Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Carlow-Kilkenny · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“There is nothing any of us in this House can say that can undo the pain, harm and loss experienced by those young boys, their families and the communities in which they lived, played basketball and worked. They have had to endure a lifetime of harm, many of them carrying their suffering in silence.”
“We are listening to you, we are learning and we are acting. All of us in this House have a responsibility to ensure that our child safeguarding systems are robust. We must ensure that if concerns are raised today, they are acted on without delay.”
“Today is a profoundly important and solemn day. I want to add my voice to the full and formal State apology and to acknowledge the courage, dignity and perseverance of those survivors who fought for truth and accountability for so many years.”
“I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very important issue and the 161 recommendations. First, I thank the Joint Committee on Drug Use for its work. I welcomed the report and I am in agreement with many of its recommendations. As the Deputy will be aware, earlier this year I published a draft of the national drugs strategy.”
“The Bill and the secondary legislation, training and clinical protocols that will follow it will support the terms and conditions for this service, as laid out in the community pharmacy agreement. All secondary legislation will be in place before commencement and launch of this measure.”
“No. I thank the Deputy again for her work on the drugs committee. The vast majority of the 161 recommendations will be in the new drugs strategy but one of the recommendations was on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. It falls under section 3. That legalises drugs. It is important we tell the people of the concern.”
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“Staff who remain unfit to work will transition seamlessly into the public service sick leave scheme, ensuring continuity of care and financial protection. Under that scheme, staff will receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months. They will then have the option to apply for temporary rehabilitative remuneration, which can provide up to a further 547 days of paid leave. In addition, the critical illness protocol may provide supports for up to three years. Beyond financial supports, staff will also be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist them in returning to work. This may include modified duties or adjusted work patterns while they are rehabilitating.”
“As I understand, there are approximately 159 employees - the Deputy is right; that is the figure we have also been given - still on this scheme. Most of these staff have been supported with full pay for almost five years. The Department has consistently worked to ensure that these staff were looked after. At our request, the Department of public expenditure agreed to extend the scheme several times since its introduction. Following a Labour Court hearing in June of this year, a final extension was recommended. The scheme will now run, as the Deputy said, until 31 December 2025, when it will formally conclude. I want to be very clear: the conclusion of this scheme does not mean that supports will end.”
“I thank the Deputy for bringing this to the House and raising such an important matter. It gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary role our healthcare workers played during the pandemic. They went far beyond the call of duty, working on the front line, treating Covid-positive patients and doing so in those early days when the protections we now take for granted were not yet in place. Their courage and commitment can never be forgotten. In July 2022, a special scheme was introduced to provide support to eligible public health staff who developed long Covid. This was a temporary, exceptional measure, unique to the health sector, designed to acknowledge the risks faced by staff working in high-exposure environments before PPE, vaccination and widespread community transmission were established.”
“It is also about all of us working together. The framework for the women's health action plan protects our ambition. It commits to listening, investing, delivering and repeating the process for growth for women's health. It is about all of us working together. I will come back to the Senator with that information. It was really good to talk about this today because it is vital we raise awareness and work on it together.”
“I thank the Senator and I want to thank Shauna. Today was just about guidelines for information. The Minister has approved funding for an awareness campaign, which is being developed through the national women and infants programme in the HSE. I will get the Senator more information on that. The Minister and the Government share the Senator's commitment to providing women in Ireland with a healthcare system that is responsive to the issues raised today. Women account for 51% of our population. We need to make sure we have the conversation, the awareness and the information. The Senator spoke about how well Shauna is doing now and we commend her. We need to make sure we have all the services there that are needed, work around them, have an awareness campaign and work with GPs. GPs play a huge role in this as well.”
“The HSE has resourced developments to resource and update the junior cycle SPHE curriculum, which include developments in supporting, teaching and learning about male and female reproductive systems.”
“GPs are the key pathway for anyone with PMDD who needs support with a mental health problem, including referral to secondary care. GPs also have access to mental health resources at primary care level and can refer patients to counselling services such as SilverCloud. A GP may also refer somebody for more expert input, if he or she feels that is needed. The national counselling service provides free counselling to those with medical cards. Beyond this, community and voluntary organisations are funded to provide mental health services and supports, including talk therapy, counselling, suicide bereavement services, helpline and crisis support services. The Senator spoke about education. Female and male health education in schools is supported through the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum.”
“It is associated with an increased risk of problems, including depression and anxiety. Treatment for mental health impacts can include talk therapy and counselling, as well as medication. Both have been found to have a beneficial effect and it is important that anyone suffering with PMDD can access support in a timely way. Women with PMDD can also access a range of mental health supports in the community. Mental health services are provided by the HSE across community and hospital settings. There is a nationwide network of adult mental health teams which provide multidisciplinary supports. The teams provide specialist supports to those who require more supports than their GP or primary care psychology can provide.”
“It will focus on a range of menstrual health disorders and associated conditions. One of the results of the research phase will be the development of a communications strategy with communications for areas requiring focus. The 2022 Healthy Ireland survey included a module on this issue in health and period poverty was the other issue. The results indicated that 51% of women had missed daily living activities on occasion because of period symptoms and that 24% had experienced period poverty. Healthy Ireland and the HSE national social inclusion office teams have recently set up linked websites on the topic of menstrual health and period dignity. PMDD can have a significant impact on mental health. It is characterised by debilitating emotional symptoms occurring between ovulation and when a period begins.”
“The two women's health action plans, along with the significant investment, have resulted in important improvements to women's health services in Ireland. The women's health task force and these action plans have increased awareness of many women's health issues among the public and healthcare professionals. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, recently approved funding for the development of a menstrual health awareness campaign which is currently being developed by the national women and infants programme in the HSE. She is developing that at the moment. The first phase of this campaign will involve a comprehensive evaluation of current attitudes and knowledge of all related topics. The campaign will aim to balance information regarding what is normal versus what could be abnormal.”
“I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for bringing this matter to our attention. In particular, I thank Shauna, who has spoken very publicly on her challenges and what has happened to her. That is really important for all of us. I again thank Senator Stephenson for raising Shauna's case today. Today gives me an opportunity to update the House on the ongoing work to improve women's health outcomes and experiences. The Minister for Health has previously said that we cannot be satisfied with anything less than a health service that provides true equality of care and treatment, where gender is not a barrier or a disadvantage.”
“I certainly will go back to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on those very important points. I absolutely agree we need more beds. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is very much aware of that. It is something the Government is looking at and the Minister definitely will work on it. There is a challenge in dealing with suicide in extremely complex cases. We have seen cases where a single event is the factor that leads someone to take his or her own life. There are huge issues there. We need to get supports in place for families, individuals and communities. An action the Minister of State is working on is the new suicide reduction strategy. It is being drafted and will include information on beds and so on. Implementation of this new strategy will be developed in quarter 1 of 2026.”
“Funding of €1 million has been given to implement a new suicide reduction strategy. There is €4 million to develop a new crisis response pathway for children and young people, with 19 new CAMHS specialist doctors for out-of-hours emergency liaison, as well as five new adult liaison psychiatrists. There is more but my time is up.”
“I absolutely agree. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is very passionate about this and has been working very hard on it. There are three new crisis resolution services, that is, crisis cafés, to support people in distress. They are located in Donegal, Kerry and Tullamore in the midlands. An allocation of €4 million has been given for this. Funding of €1 million has been provided for 12 additional suicide services where nurses support people in distress who present to GPs in the community. There is funding of €415,000 for several Traveller-specific suicide prevention initiatives, which have been codesigned with the Traveller community. There is increased funding of €1.7 million for suicide prevention in the community and for voluntary organisations, including Pieta.”
“Investment this year will be used to establish specialist nursing teams in all model 4 hospital emergency departments, three new crisis resolution services in Donegal, Kerry and the midlands, 12 additional suicide crisis assessment nurses and several Traveller-specific suicide prevention initiatives, the development of the new crisis response pathway for children and young people, increased funding for suicide prevention community and voluntary organisations and funding to implement the new suicide reduction strategy. As occurs each year following the budget, discussions take place with HSE on details relating to specific service initiatives in the context of preparing the HSE service plan for 2026, including that for mental health.”
“This record budget will allow for a focus on improving support for people in mental health crises in hospitals and in the community through an additional €15 million for crisis supports and suicide prevention. Significant progress has been made over the past three years to develop alternative crisis mental health pathways. However, emergency departments continue to see high volumes of mental health presentations.”
“I thank the Deputy. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, who unfortunately cannot be here today. The total allocation for mental health services in 2026 is almost €1.6 billion, the sixth year in a row in which the mental health budget has increased. This increase in funding for mental health services will enable continued policy implementation and service improvements in line with our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, and our national suicide and self harm reduction strategy, Connections for Life. Across the board, we have seen mental health promotion and early intervention through specialist mental health services.”
“I hope to meet with it as soon as possible to try to get more information on this. As the Deputy said, a homeless hub would be another really important step forward for Cork. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he said, it is a matter of services, how we deliver them and how we make sure we save lives. Working together, we need to achieve that. I thank him for his question.”
“Absolutely. All the Deputy's concerns are very important. We are talking about lives, and it is very important that we remember that one life lost is one too many. We have to do what we can to save lives and make sure we work with what we have and the services we have. We have to make sure that we deliver the services we can deliver and that people who want to access them can do so. We also have to work with their families. We have to make sure we have services there to help families. It is a matter of all of us working together. Like the Deputy, I understand that we need to put those services in place. The Deputy spoke about the Cork homeless hub. That is being worked on. As I said at the meeting, there is a commitment from my Department for funding for the homeless hub. I have requested a meeting with the HSE.”
“Importantly, for budget 2026, I secured an additional €11 million in reoccurring funding for drugs and inclusion health services. These services are all being looked at through the different areas. There is a lot of work being done. I assure the Deputy that we are looking at everything and making sure we have funding around the country.”
“Everything is being assessed. The evaluation of what is happening with drugs around the country is being looked at. As I said at the meeting the other day, we have 610 services around the country. We are very mindful of that and that all have equal access to services. We are assessing every opportunity here, working within the Department, the HSE and, as the Deputy knows, our drugs task forces, which do huge work within our communities. A few months ago, I announced detail of a further €1.89 million for community-based drug services in 2025. That happened with the community service enhancement fund. This funding will improve access to services in underserved communities, promote evidence-based innovation in service design and delivery and enhance services for people who use stimulant drugs.”
“The existing legislation does not allow for mobile supervised injection facilities as only facilities on fixed premises are specific on this. I will come back to the Deputy with the rest of the answer.”
“I am committed to a health-led response to drug use, including the provision of harm reduction initiatives based on population need. The successor to the national drugs strategy will consider the next steps in delivering a health-led response, including the demand for additional supervised facilities. Importantly, the programme for Government 2025 commits to exploring the establishment of mobile medically supervised injection facilities in areas of need, so we are looking at areas of need. The medical supervised injection facility operated by licence on the 18-month pilot basis, that is, Merchants Quay's own licence, will be thoroughly evaluated to assess this impact. The information will assist in assessing the potential need for the benefit of mobile injection facilities.”
“I do not know whether he has been to see it but I have been out there a few times. It is an absolutely fabulous facility. It opened on 22 December 2024. I am happy to report that to date the facility has assisted over 1,000 individual clients who have made over 7,500 visits. Crucially, there were over 120 successful interventions to prevent a fatal overdose. I have provided additional funding to extend the opening hours to facilitate this, which was important. The HSE is overseeing the evaluation of the 18-month pilot phase of this facility. The evaluation will inform decisions as to whether we continue this facility or look at opening new ones in other areas. I understand the HSE has recently completed its six-month interim evaluation and I will look at that now.”
“I thank the Deputy for a very important question. As he knows, the independent evaluation of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, assisted with the expansion of harm reduction in a significant way. Our new drugs strategy will be launched next year, hopefully. That is very important to us. We have found that the harm reduction initiatives were a central component of the health-led approach to drug use, with a focus on reducing the adverse health and social impacts associated with drug use. One significant harm reduction initiative is the establishment of supervised injection facilities. Last year, as the Deputy said, the Department of Health granted a licence to operate Ireland's first supervised injection facility at Merchants Quay Ireland.”
“I assure her I will be working with her to give any help and support I can. I know the Government is committed to this. As the Minister has said, our aim is that children receive the care they need when they need it. I look forward to the inquiry taking place as soon as possible.”
“I understand this can take time. Strengthening governance and oversight, driving down waiting times, and ensuring increased engagement and timely communications with families must be priorities. As the Minister said, working with families and making them a priority is very important. I know she is also committed to this. We must work to ensure there is a cultural change so that families can have trust in the system. I know the CEO of the HSE has established the CHI improvement steering group and has commissioned an audit to assess equal access to care in CHI, and this is a welcome step. We must continue to listen to and work with the parents and advocacy groups who are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues. Like the Minister, I have been there, speaking to families and working with them.”
“Every effort is being made to reduce waiting times but we know that there are still challenges and reform is needed. I welcome the Government's approval yesterday of the Minister's proposal for a statutory public inquiry. I fully support this inquiry. I have met with affected families from my own area and I know that they are keen for this inquiry to take place as soon as possible. It is a very important step to ensure that we have the best healthcare system possible for our children. Every child's journey to spinal surgery is different. Some steps may take longer, especially when the case is complex and several specialists are involved. Every precaution must always be taken to make surgery as safe as possible, to ensure that the children who need complex care are fully prepared, and that their care plan is the right care plan for them.”
“I thank the Minister for her opening statement. I know how hard she has been working on this for the last few months. My heart goes out to the families. The Minister and I are thinking of them, the children who are on waiting lists waiting for surgery and those who have lost children. It is right to say that we are not where we need to be, as the Minister has said. We need to address the urgent problems in spinal care, despite sincere efforts of successive Ministers, and that is true. I acknowledge again the Minister's work on this in the recent months in driving measures to address the urgent problem. She has met with the family of Harvey and she is working to improve access to services. This is under way, including a ring-fenced theatre, extra outpatient clinics, and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity.”
“My aim as Minister of State is to work together to get the solutions, get the strategy right and get the services right for those who need them. That is what I intend to do.”
“We also need to align our drugs strategy with the forthcoming EU drugs strategy and to reflect the urgency given to drugs by the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use. It is my intention to continue to engage with the Oireachtas, including the Joint Committee on Drug Use, in implementing the successor strategy so that there is cross-party support for the strategy. I am glad to be here. As I said, we are not opposing this motion. All of us need to work together. Drugs are a huge challenge across the whole country. It requires all of us working together through services and the drugs task force which was brought up earlier as a Topical Issue. We have 24 drug task forces around the country which do excellent work and are on the ground in communities and the different agencies attached.”
“I reaffirm my intention to publish as soon as possible the successor national drugs strategy covering the period from 2026 to 2029, accompanied by a two-year action plan. I will have an action plan every two years. That will be worked with all of us. There are several more actions we need to take. Drugs are changing all the time. This is a changing world. All of us in this House are very mindful of that. We cannot be complacent about the harms and dangers associated with illicit drug use and a volatile drugs market. It is imperative that we have a drugs strategy relevant to the times we live in that responds to the continuing health and societal problems presented by established and new illicit drugs; it is always changing.”
“The scheme is in line with the recommendation of the citizens' assembly. I am very aware of the loss and grief felt by the families who have lost loved ones to drug overdose. Each life lost is one too many. The risk of drug overdose deaths can be reduced further by getting people into drug treatment and increasing access to Naloxone, which is the antidote for opioid-related overdose. My Department is working closely with the HSE to increase awareness and accessibility of Naloxone. That is really one of our key issues going forward. It is important that this lifesaving medication is made more accessible to support workers, peers, and family members. In 2024, 1,758 people participated in naloxone administration training and 6,944 units of naloxone were supplied by the HSE to services.”
“The programme for Government commits to divert those found in possession of drugs for personal use to health services. This will be done through the health diversion scheme. This scheme embodies the health-led approach to drugs and it will lead to better outcomes for people and communities. Along with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, I have agreed that the scheme will start on an administrative basis. While the possession of controlled drugs will remain illegal, people with drugs for personal use will be given the opportunity to engage voluntarily with healthcare services. Health and well-being are something I am mindful of. An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions are finalising the operational details. Once we have sign-off, the scheme will start at a national level.”
“Demand for drug treatment is across all regions of the country, all age groups, men and women, people with children and those without, and those who are unemployed as well those in employment. We are looking across all the sectors. A supervised injecting facility opened in Dublin city in December 2024. I am delighted that during its first seven months, staff have assisted over 1000 clients and there have been over 120 interventions to prevent a fatal overdose. I have seen how the facility is helping to save lives. The facility will be evaluated over the 18-month pilot phase, and this will inform decisions about the continuation of the Dublin facility and the development of facilities in other regions. We are looking at that too.”
“This funding will enhance access to and delivery of drug services in the community. It will also strengthen the prevention of drug use among children and young people and minimise the harms of drug use for families and communities. In developing the new strategy, we must consider the wide prevalence of problem drug use across society and provide appropriate services to meet the health and social needs of the diverse population groups who use drugs. A record figure of 13,295 cases were treated for problem drug use in 2024. This represents a 50% increase in the capacity of treatment places since 2017 and reflects our ongoing investment in expanding services.”
“Both groups are well advanced in their work and are on track to deliver the draft strategy by December 2025. I am committed to publishing the successor drugs strategy in early 2026 and I am determined to avoid delays, as was emphasized by the chairs of the citizens' assembly and the joint committees. The Government allocated over €300 million on drug-related public expenditure in 2023, including €160 million on drug services. This represents an increase of 28% on 2017 funding levels. A further €4.2 million and 34 posts for drug services and initiatives was secured in budget 2025. Additional investment of €11 million was secured in budget 2026 to address gaps in service provision. I am very mindful about services as well. It is very important that we have the services for anybody that needs to access services around the whole country.”
“The strategy will guide the development and delivery of a health-led approach to drugs over the next four years. The membership is drawn from Departments, associated agencies and people with lived experience. I am very mindful that we work with people with lived experience and clinical and research expertise. The steering group is supported by a reference group of stakeholders who compliment the technical expertise, ensuring the new strategy is informed by real-world knowledge and lived experience. That is what I am going on now. I totally agree with Members that it is all about families and people with lived experience. The membership is drawn from civil society, task forces, community-based service providers and family support services from around the country. A significant proportion have lived and living experience of drugs.”
“The work on a successor strategy will advance and I have established a time-bound, independently chaired steering group to provide oversight, guidance and expert advice in the drafting of the strategy. I have asked the group to complete their work and present a draft strategy for consideration by December 2025. That is my aim. We can see how important this is. This is what I have to do. As Deputy Kelly said, "be brave". I need to be brave now. I need to have the first draft of this strategy by December. That is what I want as Minister of State. The steering group is a technical group brought together to distil the citizens' assembly recommendations, independent evaluation and stakeholder consultations into a comprehensive successor national drugs strategy.”
“I intend to continue to work with all stakeholders to develop the next drugs strategy. It is very important for me that all of us work together to achieve this. This is not just a Dublin issue; this is a countrywide issue. I have seen it myself since becoming a Minister of State. I would like to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to a health-led approach to drug use. People experiencing problematic drugs should be met with compassion, dignity, and care. I am very mindful of that. The health-led approach to drug use is set out in the national drugs strategy and the Government priority is to develop a successor strategy to cover the period 2026 to 2029.”
“I am delighted to inform the House on recent developments and achievements on drug policy. The Government will not oppose the motion. It is not helpful to get into a political dispute about drugs policy. It is important not to argue over something that affects the lives of so many. As new Minister of State, I assure Members that I am very mindful that we are talking about families and people's lives. It is my absolute aim to make sure I work with the Department and other Members to work together on this. The previous Government set up the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, and the Joint Committee on Drugs Use has been re-established in this term. I have engaged with the Seanad and next week I will meet with the joint committee, and I am looking forward to that.”
“That is what I am here to do. The Department and I are here to make sure we have those services for our vulnerable families that need that support. As I said, I will come back to the Deputy on that. I assure the Deputy that the new drug strategy is a key priority for me and the Government. I am very mindful that drugs are not just a Dublin issue. Drugs are also a rural issue. This is an issue all around Ireland. With the great work that the 24 task forces do, I have to make sure I look at all services around the country to make sure that the families in need get assistance. I thank the Deputy again for raising this really important issue.”
“I will be working with the different groups. The reference group has been set up, but I will continue to meet the chairs of the task forces. This needs to go back to the task force groups that the Deputy is working with. I can assure the Deputy that I appreciate the work they do. Auto-enrolment is a whole-of-government approach, working through the Department. It is something the Department is working on. There have been no cuts to funding within my own sector. We got an increase this year. I launched DRIVE recently. I am so proud of the work it does. As the Deputy said, in Whitechurch 75 families were able to access this. I have made this a priority. I will look into the issue with DRIVE in the Whitechurch area. I say "well done" to those who have done all the work to ensure 75 families have been getting help and support.”
“I am very much aware of the excellent work the task forces do. They are very much part of what we see when we look at what services are needed within the communities. The Department and I are working with the HSE to include the 24 task forces in everything. We have an all-together group. All of us working together is not about being excluded. I am making sure everyone is included. Anything to do with drugs and families is a huge concern to me in the sense that we are talking about people's lives here. I can assure the Deputy that everybody will be included.”
“The money will be used to improve access to services in unserviced communities, to promote evidence-based innovations in service design and delivery and to enhance services for people who use stimulant drugs. I have encouraged task forces to apply for this funding. I will be working with all the task forces to apply for this funding. I am fully committed to the provision of drug and alcohol treatment services.”
“I remain committed to the strategic priority from the outgoing national drugs strategy to enhance access to and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the community. I am delighted that budgets 2024 and 2025 allocated a total of €10.2 million in new recurring funding for drug services. In 2024, an additional €2.3 million was provided for community-based services, including €1.5 million to sustain existing services and €0.8 million to support the recovery of people from drug dependency and their integration into everyday life. Recently, I announced details of a further €1.89 million for community-based drug services in 2025 to be distributed through the health regions. This would be through the community services enhancement fund.”
“This represents an increase of 28% on 2017 funding levels at the start of the outgoing strategy so there has been an increase. In accordance with a population-based allocation model, all new funding for drug services is distributed under the remit of the HSE health regions with service priorities to be identified in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including drug and alcohol task forces. The Department and the HSE provide approximately €28 million in funding to the 24 drug and alcohol task forces. I have met most of the chairs and am working with them because the Department and I appreciate the work they are doing. This funding provides for the operation of approximately 280 drug and alcohol projects across the country.”
“I am very much aware of the work of the task forces and I can assure the Deputy that they will be very much involved in every part of our strategy. I compliment them on the great work they do. Officials in my Department have regular engagement with key representatives from the task force network. This presents an opportunity to discuss policy and operational issues affecting task forces and to hear first hand about issues of concern in local communities. We really know the role they play and are very appreciative of the work they do and the information they give us. This informs decision-making relating to the allocation of funding and provision of services. The Department allocated €161 million under the national drugs strategy in 2023.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery, sets out the Government’s strategy to address the harm caused by substance misuse in Ireland up to 2025. Work is ongoing in the development of a successor strategy. We are working on that and it is to do with everybody. I am making sure that everybody is involved in it. I am keenly aware that drug and alcohol task forces play a key role in implementing the national drugs strategy at the local level. They assess the extent and nature of the drug problem and initiate appropriate responses, so there is a co-ordinated approach involving all sectors to the problem of substance use in local communities and local communities are consulted in the design and delivery of services.”
“I am a mother and now have grandchildren so I know how important early access to oral healthcare is. Dental services are so important for us. I am very mindful of that. The implementation plan will be published and will set out intended milestones and timing for the first phase and reform of the service for adults and children will be among the initial priorities. I am confident that by working together across relevant Department agencies and other stakeholders in line with their respective roles and responsibilities, the goals of the policies will be met to benefit children nationally and in the county of Monaghan. I thank the Deputy for raising a really important issue. I can assure her that the Government is committed to working on this.”