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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“I, too, am delighted to be here tonight. Like the Minister and Minister of State, we also have been listening to all the concerns. There are very serious concerns here that we are committed to working on over the next few years. Investment in cancer care was one of the concerns that was brought up. I assure Members the Government is committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention, maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates, and timely access to treatments. That is really important. This includes allocating ring-fenced funding to cancer services and investing in further infrastructure. Given the impact of cancer on society, we are committed to funding and implementing the national cancer strategy.”
“The fundamental aspiration of the policy is that all Irish people will have their own so-called dental home, whereby they will build a lifelong relationship with a local dental practice or practices of their choosing for continuity of care. That is so important and I agree with it. The policy has two goals: to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health and to improve access to dental care. These are so important. I am confident we can work on this, and we need to deliver on it. I will relay to the Minister my belief that we need to talk to representatives of the Irish Dental Association. That is important. I am not aware of whether meetings have taken place but I will definitely look into it and certainly bring the matter back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.”
“I thank the Deputy. In all our areas there have been major challenges. I work with families regularly, so I do know the challenges. I have listened to and taken on board the points the Deputy has made. I can assure her that addressing access to dental care, including for adult medical card holders, is a top priority for the Minister and the rest of the Government. A substantial additional investment in oral healthcare services has been made in recent years, but we need to address the issues that arise. Fundamental reforms are also being progressed through the implementation of the national oral health policy. The policy sets out the vision for the future of oral healthcare services. While it will take several years to bring it to realisation, there will be early and continued emphasis on addressing the current issues.”
“To increase this number further, the Minister supports the creation of additional capacity in higher education, including in oral healthcare. That is so important and I really feel it will make the change. Any investment must be considered by the relevant Department in the context of the ongoing national development plan review, given the significant capital costs involved in expansion. Substantial modernisation of the service and contractual model, in tandem with increasing workforce capacity, will train and enable more dentists to take contracts to care for medical card holders.”
“The plan for the first phase of policy implementation, up to the end of 2027, is being finalised by the Department of Health and the HSE, following targeted consultation in quarter 3 of last year. The plan includes reform of services for medical card holders as one of several priority actions. I understand it is a priority. The policy also highlights the need for strategic workforce planning to ensure a sufficient number of appropriately trained oral healthcare professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses and other auxiliary grades. It is heartening to note we have more registered dentists in Ireland than ever before – 3,778 as of January 2025, which means an additional 129 registered dentists since February 2024.”
“The Minister acknowledges, however, that access issues remain and that complete modernisation of care, the service model and, subsequently, contractual arrangements for adult medical card holders is required. I understand where the Deputy is coming from. There are huge challenges. I see the same in the area where I live. The vision for this service reform is set out in the national oral health policy. Budget 2025 allocated €2 million for this year, increasing to €4 million in 2026, to continue the implementation of the national oral health policy. The programme for Government and the HSE’s national service plan for 2025 both contain commitments to implementing the national oral health policy and reforming oral healthcare services for medical card holders.”
“To support contractors to provide care under the scheme, an additional €10 million was made available in budget 2022 to increase the preventative care available and, from May 2022, increase by 40% to 60% the fees paid to contractors for most treatment items. The HSE advises that while the total number of contractors on the scheme has been reduced from 1,046 as of the end of December 2022 to 813 as of the end of December 2024, the introduction of these measures has improved access to care for patients. In 2024, 227,691 additional treatments were provided nationally under the scheme, with more than 44,208 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.”
“I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address the issue of participation of dentists in the dental treatment services scheme. The scheme provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services are provided by private dentists and clinical dental technicians who hold a contract with the HSE to operate the scheme. Services available annually and on demand include an examination, two fillings, emergency extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, is available subject to the approval of the local HSE principal dental surgeon.”
“On behalf of myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to discuss mental health in the Dáil today. We all understand the priority and urgency of this issue.”
“There are a wide range of high-quality mental health supports available in Ireland through the HSE or the many agencies providing care on its behalf. The best way to find out what supports would best suit someone is through their GP, or via information signposting such as online at YourMentalHealth.ie, which provides information and signposting on all the mental health supports and services that are available nationally and locally, provided by the HSE and its funded partners. The freefone Your Mental Health information line is available 24-7 and provides supports and services at 1800 111888. People can text HELLO to 50808 to access a service that provides emotional support 24 hours a day to anyone experiencing a crisis through engagement in a text message conversation with a trained and supervised volunteer.”
“It is clear from today’s statements that mental health services in this country provide a wide range of supports from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, right the way through to specialist inpatient services. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and partners in the sector to ensure that investment, innovation and improvements are made across the entire spectrum of services and in line with our national policies. It is important that everybody who needs help seeks help, and that we work hard to ensure mental health is a stigma-free issue. Anyone can experience mental health challenges at any time during their lives, and that is why I want to repeat a vital message that often goes unsaid, which is that recovery is possible. If any person is feeling pressure, I encourage them to reach out for help.”
“This tool is due to be launched before the summer. These examples show how over the last number of years Ireland has managed to develop and implement mental health policies that are very supportive of mental health promotion and recognise digital supports as an important medium for mental health promotion. I can confirm that officials in the Department of Health are currently working with their World Health Organization counterparts to develop the first digital mental health roadmap, which will draw on Ireland’s experience in developing mental health digital supports and provide examples of best practice alongside other European examples. I look forward to the roadmap being finalised and published by the end of the year.”
“In 2024, there were more than 48,000 conversations on the platform, representing more than 4,000 conversations a month. Over the past year, the Department of Health, HSE and Spunout have been collaborating to commission the development of a dynamic web-based signposting tool, the Navigator app, for young people between the ages of 16 to 34 to support their mental health. The aim of the project, which has been developed thanks to funding secured by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is to facilitate help-seeking behaviours and enhance access to support. The app aims to provide young people, parents, caregivers and those working with young people with reliable up-to-date information on where to access supports and services at both a local and national level for a variety of mental health issues.”
“This is an online and interactive tool designed to help individuals to reflect on their mental health needs and receive personalised advice. The plan matches user responses to questions to appropriate supports. This results in the user receiving tailored advice and resources. Between April and December 2024, some 13,600 individuals started their mental health plan through this website, with 13,100 of them completing their plan. This high completion rate speaks to people's satisfaction with the tool and provides important evidence that this is a trusted and reliable support for people. In addition, Text About It is a free, anonymous, 24-7 messaging service that provides immediate support for mental health and well-being. Text About It provides a safe space where people are listened to by a trained volunteer.”
“It enables people to recognise and manage their own mental health, support others when they identify a mental health need, and identify health difficulties at the earliest opportunity using self-help, social support and community services. YourMentalHealth.ie, which provides information and advice about mental health and well-being, had nearly 2.5 million views in 2024, with a 65% engagement rate. This is an important initial source of information for people who may be seeking supports and information. The .ie domain and the clear links to our national HSE show the public that they can trust the information here, and in doing so, can be signposted to a range of services. More recently, the HSE developed and launched My Mental Health Plan, which has been in use since April 2024.”
“In order to continue to meet demand over 2025 and future years, CAMHS teams need to be appropriately staffed. The investments I have announced for 2025 will go some way to meeting that staffing need. Budget 2025 provided 95 new posts for youth mental health, including CAMHS. I look forward to all posts being filled as a matter of urgency. Mental health supports come in a range of types of interventions. It is important to note the role of digital mental health services as we seek to ensure the services we provide are modern and make best use of innovation in our wider health service. A mental health literacy campaign was launched in October 2022. It is an ongoing and iterative campaign to create awareness and understanding of mental health.”
“As I am sure you will all agree, CAMHS teams and those who work in our community and inpatient mental health services, along with the wide range of other mental health supports provided by or on behalf of the HSE, make a crucial and real difference to the lives of those who seek mental health supports each year. I wish to acknowledge, on my own behalf and that of the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, the work of those who have an ongoing commitment to providing mental health interventions for the people of this country. The positive impact that increased investment, as detailed in today's opening statements, will bring to child and youth mental health services will be tangible, measurable and impactful. Improving access to modern mental health services requires that the waiting lists for CAMHS be addressed.”
“The opening of these beds will increase capacity in the system for forensic mental health services, which is a priority for the Departments of Health and Justice. These beds will also allow patients to move through the various levels of support offered by the forensic care pathway in the hospital and, in turn, allow for further admissions across the Central Mental Hospital. I also look forward to the opening of an additional 20 CAMHS beds in the new children's hospital, which will support access to services in this state-of-the-art facility. It is meant to be a beautiful facility.”
“The HSE is also developing a longer term ten-year capital plan for mental health, which will help to determine priorities for improving facilities nationally to underpin the implementation of our models of care and the type of infrastructure envisaged under the national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. The new mental health ten-year capital development programme will focus on upgrading existing facilities, replacing inappropriate community facilities and continuing to expand services. In the context of capital infrastructure development, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has secured an additional €2.1 million to facilitate the opening of 18 beds in the National Forensic Mental Health Service at the Central Mental Hospital in Portrane.”
“I thank the Members of the House for their contributions this afternoon. I will respond on behalf of myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. While we all recognise that there are areas for service improvement, the passion with which we have discussed the issues is a clear testament to the fact that mental health is an important topic across all parties, and across all parts of government. Much has been said today about ensuring our mental health services are modern. It is important that our capital infrastructure, through which these services are delivered, keeps pace and provides modern, accessible and safe environments for service users. To this end, the HSE is developing a three-year prioritised capital plan to upgrade specific approved centres to meet evolving Mental Health Commission compliance requirements.”
“The aim of this consultation process by the OCO is to increase the awareness and understanding of the current practices in statutory services when a child dies from non-natural causes. I thank Deputy Burke for bringing up this matter. He spoke about the recommendations, in particular the four he outlined. He is looking for a timeframe. I will come back to him with what is going to happen. I will definitely look into this and come back to the Deputy with a timescale as soon as I can.”
“I thank the Deputy. I offer my deepest sympathies and those of the Minister for Health to all parents and families who have experienced the tragic death of a child. Information on child deaths comes primarily from the national paediatric mortality register conducted by the HSE's National Office of Clinical Audit. The reporting provides vital information, which is used to improve our services and to prevent avoidable deaths. The Department of Health is committed to reducing deaths in children across all age groups and has made considerable investment in this area. Specifically, the Department continues to engage with the Ombudsman for Children, the HSE, NOCA and other stakeholders to explore the need for a statutory child death review mechanism in Ireland.”
“This also included 26.5 WTEs for gynaecological services in CHI to enhance the service in preparation for the establishment of the neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, in the new children's hospital. These posts include consultants, nurses, practitioners, staff nurses and other clinical staff. The Department of Health continues to engage with the Ombudsman for Children, the HSE, the NOCA and other stakeholders this matter.”
“The Department of Health is committed to reducing the rate of avoidable deaths in children across all age groups and has made considerable investment in this area in recent years. Since the national maternity strategy was launched in 2016, more than €80 million has been invested in new development funding across maternity and gynaecological services. This investment has also brought more than 530 additional full-time staff into maternity services across all staff categories. In 2023, funding was allocated to support the ongoing strategy development of the national paediatric service. This facilitated the recruitment of an additional 56.7 whole-time-equivalent, WTE, clinical posts.”
“The Ombudsman for Children's Office, OCO, started an engagement process in 2024 to consult the key stakeholders to explore the need for a statutory national child death review mechanism in Ireland. The aim of the consultation process by the OCO is to increase the awareness and understanding of the current practice across statutory services when a child dies of non-natural causes. The OCO engaged directly with the Department on this matter and identified other key stakeholders such as the HSE, Tusla, the National Office of Clinical Audit, the Department of Education, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, HIQA, and the Coroner Service.”
“The report advises that the reason for this increase is unclear but that the writers of the report will closely monitor 2024 data to identify potential trends. At 3.2 per 1,000 live births, the provisional infant mortality rate in Ireland for the period 2022 to 2023 is slightly higher than in 2019 to 2021, when it was 3.1, and is now the same as the EU average. The Minister acknowledges the finding that mortality in children aged from one to four and age five to nine has continued to decrease but is committed to reducing the rate in all age categories. In particular, the Minister welcomes the recommendation that the deaths from infection and sepsis will be a focus and a special feature of the next report. Continued data collection provides important additional information and evidence that will help to reduce further avoidable deaths.”
“The Minister for Health extends her deepest sympathies to all parents and families who have experienced the tragic death of a child. The most recent data on child deaths comes from the second report of the national paediatric mortality register conducted by the HSE's National Office of Clinical Audit, NOCA, which is built on early data collection work. While the report makes for very difficult reading, it provides important information which can be used to improve our services and to prevent potential avoidable deaths in children and young people. The report notes that sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, was the leading cause of the post neonatal deaths registered during 2022 and 2023, accounting for 37% of deaths. The rate of SIDS increased from 0.24 in 2019 to 2021 to 0.35 in 2022 to 2023.”