I propose to take Questions No. 1 to 11, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government and commits to the establishment of a reformed structure of Cabinet committees. The Government followed through on that commitment, part of which was the establishment of the Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors. The membership will comprise the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence, the Ministers for Finance, for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, data for 2023 shows that Irish water quality, while improving in some areas, is a matter of ongoing concern and requires concerted effort to achieve the improvement that we seek. The Government acknowledges that a more focused effort is required to reach our water quality objectives. Last year, the Government published the water action plan 2024, Ireland’s roadmap to protect and restore our rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwaters. The plan aims to have an additional 300 water bodies achieve a status of good by 2027, with targeted measures to improve more than 500 more. It includes a multibillion euro investment in wastewater infrastructure, strengthened action on nitrates and a focus on compliance and enforcement. The community water development fund for 2025 will also provide financial supports to local projects and initiatives. In addition to the Water Action Plan 2024, last year the Government published Water and Agriculture - a collaborative approach, a plan which sets out a range of measures that address the twin objectives of improving water quality and building a convincing case for the maintenance of Ireland's derogation from certain aspects of the European Union's nitrates directive. Ireland's water faces a number of pressures, including from agriculture, forestry, land use change and wastewater treatment. It is intended that the Cabinet committee will provide a focus to drive the improvement in water quality generally, while ensuring efforts are undertaken in partnership with farmers. It will be important to safeguard the economic contribution farmers are making in the areas most affected by the derogation as well to implement workable solutions to lower the agricultural impact on water quality. The Cabinet committee will meet shortly for the first time.

Sentiment score: 0.37

I thank the large number of Deputies who tabled questions on this issue. Quite a substantial number focused in on the nitrates directive to begin with, for which I thank Deputies Cleere, O'Meara, Dolan, McCormack, Cahill and Scanlon. The establishment of the Cabinet committee demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing water quality improvements across all sectors. Obviously it is more than just about the nitrates directive. Key supports have been provided to farmers through schemes such as the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes and the 60% grant scheme for nutrient storage. Under the water framework directive, each member state is required to implement a new nitrates action programme every four years. Ireland is currently on the fifth nitrates action programme, which will expire in December of this year. At the European Commission's nitrates committee meeting on 12 December last year, Ireland signalled its intentions that it is planned to seek a renewal of its nitrates derogation in Ireland. That will be Ireland's sixth lap, which is due in December 2025. The Government will work with stakeholders, including through the agricultural water quality working group, to develop Ireland sixth nitrates action programme covering the period January 2026 to December 2029. Once approved, that will then be subject to a strategic environmental assessment, an appropriate assessment and public consultation before finalising the submission for the Commission. A derogation is granted by a member state vote at the nitrates committee and the sixth nitrates action programme must be in place before a vote can occur. If Ireland is to retain its derogation for January 2026, we must present at the nitrates committee quarterly meetings in March, June and September 2025 to ensure that a vote goes ahead at the December meeting. A vote is permitted only when the Commission is satisfied that Ireland's sixth nitrates action programme demonstrating improvements in water quality has been given to the nitrates committee and the Commission is satisfied with the proposed derogation programme. We will continue to work with stakeholders in that regard. On the other questions, including from Deputy Boyd Barrett, there is huge investment going into existing pipelines and water systems across Dublin and across the country. With additional investment we also have to make sure there is investment for new water supply as well. There are many towns around country at the moment where houses cannot be built because of lack of water supply capacity and that cannot continue. We need to balance between overhauling the existing system and making sure we can grow. Deputy Martin Daly managed to get a question in on Roscommon University Hospital. I was waiting for the question as to when was the hospital about to get a wastewater treatment plant or something of such relevance to the question but I admire innovation and creativity at all times. I will follow up with the HSE on the question in respect of the capital plan for 2025. I agree with Deputy Cahill on natural methods of dealing with cleaning and particularly the wetland approaches and so on. I can work with him with to follow through on the ideas he has brought forward. With regard to the Dublin Bay Bill, I will talk to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who has responsibility. Deputy Bacik asked whether we need more agencies. Increasingly we in this House are questioning the spend by agencies and the supervision of agencies. We need to make sure that Irish Water is doing what it is legislated and resourced to do. I am open to ideas all the time. We will follow through on that. Deputy Pádraig O' Sullivan raised with me last week the issue of water quality in Cork. I will continue to engage with Irish Water about the quality of the water on the north side of Cork, which is not good. They did indicate to us last week that they were making progress but I take the Deputy's point that the fundamental issues remain in respect of the cast iron pipes and the difficulties that many households are facing with the quality of the water.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 to 29, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health has been established and is due to meet soon. The Cabinet committee will oversee: implementation of programme for Government commitments on health; receive detailed reports; identify policy areas; and consider health reforms including Sláintecare, reform of the public health system and preparedness for future health threats. It will also receive reports from relating to programme for Government commitments in the areas of mental health and drugs policy. Through the ongoing implementation of Sláintecare and sustained investment, reform and leadership, the new programme for Government commits to ensuring access to high-quality patient care, reducing waiting times, and further cutting the cost of accessing care. We will continue to build our workforce through the recruitment of key roles, retention measures and additional college places for key disciplines. Funding is secured for recruitment of 3,554 additional posts in the HSE for 2025. We will deliver faster access to care. Our waiting list action plan 2025 was published last week with €420 million in funding allocated. We will continue to review capacity in emergency departments. We will increase the number of consultants in emergency medicine and ensure that more senior staff are rostered in emergency departments during weekends and public holidays for better decision-making. The construction of 114 new and replacement acute beds is expected to be completed in 2025. The surgical hub for south Dublin opened last week with additional hubs becoming operational later in 2025 and 2026. We will continue to invest in a healthier future with a national physical activity framework and action plan due to be published in 2025. A new obesity policy and action plan is to be published in 2026. We are launching a new era of innovation and digital transformation in health. The national patient app was launched earlier today with additional features to be added later in the year. The national shared care record will be developed throughout the year and the electronic health record will also be progressed. Additional projects that are key to the increased digitalisation of the health service include a national system for electronic prescribing, remote health monitoring and virtual care solutions. In mental health services, we will continue to build the mental health workforce and infrastructure and support for community-based services. In older people's services, we will support people to live at home within their own communities and strengthen the nursing home sector. These commitments build on the investment and reforms undertaken over the past number of years, including delivery of approximately 1,225 acute beds, an increased workforce of almost 28,500 whole-time equivalents since 2020, more affordable health care through reductions in the drugs payment scheme to a threshold of €80, the removal of hospital inpatient charges, the extension of the eligibility for free GP cards for children under the age of eight and to all earning no more than the median income, state funded IVF, and free contraception for women aged 17 to 35. Since the pandemic peaks, there has been a 30% reduction in the number of people waiting longer than the Sláintecare targets, equating to more than 191,000 people. Care is being delivered closer to home through a total of 179 primary care centres and 96 community specialist teams for older persons. A total of 26 community specialist teams for chronic disease are operational and 23 community intervention teams are operational with national coverage secured. In 2025, we will continue to invest in reform, changing the way our services are delivered. The new regional structures within the HSE have been established with six new health regions and 20 integrated health areas. Health and social care services are planned and delivered around the specific needs of local populations leading to better co-ordination of care and access to services.

Sentiment score: 0.26

Or we could just join you in prayer.

Sentiment score: 0.30

I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in the context of the health committee. Deputy McDonald raised the issue of access to general practice and primary care services in Dublin 1. Deputy McGrath raised it in respect of Cork and Deputy Moynihan in respect of Dublin Mid-West. The outgoing Minister increased significantly the number of places for the training of GPs. My understanding was that for every GP retiring now, there will be two in training but there is an interregnum period where there are gaps in the supply of GPs. We have to be creative and innovative to make sure growing areas get provision because many people find it very difficult to access GPs. I will take these issues up with the HSE, both in the Cork context and the Dublin context. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, sorry Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - there are many O'Sullivans in Cork - stated that Rare Disease Day is on Friday. I pay tribute to Deputy O'Sullivan for his relentless focus on the issue of rare disease and innovative orphan drugs, as they are termed. Some progress, but not enough, was made on the rare diseases question. I will certainly raise the matter with the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and make sure it is at the centre of healthcare policy. It is a growing area and there has been progress on a number of fronts but it certainly is not enough just yet. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the crisis in healthcare and the pay and numbers strategy. We need to stand back and look at what has actually happened in health expenditure in the last four or five years. Expenditure has been phenomenal and quite exponential in its growth. The 2024 budget allocation was €22.8 billion but by the end of 2024, expenditure was actually €24.58 billion, which was €1.75 billion over profile.

Sentiment score: 0.27

If we go forward to the budget for 2025, the initial allocation has been set at €25.75 billion. That is an increase of approximately €1.2 billion on last year. These are huge sums of money. That is why I am surprised by strike action in that context.

Sentiment score: 0.18

There is absolutely no moratorium on staff. There will be an increase in staff of over 3,500 whole-time equivalents in the health service. We have to also look at innovative ways of getting value for that money. People spoke earlier about scanners and so on in an art gallery and created a huge stir - rightly so - over a figure of about €100,000. We are talking about €25.5 billion here. That will go up again before the year is out and again in 2026 and 2027. There is more to be done in health - do not get me wrong - but we cannot argue that someone is cheeseparing or there is pullback in funding. There is not.

Sentiment score: 0.20

There absolutely is not. There is an issue, either in terms of the management of all of this or getting value for money for all of this. There is a role for the Oireachtas as well because people will condemn, give out and criticise but, equally, people then also look for more money. There are a number of strands to this. Deputy Bacik raised the shortage of public health nurses. Again, there are issues in terms of recruitment or proper follow-through and retention in the public health area. Deputy Coppinger raised the human right to healthcare that trans people have. Again, there are different debates but to me the national gender service is the way to go and more resources are probably required there. There should be no demonisation in this situation. We need to be very clear about that in the House. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the section 39 issue. It is my understanding that the Minister is facilitating its referral to the Workplace Relations Commission. The Government is anxious that be resolved in a timely manner. Deputy Dempsey, who is seated beside me, raised Meath West, the retention of services in Navan hospital and the need for investment there. Deputy O'Meara raised the mid-west. He acknowledged that HIQA was doing a study and rather helpfully suggested to HIQA that the result should be Nenagh, I think I heard him say.

Sentiment score: 0.03

I cannot pre-empt what HIQA will recommend. It will depend on the recommendation because I know there is a lot of demand for additionality in the mid-west more generally. On Deputy Cahill's question, there is a great team at University Hospital Kerry. His proposals are fairly significant in terms of investment and capital. We will engage with the HSE in that respect, particularly to get what is in the pipeline delivered. That is important. I dealt with Deputy McGrath. Deputy Catherine Ardagh raised the powerful role St. James's Hospital plays, particularly on the academic research side. It is one of our top tertiary hospitals. We will check out the needs and where we are in terms of the capital programme. I dealt with Deputy Moynihan. On Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's point, I will have that matter examined and whether it could be sent to me in terms of the back-up there to see what else we can do and whether, if one Department is being difficult, we can find a way. If it is providing therapies and so forth, we should see what we can do to help on that one. Deputy Kenny raised Mallow hospital. Again, there has been a lot of investment in Mallow hospital over the last number of years, to be fair. I am not sure of the background as regards the transfusion service. There could be issues there in terms of quality standards, particularly when it comes to blood, but we will certainly follow through on the opening of the two floors that are not open.

Sentiment score: 0.20

I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 to 40, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland's Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government. The Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs was established by the Government on 18 February 2025. Its role is to oversee implementation of programme for Government commitments in relation to the European Union, including preparations for Ireland's Presidency in the second half of 2026, and international issues. Its membership comprises the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and Minister for public expenditure. The Minister of State with special responsibility for European Union affairs is invited to the Cabinet committee meetings. The Cabinet committee will meet quarterly in advance of regular European Council meetings and as required. It is currently scheduled to meet on Monday, 3 March.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in respect of this committee about to be established. Ireland has taken a very consistent approach in terms of the Middle East, believing in a two-state solution. Deputy McDonald, I think, raised the question. She is not here yet, but I will just make the point that our fundamental view is that Palestinians are entitled to their homeland. It needs to be said, by the way, whether you like it or not, that President Trump played a role in the ceasefire. I read several accounts of what transpired in terms of getting a ceasefire. Our focus must be on copper-fastening and consolidating that ceasefire because any return to a war would be absolutely horrendous in respect of Gaza or the West Bank. Some time back, I met with an NGO. Mary Robinson spoke to me about it. It is an NGO that is developing the idea of a land-for-all initiative. It is a different approach, but we have to look at approaches that will ensure Palestinian rights within their homeland. How you configure that in the time ahead is something we need fresh thinking on. Everybody talks about the two-state solution, but we have watched for several years-----

Sentiment score: 0.18

Please, I did not interrupt the Deputy. I am just making my point. I am talking about other European countries, and many do. President Trump's involvement in that phase was critical. From an Irish, European and global perspective, we must keep focusing on a step-by-step approach and consolidating getting the second stage of the ceasefire over the line and then ensuring there is a massive surge of humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza. We have pressed very strongly for UNRWA, in particular, to be given absolute freedom of movement and action within Gaza because it is the only agency that can provide schools, medicines and various services to the Palestinian people. If Deputy Coppinger can pass on the information to me, I certainly will pursue the matter. There is something in the back of my head in respect of why there is an issue. The Deputy was saying the young man is in Egypt. Is that correct?

Sentiment score: 0.21

Our embassy and consular staff in Cairo have been extremely helpful to many people. If the Deputy sends on the details, I will follow this matter up and come back to her. To respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett, there have been different perspectives across the European Union, to put it mildly, in respect of the Middle East. Germany, because of its history and the Shoah, the Holocaust, has always had a different perspective on the Middle East. Many, including people in Ireland, find that difficult to comprehend but it is the reality. It is the reality in German politics irrespective of what political party people represent, by and large. I was not aware that Prime Minister Netanyahu had been invited but it would not surprise me given the engagement between the German political system and the issue.

Sentiment score: 0.23

I know, but I am just saying to the Deputy that the realities, in terms of German politics, are such that there has always been that sense I already referred to. Former Chancellor Scholz said that the raison d'être of the modern Germany, post-war Germany, was to ensure the survival of Israel. That is what Chancellor Scholz said time and again, and he is not the first German politician to say it.

Sentiment score: 0.13

I only say that by way of enlightenment. That is how people see it from their perspective. Deputy Martin Daly made a key point. First of all, I would not say the US has disengaged quite yet. Different things are happening and things are getting said. I do not think we should do a running commentary given the changes occurring. President Macron's visit yesterday was interesting. Prime Minister Starmer will visit. The tectonic plates look like they are shifting in terms of the world order, or the multilateral, rules-based order, but we should not give up on it yet. There is a lot to play for in terms of the rules-based international order and the role of smaller countries. Regarding an increased defence capability, yes, we are a member of the Partnership for Peace with NATO where we have developed an individually tailored plan for increased capability and resilience in cybersecurity and on subsea cables and maritime security. We are also a participant in PESCO, which is a European Union initiative, again on cybersecurity, predominantly, and on maritime security as well. We have a programme of investment in our Defence Forces on an ongoing basis. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl correctly raised a whole range of other cases. What is happening in Sudan is appalling and it gets no mention from anybody. Some 12 million people have been displaced and there is one group of warlords, but nobody is saying a word about it anywhere. Deputy Ardagh is correct. By the way, concerning Lukashenko, Europe has raised these issues. Ireland has raised the issue of women and girls in Afghanistan, alone with a number of other countries. At the high-level week in the UN in September, I hosted jointly with the Foreign Minister of Canada and others an event on women and girls in Afghanistan. Ireland has been very supportive of women and girls in Afghanistan to try to keep the issue high on the international agenda and in the UN system. We will continue to do that. I have been particularly interested in this matter over the last two years, especially in my capacity as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. We have met and keep up our contacts with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is, as the Deputy said, the real leader of the Belarusian people. We will continue to do that. It is incomprehensible that Lukashenko can do what he is doing, but he is supported by President Putin. Let us be under no illusions about it. Deputy Ardagh has raised what is a very alarming situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Rwanda supporting the M23 rebels. Again, this issue needs to be highlighted and given sharper focus. Ireland has raised it at international forums and in the UN system as well. What is happening there is very alarming. No decision has been made yet on the accommodation recognition payment, but my comments were not really about that because that is a domestic situation. My comment concerned the fact that there has, essentially, been a veto of the European Peace Facility where Ireland had made significant commitments on non-lethal assistance to Ukraine. Hungary has vetoed that. We have to find alternative mechanisms around that to give additional aid. The EU is also looking at new mechanisms to provide aid, financial support, to Ukraine and Ireland will also participate in that. I was referring to that and to the humanitarian aid we have been bilaterally giving to Ukraine on an ongoing basis. Deputy Shane Moynihan raised the issue of alliances and so forth. For quite some time, we have been part of the Nordic–Baltic Group and we are developing an alliance, although that might be too strong a word to use. We meet together and take common positions on a number of files within the European Union. Deputy Tóibín raised the Sean Brown case. I raised the case with Hilary Benn when I was the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Again, the issue here is that the Secretary of State is saying he is appealing based on broader issues, not ones specific to the case of Sean Brown who was viciously murdered. There was, without question, collusion there. The broader issue is how we deal with legacy more generally in a comprehensive way. The talks and discussions have been around the legacy Act and changes to it. Prime Minister Starmer and Secretary of State Benn have brought about significant changes since they were elected and after the change of government in the UK. The issue is whether the ICRIR can be restructured to enable us to get a solution that would deal with investigations and information retrieval and separate out the two in a way that would earn the confidence of victims groups. Ultimately, there are many other cases as well that are not getting closure.

Sentiment score: 0.11