John Cummins
Waterford · Fine Gael · Ireland
“To ensure a structured and comprehensive examination of the issues, the task force was organised under four work themes: structures, funding, functions and governance and accountability within the local government sector.”
“At the outset, I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important issue this morning. I am acutely aware of the strong interest that exists within this House in matters relating to local government.”
“Engagement took place with a wide range of organisations and representative bodies, including employer and employee representatives, community and voluntary organisations, academic experts and other key stakeholders.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“In that context, I welcome the opportunity to address the House and to provide an update on the progress made today in advancing that recommendation and strengthening local democracy more generally.”
“The task force was charged with delivering its report within the challenging timeframe of six to nine months. However, considerable preparatory work already completed across the sector provided a strong foundation and enabled that timeline to be achieved. The task force, as the Senator rightly pointed out, was chaired by Mr.”
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“I wish to take this opportunity, as Minister of State, to acknowledge each and every one of those workers for the significant work they do every single day of the week. Significant progress has been made in transforming the water sector and this transformation is due to be completed at the end of this year. The Government recognises that our water and wastewater networks require ongoing and sustained investment to bring these up to the required standard of treatment to deal with population growth and adapt to the impacts of climate change. We are dealing with a legacy of underinvestment in water services and infrastructure in Ireland.”
“There is, of course, more work to do and the sustained and increasing funding and support provided by the Government will enable Uisce Éireann to make continued progress in the time ahead. To that end, the Government policy paper on water sector transformation sets the vision for water services based on the full integration of water services provided by 31 local authorities into one national authority. Moving the operation and control of public water services from local authorities to direct Uisce Éireann responsibility represents one of the largest public sector reform programmes in recent years. It involves numerous facilities around the country and over 3,000 local authority workers, both full- and part-time workers.”
“As it is my first time speaking after the Christmas break, I wish all Deputies a happy new year and a productive year. I thank everyone who has contributed today to what is a very important debate on water services. Our water infrastructure is part of our shared fabric as a society and it is rightly the subject of extensive democratic scrutiny both from the Oireachtas and our regulatory bodies. Since the establishment of Uisce Éireann, significant improvements have been made in the delivery of water services. Hundreds of water and wastewater treatment plants have been upgraded along with the installation of thousands of kilometres of new or rehabilitated water mains. National leakage rates have been reduced and the overall quality of drinking water remains very high.”
“I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 9th December, 2025, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 103(5), which, not later than 16th December, 2025, shall send a message to the Dáil in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 110, and Standing Order 109(2) shall accordingly apply.”
“It is the intention of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to bring forward further proposals to amend the Irish Film Board Act, including the expansion of the board in the new year. While it is separate to this Bill, it is obviously connected. We look forward to getting this legislation enacted as quickly as possible.”
“It is important to say that quality employment terms are attached to section 481. An undertaking must be made on quality employment and there is a code of behaviour to ensure dignity at work for everyone as part of that. I take on board the points made. The officials are listening carefully to what has been said, for example, about the two producers in Roscommon who were referenced. Track record is part of the criteria. I hope the strong track record that they are building can be rewarded into the future. I genuinely thank all Senators for their contributions. I also thank the officials within the Department for bringing forward the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025, which contains a single provision to increase the statutory limit.”
“In response to Senator Ní Chuilinn's comment on the regional uplift, which ceased in 2023, it is hoped that the unscripted tax relief will increase the regional production piece. I am sure it is something the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, will engage further on in budgets to come. Senator McCarthy referenced delays. It is important to note that Screen Ireland has had a dramatic increase in the demands on its resources. Hence, the Bill that is before us here this evening. Additional funding has been provided for staffing to ensure the timely processing of applications to Screen Ireland. There are differing views on the content level. That was raised by Senator Andrews. I will leave it at that. Other matters that were raised included section 481, which both Senators Cosgrove and Scahill mentioned.”
“There is no doubt that we are punching above our weight in this country, but obviously we need to maintain it, build on it and not rest on our laurels because there are parts of the world that want a piece of what we have. We must preciously guard what we have and support the producers in our country that are producing content of the highest quality. I think of small productions and my own area in Waterford and An Rinn in the Gaeltacht. Companies in the area collaborate with Nemeton TV. A whole ecosystem has built up around that. Senator Noonan referred to Cartoon Saloon and Kilkenny. Other speakers referenced the strong ecosystems that had been built up all across the country.”
“I acknowledge the very strong interest that has been shown in this short technical piece of legislation. It has given us the opportunity to have a wider discussion about the importance of the screen and audiovisual sectors, and the wider arts sector. It is an area that I place a strong value on myself. I have worked in the arts sector in the past, both in the Theatre Royal in Waterford and in the concert hall in Limerick. I have been involved in some productions as well. Senator Scahill referenced the breadth of involvement in productions as a whole. It is not just the actors, but the cast, the support crew, the construction of the sets and all the associated areas - catering, hospitality, and tourism - as Senator Conway just referenced. The impact is far wider than the small piece of the actual production itself.”
“The former Minister, Paschal Donohoe, also announced improvements to the digital games tax credit. These enhancements add to announcements in recent budgets of an increase to €125 million in the cap for section 481 productions as well as a new unscripted tax credit of 20% that is expected to come onstream in the coming months. These are examples of the Government's support to a rapidly changing sector. We will continue as a Government to support this going forward. The Bill is a further example of that, in being willing to increase the cap that is in place from €500 million to €840 million so that we can support Screen Ireland to support all of the sectors within that going forward.”
“Our highly trained and skilled shooting and construction crews are crucial in making Ireland an attractive location for projects with record-breaking productions like "Wednesday" locating here. The Irish film industry is in a strong position; this is the result of years of investment by Irish Governments. The need for continued Government investment is vital to build on these success stories. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels and we will not do so. We must seek out new opportunities to give our industry the help is deserves. In 2025, the 8% scéal uplift to section 481’s existing 32% tax incentive was introduced for live action and animated feature films with a budget of less than €20 million. Budget 2026 announced a new 8% uplift to the section 481 tax credit for visual effects.”
“The overarching aim of the national talent academies is to address and support current educational skills gaps in the screen sector and support the next generation of creatives, film-makers, producers, directors, screenwriters, animators, VFX artists, game developers and production crew. The approach that Screen Ireland has taken is the envy of many of our competitors around the world. Screen Ireland aims to support and promote Irish film, television and animation through fostering Irish artistic vision and our diverse creative and production talent, growing audiences, and attracting film-makers and investment into the country. Recent years have been significant in terms of Irish creative talent and the Irish screen industries, not only for the commercial and critical plaudits of Irish film at home but also on the international stage.”
“The national talent academies network is a recent initiative of Screen Ireland and includes the national talent academy for film and television led by Ardán in Galway, the national talent academy for animation led by Animation Ireland, the national talent academy for VFX led by Cultural and Creative Industries Skillnet, and three regional crew academies in Galway, Limerick and Wicklow. The network has been established to develop a highly skilled, diverse talent and crew base throughout the country, offering a wide range of activities for the Irish screen industry, including courses, programmes and career opportunities.”
“A skilled workforce in the screen sector is a crucial component for the development and maintenance of our screen industries. Screen Ireland has a skills and training division that is responsible for monitoring the needs of the screen sectors and ensuring that those needs are met at all levels. This is achieved through partnership and collaboration, building a stronger ecosystem, supported by stakeholder organisations, Screen Ireland’s national talent academy network and Irish production companies nationwide.”
“The success of this approach has resulted in a stronger and more sustainable environment for screen production. As our screen industries continue to grow, balance and partnership remain a priority alongside an enhanced focus on sustainable production. Screen Ireland is committed to the development of the indigenous audiovisual industry into the future, supported by the agency’s strategic plan for 2025 to 2029 and working with all stakeholders and industry partners to collectively deliver on the Government’s ambition to establish Ireland as a global production hub. As an agency, Screen Ireland remains deeply committed to best practice and the principles of sustainability in all aspects of industry development, including environmental protection, green production, dignity in the workplace and nationwide development.”
“Feature films include "Small Things Like These", "That They May Face the Rising Sun", and the Irish-language film "Báite". One to watch out for is "Saipan", a film coming to our cinemas in January about the events of the 2002 World Cup and staring young Cork actor Éanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane, alongside Steve Coogan. This is very appropriate and apt this week given that the heroics of the Irish soccer team mean we might reach the 2026 World Cup. These are just a few of the many wonderful productions with which Screen Ireland has been involved. Screen Ireland operates a dual approach to industry development. It is one that maintains a balance between indigenous productions and incoming internationally mobile projects, which creates a range of opportunities for Irish creatives to work in partnership with Irish or international studios.”
“Screen Ireland is the creative partner to the screen sector, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise, with a comprehensive range of practical funding supports across development, production, distribution, promotion and skills development. Since 2018, Screen Ireland has assisted in the production of 115 feature film projects, 44 TV dramas, 80 documentaries, 41 animation projects, and 69 short films. Screen Ireland has also supported projects for distribution and has seen the development of over 1,100 projects in the period. Senators may be familiar with some of the fantastic Irish-based TV dramas made possible in recent years by Screen Ireland’s support. These include "Obituary", "The Dry", "Hidden Assets", "The Young Offenders" and "The Walsh Sisters".”
“Section 2 cites this Bill as the Irish Film Board (Amendment Bill) 2025, and together with the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2018 will be cited as the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2025. Screen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish screen sectors, including feature film, TV drama, animation, creative documentary and gaming. Screen Ireland operates within the framework of the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2018. Its statutory remit is to assist, encourage and develop the screen sectors across the State. Screen Ireland supports these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. The allocation to Screen Ireland will be €42.96 million in 2026. This is an increase of €2.1 million, or 5.1% on the amount allocated this year.”
“When the total 2025 capital allocation is drawn down, it is expected that the limit of €500 million permitted within the current legislation will have been reached. The 2026 capital allocation would breach the statutory limit in the absence of new legislation. Accordingly, it is important to progress the process to update the legislation to increase this aggregate further. The proposal to increase the limit on advances is an enabling provision. Funding of Screen Ireland is, of course, subject to the normal estimates procedures as set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The proposed legislation will not, therefore, mean any additional cost to the Exchequer as Screen Ireland’s annual allocation is set by the Oireachtas each year.”
“As is the case with some statutory bodies which receive public funding, a limit was set by statute on such outlays when the Irish Film Board Act 1980 was first enacted. This limit must be reviewed by the Houses of the Oireachtas every six to seven years. In this way, the Oireachtas can monitor cumulative capital funding to this statutory body each time the limit needs to be increased. Since the Irish Film Board Act 1980 was first enacted, the funding limit was adjusted upwards on six occasions. The most recent was the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2018, which increased the limit to €500 million. It is now proposed, therefore, to increase this limit to €840 million to allow Screen Ireland to continue to operate within an appropriate statutory limit.”
“I am pleased to introduce the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025. This Bill was initiated in the Seanad on 14 November. I look forward to hearing the contributions of Senators here and I hope they will support this important Bill. Officials from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport are here with me today and are available to any Senator who wants to have a detailed briefing on the technical aspects of this legislation before us. This is a short technical Bill. The Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025 has one important objective, namely, to increase the statutory limit on the cumulative capital outlay, commitments and liabilities that can be advanced by Screen Ireland, formerly known as the Irish Film Board, from €500 million to €840 million.”
“As I said in my opening contribution, the significant efforts being made by all stakeholders, particularly the agriculture sector, to reduce nitrates and phosphorous levels, particularly in intensive agricultural areas, are having an impact. We obviously need to see that continuing. In conclusion, I reiterate my thanks to all of the staff who work in Uisce Éireann, the local authority sector and all of the State agencies that play a role in ensuring we have good quality water and wastewater infrastructure in this country, and ensuring that we will continue to improve water quality in Ireland because that has a positive impact on social and economic dividends going forward.”
“That list is not exhaustive. In tandem with these major investment projects - water infrastructure by Uisce Éireann - the NDP funding will also help to protect our environment and water quality, which I referenced in my opening statement. What is needed is a pragmatic approach that will reflect the scale of the effort to address our water quality and the many pressures that we have impacting on it. The funding allocated under the NDP will improve infrastructure alongside targeted measures to improve water quality and will make sure that we continue to make progress towards achieving our goals. My Department is also beginning the process of developing our fourth river basin management plan, for 2028 to 2033.”
“A sum of €2.5 billion has been set aside for generational projects like the water supply project for the eastern and midlands region and the greater Dublin drainage project. It is regrettable that we have a further judicial review of the latter much-needed project. These projects, alongside our broader investment under the NDP, will secure our water supply and wastewater services for the growing population and future generations. Beyond the two major projects, new water infrastructure is being progressed in every part of the country to support reaching the new housing targets and strengthen existing supplies. Among the significant Uisce Éireann projects to be progressed in 2026 are the Limerick wastewater treatment plant upgrade, the Waterford city wastewater treatment plant upgrade and the Ballymore Eustace to Saggart resilience project.”
“The scale and level of remedial works necessary in order to ensure that we have a fit-for-purpose system for the 21st century will take time to resolve. The Government recognises these challenges and that is why we are investing €12.2 billion in water services under the current NDP. In tandem with our investment in the national water infrastructure, which is managed by Uisce Éireann, the broader funding under the NDP will play a huge role in supporting rural communities. Investment has been set aside for rural water infrastructure, underpinning the provision of safe and secure water services to rural areas that do not have access to Uisce Éireann services. Of course the main focus of this record-breaking funding is on expanding and strengthening water services nationally.”
“I do take the points raised by Senator Kyne about the generation and back-up capacity, which obviously must be in place to ensure that we do not experience outages at times of extreme weather events. Under the water services and water quality sector investment plan for the NDP, Uisce Éireann has a number of key capital programmes to deliver improvements across all of these responsibilities. They include: leakage reduction; accelerating housing delivery; enabling new connections; and of course building new infrastructure, including major new treatment plants. It is important to note that we are dealing with a legacy issue of underinvestment in water services and infrastructure in Ireland. I do acknowledge that.”
“Of particular note is the important role that water infrastructure will play in meeting our ambitious housing targets, as highlighted by a number of Senators here today. It is important to remember the scale of the work. Every day Uisce Éireann treats approximately 1.7 billion litres of water and 1.26 billion litres of wastewater. Uisce Éireann also manages the source of our water, with more than 1,100 abstractions and more than 1,500 reservoirs connected to tens of thousands of kilometres of pipes. Every single day millions of households and businesses are supplied with good quality water and wastewater services, with thousands of treatment plants running around the clock.”
“It is important to put on the record of the House that in a decade thousands of kilometres of new or rehabilitated water mains have been installed, the national leakage rate has been reduced and the overall quality of drinking water remains very high. Further, as noted earlier, Uisce Éireann has seen considerable improvements in water quality, including the decline in the impact of urban wastewater. There is more work to do. The sustained and increasing funding and support that is provided by Government will enable Uisce Éireann to make continued progress in the years to come as well as progress overall on protecting rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Reference was made to money. The Government is investing record sums of money in Uisce Éireann and we need to see delivery when taxpayers' money is provided to it.”
“Both the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I have been very clear with Uisce Éireann that, in terms of pre-connection and connection agreements, its performance needs to improve in this space. The programme for Government contains a reference to statutory decision-making timelines and they will be implemented, as required. I would prefer, as per our discussions and notwithstanding the fact that there are significantly more connections year in and year out, Uisce Éireann needs to ensure that issues are addressed in a timely manner and communications are improved. More generally, I want to reflect on the progress made since Uisce Éireann was established ten years ago.”
“It is expected that it will be in place by the end of February next year, that everyone will know the rules of engagement and that, on completion of those, they will be taken in charge and managed by Uisce Éireann because of course we must learn from the mistakes of the past. A lot of infrastructure was put in at a particular time in this country and while a lot of it was not necessarily substandard, it was not managed and maintained, which was a significant flaw in the system. We must ensure that is not the case going forward when we facilitate this. Uisce Éireann will facilitate self-lay for developers, which I know was raised as part of the discrepancy in pricing. On unacceptable timeframes, I covered that in my opening remarks when I said that a timeline is not an option but, rather, essential.”
“I thank those who have contributed to this discussion on water quality and the performance of Uisce Éireann. I assure the Senators that their comments will be fed back to Uisce Éireann. Some of the concerns and issues they have raised, collectively and individually, are ones that we share. A number of Senators raised matters related to developer provided infrastructure and the importance of that in facilitating the development of smaller settlement areas across the country that either do not have capacity or do not have capacity in existing plants. That is why we brought that measure forward. It can involve a combination of nature-based solutions and mechanical solutions. The Senators are all correct. It will be done to a set standard and criteria.”
“The Government is committed to delivering a sustainable funding path to further enhance the ongoing significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services and addressing our water quality. What I have outlined is just a snapshot of the work that Uisce Éireann and the whole of the Government are undertaking to secure Ireland's water services and water quality into the future. This work is happening every day in our cities, towns and rural communities, and I commend all the staff in Uisce Éireann, in our local authorities and in all our State agencies on the role they are playing and their desire to increase water quality across our country.”
“The specifications of these new exemptions were included in the Department of agriculture’s submission to the public consultation on exempted development and we will finalise these before Christmas. Uisce Éireann also has a crucial role to play in ensuring effective and efficient management of wastewater services in the country. NDP investment of over €300 million is supporting a wide range of ongoing capital investment in water protection initiatives to support the co-operation I have mentioned. These include partnership programmes with farmers, nature-based solutions in urban areas and river barrier mitigation. We must remember that water is one of our most important natural resources. Significant progress is being made in addressing the challenges we face but, of course, we must do more.”
“The plan sets out the environmental objectives and measures for water quality and lays out the roadmap through which we will endeavour to restore and protect our water bodies up to 2027. I am acutely conscious of the important role that good agricultural practices play. Farmers across the country have already made significant changes to improve water quality and continue to do so. I have sought to help them further and have brought forward plans under exempted development regulations that will allow farmers to increase slurry storage capacity and construct animal housing without the need to seek planning permission. This will further help farmers to invest quickly to meet environmental standards and increasing slurry storage capacity will greatly assist with Ireland’s nitrates derogation.”
“This speaks to the ongoing efforts of all stakeholders to change practices and improve performance. Phosphorous levels are reducing in priority areas for action where there is co-ordinated and targeted action, again demonstrating that we can continue the trajectory towards improvements nationally. The message we can take away from the EPA report is that we still need to do more to address our water quality. The principal means through which we are addressing our water quality is our river basin management plan. A new revised and strengthened plan, the water action plan, was launched towards the end of 2024. This built on the work of previous cycles by incorporating the integrated catchment management approach.”
“The water quality report from the Environmental Protection Agency, published in October, shows that 52% of our surface waters had met their EU water framework directive targets for the period 2019 to 2024 compared with 54% in the previous reporting period of 2016 to 2021. Ireland is ahead of many of our European neighbours as regards water quality, but events such as the fish kill in the River Blackwater in my county of Waterford and neighbouring Cork over the summer are a sobering reminder of the negative impacts on our natural ecosystem if not managed correctly. Nutrient concentrations in our waters remain higher. However, there has been a reduction in nitrogen concentrations in rivers since the last assessment period within the south, south east and east of the country, which have significant agricultural concentration.”
“In particular, delays in processing such applications for builders and developers can lead to stalled delivery, which is unacceptable to me as a Minister of State. I have raised these matters directly with Uisce Éireann during our engagements and I have been clear that improved performance in this space is not an option, it is essential. With the substantial resources now at its disposal, the organisation must demonstrate it can meet its stated timelines and deliver a more efficient and responsive service. Statutory decision-making timelines may be required if there is not a significant uplift in performance. Turning to water quality, water is one of the most important natural resources we possess. In so many ways, water is central to our economy and way of life.”
“The funding provided to Uisce Éireann through the NDP will enable it to make necessary, multigenerational improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure that will target enhancing the health and quality of life, protecting our environment, benefiting communities and enabling growth and development across Ireland. The benefits go far beyond the direct impacts on water and wastewater services. It will underpin economic and social activity on a nationwide basis. On foot of this significant level of funding that has been provided to Uisce Éireann, it is entirely reasonable to expect clear and measurable improvements in how the organisation manages both pre-connection and connection applications.”
“The situation has improved substantially due to Uisce Éireann’s national oversight planning at a national level and continued investment to deliver new and upgraded infrastructure. Urban wastewater has dropped to being the fourth-largest pressure and the record funding allocated to Uisce Éireann under the NDP will help to continue this trend. Only a national authority, backed by strong Government investment in water infrastructure, will deliver the standard of water and wastewater networks and environmental management systems required by Irish citizens and consumers in the 21st century.”
“Included within the overall allocation of €11.7 billion for Uisce Éireann is €2.5 billion designated for the water supply project for the eastern and midlands region and the greater Dublin drainage project. In addition, €2 billion has been set aside to support housing delivery over the period, which includes the enhancement of the small towns and villages programme. This record funding will strengthen the provision of safe and reliable water services for all our communities and facilitate growth and development in urban and rural areas. Before the establishment of a single water utility, urban wastewater was cited as one of the top two pressures on water quality.”
“The revised national development plan provides for record investment of €12.2 billion in the water sector out to 2030, as outlined in Sectoral Investment Plan: Water Services and Water Quality, which the Minister, Deputy Browne, published last week. This record funding will support the delivery of a wide range of projects required for public health and safeguarding the environment. It will also prioritise the delivery of the additional water services capacity required for our new housing targets. This is critical in the context of the new housing action plan published last week. While €11.7 billion of this funding is being provided to Uisce Éireann, over €300 million has been set aside to scale up and enhance targeted initiatives to improve water quality in our rivers and lakes, strengthen habitats and help entire ecosystems to thrive.”
“I thank the Acting Chair. I welcome the opportunity to reflect on the progress that is being made in water services and water quality and the ongoing efforts of the Government and Uisce Éireann in this area. I assure the Seanad that securing a safe and reliable water supply is a top priority for the Government, as is improving water quality in our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. It is worth noting that, over the past ten years, Uisce Éireann has gradually increased capital investment in water services and infrastructure. Investment has risen from €300 million in 2014 to more than €2.5 billion in budget 2026.”
“The OSMR Act is one of three main elements of the framework, alongside the EU Digital Services Act, under which an coimisiún is Ireland's digital services co-ordinator, and the EU terrorist content online regulation, under which an coimisiún is a competent authority. As Ireland's digital services co-ordinator under the Digital Services Act, Coimisiún na Meán works with the European Commission, which is the lead regulator under the Digital Services Act for the largest platforms, to ensure that they reduce the risk of harm posed to users of their services. Alongside this, since July, it has supported the implementation of the binding code of conduct on disinformation in Ireland.”
“We need to learn more about disinformation in order to better counter it, so it is to be welcomed that, in line with the programme for Government, €1.1 million in funding was announced in budget 2026 to support media literacy, fact-checking and research initiatives. Legislation and regulation are absolutely vital to minimise the availability of harmful and illegal content, including disinformation. Ireland's emerging online safety framework is designed to address this challenge, and Coimisiún na Meán, as Ireland's new online safety and media regulator, is at the heart of that framework. It was established under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act.”
“One example of such an initiative is the Be Media Smart campaign led by Media Literacy Ireland, which encourages people to stop, think and check that the information they are consuming is reliable. Together, these initiatives can contribute to building resilience in society to the threats posed by this kind of manipulation of our democracy. The strategy acknowledges the importance of information integrity, and the role to be played by the media and public institutions when it comes to maintaining a healthy information environment. It sets out clear actions to promote trust in the media, as well as supporting media pluralism and freedom. Furthermore, the strategy includes a commitment to strengthen public communications and trust in public institutions.”
“This was recognised by the Future of Media Commission when it recommended the development of a national counter disinformation strategy. The strategy was developed by an independently chaired multi-stakeholder working group and was published on 17 April this year. Due to the complexity of disinformation as a challenge, the strategy aims to connect key stakeholders across multiple sectors and facilitate enhanced co-operation and collaboration in our efforts to counter disinformation. The strategy highlights education in particular as having an important role in giving people the skills to recognise false material and help to prevent its dissemination. Media and digital literacy initiatives should be seen alongside the promotion of public interest information in this regard.”
“I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. Disinformation and misinformation are complex issues that can have wide-ranging effects on society and democracy as a whole. I will begin by highlighting the key difference between "disinformation" and "misinformation". While both terms refer to false or misleading content that may cause harm, we refer to "disinformation" as misleading content that is shared with the intention of deceiving others, while "misinformation" is misleading content that is mostly shared in good faith. In terms of disinformation, it is a serious and complex challenge that requires a whole-of-society approach.”
“As I have said, the electronic health record is going to be critical in the time ahead to ensure that not just children but patients right across the health system have optimised care to ensure better clinical outcomes. It will allow us to ensure that, no matter where a patient is within the country or, as the Senator suggested, across the European Union, we will have that information. I take on board the Senator's points regarding communication, which I will take back to the Minister for Health. The best way to go about this is to capture children as they are being born and to build the system over time while retrofitting the existing system, in the hope it will all come together at a particular point. Significant work is ongoing in this particular area and it is going to be a critical part of our health system.”
“When complete, this will be the most comprehensive health record deployment in the State, building, as it does, on the successful implementation of the health record systems at the major maternity hospitals, St. James’s Hospital in Dublin, the national forensics hospital and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. The programme at the new national children’s hospital is a flagship component of the new programme designed to enable integrated clinical workflows and support interoperability with other systems, laying the foundation for a truly national digital health record. Investment in digital health technologies such as the EHR at CHI and the broader Digital for Care programme underpins the delivery of Sláintecare objectives.”
“This is about more than technology; it is about better care, faster decisions and a more co-ordinated journey for children and their parents. Implementation is complex and involves several critical stages: planning, system selection, customisation, training and deployment. I have been informed that the programme is progressing well and is already quite advanced. The design and configuration phases are complete and detailed system testing is under way. A training programme has been developed and forms an important part of the deployment of the system and the commissioning of the new hospital. After going live, optimisation will continue through 2026 and 2027 to ensure the system delivers maximum benefit.”