David Cullinane
Waterford · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I met many of those patients and people with the illness yesterday. Many of them were here in Leinster House. They told me, as they have in the past, they cannot walk and they cannot swallow and, as the Taoiseach acknowledged, it is also very difficult for their families who have to watch as their condition worsens and the disease progres…”
“In fact, in the programme for Government the Government committed to reviewing that process because it was accepted it does not always work. The technical review group obviously now needs to be convened and needs to meet urgently. Emily cannot afford more delays.”
“Yesterday, as the Taoiseach knows, the HSE drugs group met to consider reimbursement of Skyclarys, the first approved treatment that can slow the progression of Friedreich's ataxia. Patients hoped for a positive decision. This process has been ongoing for years.”
“They were left desperately making phone calls, checking for updates, asking journalists and asking politicians if they had heard anything. They were treated appallingly. Then, when the news did eventually filter though, they were left devastated.”
“Richard Walsh, consultant neurologist and co-director of the National Ataxia Clinic, has described this drug as a ground-breaking development. He has said that he would prescribe it if it were available in Ireland and that it may reduce the rate of disease progression.”
“"We are not going to regain any of the abilities we've lost, but Skyclarys will give us time. Time when you're dealing with our progressive relentless disease is everything. We all deserve time with our loved ones." Those are the words of Emily Felix, a 28-year-old trainee solicitor from Kilkenny who is living with Friedreich's ataxia.”
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“That is an option available in Italy, Germany and other countries. It is not available in Ireland. When is that group going to be convened because those people who were here yesterday were really upset? There was no communication. They were making phone calls, and they fear more months of delay before a decision is made.”
“I met many of those patients and people with the illness yesterday. Many of them were here in Leinster House. They told me, as they have in the past, they cannot walk and they cannot swallow and, as the Taoiseach acknowledged, it is also very difficult for their families who have to watch as their condition worsens and the disease progresses. This drug was approved by the European Union in 2024, over two years ago. It is publicly available in many European countries and yet again Ireland lags behind and we are not providing this drug. I see it simply. This is about empowering the clinicians. At the moment clinicians treating those patients do not have the option of prescribing that drug. We should enable them to have that option because this is an issue for clinicians and patients to work out the best treatment for those patients.”
“In fact, in the programme for Government the Government committed to reviewing that process because it was accepted it does not always work. The technical review group obviously now needs to be convened and needs to meet urgently. Emily cannot afford more delays. She is a young woman with a career, ambitions, a family and a future she is fighting to protect. The same is true of every single person living with Friedreich's ataxia in this State. They cannot be left waiting any longer and they deserve better. Does the Taoiseach accept that those living with Friedreich's ataxia were treated appallingly yesterday, that they deserved to be treated with respect and should have been properly communicated with? Does he recognise that this is a matter of urgency for them and that they cannot continue to wait while time is running out?”
“They were left desperately making phone calls, checking for updates, asking journalists and asking politicians if they had heard anything. They were treated appallingly. Then, when the news did eventually filter though, they were left devastated. Craig Coady from Cork, who has already lost his 13-year-old son, Rory, to Friedreich's ataxia, now watches as his older son, Paudie, deteriorates from the same condition. He took to social media to express his anger. He said: This is the worst news for my son. The government is kicking the can down the road. We don't have that time because Paudie is getting worse every day. I am so upset and disgusted. Medicines must be properly assessed, and I get that, but the patient cannot be lost in the process, and that is what happens.”
“Richard Walsh, consultant neurologist and co-director of the National Ataxia Clinic, has described this drug as a ground-breaking development. He has said that he would prescribe it if it were available in Ireland and that it may reduce the rate of disease progression. Skyclarys has been approved across the European Union since February 2024. It is already publicly funded or accessible in several European countries. Irish patients are watching people with the same condition receive treatment elsewhere while they continue to deteriorate without it. That is cruel. Yesterday, those living with Friedreich's ataxia gathered at Leinster House waiting for good news. Their hopes were high, but advocates and campaigners were left waiting with no communication.”
“Yesterday, as the Taoiseach knows, the HSE drugs group met to consider reimbursement of Skyclarys, the first approved treatment that can slow the progression of Friedreich's ataxia. Patients hoped for a positive decision. This process has been ongoing for years. Instead, the drug was referred to a rare disease technical review group for further consideration. This group is not a standing body and must now be convened. This could mean further delays and potentially months before a final decision is made. For patients, that delay is unbearable. It can mean losing the ability to walk, to speak clearly, to swallow safely or to live independently. Skyclarys is not a cure but it offers something precious: more time with mobility, working, communicating and living independently. Dr.”
“"We are not going to regain any of the abilities we've lost, but Skyclarys will give us time. Time when you're dealing with our progressive relentless disease is everything. We all deserve time with our loved ones." Those are the words of Emily Felix, a 28-year-old trainee solicitor from Kilkenny who is living with Friedreich's ataxia. It is a rare, progressive and life-limiting neurological condition. It gradually takes away mobility, speech and independence. Emily was diagnosed at 12. Since then, she has completed her degree, pursued postgraduate study and begun training as a solicitor. She is doing everything she can to protect her health and her future, but the disease continues to progress.”
“An apology cannot give survivors back their livelihoods and it cannot remove the trauma they have carried, but an apology matters. It matters because the State is finally acknowledging that survivors were failed. It matters because responsibility is being accepted. To these survivors, I hope today brings some recognition of the truth you fought so hard to establish. I hope it brings some measure of peace to you and your families. Nothing said in this Chamber today can ever adequately reflect what you endured but, today, on behalf of the people I represent in Waterford, I want to say your courage forced the truth into light, your determination made this State apology unavoidable and your courage will never be forgotten.”
“For years, they supported the survivors and shone a spotlight on the failures of State organisations and others in positions of authority. They kept asking difficult questions when some would have preferred silence. Their journalism helped ensure that this story could not be ignored, minimised or allowed to disappear. The commission's report found a serious dereliction of duty in the Garda response. It documented failures by institutions and individuals who had responsibilities to protect children but did not act as they should have. A 14-year-old boy walked alone into Waterford Garda station in 1985 and reported that he had been abused. His complaint should have been investigated. Had that happened, other children might not have been harmed. This fact must weigh heavily on the State today.”
“We must also acknowledge the support of the wider public in Waterford and, indeed, across the country. People heard the survivors' testimony, understood the injustice that had taken place and stood behind the demand for truth and accountability. I want to recognise the exceptional work of Phoenix Law and, in particular, Darragh Mackin. Darragh and his colleagues have represented the survivors with determination, professionalism and compassion. They understood that this was about far more than a legal case; it was about human dignity. It was about ensuring that survivors were heard and the power of the State was finally confronted with the truth. I want to acknowledge two journalists, namely, Damien Tiernan and Saoirse McGarrigle.”
“You told your stories again and again to gardaí, lawyers, journalists, politicians and the commission. Every retelling came at a personal cost. Every interview made you revisit some of the darkest and most painful experiences of your lives. Today's apology would not be happening without your courage and determination, and it is important to acknowledge that survivors did not travel this long and difficult road entirely alone. Their families and friends stood beside them through extraordinarily difficult times. They listened when others did not. They believed when institutions failed. They supported survivors through investigations, court cases, media coverage, setbacks and years of delay. Without the love, strength and support of those families and friends, many of whom are in the Public Gallery, this apology would never have happened.”
“I want to acknowledge all of you - those of you who have waived your anonymity and spoken publicly, those of you who have spoken privately, those of you who have carried this silently with you and those of you who have never spoken and are no doubt still unknown. You have had to carry the consequences of that abuse through your lives ever since. The damage did not end when the abuse ended. It has followed survivors into their relationships, their family lives, their working lives and their mental and, no doubt, physical health. It affected confidence, trust and the ability to feel safe. It also affected parents, partners, children, brothers, sisters and friends. Entire families have lived with the consequences of what happened. It was extremely difficult, yet you persisted.”
“Today must belong first and foremost to the survivors of the horrific abuse perpetrated by Bill Kenneally. To Jason Clancy, Paul Walsh, Colin Power, Kevin Keating, Barry Murphy and every survivor, those who have spoken publicly and those who have carried their pain privately, I want to say this: our hearts are with you every day, but today especially. I recognise the enormous courage you have shown and the terrible wrongs that were done to you, not only by the man who abused you but by the institutions and individuals who should have protected you and failed to do so, those who knew young boys were being abused by a monster and who did worse than nothing by preventing justice for decades and allowing the conditions for horrific abuse to happen and to continue.”
“The statutory home care scheme needs to be put in place. It must also, however, recognise the different levels of need, from basic support with daily living to intensive home care nursing support, therapies and medical care. There is so much that we need to do. I welcome that we will have a review of the dementia strategy but when we are doing this, resourcing it will be the most important part of it.”
“This has been promised for years. I do not know why it has not been delivered. It is very important. It was in the programme for Government not just this time but the last time as well. We go around in endless debates on this. I have never been given a clear reason that it has not been developed. A statutory home care scheme would not solve all of the problems but it would set out a legal right for people to have access to home care. Whether it is people with dementia or older people more generally, keeping people in the home for as long as possible is about dignity, is the right thing to do, and is obviously better for that person. Home support hours do need to increase. As the Minister of State knows, I have been raising this issue year after year. This is just one of a number of issues. Home care itself needs major reform.”
“That is what Sláintecare promised and it is the reform we need to keep driving towards to ensure everybody, including people with dementia, get that support. For many people with dementia, that means care at home and in the community for as long as it is safe and appropriate. People do this. Families do everything possible to keep somebody in the home until it becomes impossible, but for this to happen, all of the supports, including home care, outside of what families can do have to be in place. Very often it is patchy and it is very difficult for people if they are not getting it or are only getting partial hours. We have to look at this in the context of all of the supports that are needed, especially when somebody is still living at home. These debates inevitably circle back to the long-promised statutory home care scheme.”
“It was important, but 12 years later too many services remain fragmented, under-resourced and uneven across the State. Families still describe a system where they have to fight for information, assessments, home support, respite and continuity of care. Everybody accepts that the strategy must be updated, but an updated strategy alone will not be enough. It must be tied to funding, workforce planning, local delivery, data accountability and clear rights for people who need care. It must sit in a wider reform of ageing social care, primary care and communities services. We had some discussions with the Minister for Health earlier during priority questions and oral questions on many of these topics. The health service must be built around getting people the right care in the right place at the right time.”
“People living with dementia, whether early onset, advanced or advancing, deserve care that is person centred, timely and properly planned. They deserve supports that delay progression where possible, manage symptoms, protect safety and preserve independence and autonomy for as long as possible. A serious dementia policy must begin with early intervention and wraparound supports to support the person and their family. This is especially true for people with early onset dementia. They may still be in work and I know some people in that circumstance. They may have children at home. They may have mortgages, caring responsibilities and an active family life. They need a timely diagnosis, clear information, income and employment supports, counselling, therapies and practical advice. The national dementia strategy was published in 2014.”
“While it has a massive impact on the individual who has dementia, I am sure the Minister of State will also acknowledge the impact it has on their family and friends as well. My grandmother had dementia for six or seven years and my mother was her carer. She lived with her and looked after her. I watched my grandmother regress over the course of six or seven years. It was very rewarding for my mother to be caring for her almost every day but also very challenging. Unfortunately, my mother got cancer and died about a month before her mother died, after all of that caring. There are a lot of challenges and a lot of stress involved in caring for people but it is also very rewarding. That is why those in the Public Gallery are here and why they have done the work they do. Our starting point has to be dignity.”
“I welcome Cian and Jordan Adams and everyone else in the Public Gallery. I thank them for their fundraising efforts and for shining a spotlight on the issue of dementia. As the Minister of State said, I am sure their late mother Geraldine would be very proud of their work. They are very welcome here today. Dementia is a significant health and social care challenge facing the State and it is growing due to our ageing population. More than 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland today and this number is expected to double over the next 20 years. Every year, thousands more people and families are affected by this life-changing condition, often with too little support and too much left to chance and to a postcode lottery.”
“-----but I am raising it with the Minister for Health also. We could also have more training capacity in the south east and get the benefit from SETU and its plans. The hospital manager, whom the Minister has praised for other matters, sees this as an exciting opportunity. The 24-7 cardiology care was a big day for Waterford and is a big step forward for health in the south east. I commend the Minister on the fact she ensured this happened. There was a campaign over a long number of years. I also commend people in Waterford and the south east, including in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Tipperary, who came out in big numbers on a number of occasions to demand equality of access. The fact it is now there is good news for everybody in the south east.”
“Obviously, there has to be an element of cross-departmental and cross-ministerial work on workforce planning. The health service cannot recruit quickly enough if we are not training and training capacity is very important. I imagine a lot of collaborative work is being done between the Ministers and the Departments. What I am saying is that I will raise this with the Minister for higher education-----”
“I know from talking to the local hospital manager that they see the potential for a new medical school. I think I raised this with the Minister in the Oireachtas health committee in the past. I know it straddles other Departments but there is an excitement about the site that can be realised. It could be a good opportunity to increase training capacity for doctors and other healthcare professionals if it were supported.”
“Recruitment is important and every additional staff member recruited in acute primary or community settings in the health service is to be welcomed. My question, though, was on increasing clinical training capacity. I know that also falls under the Minister for higher education. I think the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, was in the Chamber this week when I raised issues in relation to South East Technological University, SETU. It has plans for a new pharmaceutical, a new veterinary and a new one health building. All of that, if funded, will be important for more graduates, research and development. I spoke to the manager of the hospital a number of times. The glassworks site in Waterford is iconic because it is the former home of Waterford Crystal in Kilbarry. Now it provides opportunities to enhance SETU.”
“Workforce planning is an important component of planning for health services. This question is about the south east. What additional clinical training capacity is being looked at for the coming years across the south east?”
“One of the benefits of Sláintecare, if it is realised, and the health regions is that it will end the silos and, potentially, the bias of investment in the acute system and recognise that if we have alternatives in primary and community care, we can take real pressure away from our acute hospitals, which is also better for prevention and catching ailments earlier. There is lots of positive stuff happening, for example, enhanced community care and the integrated care programme for older persons. I recognise all of that, but there are still far too many people waiting. As the Minister said, in some specialties, they are waiting far too long. We need to keep the focus on it.”
“We receive representations from people who have been waiting far too long for an occupational therapist or a speech and language therapist. The Minister mentioned children. Very often, children are on these waiting lists. A number of weeks ago, we had a debate in the House on dental services. The number of children waiting for orthodontic treatment and dental treatment is shocking. So much more needs to be done in that area. The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, took the debate on that occasion.”
“There were several cases in Dublin of people waiting 500 weeks for psychology and a person in Galway has been waiting 534 weeks for occupational therapy. There is a lot to be done in this area. I do not doubt everything the Minister has said in terms of the additional staff and so on, but if Sláintecare is to be delivered and if we are to live up to the potential of the health regions, primary and community care have to be better supported.”
“As I said, 280,000 people are on primary and community care waiting lists. Of those, 86,000 people are waiting for physiotherapy, 60,000 people are waiting for occupational therapy, 34,000 people are waiting for psychology, 32,000 people are waiting for speech and language therapy, 24,000 people are waiting for audiology, 22,000 people are waiting for dietetics, 20,000 people are waiting for ophthalmology and 8,000 people are waiting for podiatry. I submitted a parliamentary question on how long people are waiting because waiting lists are bad enough as it is, but the real test is how long people are waiting. There were some incredible responses. A person in Longford-Westmeath has been on a waiting list for dietetics for 709 weeks. Someone in Louth has been waiting for ophthalmology for 617 weeks.”
“This question is in relation to community care waiting lists, which I have been tracking for some time. There are now 280,000 people, unfortunately, on community waiting lists, with many of them waiting far too long. I know the Minister has talked about new initiatives to reduce community waiting lists, which I respect and want to see implemented, but, unfortunately, the numbers have been going in the wrong direction for some time. This important area of healthcare needs more attention.”
“It is also about making sure that if there is any pushback at all, or any attempt to undermine any of that work, then all of us have a responsibility to watch what is happening and play our respective roles in that. This is one of those important issues in healthcare. I know the Minister is active and vocal with regard to it, but this House and the health committee have a role to play in it as well.”
“That is a sensible approach. I do not disagree with it. I welcome the fact that there will be an audit because data is rich when it comes to allowing all of us to see what is happening under the bonnet of hospitals and the level of private activity. I am not against private healthcare, by the way, but it needs to happen in private hospitals. Where it happens in public hospitals, it has to be within the rules. The Minister and I might disagree on many different issues, but where we do agree is that we need to send a message to the healthcare system in its totality that Sláintecare is not up for reconsideration. Removing private healthcare from public hospitals is supported, I hope, by every party in this Dáil. Making sure that contracts that were signed in good faith are honoured is something that we all have to get behind.”
“I also asked the Rotunda about whether it can provide data about those consultants on type B contracts who are going beyond the 20%. The hospital said it was not happening or that it had no evidence that it was happening, and that the Department was collecting data on it. However, there does not seem to be information or, if there is, it was not shared with members of the health committee and, by extension, the public. I am asking what information the Minister may have that we do not have.”
“I acknowledge all that work. Data is important in this area because it allows us all to hold hospitals and consultants to account and to ensure that the terms of the contracts that people have entered are being honoured. As the Minister knows, the Oireachtas health committee met recently and had witnesses in from the Rotunda hospital, the Department and the HSE. I have been asking questions for the last number of weeks. I asked the Minister parliamentary questions, which were answered by officials or by whom the information was gathered, about private activity in public hospitals and seeking a breakdown on the level of that activity. I am not getting any answers. The same answer comes back which simply has the number of consultants on type B contracts, as opposed to activity.”
“They were travelling to Carlow, Tipperary and the Rock of Cashel. Others were going to Wexford, the John F. Kennedy Arboretum and Cork. Of course, some were going to Waterford city and parts of County Waterford. We all benefit from it. The south east operates as a tourist entity in its own right with all of its offerings. All I am saying is that we do not need seven or ten more years of examinations and procrastination. We need a decision taken based on the feasibility study that was carried out. Put the investment in and allow the port to flourish, which is in the best interests of me, the Minister of State and the constituents we represent.”
“That is acknowledged, recognised and accepted. We have a feasibility plan that made options. The only thing that did not happen was the Government making any decision as to what to do. When I raise the issue seven years later, I am told that we can look at a seven- to ten-year plan for the port and maybe have town hall meetings. A town hall meeting might work if there is good news, but we are not starting from scratch here. That is the point. The Minister of State with responsibility for this area has to have a good look at this. It is time now for the two local Ministers of State, Deputies Cummins and Butler, to start fighting for capital investment for Waterford and the south east. This also benefits the Minister of State’s constituency. As I said, I spoke to many people coming off that cruise ship.”
“In the Minister of State’s response, she acknowledged that in 2016, the Department commissioned a feasibility study. It finished its work and reported back in 2019. We are now in 2026. That is seven years later and no progress has been made. Since 2019, that plan has sat on a shelf. The Minister of State said the Department has seven-to-ten-year plans for all fishery harbours. Dunmore East Harbour does not need a seven- or ten-year plan. The feasibility study has already been commissioned and reported back. It has already provided options. The Minister of State acknowledged all the activity I spoke about, including the leisure activity, how busy it is during the summer, the cruise ships, including the most recent ship that arrived, the fishermen activity and much more that goes on at the harbour.”
“What is the Government's plan for the port and the harbour? Is it serious about developing Dunmore East Harbour? Is it serious about wanting that harbour to be able to cope with more cruise liners coming, with all the benefits that will have for tourism, plus supporting the fishermen and all the other activities that happen there? If the Government is serious about that, it needs to come up with a plan and look at one of the options that were outlined in that report. There were about ten different options, if you look at the options and variations. It is not difficult to look at what is best for the harbour, talk to the harbourmaster and local communities and come up with the capital funding. It simply has not happened up to now.”
“They were travelling to Kilkenny - the Minister of State's own constituency - Carlow, Wexford, Cork in some instances, down to Midleton to visit the brewery and, of course, Waterford city. These were thousands of people spending money and adding to the local economy. However, it is going to become much more difficult for that harbour to take more vessels and, at times, it cannot take vessels because of the limitations of the port. There are already issues for fishermen at the port. You can see the boats that are lined up three abreast because the berthing facilities simply are not there. That feasibility study looked at more berthing facilities, an additional breakwater or an extension of the existing breakwater and more facilities at the harbour to allow all of those different activities to coexist.”
“It came up with a number of options and variations. The option that it proposed at the time would have cost about €12.5 million. I would imagine that it would cost more now. The difficulty is that nothing has happened and that feasibility study has essentially sat on a shelf. We now have a situation where we have a very busy port. The harbour master and those who work in the port are trying their best to facilitate the fishermen and all the other activities and to take in cruise ships, which is becoming more and more difficult. We as legislators and policy-makers in the Dáil and in the Government have to decide what it is we want from the harbour in Dunmore East. I spoke to people coming off that ship. There were about 2,500 people on it. They were travelling all over the place.”
“I met with the harbourmaster and saw how difficult it was for the harbour in very tightly controlled circumstances where the space just does not exist to try to manage almost 2,000 passengers coming off and all the logistics that comes with that, while at the same time trying to cope with all the fishing boats. There are emergency crews and a lifeboat is anchored there as well. Then you have all the leisure activity. There was, as I said, a feasibility study carried out in 2019. That feasibility study looked at how we can improve the harbour in Dunmore East and ensure that the fishing vessels, fishermen, leisure activities, aquasports and all of that going on at the harbour, plus facilitating cruise ships, can all coexist and work in a pragmatic way that benefits the local village and community but also the local economy.”
“In 2019, RPS was commissioned to develop a feasibility study on developing Dunmore East Harbour. As the Minister of State knows, Dunmore East Harbour is in the east of County Waterford. It is a fishing port. It is also a home to a lot of leisure activity that is very busy, by the way, during the summer months. There are fantastic facilities for children and adults. It also takes in cruise liners, although that can be difficult because of the lack of facilities. There was one cruise ship that was unfortunately turned away from Dunmore East a number of weeks ago because of bad weather and the fact that the harbour finds it very difficult to be able to take cruise ships under certain circumstances. A big cruise ship came in at the weekend. I was there myself.”
“Regarding those particular projects - the pharmaceutical, veterinary and one health buildings - I ask that they be prioritised and seen as the game changer that they can be. The University Hospital Waterford is hoping that on the same site that we can have a new medical school. It is something that I have raised with the Minister for Health in the past. I ask if those plans can be progressed.”
“The proposed pharmaceutical, veterinary and one health buildings at the South East Technological University, SETU, are really important opportunities for enhancing third level education in the south east and Waterford. All those buildings are to be housed in the Glassworks site, which is also a real opportunity for the south east. Lots of plans have been progressed by SETU. It has set out its ambition. It has forwarded those plans to relevant Departments. I was on a number of calls with the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, when he was the Minister and with local TDs and now Ministers. Clear commitments were given that State money would be available to develop that site and those buildings.”
“What the parents asked me to convey to the Minister is they want her to do a pilot project in Tramore of a State-led childcare facility and look at capital investment. The crucial issue providers and parents also raised with me is staffing. There is huge staff turnover. We cannot get the staff. There are obviously issues with pay. We have been asking the Government to deal with those for a long number of years. It is a major impediment to providing childcare places. Tramore is only one example of many towns, cities and rural areas where childcare is unfortunately non-existent or simply does not have the capacity it should. I am hoping the Minister will listen to what we are saying and take on board the solutions that are in our motion.”
“Parent after parent was talking about the impossibility of finding appropriate early education or childcare. It was a real barrier for some parents, especially women, getting back to work or finding full-time employment. There are new housing developments where the buildings allocated for childcare are empty and childcare providers say there is a real battle to provide services there because the subsidies do not exist or are not good enough. There is bureaucracy and lots of reasons and it is just not cost-effective - that is one of the issues. If we have new housing developments where there is a promise of childcare facilities as part of them but they are not being provided it is a failure of Government and Government policy.”
“I support the motion and commend an Teachta Kerrane for bringing forward all the solutions, which I hope the Minister takes on board. I want to get to a point where we have the €200 per month childcare promised not just by a lot of parties before the last election but also by Government representatives. That simply has not been delivered. Even if we get to that point though it is not going to be of value to many parents because they cannot get access to childcare in the first place. I attended a public meeting in Tramore, County Waterford a number of weeks ago. All the Oireachtas Members and local councillors were invited and it is a really good example, and one I ask the Minister to look at, of a town with a growing population that has not seen the investment in childcare facilities it needs.”
“I will raise an issue in respect of Woodlands, a housing estate in Portlaw, County Waterford. At the moment, water is provided through developer-provided infrastructure. This is costing the residents in this housing estate a lot of money. They obviously want to be connected to the public infrastructure. That will come at a cost. Catherine Burke, a councillor in the area, has been engaging with Irish Water on the issue for a long time. There does not seem to be a resolution. Will the Taoiseach make inquiries to Irish Water on my behalf? I have contacted it but I believe contact from the Taoiseach could make a difference.”
“Let us improve this service so that we are not here in a year or a number of years having the same circular debate with more children unfortunately waiting for care.”
“The Government starts a plan and examines why something is the case, deals with those challenges, overcomes them and puts in place a strategy to enable us to train more dentists and orthodontists, recruit more and have them in the public system, but it is not happening, and because it is not happening, we are not treating children in schools or doing the screening. Children with disabilities are waiting too long for treatment and the vast majority of children waiting for braces or urgent care are waiting far too long. It is simply not good enough. We have put forward solutions in this motion. This motion is not being opposed by Government but what I want to see is not just the Government not opposing it, but actually engaging with the solutions we have put on the table.”