Christopher O'Sullivan
Cork South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The aim of the hierarchy of the plan-making, as set out in the Act of 2024, is to improve scope for the various tiers of the planning system to more closely relate to one another, therefore providing greater clarity and consistency for all involved, from individual citizens and residents' groups to landowners and developers and ultimately…”
“My understanding is that a ten-year modernisation programme has already been undertaken by the Courts Service and significant progress has been made in improving the availability and use of court data.”
“Under the Act of 2024, the national planning framework continues to spearhead and explicate the planning agenda and sits at the pinnacle of the plan-led system and structure, whereby all tiers of planning from regional to local align with strategic objectives set out in the national planning framework.”
“The Senator has suggested that such plans would identify strategic development priorities, including settlement hierarchy, infrastructure corridors, climate adaptation measures and areas for regeneration; set out indicative phasing for major infrastructure and public investment; include spatial mapping of long-term development objectives;…”
“The Bill also facilitates the completion of the work of the Valuation Tribunal and the facility for the local authority to issue the levy demand and, where necessary, for An Coimisiún Pleanála to deal with any appeals to the demand that may arise in those existing cases currently with the tribunal.”
“As the system of plan-making in the State has just been revised and is being implemented for the first time, the introduction of another layer of plan-making could undermine the new hierarchy that was carefully arranged and agreed following extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General, an…”
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“Since the recommendation, my Department has established a new website, [ www.fireireland.ie ] , to provide information to citizens in the area of home fire safety including prevention, detection, evacuation and how to conduct a routine fire safety check. This website and general fire safety messaging is supported by a national campaign run annually by my Department on TV, radio and online. The latest media campaign benefited from a refresh campaign developed in 2024. The NDFEM has also developed fire safety leaflets, which were updated in 2023, and are delivered annually to fire services throughout the country to assist fire services' delivery of community fire safety messaging. My Department annually runs national fire safety week which the Senator spoke about, which aims to enhance fire safety, particularly in the home.”
“In response to the Grenfell tragedy, the then Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government directed the national directorate for fire and emergency management, NDFEM, to convene and co-ordinate a high-level task force to lead a reappraisal of fire safety in Ireland. My Department published Fire Safety in Ireland, the report of the fire safety task force, in 2018. Among the recommendations contained in the report were maintenance of community fire safety with a focus on people vulnerable to fire, additional fire safety awareness-raising activities and fresh fire safety messaging campaigns.”
“I will give my word that we will keep up the momentum on this from today so that we can see further advancements, certainly on the education side. To set out what the policy is, my Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running an essential training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters ,and providing capital funding for priority infrastructure projects. In June 2017, a devastating fire claimed the lives of 72 people at Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, London. A Netflix show has recently been launched. In terms of this particular issue, it is well worth familiarising ourselves with that.”
“I thank Senator Wilson. The last gentleman he spoke about reminded me of my father. Anytime he fries a sausage, the alarm goes off. We jest, but the Senator is bringing up a very serious matter. I thank him also for his bravery in sharing his own personal story and circumstances. That must have been a harrowing experience for him and his family. We can still hear a bit of emotion there because it was scary and he probably thinks to himself what might have been if those safety measures had not been in place in his own home. I genuinely hope that, by bringing it up in the Seanad today, he starts an awareness campaign or some type of policy change to make sure that more people feel safe in their homes. I will explain the policy position at the moment and what is being done.”
“The future legislation to follow will also bring further protections and strengthen protections for tenants, along with legislation that will encourage investment in apartments and the provision of housing. This is very welcome. I implore Deputies across the House to get behind this legislation. It is needed for the protection of renters, for future protection and, eventually, to incentivise investment in delivery of apartments and houses in this country. That is the ultimate solution to reducing rents.”
“Nowhere is this more relevant than in my constituency of Cork South-West. At the moment only one third of the constituency is covered by the protections that renters can get from rent pressure zones. In the other two thirds, including my home town of Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry, significant towns within the constituency, renters are not covered by these protections. They are exposed to large hikes in rent after certain periods. That is not sustainable and cannot continue. This legislation brings in a greater level of protection and certainty for these renters. I know that for renters across my constituency and the country who will now be covered by these RPZs, this will come as a great sigh of relief.”
“Without all of these measures, we cannot ramp up the supply needed. The Government is determined and ambitious to get this right. RPZs are due to expire at the end of this year. If we do nothing, all rents go back to market. The Government is not allowing that to happen. For years, the operation of RPZs has had to be extended, time and again. This has created a sense of uncertainty. We are now moving to a permanent national rent control to provide certainty for tenants, landlords and investors across the country. As we look to the future of our rental sector, it is clear that the status quo is not optimal, either for renters or for those providing much-needed homes. This Bill, and the further legislation to follow, represent a decisive step forward in delivering real, practical and long-term protections.”
“These changes will have a significant impact for our rental sector, making much-needed investment more attractive while strengthening the protections and providing greater certainty for renters. I accept there is a very fine balance to be struck here in our efforts. We aim to attract investment, but we know that tenants deserve and need fair treatment. We aim for tenancy protections that best suit tenants and landlords. This is just one strand of a suite of measures, including planning extensions, planning exemptions and a tranche of further key decisions this week and in the coming weeks from the Government and the Minister, Deputy James Browne. This Bill, and the forthcoming legislation to operate from March 2026, represent key progress. We aim to strike a balance and bring clarity and certainty.”
“A smaller landlord with three or fewer tenancies will be able to end a tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026 via a no-fault eviction, only at the end of each six-year period that follows or, in very limited circumstances, at any time. It is worth noting that no-fault evictions can occur in line with the strictly limited grounds for termination under the Residential Tenancies Acts. The lawful use of these grounds will continue to apply for smaller landlords only from 1 March 2026. Strict termination procedures apply and the Residential Tenancies Board is available to resolve any dispute that might arise. The provision for a six-year tenancy of minimum duration from next March is a real leap forward for tenant protections in return for allowing landlords to reset rents.”
“Resetting of rents will not be allowed during any tenancy created on or before 28 February 2026, due to the uncertainty this would cause with existing tenancies. To counter the risk of economic evictions, the Government put the sector on notice last week, on 10 June, that from 1 March 2026, stronger tenant protections will apply for new tenancies, that is, first time tenancies between parties. A larger landlord with four or more tenancies cannot end a tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026 via a no-fault eviction. The tenancy will be for an unlimited duration after its first six months without a valid notice of termination having been served.”
“We also want to be clear that we simply need new investment in rental accommodation, particularly apartments for rent, and that is why we are allowing the rents for new apartments to be linked to CPI, even when inflation exceeds 2%. From 1 March 2026, landlords will be allowed to reset rent for new tenancies, that is, first-time tenancies created between parties, and between future tenancies. However, resetting of rents will not be allowed following a no-fault eviction. Rent resetting will only be allowed where a tenant leaves a tenancy of their own volition or has breached their tenant obligations or the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household.”
“We will allow rents for new tenancies created such as first-time tenancy between parties, on or after 1 March 2026 to be set at market value, but in return for far greater security of tenancies for tenants, through six-year tenancies of minimum duration with smaller landlords, that is, landlords with three or fewer tenancies. No-fault evictions will be restricted to smaller landlords and outlawed for larger landlords. The move to a national rent control recognises the reality that tenants throughout the entire country face difficulty in paying their rent. We will continue in March to restrict the rent increases in line with inflation, but linked to CPI and not HICP, and retain that 2% cap. The Government wants to be clear that at this time, we recognise rents are very high.”
“The impending changes to rent controls have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency review of RPZs, and potential policy options, and its preferred recommendation to modify the operation of the existing RPZ rent controls. We aim to operate a national rent control to ensure that any rent increases across the country will be restricted in line with inflation, with limited exceptions. To protect tenants in times of high inflation, we will retain the cap of permissible rent inflation at 2% per annum pro rata, with limited exceptions.”
“No rent increase can exceed 2% per annum pro rata or, if lower, the rate of inflation as measured by the harmonised index of consumer prices, HICP, unless certain exemptions apply. This is an immediate and concrete protection against high rent inflation. Rent increases outside of RPZs are now at a level where the application of the rent increase restriction can be justified to apply nationally. We want to provide certainty, clarity and stability for the rental sector. The new policy measures announced last week to apply from next March aim to boost investment in the supply of homes. A new national rental control will come into effect on 1 March 2026, immediately following the expiration of the RPZs. Legislation will be introduced later this year to give effect to the new measures announced for March.”
“As Members know, on 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the provision of a two-month extension of RPZs and the deeming of all areas of the country as an RPZ from the day after the passing of this Bill until 28 February 2026. Yesterday, the Government approved the publication of this Bill to implement this measure. We are moving fast because renters need protection. From the day after the passing of this Bill, with the co-operation of both Houses of the Oireachtas and enactment by President Higgins, the current RPZ rent increase restriction will apply throughout the country.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am grateful to all Deputies and to everybody behind the scenes for facilitating the debate today on this urgent legislation in Dáil Éireann. I will be sharing Government time with Minister of State, Deputy Cummins. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 will amend the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2024 to extend and expand the operation of rent pressures zones, RPZs, to cover the entire country until 28 February 2026. This Bill provides an interim measure to quickly protect all tenants from high rent increases in anticipation of the broader changes announced last week and planned to take effect in March. For all new tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026, stronger tenancy protections will apply for tenants and a national rent control system will apply.”
“I again thank the Senator. I know he does not live in the constituency, but to be fair, he always represents his councillors and representatives in that area. He is doing so again today. My priority and concern are with the parents and the children who are all set up to avail of the Montessori school service in September. They must be anxious not knowing where they are going to be homed in future. In that spirit, I will certainly go back to talk to the Department and the Minister to see if there can at least be some co-operative effort between the Department, the school and all other stakeholders to try to find a solution. Whether that is the modular builds on site at the moment or some alternative, I will do that.”
“On the other hand, the suggestion makes sense for many reasons, as these modular rooms are on site and phase 2 of the Educate Together school is going ahead. I will go back to the Minister to see if there is any innovative way in which the Montessori school can be accommodated. It is probably not good enough to go back to say it has to discuss options. We have to collaborate on this to ensure those parents who are sending children to the Montessori school have a solution before September.”
“The Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes where this is feasible, including the provision of early learning and childcare services. The procedures are available for each school to refer to for guidance. Given the complexities of delivering the phase 2 school building project with a live school on site, it is unlikely that a move by Mountainside Montessori to the Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School site could be facilitated, and Mountainside Montessori should consider all options available to it. That is absolutely not the answer the Senator was looking for. I get the complexities that exist where there is a live school on site and the use of those modular buildings there at the moment.”
“Now that the accommodation review is complete, some of the rental accommodation has been scheduled for removal in the coming weeks, with the remainder of the rental accommodation retained on site for use by the school pending delivery of the phase 2 project. The contract for the rental of the modular accommodation is between the Department and the contractor and there are no plans to enter into any third-party arrangements with regard to that contract. The programme for Government commits to expanding the provision of after-school and childcare in school buildings and campuses, in tandem with the school building programme, to provide better access for parents and communities.”
“Projects are subject to relevant due diligence at each stage of the process, within the context of overall programme and budgetary parameters. Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School is currently accommodated in its new phase 1 school building as well as in interim accommodation located on the permanent school site in Leopardstown. A review of the accommodation on site was undertaken by the design team to determine how the school’s accommodation needs will be managed up to and during construction of the phase 2 project. The modular units installed on site between 2020 and 2022 were to accommodate the school pending delivery of its new permanent school building.”
“The phase 2 project is being delivered under the Department's employer-led design programme, which uses a professional external project manager to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. Phase 2 will deliver the balance of the accommodation for approximately 320 pupils and accommodation, including two classrooms for children with special educational needs plus external classes. The phase 2 project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School is currently at tender stage with tenders returned on 2 May 2025. Tenders are currently being evaluated by the project manager and design team and a tender assessment report will be prepared for the Department's consideration.”
“The school building project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including six classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project is being delivered in two phases. Phase 1 of the project, delivered under the Department’s design and build programme, was completed in April 2024. The phase 1 project delivered accommodation for approximately 680 pupils and accommodation, including four classrooms for children with special educational needs and a PE hall.”
“I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this issue. The way he describes Mountainside Montessori school sounds incredible. It sounds inclusive and open and is exactly the type of model we should have for our Montessori schools. There is clearly an urgency because September is looming and there needs to be a solution in place. I am not sure if my answer will provide much satisfaction in terms of the use of the prefabs, but I will bring it back to the Minister to try to find some solution. This matter allows me an opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position with regard to the school building project for Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School.”
“Sometimes in Ireland, we are on red alert in terms of energy and electricity and this is because of lack of production of energy. Anaerobic digestion could play a key role in that regard. We are also importing gas, so this could reduce our reliance on international gas. I commend the Senator on raising the matter.”
“Fair play to the Senator. He got to announce that instead of me. That is some going. The news is welcome. Farmers want to play their part in reducing emissions. The bulk of the input into an anaerobic digester is coming from farming and we are getting renewable gas and electricity to power thousands of homes, so I have always felt that those emissions reductions should be attributed to the agricultural sector. That is not the case at the moment but it is something I would love to see. We need to ramp it up. We have far too few anaerobic digesters. When one compares our biomethane production to that of Germany and France, which have hundreds and sometimes thousands of anaerobic digesters, we can see it is a key energy source.”
“It would be a shame if we missed that opportunity in terms of the December deadline for anaerobic digesters to avail of EU funding. The direction of travel is going in the right direction, though. There was no biomethane or anaerobic digestion strategy 12 or 18 months ago but there is now. I agree with the Senator that it is a key way of driving economies in rural areas, reducing emissions and making digesters sustainable.”
“The Government has also agreed to the introduction of a renewable heat obligation, RHO, to ensure the increased use of renewable fuel types across the full heating sector, with the primary aim of supporting the achievement of Ireland's heating and cooling targets at EU level. The development of the RHO is a key priority for the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and the necessary analysis and impact assessment that has informed the design of the RHO and the RHO high-level scheme has now been finalised. The Department is drafting the RHO heads of Bill for submission to the Government shortly and, once approved by the Government, will begin drafting of the RHO primary legislation to underpin the introduction. The Senator is right that the RHO legislation is needed and needs to be progressed quickly.”
“Chaired by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, with close support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the group reports directly to the heat and built environment task force on ongoing progress. The group continues to engage with action owners and key stakeholders to monitor implementation and finalisation of a full progress report, which will provide an update on key deliverables, including publication of the biomethane charter. The development of the biomethane information hub and communications strategy is under way. It is expected that this progress report will be published on gov.ie shortly.”
“The strategy sets out a pathway to achieving Ireland’s biomethane production target, addresses the challenges that need to be overcome and outlines the necessary supports and policy enablers needed to drive growth across the sector. Implementation of the national biomethane strategy is an ongoing process of collaboration across key Departments and agencies and the biomethane implementation group has been established to oversee implementation of the strategy and delivery of the 25 key strategic actions to ensure the necessary infrastructure and supports are in place to support development of an indigenous biomethane industry of scale.”
“It is the perfect example of the circular economy and something I would love to see rolled out, so I accept the urgency of this. The Government has committed to delivering up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. Delivery of this target and the use of biomethane within our energy system will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions profile. A first step to realising this ambition was the publication of the national biomethane strategy. In partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the strategy was published in May 2024.”
“I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien. I am delighted to see this issue being raised in the Seanad because I see it as a key way for agriculture in particular to play its part in renewable energy provision. I always point to the example of the Timoleague anaerobic digester in my neck of the woods. It almost acts as a co-operative, where the local piggery brings manure as an input into the anaerobic digester, the local distillery supplies waste grain as an input and other waste products also go in as inputs, and gas is produced to provide energy for homes. Digestate, which is a valid form of agricultural fertiliser, is produced as well.”
“I take the Senator's general point and will go back to the Department of Health and the Minister to ask for a review as soon as possible.”
“I will absolutely request such a review. The Senator is right. SouthDoc has its own management structures and board. The HSE has very little input into its day-to-day running but it does fund the service so it must expect an appropriate level of service. The Senator gave a good lesson on the geography of Kerry. I am familiar enough with north Kerry. It is very similar to west Cork in many ways in that it is huge geographically. You have got peninsulas and inlets, so it is geographically awkward and requires a bespoke approach to out-of-hours services. In some instances where patients find it difficult to go to the SouthDoc centre, the idea of GPs being driven out to visit homes can work. For example, where an older person would find it difficult to make the journey, that can work.”
“The critical point here, which the Senator alluded to, is trying to attract GPs to work in areas like north Kerry and Cork South-West. That is the key challenge. The more GPs we can get to take up positions in rural areas, the more comprehensive an out-of-hours service we can provide. I hope this consolidation will attract more GPs to the north Kerry area, which would allow the service to get back to the levels the Senator has talked about.”
“The HSE advises that the revised model of service is showing positive results, with both Listowel and Tralee reporting an increase in expressions of interest from GPs to join daytime practice in these areas. SouthDoc states it is committed to the long-term continuation of the provision of the out-of-hours service in the north Kerry region. All treatment centres in the area remain available to the out-of-hours service as necessary. The provision of this service will continue to be evaluated by SouthDoc and the HSE on an ongoing basis. That is an outline of the consolidation efforts that were made. Similar efforts were made in Cork South-West, which did cause concern. From what we have seen so far, there has not been a drop-off in the level of service patients are getting.”
“While routine appointments are scheduled in Tralee, the service plan includes the retention of the Listowel treatment centre for urgent appointments based on clinical need. A dedicated home visit division then provides care for patients unable to attend an out-of-hours treatment centre. In addition, the plan includes the direct employment of doctors to supplement the local GPs in the out-of-hours service and the addition of locum doctor supports at weekends and on public holidays. SouthDoc has advised that these changes were essential to maintaining the SouthDoc service in the north Kerry area. It reports the implementation was necessary to alleviate service pressures that were undermining the sustainability of both the daytime and out-of-hours general practice service for patients.”
“Delivery of the service is supported by a bespoke patient management system and a call centre where all patient calls are acknowledged, documented and triaged. The co-operative provides a medical service to a population of approximately 736,000 in addition to visitors to the area. It dealt with over 200,000 patient contacts in 2024. SouthDoc constantly reviews its service provision to ensure its continued viability. With specific regard to Listowel, a service consolidation plan was implemented in January 2024. Three doctor teams, those at Castleisland, Listowel and Tralee, were consolidated to provide a more sustainable out-of-hours service to the people of north Kerry.”
“GPs contracted under the general medical services, GMS, scheme are required to make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them or with a locum or deputy for urgent care outside of normal practice hours. The GPs participate in GP out-of-hours co-operatives as a means of meeting this contractual requirement. As the Senator will be aware, the SouthDoc co-operative provides out-of-hours urgent GP care within Cork and Kerry. While they are private organisations, the HSE provides substantial funding to support out-of-hours co-operatives through service level agreements, so the HSE does have a role here. There are many factors involved in the delivery of the SouthDoc service including the availability of doctors, staff and infrastructure.”
“I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this Commencement matter, which I am again taking on behalf of the Minister for Health. He is absolutely right. We have the same service in Cork South-West. I understand that reconfigurations have happened over recent years and that these have caused concern. Consolidation and reconfiguration happen, and this causes concern. I hope to allay some of those concerns. If there are any questions I cannot answer, I will revert to the Minister. I will outline how the service works. GPs are private practitioners. Most of them hold contracts with the HSE for the provision of health services on its behalf.”
“I completely understand Senator Ryan's frustration and concern. This has gone on for too long in UHL. We have heard the stories and examples of long waiting times on trolleys. It is not good enough. There needs to be urgent action. I also mentioned the 100 extra beds due to come online in the coming year. I hope that will alleviate some of the pressure. The Senator mentioned the medical assessment units in Ennis and Nenagh. They should alleviate some of the pressure. There are other innovations nationally, only where appropriate, with types of virtual triage. That sometimes prevents extra numbers presenting to accident and emergency departments. That can be looked at. I will express the Senator's frustrations directly to the Minister and ensure she is aware of the need for a UHL-specific action plan.”
“to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Work continues to enhance discharge processes to support patients prior to 12 p.m. seven days a week. The urgent and emergency care operational plan 2024 provides a comprehensive framework covering hospital avoidance, emergency department operations, in-hospital care delivery and discharge management. That sets out some of the plans in place to try to increase capacity at UHL prior to the winter months.”
“The medical assessment units at Ennis and Nenagh hospitals have had extended evening service hours since October 2024, providing additional weekly capacity for 34 and 22 patients, respectively. The virtual ward at UHL can now accommodate 25 patients. Work is under way to operationalise an emergency department in the home, EDITH, service at UHL. Community rehabilitation units in Ennis and Nenagh are already operational. The HSE CEO has explicitly asked regional executive officers to continue implementing seven-day working and extended hours across all services relevant to improving patient flow. This includes ensuring senior decision-makers are rostered on-site over weekends and in the evenings, leveraging the benefits of the public-only consultant contract which provides for rostered work from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m.”
“The first 96-bed ward block is expected to complete construction in quarter 3 of 2025 and expected to be opened as soon as possible once completed. It remains to be seen whether that will happen in time for the winter. This additional capacity will be vital as we head into the winter period. Furthermore, a 16-bed unit was completed in December 2024, already contributing to increased capacity at the hospital. Enabling works for the second 96-bed block at UHL are progressing. A planning application was submitted for the second ward block in March 2025. To enhance patient flow and avoid unnecessary emergency department presentations, several key interventions are being implemented.”
“However, on Tuesday, 3 June, UHL reported 49 patients on trolleys at 8 a.m., making it one of eight sites in red status. From January to May 2025, attendances at UHL's emergency department were up 8% compared with the same period in 2024, and it is ranked highest nationally for overall emergency department attendances and admissions. The Senator eloquently outlined why that may be the case. The impact this has on patients and their families is something this Government is deeply committed to addressing. In preparation for winter 2025, a large and ongoing programme of work is under way focusing on increasing capacity and improving patient flow. Crucially, more than 100 new beds are due to be opened at UHL in the coming year, while 16 beds completed construction at the end of May 2025 and are anticipated to open in quarter 3.”
“Services again undertook significant work in the week preceding the June bank holiday weekend to maximise discharges and patient flow, which was the key factor in ensuring most sites had sufficient capacity to meet demands over the bank holiday weekend. This resulted in 55% fewer patients waiting on trolleys at 8 a.m. over the June bank holiday weekend compared with the St. Brigid’s Day bank holiday weekend this year. Out of the total 29 acute hospital sites with 24-7 emergency departments, seven sites maintained a level of zero patients waiting on trolleys at 8 a.m. throughout the weekend, Saturday to Monday, inclusive. A number of sites continue to consistently achieve good operational grip, avoiding congestion and maintaining patient flow, such as Connolly Hospital, MRH Tullamore and UH Waterford.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I know how important University Hospital Limerick is to the people of the region. Clearly, it is a matter the Senator is passionate about and acutely aware of. She has presented her case well, especially her analysis of why there is a higher number of presentations at UHL, which is clearly the case. I will do my best to lay out the situation nationally and specifically that of University Hospital Limerick. A key priority of the Minister is to provide a seven-day health service to the public. Progress has been made over recent bank holiday weekends to ensure patients receive the care they need in a timely and efficient manner throughout the week.”
“It states, "The Attorney General’s Office advises that this Bill creates an absolute carve-out for counselling records which almost inevitably breaches Article 38.1". We speak about letting it go to Committee Stage for amendments. The Bill carves out counselling, which is deemed unconstitutional. I want Members and those in the Gallery to know that the Minister and the Department are dedicated to trying to resolve this issue. I know the Minister has met some survivor organisations and absolutely intends to meet more. This will be the case. I appreciate the comments from Members in particular and the feedback, and I will feed that back to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan.”
“Deputy Cronin mentioned the safe space that survivors should find themselves in when they go to these counselling sessions and how effective they can be. Obviously, this element of our law creates difficulty with regard to the session being the safe space that it should be. I appreciate this. Deputy Stanley made a point on the provision of refuges nationwide. His is not the only county, I would imagine, with the experience he outlined but the intention is absolutely there to ensure there are refuges throughout the country. This particular Bill has been deemed challenging from a constitutional point of view. I want to read from my script because this is not dismissing it, it is the Minister taking the advice of the Attorney General, which is something he is compelled to do.”
“I want to say to them that we do not make this amendment lightly. I know there are survivors here who clearly have met with many Deputies and shared their experiences. There are also counsellors. What is clearly coming across from the debate today is that there is a fear that counsellors will not be able to do their job in an effective way if this practice continues. This is why the Minister is looking at a method and a way to address this. I thank the Members for their contributions. They were very heartfelt and informative. Because of their discussions with survivors, they have outlined the stress and trauma they feel, especially when the perpetrator has an opportunity to go through their deepest thoughts in the counselling notes. That must be absolutely chilling for survivors.”