Manus Boyle
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I will raise an issue about small craft registration in Ireland. The Marine Survey Office is responsible for registering all vessels, from large cargo ships to small pleasure boats. Registration is essential for every ship travelling to ports in and out of the EU and other countries.”
“In the end, they had no choice but to register their boat in another EU country so they could continue their plans. They are proud Irish people and wanted to sail under the Irish flag but instead have been forced to fly the flag of another country because of the delays in our system.”
“Despite being approved for home care, the family was told there are simply not enough carers available to provide this woman the care she needs. Instead of receiving care at home her condition worsened to the point she had to be hospitalised in Letterkenny.”
“Many patients end up back in the hospital because the care they were promised never materialises. We need urgent investment in our home care services, recruitment and retention of carers and a guarantee that when carers are approved it actually is approved. Older people deserve dignity and families deserve support.”
“I will talk about home care for the elderly. I want to raise a heartbreaking case that highlights the deepening crisis in our healthcare for the elderly. I raised this last week and before on numerous occasions but nothing has improved. We are failing our older people.”
“I concur with my fellow Senators' comments on water safety. It is an important issue, especially in rural counties like my own county of Donegal. With the weather being so good, the beaches are going to be full this weekend. There will be large amounts of people at them. I ask people to be cautious and vigilant of what is going on.”
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“It is totally wrong when people save, put their good money into a boat and want to go sailing, yet have to go to another EU country to register the boat. There is something wrong with the Department here and it needs to be shaken up.”
“In the end, they had no choice but to register their boat in another EU country so they could continue their plans. They are proud Irish people and wanted to sail under the Irish flag but instead have been forced to fly the flag of another country because of the delays in our system. I also spoke to a number of small-craft owners over the weekend and they told me the same. Registering in Ireland is so difficult many choose to register in other countries, such as Poland, instead. This simply does not make sense. An Irish boat should be able to be registered effectively in Ireland. I am asking the Minister to be contacted to explain why this situation has arisen and what actions will be taken to introduce a straightforward effective registering system for small craft boats without further delay.”
“I will raise an issue about small craft registration in Ireland. The Marine Survey Office is responsible for registering all vessels, from large cargo ships to small pleasure boats. Registration is essential for every ship travelling to ports in and out of the EU and other countries. However, the current system is simply not working for small-craft owners. Many are facing lengthy delays, excessive paperwork and requirements that suit larger commercial ships rather than recreational boats. In some cases, owners are being asked to provide an unbroken chain of ownership going back decades which simply is impossible for older boats. I know of one young couple who applied to register their vessel and paid the required fee immediately. Four months later, they have still not received a survey or any meaningful communication from the Department.”
“Many patients end up back in the hospital because the care they were promised never materialises. We need urgent investment in our home care services, recruitment and retention of carers and a guarantee that when carers are approved it actually is approved. Older people deserve dignity and families deserve support. We cannot continue to approve carers on paper while leaving vulnerable people without the service they deeply need. I am asking for the Minister to come in here and let us have a debate on this. To be honest, there is more than one case. This is just one email I got from a lady this morning in Donegal. It is happening weekly that people are being approved home care hours, they are sent home and when they get home there is nobody there to look after them.”
“Despite being approved for home care, the family was told there are simply not enough carers available to provide this woman the care she needs. Instead of receiving care at home her condition worsened to the point she had to be hospitalised in Letterkenny. Her 85-year-old husband, who has a serious heart problem and is waiting for a pacemaker and surgery, has effectively been her stand-alone carer. The HSE delivered a hospital bed, a hoist and equipment to the family home, but what use is equipment without trained carers to operate it? This is not an isolated case. It happens to families right across Donegal and Ireland. Patients are being assessed, approved for home care hours and discharged from hospitals only to discover there are no staff available to deliver these hours. Families are left carrying an impossible burden.”
“I will talk about home care for the elderly. I want to raise a heartbreaking case that highlights the deepening crisis in our healthcare for the elderly. I raised this last week and before on numerous occasions but nothing has improved. We are failing our older people. Young people are working, taking care of their elderly parents and looking after their own families and they have very little support. I was contacted by the daughter of an elderly couple in Donegal who have been completely failed by the system. Her mother is 81 years old, has dementia and urgently needs care. While waiting on treatment, her condition deteriorated dramatically. She suffered repeated falls, loss of mobility and now requires assistance in every aspect of daily living.”
“We have beautiful beaches all over this country and they are going to be inundated for the next few days, so I am asking people to please be careful. They should check the tides and the currents. Make sure that the ring buoys are all there and working. They are the one piece of equipment that is there to save lives.”
“I concur with my fellow Senators' comments on water safety. It is an important issue, especially in rural counties like my own county of Donegal. With the weather being so good, the beaches are going to be full this weekend. There will be large amounts of people at them. I ask people to be cautious and vigilant of what is going on. Before they go into the water, they should please check the life ring buoys are in place because, when accidents happen, it is the first bit of equipment that everybody needs to know where it is, that it is there and that it is not damaged or tampered with. If there are any problems with it, people should notify An Garda Síochána or Water Safety Ireland. If people see somebody in difficulty, they should ring 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
“I congratulate the Minister of State. It is on days like this that we are all proud to be in this House. The Minister of State came into this House and made a difference. This is great legislation. It is commonsense legislation that was badly needed. At home in Donegal, since my election, people have contacted me about this and told me that what is going on here is really unfair. The Minister of State has championed this issue. Fair play to her. It is great for the whole of Ireland. I thank the Irish Cancer Society. It does great work in everything that it does. When all of us here work together on days like this, we can make a difference in people's lives. It is a really historic day. This is common sense and the people on the ground need the Bill to go through this House. I thank the Minister of State very much.”
“We need to ensure that home care providers and staff are in place before they are discharged from the hospital. People deserve real support not just approval on paper. We need to prioritise the workforce capacity alongside funding for approved home care hours and provide real support for people who need it most. Investment in recruitment, retention, pay, training and conditions for these home care workers is essential if we are to build a sustainable service moving forward. This is a real issue that I have been coming up against in the past three or four months in Donegal. Families are at their wits' end trying to cover these hours that they were assured they were going to get. Will the Leader address it with the Minister to see whether we can get any movement on it? People are pressed to the pin of their collar as they are.”
“I wish to take up an issue that is close to our hearts in Donegal and that is the lack of home care services. Patients are being discharged from hospital because they have been approved for home help. However, when they get home many receive a letter saying there are not enough staff to provide all the approved hours. As a result, they are not getting the care they need and families are left trying to cope on their own. Many vulnerable people are struggling without this necessary support. Too often this leads to patients becoming unwell and ending up back in the hospital. This is upsetting for the patients and their families. It places additional pressure on the hospital. Approving home help hours is not enough if there are no carers available to deliver them.”
“In fairness, I credit the Uisce Éireann team for keeping it going. Over the weekend, my phone never stopped ringing with calls from people from the Burnfoot area. They had no water for three or four days. We were first told that it was due to a burst pipe. Next, it was a problem with a pump. What is going on? The Government needs to prioritise and put pressure on Uisce Éireann to look after Donegal. Every day, the phone is ringing and there are problems with Irish Water. Will the Leader feed it up the line that Donegal needs to be prioritised?”
“Residents have called for this for years. I recall that this was an issue when my father was a member on the council. Our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears. I would like to thank the staff of Uisce Éireann on the ground who have put in a tremendous effort trying to keep water flowing. Anybody can ring them and they do their best to help. The householders are frustrated by the lack of action. They are angry, and have a right to be angry, as this has been an issue for so long. The area is not serviced at all. The water supply is ad hoc , as one day householders can have water but not the next day. While I am on my feet, I want to talk about the Teelin area towards Sliabh Liag, which is a beautiful part of Donegal. The pipeline there is ancient. We have nothing only bursts.”
“I want to talk about Uisce Éíreann on behalf of Councillor Michael Boyle in south-west Donegal and of myself. This is an issue for the people of Clogher, Leghawny, Copany, Laghey and the surrounding areas and townlands. I have raised this issue in the House before but nothing has changed. A public meeting was held a few weeks ago and the hall was full. The problem is that the reservoir was built in 1970 to serve around 80 houses, but now it supplies hundreds of houses and is not fit for purpose. A new reservoir, pump station and pipeline need to be installed. Residents have endless trouble the whole year round with low water pressure and burst pipes and often go days without water. A new reservoir must be built as a matter of urgency and a whole new infrastructure and pipeline must be put in place.”
“Surely a theory test and getting signed off on two or three lessons from a registered instructor would be sufficient. This would allow people to refresh on the rules of the road and the lessons would bring them up to safe practice. I believe this solution would be acceptable to people who wish to return home to Ireland. I also make the point that tourists who visit our country do not hold a valid Irish licence. They can hire a car and drive freely throughout Ireland for the duration of their time here. I am not in any way suggesting this is wrong. I am just giving the example of the different rules for people visiting and the rule faced by people wishing to return to their homeland. I believe this rule is unfair. Maybe we could have a chat with the Minister about it.”
“However, they are totally unprepared for the driver licence laws that state if people have been out of the country for ten years or more, a driving test is mandatory. This can be a deal breaker in many cases, especially in counties such as Donegal and the more rural counties in Ireland, where transport infrastructure is not a solution when travelling to and from a workplace. Our tradesmen wishing to return and start a business immediately cannot get to work without their driving licence. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to make an adjustment to these rules. Surely people who held a driving licence previously should not have to undergo this stressful obstacle, which is having a negative impact on them returning home.”
“The Government has many initiatives in place, including Build Back Home, an initiative seeking skilled workers to return to Ireland. Skilled overseas workers are being invited back to apply their skills here in Ireland. Engineering, construction and health care, to name but a few, are crying out for crucial skilled workers to take up positions immediately. I have been approached by many overseas representatives of the Donegal Association who have made it clear to me that people would like to return home to Ireland but face some negatives in their decision-making. Most people considering a move look at housing, healthcare, schools, childcare, climate and safety, to name but a few issues.”
“This is the time of year, when the school is off, to do them. We cannot wait until there is an accident. Our children coming and going from school have to be the priority. I cannot for the life of me understand why it is taking so long. Keelogs national school is just off the N56. It is a very busy road. The children have no problem being picked up and dropped off. The issue is when the cars come back up to exit onto the N56, which is a very busy road. We need to get signage up there to slow traffic down. People are taking their life into their hands, trying to cross a busy road to turn right. Frosses National School is on the R262. We have problems there with traffic going through the village. We need signage up. TII has to stand up and get this stuff done for us as soon as possible and before it is too late.”
“I congratulate our new Leader. I am sorry I was not here last week but it is great to see him here. There is a man in Bruckless delighted to see him in the chair. He and - God rest her - the Leader's mother were great friends and that friendship has kept up for years. He wanted to pass on his good wishes. That is my father, John Boyle. I wish the Leader the very best of luck. I want to take up an issue I have raised on a couple of occasions. It is Dunkineely National School. The issue has been going on for the past three years. There have been near misses at the school. Cars have gone through the traffic lights. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, needs to step up and we need to find out what will be done. Are the traffic-calming measures going ahead this year? When will they be done?”
“More importantly, we need a proper national taxi strategy to deal with the shortage and improve the services for people across our country. Finally, I wish Donegal all the best against Cork in Ballybofey on Sunday.”
“The rules are that new taxis must be wheelchair accessible. It is now making the market too expensive for new drivers to join the industry. These vehicles can cost up to €60,000. Without proper financial support, many people simply cannot afford it. At the same time, taxi numbers continue to fall. We have fewer taxis now than in 2009. People are waiting long times for taxis. Workers, older people and people who are trying to get home safely at night from pubs are affected. Nobody is saying accessibility is not important; it really is, but the system is not working. We need a balanced approach to protect accessibility while increasing the number of taxis on our roads. The Government needs to increase the WAV grant significantly and review the current rules for new taxi licences.”
“Today, I want to start by wishing the Cully Coders from County Donegal a safe trip. They are travelling to Canada next week to represent Ireland in the First Lego League Canada Cup of robotics. The Cully Coders are aged from 11 to 14. They are Zoe McElhinney, Abby McElhinney, Rebecca McElhinney, Sienna Deane and Georgia Green. They are coached by Stephen and Adele McElhinney. I wish the girls the very best of luck in Canada. I know they will do Donegal and Ireland proud. It is a great achievement for these five girls. I want to raise the ongoing shortage of taxis affecting people across the country. Last week, I spoke about the WAV grant and how it is not working properly. The grant is supposed to help people to buy wheelchair-accessible taxis, but the funding runs out almost immediately. Many drivers cannot access the support they need.”
“I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for Health. I know she put a lot of work into this because the Italian company really did not want to talk to us at the start and she reached out to it. We all know the assessment has to be done. I am glad that the drugs group met yesterday but it is crucial we get this medicine over the line for these children. There is one child in Donegal, Nathan, getting it across the Border, where Dermot cannot get it. This is totally wrong. We need to get this sorted as soon as possible.”
“Of the three children in Donegal. One of them, Nathan, got a trial from England ten years ago. He is holding his own and is in good health. His brother, Dermot, however, does not have access to givinostat. This is something we need. Aaron Langan is the same. We need to get this sorted. We need to get it sorted soon.”
“Children who were eligible for the treatment when givinostat was established over ten years ago in other countries are now maybe not eligible for givinostat because it has taken so long in this country. While families recognise the appropriate assessment procedures have to be followed, families are waiting and watching their children decline rapidly. I am asking the Minister of State to outline the current status of givinostat, the timeline and when the final decision on this medicine will be made. These children have waited long enough. Time is muscle. It is important. I know of three children in Donegal with this. It is so sad to see them. I thought we would have this sorted long ago. It seems to have dragged on and on. As I said earlier, time is muscle. It is very important for these children all over Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in. Since I became a Senator 16 months ago, I have raised the issue of givinostat for children living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, so many times, together with other colleagues in the Seanad. Last month, a large crowd of up to 2,000 people turned out in the Diamond in Donegal to support the children with DMD. In the health committee last year, we were told it would be sorted by Christmas. It was then pushed out to the early new year. Now, we are into June. Time is muscle for children with DMD. Every day, week and month that passes without access to this treatment can result in further decreased progression and permanent loss of physical ability. We are letting our children down. Families have watched as their children lose strength, mobility and independence.”
“The crowds that were in Ballyshannon were unreal, but now the festival has been landed into a mess like this where it is €283,000 in debt through no fault of its own. Surely we have to get the Minister involved here.”
“Organisers are now facing uncertainty about whether another festival can be put together and bills can be paid. We need to get clarity on the protections that are in place when ticket companies hold money on behalf of festivals and other events. I would ask the Minister what engagement has taken place with the liquidators and affected festivals. What supports are available to organisations impacted by this liquidation? These issues are about more than one festival. They are about protecting our community events, supporting local businesses and maintaining confidence in Ireland's events sector. I hope we can all work for those affected and consider what lessons can be learned. This is a very sad situation when an organising committee has pulled everybody together for a great event. I attended it myself.”
“I would like to pass on my condolences to the family of the former Senator, Ernie Caffrey, on behalf of myself and my colleagues. I want to raise concerns about the liquidation of Tickets.ie and the Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon. The festival is one of the most important cultural and tourism events in the north west. Every year, it brings thousands of visitors to Donegal and supports local hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and up to 30 small businesses. It is reported that the festival is now owed €283,000 following the collapse of Tickets.ie. This is a major concern for the organisers and for all those local businesses that provided services during the festival. What makes it most difficult is the fact that this was the best festival in the 23-year history of the event and had the biggest crowds in Ballyshannon.”
“Will the MEPs come together as a group and push for the Hague preferences to be reinstated for Ireland? We had the Hague preferences for many years and were thrown under the bus last year. It is totally wrong. A total of 8,000 tonnes might not be a lot to some people, but it is a lot to the people in Donegal, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and all around the country. It is what will keep them afloat. That wee bit makes a wile lot. Can the MEPs come together to do something about the super companies that are operating in Europe? We call them "The Dutch five". They seem to be running the whole show. They have boats flagged in every country and we cannot lay a hand on them. Something has to be done about it. I thank the MEPs again for what they are doing and ask them to keep going with it.”
“I welcome all the MEPs and thank them for the courtesy they showed me the few times I was in Brussels and for what they have done for the Irish fishing industry. It is good to have a group that comes together and facilitates meetings. I will stick to my brief, which is fishing. How can we get more pressure put on the PECH committee, seeing as we do not have any full-time member? Can we come together as a group, with the MEPs' political groups to see whether we can get reform of the Common Fisheries Policy? It is 40 years old and is not working for Ireland. Will Europe enforce tariffs against the third countries that are overfishing? Something has to be done. We need to get these people in line. Why is Europe taking the cuts when these other countries can fish away and do what they like?”
“It is not an inconvenience for someone with genuine needs not to be able to access these places. This is causing widespread anger among people with disabilities. People have been ringing me in the past couple of days about this. Ordinary people have to go to the shop or attend a doctor's appointment are finding there is somebody there who is not entitled to be there. I ask people to think carefully before they park and to leave disability bays for the people who are entitled to them. They are the people who really need them, who have bad mobility and need to walk a couple of hundred yards to a doctor's surgery or a shop. I ask people, when they are out today and all through the summer, to please stay out of disability parking bays.”
“I have been contacted by people with disabilities. The misuse of disability parking bays may seem small to some, but for some people it has a very real impact on their daily lives. Disability parking bays exist for a reason. They are there to ensure that people with disability and mobility challenges, older citizens and those with medical conditions can safely and independently access services, the workplace, shops and community facilities. Unfortunately, we continue to see incidents of the use of these spaces by people who have absolutely no entitlement to them. What is even more concerning is the cases where permits are misused or displayed unlawfully. Recently in my local area, a vehicle was parked in a disability space using somebody else's permit. I genuinely cannot understand why anyone would think this is acceptable.”
“Would the people making this decision on givinostat take so long if it were their son or daughter? Time is muscle. I ask the Acting Leader, the Department and everybody to get behind this campaign. We need to support Aaron and the children of Ireland who have this disability. We have to get this sorted. They are depending on us as politicians to get this over the line. For Aaron and all the other people, we need to get this sorted as soon as possible.”
“I give a big thanks to Onóir, the MC Noel Cunningham and all involved for their tremendous work in highlighting this serious issue. It is sad that families have to wait so long for this drug. At a meeting of the health committee last year, I was told it would be sorted before Christmas. Then I was told it would be sorted early in the new year. It is almost June now. This is unacceptable. We need to get this sorted as soon as possible for the children of Ireland. I understand the HSE received a proposal on 8 May from the company that supplies givinostat. Surely the HSE can put a plan in place to get givinostat for Aaron and these other children as soon as possible. The drug is available in England and Northern Ireland and is working well. It slows down the muscle loss.”
“I thank Seamy McDermott and Vinney Gillespie who are undertaking a cycle from Malin Head to Mizen Head. It is a more than 1,000 km challenge to raise money for the Irish Kidney Association, a cause close to both men’s hearts. I wish them the best of luck and hopefully the good weather stays with them. I turn to a more serious issue that I and Senators across parties have raised here many times. It is givinostat for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD. I was proud to stand with the people on the Diamond in Donegal. So many turned out on Sunday to support Aaron Langan. It was organised in four days and thousands of people turned out to support Aaron and the Langan family. It was a great event to be at.”
“I am hearing from people who are struggling to access illness benefit, struggling to qualify for supports and facing long delays and confusion around medical card eligibility. One of the biggest concerns is the medical card means test. A self-employed person may have a business, equipment and turnover that appear to be good on paper and appears to be earning a small amount of money but the criteria used do not make sense. Many people feel the system has abandoned them. I am asking the Minister to review this. Let us support self-employed people. They are the people who get up in the morning. They have the drive and determination to own their own business and get out and work for the country and I think we need to look after them.”
“I want to raise the issue of self-employed people when they become sick or unable to work. Over the past few months, I have been contacted by a couple of people in my constituency in County Donegal who have worked all their lives. They are self-employed workers who have worked hard, pay their taxes and PRSI contributions and contributed greatly to the economy and local communities. However, when illness strikes, they feel abandoned by the system. Unlike employees, who may have access to sick pay from their employers, many self-employed people have little or no financial protection when they become ill. A person can spend years building up a small business, working long hours and supporting their family only to find themselves under huge financial pressure when they become sick or unable to work.”
“I call on the Minister to review the current criteria and application process to ensure priority is given to operators who can clearly demonstrate an existing need, a commitment to providing these wheelchair accessible services, and the ability to have these vehicles on the road and operational without unnecessary delay. Wheelchair users deserve a system that works. This comes from a visit by myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, to the Irish Wheelchair Association centre in Letterkenny a couple of weeks ago when the clients said there was a massive problem getting wheelchair taxis. I investigated this with the companies and this is what they came back to me with.”
“The current application system is not fair and is not working for wheelchair users, particularly in counties like Donegal, my own county. In Donegal, we have taxi operators and firms that want to provide wheelchair accessible services but cannot access the support needed to purchase these vehicles. The result is wheelchair users are being left isolated in their own homes, unable to attend day services, appointments or social activities or even to carry out basic daily tasks. Public services are not always an option in rural areas. Buses do not pass every community and many people are left isolated without these taxis. These vehicles are not a luxury, but a lifeline.”
“Everybody is welcome. I want to raise a serious issue around the wheelchair accessible vehicle, WAV, grant system and ask the Minister for Transport whether there are any plans to review or change the qualifying criteria to ensure that those who are genuinely providing regular transport services to wheelchair users are prioritised over others. At present, the system largely operates on a lottery system and it is not working. There are reports of individuals successful in receiving grant approval who have been unable to secure finance needed to purchase these vehicles. The result is that grants have been tied up while genuine operators who are ready and willing to provide these essential services are left waiting and miss out completely.”
“My late mother-in-law received two kidney transplants, one from a living donor and one from a deceased donor. Her family was so grateful. She had so many great years because of organ donation. She saw her two daughters grow up and her grandchildren, who she doted on, make their first Holy Communion and their confirmation. Sadly, my wife has been waiting five years for a transplant. I see first hand what she goes through every day. She never complains. As she always says, you have to keep going. Organ donation will make a big difference to families with sick loved ones, so I ask people to please have the conversation with their family and their loved ones. Have the conversation. On the darkest day for families, a loved one can make so much of a difference to save lives by donating organs. Keep other people alive.”
“I am starting on a sad note today. I offer my condolences to the families and friends of the three people who lost their lives on the roads in Donegal over the weekend. It was heartbreaking for the county during the weekend. My thoughts are with the families affected and with their friends. I also want to recognise national organ donor awareness week and highlight the importance of organ donation. Organ donation saves lives and gives hope to people and families waiting for transplants. It is a truly generous gift that is the gift of life and it can make a huge difference in someone's life. I encourage every family to speak to their loved ones and let their wishes be known around organ donation. One simple conversation can help so many lives and can give the gift of life. I know personally how it can make a big difference.”
“It is a long distance from Killybegs to the hospitals in Letterkenny and Sligo. I am very appreciative that the beds are reopening. I ask the Minister of State to double down to make sure that all 11 are opened as soon as possible.”
“The Minister of State has responsibility for older people. I totally understand what he is trying to do here. It is great that six beds will be opened in June and July. That is great news for the people in Killybegs Community Hospital. I know the HSE faces staffing challenges. However, we have to target small community hospitals throughout the country, including the one in Killybegs. Hospitals need to have beds reopened. For a small community in south-west Donegal, six beds are great. We need to get all 11 opened. As the Minister of State will know from being in public life, we often get a phone call on a Friday evening from a family looking for a bed when there is no bed there and we end up ringing around. These people just want to be close to their loved ones.”
“Every week I get phone calls to my office and myself from patients looking for beds in Killybegs Community Hospital. We have to travel a long distance to Letterkenny. It might be two hours of a round trip and it is the same to Sligo. These beds are in the hospital – all we need is the staff. Is there any chance we can get this up and going as soon as possible? The people of this area really rely on this hospital. We deserve the beds there. There is nothing worse than someone ringing you and you cannot get them into the community hospital in Killybegs. They might only need a bit of respite for a couple of weeks to give the people at home a bit of time to themselves. I appeal to the Minister of State to try to help me get these 13 beds up and going again.”
“Some practical steps that could help include faster recruitment of nurses and healthcare assistants; offering flexibility of part-time hours to attract more staff; bringing back retired staff who may be willing to help; using temporary agency staff until permanent staff are hired; providing extra supports for rural hospitals like Killybegs Community Hospital and other community hospitals across the country; improving recruitment timelines; and filling posts more quickly. Community hospitals are vital for older people and families. They want to be close to their loved ones at home. People in Killybegs, Kilcar, Carrick, Glencolumbkille, Ardara, Glenties and Dunkineely deserve a clear plan and timeline of the reopening of these beds as soon as possible.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I raise the issue of the slow reopening of beds in Killybegs Community Hospital. Since December only two beds have been reopened. At a time when we see our hospitals under such huge pressure, this is very worrying for families and patients in south-west Donegal. I want to state clearly the staff in Killybegs Community Hospital are doing their very best. Nurses, healthcare assistants and all staff are working extra hours and going beyond the call of duty to keep the 22 beds currently open there running smoothly. They deserve great credit and support. However, staff can only do so much without proper resourcing and staffing levels. I am asking the Minister of State and the HSE to explain why more beds have not been reopened and what is being done to speed up the process.”
“Before I sit down, I thank my colleagues across the House. Every party has raised this issue in the past year and a half since I was appointed. It has nothing to do with politics. We need to get this issue sorted out for the children of Ireland. Time is crucial for this so I ask that we put pressure on the drug company to engage.”
“I raised it at an Oireachtas health committee meeting in October and we were told it was hoped it would be sorted by the end of the year or the beginning of 2026. We are now nearly halfway through 2026 and families are still waiting. I especially mention my local boy in Donegal and his family, who along with other families across Ireland, are living with DMD every day. These families are not asking for a miracle; they are asking for urgency, fairness and access to a treatment that has been approved in Europe. The drug company is not engaging with the HSE. We need to put pressure on to get it to engage. Families need clarity on this and we need progress. Children with DMD cannot afford endless delays. Time is muscle and that is the important thing. I will continue to raise this issue and fight for these children and their families.”