Annie Hoey - Recent appearances (From KildareStreet.com)
Health Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
I note the mention of the Cass report. I will not go too much into it but there were questionable methodologies in the research of that report. It is disappointing that there has been wilful...
I note the mention of the Cass report. I will not go too much into it but there were questionable methodologies in the research of that report. It is disappointing that there has been wilful misrepresentation in the media and by some bad actors of the report. It is being used to deny, restrict and cut off services to very vulnerable people. I hope that is borne in mind as well. Trans people, like all of us, need healthcare services that are centred on the principles of bodily autonomy, person-led decision-making and informed consent; adhere to the rights of safe, equitable, accessible and quality healthcare; are facilitated by healthcare professionals to provide individuals with care, respect, empathy and accuracy; and uplift decision-making according to each person’s individual needs. I am worried that the response does not take into account that we still do not have trans healthcare in Ireland. With this response, I am not sure that we will get it in the way that we need it.
I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I am raising the need for the Minister for Health to address issues relating to the state of trans healthcare in Ireland and the need to move to...
I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I am raising the need for the Minister for Health to address issues relating to the state of trans healthcare in Ireland and the need to move to informed consent, gender affirming care at community and primary care level. I will give some context of our trans health care here in Ireland, although frankly, that is something that I do not think we really have. We are ranked worst in the EU for availability and accessibility for trans health by TGEU, despite the fact we have some of the most progressive laws. Unfortunately, our health system does not match that. We are rated F for timely and adequate access to trans health care by LGBT Ireland and we have a de facto centralised gender clinic model. There are no national gender-affirming healthcare policies or guidelines. It seems people must wait ten years and more to be able to access healthcare. By any measure, that is a de facto non-existent healthcare system and is not good enough. Some of the issues with the system include a lack of access to quality care, as I said; a decade-long waitlist for the primary public service; non-existent youth services; denial of services and primary care; little to no availability of surgery within Ireland; and, a failure to adhere to international guidelines. I am sure the Minister of State will have seen people fundraising in order to get the healthcare they need in another country. Another issue with the system is a severe lack of bodily autonomy. There are incredibly invasive psychiatric assessments. Some of the questions I have heard people being asked are unbelievable. Incredibly invasive questions are being put to people who know their own mind and their own body but are put through the wringer about very intimate personal details, borderline Freud kind of stuff, which does not really tie in with what we have, which is a consent-based, self-ID model. The healthcare does not match what we have in legislation which is “we believe you when you say who you say you are”. By contrast, the health system puts them through all these questionable things. There is discrimination, stereotyping and an exclusion of trans people from policy development. The message comes across from all the trans organisations that I have met with and work with which say they do not feel they are at the table in any meaningful way on the decisions that have been made about trans people. There is no path for any young trans person to access gender-affirming medical care in Ireland and young trans people throughout the country are suffering. They deserve to be treated with dignity and, if they want it, access to safe medication so they have time to explore their gender identity without the pressure of dysphoria from their bodies changing. Trans youth need the acknowledgement that their lives matter, just as much as if they were cisgender children. We need a new system which is based on an informed-consent model for gender-affirming care, community and primary care based and co-production with the trans community, an affirming approach to care for youth and one that upholds the human right to bodily autonomy. I will say a little about the informed consent model. This is grounded in accurate, evidence-based education on transition. It is led by the person's own free and informed decisions about their body and their treatment. It is facilitated through discussion on the expectations, benefits, risks and limitations of any treatment, and it is free from gatekeeping, pathologisation and discrimination. The community and primary care model is facilitated by primary care general practitioners and nurses. It is easy to access locally with over a decade-long waitlist. It is tailored to the person's needs. It is integrated into guidelines of trains for GPs and nurses and it is accessible to trans people in rural communities. We need to recognise and respect each person's gender identity without questioning or judging it and we need to acknowledge that there is no medical, psychological or psychiatric tests that confirm or deny gender identity. I just want to know from the Minister of State today, what the Government and the Minister for Health will do about trans health care in Ireland. We simply do not have trans health care in Ireland if it means one must wait ten or more years to get any of it.
Agriculture: Statements | Seanad debates
I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. As someone who grew up on a tillage farm and dabbled in the agriculture sector, I will keep my comments mostly to those areas I am...
I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. As someone who grew up on a tillage farm and dabbled in the agriculture sector, I will keep my comments mostly to those areas I am familiar with. I certainly welcome the Minister's comments and his outline supports for tillage farmers. Once a tillage farming girl, always a tillage farming girl. Over recent months I have found myself peering out the window daily and muttering about planting weather and wet sodden land. I must have picked it up off my dad over the years when he used to do that. As a little girl I would stand beside him and nod along and go, "Yes, most certainly." It has been incredibly difficult. As I have been going across the country I am struck by and cannot get over how often I see wet farm lands in a way that I do not recall seeing over the recent years. It has been incredibly difficult. I welcome the extensive outline supports the Minister has put forward today and which he told us about. Agriculture is an incredibly broad sector, and during statements I am aware we could talk about completely different things and not cover absolutely everything. I will talk a little bit about the diversification of Ireland's agriculture and farming. I want to reflect on those farmers in the north-western German state of Lower Saxony who are being supported in their transition away from pig farming as the country seeks to make its agricultural sector more diversified and more sustainable. The agriculture investment promotion programme, AFP, accepts funding applications from farmers seeking to support this business. The new rules mean pig farmers who reduce their pig herds or quit pig farming altogether have preferential access to funding. This is just one of the examples. There are many different programmes around examining different ways farmers can look at a just transition, particularly for livestock farmers. In these Houses and in other parliaments across the world, there are conversations about lower meat diets and more plant-based processes and diets for people. We must recognise this as an essential step in addressing climate change. We can look at some of the different ways we can do this in Ireland to support some of these things. The German Government also marked €42 million in its 2024 budget for promotion of plant-based, precision fermented, and cell cultivated proteins. In providing such a crucial sum for a plant-based transformation, the German Government is demonstrating how important sustainability is for the future. I believe it is becoming more commonplace among European countries to invest in and promote plant-based options. I would love to see Ireland starting to follow suit in how we are incentivising some of that. In October last year, the Danish Government published the first ever national plant-based action plan with a strategy on how the Nordic country can transition towards a richer plant-based food diet and boost plant-based protein production in the next few years. Denmark is at the forefront of plant-based policymaking. Between 2017 and 2022, Denmark witnessed a twofold increase in protein-rich plant crop production, generating an economic value of €1.2 billion. Europe's plant-based food sector has grown significantly in recent years, with total sales value and unit sales spiking by 21% between 2020 and 2022 and the sector currently valued at €5.8 billion. The future for this looks even more promising, with a predicted annual growth rate of nearly 9% for the next five years. Moreover, by 2035, one in every ten servings of meat, eggs dairy and seafood worldwide is expected to be in the form of alternative protein. ProVeg conducted an EU consumer survey of 7,500 people in ten EU countries and found that the data suggests a broad and ongoing shift in Europe towards more plant-based eating. European habits on the whole remain unsustainable and multifaceted and a strategy is needed to further accelerate this shift. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Annie Hoey:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=&amp;pid=AnnieHoey&amp;year=2024&amp;month=04&amp;day=16"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->This could include emphasising the long-term benefits of different diet types, tailoring messages for diverse groups and regions and implementing transparent and trustworthy labelling schemes. We cannot talk about food production, horticulture and agriculture without talking about food security. We must recognise that there is a decline in some small- and medium-sized farms. This is a concerning trend. Ireland is obviously very much an agriculture-based country. As someone who grew up on a very small farm, I do not like seeing farmers being pushed out of the sector due to financial constraints or because it is unsustainable. I recognise the really important part agriculture has played in of our history, but approximately 80% of CAP subsidies go to the largest 20% of farms. This policy favours large-scale industrial farming practices. As a result, smaller farmers who do farm in harmony with nature are still struggling and are often forced to close down their businesses. This threatens food sovereignty and food security. I would love to see a way for us to address this imbalance. CAP subsidies could be reformed to properly support smaller farmers and diversity in rural economies. The CAP has the potential to steer food systems towards addressing environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss, disturbed nitrogen and phosphorous cycles and water and land degradation. Redesigning CAP policies to help support sustainable diets and farming practices is urgent as current subsidies do not do that. They incentivise the acquisition of physical access related to animal agriculture such as milking machines, which perpetuates what is going on. I do not know if we would do it in this room or at European level but I would love, in the context of CAP reform, someone to look at both supporting smaller farmers and increased diversification in how we farm. As we work towards just and sustainable food systems, we need to consider justice from all angles. This obviously includes farmers because it is they who provide our food. The financial situation has deteriorated due to the wet weather, which has played havoc across the sector. Grain and fertiliser prices rose as a result of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. We still have some of the residual impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. There is no doubt that on a political and cultural level, farmers feel under attack as a result of some policies that favour cheap imported food over home production and from a society that underpays and undervalues them. We have already heard about the difficulties farmers find themselves in and the mental health struggles they face. I have found myself talking to not just older farmers but also to those across the sector about the difficulties they experience and the impact of this on their mental health. We need to implement policies that increase homegrown produce and move away from trade deals that just facilitate the importation of cheap food. It is important that we listen to farmers, not just corporations. I will briefly discuss regenerative farming, which is a transformative approach to agriculture that prioritises soil health, biodiversity and sustainability. I was about to say that Ireland has a favourable climate, although the past year might not necessarily be reflective of that, but, in theory, our climate should support regenerative farming practices that focus on restoring and enhancing the national ecosystem. The health of regenerative farming in Ireland or part of it is an emphasis on soil health so by implementing techniques such as overcropping, crop rotation and minimal tillage, farmers aim to improve soil structure, fertility and microbial activity. Healthy soil is the foundation of a successful farm because it provides essential nutrients for plant growth and resilience against pests and diseases. Water conservation is another key aspect of regenerative farming. We have frequent rainfall as was alluded to here today. Irish farmers have the opportunity to capture and store water through practices like mulching, contour ploughing and agroforestry. By managing water effectively, farmers can reduce erosion, improve water quality and enhance the overall health of the land. We could look at some EU policies that have improved matters across the Continent. The EU has invested nearly €500 million in plant-based start-up companies. We do not have major investment here in any plant-based companies. It would be great to see this. Aligning diet to guidelines on health and environmental sustainability, as has happened in Denmark, is another measure we could take. Other initiatives would involve: moving subsidies to sustainable healthy food production; paying farmers to convert their land to ecosystems for carbon capture and storage, as has happened in the Netherlands; investing in plant-based research such as the Smart Protein programme in UCC, which has done some research on plant-based protein crops in Europe, including Ireland; establishing a default veg approach in catering for schools, hospitals, etc.; and eliminating tax on food products aligned with environmental and health value. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Annie Hoey:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=&amp;pid=AnnieHoey&amp;year=2024&amp;month=04&amp;day=16"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->I am going to briefly touch on hare coursing because it is an issue that is very important and we have raised it a couple of times in this House. We recognise the cruelty associated with hare coursing and I encourage the Minister, as it falls within his remit, to recognise hare coursing for the barbaric bloodsport it is. We need to look into banning it. I wish to follow up on a commitment the Minister's Department to investigate pig farming practices. About six weeks ago a spokesperson for the Department said it: .... takes any allegations of breaches of animal welfare regulations extremely seriously. In relation to the alleged breaches of the pig welfare requirements raised by Animal Rebellion Ireland and The National Animal Rights Association in their recent press release, we will investigate these following receipt of any evidence ... Has the Minister's Department begun that investigation? Is there a plan to do that? Will he provide an update on that? There are loads of other areas I could touch on, including the human rights infractions for workers in the meat sector. When we are talking about a just transition, we not to talk not only about farmers in the sector but about all workers in the sector. We still need to look into the conditions of workers in the meat industry.
Abortion Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
Many of the changes outlined by the Minister of State are not the required legislative changes that we need to see. That is what we want. The recommendations that emerged from the review have a...
Many of the changes outlined by the Minister of State are not the required legislative changes that we need to see. That is what we want. The recommendations that emerged from the review have a robust evidence base and are rooted in qualitative research of the lived experience of women and pregnant people who have accessed abortion services since the commencement of the Act. This is a Government-commissioned review, so we need to immediately progress legislative amendments and service developments that accurately reflect the findings of the review, the research underpinning the recommendations that came out of the review and international best practice as set out by the World Health Organization. The review clause was put in because we recognise that healthcare cannot remain frozen in time. I am aware that here are plans, but the Government cannot delay the legislative and operational changes any further. We need political leadership to ensure that Ireland's reproductive healthcare system is both equitable and is capable of responding to the emerging evidence and clinical best practice in order that it can meet the needs of women and pregnant people. We voted for care, compassion and dignity. Until we make legislative provision for the recommendations contained in the O'Shea report, we are simply not going to get what we for.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have a health topic for the Minister of State, as he peruses different topics here today. Following on from the "RTÉ Investigates"...
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have a health topic for the Minister of State, as he peruses different topics here today. Following on from the "RTÉ Investigates" programme broadcast last night - I hope the Minister of State has seen it and, if not, I would certainly recommend he take a look at it - I want to ask the Minister, or the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, on behalf of the Minister, when the recommendations of the O'Shea report will be enacted and what timeline the Government has put in place for examining those recommendations and enacting them. Anyone who saw the programme last night will surely agree that we are in urgent need of legislative action. The documentary shone a light on the harsh reality of the exclusionary and restrictive provisions of the law. I refer to the Marie O'Shea report. This review was published in April 2023, yet progress on many of the recommendations is awaited. The call for immediate action is also reflected in the conclusions of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, of which both Deputy Colm Burke and I have been members. Its December 2022 report supported the review's recommendations, describing them as necessary measures to ensure the 2018 Act meets the needs of women and pregnant people. The health committee report called on the Government to advance the implementation of the report without delay. I acknowledge efforts to improve operational aspects of abortion services in the past year, including that 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals are now providing care, but we still have significant barriers to equitable and accessible abortion services. These barriers include ongoing criminalisation, the mandatory and patriarchal three-day wait, inadequate data collection, lack of safe access zones, uneven geographical coverage and the narrow rigid legal criteria for abortion access after 12 weeks, including the 28-day clause for fatal foetal anomalies. These obstacles have resulted in women and pregnant people being denied timely reproductive healthcare and, in many cases, being forced to travel abroad. I do not believe that is what we voted for. I remember spending quite some time on that referendum campaign. We were putting women and their stories out - really hard, difficult stories of fatal foetal abnormalities discovered after 12 weeks, having to travel and having to live with the shame and secrecy. Those are the things that we went door-to-door talking to people about. I do not believe what we saw last night on that documentary is reflective of what people voted for. On the documentary last night, we heard about a couple whose baby, Rose, had to be brought back on ice. The couple had to put their baby's body in the boot of the car and cover it with coats in order that they could get it through customs. I do not believe that is what people voted for. Another couple talked about having to leaving their son behind because they wanted to get a post mortem and coming back five weeks later to find their son's body decomposed. I do not believe that is what we voted for in May 2018. I do not believe that is what the people wanted to see continuing to happen to women. It is estimated that 860 women have travelled from Ireland to the UK to access abortion services since the eighth amendment was repealed, with 85 suspected to have travelled in the first part of 2022. I personally know a number of women who still have to travel. I am stunned that I know people who have to travel. I do not believe that is what we voted for. We need necessary legislative and operational steps. These include full decriminalisation of abortion in line with the WHO guidelines to remove the chilling effect on healthcare providers. We need to remove the mandatory three-day wait period. We need to review the 12-week gestation limit to ensure women and pregnant people are not timing out of care and forced to travel abroad. The citizens' assembly recommended a 22-week cut-off limit for fatal foetal abnormalities. This is not outside the realms of what was discussed during the process we got to ahead of 2018. We need to recruit a HSE primary care lead for termination of pregnancy to address gaps in training, guidance and data collection. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Annie Hoey:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=&amp;pid=AnnieHoey&amp;year=2024&amp;month=04&amp;day=16"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->We need to expedite the safe access zones legislation. We will be dealing with that in here later today. We also need to regulate rogue crisis pregnancy agencies, which are acting with impunity.
Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Second Stage | Seanad debates
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We welcome the Research and Innovation Bill, which will be a strong foundation for promoting and advancing research in Ireland and ensuring that...
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We welcome the Research and Innovation Bill, which will be a strong foundation for promoting and advancing research in Ireland and ensuring that research bodies and individuals get easy and equal access to funding and opportunities. There are, however, certain points that require a more detailed approach to ensure the Bill will function as intended and I will briefly address them today. First and foremost, the Bill promises to place arts, humanities and social sciences on an equal status to the STEM disciplines and to provide equal funding opportunities for all fields. It is not just because I am an arts graduate myself and therefore I feel somewhat sympathetic to the cohort that studies these subjects, but I do think it is very important that a balance is found. I am excited to see this at the core of the Bill, alongside the encouragement and comfort it offers to researchers in applied humanities but I would like to see more action on the matter. Along with my colleagues in the Labour Party in the Lower House who have debated the Bill, I would like to see more clarity on whether the board of the agency will have a voice and representation for non-applied research for social sciences and humanities. While both the legislation and the statements by Professor Philip Nolan, who has been appointed to the body even before its establishment, ensure the promotion of diversity and inclusion to fit international competitive research strategy, I would like to see equality and diversity put into action on the board across all of the disciplines. Reaffirming the equal funding to access to social sciences and humanities is instrumental for the Bill to function successfully and elevate Ireland's research to an internationally applicable or recognised level. Furthermore, while the Bill and Taighde Éireann are great innovations for the research field of the State, they lie in the same context as budget failures in various higher education institutions across Ireland. Earlier in the year we witnessed this is in UCC and we also saw it when the Higher Education Authority announced that the country's second largest university, TUD, faces serious concerns about the management of its €8.6 million budget deficit. This deficit is attributed to rising costs and falling student enrolment in the college, causing reduced Exchequer funding. The reality that we are witnessing is alarming but the consequences of it raise even more concerns. Such budget deficits not only affect community involvement within academia but also cause more and more work to fall on the shoulders of fewer people. If the Bill is aiming to lift Irish research to a global standard, then we need to ensure that it is able to handle the societal and economic challenges that those and other academic institutions in Ireland face. We must also ensure that the Bill takes into account the unique individual experiences of researchers themselves. This is especially urgent as we know that PhD researchers face some of the hardest challenges in academia. It is no secret that PhD researchers across this country are struggling to make ends meet when it comes to basic human needs such as housing and everyday expenses. On average, PhD researchers are paid well below the minimum wage and have no workers' rights. This means they have no sick leave and no parental leave. They have no leave of any meaningfulness unless they have a kindly supervisor who will allow them take the leave. They have nothing of that nature. How are we expecting the agency to reach a globally competitive and internationally applicable research and innovation standard if those who are responsible for it are underpaid and overworked? The Postgraduate Workers' Organisation has sensed the urgency and is seeking to apply an employment model for the postgraduate researchers. It wants to further improve its benefits by showing the advantages of having PhD students as employees in various EU member states. Only very recently it launched its report, which examined the state of PhD researchers across the European Union; how much money they get; what sort of stipends they get; and what kind of contracts they are on. That is a really important piece of research because it highlights the state of play for PhD researchers within the European context, within which the organisation set up by the Bill will be very much entangled. Postgraduate researchers are workers in all but name, pay and conditions. They have just the work and unfortunately nothing else. I am afraid that the Bill and Taighde Éireann will not reach the desired outcomes if the difficulties of PhD researchers are not properly addressed by the Government. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has said he would publish the second report on support for PhD students to provide clarity on the status of PhD researchers, in terms of whether they are workers or students. We need that clarity as soon as possible. I echo the calls of the Postgraduate Workers' Organisation for the report to be released as soon as possible. We need the situation for PhD researchers to improve. We cannot claim to be a nation of excellent research - the land of saints and scholars - if our researchers who are the core target audience for this Bill are so poorly treated. Only when the representation of social science and humanities, the budget deficits across HEIs and the individual well-being of Irish researchers are addressed can we be confident about the prosperous application of the Research and Innovation Bill.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
Forgive me for not staying for the remainder of this session. I have an audiovisual room briefing with the Acting Leader and my former comrades at the Union of Students in Ireland, where we will...
Forgive me for not staying for the remainder of this session. I have an audiovisual room briefing with the Acting Leader and my former comrades at the Union of Students in Ireland, where we will discuss their digs research and legislation.
Today I draw attention to the dire conditions in the pig industry revealed yesterday by both the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland. They partnered a few months ago...
Today I draw attention to the dire conditions in the pig industry revealed yesterday by both the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland. They partnered a few months ago in January 2024 to investigate Ireland's pig industry. They chose at random the pig farms to go into in an effort to give an honest insight as to what happens in Irish pig farms. The results were absolutely devastating and horrific. They are available online if anyone wants to see. It takes a strong stomach to watch the videos because the footage is absolutely appalling. The National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland asked a simple question: "What is the life of a pig in Ireland?" Unfortunately, the answer was incredibly simple; it is an absolutely awful, horrific life. Pigs on Irish farms are subject to sow stalls, farrowing crates, fattening pens, lack of adequate veterinary treatments, internal infections, dying and dead pigs left in corridors and piled up outside. To top this off there are such conditions as diarrhoea, stress-caused hunger, open internal wounds, potbellies and arthritis. These complications are reflected in agricultural antibiotic consumption as 40% of the veterinary antibiotic prescriptions in Ireland are for pigs. This diseased flesh is further reconsumed in the UK and Ireland. There are reasonable concerns about the impact that can have on the well-being of those who consume it. It is important to bring attention to some of the issues that lie at the core of this problem. Warrants for inspections are extremely common, allowing room for biased inspection results and forged farm conditions at the time of inspection. Furthermore, there are many loopholes enabling unethical practices on the farm, such as tail docking, which is banned in the EU. These are issues that require immediate attention. It is striking that 99% of all Irish pigs live in these conditions. Ireland's meat sector not only involves injustice to animals but also to farmers and exploited workers. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland highlighted that workers in the meat sector are poorly paid, poorly treated and not one single worker who they surveyed, felt valued. This is not just an animal rights and welfare issue. It is also an issue that affects the workers in the sector. Quite frankly, the pig industry is an abomination. Nobody could look at the pigs in those stalls, crates or pens and convince themselves that they are content or well cared for. I have spoken here before about our need to have a conversation about animal welfare and to have the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine come in. I have talked about wildlife welfare. Other people in this House have talked about this too. It is actually time for us to have a conversation about this, not just the vegan in the room. There are other Senators in this House who have said we have to have a conversation about how we treat our livestock and animals in Ireland. I think we should invite the Minister in.
Health Services for People with Epidermolysis Bullosa: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
Yes, I am. Can the Cathaoirleach not tell given that I am floating out on the plinth in front of everyone? I thank the witnesses who have covered so much. What is the training pathway for...
Yes, I am. Can the Cathaoirleach not tell given that I am floating out on the plinth in front of everyone? I thank the witnesses who have covered so much. What is the training pathway for specialists in this area? We have all heard the figures on consultant posts not being filled. I am interested in finding out about the training pathway. What is the specialty and what is the uptake among people coming up through the system? Is there any concern about having enough of those specialists? Is there a shortage? What is the position around that? I have another question on the carer’s allowance. If someone is caring for a person with EB who is aged under 16 and meets the income threshold and other requirements, will he or she be able to claim the carer’s allowance or domiciliary allowance? Is it a qualifying illness? How does that work for carers whose income is under the threshold?
Community Safety and Investment: Motion [Private Members] | Seanad debates
I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I note the recent formation of the Ballymun implementation board, which will tackle some of the deep-rooted issues that exist in Ballymun and bring...
I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I note the recent formation of the Ballymun implementation board, which will tackle some of the deep-rooted issues that exist in Ballymun and bring together relevant social service providers and An Garda Síochána. It is based on the Drogheda model. It is a real example of how communities and gardaí can work together towards improving safety. I do not need to go through all of the figures again as they have already been gone through. We know the shortage of gardaí and the lack of gardaí has had a knock-on effect on wider society and communities have not felt safe due to the decreasing number of gardaí. The issue of adequate community policing constantly comes up when I knock on doors in north-west Dublin. It is imperative that we properly resource community safety partnerships and enable them to fulfil their potential and intent. Without adequate supports the partnerships cannot effectively address the complex challenges facing our neighbourhoods. When I think of communities and the work that can be done I think of the response we had in Ballymun when bad actors were seeking to divide our community. They were using racism as a scapegoat when that anger should have been directed at decades of a shortage of investment. We drive through Ballymun every day and there is an empty plot where there should be a shopping centre. There is a big greenfield site where there should be housing. People were trying to take advantage of a lack of opportunity and a lack of what they felt were resources to divide the community. Ballymun people came together, including community workers and the Easy Street team, to show that Ballymun is a welcoming community. Things have been built up very well with youth diversion programmes. We know that early intervention is key in breaking the cycle of youth offending and fostering positive outcomes. There are other areas beyond the scope of the motion that I would love to see the Government look at. These include hate speech. I feel like time is ticking on the Government to finish out the Bill. I get the feeling it will not happen. There should also be decriminalisation of the drug user. This is something that particularly comes up in Ballymun, Finglas and north-west Dublin. People do not believe the user should be criminalised. It should be the person who is selling the drugs and affecting their lives. I want to speak about a good example of a community initiative between gardaí and young people. Better Ballymun day is on Friday. It is an idea that has been developed by students of Trinity Comprehensive secondary school in the heart of Ballymun. It is to mobilise local clubs, community groups, organisations and companies to take part in a day of action that shows the strength of Ballymun when Ballymun people come together. It is being led by the much-maligned young people of Ballymun. This is active citizenship and an example of what happens when young people are supported, resources are given to them and they can work with their community and An Garda Síochána.
Many here will have been at last week’s launch of the report compiled by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland. The report contains survey results which show that 35% of disabled children endure...
Many here will have been at last week’s launch of the report compiled by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland. The report contains survey results which show that 35% of disabled children endure seclusion and 27% suffer restraint at school. Children have a right to feel safe at school. AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland have called for guidance and regulations in schools. Anyone who saw the reporting on this since then would be horrified to think that children continue to be treated like that simply because they have needs that are not being met in school. I was particularly struck by the person who spoke of how they were kept in a room with no light and how their next school had to work twice as hard to ensure that the child knew they would be safe in their new school because the child had been so traumatised by their experience. A great deal of work is being done on autism, led by Senator Carrigy, but perhaps the Minister should come before the House to discuss how we support disabled children in particular and the rights they do and do not have in school settings and the rights they should have in those settings. That is important. Over the weekend, a call was put out regarding a wildlife crime unit. Plans for a new wildlife crime unit were announced in October 2020. At the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, said that it was proposed to establish that dedicated unit in 2021 and that this would ensure a strategic and standardised approach to dealing with illegal persecution of wildlife. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, said the unit would put greater focus on the issue of wildlife crime including the illegal hunting of hares. It seems there was a subsequent U-turn and plans for a wildlife crime unit have been scrapped. Perhaps it ought to be a Commencement matter but I wonder if we could ask the Minister to come to the House to discuss this and the broader issue of animal welfare, particularly in the context of wildlife. Every year, there is discussion about licences being given to hunt certain animals or certain animals being gathered up, especially hares for coursing. We are one of the only countries in the world that still allows such a barbaric sport. I would like the House to debate that and, if we are being specific, specifically on the wildlife crime unit and what we as a country stand for the context of wildlife and animal welfare.
Second Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Statements | Seanad debates
I extend my welcome to the ambassadors of Ukraine and Lithuania. I thank the Ukrainian ambassador especially for showing resolute steadfastness in the face of the untold horror in her home...
I extend my welcome to the ambassadors of Ukraine and Lithuania. I thank the Ukrainian ambassador especially for showing resolute steadfastness in the face of the untold horror in her home country. She has kept all of us reminded of what continues to happen in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale annexation of the Donetsk region in Ukraine, military deaths have reached 500,000 and civilian deaths over 10,000, including 560 children. This imperialistic invasion is obviously unnecessary and is an abhorrent breach of international law. Others have mentioned the death of Alexei Navalny. That, partnered with the Ukrainian loss at Avdiivka this week certainly puts Putin's cruelty and the regime's intentions of total domination and political tyranny at the forefront of our minds. I note other people have said it is unlikely Putin is going to stop there. Should Ukraine fall to Russia it would probably be incomprehensible that he would stop there, so to fight for Ukrainians’ rights and autonomy is not only of course the right thing to do globally, but it is certainly in the interest of other countries, because who knows where and what that would end up as otherwise? I pay my respects to Alexei Navalny and the political opposition in Russia which is pushing for peace and democracy under Putin’s oppressive regime. I give my condolences to his wife and mother, who are campaigning tirelessly in the wake of the news of his death - possibly his murder to be quite frank – to maintain opposition support for a peaceful Russian state, which we hope includes respecting Ukraine’s self-determination. Alexei’s death has rightly caused global outrage and continues to highlight the abominable regime in Russia under Putin. When another death is announced all the comments underneath ask what happened and there is almost a lightness to it because it has become so farcical that a country is literally murdering people with impunity. I am very taken by the political opposition in Russia who I am sure have been deeply affected by his death. I note also that Russia has recently moved to interfere with Ukrainian information systems and spaces in what is obviously a further attempt to undermine morale in the wake of its annexation of the fuel plants in Adviivka. <!--p></p--> <!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#91;</span--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">Senator Annie Hoey:</span--><!--a href="http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1"></a--><!--a href="../zoomin?readform&amp;chamber=seanad&amp;memberid=&amp;pid=AnnieHoey&amp;year=2024&amp;month=02&amp;day=22"></a--><!--span class="speakercontinuing">&#93;</span-->The role of the international community is to maintain support for and instil hope in Ukrainians, whether they are staying here in Ireland or remain in Ukraine. We have a moral responsibility to care for Ukrainian refugees who are seeking a life here, whether they do temporarily or for the medium term or whether they end up staying for the rest of their lives, which will mean generations to come will talk about their families coming here having fled atrocities and war. We cannot just speak empty words at such a tipping point in this conflict. We need to maintain financial support, provide accommodation supports and improved conditions for those coming here, while working toward the abolition of direct provision for other refugees and people seeking asylum here. We have extended the hand of welcome to Ukrainian people coming here. I would like us to extend that hand a little more enthusiastically and to seek to end the direct provision system. Ukrainians and all people in the country deserve dignity, respect and compassion and we have a moral duty to deliver that. I worry when I see some of the scenes at refugee centres or places tipped to accommodate people who are seeking asylum, Ukrainian or otherwise. As time goes on, those who seek to stop this will not care who it is we are seeking to house here in Ireland. The lines between Ukrainians and people from other countries become thoroughly blurred for those seeking to undermine our democracy, whether by burning buildings or driving people out. I worry about that and the pressure the Government and we, as elected representatives, are under. We need to maintain positivity and a sense of calm. Only last week, I spoke about Drogheda where a number of people are to be housed. I said it is the responsibility of public representatives to keep calm, cool heads and a sense of balance in the face of people who are seeking to exploit situations, whether those involve Ukrainians or migrants from other countries coming here. Internationally, we all need to use our platform in the EU to champion and facilitate diplomacy and peace agreements. I encourage the Government and the EU to consider additional sanctions against the Russian Federation, although I am struck by comments asking how far sanctions can go. I was struck by Senator Chambers's comment that history shows that Russia waits out these things. It has the manpower to literally wait out sanctions and do whatever it takes until all other resources are exhausted. Self-determination is a fundamental right of states and Russia has contravened this right in a grossly violent and obvious way. We need to continue to support Ukraine to the greatest degree. As I said, with the ongoing global atrocities of which there are unfortunately far too many, for example, in Gaza, Sudan and other countries, I worry that fatigue is setting in among people. I commend the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian ambassador and all of those who continue to fly the flag for Ukraine and hold us accountable, not just here in Ireland but across the world, in responding to this immoral, incomprehensible and indefensible war on Europe's borders. We should continue to support Ukrainian people not only because of what may come afterwards but also because it is simply the right thing to do.
Animal Breeding | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
If I understand correctly what the Minister of State has said a review is currently being undertaken and there is a plan to bring amendments or changes to legislation, that there will need to be...
If I understand correctly what the Minister of State has said a review is currently being undertaken and there is a plan to bring amendments or changes to legislation, that there will need to be changes under the Control of Dog Breeding Establishment Act - forgive me if I did not quite get that - and the first meeting will be held soon. Obviously that is great but is there any idea how long this will take? Is it likely to happen this side of Government or is it foreseen to take a little bit longer? There needs to be zero tolerance for the cruelty or neglect of any puppy or dog. Dogs Trust, the ISPCA and others - myself included - have worked with rescues and we have seen the cruelty and neglect on puppy farms. Dogs Trust has said: "Many mums are so distressed and down shut down when they enter our care that they don't bark or make a sound". It is soul destroying. It is very positive there is a review on this. I am just wondering if there is any idea of the timeline as to how long this might take.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to ask when the Government plans to conduct a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Are there plans to prepare a Bill to amend...
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to ask when the Government plans to conduct a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Are there plans to prepare a Bill to amend the Act, should it be required, to update the legislation? My understanding is that there is a commitment to review the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 in the programme for Government which has obviously not yet taken place. Not to put too fine a timeline on it but we are skating towards the end of the lifetime of this Government. Revised guidelines were introduced in 2019, which included provisions for increased health and welfare requirements for all puppy and dog breeding establishments. They are not mandatory and, as far as I can tell, there are no consequences for non-compliance. Statistics released by the Department of Rural and Community Development show that 7,352 dogs entered Irish pounds last year, up 77% from 2021. Moreover, 340 dogs were euthanised in Irish pounds - twice as many as in 2021. These shocking figures come as the ISPCA estimates that 30,000 puppies a year are produced in Irish puppy factories. This figure does not take into account the number of puppies born into backyard breeders, illegal puppy farmers or registered sellers which, according to the DSPCA, is around 70,000 per year. This poor regulatory framework has created a €187 million industry and has resulted in Ireland being a huge exporter of puppies to more tightly-regulated countries. Aside from welfare concerns, this industry presents a range of other issues such as tax avoidance, given the high level of cash transactions, environmental concerns due to the high level of waste produced by hundreds of dogs on sites, the spread of disease and fraudulent practices. An overhaul of Ireland's legislation is necessary and has been promised in the programme for Government. The Dogs Trust is seeking an amendment for a definition of a dog breeding establishment, for example, to cover not fewer than three bitches to ensure the welfare of dogs is protected, with a requirement for any breeding less than that to be registered. The Dogs Trust is calling for the staff-to-dog ratio to be sufficient to meet the welfare needs of all dogs. There are some really worrying statistics. There is up to one person caring for 30 dogs at any given point when you look at the size of some of these factories. Dogs Trust recommends greater alignment with UK licensing systems, for example, to bring all animal activity licensing under one licence and Department. It is calling for the establishment of a fully-trained and qualified national inspectorate to service more than one local authority. We have all probably heard stories, not just at Christmas, around the inspectorate not having the resources, funding or staff to do inspections or else only holding it up to the most severe of cases. The Dogs Trust wants to see new standards introduced for compliance in local authority areas such as standard licensing templates, necessary checks and balances for approval, for example, inspections, approved socialisation programmes for dogs and puppies and strengthening of penalties where non-compliance and cruelty are found. It is also seeking the introduction of a retirement protocol for bitches and stud dogs for all licensed dog breeding establishments. We need to tighten up legislation including on actual numbers but also enforce that legislation. Vet Tim Kirby said that fundamentally, from an ethical point of view, in the interests, safety and welfare of these dogs, it is abnormal to have them in these environments. Puppies have to be exposed every day to events to be normalised dogs, which is something puppies from very large-scale industrial units do not get. When will the Government go along with what it said in the programme for Government, which is to review the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010? Are there plans to prepare a Bill to amend the Act, should it be required, to update the legislation?
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024: Motion | Seanad debates
My hometown has suffered reputational damage because of what has happened over the last couple of years. The people of the town, elected representatives, community leaders and people who have...
My hometown has suffered reputational damage because of what has happened over the last couple of years. The people of the town, elected representatives, community leaders and people who have come to live in the town, both from around the country and abroad, all work hard to build it to be what I believe is a great town a great place to live. We have welcomed people to Drogheda for a very long time. Mosney is right beside Drogheda, which has become a thriving, multicultural, diverse town. I implore the people who are either seeking election or who are currently elected to be mindful of the language they use and the leadership they show. I know the hotel said there will be no loss of jobs, but other people are saying there will be. All sorts of things have been flying around over the past 24 hours. Yet, ultimately, at the end of this, these are people's lives. I refer not only to the 500 people who may be coming to Drogheda, but also to the people who are fearful right now about their jobs. They just want a clear understanding of what will happen and how this will impact them. I am incredibly proud of my town. I am incredibly proud to come from Drogheda, even though I have vacated it for some time. The people in the town work really hard to make it a thriving, welcoming place, both for tourists and those who live there. I implore the people who are involved in this, whether at elected level or otherwise, to be very mindful that their words have a deep impact both on those who are seeking to come to Drogheda and those who currently live in Drogheda and who are worried about what this may mean for them. Responsible leadership is important, now more than ever, from those elected representatives.
We, in the Labour Party, agree with the Minister to extend the ARP scheme for property owners. We recognise that the monthly payments comprise a sizeable, significant fraction of the financial...
We, in the Labour Party, agree with the Minister to extend the ARP scheme for property owners. We recognise that the monthly payments comprise a sizeable, significant fraction of the financial safety net that has been built for Ukrainian refugees. We believe that extending the scheme will allow its application to refugees who are still arriving into Ireland to have accommodation assistance and easier integration into society and the workforce. For those who are already in the country, of course, the ARP serves as an essential way to prevent them from falling into homelessness, as well as a tool to maintain basic needs and quality of life. We recognise that we need to align with the European Council’s formerly extended protection regime until March 2025. Allowing Ukrainian nationals to work without a work permit or a work visa will give them the tools that are necessary to succeed in Ireland and to contribute to the economy, which is an important part of that. We must recognise all the other safeguarding measures that have been put in place, such as the jobseeker's allowance, the supplementary welfare allowance and many more. The ARP is just one of the tools in that, but it is one of the most important payments to help secure the basic human need of accommodation. That being said, it is important to mention that we need to be more pragmatic in addressing the safeguards in programmes for refugees who are not arriving from Ukraine and to ensure they have equal supports to succeed and grow in Ireland. Many of them do not have the benefits to work, receive housing or weekly payments, such as those received by Ukrainian nationals. While it is fundamental that the Government and Minister are looking into the extension of the ARP scheme, and, as I said, we will support this, we should also highlight that many refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland are not only receiving substantially fewer benefits, but are also at direct risk of hate crimes, such as in the arson attacks we witnessed earlier this month. In Ireland, we need to maintain our humanitarian approach. All refugees and those coming here seeking asylum are people, of course, and should have equal rights and opportunities when working towards building a better life. We must strive to address the broader needs of all refugees in Ireland, where we can foster a society where everyone, regardless of origin, can thrive and contribute positively. I am the only Member of the Upper House who is from Drogheda, even though I am from the Meath side of it, so it would be remiss of me to not reflect a little bit on that. In the last 24 hours, we have seen from some elected representatives, although not in this House, a lot of fanning the flame of fear. It is important that elected representatives are responsible in the language they use and in their conduct on social media. It is important that elected representatives, or those who are seeking to be elected representatives, show leadership in the community. It is important that Drogheda does not become the next Roscrea, or anywhere where something like that has happened.
Public Health and the Commercial Determinants of Health: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
Perhaps we are straying a little here again but these programmes are on our national broadcaster. They are freely available. Advertisements are run, sometimes even from Government, and they are...
Perhaps we are straying a little here again but these programmes are on our national broadcaster. They are freely available. Advertisements are run, sometimes even from Government, and they are allowed into our schools. Does this area need much more regulation because some of these advertisements are potentially quite harmful? That would take an enormous shift in thinking among educators and the powers that be who decide what is broadcast on our TVs. Should more be done in this regard?
I thank the witnesses. It has been really interesting. I recall when I was in the Union of Students of Ireland, we disaffiliated from Drinkaware because we recognised that it did not make sense...
I thank the witnesses. It has been really interesting. I recall when I was in the Union of Students of Ireland, we disaffiliated from Drinkaware because we recognised that it did not make sense for a drinks company to be leading off on this. It was highly controversial when we did it more than ten years ago. It caused a furore at the time. It is very interesting hearing the witnesses talking today and being able to give ourselves a pat on the back to recognise that we were right at the time. I am struck by the fact that someone mentioned that a lot of the things are tinkering around the edges. I often wonder about and I have an enormous number of questions about the impact of television shows. We have "Ireland's Fittest Family" and "Operation Transformation" and all these others that filter out into the wider community. We have "Operation Transformation"-style things in schools, for example. They are possibly considered as being very well-meaning and giving opportunities and inspiration to people. Is there any evidence that, not only are these tinkering around the edges and are not really meaningful drivers of change, but they could be detrimental? We hear a lot from groups on the issues of disordered eating or intuitive eating about the impact that "Operation Transformation" and other things that tinker around the edges can have, particularly on young people. Perhaps some of these things can have the complete opposite result of what is intended. I know this point is a bit more micro than some of the bigger levers we were talking about. Is there any evidence to show that these pieces that tinker around the edges are detrimental and are doing the complete opposite of what we are hoping to do?
Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages | Seanad debates
Many of us grew up hearing about people needing organ donation. It is something I have heard an awful lot about. I have had very young friends whose lives have been transformed and changed...
Many of us grew up hearing about people needing organ donation. It is something I have heard an awful lot about. I have had very young friends whose lives have been transformed and changed because of organ donation. They are able to live full lives into adulthood whereas, even a decade before, they would not have been able to do that. There is a real opportunity here now. I hope many more lives will be saved. Let us look at the success of the organ donation card campaign, which arguably did not have an enormous budget yet a huge number of people know about it. The opportunity for lives to be changed as a result of this will be immense. It is a great day to see something like this happen. There will be a public awareness campaign for people for whom this will not be an option they want to avail of and for others as well. This may give comfort to people who are on waiting lists, looking forward and wondering what their lives will look like. It is a great day and it is great for the Minister to be able to stand over this legislation. It is a positive story to come out of Leinster House today. Well done to the Minister for getting this through.