Martin Daly
Roscommon-Galway · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The relationship between Ireland and Spain is hugely important with €15 billion in total in trade, including €10 billion in goods and services from Ireland to Spain, a country that is in the European Union and has shared our values, culture and history. It was a hugely important meeting and is a hugely important relationship.”
“I accept that answer and I thank the Minister very much for that update. It is important because people sometimes equate healthcare with hospital beds, but that is not reality. In isolation, beds cannot provide for the healthcare needs of the public.”
“I thank the Minister very much. We had the excellent Professor Rose Anne Kenny, co-ordinator of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, TILDA, in recently with the health committee. She pointed out the demographic challenge we are facing in health.”
“I ask the Minister for an update on the plan to increase the capacity of inpatient beds by 4,000 or 4,500 across the country and if she will make a statement on the matter. We know we currently have 12,000 public beds and 2,500 private beds, which is about 2.9 beds per thousand of the population.”
“We will probably start with proper screening programmes at the age of 50, with the whole population moving into better-resourced primary care, step-down beds and rehabilitation beds. I also support Deputy Seán Kyne’s call for the Minister to press for the 300 additional beds in UHG.”
“I wish to ask if the Government has or is developing a policy for the development of industrial hemp production in Ireland. Industrial hemp is a remarkable plant.”
The complete record
Every one of 376 lines we hold for Martin Daly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 8.
“This problem is especially evident in Ballinasloe. The presence of Portiuncula Hospital means there is a constant turnover of medical staff - registrars, consultants and essential workers who move to the town with their families. These families are essential to the running of the hospital and the provision of healthcare in the region and yet too often they find that no school transport is available for their children at primary or post-primary levels. This creates serious logistical pressures for parents who are working long hours, on-call rosters and shift work in a busy regional hospital. The review of the school transport scheme highlighted many of these issues and made welcome recommendations.”
“I acknowledge the Minister of State's exceptional commitment to his brief since he was appointed and his approachability at all times to help us solve problems in our constituencies. School transport is not a luxury. It is a necessity for thousands of families, including many in my constituency. Every school day, 180,000 children rely on the service, which is one of the largest logistical operations managed by the State. However, the system as it stands is too rigid and inflexible. When a child's nearest school is full, parents are often left with no choice but to enrol their child in another school in a different locality and yet they are not guaranteed a seat on the bus because of the nearest school rule. This leaves families in an impossible position. They have secured a school place for their child but they cannot get them there.”
“If we achieve that, this strategy will not be a mere statement of intent but a turning point that delivers genuine equality of participation and that fulfils the promise we made under the UN convention.”
“It is a structural barrier to participation. It limits the opportunities of disabled people to learn, socialise and build independence. It also constrains their families' ability to participate fully in the workforce and in society. The national strategy is ambitious and rightly so. Its commitment to a mainstream first approach and to individualised supports is exactly what is required. However, that mission must be matched with sustained and predictable investment. We must ensure a service day that is long enough to meet need, fund staffing so that transport does not erode the day itself and deliver fairness for rural service users, who cannot be disadvantaged simply because of their geography.”
“Funding was provided for a vehicle but there is no ongoing funding for staff to operate it. The hours required to transport individuals are deducted from the service day itself. When that day is already limited to six hours, every minute lost is significant. I am very appreciative of the extraordinary work of providers like the Brothers of Charity and Ability West and their staff, who do everything possible to stretch limited resources to meet the needs of families. However, even with their dedication, the current funding model forces services to shorten the day and families to structure their lives around it. Working days are cut short, careers are put on hold and household incomes are reduced not by choice, but because the service model does not align with the realities of modern work and family life. This is not a marginal issue.”
“Equal voices, equal actions, equal futures. I welcome the publication of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which is shaped by people who live with disability. This is a landmark moment. This is the first national strategy since Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It commits this Government to a whole-of-government response to equality, participation and choice not merely as aspirations, but as rights that must be achieved. However, we must be honest about the gap between the strategy and its five pillars and the lived experience, especially in rural constituencies such as my own constituency of Roscommon-Galway. This year, 17 new school leavers across six towns are entering adult day services with the Brothers of Charity service in Roscommon.”
“I know the Government is putting huge resources into development of the grid and the production of electricity, as well as looking at the off-site construction solutions that can ramp up supply rapidly in Ireland.”
“Housing is the singular issue of this Dáil and this generation. The new planning framework has gone to the local authorities. What has been the response from the local authorities and what initiatives will the Government take to ensure its instructions to increase the rezoning of land will be carried through at a local level? The development of wastewater treatment plans, and developer-led wastewater treatment plants, would serve small towns and villages very well, as Deputy O'Meara pointed out. There is a pent-up demand for development in small towns and villages but the problem is infrastructure. Of course, there is also the aspect of increasing our energy infrastructure.”
“Services such as One in Four and the dedicated Garda units are essential. This is not only about confronting our past; it is about safeguarding our present and shaping a just, compassionate, future where the rights of children are never again subordinated to the protection of institutions. We owe that to the survivors. We owe it to the children of today, and we must get it right.”
“That broader scope is critical. It was a direct request from survivors, and it has been answered. I also welcome the acceptance of nearly all of the scoping inquiry's recommendations, including a strengthened child protection system and legal reforms. The work ahead on financial redress will not be easy, but it is critical. Survivors have been clear: accountability must include those who oversaw and enabled abuse. I welcome the Government's commitment to explore every legal and constitutional mechanism to ensure that institutions are held to account and contribute meaningfully to any redress scheme. Just as important is how we support survivors today. I commend the Government on ensuring clear information is available on how survivors can access counselling, report abuse, and seek help.”
“It is now time to allow both psychological and emotional restitution and then financial accountability for their abusers and the institutions that shielded them. This motion is about justice long overdue. It is acknowledging the truth, the pain, and the extraordinary courage of survivors who have spoken out. The findings of the scoping inquiry were devastating. There were thousands of allegations and hundreds of schools, and a pattern of silence and inaction that spanned generations. Behind every statistic is a person, a child, a life, forever altered. Survivors came forward not just to be heard but to ask the State to act. Today, we have taken the important step in answering that call. I fully support the Government's decision to establish a full commission of investigation with a remit that includes all types of schools.”
“While many members of religious orders, themselves often conditioned or abused, were good people, it cannot be said their good outweighed the evil that was tolerated in their midst. Diocesan schools, both primary and secondary, must also bear responsibility. This is a deep wound for many good people of faith, but it does not change the reality that these organisations have, time and again, resisted scrutiny and accountability. The lengths some religious orders went to in protecting their financial assets has been truly monumental. The deal reached with the State in the early 2000s, viewed now with 20:20 vision of hindsight - and that is being generous - appears to have helped many institutions avoid real accountability. Even with reduced liability, many of these institutions still did not meet their obligations.”
“It not only protected the abusers but moved them, placing them in new arenas of potential abuse, both here and overseas. It was a system devoid of morality that enabled evil to prosper. It permeated the thinking at the very top echelons of religious and State structures. It was an example of power corrupted, where the preservation of institutions was prioritised above all else, including the safety and well-being of children. It hollowed out the moral and ethical core of this State, which only began to re-emerge in the 1990s. There was an imbued cultural acceptance that authority knew best and that children were not to be believed. That culture was cultivated in an active protection of institutions. The level of coverup was gargantuan, and it continued right up to the present day.”
“I welcome the motion to establish the commission of investigation into the handling of historical child sexual abuse in both boarding schools and our schools generally. I fully support it. I pay tribute to the courage and resilience of the survivors who have campaigned on this issue. I remember the people who were abused who are not with us directly because of the abuse they suffered in silence, in a system they felt would deny them justice, vindicated in their belief by the abused who were denied justice. The scourge of child sexual abuse in these institutions was, unfortunately, pervasive, hidden and corrosive. It resulted in many blighted lives, some ending in the most tragic of circumstances. The power of institutions, both religious and State, ensured concealment, dissimulation and deferred justice.”
“As a GP, I have seen how abuse often escalates during pregnancy. The Women's Aid maternity project in Dublin shows the difference early intervention can make. These supports must be made available not just in urban centres but also in rural communities like mine. That is why I welcome the Government's zero-tolerance strategy that calls for a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. It is built on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention, which are prevention, protection, prosecution and policy co-ordination. I welcome the Minister's commitment to expanding the funding for Cuan beyond the €67 million committed this year. The Government zero-tolerance strategy sets direction.”
“The groundwork for a safe house and refuge has been laid with Cuan and it is essential this project moves forward without delay. I will advocate for its delivery. However, beyond the statistics and services, we must ask the deeper question. Why does this violence persist? It continues because of the attitudes we tolerate, the behaviours we excuse and the silence we allow. If we are serious about ending domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, we must start earlier, by educating young people about respect, consent and healthy relationships. Culture must change and men must be at the heart of it. We must also recognise that abuse is changing. Digital abuse, coercive control and online harassment are growing threats. Our laws, our support services and our education system must keep pace.”
“In 2024, Roscommon Safe Link delivered 146 outreach clinics across Boyle, Castlerea and Ballaghaderreen. In rural counties, these clinics can mean the difference between someone seeking help or remaining trapped in silent terror. The service also supported 37 new children and responded to over 9,300 contacts, including more than 800 crisis calls. Behind every one of those numbers is a person in need. Abuse affects people of all genders. There has been a rise in male clients attending as well. While these are a minority, our response must reflect that reality also. Yet, despite this vital work, County Roscommon still has no dedicated refuge. Survivors fleeing abuse are forced to leave their home county to find safety. This is unacceptable.”
“These figures are deeply troubling. In Ireland, one in three women - 35% - have experienced abuse by an intimate partner. Since 1996, 275 women have lost their lives to violence, mostly in their own homes. These are not just statistics; they represent lives stolen, families devastated and communities left heartbroken. The violence is not confined to others in the headlines. It is happening in our communities. I received figures from Roscommon Safe Link, our local support service, showing a 13% rise in new clients and a 5% rise in existing clients over the last year. This increase reflects both the scale of the problem but also a growing trust in these services. People have reached out because they believe they will be met with compassion and support and I suppose that is the culture we are trying to foster here.”
“Today, I speak not only as a TD for Roscommon-Galway but as a GP with over three decades of experience. In that time, I have witnessed the hidden trauma of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I recognise what Deputy Connolly has said that in some way, the term domestic has minimised what in fact is assault within the home. "Domestics" were sometimes minimised because it was simply "a domestic" and it was treated in a different way than if it was a common assault out on the street. I recognise what the Deputy said in this regard. I have seen the fear in people's eyes, the silent suffering, the intimidated, the coerced and the emotional and psychological scars that last long after physical injuries have healed. I have done that house call on Christmas Day with alcohol-fuelled violence, an injured wife and terrified children.”
“This week, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have rightly emphasised the Government's strong commitment to easing the cost-of-living pressures on families, including the recent move to strengthen the powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to ensure fairness in grocery pricing. Given the extraordinary external pressures of recent years with Covid, the war in Ukraine and the rising global energy costs, will the Tánaiste outline how the Government plans to build on the cost-of-living supports already delivered, particularly with regard to the cost of groceries and essential utilities, to give families greater security and reassurance in the months ahead?”
“In the face of global instability, Ireland can be a magnet for investment, a centre of innovation and a leader in shaping Europe's competitive future. That is the ambition we must hold and it is the action we must take.”
“The European Union is also playing its part, with the Horizon Europe programme, the European Chips Act, and a new push to cut administrative burdens on small businesses and start-ups. The message is clear. We want Europe to be the home of the industries and jobs of the future. However, we must go further. Competitiveness is not only about policy papers; it is about delivery. It means removing the obstacles that hold back growth. It means speeding up planning, strengthening digital infrastructure, supporting education and skills and ensuring that we are not only catching up with global trends, but setting them. Ireland has every reason to be confident. We are an open outward-looking economy with a strong track record of innovation and resilience, but confidence must be matched with action.”
“Universities, research institutions and tech industries are grappling with the unstable funding, political interference and growing barriers to collaboration. That creates a strategic opening for Europe in Ireland. We have the opportunity, not only to compete but to lead. We can be a place where researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs can find a stable, ambitious and forward-looking environment in which to thrive. Thankfully, we are already taking steps in that direction. We are investing in innovation hubs, advanced manufacturing clusters, digital technologies and green energy solutions. We are supporting our universities and research centres to collaborate with industry and to attract the brightest minds from across the globe.”
“In this context, one question that should focus all our minds is: how do we ensure that Europe and Ireland remain competitive in a world that is increasingly volatile, protectionist and unpredictable? Competitiveness today is not only about low costs or access to markets. It is about resilience, innovation, the ability to attract talent, to develop new industries and to lead in the technologies that will shape the future. If we want to succeed, we cannot stand still and we cannot rely on the old assumptions. At the same time, we are witnessing a profound shift across the Atlantic. In the United States, long regarded as a powerhouse for innovation, the environment for research and development has become more uncertain.”
“The affirmation of the EU commitment to the security of Ukraine and ensuring that Russia does not prevail in creating a potential threat to the Baltic States is also welcome. I have made statements on those two issues previously, most recently on the Middle East last week, and would like to focus on the EU's recommitment to competitiveness that was enunciated in the Draghi report. We are living through an era of extraordinary global uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions are deepening, markets are fragmenting, and with the return of aggressive tariff policies under President Trump, the rules of international trade that once brought stability and predictability are being rewritten.”
“Following the 26 June post-Council European statement, I note the EU position on Gaza, Iran, Ukraine and Syria. Ireland has led the EU in advocating for the beleaguered Palestinian people in Gaza and in the West Bank. The Taoiseach has called it genocide and forcefully decried the lack of action on the part of the European Union. There has been formal recognition at EU level, driven by Ireland, of the human rights abuses and a promised review of the Israel-EU association agreement. There is tentative hope that a ceasefire brokered by the US will supersede this and allow a massive humanitarian aid programme to begin. Ireland should continue to campaign for a ceasefire that allows the release of the hostages, relief of the Palestinian people and a permanent political solution based on the two-state principle.”
“The suffering of Gaza's civilians, the ongoing displacement and the deliberate targeting of essential services all point to a man-made disaster, a disaster that in the eyes of many, including our Taoiseach's and mine, meets the definition of genocide. Ireland's voice alone will not end this war. We are a small country but we speak with moral clarity, guided by our history, values and commitment to international law. I stand by those calling for peace, justice and the protection of innocent lives.”
“They are not mutually exclusive. I deplore the repressive regime in Iran and its abuse of human rights, particularly against women, but we must not let this distract from the catastrophe in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned for over 30 years that Iran is on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon, yet that threat has never materialised. We must be cautious of rhetoric that fuels endless war. It would be deeply regrettable if the Israeli Prime Minister's motive in prolonging hostilities in Gaza and Iran was contrived to avoid legal prosecution in Israel. I urge the United States to adopt a more assertive role, not just in brokering a ceasefire, but in guaranteeing it. The world cannot continue to look away.”
“I am proud of the stance Ireland has taken. Since January 2023, we have provided core funding to UNRWA. We formally recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024. We have evacuated sick children and families to Ireland for medical treatment. We have deployed significant diplomatic resources to push for peace and the restoration of international law. We will soon introduce legislation under the occupied territories Bill reflecting our obligations under international law. This crisis has been further complicated by the escalating tension and war between Israel and Iran. I fully support the Government's view, and that of the EU, that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons but this must be achieved through negotiation and not confrontation. Iran asserts the right to peaceful nuclear energy. Israel has a right to security.”
“Israeli soldiers quoted in a Jewish newspaper, Haaretz , claimed they were ordered to fire on aid seekers even when they posed no threat. The IDF denies this but the allegations are credible and deeply concerning. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was hastily created to replace the respected UNRWA, has failed. More than 170 NGOs have called for it to be dismantled. It lacks the experience, transparency and infrastructure to deliver aid safely. The death toll from Israeli attacks at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, GHF, distribution sites now surpasses 500 people. These were innocent people queueing for food. They died not in battle, but in desperation. I support international calls to dismantle the GHF and reinstate reliable humanitarian channels like UNRWA. We must have experienced, effective, secure infrastructure to deliver aid.”
“It is also an obligation under international humanitarian law when civilians are suffering on this scale. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond desperate. The Red Cross has warned that Gaza's remaining public hospitals are either shut or gutted after months of hostilities and supply shortages. UN and other humanitarian workers must be protected at all times as they carry out their life-saving work. Civilian infrastructure, including schools, medical facilities and UN premises, must never be military targets. There must be an immediate large-scale resumption of humanitarian aid. The trickle of aid currently getting in is a drop in the ocean. People are walking tens of kilometres in search of food, only to be met with gunfire.”
“The ceasefire and hostage deal brokered in January offered a fragile, but real, hope to both Israelis and Palestinians and I am glad to hear the Government is calling on all parties to return to serious talks to secure a comprehensive agreement. The United States has now reported that Israel has agreed in principle to a 60-day ceasefire. President Trump has urged Hamas to accept it, but detail remains uncertain and Hamas has yet to respond, although it has indicated willingness to free hostages under the right terms. For its part, Israel has previously insisted that the war will not end unless Hamas is dismantled. These positions must be reconciled if peace is to have any chance. I urge Hamas to respond constructively. Lives depend upon it. A ceasefire is not a surrender. It is a lifeline.”
“In the West Bank, government-sanctioned illegal settlement expansion further undermines the viability of any future Palestinian state. This cannot be justified on security grounds. It appears to be ideological. A war is being prosecuted against a largely defenceless population. More than 60,000 people have been killed, including a shocking proportion of women and children. Civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and UN premises have been repeatedly targeted. A recent Israeli strike on a seafront café which served as one of the only public Wi-Fi hubs left in Gaza killed 20 people. It was one of the last functional windows for local journalists to report on the crisis. Foreign press access to Gaza remains banned. When witnesses are silenced, truth is removed.”
“When a population is brutalised, the next generation inherits a legacy of grievance and defiance. Let me be clear that the attacks on 7 October were abhorrent but the Israeli military response has been grossly disproportionate and counter-productive. It has not secured the release of hostages. It has not brought long-term security to Israel. Instead, it has deepened the suffering, radicalised a new generation and pushed peace further out of reach. Israel's ongoing operations in Gaza and the West Bank appear to be a systematic rejection of the two-state solution. In Gaza, relentless bombing, forced displacement and starvation are creating a humanitarian catastrophe. Conditions are now both physically uninhabitable and psychologically unbearable.”
“The ongoing conflict in Gaza risks igniting a much wider regional war, an outcome that would be profoundly tragic and destabilising. Gaza remains an open wound festering and poisoning relations, not just between Israel and Palestine, but also between Israel and much of the international community. Ireland has made the situation in the Middle East a central foreign policy priority and we remain firmly committed to advocating for a sustainable peace through the realisation of a two-state solution. That a population can be bombed or starved into peace is both morally indefensible and practically impossible. It entrenches a deep collective memory of trauma and persecution among the Palestinian people, which will guarantee that the cycle of violence continues. We in Ireland understand from our history that violence begets violence.”
“Would it be possible for the Minister for Health and her Department and the Government to reconsider their stance on the shingles vaccine given recent studies that show the administration of shingles vaccine in the elderly population has the added benefit of the reduction of the onset of dementia by about 20%? It is a significant additional piece of data published in Nature magazine and based on a study of the introduction of the vaccine in Wales. The shingles vaccine is now offered to all people aged over 60 in the UK, as well as in a number of other jurisdictions. This bit of data improves the cost-benefit analysis of the introduction of a shingles vaccine programme for elderly people.”
“Will the Government commit to examining the case for a multi-agency task force across education, housing, youth and enterprise to tackle the chronic social deprivation that has affected Ballinasloe and made it one of the most deprived areas in the country?”
“Ballinasloe is a proud town in the heart of Ireland, just off the M6, with huge untapped potential. Once home to major employers like Dubarry, Square D and A.T. Cross, Pobal and DEIS data now identify severe deprivation in the town, with intergenerational unemployment and educational inequality. Scoil an Chroí Naofa has been waiting 20 years for redevelopment. Garbally College urgently needs refurbishment notwithstanding its imminent amalgamation with Ardscoil Mhuire. Yet, Ballinasloe's spirit endures. Local businesses, clubs and groups like Ballinasloe Area Community Development, Youthreach and Ballinasloe Social Services work tirelessly, despite long-standing disadvantage.”
“The status quo was simply not good enough. The State can carry a significant burden in terms of the cost of the provision of housing but it cannot carry it all and we do need private investment. It is also important to note this is only part of a suite of measures coming through. There is the planning framework, the change in the role of the Land Development Agency and the extension of its remit, and the appointment of the chair of the planning commission. I am sure that under the new revised housing plan other measures will be introduced by the Minister. It is important that we show urgency in this matter. A generation of younger people expect it of us and if we do not deliver we will be judged accordingly.”
“I support the Bill. It is an important interim measure until the full extension of the RPZs happens next March. It is very important that protection is afforded to tenants in the interim. The Minister and Minister of State have demonstrated their concern that there would not be a precipice and that tenants would not be left vulnerable to some landlords. It would not be all landlords and we need to be careful of the language we use. The extension of the rent pressure zones to the entire country is to be welcomed. It was a difficult process trying to thread that needle to balance the rights of tenants and landlords, and to encourage private investment in the housing market, most especially in the area of apartments. It is clear that targets were not met last year because of the precipitous fall-off of investment in building apartments.”
“The least we owe them is a system of care that honours their dignity, respects their humanity and allows them to live with purpose and autonomy for as long as possible. I support the direction the Government is taking, but we must think more boldly and build a modern model of care that truly meets the needs of a changing Ireland.”
“That means being more ambitious about innovative care models, such as retirement villages, where independence is preserved and intermediate levels of support are provided. It also means addressing the current barriers to home care. Too often, where home care packages are approved, they cannot be delivered due to workforce shortages. We must look seriously at the terms and conditions for home care workers, and invest to make this a sustainable and respected career pathway. I also urge that we examine closely the comparative cost of long-term institutional care with community-based and home care. In many cases, keeping a person at home is better for their well-being and is more cost-effective for the State. The older people we are speaking about today have contributed immensely to the life of this country.”
“She was given excellent care. One of the most natural things in the world was that my children would wander in to visit and chat to her on their way home from school over those two years. We have become too reliant on large, corporate and congregated settings, where that sense of community and personal connection is lost. I know the Minister of State and the Government are committed to increasing the provision of public nursing home places, especially for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's. However, we must look beyond institutional models. We need to build a continuum of care that enables older people to live in their homes and communities for as long as possible. We must also use smart technology to enable them to do so. Nursing home care should be the last resort, not the default option.”
“As a GP who has worked closely with more than ten nursing homes over the last three decades, including excellent, small, community-based homes such as Nightingale in Ahascragh, Oakwood in Roscommon, St. Francis in Kilkerrin and Mountbellew Nursing Home, I have seen the difference that a positive personal culture can make. Older people are living in their communities in those homes, often with contemporaries whom they know, and are cared for by staff whom they also know. Unfortunately, many of these smaller homes are now struggling to remain viable. I am told it takes a congregation of 70 people in a nursing home to make it profitable for private operators. In my area, two excellent homes closed, namely, Ballygar Nursing Home and Brideswell Nursing Home in Athlone. My own grandmother lived for two years and died in Ballygar Nursing Home.”
“Culture within care organisations is equally important; culture ultimately determines the quality of care experienced by patients. We know culture comes from the top down. What we saw in those recent reports was not simply individual misconduct, although such behaviour is inexcusable, but the product of a deeply unhealthy organisational culture, where management is driven primarily by profit, and staff are clearly undervalued, undermanaged and deprived of the most basic tools to do their job. In such an environment, it is inevitable that standards would degrade and that staff would become demoralised, demotivated and disconnected. Culture is more difficult to measure, but we must find a way to do that. We must find a way to financially sanction those private companies that do not manage those nursing homes properly.”
“Many of our older people are living longer, more healthy, independent and productive lives, which is to be welcomed. However, when their living needs change, it must not be a binary choice of home or a nursing home. There are people in nursing homes today who would be better served by sheltered or supervised living in the community. It is essential that we get the regulatory framework right. I welcome that the Minister of State has met the chief inspector of HIQA and that he plans to appear before the health committee shortly. I also welcome the Government's commitment to progressing safeguarding legislation while recognising existing protective legislation, policies and protocols. While regulation is vital, it is only one part of the solution.”
“Like the Minister of State and every Member in this House, I was deeply disturbed by the scenes broadcast on the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme. While immediate and decisive action is required in those specific cases in Glasnevin and Portlaoise - and I fully support the Government's commitment to that - this must also be a catalyst for wider reflection. How are we going to care for a growing population of older people, many of whom will require some level of support to live with dignity and independence? Our population is ageing rapidly. That is a mark of progress in public health, but it presents serious challenges. We must ensure that our care system is prepared, not just for immediate pressures, but for the longer-term demands that will come with demographic change.”
“Thankfully, there are some acute psychotic episodes that are related to stress and people do very well once there is early intervention but to widen the terminology to psychosocial disability would do something we thought we had left behind us. I think of how 40 or 50 years ago, we put people into psychiatric units who should never have been there for a range of reasons. Psychosocial covers a myriad of things from social behaviour to personality disorder and addiction issues. We have moved on from that. There must be a high bar for involuntary admission. I believe practitioners in the community apply a high bar to it for the very reason that it is an enormous step to detain someone, take away their liberty and involuntarily admit them to a psychiatric institution.”
“I oppose this amendment. Regarding the term "psychosocial disabilities", involuntary admission is a very unusual instrument in the State. We have a very low rate of involuntary admission compared to other jurisdictions most especially the UK, which is our closest neighbour. It is a really serious step for any practitioner in the community to involuntarily admit someone. This is based on my 35-year experience as a GP. The situations where we have admitted people to hospital involuntarily are those where someone is psychotically ill - usually with schizophrenia, bipolar manic depressive disorder or acute psychotic episode.”
“They might feel better tomorrow because they had a good night's sleep. I do not want to trivialise this, but we need to give weight to psychotic conditions where people are seriously ill or to people who have neurotic conditions with severe persistent symptoms that are dysfunctional. We have to give way to that. At this time, "mental disorder" is probably the best term.”