Results 21-40 of 56 for and segment:8888091

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Some 150 children attend Mullingar regional hospital for diabetes treatment. It covers counties Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and surrounding areas. The weekly clinic and nurse on-call service are now gone. That is critical. I have spoken to parents with babies aged from two or three months to six months old. These are children who are not talking yet and cannot tell their parents how they...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I will, and I have because this is an important issue. There is a scarcity of specialist-trained paediatric nursing staff. This has posed significant challenges to the continuity of paediatric services at the regional hospital in Mullingar in recent years. My understanding is that the hospital has maintained the provision of existing services catering to more than 12,000 children. I think...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: -----needs - hang on one second - and avoid any impact on paediatric diabetes patients and their families. I will keep a close eye on this. I will talk directly to the Minister for Health and come back to Deputy Fitzmaurice directly.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Cathal Crowe: I congratulate the Taoiseach and wish him the very best in his new position.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Cathal Crowe: I raise the inability of thousands of people in County Clare to get flood insurance for their homes and businesses. I recall when, in 2009, the lower River Shannon spilled its banks and flooded streets, pitches and many areas. However, only two homes in the whole county of Clare actually took water inside the front door that winter. Yet, the response of the insurance industry has been risk...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Crowe for his good wishes and for highlighting the issue of flood insurance and the challenge in accessing it for his constituents. I know this is a very real and sensitive issue in his part of the country and a number of other parts as well. Just last week, I appointed Deputy Richmond as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for insurance. I...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I congratulate the Taoiseach on his elevation to his office and wish him well in his time in that office. I also congratulate my county compatriot, Deputy O'Donovan, on his elevation to Minister. My question also relates to flooding in County Clare. I see Deputy Crowe has left the Chamber. It is about the flooding of the railway line between Galway and Limerick just south of Ennis at...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: ...been listening to reports on this issue in the media in recent weeks. I know it is an extraordinarily frustrating situation for people relying on accessing the railway line from Galway to Ennis and Limerick. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to keep a close eye on the issue and to encourage the stakeholders to get on with the plan. I will come back to Deputy Leddin...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Chris Andrews: ...in the city. Small local businesses next to Mount Street are on the brink of closing down because of the shambles this Government has created. The people I represent are sick of this Government and of being treated so disgracefully and neglected. If this happened on the streets in Greystones or Ballsbridge, we would see decisive action but because it is the inner city, it is being...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: -----it is the people of County Wicklow, as Deputy Whitmore and I know, who are now trying to assist in providing responses. This is about a whole-country response. I very much take the point about the need to continue to invest in the inner city. We will very shortly set up a Dublin city task force. I would welcome the Deputy's thoughts and input into that.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...craft apprentices waiting to undertake their off-the-job training has risen to about 9,000 a year. People are waiting because of a shortage of craft instructors. This has very real implications and consequences for young apprentices, including the level of pay they receive. We also now see significant dropout rates, amounting to almost 1,000 apprentices every year since 2020. Some of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I share Deputy McDonald's view on the importance of apprenticeships. I was very pleased as Minister for further and higher education to see the highest number of newly registered apprentices ever in the history of the State last year. That is a good thing. We have also seen the expansion of the number of apprenticeship programmes. That is also a good thing. The Deputy is right that some...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Ivana Bacik: I want to raise with the Taoiseach an issue that is a real concern around the mental health of young people and children. Paul Gordon of the National Youth Council of Ireland has said today that millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha may be the first to have worse outcomes than their parents since the foundation of the State. A National Youth Council survey shows that a third of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: ...I look forward to working constructively with her in this House. I really appreciate her raising this issue. I will watch the RTÉ documentary very closely this evening because I share the views and concerns that she has echoed and that the Tánaiste echoed at the weekend on the impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of our young people. We now have...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Last week, amid all the speculation about whom the Taoiseach would promote, there was a lot of talk about geography and, clearly, that has influenced his decision-making around that. Does the Taoiseach accept that this promotes the practice of parish pump politics, or certainly the perception of it, where a Minister and holding ministerial office are more about delivering goodies for your...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Róisín Shortall: -----and that there would be a rationale for those decisions?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: I assure Deputy Shortall that I appointed people both to Cabinet and as Ministers of State based on their ability. Obviously, leaders and taoisigh can consider a variety of issues. I would point to gender. Every female Fine Gael TD seeking re-election is now a Minister or Minister of State, so that is a commitment to gender. Geography does have an important role to play in politics - it...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Michael Lowry: Family carers play a crucial and irreplaceable role in homes across our country. Without them there would be a catastrophic crisis in care for people of all ages. Family carers are ordinary men and women who are motivated by love. This love drives them to put a family member's needs before their own. They sacrifice their own plans and desires because a family member needs their care....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: ...carers. My colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, has increased the income thresholds for carer's allowance such that from June a couple earning up to €900 per week and having €50,000 in savings will still be able to qualify for the full carer's allowance payment. The Minister has also established an interdepartmental group with the Department of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Mattie McGrath: Because of the narrowness of the vote, that this is a matter of great importance and that the gap is fewer than ten, under Standing Order 83(3)(b), I am asking for a vote other than by electronic means.