes each is a bit of an insult. Church-State issues have dominated debate in the country for the last two weeks. We should also have a debate on the National Maternity Hospital today, rather than Deputies only having an opportunity to raise it during Leaders' Questions. The Minister for Health should be here to report on what he is going to do about the issue and also about the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy has made her point.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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The prayer is seen in this light. There has to be change. Could we not afford more time for the debate?

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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We did not ask for it.

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I support Deputy Ruth Coppinger who makes a valid point. I know that I was involved in the Committee on Procedure. I was not involved in the Business Committeem but I think the Deputy's point is fair.

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I do not see why things are agreed to at a committee and Members then try to change them here. If it has been agreed to have the debate tonight, that is the amount of time that has been allotted. We could spend all day talking about the matter here, but if has been agreed, it has been agreed.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It was agreed to. It is now a matter for the House to agree.

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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By a minority. Put it to the entire House after hearing our-----

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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It was agreed to. We postponed the debate and the vote until we came back today. The time was agreed to by everybody in the group.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy. Is the proposal for dealing with Today's business agreed to?

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I propose that the time be extended or that we be facilitated in some way-----

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Níl.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No, the Deputy should say "Tá".

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy.

Question, "That the proposal for dealing with today's business be agreed to," put and declared carried.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the proposal for dealing with Wednesday's business agreed to? Agreed. Is the proposal for dealing with Thursday's business agreed to? Agreed.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Page 64 of the programme for Government contains specific proposals about new medicines and treatments and looking at opportunities to leverage purchasing power, either through national or European initiatives.

In that context, there are now 61 patients with the very serious and rare lung and respiratory diagnosis, alpha-1, and they will be unable to access Respreeza. Some 21 of these patients are in receipt of this drug since 2010, and more want to avail of it. The company that manufactures this drug has said it will stop giving it to patients as and from 31 May. The system of licensing and recovering the costs of new drugs is in deep trouble. There are other examples coming down the track. It is time for the Government to devise a proper, hypothecated fund outside of the current budget to deal with these issues, in particular Respreeza and alpha-1. Excellent research into this has been carried out in this country, by Gerry McElvaney and others in Beaumont, over a long period of time. It is extraordinary that people are now going to be deprived of this medicine.

3:10 pm

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I support the views expressed by Deputy Martin. I personally know people whose lives are on hold, waiting month by month to have this drug approved for them. They are in a shocking situation. I appeal on behalf of those people. It is not a huge number but are their lives not as important as the lives of everyone else? If it was thousands of people or only 20 or 30, are they not as important as everyone else?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This arises every year because of the approval of a new drug for a specific or rare challenge that patients may experience throughout the country. Everybody is well aware now of the long and complicated process to deal with Kalydeco and Orkambi for cystic fibrosis patients throughout the country, which has been extraordinarily expensive. However, we cannot put a price on quality of life. Deputy Healy-Rae said that every life has to be treated the same.

The process that the Minister for Health undertook partly concerns the issue that Deputy Martin raised. What do we do about very expensive drugs that appear on the approved list in the time ahead? We do not know the scale of it at this stage. The Minister had to meet with the drugs companies and work out some sense of stability and permanence over a ten year period for a portfolio of drugs that they may produce. In the final decision on the cystic fibrosis treatments there was a significant reduction, and therefore saving for the tax payer, arising from the conclusion reached. That kind of operation allows further funding for new drugs that come on. Decisions have to made here about these drugs.

The day after the cystic fibrosis decision it was reported that there are 35 or 40 new drugs on the way which will treat very specialist, rare diseases and which will probably be extraordinarily expensive. We have to work out how best that might be dealt with in the context of the overall allocation available to the Minister.

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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A section in the programme for Government, Creating a Healthy Ireland, commits the Government to implementing a national maternity strategy. This has not happened. Currently the maternity hospitals are starved of resources. They are understaffed and overcrowded. Some are not fit for purpose. The Government has a responsibility to ensure that there is a safe environment for children and babies. When does the Taoiseach expect that the national maternity strategy will be implemented?

Given the current ongoing debacle around the siting of the new national maternity hospital at St. Vincent's Hospital, could the Taoiseach tell us if the agreement brokered by Mr. Kieran Mulvey was brought to the Cabinet, was it discussed by Cabinet and if he agreed to the terms of the agreement?

When will the national maternity standards for a safer, better maternity service be implemented?

3:15 pm

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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Is it the Taoiseach's intention to bring legislation to the floor of the House to deal with the governance issues that have been raised? I submitted a Topical Issue, but it was rejected for discussion today. We are fooling nobody, even if we are fooling ourselves, if we do not regard the issue as topical. The governance arrangements have been the subject of much discussion, but the Government has dropped the ball and let women down again. If there ever was an issue that was topical on which we could all agree, this is it. Will the Taoiseach make it clear that the governance arrangements will be settled before contracts are signed? The legislative programme mentions the establishment of the national children's hospital, but the legislation has not even been brought before us yet, while the contracts are about to be signed. The women of Ireland want the governance issues to be resolved. We do not want religious involvement in maternity services. Will the Taoiseach give an assurance that if legislation is required, it will be drafted quickly and before contracts are signed?

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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On the subject of Topical Issues, tomorrow there will be questions to the Minister for Health and the Deputy's party will have a matter dealt with it in Private Members' time. If her Topical Issue was not chosen for discussion today, I suspect they were among the reasons.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, expects to come back to the Government in the next three to four weeks, with the issue of the national maternity hospital being the central focus. I want Deputy Louise O'Reilly to understand everybody here supports the women of Ireland, including expectant mothers and their babies, in having proper facilities. That is why we are proposing to build a new hospital. As planning permission has not yet been applied for, there is no question of contracts being signed. The key is having utter clinical independence from religious influence, of which I have already given confirmation. We are now concerned with how we arrive at that situation and deal with the ownership issue which we want to demonstrate beyond yea or nay in order that everybody will be quite clear that the hospital will operate in the interests of mothers and their babies.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Mulvey report being brought to the Cabinet?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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If there are complications, people need to know that there will be a very good hospital adjacent to the maternity hospital to deal with them. Deputy Louise O'Reilly also asked if legislation would be brought to the floor of the House, but where else would one bring it?

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I asked the Taoiseach if he would do so speedily.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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If legislation is proposed by the Minister for Health, the Cabinet will approve the drafting of the heads and the Bill will go for pre-legislative scrutiny in the normal way, a change the Government brought about to facilitate Deputies such as Deputy Louise O'Reilly. Legislation will be brought to the House which is where legislation is debated, approved and passed.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It is not included in the legislative programme.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is proposed in the programme for Government to sell part of the State's shareholding in Allied Irish Banks. Since March I have been questioning the wisdom of that approach, unless we can use the proceeds of the sale for the purposes of capital investment. I noted in a report over the weekend that Fianna Fáil also believed the proceeds had to be invested in infrastructure. The same report suggested many in the Taoiseach's party also believed that to be the best use of the money. It is welcome that this debate is happening in public, but as this House has not had a chance to debate the matter, I ask the Taoiseach if he will seek the support of the House before shares in Allied Irish Banks are brought to the market and if he will allow the view of the House to be ascertained?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This matter has been raised on a number of occasions in the period since the Minister for Finance indicated that it was the intention of the Government to test the market in respect of the sale of a portion of Allied Irish Banks, the vast majority of the shares of which are owned by the State.

The windows for that are very evident and the Minister intends to proceed to deal with that. He has commented on that through replies to questions in the Dáil in the past, as I have also. This is, if one likes, a paper transfer of assets and will be used for writing down debt.

The review of the capital programme, which as the Deputy is aware is quite extensive, is already commencing. In addition, the opening of the European Investment Bank office in Dublin allows specifically for extra investment for infrastructure and also for investment in small and medium-sized enterprises.

3:20 pm

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Will the Government seek the permission of the House-----

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In respect of major pieces of infrastructure where a stream in income will be applicable-----

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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----- on the shareholding?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----to pay for the loans, it will remove that element of capital from the Exchequer requirement which will allow for further works to be carried out. In addition to that, as the Deputy knows, the Government is planning for Ireland in 2030 and 2040-----

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The AIB shares.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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----- with 1 million extra people and 500,000 extra houses. Where will they live and how will we transport them? What are the requirements for educational and medical facilities, and so on?

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Will the Taoiseach bring the proposal on the AIB shares here?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Minister will keep the House updated on that.

Photo of Gino KennyGino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I wish to read out a statement from the recent IMO annual conference.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is questions on the Order of Business and not reading out statements.

Photo of Gino KennyGino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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This has relevance to a Bill I introduced six months ago, the Cannabis for Medicinal Use Regulation Bill. It is very relevant.

The motion stated:

The IMO urges the Government not to limit the availability of medicinal cannabis products in any future legislation by restricting their prescription to consultants or the indications for which they can be prescribed, with such indications being informed by the evidence base.

Ten days ago I accompanied Vera Twomey on a trip to Barcelona to obtain medicinal cannabis for her daughter. On arrival at Dublin Airport, that medicine was taken from her even though she had a prescription. I would say that medicine was taken from her illegally and she wants it back for the health of her daughter. I appeal to the Taoiseach as a person and not as a politician. It is imperative that my Bill is given a date by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health. Every week I get phone calls from people in pain who are not criminals, but are being treated like criminals. I ask the Taoiseach to give a date and give some hope to these people. They should not be treated like criminals but like citizens of this country trying to obtain medicinal cannabis. If the Taoiseach could give a date, it would be a really good legacy on his part.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is a valid question. Obviously, on a number of occasions in the House the Minister has dealt with the issuing of prescriptions and treatment for particular ailments. Even if he were so willing he cannot under compassionate grounds issue an instruction for particular medicine to be distributed because it requires a prescription from an authorised clinical person. I read the account of Deputy Gino Kenny's involvement in this. In this Dáil, because of the number of Independents and smaller groupings, there were legitimate claims that backbenchers have not had enough time or opportunity to put forward their views about Private Members' Bills. Some 140 Private Members' Bills are now backed up and Government has not objected to those. However, it is a matter for the parties and groupings to decide which of those 140 Bills they actually want to prioritise.

The Deputy asked me to give him a date for the taking of the next Stage of his Bill. I ask him to deal with this through the process of doing business here. The Deputy's Bill is now one of 140 Bills listed for decision. It is not my function to determine the date of this, but it is a function of everybody. On a scale that never arose in any previous Dáil, Members have the opportunity to put forward Private Members' Bills, with time to debate and discuss them, for very valid reasons, as Deputy Gino Kenny, the author of a Bill, has done. It is not a case of the Government determining the date for taking a Bill here. The Deputy should raise that through the process that applies for Bills coming through every week, with 140 backed up.

Photo of Gino KennyGino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Bill would make it through committee.

3:30 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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In the programme for Government, fitting mention was given, and has been given again today, to the improvement of health facilities. In South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, the situation is chronic. We now find that two operations, St. Patrick's in Cashel, a step-down facility, and the Sacred Heart unit in Dungarvan Community Hospital, which takes patients for step-down care, are losing beds - 20 in Dungarvan and up to 15 in Cashel in Tipperary. There is also the chronic daily situation of the 45 beds in Clonmel. University Hospital Waterford is backed up as well. What is going on in the HSE? While trying to deal with that crisis, it was announced that the hospitals would get extra extensions, but that is ongoing for the last three or four years. We are now closing step-down facilities where people can go to recuperate after having hip operations, knee operations or any other medical procedures. The step-down locations of St. Patrick's and the one in Dungarvan provide wonderful facilities. It is folly and absolute madness to close these places because it will put ten times the pressure on the acute hospitals. What is going on? Will the Taoiseach have someone look into it? As Deputy Healy Rae said, will one of the five Ministers in the Department of Health have a bit of common sense and do something?

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will take brief comments from Deputies Mary Butler, David Cullinane and Jackie Cahill on the same matter.

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Today in the Sacred Heart unit in Dungarvan Community Hospital, 16 beds are closing. Eleven of these beds are for rehab, three are for long-stay and two are for respite. In the programme for Government, the Taoiseach put community care at the heart of the process going forward. Today, we will see 16 beds closed. This is a vital step-down facility in Dungarvan and in west Waterford to help our acute hospitals. This is not going to improve the situation. The reason cited is the lack of nurses, which is at crisis point in this country. I read today that 85% of all nurses training in Ireland this year intend to leave. What is the Taoiseach's Government going to do to change terms and conditions for nurses in this country so that we will not have to close 16 beds in a vital step-down facility in 2017?

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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The programme for Government committed to the establishment of a public sector pay commission. It also committed to increasing front-line staff, especially nurses, in our public hospitals. This is not happening. The Taoiseach has heard from a number of Deputies that the Sacred Heart unit in Dungarvan Community Hospital is closing. I spoke to the director of community services in the HSE today. He says that the only reason that the ward and the beds, which include rehab beds for stroke victims, are closing is because the hospital simply cannot recruit nurses. Hospitals cannot recruit nurses because up to this day the Taoiseach's party and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have still not committed to the principle of equal work for equal pay. We have commissions for pay restoration but we do not have any fairness. We have said to the Taoiseach over and over again that if he does not deal with these issues, there will be consequences. We are now seeing the consequences by which a ward has been closed in a community hospital in Dungarvan. That is unacceptable. I want to know what the Taoiseach is going to do to make sure that we can recruit nurses into our public system.

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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It was hard to comprehend this morning when we were told that a ward was closing in the community hospital in Cashel. Our county is suffering blow after blow on the health front. The Minister was in our constituency on the last Friday in October. He saw a facility a couple of hundred yards up the road in Cashel hospital, where there are two floors completely refurbished with over €20 million spent on them. They are lying idle. We have list after list of people looking for step-down beds, yet here we are closing more beds in our county. We have a county with no psychiatric beds in it. We are getting hit with service after service being taken from our health service. To close another ward in a hospital with a completely refurbished hospital lying idle just up the road is impossible to comprehend.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Minister for Health has gone to exceptional lengths to improve the position. Young trained nurses coming out of Irish hospitals are given full-time contracts.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Too many managers.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Minister has also made available incentives for nurses to return home to work in Ireland. I do not accept the figure Deputy Butler mentioned that 85% of trained nurses coming out of the Irish system are emigrating. Some people will want to go abroad to work for experience, as all young people do. However, the situation is much better than it was-----

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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It is not.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----in respect of the opportunity and incentive for young nurses coming out of the system, who are very highly trained and are in demand to work in the Irish hospital system.

The decision to which Deputy Cahill referred about the psychiatric bed situation in County Tipperary was made quite a number of years ago. It is a situation that can be worked out. If there is a new facility up the road and another one is closing down, is it not a case of asking what the best option is to provide facilities for people?

3:40 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Ask the Minister why. He saw it.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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A new unit was not built to remain empty and unused.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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For managers only.

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It was built for a purpose. That purpose should be followed through on. Some of these matters are relevant to the Topical Issue debate. I do not have the details of them here. I will respond to the Deputies who raised questions about Dungarvan, Clonmel and Cashel and have the Deputies supplied with that information.

Photo of John LahartJohn Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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My question concerns the commitment in the programme for Government to a full review of public transport policy. We know from a reply to my colleague, Deputy John Curran, that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has already made its submission to the mid-term capital review. Yet in a further response to Deputy Curran we also know that the review of public transport is promised only for later this year. Given that traffic congestion in Dublin is costing, according to the Minister, €350 million annually and that it will rise to close to €2 billion in the mid-2020s, does the Taoiseach agree the review of public transport the Government committed to is now overdue and has already missed the mid-term capital review deadline? Will the Taoiseach tell the House when it will take place? How can the Government make proper plans for public transport in Dublin in the absence of this review? Will the Taoiseach make a statement on the matter?

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I will have the Minister respond to this. The capital review takes into account major infrastructure such as roads, dual carriageways and motorways. We cannot plan ahead for the country unless we look 15 or 20 years out. That is what the Government has started now with consultations in every part of the country. We will have an extra 1 million people and will require half a million houses on top of the already serious demands that are there. In one way this is a real challenge of success where the line of investment in is exceptionally strong. That is proved by announcements every week by firms wishing to site here and by the expansion of existing firms. It is a timely observation. Transport is not missing the capital review. It is always the case in terms of public transport. We see the ongoing works with the Luas in Dublin. The requirements for future investment of that scale in different parts of the country can be funded in part by the European Investment Bank provided agreement can be reached on structures and income streams to pay for those loans. I will have the Minister, Deputy Ross, made aware of Deputy Lahart's question and reply directly to him with regard to the schedule for dealing with this.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That concludes questions on promised legislation. My apologies to the six Deputies whose questions were not reached.