Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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At a time ordinary workers and families are counting every euro, the Government continues to be a serial waster of public money. There is the €127,000 designer bike shed at the Kerry hospital, a bike shed that is actually letting water in - you could not make it up. Hot on the heels of that, we now discover that €50 million of taxpayers’ money has effectively been torched on a failed IT system for Irish Rail. That is €50 million gone. While the Government burns through public money, ordinary people are being stretched like never before and it expects them to pick up the tab for this incompetence. It treats public money as if it were Monopoly money. The Minister knows it is not an isolated incident. It is one scandal after the other. It is one grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money after another and the public are sick of it. Ministers come in here, shrug their shoulders and expect the people to pick up the tab, but it is not on. Who will be held accountable for any of this? This is €50 million of taxpayers’ money being wasted again under the Government’s watch. What is it going to do to end the culture of waste, incompetence and contempt for taxpayers and workers who are paying the price for what we are seeing over and over again?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I was also concerned by the reports that I saw on the front of newspapers today. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who has informed me that the Department received the accounts for the CIÉ group only just this week and he has not had a copy at this stage. He will obviously read it and will have to take action or respond to what is in the report. I have spoken to the Deputy about this many times. The Government is absolutely determined to make sure that every penny that we spend is spent appropriately.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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It is €50 million.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have been asked twice this week to open a Passport Office in Northern Ireland, which could cost up to €6 million. We know that fewer than 500 citizens-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Come on. There was €50 million of waste.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Order, please.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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-----are using a front desk at the moment.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Do not justify that with giving Irish citizens the right to have their passport.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We now move to the next question, which is in the name of Deputy Robert O'Donoghue.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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That is ridiculous stuff from a Minister.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Doherty, please.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Government burnt through €50 million and it blames citizens-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Doherty-----

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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It is disgraceful for the Minister to blame citizens in the North for the Government's complete and utter incompetence.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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Sit down, Deputy.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Resume your seat, Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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There was €50 million of waste and it was a cheap shot.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I call Deputy O'Donoghue.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I did not blame anybody.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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You did.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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Too often, we speak about domestic abuse as if leaving is a simple choice when for many, it is not. Coercive control and financial abuse mean survivors may have no safe access to money, even if they are in employment themselves. The safe fund policy launched recently by the Labour Party and Labour Women would provide a once-off, non-means-tested and rapid payment delivered in times of emergency and to help people to leave or to help with essential needs for those who have to stay. We already know this model works because front-line services have been delivering it through donations.

The existing supports in situ are vital but, at times, they are too slow and complex in emergencies. This is a practical, life-saving measure. I am calling on the Government to urgently bring forward the proposed €3 million safe fund put forward by Labour Women for victims and survivors of domestic violence. This must be prioritised in the next budget cycle. I acknowledge the Minister's work with Willow Meath refuge.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. In the past week or two, we have seen the Go Purple Day but, more broadly, we should be talking all the time about how the number of women in particular coming forward who are victims of domestic and sexual violence is increasing year on year. In one way, I see it as a good thing because women are coming forward but the figures we are seeing are completely alarming. They highlight the fact that this is an epidemic and that we need to do everything we can to support women to get out of this situation. We need to be open to all proposals, including the one the Deputy outlined.

The Government has introduced different kinds of supports, such as safe houses, the investment in Cuan and the different funding available through different mechanisms, be it from social protection or housing. At the same time, as the Deputy said, this type of money is being allocated through many organisations and associations. If there is a way to put this on a more formal setting, we should absolutely look at this more broadly.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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The Social Democrats and I welcome the release of the 14 Irish citizens who were illegally detained by Israel from the Global Sumud Flotilla. I appreciate the updates the Minister provided in today’s proceedings. I listened to closely to them. I asked last week what Israel has to do or what atrocities it has to commit for us to see action from European leaders. Honestly, I have seen in the past 48 hours my answer to that because, apparently, when a fraction of the demonic modus operandi of this Israeli State is inflicted upon European citizens, we see strong responses but this is compared to the ongoing torture of thousands of Palestinian detainees when we see an absolutely muted response. Will the Minister acknowledge the two-tier response we have seen from European leaders? Will she go beyond what she said earlier is a strong message, which the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement would be, to actual sanctioning of Israel and finally holding it to account for the constant breaking of international law that we see?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I cannot be any clearer in my view that Europe has not been strong enough. We have not responded effectively, and that is why we are where we are now. Ireland has not just woken up to this. At an EU level, we have consistently been advocating for the EU to step up and take a stronger stance. That is why we have been advocating - I have been doing so in the past few weeks - for the EU-Israel Association Agreement to be on the table and that we would ban on trade with the illegal settlements. We have finally agreed to sanction violent settlers but we need to do more. Europe has not been strong enough. I welcome the fact that there has been global condemnation of what we have seen this week but we now need to follow it through with action. That is exactly what I am trying to do. That is what I am prioritising.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Vulnerable people and families are now being charged up to €15 for blister packs. Medical cardholders, people on fixed incomes, sick people and people with disabilities must now pay this additional charge. As the Minister knows, there is a cost-of-living crisis and these groups are already under severe financial pressure, being hammered by increases across the board. Food costs over the past five years have spiralled out of control. Butter is up 42%, milk 43%, cheese 28%, chicken 33% and diced beef 48%, not to mention huge increases in gas and electricity prices as well as petrol, diesel and home heating oil. For low- and middle-income families, this charge is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This service should and must be State-funded. It is a small ask in the bigger scheme of things. I ask the Minister to make sure the blister pack service will be State-funded.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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This is an issue that my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has been actively pursuing. She is engaging in particular with the pharmacy associations. It has been the case that there were different charges being applied in terms of dispensing and the overall blister packs themselves. An unequal approach was being taken, depending on the pharmacy and its approach. The work the Minister is doing is to make sure there is parity and that people are not being charged on the double or triple or beyond what they should be because we know that is not the case through certain pharmacies. I will relay the Deputy's concerns directly to the Minister and ask her to give him a direct update as to where things are at now. I am not sure it is fully resolved but I know she is working to resolve this issue more broadly.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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We have seen from the Daft report that there have been brutal increases in the cost of rent. The average in Cork is €2,000 per month for a two-bedroom home. Behind those statistics are human lives. This week in my constituency office, I met a 79-year-old lady from the Mallow area who worked for decades, raised a family and contributed to the community and the State. She never asked the State for anything. Through no fault of her own, she had to sell her family home and has spent the past five years in private rental accommodation without HAP support. She has depleted and exhausted her savings, and her landlord is now selling. She has to vacate the property by 30 May. The State has offered this woman, who will be 80 by the end of the month, a place in a homeless hub in Cork city, which is a 20-minute drive from Mallow and from family supports and everything else are. This does not take into account her age, her mobility needs or the dignity of this octogenarian. I am asking the Minister today to directly intervene in cases like this across the nation, of which there are quite a few. People are ending up in homeless hubs at the age of 80.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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No one wants to hear of somebody of any age, let alone an 80-year-old person, having to go into homeless accommodation. It is important to stress that we have cost rental in place, which we did not have a few years ago. That is helping a lot of people. Without knowing the exact details of this case, perhaps there is an opportunity for the local authority to step in with the tenant in situ scheme. I am not sure but I am happy to take the details of the case and relay them back to the Minister.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister about the needs of the east Cork area. East Cork is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. It is expected to deliver 40% of Cork County Council's future housing target growth. We have a population of 50,000 people. There is a new town being constructed in Water-rock, while €1.4 billion is being invested in the new Cork metropolitan area rail corridor. The problem we have, unfortunately, is with capacity for recreational facilities in the east Cork area. We are competing with developers for access to lands for critical community infrastructure. We are lacking a community pool and an athletics facility outside of the Midleton-Carrigtwohill corridor. Will the Government support myself and groups looking for support from it in respect of acquiring land for future needs? This is very much-needed for recreational facilities and future population growth. We know from current figures that the need is acute for this facility.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We all know as local representatives, because first and foremost, we are local representatives, how important it is that when we build new homes, we build new communities as well. It is not just about houses but about shops, community centres, recreational facilities, playing pitches, schools and all of the things we need to build a new community. It is important to get that right when we are developing our county development plans and that the local authorities look at all of these different options. In my county, we are working on a variation of our current county development plan. There will be a process in place for every county to develop a new county development plan. That is the time, working with our local councillors and local authorities, to ensure that any new planning is supported with these facilities the Deputy mentioned, or the space and zoning for these facilities.

Beyond that, we have a national development plan, which does not just focus on our critical infrastructure alone. Within that plan, funding can be announced by different Departments, whether for sporting agencies, community centres, active travel programmes and various other initiatives that we all we want to see advocated for. Working with the local authorities, it is important that work is put in place first.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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There are 139 special schools in Ireland today. They support students with highly complex needs. They need hoists, medical devices, outdoor regulation areas and access to nurses, therapists and clinicians. Their buildings, staffing and day-to-day operations all require essential additional resources to safely and effectively support their students who are just as deserving of an education as everybody else. We know from DEIS that targeted funding can help to make a difference when allocated where it is needed most. I ask for a special school designation in the education funding budget for 2027 as a fundamental acknowledgment that special schools have greater needs.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I concur with everything the Deputy has said. When I spent almost a year in the Department of education last year, special education was one area on which I really wanted to work and make greater progress. There is a greater level of need in special schools but there has also been an increase in need across mainstream schools, if you want to call them that, including special classes within those schools. We need to make sure every penny we spend in current or capital is targeted towards those who need it most. Perhaps there is more we need to do, for example by designating special schools specifically as requiring more and increasing what they receive. They already get greater levels of support in teaching and resources. In the same way that we have adjusted DEIS over the years when the environment, the population and the needs have changed, perhaps we need to take a further look at what is needed now - what further resources are required - and how to incorporate that into current and capital budgets which is important. Twenty new special schools have been opened since 2019-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Minister.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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-----and four more will open later this year.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I call Deputy Conor McGuinness.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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This is a priority for us and we need to enhance it in every way we can.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the mobile maternity unit fundraised for by Gaeil ar son Gaza in west Waterford. It is now stuck in Egypt, prevented from entering Gaza by the Israeli occupation forces. I understand Irish diplomats in Egypt are seeking a resolution but will the Minister urgently intervene with Egypt, the UN and all relevant agencies to get this Irish-funded and much-needed mobile maternity unit into Gaza? In the same week that we saw the Global Sumud Flotilla illegally interdicted and humanitarian volunteers including 14 Irish citizens - who have since been released - detained, mistreated and denied proper consular access, it is clear that this is part of a wider pattern. I refer to Israel's genocide in Gaza, its destruction of hospitals, its murder of medics and its attacks on ambulances. This attack on medical and humanitarian facilities is part and parcel of the genocide. This punitive and exterminationist regime has to be called to heel. Ireland must act decisively. Will the Government make time next week to pass the occupied territories Bill, goods and services included?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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As Israel continues to thumb its nose at the international community, bask in its impunity and gloat in the face of the deepening humanitarian crisis it has created-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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-----will the Government finally concede that it is time for us to take unilateral action?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister, please.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Our so-called European partners are continuing to enable and protect Israel in its colossal crimes against humanity.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My experience and what I saw when I was on the ground in Rafah at the beginning of the year was not inaction by the Egyptian Government or our own officials. It was a preventing of aid or these types of supports by the Israeli Government. I am happy to engage directly with my team on the ground to see what the current situation is. I am happy to engage with the Minister, Mr. Abdelatty, my counterpart in Egypt whom I met there, to see if there is any possibility. My experience is that this decision is taken solely by the Israeli authorities. As we have seen and as I have said a number of times today, they are prohibiting and preventing this type of life-saving treatment from getting in, which is completely unacceptable. I have also been very clear that I will bring forward legislation on the occupied territories Bill in the coming weeks.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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Parkinson's disease is the fastest-growing neurological condition in Ireland. Unfortunately, people are without supports in many counties. In my own county of Offaly, there is no neurologist, specialist nurse or team and people have to travel. It really shocked me that the HSE responded to a recent parliamentary question by telling me it has no idea of the number of people living with Parkinson's disease in County Offaly. I find that very concerning because if it does not know the level of need, how can it measure the level of need or put services in place? This greatly concerns me. I ask the Government to urgently intervene with the HSE in terms of the data blindness - it is just unbelievable that no data is collected per county - and the lack of neurological services in county Offaly. We really should have a neurologist in our hospital in Tullamore along with a specialist nursing team.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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While I am not aware of how information is gathered or whether it is held at a national level as opposed to a county level, I will ask the Minister to come back directly to Deputy Nolan to relay whether this is a practice that happens or does not happen at the county level, in particular, or at national level, or if there are plans to do this.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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On 29 April during the debate on my Private Members' motion, we had a very good debate on the need to reform the in camera rule in the family law system. Equally, the issue of court-appointed experts was also brought up. If someone wants to make a complaint about a social worker, for example, and they are trying to be in line with the in camera rule, they can do that by making a complaint to CORU. I am aware of a situation where people allege that they were gaslit and sometimes lied about during reports as children, when they were under age. Now that they have reached adulthood, they want to make a complaint. Unfortunately, CORU's fitness to practice powers did not come in until December 2014. Is there a mechanism whereby these individuals can make a complaint? If not, will the Government facilitate such complaints through the line Minister, for example?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this. For the first time, the most recent family law strategy - which I published two years ago, I think - places a greater emphasis on children, on the impact separation can have on them and, most important, on how we provide supports to young people as they go through the court process with their parents or outside of it where there are experts who engage with them. I have heard a lot of stories, as I am sure the Deputy has, about where engagement with families has not been done appropriately. The family court strategy was always to be a living, breathing document and if changes or adjustments were needed as issues arose, they could be included. I will ask the issue the Deputy has raised to be brought directly to the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, to see if something can be done within the family justice strategy. Perhaps something is already in train that he can engage with the Deputy on.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I raise the lack of childcare in north Kildare, where there is a growing population. Will the Minister provide an update on State-led childcare, which is desperately needed to address the shortages in towns like Kilcock, Maynooth and Naas? I get multiple emails each week from people who are struggling to get childcare in their areas and want to get back into the workforce. Many of them are mothers who are sacrificing their own careers. Often, both parents are struggling in this situation. I welcome that the State is for the first time pushing towards introducing State-led childcare frameworks. I ask for a timeline on delivery and that a town like Kilcock could be set out as a pilot. I know Kilcock is very dear to the Minister's heart. It is close to her own area. She will know at first hand the issues and the experience in a town like it.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We have towns and villages that have seen significant growth in recent years, but where the provision of services has not matched it. The Deputy mentioned Kilcock in particular. There are a lot of young families where both parents are working. We need to make sure we provide support for them through childcare so they can continue in their work. As he said, some of Kilcock is in my constituency so I am very aware of the challenges and concerns that parents have. He mentioned that we as a Government and our party, Fine Gael, advocated strongly before coming into government for a State-led childcare scheme that would fill the gaps where we do not have services, where it is not possible for private providers to expand or grow, and where we need to see investment in particular areas with strong growth. The building blocks extension grant scheme is currently operating to try to support extension of existing premises and, in the case of community operators, the purchase or construction of new buildings. In addition, earlier this year the Minister launched a new programme of investment in State-led early learning and childcare.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank, you Minister.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the early learning and childcare capital programme, the Government and Department will select up to eight facilities a year.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I call Deputy O'Rourke.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I will ask in my engagement with the Minister for these areas to be identified as there is large population and family growth-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Minister. I call Deputy O'Rourke.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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-----in the areas the Deputy mentioned, such as Kilcock. However, I do not have a specific timeline for that.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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St. Joseph's co-ed primary school in East Wall in Dublin has been told it will lose two teaching posts from September. The school appealed the decision but was told last week that the appeal was unsuccessful.

The Department says it will cut one teaching post due to enrolment numbers. The school is one pupil short to retain the teacher - just one pupil. The other post to be cut is a legacy post that has been there for decades and covers the school's reception class programme. This programme does incredible work and plays an important role in supporting children's early language development, school readiness and transition into junior infants. This is a success story. It is a model for DEIS schools but it will be cut. These cuts are simply unconscionable. Will the Minister intervene to ensure they are reversed?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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While the Deputy has outlined some of the details, I obviously do not know all of the facts of the case. I know that when it comes to teacher allocation, it is very much based on pupil numbers. Where you have such a small gap between what would allow the second teacher, there are always appeals that can take place. I know from experience that sometimes it is not fully understood how to put in the appeal because if your numbers are going to go up in the following year, if it is within a certain figure, you can retain the teacher. I ask the Deputy to engage with the school directly and to encourage it to look at the appeal process more broadly. I will bring to the attention of the Minister the other specific legacy post.

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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This week, in Carlow, we received the news that Carlow College will wind down operation as a third level institution over the course of the next two years. This came as a tremendous shock to the 87 members of staff who went into work on Tuesday only to find out that they are losing their jobs. While consultation is under way, staff need clarity and they need it now. One staff member said to me that this is not just a job to us; it is their life's work. They have given years and, for some of them, decades to this college and now they are being asked to walk away without knowing how they will support their families or what comes next.

I would like it placed on the record of the Dáil that it is my strong view that statutory redundancy alone is not enough in the case of Carlow College. These staff members are dedicated, skilled people who deserve more than the minimum. They deserve a fair, enhanced package that reflects their contribution and supports them through this transition.

I am relieved that the campus and buildings are to be transferred to South East Technological University, SETU, so we will see lots of life in those lovely buildings for years to come. That is a positive in the long term. However, for now, my focus remains with the staff of Carlow College. I thank them for all their service and dedication to third level education in Ireland. Could the Minister support these workers who are losing their jobs?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The over-riding priority needs to be two things, and I know the Deputy will agree with this. First, we need to ensure the students currently in the college can complete their studies. I have been given assurances that that will continue. The agreed approach is to support Carlow College in delivering the existing programmes through to their completion to August 2028. Second, as the Deputy rightly said, we have excellent people who have been working there for many years and we need to make sure they are supported. I know the Minister has been engaging directly with the college because of the fact that it is a private, autonomous institution outside of the publicly funded higher education system. While there is a need to respect its autonomy, we need to make sure we support such highly skilled, educated and trained people and professionals, who have been imparting their knowledge to students for years, to apply for competitions to fill vacancies in situ that they will be working closely with, or to examine what other opportunities may be available to them. I can relay the concerns the Deputy has raised directly to the Minister.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I want to shine a light on the claim of our school secretaries and caretakers for access to the public sector pension scheme and other entitlements. I welcome the intervention of the Labour Court but for reasons unknown to me and ten months after their August 2025 strike action, we still await a recommendation. What I do know - I am sure the Minister will agree - is the extent to which they are such a positive force in our schools and centres of educational excellence. In recent weeks, many secretaries and caretakers have been in touch with me and my office to say they are deeply frustrated by this delay. Can the Minister provide any update as to when we might receive a recommendation from the Labour Court?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I will start by fully agreeing with the Deputy. We all know that our secretaries and caretakers are at the very heart of our schools. They are the first people you meet on the grounds as you are walking in. The first person to welcome you is generally the secretary. They are absolutely invaluable in our schools. For me, and I think all of us, it is really important that a resolution is found to the ongoing dispute. The Department of Education and Youth has been engaging with Fórsa and the Department of public expenditure and reform for a number of months now. That was under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. As the Deputy said, more recently, this has been referred to the Labour Court. My understanding is that the parties remain in this process. There is information that had to be provided but we should, hopefully, see a resolution and a recommendation from the Labour Court soon. While I do not have an exact date, I know there is a huge amount of effort being made to try and bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible.

Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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Over the past number of weeks, Meta and Covalen have announced redundancies totalling over 1,000 job losses here in Dublin. This comes on the back of a severe stalling in graduate hiring in Ireland, leaving many young people without an economic future, as if it was not hard enough under this Government. I have been speaking with many young tech workers in my constituency who are deeply afraid that the artificial intelligence, AI, bubble is bursting and they will be left with nowhere to go. I have to say that as the party with the Ministries in finance and enterprise, Fine Gael is asleep at the wheel on this. It has no plan for the jobs fallout from the AI revolution. It has doubled down on an economic model that exposes our people to the decisions of foreign boardrooms and it has no vision for the future of the Irish economy. What is this Government going to do to actually provide a robust jobs future for people in this country beyond mere words of sympathy?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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First, I acknowledge that a number of hundred people have lost their jobs this week. I have no doubt that it is a very difficult time for them and many of their families. I stress that our enterprise agencies, first and foremost, are trying to assist in whatever way they possibly can those who are impacted to help them to find alternative employment. This includes sharing the skills profiles of the employees who have been impacted to companies who may be hiring with multinationals in IDA client-based or indigenous companies throughout Enterprise Ireland. On top of that, IDA Ireland is in regular contact with the leadership, as is the Minister, to offer any support we can in this regard. We all know that this something that has been coming down the track for some time. The introduction of AI means there is going to be a restructuring in companies like this. What we are trying to do - I mentioned this earlier - is focus on how we as a country and the EU as a whole can be more competitive. This means not only looking at other markets, but also embracing AI to see how new forms of jobs can come out of this as well. It is quite competitive and is one of our priorities; it is why we will be hosting an AI strategy summit in October of this year.

Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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Mere words, Minister.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I wish to briefly acknowledge the passing this morning of Liz Howard, a former president of the Camogie Association. She was a formidable - and I mean formidable - and passionate Tipperary woman. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

I want to raise an issue in relation to elderly care. A man I have known all my life, who has dementia and other issues, has ended up in a midlands hospital. He has been there for months because I cannot find him a nursing home. This is going on around the country. We need a plan for people with dementia. Trust me when I say I know what I am talking about here because I deal with it every day in my own life. We need a plan. It is embarrassing. I am embarrassed that I cannot help this man. The HSE is embarrassed. It cannot find a place for him. I am talking to it daily; I will be talking to it after I leave this Chamber. We, collectively here, need to put a plan in place because people are living longer. Dementia is growing because people are living longer as well. We need a plan. This gentleman paid his taxes, worked hard and raised a fantastic family and he deserves the dignity of being placed in a proper home to live out the rest of his days. Financially, this is bad for the taxpayer. He is taking up a bed in an acute ward at €2,000 a day. Can we please look together, collectively, to build for the future the proper facilities for people like this gentleman? Can we find solutions for people who are left in this unfortunate scenario, which is totally and utterly unacceptable?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The one thing we can all hope for when we get older is that we have the supports we need and that we are treated with dignity and respect. To the Deputy's point, what this gentleman needs is to ensure he has a place outside of a hospital, in a home where he is cared for and supported. I have no doubt he is being cared for in the hospital and in the setting he is in now by the fantastic staff we have in our hospitals but I agree with the Deputy that we need to make sure we are investing more in our nursing homes that are dementia-specific and dementia-friendly. I have many of them in my own constituency and where it is specific to that particular need, it is transformative for the individuals who are there. We also need to invest further in our dementia-specific hubs and carers within our communities so that we can support people in the community.

If the Deputy wants to pass on the specific details of the gentleman, I will be happy to pass them on to the Minister and ask her to contact the Deputy directly.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the case of a 54-year-old man in Athlone, a constituent of mine who has now spent six and a half months in Tullamore hospital without access to the treatment he requires. He was told he would be transferred to St. James's Hospital for specialist care but it has since transpired that there is no pathway or any arrangement in place for that to happen. His treatment in Tullamore is complete. He is simply getting his wounds dressed. That is the only reason he is in the hospital six and a half months after first going in, despite repeated representations and efforts from the medical staff in Tullamore. My office contacted the HSE, the Minister and the hospitals but has received no response. It is grossly unfair on the man. He is sitting in a hospital where somebody else is waiting for the bed he is in. I implore the Minister to address this. Nobody should be left in this situation. There is a solution. The medical professionals in St. James's Hospital are aware of the man's situation. Tullamore hospital is aware of his situation. Things need to line up at this point because he cannot continue. It is having a profound impact on his mental health.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that without knowing the details of the case as to why the man is not being released or sent home or another care facility I cannot comment. I am happy to take the details and pass them directly to the Minister.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has the details.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I will flag it with her.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I want to address a tragic event that underscores the crisis in our prison system. On 1 April, 45-year-old Colm Connolly died in a padded close observation cell in Midlands Prison. Mr. Connolly was a vulnerable prisoner, diagnosed with severe psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder. His family, who were denied the opportunity to formally identify his body prior to a post mortem, are seeking transparency regarding his care and subsequent restraint. They received little help other than from Wexford Aontú Councillor Jim Codd. There are currently three separate investigations under way by the Garda, Prison Service and Inspector of Prisons. This fatal incident occurred against the backdrop of a prison system operating severely over capacity. The prison population reached 5,747, a thousand prisoners over capacity. The Office of the Inspector of Prisons has warned that the chronic overcrowding and deteriorating infrastructure is escalating risks for vulnerable prisoners and staff. How can we have prisoners in this overcrowding with acute psychiatric needs? When will the three investigations into the death of Mr. Connolly be complete?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am very to sorry to hear of this case and offer my condolences to his family. As the Deputy outlined, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons makes sure these types of cases and challenges in our prisons are highlighted and, most importantly, addressed. I can certainly raise the case directly with the Minister.

The wider point is that we have too many people in our prison system with mental health problems who should not be in prison. I know from my time in the Department of justice, and having visited prisons and engaged with prisoners, those working in prisons, including prison officers, feel the same. Investment in our new facility in Portrane will open new spaces so that we have fewer people in our prisons. More broadly, it is about making sure that when people leave prison, there is step-down support in the community, so that they do not become like a revolving door, and that mental health supports are provided outside the prison, which includes the wider piece of work the prison task force has been doing on mental health in prisons over the past number of years. While it will take time, it is something we need to continue to focus on and prioritise. I can certainly raise this specific case directly with the Minister.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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The Minister will raise it with the relevant Minister. I thank her for that.