Some are their general opinions but there are mistruths, lies and all the rest. There is stuff they may believe that is absolutely wrong. It would take a long time to make complaints individually on all of that. I wish to ask about Coimisiún na Meán's engagement with social media companies. We can have all the rules and regulations but they will not work until we can in some way enforce this and they are up for it. The same algorithms that work for them from a business point of view work in selling bile, hate and absolute deranged idiocy. The fear is that when people see this, it becomes a hell of a lot more acceptable. One always worries about what the next step is. As everybody moves one step or what was not acceptable yesterday becomes acceptable, my fear is that the next thing is not just get your hands on me, it is literally assaulting someone or far worse. What is Coimisiún na Meán's engagement? The electoral commission was before the committee and its representatives said they had fairly good opening conversations with the social media companies but I have seen nothing change. Social media are an absolute sewer at this point. There will be nothing but mistruths, disinformation and misinformation the whole way right through an election. There is an element of David and Goliath, them being Goliath and Coimisiún na Meán not even having a slingshot.
]]>There are many people in surgeries who cannot see a GP without waiting for two weeks unless it is an emergency. We know of people who cannot get a GP at all. We know in some of these cases that people are so frustrated, they end up going to the accident and emergency department. Many people believe that, because of the overcrowding and other issues, the best thing they can do is call an ambulance, putting further strain on the ambulance service. I recently tabled a parliamentary question and, in an over-and-back interaction, I was pleased that the Minister said he was open to having directly employed GPs. However, we need to accept that the business model for GPs has changed. At this stage, GPs do not want to be running businesses so we need to consider State employment. We cannot leave people in the circumstances they are in.
The other issue I want to bring up is orthodontic care. I recently got answers from the HSE regarding the absolute disaster in CHO 8. At this point it is only looking at an initiative to deal with people who are grade 5, the worst-case scenario. It has not looked at this in 2021, 2022 or 2023, while dealing with grade 4s at huge cost. I am glad people are getting some necessary works, but we really need to deal with the worst-case scenario because, in the long term, they will be under severe pressure and serious harm will be done.
]]>As I have said previously, we support this Bill. We need to look at the wider issue of making sure that we can provide the proper credit and that we provide those additional supports as regards those companies. I welcome, as I said, the positive interactions I have had with the Minister of State, but who knows what the future holds? I hope we can get a couple of these things across the line before there is change. I would like to think that change would be a change of government and an election, but this would probably be the wrong time to talk about that, a Cheann Comhairle.
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