Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter. While I know it is not his brief, I appreciate the time he has taken to come to the House to take it this morning.

In my Commencement matter, I asked that the Minister of State with responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, come before the Seanad to provide a detailed breakdown of the budget and the supports contained within it. I have before me the Healthy Ireland Framework report, which sets out four goals. Goal 1 is to "Increase the proportion of people who are healthy at all stages of life". Goal 2 is to "Reduce health inequalities". Goal 3 is to "Protect the public from threats to health and wellbeing". Goal 4 is to "Create an environment where every individual and sector of society can play their part in achieving a healthy Ireland". The outcomes in 2024 were excellent because 19 Sláintecare health communities were established in disadvantaged areas, 14 Departments partook in the framework, 500 GAA organisations were part and parcel of it, 4,500 people benefited from the Sláintecare age-friendly homes programme and five new policies were developed, which are what I want to focus on. These were evidence-led policies and action plans addressing sexual health, physical health, nutrition, obesity, alcohol and mental health protection. Additionally, third level institutions implemented the healthy campus programme.

I read the entire Health Ireland Framework document and the words "cyber safety" are used only once in it. There is a continuous conversation regarding how we mind our children online and how we protect them. This is a fantastic framework which lasts until 2027. I want to bring to the Minister of State's attention that she needs to focus on another line in the framework, or its expansion, regarding how we can support parents, not just young people. The digital age has moved on so much that when we discuss the 4,500 people availing of the age-friendly homes programme, we also need to look at the cohort of parents who have missed the digital age and whose young people are way ahead of them in order to help parents understand how to mind their young people online. I raise that whole awareness and community grouping that is done with various organisations and works through the local authorities with co-ordinators. I am looking to expand the brief within the framework in order that it would capture, for example, cases where parents want information workshops and ensure funding is allocated through the local authorities in support of and in conjunction with local schools and various organisations. We should not limit that to one organisation but extend it to all organisations. There is a gap in information here, and it is not with young people but with parents.

We have experts in An Garda Síochána, a policy in Coimisiún na Meán, psychologists and people in the tech sector. They are the experts that can bring this talk in a meaningful way and communicate it to parents in local community halls. How is the money being spent? Can we find funding that would capture the parents who do not know who to turn to when their young person is online? Parents feel their child is safe when he or she comes in the front door. Times have changed, and now the bully follows them in the front door. We need to be able to speak to parents about how to support their young people. That is health and well-being.