Helen McEntee
Meath East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are no new missions, so there is only so much we can partake in. In regard to UN requests over the past ten years, in September 2019, we had 14 Defence Forces personnel deployed to a UN mission in Mali as part of a joint operation with the German armed forces.”
“I thank the Deputy for his continued engagement on this matter. It is appreciated and I reaffirm our shared commitment to truth and justice, not least for Private Rooney, but in particular for his family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I know he is committed to this issue; I am too. I have in recent months spent some time travelling to different barracks and Army bases and meeting with personnel. What I see all over the country is their professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
“I disagree that people are being pushed into the courts. The situation is exactly the opposite. I have said in the Chamber many times since I started taking these questions that the State Claims Agency is there and wants to mediate and work directly with people in order that cases do not go directly to the courts.”
“We are all committed to strengthening recruitment to and supporting retention in the Permanent Defence Force. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,823 personnel on 31 May, the most recent date for which we have a figure available.”
“It is the case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would not be able to be a part of if we were to keep the triple lock.”
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“It is very important and we are prioritising this so it can be introduced as quickly as possible. It is important that we have the buildings in place, of course. Some €5.7 billion has been invested in schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 1,150 school building projects. These have included the provision of new and modern accommodation for approximately 7,500 children with special educational needs right across the country. This has allowed the number of special classes and special schools to grow. We are committed to making sure that where the need is growing, the demand is in place, and those provisions and buildings expand and be provided for as well. I will touch on another issue for a few moments. It is important that we put in place training for our teachers.”
“We are working to make sure this can be introduced later on in this school year, starting with our special schools but making sure we move beyond special schools into our special classrooms and, of course, mainstream. We know the benefits of this. If children are accessing therapies, it provides them with a greater level of support in schools so they can work with their teachers and their teachers can work with them in a setting that is much more conducive to learning. It is about providing the supports in the place that is appropriate to them. Not only will this benefit children because they will get the direct therapies, but there will also be a level of support provided for teachers for the other children in the classroom. Parents will also be brought in. We will make sure this is a whole-of-school response and environment.”
“A new provision in schools this year is the educational therapy support service. This is about building capacity for teachers and our school staff to provide as effectively as possible for the needs of students. This service will see therapists working in classrooms with teachers. Building on this, the programme for Government clearly commits to a new therapy service where the therapist will provide direct supports to our children. I confirm that work is under way to establish what is a necessary support for our schools. We will be working to advance this as quickly as possible. I brought a memo to Cabinet only three weeks ago, setting out that my Department, working with children and the HSE, is now designing a new therapy service.”
“Much work has been done to ensure that children with special complex educational needs have a special school place and we accept that we need to do more work. We also need to ensure that the teaching, learning and supports in these schools are of a high quality. I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our teachers, special education teachers, SNAs and every part of the school community because each person plays a part. I saw that last week at the various conferences and in meeting with our teachers, principals, our secretaries, caretakers, SNAs and special education teachers. Everybody plays that important role. We also understand the importance of therapy services for our children and young people with additional needs and there have been significant developments in this area in recent weeks.”
“As Deputies, we are all too familiar with the stress parents face come school time in applying to many schools and, unfortunately, receiving many negative letters back. We want to remove that stress and I believe that a common application system can be a game-changer in this regard. It must and will change. We will receive the report of the D15 task force on special education before the summer. As part of that, there was a trial process involving 13 schools at the outset that had a common application system. I understand that will expand even further come this September. My Department, the NCSE and the D15 task force are working closely to that. We hope that it will not just apply to special schools, but also to the mainstream where there are also special classrooms.”
“None of us wanted to do this but this school has available accommodation and, despite significant engagement over a considerable period of time, the school has not agreed to open a special class to date. The Minister of State and I are fully committed to ensuring that the 400 new special classes are in place for the upcoming school year but, above all, that everybody plays their part here. There should not be a choice. If there is a need and a demand in an area, then a school needs to work with us. We will work very closely with it in that regard. On the common admissions process, we are making progress on the delivery of a common application system for admissions to schools as set out in the programme for Government, particularly for children with special educational needs.”
“My Department and the NCSE met school management bodies and patron bodies before Easter in a first step for forward planning of next year. Regarding the five new special schools opening in the coming school year, all of the schools are progressing the recruitment of staff. Two schools are completing their admissions procedures and the other schools will be commencing their admissions processes quickly. Capacity has been expanded in a number of other special schools for the coming school year to ensure that we can provide placements for children in the places that are appropriate to them and in their local communities. In addition to the 399 special classes sanctioned, it is intended that steps will be taken to compel one school to open a special class under section 37A.”
“It is a priority for me to ensure that, come this September, every child has access to that place. While special classes have been confirmed earlier this year, I know from talking to families that that is not good enough. I want it to be the situation that, come January when children learn where they are going to primary or post-primary school in September, it means every child and not just some children. That is why the Minister of State and I have insisted that the NCSE identify what provision is required for next year and the 2026-27 school year even earlier so that we can identify where that need is, engage with parents and then engage further with schools where more places need to be made available.”
“We have also asked the NCSE to support them in establishing these new classes to ensure that enrolments can happen as quickly as possible, and to provide those places to the children who are known to the NCSE and not those who are not. Of course, we need to ensure that every child who has an identified need can be supported. It is important that this work progresses quickly so that parents have confirmation of where their children will be enrolled and they can begin planning and preparing for this transition. The necessary funding is in place to support schools in establishing these classes, for the provision of the accommodation which is also required, for the repurposing of existing accommodation, and for training teachers and SNAs as regards these new special classes.”
“Of most importance is that these classrooms open and that the admissions process continues as quickly as possible. The Minister of State and I have been meeting with the NCSE and departmental officials weekly. In fact, we met just last night and will meet again next week. While I am happy that the new special classes have been sanctioned, it is imperative that these classes be established quickly and that those schools that have not done so yet - many have - begin to open admissions to students seeking special class places. I have requested my Department to write to all of the 399 schools asking them to progress the admission of students as quickly as possible.”
“I will outline for the House the work that is underway on these issues and the progress that is being made. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, will touch on the remainder of those issues. As regards ensuring that we have the places, classrooms and spaces available for every child, the Labour Party motion rightly recognises that the NCSE has confirmed that 399 of the 400 special classes that we had committed to are being provided for in the coming year. These have been sanctioned. This has happened earlier than in 2024. Obviously, we want to do things even earlier this time next year. This means that there will be 3,900 new places available for children. I am not throwing out figures for the sake of it. These are 3,900 places that children will be able to avail of. It is important that they were sanctioned.”
“From the parents, teachers and students I meet, the most important thing to do is to ensure that we find a place that is appropriate to each child, as what is appropriate to one child might not be to another. It is about ensuring that children have access to the place that is most appropriate to them and that they have supports in place that are most appropriate to their needs. As many of these parents and children were, I was happy to attend the teacher and SNA union conferences last week for the first time. The issue of special education and improving teaching and learning supports for children with special education needs was a key focus and, understandably, key priority for everybody at those conferences. I wish to touch on a number of issues that arose last week but also on many of the issues raised in the motion.”
“Let me be clear, however, that there is nothing in the Labour Party motion that we do not agree with or support. We will work with the party. As a Government and a Dáil, we will work collectively because we have the same goal. There has been significant investment in special education over the past number of years. It is important to say that because we have 250,000 children who are supported firstly in our mainstream schools. Approximately 97% of children who go to school are in mainstream schools. Some 250,000 of those have special educational or additional needs of different variations. Many of them are supported in our mainstream schools. Approximately 28,000 children are supported in a special class or a special school.”
“I thank my Labour Party colleagues for tabling this motion. I welcome and acknowledge the many parents in the Gallery, many of whom I have met in the past while. It is a priority for me, the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the wider Government to ensure that children with special educational needs not only get access to the school places they are entitled to, but also get access to supports in the place that is most appropriate to them. We all agree on that. I have met many parents and children, not just as Minister for Education, but over the past number of years. I acknowledge them and that all they want is to ensure that every child has access to that place and support. That is why we are here. We have tabled an amendment in order to reference the work that has been done.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and — the Government is committed to ensuring that each child with a Special Educational Need (SEN) has an appropriate school place, in line with their constitutional right and Programme for Government commitments; further notes: — the continued significant State investment of €2.9 billion in supporting the provision of special education, a 48 per cent increase since 2020; — the significant increases in the allocation of special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to support children with SEN in our schools which facilitates the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in prioritising the allocation of all of these resources to children with the greatest level of need; — the strategic initiatives introduced to provide for the continued accelerated delivery of special class places in mainstream schools and special school places with the number of special classes having doubled over the last five years, and 16 new special schools being established; — Budget 2025 provided for up to 2,700 additional special education placements to include, 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places; — the fact that 399 of these new special classes are now sanctioned for the coming school year, three months earlier than previously thought, and that significant progress is being made in relation to the establishment of five new special schools and the expansion of provision in other special schools; — the intention to use Section 37A to compel a school who has available accommodation and has been engaged with over an extended period to open special classes; — the fact that over 3,700 new special classes will be available across the country for the coming school year which should ensure that children can access a special class in their local area; — the significant investment in the expansion of staffing at the NCSE to assist families of children with SENs in all aspects of their educational journey, including accessing a placement appropriate to their needs; — the establishment of the D15 Taskforce to support forward planning for special education provision in the area, and similar initiatives in other areas; — the commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce a common application system; — the recent publication of a circular letter by the Department of Education setting out new guidelines for schools in relation to the review of special education placements and the removal of the need for parents to seek updated professional reports where a student is transitioning from a primary special class to a post-primary special class of the same designation; — the intention to introduce a National Therapy Service (NTS) in education to be delivered by the NCSE, the NTS will commence in special schools and subsequently extend to schools with special classes and mainstream provision, and it is intended that the service will be rolled out on a phased basis in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/2026 school year, with a wider roll-out for the 2026/2027 school year; — the establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service in the NCSE, Regional therapy supports which includes Teacher Professional Learning, and follow up in school support will be available nationally from September 2026; — sustained in-school support delivered by Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists, based on the therapy element of the School Inclusion Model is currently being delivered to 22 schools in the Eastern Region, further schools will have access to this support in the Western Region in September 2025; — the introduction of an integrated model of enhanced in-school therapy supports pilot, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, this pilot ensures the educational, health and social needs of children and young people are met through the reinstatement of therapy services onsite in special schools; — the funding provided for the training and upskilling of teachers and SNAs who support children with special education needs; — the request by the Minister for Education to the Teaching Council to include a mandatory assessed placement period in a special class or a special school setting in all initial teaching education programmes; — the extensive review by the Department of Education of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 will be published in the coming weeks; — the establishment of a new SNA Workforce Development Unit by the Department of Education which is engaging with SNAs, schools, unions and stakeholders, which recognises the essential role played by SNAs in our school and which is underpinned by a new national training programme for SNAs costing €1.9 million recently announced in conjunction with Atlantic Technological University; — the work underway on a redeployment scheme for SNAs which for the first time, will allow SNAs in posts which may no longer be required for reasons such as falling enrolments, reduced care needs or changing demographics, to be redeployed to a school which has a vacant post; — the provision of circa €264 million in 2024, to support over 21,700 children with SEN access school transport to attend school each day which is a 68 per cent increase since 2021; — the significant level of funding and supports being provided to schools to deliver accommodation for special classes, including school building projects, the repurposing of available rooms, and the provision of modular accommodation; — the review of the assistive technology scheme to ensure all children who need technology to access the curriculum receive it through a streamlined process which is underpinned by funding of €5 million, an increase of €2 million since 2020; — the introduction of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot 2023-2025 to support children's wellbeing and mental health in primary schools and the recent introduction of the new national programme (Neart) of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for post-primary schools that is delivered by Jigsaw in collaboration with the National Educational Psychological Service; — the Department of Education has commenced a review of the Leave of Absence following Assault scheme, and is also finalising the terms and conditions of a new Occupational Injury Scheme for teachers; — the range of resources that has been or will soon be made available to schools to enable them to support students' behaviour, including the publications by NCSE Relate Behaviour framework, Tusla Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools and the Department of Education Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations Guidelines; — the extensive programme of training in place, or planned, to support schools in managing student behaviour; — the restoration of posts of responsibility in schools and the availability of additional hours from September 2025 to assist schools in coordinating their special education teaching provision; and — the renewed focus of the Government on the area of disability services with a particular focus on improving the delivery of services for children with disabilities; and calls on the Government to: — take any necessary steps to ensure that every child with SEN who needs an appropriate school place has access to one in a timely manner; — progress work on the development of a more inclusive education system for children with SENs by supporting them to attend their local school; — continue to expand the number of special school places, special classes and special education teaching hours as required across the State; — improve communication and outreach to parents of children with SEN to streamline the process by which parents apply for specialist school places, reducing the burden on them and improving the timelines, including the introduction of a common application procedure; — continue to increase investment into the area of special education to ensure that every child can reach their full potential; — support additional schools and students to benefit from the Summer Programme; and — ensure that the NCSE will continue to engage intensively with parents and all educational partners to continue to increase capacity.".”
“I thank the Deputy. There is a record €6 billion being invested in all our different housing policies and only in recent weeks the Minister for housing secured additional funding, so we are doing everything we can to support not just the development of new homes, the bringing back of homes into stock and the development of social housing, but also to support every person to be able to purchase or to stay in the home they are in. There is a lot of money going into it and every further extension of that will have to be negotiated in the budget. I will raise the fact the Deputy brought this up with the Minister for Housing directly.”
“There is unfortunately always going to be someone who is on the wrong side of it, but every single year the Government has done more and more to allow, support and encourage more students into higher and further education. I have no doubt this Government will respond and act in the same way.”
“I thank the Deputy. I do not think we should compare or pit any student against another. It is important every child has access to education and can progress. It is important also to acknowledge that a huge number of young people can access grants - there has in fact been an increase over the years in the number of young people who can access SUSI - but also the investment that has gone into higher education to reduce the fees for those attending college or university. Obviously that has a positive knock-on impact on parents who are supporting their children. There have in the past been reviews looking at the boundaries.”
“I thank the Deputy. Having been one of the leads in the negotiations for the programme for Government, I know the conversation on this was very clear. We need to support Dublin Airport but we also need to support our regional airports. We need to ensure people living outside our capital city in our rural towns and villages have access to perhaps not the same level, but to an increased level, of air connectivity. That is why those commitments were made in the programme for Government. I do not have a timeline for the review but I will certainly ask the Minister for Transport to come back and engage with the Deputy directly on it.”
“We have a separate body of work being done looking at our teacher workforce, including how we support teachers, how we encourage more into the profession, how we keep those who are there and how we encourage those abroad to come home. We need to look at all options and ways in which we can support teachers, not just those who are teaching children with special or additional educational needs. We need to acknowledge the work they do and support them in every way possible.”
“I thank the Deputy. I too acknowledge and recognise our entire teaching profession, our teachers, our special education teachers, our SNAs and the entire school staff who support children every day and those who support children with special educational needs. It is for the reasons outlined by the Deputy that I wrote to the Teaching Council recently to ensure we put a process in place such that any person coming through teacher training would have a focus and emphasis placed on a mandatory element on special education teaching and mandatory placements in special education classrooms and rooms, so every teacher has the ability to support every young person no matter what their needs are.”
“My understanding is HSE South West has developed a business case and that has been presented to the HSE and the Department of Health. I also understand it is a supported plan, so there are conversations and engagement happening to see how this plan can be funded and how it can be progressed for all the reasons the Deputy has outlined, including that we provide that support and that resource to people who need it most. There is a costed plan there and the intention is to see how funding can be secured.”
“I do not think anybody thinks mistreatment of any animal, whether an animal in the food chain or an animal in our home or a pet, is acceptable. We need to make sure that where there are clear laws and procedures that should be in place, they are adhered to. As the daughter of a farmer, I would say the vast majority of farmers comply with these regulations and treat their animals better than they might treat anybody else. I appreciate there are exemptions to the rules here, but obviously where somebody does not comply with very strict regulations they need to be held accountable.”
“Our objective when it comes to the European Presidency in the next year and a half is to do everything possible to support our agriculture and fishing industries. Where possible changes could take place, that is the place to do it and the place to try to drive it.”
“My understanding is that, as the Deputy has rightly outlined, we do not have a national quota on this. At the time when this was being divvied up, there was not a track record of commercial fishing for bluefin tuna. Obviously, that has changed. What we have now is a small bluefin tuna bycatch quota which is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important Northern Ireland albacore tuna fishery and Celtic Sea herring fishery, when there can be bluefin tuna bycatch. Any changes, as the Deputy has mentioned, would have to be negotiated with our European counterparts, where there would be an element of taking away from other member states in terms of the quotas they have. The role of our Minister is to make sure that we raise these issues and that we engage with our European counterparts.”
“I welcome the students from Tara Hill to the Dáil. I absolutely agree with the Deputy on the need to support our own sector here at home. I have a brother who is very much involved in it, and the work they do and the content they produce is phenomenal. As regards the details, this was brought to Cabinet just this week, and the Minister was clear that while there will be a directive in the legislation allowing a Minister to impose these levies, it will be at the discretion of the Minister. We need to think carefully as well about imposing an additional levy on top of a charge or a fee that people are already paying. While we need to support our own industry at home, we also need to make sure we are not imposing an undue levy or cost on people at home who are enjoying the various streaming services.”
“I thank our ambulance workers and our paramedics for the unbelievable job they do in keeping us safe. This issue came to light only recently, and my understanding is that there is a review or the Revenue Commissioners are looking at this. Nobody should be disadvantaged or unable to do their job because of the situation the Deputy has outlined. My understanding is that a ruling is expected soon from the Revenue Commissioners and that will be given to the HSE, which will then have to act on it.”
“My number one priority is to make sure that every child has a school place come this September - not just this September but next September and beyond - and that we have the right structures in place such that children, families and parents do not have to fight as they have done in the past. I am very much aware of the situation in Dungarvan, County Waterford. I have been working with my colleague the Minister of State, John Cummins, on this for some time. We are working to make sure that every child who needs a school place in Dungarvan, Waterford or anywhere else gets one. That is the focus at the moment. I hope that in the coming weeks, as the enrolment policies are rolled out and the final decisions are made across schools, parents will have those decisions as quickly as possible.”
“I thank the Deputy. This is an issue I know is ongoing and there is significant engagement between the Minister for Transport, the DAA and other relevant bodies in this regard. The Deputy is right; we are an island and we rely heavily on our airports and our air connectivity so it is really important we are not in any way disadvantaged. However, it is also important that we support the communities that live near the airport, as the Deputy referenced, whether it is making sure flight paths are adhered to or addressing issues around noise or traffic. As we progress and move to increase or remove the cap, it is important that those issues are addressed as well. The Minister for Transport is very aware of these issues also.”
“Grade inflation makes it more difficult for students because it pushes up the marks and we are now seeing people in a lottery to get the courses even though they have the points. It is proposed that there would be a much more gradual reduction at a much lower and slower rate than that at which it increased, which was over only two years. This will be a much slower, more gradual reduction which will impact a very small number of people. We need to be clear on those facts that may be misunderstood at the moment.”
“On average, approximately 13% every year reapply for the next year and the indications are that this year will be no different. On top of that, every year, irrespective of whether there have been fluctuations or not, eight to nine out of ten students will get one of their top three choices. It is really important to stress that to students. It is not 25%, it is most likely about 13% and eight to nine out of ten students will get their one of their top three choices. The reason there will be a change and there needs to be a change is the grade inflation that has happened since Covid. It had to happen and it was important that students were supported in what was a very difficult time.”
“I wish all of our students well and acknowledge the stress they are under and, indeed, the preparation under way at the moment. To clarify first and foremost from the information I have, 25% of students from last year will not apply this year.”
“I thank the Deputy. We all know and remember this case, which was a devastating case for Noah's family. As it is an ongoing investigation, the Deputy will appreciate I cannot comment on what is happening there. I can say that with any investigation of this kind, the Garda will always support, co-operate and do what it can in this type of investigation and, certainly, if there is work the Government needs to do. However, it is a live investigation that is ongoing so I am slow to comment any further on it.”
“There is a clear commitment in the programme for Government to review the current policy that you cannot drive a school bus over the age of 70. There have been reasons set out as to why that is the case but it is important we review it. We have approximately 7,900 buses across the country that bring children to and from school every day but we need more. We need to be able to fulfil our commitment to expand that school transport scheme by 100,000 students. Of course, that will require not just more buses but more drivers. This is something I and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, will be looking at but we will have to engage with the Minister for Transport to see if any changes can be made.”
“I apologise as I am not aware of the details of the case. It is obviously essential people can access the care they need as quickly as possible. I will bring this to the Minister for Health and see if there is any way in which she can provide support.”
“The Attorney General is looking at this and, yes, it was brought to Cabinet this week. We need to assess the report and look at the potential options. The Deputy is right that of the eight orders, only one came forward with something substantial. There were some other minor offers from two of them but really we need to make sure that everybody who is responsible and everybody who played a part in the horrific situations women were left in and subjected to plays their part in any type of recourse. This will take time. We need to work together. I have no doubt the Minister, Deputy Foley, will be engaging with all Members of the House, as well as Cabinet and the Government, to make sure we get this right and do the right thing for survivors but also to make sure those who are responsible provide recourse and are held accountable.”
“I reassure the Deputy and, most important, the parents and their children that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I, working with the NCSE and the Department, will ensure the children have school places come September and do everything possible to make sure those places, in so far as it is possible, are within the children’s communities and that they have the right resources and supports when in school. We have to make sure children can access the supports with the school places they need in their own communities, and that is exactly what we are working towards.”
“We need to ensure each child is treated equally and has the same chance in life, and that is why work is already starting in my Department and why the NCSE has been tasked with identifying, even earlier in the year, what children's needs are, where they arise and how we engage with schools and local communities and ensure we are working closely together. It is not just a matter for the Department of Education; it is also a matter for the Department of Health, the Department of disabilities, the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection, ensuring all the information we have is used to support and benefit children. We are all part of ensuring communities understand neurodiversity and how to play an important part in that regard.”
“The Deputy is right that we need to be better at forward planning and to do better. That is why, this year, we are about 40% ahead of where we were this time last year. That is why I intend that, by this time next year, we will have identified children and have children who know exactly where they will be going to school. It has to be the case that every single child is treated equally. It has to be the case also that come January a child knows where they are going to school, whether primary or post primary. That is every child, from a child who does not have an additional need or requirement to a child who is autistic, has ADHD or has additional needs.”
“In that regard, there is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government to double the number of places within universities and colleges so we have more therapists, including OTs and speech and language therapists, to support our young people and those with autism in their communities, schools, homes and hospital settings.”
“We are aware that so many young people who need special education classrooms, are in special schools or need additional resources are children with autism. That is a really important element in making sure the actions, priorities and commitments are acted upon and in terms of the CDNTs and in making sure that not only in our schools but also outside them, within our communities, we support people with autism, including young people with autism. Every effort is being made by the Minister for Health and the Minister of State responsible for disabilities to ensure the CDNTs are filled.”
“In that regard, in the last number of weeks the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I have been engaging extensively with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. To date, of the 400 special education classrooms we have committed to, 390 have been sanctioned. By tomorrow, the remainder will be sanctioned. Those that are not will have section 37A directions issued in respect of them to ensure classrooms are available. Most importantly, we are writing today to the NCSE to ensure every single school that is now being sanctioned proceeds with its enrolment process and that children identified through the NCSE as needing a special place will be prioritised and offered one as quickly as possible.”
“I compliment the work done by the Deputy, as Chair of the autism committee, not only in bringing together Members of this House but also in engaging with advocacy groups, parents and, in particular, young people to understand what we need to do to support people who are autistic and those who are neurodiverse and make sure this remains firmly on the agenda. The Deputy mentioned the 80 actions in the recommendations and plan. A huge amount of work is already happening. For example, under my remit in the Department of Education, it is essential that every single child, come next September or whenever they are due to go to school, not only has a place in school that they are constitutionally entitled to but also the place that is right for them, with the right supports they need to thrive and fulfil their potential.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and acknowledge the huge amount of work he has done in bringing autism to the fore and ensuring it is firmly front and centre on the Government agenda. The programme for Government clearly sets out and prioritises the need to implement an autism innovation strategy and put it on a statutory footing, so that something will always be there and that this will be a strategy that will not just be published once but will be renewed and remain on the agenda.”
“A report that was commissioned by HIQA clearly states that children were operated on with medical devices that should not have been used. We are acting. The persons responsible - we all have responsibility here in this House - including those who carried out the operations and those who decided to have operations on young children who did not need them, have to be held accountable too, and they will. Any changes that need to be made in the hospitals, in the management, in the structure and in the procedures that led to what has happened here will be made if they have to change and when they need to change. The Government will fully support the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the hospitals to make sure that happens . Simply removing a board and trying to delete an important part of this is going to delay things.”
“There will certainly be no timeframe if the Deputy wants the entire board sacked and removed. We would have to replace them and then make sure that progress can somehow continue without a board. We cannot make progress in opening any hospital bed, opening any acute hospital or having any surgery in the new hospital if we do not have a board. Let us be realistic here. What do we have to do?”
“The Minister for Health is working very closely with the CEO of the hospital, the HSE, the Department of Health and the Government to make sure that is the case. This is a priority for this Government. Supporting and protecting young people and children and making sure they get the very best healthcare, which they are entitled to and they deserve, will continue to be a priority for this Government.”
“On top of this, we have a ring-fenced theatre in Crumlin that provides additional capacity for spinal surgeries, as well as outpatient clinics that are taking place where spinal outpatients are being seen. A lot of work is happening but there is a lot more we need to do. With regard to what happened this week and the HIQA report, it is absolutely appalling. It is appalling that equipment or devices that are not medically approved and that are corrosive would have been put into the body of anybody, let alone a small child. Every single thing that can be done, in terms of the overhaul of structures of management systems that are in place but need to be changed and improved, will happen.”
“In recent years - this is included in the 40% I have mentioned - €30 million has been allocated to help tackle waiting lists for spinal procedures. Last year alone, some 513 spinal procedures were completed, which is a 10% increase on the year before. Of course we want to do more, but there has been a 35% increase since 2019. We are making progress. It is important for the Deputy to acknowledge that there is progress and that investment is being made. A dedicated paediatric spinal surgery management unit was established in CHI just last year, in 2024. It is working to co-ordinate services, implement strategies, drive continuous improvement and address any challenges.”
“There will always be challenges we need to overcome and areas where we need to do better, but a 40% increase in our budget shows that this is an absolute priority for this Government. Some 28,000 people have joined the health workforce in recent years. More people than ever are being treated by our healthcare service. Progress is being made on waiting lists. We have more people in hospital beds than ever before and more people who are getting hospital beds than ever before. When it comes to scoliosis and spina bifida, I acknowledge that this is the most traumatic and difficult experience that any young person could go through. This is their life and what they have to deal with, which is why it has been a focus and a priority for this Government.”