I have seen at first hand the important role our SNAs play in classrooms all over the country, giving that little bit of additional support and help to young girls and boys who need it as they begin their school life and throughout their educational journey. There are 23,000 SNAs in our country. Compare that with where we were a number of years ago. In 2011, we had just over 10,000. There are now over 23,000. In the past five years, the number of SNAs has increased by 43% and they are needed. I just want to put that on the record of the House. The work now under way is about ensuring we make best use of the SNAs available and respond to issues raised with us by representative bodies on the needs of SNAs. I will let the Minister for education know this matter has been raised here today. This work is all about ensuring the rapid increase in the number of SNAs is used in a way that brings benefits to those who need them most. I am very much aware of the sensitivity of the matter, as is the Minister for education.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I thank the Deputy. I was not aware of the matter until he raised it. I can only imagine it is really difficult for somebody to live in a partially repaired home in which work has been going on for so long. I know the Deputy would not raise it if he did not think it was serious. I will make sure the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, is aware of this. My office will contact him after this to pass it on. It sounds like a very difficult situation.
Sentiment score: 0.02
I have to say that in most cases I find the line between antisocial behaviour and criminal activity is very thin. For those who experience antisocial behaviour, which I am sure the Deputy has to deal with in his constituency, it can be very intimidating and difficult but I accept some activity may well be outside the parameters of criminality. We allowed a motion to be passed here for further discussion within the House but, as far as I am aware, the focus of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, at the moment is on continuing to support youth diversion programmes. I was at an event the Minister did at Belvedere Youth Club recently in relation to that. He is working to support efforts in our schools and to continue to ensure our gardaí have the resources and support they need to deal with behaviour that is truly criminal. For many young people, in particular, who are involved in this kind of activity, the response is not purely related to justice and is not purely from our policing authorities. It needs to be supported by what happens in our schools. That is my understanding of what the Ministers, Deputies O’Callaghan, Foley and McEntee, are currently doing.
Sentiment score: 0.28
I do not need to be lectured by the Deputy on points of procedure and how this Parliament works. I was making the point that just because a motion was passed in the Dáil does not mean the Government was bound to implement every element of it. The Deputy knows that. Regarding Housing for All, the Government, with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne at the heart of this, is preparing the next phase of our housing strategy. In relation to the action that is being taken, we know in recent weeks and months that due to the efforts of Government and local authorities, 8,000 families have either been prevented from going into homelessness or have been exited from temporary accommodation. However, we know more needs to be done. Too many families are still experiencing the risk of poverty and homelessness and too many children are still sleeping in conditions that the Government wants to be otherwise. When we bring forward not only the budget, but also Housing for All, that will be a key area of focus for us. In the last number of weeks, the Government made further funding available to focus particularly on families at risk of being homeless and to give them more permanent measures to avoid that trauma happening to them.
Sentiment score: -0.15
I thank the Deputy for reminding the House of the nature and detail of the motion. He was calling for the consideration of ideas in this area. We should all be able to participate in that. The Government is certainly happy to do so. Regarding the specific proposal around a Bill, I will have to consult the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I take care around putting really important policy matters into legislation because, at times, it can undermine the ability of the Government to intervene and respond to issues that are complex. We have put so much in additional resources into trying to help the young children and their families who are dealing with the health condition of scoliosis. The Deputy is aware of the additional operating theatre that is available, the additional staff there, and the number of children we seek sought to prioritise for healthcare elsewhere. However, we know more progress needs to be made. We will certainly assess Deputy Gogarty's proposal in a generous way to see if it could make a concrete difference to the very important thing he wants to see delivered.
Sentiment score: 0.35
They do make the odd appearance over Phibsborough, but for many who live very close to the airport, it is an important matter. As Deputy Ó Muirí said, changing the airport cap at Dublin Airport is really important, not just for the airport, but for broader aviation and growth within our economy. Regarding how we are going to respond to the matters raised, it will first be by continuing to support the work done in the management of noise. We have an aircraft noise competent authority, which plays a role in the regulation of noise and the effect it has on local communities. Second, I understand we have a residential noise insulation scheme, as the Deputy raised, that is operated by DAA. I will raise Deputy Byrne's point with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, relating to the operation of that scheme and the breadth of it. I have no doubt that, as we see a decision made on the operation of the cap, the issues Deputy Ó Muirí has raised will only become more intense.
Sentiment score: 0.18
The last thing we are looking for in preparing the budget is plaudits, particularly from Sinn Féin. I do not hold out any hope of us ever getting them from Sinn Féin. If we were to, I would be convinced we were doing the wrong thing. Regarding what we are looking to do, the Government's track record on trying to help students is pretty clear by this point. For example, the work done by the previous Minister, Deputy Harris, and-----
Sentiment score: 0.23
-----the current Minister, Deputy Lawless, is clearly building on that. Efforts have been made to look at eligibility for SUSI grants to ensure they can play a role in the cost of living for students going to college. The Government is well aware of the sensitivity of the decision we will make about registration fees for students. No decisions have yet been made, but all of the Government, and not least the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is well aware of the importance of the decision, and we will make it. However, I will make a broad point that we have to ensure that, in the round, we have some ability to be able to pay for everything we do into the future. We got a sharp warning today from the ESRI about that. That is an important factor in how we put together this budget.
Sentiment score: 0.35
The Deputy's raising of this matter gives me an opportunity to remind us all of the value of the scheme. It now stands at a value of €14,000 per year. In recent years, we have seen a considerable increase in the number of taxpayers who are availing of it. It went from being roughly 10,000 per year to 16,500 in 2023. It is playing an important role in the availability of additional student accommodation. The Deputy will be aware of the need for all of these things to add up and be affordable on budget day. It is in that light that we will have to consider this measure to see whether it can be strengthened. However, at the very least, the Deputy's raising of it today has given me the opportunity to explain to anyone who is listening that this scheme is available. It is quite generous and for those who are availing of it, it helps with the student accommodation needs we know are there at the moment.
Sentiment score: 0.37
I remember being in Clonmel with the Deputy during the summer. On what was otherwise a bright and great morning, the Deputy walked around the centre of Clonmel and pointed out to me the number of properties that were not being used and were on the verge of dereliction. I cannot give him an exact timeline for when this fund will be available, but I can assure him of two things. First, the capital funding that is available to the Department of housing is continuing to grow. Within that, the Department will prioritise the roll-out of either the URDF or its replacement. Second, we will continue to look at the grants that are available to address dereliction because, while I can see them working in some parts of the country, I could clearly see on that day in Clonmel with the Deputy the challenges that were still there. We have to do better on those because it is vital to show the local communities the Deputy represents that we are giving them the place and environment they deserve in their towns.
Sentiment score: 0.38
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue on behalf of Rebecca. I will ensure that the Minister for Health is aware of the status of this medicine, Veozah, and that it is given the consideration it needs. I cannot second guess or answer on behalf of the independent bodies that look at the variety of available medicines and whether they are appropriate and can be made available in a sustainable way in Ireland, but I know that these are sensitive matters and for someone who has survived cancer, as Rebecca has, and wants to have a long and healthy life ahead of her, I am sure this is really serious. The Minister, Carroll MacNeill, will be aware of this. I will pass the Deputy's concerns on to her and thank her for raising it.
Sentiment score: 0.32
I have seen few people who care more about children with scoliosis and their health needs than Simon Harris. I have seen at first hand the commitment he has had to making a difference to their lives and health.
Sentiment score: 0.60
I have seen few people who are moved more by the pain they are in and the needs they and their families have than Simon. I absolutely refute some of the things Deputy Tóibín has said about him and tell him that some of the claims he has made are cynical.
Sentiment score: -0.47
They devalue the commitment-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
-----the Tánaiste and the current Minister for Health have to making a difference to those who need support.
Sentiment score: 0.40
In relation to the points the Deputy made, the Government has made available - because we know it needs to be done - additional operating capacity in Ireland to support families who need that healthcare and we have put in place the surgeons and support to do it. I will certainly follow up on the status of the need for children to travel abroad to get that healthcare, but in many cases it can be driven by clinical considerations. We have to respect those who make the decisions. Let me emphasise that the Tánaiste and the rest of the Government are absolutely committed to doing all we can to put the supports in place for the young children who need the support.
Sentiment score: 0.52
I thank the Deputy for raising this. As he said, I know there is a new 95-bed unit that is now located in Thomastown providing really important health services to the community he represents. He is correct, unfortunately, to say that there has been a delay with regard to the recruitment of speech and language therapists. The post has been advertised on two different occasions and it has not been possible to get the therapist needed by the community. A campaign is under way for the post. The HSE will continue to focus on how that role can be filled. I agree with the Deputy that is really important that it happens.
Sentiment score: 0.09
The rural transport scheme has played a really important role in connectivity between our towns and villages. The note I have here indicates that in 2024 passenger numbers went up to 5.8 million, which is great. It is so important we have a local transport service that directly links up the towns and villages in our country. Cork has been a big beneficiary of this. There has been a 50% increase in the passenger numbers on rural bus services in Cork with 230,000 journeys recorded last year. The specific route mentioned by the Deputy is being considered at the moment. I will make sure the Minister for transport is aware of what he raised.
Sentiment score: 0.37
I thank the Deputy. I am very much aware of the importance of family resources centres. We have a number of them in the area of Dublin that I represent and, in particular, there is a great one on Hill Street. I see the great work it does in supporting our diverse communities and all the work it does there. I am very familiar with Dungarvan. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is well aware of the issue the Deputy has raised. I will raise this with the Minister, Deputy Foley, who has responsibility for this, if there is anything that we can do to increase capital funding in this area. There are many demands for family resource centres across our country. Maybe, year by year, if we could gradually increase their availability, it would make a difference because I know they do really good work.
Sentiment score: 0.38
It is because sport brings people together. Because in the world we are in at the moment, where there are so many things that can bring people apart and so many things that are capable of dividing us, sport and culture are one of the few common grounds we have by which we can unite people and bring them together in a way that respects athletic endeavour and joins people together in admiring what goes on in the sporting pitch.
Sentiment score: 0.38
That is the reason we are doing it. This weekend will see our country and our city, in particular, full of American people who are coming to Ireland for the opportunity to see a game happen. I think that is a good thing. It will lead to extensive economic benefits for Ireland, that will happen, but for me there is a broader reason we do it. With all the causes we have at the moment that are pulling us apart and all the tensions there at the moment, sport and art offer the ability to bring people together. The money that is being used by the Government to support this is money that will be well spent.
Sentiment score: 0.26
I am very familiar with the work of the LauraLynn foundation and the really important care and support it provides to young children. On the Deputy’s particular request for multiannual funding, I do not believe the budget will deliver that. This House passes budgets year by year. It is therefore very difficult, and I do not believe it should happen, that we can give current funding commitments that go beyond the budgetary commitments of a single year. The only places that we make multiannual funding available are with regard to capital investment but that is needed to deliver big projects that we all depend on. What we do see happen in core funding and current funding in general is year by year it does go up. I cannot comment on what is going to happen with regard to LauraLynn for 2026 because it all depends on the budget. I recognise the work it does and I am explaining why multiannual funding is just something that is, for good reason, difficult for us to commit to.
Sentiment score: 0.12