I echo the sentiments of Deputy Lawless on Dolores Keane. She was a truly great singer and my sympathies go to her family on her passing, which is a great loss to the country. I also pay tribute to three extraordinary Irish women who continue to lift the country's spirits, namely, Jessie Buckley, Katie Taylor and Katie McCabe. Jessie Buckley made history just days ago by becoming the first Irishwoman ever to win the Best Actress Oscar for her powerful performance in "Hamnet". She stood proudly on that world stage, spoke from the heart and did it without ever needing to change who she is, including keeping her Irish accent which she has long defended publicly. Her win was not just an award but a moment of pride for every community in Ireland who has watched her rise. As she is from our neighbouring county of Kerry, we are extremely proud of her. Katie Taylor is a legend of Irish sport. At 39 she has confirmed her final professional fight will take place in Dublin this summer, likely in July or August. Croke Park is still her dream venue and it should be the venue. After 20 years at the top, including Olympic gold, undisputed titles and being an inspiration to millions, she wants to finish where her journey began, which is right here at home. That upcoming fight will not be just a sporting event but a national celebration. Katie McCabe is a great ambassador for Ireland and her club Arsenal. She has been playing at the top level for the past number of years. She, Jessie Buckley and Katie Taylor show the very best of Irish womanhood: courage, talent, humility and heart. We salute them and every woman in Ireland who keeps pushing boundaries and proudly carrying our flag. I wish to speak about health issues for women. While there have been improvements in women's healthcare in recent years and great care is provided to our female constituents there is still plenty of room for improvement. An area that urgently needs attention is early access to a lymphoedema clinic in Cork University Hospital. When a woman undergoes a mastectomy she is already dealing with trauma, her fear and the loss of a part of her body, but many women then face post-mastectomy lymphoedema, which is a painful, chronic swelling caused by lymph fluid building up in the arms, hands, chest and legs after lymph node removal or radiation. It affects mobility daily as well as activity, appearance, confidence and even a woman’s ability to stay connected socially. Through no fault of their own many women feel embarrassed and isolated. Specialist lymphoedema clinics provide compression garments, exercise programmes, skincare guidance and manual lymphatic drainage. These supports are essential for recovery yet in Cork University Hospital women are waiting 12 to 18 months just to be seen. A constituent of ours has already waited over a year and is now being told it could be another six months before she gets an appointment. Her consultant has repeatedly sought help for her but still she waits. This is not acceptable. Early access to lymphoedema care is not a luxury but a vital part of a woman’s physical and emotional recovery after breast cancer treatment. These women have already been through enough and should not have to battle waiting lists on top of everything else. I also raise a serious issue affecting a young woman from my constituency. Emma O’Shea is just 26 years old and is living with Friedreich's ataxia. This is a cruel, fast-moving disease and every month that passes Emma loses more of her independence. There is a treatment called Skyclarys which is approved across Europe and in the USA. Patients elsewhere are already benefitting but in Ireland Emma and others cannot access it despite it being approved over a year ago. That delay is simply not acceptable. Ireland approves only a fraction of orphan drugs and people with FA do not have years to wait. Time for them means a decline. I am asking for two simple things. Will the Minister of State intervene to ensure the HSE concludes reimbursement talks for Skyclarys? Do these delays reflect the access promised in the new rare diseases strategy? Emma and the FA community cannot be left behind while the rest of Europe moves on. I have written to the Minister of State about this and have also submitted parliamentary questions, so I would appreciate it if she could come back to me on this. While talking about women we must not forget the carers of the country, predominantly women, who give up so much of their lives to care for their loved ones. The Government has raised the means test for the carer’s allowance but the test must be abolished in total. Carers must be recognised financially for all they do.

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