Hildegarde Naughton
Galway West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“It is an absolute commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy will appreciate I cannot announce anything here in the Dáil. I have to go into negotiations in relation to the upcoming budget.”
“Where we can, we give guidance and I know schools are very well aware of this. They do this well themselves so that where possible, the more junior classes would have a lower class size.”
“The identification model has to be applied consistently right across the country to have fairness and transparency around it. Under the DEIS strategy to 2035, work is under way in my Department, with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other Departments, to utilise other administrative data sources to help improve how w…”
“The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme for an additional temporary classroom in 2025. This school had previously been approved for a permanent extension under the ASA scheme in 2021 for a two-classroom special education needs unit and one mainstream classroom.”
“A huge amount of work is being done on securing specialist places, be it in special classes or special schools. We are far ahead of where we were this time last year. We had a budget for 400 special classes. I got increased funding in March of this year. We are ahead in relation to forward planning.”
“The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.2 through the investment we are making in schools.”
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“A children’s disability network team workforce survey was conducted on 16 October 2024. This survey captured staffing levels across various disciplines and grades, providing a snapshot of the current workforce across the 93 CDNTs. While this report only provides us with a snapshot in time, with recruitment having continued in the interim, it is the most comprehensive workforce report we have on CDNTs. The report was published on the HSE website earlier this year and is available to download. It indicated a wide disparity in the number of vacant and unfilled positions across the country, with the highest number in the Dublin and south east region at 144 unfilled whole-time equivalents.”
“I thank the Senator again for raising the issue. The suite of supports that may be required for a person with Down's syndrome regression disorder can come from across the health and social care system, incorporating but not limited to supports from the mainstream healthcare system, such as hospital supports or primary care supports, as well as inputs from specialist disability services, depending on the presenting needs of the individual and the resulting appropriate care pathway. I am committed to ensuring that disability services are appropriately resourced to provide support for individuals who need them. I will raise it with Down Syndrome Ireland today and get feedback from its members about their lived experience with this.”
“I am grateful for the work Down Syndrome Ireland does. I am also proud of the role my Department plays in providing supports for those with Down's syndrome and Down's syndrome regressive disorder, in tandem with the broader health and social care provision sector. I will be meeting with Down Syndrome Ireland today and I will raise this and get feedback from its representatives. I am also happy to engage with the HSE on this. As I have said, there is research happening in this area and my door is open to trying to progress access to services, especially for children and adults with Down's syndrome.”
“The HSE works in partnership with organisations, including section 38, section 39, out-of-State and for-profit organisations, to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability and their families, within the available resources. One of these organisations is Down Syndrome Ireland. This organisation has more than 3,000 members and 26 branches nationwide and provides a range of services, including early intervention and development programmes, mother and child groups, therapy services, employment opportunities, counselling and adult advocacy services. Down Syndrome Ireland has specialists in the areas of health, speech and language, early development, education and adult education and independence that enhance the lives of thousands of children and adults with Down's syndrome.”
“The cause of regression is thought to differ among individuals, and I understand there is ongoing research to look at causation and treatment options. The role of the HSE is to provide a multidisciplinary team approach, which includes the provision of health and personal supports required by people with Down's syndrome and Down's syndrome regression disorder, and it incorporates hospital, primary care and community services. It is important to note that specialist disability services are provided based on the presenting needs of an individual rather than a specific diagnosis. Services are provided following individual assessment according to the person’s individual requirements and care needs. The majority, around 80%, of specialist disability provision is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers.”
“In 2025, €333 million in additional funding over and above the 2024 budget has been allocated. This funding will provide for some natural demographic change in service demand and will go towards providing for the increased cost of providing services. It will also fund new developments under the action plan for disability services. On the Senator's specific question, Down's syndrome regression disorder, DSRD, also referred to as regression, is a rare but serious disorder that occurs in some adolescents and young adults with Down's syndrome. Regression is used to describe the loss of skills an individual has previously learned. These skills can be daily living, language, movement or social skills. The loss is often sudden and occurs over a period of weeks or months.”
“While the large majority of people with disabilities access the services and supports they require through mainstream services, funding from the Department supports the approximately 80,000 people who access specialist community-based disability services provided by or on behalf of the HSE. These include services such as personal assistance, home support, day and residential services, respite services, multidisciplinary therapies for children and adults, as well as community neurorehabilitation services. My Department has allocated €3.2 billion in funding for disability services delivered by or on behalf of the HSE. This is a record amount of funding and represents a €1.2 billion increase over 2020 levels. It demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to enacting meaningful change in specialist disability services.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. The Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. We are working towards the vision of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This translates into putting people with disabilities at the heart of the services, enabling independence and choice, and supporting them to participate in life and in the life of their community with access to the supports they need. To do this we need to deliver a real step change in disability services to make them easier to access, more person-centred, more responsive and tailored to the individual needs of those who use them.”
“I am fully committed to listening to and engaging with Senators and taking advice from any quarter, whether from colleagues across Leinster House, advocacy groups, DPOs, families and individuals with lived experience or experts in the field. It is only by understanding that lived experience that I can make sure that we get the policy right. I thank Senators for inviting me here today and I look forward to working with them.”
“In one way, this will function as a European parking card, which will be very helpful for Irish people with disabilities who wish to park in disabled access spaces abroad and for tourists with disabilities who visit Ireland. I am proud that Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU between July and December next year. Planning is ongoing with the disability division to identify areas of focus for the Presidency in the specific context of disability, aligning with Ireland's domestic priorities and the priorities contained in the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. I have listened carefully to the contributions of Senators today. I will take them away for consideration.”
“I want to see that replicated across the country. We will progress the action plan for disabilities services. We have set ambitious targets in the plan to provide for unmet need and demographic change. This ambition is important to generate commitment to the vision we have for disability services in Ireland. While I highlighted the strong financial support of approximately €130 million in new development funding, which has led to service expansion, I fully appreciate that more is needed and I will work with colleagues during the Estimates process to try to secure funding for services we need. At EU level, there are a number of positive initiatives in development, including the EU disability card.”
“Many issues raised by Senators today come back to local authorities, which will be a focus for me as Minister of State with responsibility for this area. As the Department leads on the finalisation phase of the development, it will therefore be critical that local government be involved in the development of monitoring and documenting these actions. While acknowledging the independence of local authorities as autonomous legal entities and, therefore, the challenges inherent in co-ordination across jurisdictions, the national disability strategy will examine opportunities to enhance co-ordination and showcase examples of best practice to advance the implementation of the UNCRPD at local level. Again, I would welcome any examples Senators have in their local areas and local authorities of what works really well.”
“The next national strategy will operate as a framework for the co-ordination of disability policy across Government, ensuring a whole-of-Government approach to the advancement of the UNCRPD and collaboration on crosscutting issues. Advocacy groups have been extensively involved in the development of that strategy and officials from a range of Departments and stakeholders, including disabled people's organisations, DPOs, met in the Department a few weeks ago to discuss the next steps. In working across Government, including with colleagues in the Departments of the Taoiseach and Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to develop our commitments and the development of the strategy, the role of local authority decision-making has emerged as a consistent theme.”
“The recruitment and retention of staff is a real challenge across the sector overall and is a significant priority for the Government, in particular filling vacancies in 93 CDNTs. The Government will also facilitate the continuation of the assessment of need waiting list initiative, enabling the procurement of private assessment for families who have been waiting for a long time, with €10 million in funding allocated for 2025 to deliver 2,850 assessments of need and to allow for additional capacity in the assessment teams in the form of assessment and liaison officers. It is worth noting again that one of the most important pieces of work underway is the development of the national disability strategy. The development of that strategy is at a very advanced stage, with publication expected in the coming months.”
“In July 2024, the Government approved the prioritisation of funding to support the expansion of training places in priority healthcare areas, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Increasing the number of graduate therapists year on year will be key to meeting the demands of the disability sector. We will engage with relevant Departments to support the work in 2025. In addition, encouraging students to undertake placements in disability services is vital to increasing the disabilities workforce. This will expose more students to the challenging, impactful and rewarding nature of working in the disability sector. It will encourage them to take up full-time positions on graduation.”
“We must invest more in services, personal assistance, home support hours and other supports for people to continue living independently in their own homes. Our capital spending must increase and, crucially, we must provide more therapists in order to improve access to services. The programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, psychologists and social workers. An additional 150 places were provided last September as a first step in this process. These professionals are highly sought after nationally and internationally, with an array of career opportunities available to them.”
“As has been outlined already, census 2022 told us 22% of the population, or approximately 1.1 million people, have a disability. Most are supported via mainstream health and social care services. The Department funds, via the HSE, specialist community-based disability services which are designed for the 60,000 people with a significant intellectual disability, autism or a complex physical disability. These services include multidisciplinary therapies for children or adults, adult day services, personal assistance, home support, respite and residential services. As I stated earlier, €3.2 billion has been allocated for HSE disability services in budget 2025. While the overall budget has increased by €1.2 billion since 2020, we appreciate much more is needed.”
“A demonstration of this commitment is the fact that I, as Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, sit at the Cabinet table, where I join my colleague, the Minister, Norma Foley. This will ensure the voices of disabled people will be across every Government decision. We are both committed to delivering change in tandem with colleagues across Departments. The Cabinet committee on disability will be retained by this Government. Along with the new disability unit that will be established in the Department of the Taoiseach, this will form the basis of a whole-of-government step change in approach to service improvement and delivery. By putting disability at the centre of Government, we will expand and reform the services to maximise people's independence and support people with disabilities.”
“Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I have made it a priority to visit services. I will continue to do that. I want to see what works well and what does not work so well, to get the feedback and feed it up the line, and to sit down with advocacy groups and hear their views on how we move forward. It is only by listening and seeking to understand the lived experience of people with disabilities that we will truly understand what is happening on the ground, which will help us deliver the reforms we really need to improve services and deliver on our ambition. I have regularly expressed my commitment to implementing changes that will have a real impact as well as helping to oversee reform in the sector.”
“I thank all Senators for their constructive contributions. I have taken note of them and will take them on board. I look forward to coming back and working with Senators in the coming weeks and months, especially on the national disability strategy as we roll it out, to make sure we have a whole-of-government response. We are absolutely committed to ensuring people with disabilities live full lives with the same rights; access to services, education, transport, culture and careers; and means to live independently that all other citizens enjoy. The many commitments made in the programme for Government highlight the step change in approach to disability services provision. I look further to working with Senators and to working on some of the ideas raised in the debate.”
“Our commitment to enhancing service provision and improving the lives of people with disabilities is clearly present and, importantly, backed by funding. I really look forward to working with colleagues in the Seanad. My door is open. Nobody has a monopoly on good ideas, as I have said from the start, and I welcome the engagement here this evening.”
“I am working closely with the Minister, Deputy Foley, on delivering on the ambition of the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026. We have set ambitious targets in the plan to provide for unmet need and demographic change. This ambition is important to generate commitment to the vision we have for disability services in Ireland. Respite plays a crucial role in the overall disability sector, providing much-needed support to families and carers. We are committed to the continued expansion of respite services including overnight respite services and alternative respite such as in-home respite, after-school and day respite programmes as well as host families and summer programmes. This is just a snapshot of the planned work the Government will be undertaking in the disability sector.”
“The agreement between Departments and unions includes funding for a 9.25% pay increase for more than 20,000 workers in community and voluntary health and social care organisations. It recognises that staff should be fairly paid for the vital work they do, and crucially, the proposed agreement includes an automatic link to future public sector pay agreements for these workers. I understand that ICTU unions are balloting their members with a view to formalising the agreement and I am hopeful a positive outcome will be communicated in the coming weeks. Strong policy is vital to fulfilling Government commitments. In this spirit, I am pleased to say that the national disability strategy is at an advanced stage and that publication is expected in a matter of months.”
“Part of this effort to improve wait times is the allocation of €10 million in funding this year to deliver approximately 2,850 assessments of need and to allow for additional capacity in the assessment teams in the form of assessment and liaison officers. Nevertheless, I am very conscious that more work needs to be done in this specific area. The programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places available for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, psychologists, social workers and others. The onus is on those of us in government to ensure that we do everything we can to encourage these talented professionals into the sector. I welcome the unprecedented agreement that was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, last month.”
“Progress is being made in this regard, with the workforce increasing by 17% from October 2023 to October 2024, which is an increase of 272 whole-time-equivalent staff. We will build on this progress, including through the development of a dedicated disability workforce strategy that will be progressed this year. I recognise the significant challenges families face in accessing assessments of need, and with the assessment process itself, resulting in unacceptable delays for children and their families. We are committed to addressing that this year, in part through the continuation of the assessment of need waiting list initiative, which enables the procurement of private assessments for long-waiting families.”
“Our priority is to provide equitable access to quality services for persons with disability in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, commitments, delivery of the disability action plan, and the progressing disability services, PDS, roadmap 2023-2026. We want to ensure that we support progressive improvements in the sector. Partnership with the sector will be a significant focus to ensure we deliver on our commitments. I am all too aware of the challenges facing the sector when it comes to the recruitment and retention of staff. A key focus for the Government will be to fill vacancies within the 93 children's disability network teams, CDNTs.”
“Even with significant year-on-year increases in funding over recent years, there is a need to better understand and ultimately address the systemic sustainability and stability challenges being experienced by disability organisations across the sector. We will continue to work together to understand the cost of services and, more importantly, the factors driving the costs, to ensure that we can make strong data-driven cases for increased investment in the sector. The Department and the HSE are committed to working with key stakeholders to identify, assess and address constraints to create a more effective and sustainable disability sector.”
“In addition, the capital allocation for disability services will increase by €4 million to €27 million this year to support much-needed infrastructure development across respite, day services and children's services. I have also asked my Department to engage with the HSE in advance of the review of the national development plan to ensure that capital projects are identified for inclusion over the coming years. The Government is committed to ensuring appropriate funding is available and provided to voluntary organisations to enable them to deliver quality services on an equitable basis throughout the country. However, I am acutely aware of the ongoing funding, operational and governance challenges faced by many disability service providers. The largest share of the budget for disability services - 72% - goes to voluntary service providers.”
“I look forward to tackling these pressures over the next number of years, particularly during the annual Estimates process. The additional funding of €333 million allocated in budget 2025 represents the largest ever increase in the disability services budget. Some €290 million has been allocated in existing level-of-service funding, which recognises those challenges that prevail in the sector, including the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability, while also providing for service expansion in line with demographic growth. A further €39 million has been allocated for new development measures to build on the service expansion achieved in 2024.”
“The formation of a new disability unit in the Department of An Taoiseach is crucial to ensuring we achieve service improvements across all aspects of disability services, whether it be provision of therapies, access to employment and education, suitable housing or other public services. This new unit will ensure there is a central focus to support co-ordination across all Departments, and that all Departments deliver on their commitments. This Government is backing up our ambition through provision of additional funding. A total of €3.2 billion has been allocated for HSE disability services in budget 2025, which is an increase of 11.6% on 2024 and an overall increase of €1.2 billion since 2020. While this is a significant increase in funding, I appreciate that the sector faces significant pressures.”
“Given the significant proportion of the population who experience disability, we must ensure that public services are planned, delivered and maintained in a way that responds to the needs of those who use them. The degree to which people with disabilities will engage with public bodies and Departments over their lifetime is considerable. As such, enhancing services and improving the lives of people with disabilities requires an all-of-government approach, which reflects the mainstream first principle that underpins the State’s response to the needs of people with disabilities. I assure the House that in my role as Minister of State, I will be in regular contact with my ministerial colleagues and their Departments to ensure they act upon their commitments in this space in a meaningful and tangible way.”
“I wish to create a mechanism to allow public bodies to share best practice and I want to help people with disabilities to get into employment. My Government colleagues and I are committed to ensuring that each Department and the local authority sector work together to address the various barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully engaging in society. While much work has been done to deliver more services on the ground, the Government is acutely aware of the need to do more. We are ambitious to deliver real change for those living with disabilities, including their families, carers and those working in the sector, who for far too long have felt unseen and unheard.”
“There is no shortage of good ideas about what can and must be done, but it is only by tapping into the lived experience of people with disabilities that will we understand what is happening on the ground, which will help us to deliver the reforms needed to improve services and deliver on our ambition. I and my colleagues want to deliver change that will have a real impact, as well as helping to oversee reform in this sector. For example, we want to ensure that a person using a wheelchair who uses public transport can travel seamlessly from his or her home to a bus stop or train station. I want to examine the expansion of the role of access officers in the public sector to ensure services such as libraries are accessible and people with disabilities are not prevented from attending and enjoying concerts and festivals.”
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to outline the key priorities for me as Minister of State with responsibility for disability over the next number of years. This Government is absolutely committed to improving services for people with disabilities and ensuring that they can live full lives with the same rights and access to services, education, transport, culture, sport and careers, and have the means to live independently, as all other citizens do. I have made it a priority to visit services, meet people with disabilities and sit down with representatives of advocacy groups to hear their views on what is working well and what needs to be improved. There are wonderful examples of services that help to transform lives. There are also examples of services that need additional support and bolstering.”
“The Department also operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation. I will relay the Deputy's message to the Ministers.”
“I thank the Deputy. I will relay back to the Ministers what the Deputy has said here. In dealing with breaches of equine identification legislation the policy is to adopt a fair and proportionate approach. Authorised officers engage with keepers to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and, where potential breaches of the legislation are identified, they generally provide an opportunity for non-compliant keepers to rectify the position within a specified timeframe. Last year €6 million in funding went to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country under the animal welfare grant programme. Just over €3.4 million of that was awarded to charities involved in the care and welfare of horses.”
“There are currently eight live projects and in late 2023 the Department hosted a seminar dedicated to the promotion of the urban horse projects nationwide. The seminar encouraged collaboration and the exchange of ideas and best practices among local authorities and other stakeholders with a view towards enabling more projects to be successfully established.”
“The Department undertook a stakeholder consultation in 2023 on the control of horses legislation, with submissions sought by November 2023. Four submissions were received and will feed into the legislative process. The Department is fully committed to supporting sustainable initiatives in line with the programme for Government and the Working Together for Animal Welfare: Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025. As part of this commitment the Department will continue to support urban horse projects nationwide, which can foster community leadership and education in responsible horse ownership for young people. From 2015 to date the Department has spent over €2 million on urban horse projects.”
“These powers can be used in respect of straying horses, which include horses put on land without the owners' permission, including public land. Local authorities may also prosecute offenders. The Department provides funding to local authorities as a contribution towards the costs incurred by them in the operation of the Control of Horses Act 1996. The number of unwanted horses being seized by local authorities reached a peak in 2014 and has declined significantly since then. All legislation in the Department is kept under constant review, including the Control of Horses Act 1996 for which plans for replacement legislation are advancing. The aim of this replacement legislation is to simplify and clarify procedures in the Act, in terms of seizures and disposal of horses.”
“Deputy O’Sullivan will also be aware that the Department commissioned Professor Patrick Wall to carry out a root and branch review of our equine traceability system in recognition of how fundamental robust traceability is to ensuring equine welfare. Professor Wall was invited to make representations that would enhance the integrity and security of our traceability system, and deliver improved accountability which in turn delivers better welfare outcomes for our equines. Professor Wall has consulted with stakeholders across the whole equine sector and his report will be published shortly. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, local authorities may take a range of actions with regard to equines, including prohibiting horses in certain areas, the issuing of licences and the seizure of horses in contravention of the Act.”
“The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, introduced by the Department, brought all farmed and companion animals, including leisure, sport and working animals, under a single legislative framework. The Act provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. Since the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 came into operation in March 2014, 182 individuals have been successfully prosecuted. The programme for Government provides a commitment to prioritise equine welfare and to build on existing inspectorate supports across the country, ensuring a consistent approach to dealing with horse welfare.”
“I thank the Deputy for his question. I will be raising the matter with both Ministers. I have a response here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon. Neglect or causing unnecessary suffering to any animal is unacceptable in our society and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is fully committed to the ongoing promotion and enforcement of high animal welfare standards. The Department continues to enforce the law in this important area, as do An Garda Síochána, the Customs service, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine works very closely with these bodies.”
“Officials from the Department along with officials from ASTI head office are to meet in the coming weeks with the senior management and teaching staff of the school to discuss the professional learning and deployment options available to them. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy.”
“As outlined, the Department is and remains fully committed to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin south city area and is working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust on the successful transition of Synge Street CBS to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026. I will ask the Minister to come back directly to the Deputy if he needs clarity on any specific questions. The Department is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to ensure there is continued and clear engagement with the school in question on the successful transition to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis.”
“This initiative along with other work will help the Department identify opportunities for increasing Irish-medium provision at primary and post-primary levels.”
“This policy will build upon what is currently being achieved under the policy on Gaeltacht education to support the provision of education through the medium of Irish in Gaeltacht areas. It will focus on providing high-quality, Irish-medium education and increasing the proportion of learners receiving their education through Irish. The Minister also intends to launch a survey of primary school communities in the coming months. This survey will ensure we have a greater picture as to what our plans need to be into the future. It is planned that the survey will ask parents for their preference for the language of educational provision in their children’s school - English or Irish. The results of the survey will help us plan how we provide education at primary level into the future.”
“There has been a growing need for a Gaelcholáiste in Dublin south city to service the Gaelscoileanna in the area, including Bunscoil Synge, which is located beside Synge Street CBS and transitioned from an English-medium national school to a Gaelscoil in recent years. Synge Street CBS is well positioned to meet the growing demand for a co-educational Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 area. It is a welcome addition to the variety and diversity of school choice at post-primary level in the Dublin south city area. Work is ongoing in the Department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. The development of this policy is informed by the comprehensive consultation process conducted by the Department, as well as international research.”
“Táim ag freagairt an cheist seo ar son an Aire, an Teachta McEntee. I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for raising this matter which provides me with the opportunity to clarify to the House, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the position regarding the Gaelcholáiste for Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8. The Department is fully supportive of and remains committed to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin south city area. The Department of Education is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to ensure continued and clear engagement on the successful transition of Synge Street CBS from a single-sex, English-medium school to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026.”
“As politicians, we must remember that we also have a role. As Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I am looking forward to the year ahead and working with Deputies from all sides of the House and colleagues across Departments to continue our momentum in delivering on progress towards gender equality, in particular for women and girls with disabilities. Progress in this area will benefit us all.”
“Reforms have also been introduced to the State pension system to give recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace. There has also been significant progress in the area of women's health, including the introduction of the free contraception scheme, the opening of specialist menopause clinics and fertility hubs. Ireland also submitted its response to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in November 2024 and in June, the committee will hold an in-person review of Ireland's record under the UN convention. We expect that the committee will put a focus on the diversity of women and the intersecting challenges they face. As we all know, progress on women's rights is neither a straight road nor an easy one.”