Michael Collins
Cork South-West · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“This matter has been raised twice already this morning, but it is hugely important. I will make a personal appeal to the Taoiseach regarding Skyclarys and the further delay that has now arisen. Yesterday, Emma O'Shea came to Leinster House from west Cork with her mother, father and brother.”
“Another huge problem which normally arises in August is that relating to school buses. Parents have no way to get their children to school because of the nearest school rule. The current and previous programmes for Government contain promises that this will be done away with, but nothing has happened. The rule needs to be abolished.”
“Every parent knows that September has become one of the most expensive months of the year. While free schoolbooks are welcome, many families now face growing costs for other items. Parents are being asked to purchase laptops that cost €400 or more, make increased payments for school transport and pay charges to cover examination fees.”
“Either 25 children are left without a school place this September, or two senior infants classes are merged into one class of 34 children. Does the Minister of State agree that schools should not be punished for helping to solve an enrolment crisis? Will he immediately sanction the additional teaching posts required for St.”
“Education should not be measured by means of the distance someone lives from school, and school transport should not be measured on that basis either. I want to raise a matter that Councillor Bill Clear brought to my attention. It is a very serious issue regarding St. Corban’s National School in Naas in County Kildare.”
“I was chairperson of a board of management and know the difficulties that schools face just because they are one or two children short. That can be made up as the year goes on but it is a crisis that Councillor Clear finds unacceptable.”
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“A few weeks ago, I raised with the Taoiseach some scandalous transactions by a number of financial advisers that have led to genuine investors getting stung for millions. Since raising this issue, I have been contacted by numerous people who have had their honest savings robbed. The last time I spoke on this, I knew of around ten people who were affected. Now, I have at least 60 people who are in this situation. The number is rising. The regulation of standards and practice is the norm for many areas of work in this State. In healthcare, we have HIQA, which conducts regular inspections of our health service to ensure standards are met and users are safe. In the food and hospitality industry, the Food Safety Authority ensures that standards are met by means of carrying out regular inspections of premises.”
“Roll out proper therapists, proper teachers and proper spaces now. I support much of this motion because parents have waited long enough. We will also hold every Minister's feet to the fire. It is about common sense. Every child matters, not next year and not with a consultation, but now.”
“I am aware of a constituent who has a physical and intellectual disability and despite repeated requests from her family she has had very little input from disability services since 2019. Most recently a particular organisation has not accepted her for a referral for a placement. That organisation has not provided adequate explanations for why it has not accepted her. Several emails have passed between our offices and the organisation seeking clarity. The woman is at home six days a week with her elderly parents. It is terribly distressing. I agree with the push on better training for teachers for special needs but training alone without real world practice is useless. We deem that every new teacher has experience with children with different abilities. To the Government I would say no more pilot projects.”
“Kids are missing out because of penny-pinching in the system. We say more. We should stop making SNAs jump through hoops. They deserve permanent and respected jobs rather than second-class treatment. The motion speaks of in-school therapies. We back that but we also demand proper investment rather than vague promises. Independent Ireland is proud to have called for play, art and music therapies to be fully part of every child's school day. We support a full review of special education law. The delay relating to the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act is a national scandal. Let us remember that no review or paper will fix this without money or manpower.”
“This motion highlights real failures in special education, and Independent Ireland says it is long overdue. We agree that too many children have been left without places. That is not just a statistic; it is heartbreak in every community. We have said loudly before that a national plan for special education is needed rather than sticking plasters. We support Labour's call for a centralised system but it must also be kept local. Cork needs and solutions can be different from those in Dublin. Transport for children with special needs is critical and I am glad it is mentioned but there should have been a national guarantee years ago. Let us be clear; we need to put parents and schools at the centre rather than just having the Department in Dublin shuffling papers. Independent Ireland backs lifting the barriers on hiring SNAs.”
“It is not enough to trade blame across these benches like farmers swapping cattle at a mart. We must act and act decisively. We must have a full independent public inquiry with no half-measures, no internal reviews and no political shielding. Every family affected must have the truth in plain language, not buried under legal jargon and committee findings. We must reform the very bones of our healthcare governance, replace opacity with transparency, replace political appointments with merit and integrity, and restore the sacred trust between patient and care and between family and State. Independent Ireland believes in a healthcare system where no child waits in agony for cancer surgery, where no parent has to learn from a newspaper that their child's care was compromised and where promises made are promises kept.”
“We hear calls from across the Dáil and from broken-hearted parents for the board to resign and for an independent investigation. Let me be clear: an investigation is not a favour to the people; it is a duty owed to them. Anything less is an insult to every family that trusted the system with their child. We are told surgeries have been cancelled because of resource constraints and children were lying in pain because budgets could not stretch far enough, while management salaries soared and new hospital projects blew through every promised deadline and cost ceiling. What of the new children's hospital, the project that was meant to be a beacon of hope? It now stands as a monument to waste, delay and mismanagement, with billions spent, years lost and trust the greatest loss of all. It is not enough to wring our hands and draft more reports.”
“A wrong that has been done to a child is a wrong we should all be ashamed of. Today, we gather in the shadow of not one scandal but a series of failures that stretch across the institution entrusted with the care of our youngest and most vulnerable children's health. First, there was the horror of the Temple Street spinal surgery scandal, where children already burdened with illness were subject to surgeries that raised grievous concerns. How many were left with more suffering than healing? Where was the oversight? Where was the compassion? Then came the flood of revelations about the systematic governance failures and the collapse of responsibility at every level, with reports hidden, families kept in the dark and decisions made behind closed doors. Is this the Ireland that we are proud to leave to the next generation?”
“Does the Taoiseach accept that this is hitting the most vulnerable in society and will he freeze any more increases in carbon tax?”
“Another carbon tax increase will hit people hard in the pocket tomorrow morning. Last October, carbon tax increases hit motorists in the pocket as petrol and diesel increased from €56 per tonne to €63.50 per tonne. Tomorrow's increase will hit people using gas, home heating oil, coal and briquettes. Household gas bills will rise by €17. The cost of home heating oil will rise by €19 per 900 l. It now costs €160 extra for 900 l of home heating oil and 17 cent extra for a litre of petrol or diesel since the carbon tax began. Carbon tax receipts topped the €1 billion mark last year. Independent Ireland called for a freeze on carbon tax increases in the run-up to the last election, as did many Independent TDs who have now changed their minds.”
“I have been asking for the last number of weeks at Business Committee meetings for a debate on a farming issue. There are 9,000 farmers without ACRES payments - 2023 payments and 2024 payments. These farmers need to pay their bills urgently. Tomorrow morning, with a carbon tax up on people's backs again, it is becoming impossible to live. We need a debate here to see where these payments are and why they are not being paid out to farmers, as well as on the carbon tax, which they cannot afford.”
“What I am saying is that the political parties are misleading the people when they come in with these figures, whether it is Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Social Democrats or the Labour Party. They have misled the people continuously by giving figures that can never be delivered until we have a proper Uisce Éireann or Irish Water: a company that can tell us what is going to happen and when it is going to happen. That is not happening at this stage.”
“A gentleman told me at a meeting last year that his son jumped into the water, and he was sick for several days after because he drank raw sewage - that is basically what he ended up doing. It has been 20 years in Ballydehob and in Goleen, where I live, it has been 25 years. We are going absolutely nowhere. If farmer has a leakage on the farm, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and Cork County Council come down on him or her and closes the business. They will put that farmer out of business and fine him or her. When it comes to Uisce Éireann, however, there is no accountability. The EPA has gone blind; its officials have gone to sleep behind a desk somewhere. It is not really kicking in the enforcements and the laws that it has.”
“This is what I am saying to the Minister of State. Is there a possibility - it has happened before - that a developer who wants to build houses where houses are needed in places like Dunmanway will be brought on board with Uisce Éireann to co-fund the development of wastewater treatment plants? That is what we need to look at. There is an opportunity here. We are not moving if we are depending on Uisce Éireann to deliver, because it has said it does not have the moneys and if it does not, I cannot argue with that. On the other side is Shannonvale, where raw sewage has been pouring into the local play park for 27 years. Raw sewage is going into the tide in Rosscarbery.”
“The first thing Independent Ireland did in its policies was to state that Uisce Éireann would be compelled to give a start and finish date within five years, because the people of Dunmanway need to know whether their sons and daughters, and Cahalane Brothers builders, can build houses in Dunmanway going forward. Are they going to be blocked for ten more years? Are they going to be blocked for 30 years? No one seems to know, and that is the astonishing thing. It is fine for me to be in here bashing Uisce Éireann; I am not here bashing Uisce Éireann. I would love to come into this Chamber and tell the Minister of State that it has done well and got the treatment back. Raw sewage is pouring in through the tide there. Look at Shannon. That has been about 15 years, and no house is going to be built.”
“I did say, in fairness, that if it was allowed, we would forward the questions to the Minister of State so that he would have answers rather than just throwing questions out and walking away. The whole point I am trying to make is that we need to look at how we are going to get past the crisis we have at the moment. I will pick a town like Dunmanway in west Cork. We have had several meetings with Uisce Éireann but we have gone no further than talking about workshops or sweet shops. I do not know what they are on about but, anyway, there is all this kind of nonsense. That is going nowhere as such. That has been pushed out now to 2030 or 2032 - we do not really know.”
“I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak on this debate today. I sit on the Business Committee, and I have been seeking this debate for five weeks. It has taken a hell of a long time to get here. I mean absolutely no disrespect to the Minister of State, but the senior Minister should be here. The huge issue of wastewater and Uisce Éireann - whatever aspect of it we want to talk about - is a national issue and a national crisis. I could be here for two days talking about the issues in my constituency, but I want to look at a way forward too. I asked last week that we would have a question-and-answer session, which was not allowed; that is fair enough.”
“What action is our new Minister for the marine taking to secure a bluefin tuna quota for Ireland? Additionally, when can we expect to receive our quota, given the abundance of this fish in Irish waters?”
“Following on from my question two weeks ago in the Dáil about Ireland retaining our fishing rights off Rockall, in recent years the population of bluefin tuna has significantly increased. Denmark and Norway have successfully applied to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and received quotas, while the Japanese fleet is fishing along the 200-mile international limit to freeze bluefin tuna for its market. This raises concerns about its carbon footprint and unlicensed fishing practices. While I know Ireland has requested the opening of discussions at EU level to advance our case for bluefin tuna quota, we also know that other member states are resistant to any discussion on amending relative stability for this stock.”
“If the Minister expects the public will still pay for water while the service is not at its best by any manner or means, it has another thing coming. I would appreciate it if the Minister were to look at that. Basically, we need to look at repairing leaks. In Bantry there are continuous leaks. As soon as one pops, it pops all over the town and it leaves people in a very bad situation.”
“It needs to take a long look back at the history of where the water charges went the previous time and the huge disquiet among the ordinary citizens of this country. The quality of the water has to come into play too. Uisce Éireann is really quite questionable. We will be talking about wastewater treatment plants later this week but for now we are dealing with water. Deputy Ken O'Flynn was in this House only two weeks ago and he held up a glass of water from his constituency. You would not know was it a glass of Coke or what. It was certainly not a glass of clear water. It was scandalous to see the condition of the water there. There are an awful lot of issues and the public has no confidence in Uisce Éireann delivering.”
“There could be a leak and they might not bother or want to fix that leak. We also have to look at businesses out there. How many businesses out there are paying water charges? They are paying rates, they are paying every such thing. I think a new charge was introduced recently if they have stools or chairs and tables outside their doors. As if to God they were not beaten down enough, that is another rate that these business people in the Cork County Council area are being hit with, on top of VAT and everything else. Some people out there are paying exorbitant amounts of money for water, but more are not. In a situation where people are paying huge money in property tax, carbon tax and every kind of tax going, the very least we can get in this country is free water. The Government is wrong here to oppose this Bill.”
“I am totally opposed to water charges. I was one of the people who protested very strongly against water charges at the time. The problem we have is that very little is recognised in this House regarding people who do pay for water. In agriculture, the farmers pay for water. I paid for three connections. My son is paying for it now because he is running the farm. It is a huge burden to farmers and they have to show responsibility. If there are leaks, they have to deal with the issue immediately. Where there could be a problem and where I could at least listen to the argument as to how we will stop it is that somebody in a housing estate, and no disrespect to people there, could turn on a tap and walk away because there is no responsibility as such. There has to be some bit of responsibility.”
“I have found that they have been left wide open regarding any kind of pension. One cannot base a woman's pension on her husband's salary or pension. That has to stop.”
“They have worked hard all their lives but have been left without a pension, which is very unfair. While this Bill is going in the right direction and we support it, other areas like women's pensions should be looked at. These women have worked hard and deserve this but have been refused this little bit of extra pension or even a pension at all, or much of their pension is based on their husbands' income. This has to stop. These women deserve respect but, unfortunately, they are not afforded it. These issues need serious attention. I am very concerned about a lot of women who worked very hard and got zero pension in some cases, which is not good enough for a State that prides itself in looking after its elderly. It certainly has not looked after some women who have come to me down through the years.”
“Since 2016, CIÉ salaries for active staff have increased by approximately 30% while the increase for pensioners has been nil. That is the point I am trying to make. While this Bill is very important and we support it, other improvements need to be made. People in their elderly years need more respect but this is not being afforded to them. I listed a few of the issues there. Community employment workers are coming to me looking to see whether they can continue their work. They have been refused this. Local community and voluntary groups are desperate to keep these workers on board but they cannot do so. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could look into these issues as well. Women's pensions constitute a hugely important issue. Many women in retirement come to us.”
“No increase in pensions has been approved by the CIÉ board since 2008. The whole point I am trying to make is that this could also be brought in under this Bill. These are people who have not had a pension increase. They are in the Ceann Comhairle's constituency and in my constituency. Since 2008, for 16 years, despite repeated requests and representations the majority of CIÉ pensioners who are members of the 1951 scheme have no other income and do not qualify for the State pension because as public servants they paid class D1. They did not have a choice when they joined CIÉ - it was the only option. Since 2008, the consumer price index has increased by 20.8%. The State pension has increased by 24% before adding the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance.”
“It is very relevant. In fairness to a person who has the pension and is trying to enjoy life at 75 years of age, that is unfair. That needs to be looked at as part of this Bill going forward. We certainly should look at that. We should look at Bus Éireann as well. Up until 2008 CIÉ pensioners were awarded increases to their pensions in line with pay increases to active staff.”
“Additionally, individuals who are capable and willing to continue working beyond this age should have the right to do so. However, the problem is that we have so many issues in relation to people who deserve respect at any age. I know a gentleman in my constituency in west Cork whose pension was withdrawn a few weeks ago. I raised this in the Dáil. He had an operation and his doctor advised him to take some time abroad if he could. He did and his pension was taken away from him. He is on a non-contributory pension.”
“As this is my first time addressing the Minister of State, I welcome her to her position and look forward to working with her in the time ahead. The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 aims to help employees who are forced to retire before the State pension age of 66. It allows employees to choose not to retire at the contractual age if it is below 66 unless the employer has a valid reason. The Bill also prevents employers from penalising employees who wish to continue working past retirement age. Its goal is to bridge the income gap for early retirees, encourage longer working lives and support broader pension reforms to ensure stable and predictable retirement incomes which we in Independent Ireland support. I propose that the retirement age be reinstated to its original threshold of 65 years.”
“Cancer Connect, the hugely successful cancer transport service, is available throughout County Cork and is delivered on the ground by a team of 430 volunteer drivers of several vehicles. The years 2023 and 2024 alone saw between 6,000 and 7,000 passenger journeys recorded. The impact this transport has on the lives of those on a cancer journey and the extended community is extensive. Cancer Connect has gone beyond the realm of surviving on community donations. The company is now struggling to budget efficiently for 2025 without any guaranteed income secured. The Department of Health made a commitment last October to fund Cancer Connect up to €50,000. This was greatly received but to deliver on this ever-growing service, Cancer Connect will need an annual budget of up to €100,000. Will this be achieved in the next budget?”
“Last week, a staggering 9,300 farmers were waiting since early 2024 on delayed ACRES payments. Some 2,302 of these farmers are waiting for their 2023 payment. We also have a tariff crisis facing Irish agriculture. Farmers also want to discuss – I met the IFA on this – Ireland’s derogation scheme. It is now about pointing the direction for Ireland and we need to have a discussion on agriculture this week in the Dáil.”
“I ask the Taoiseach to engage with the powers that be in the Central Bank and ask them to meet with a number of these innocent investors to see how these scam operators can be weeded out and these investors can have their moneys returned to them.”
“This scheme by the financial adviser seems similar to the Dolphin Trust, now known as German Property Group, which promised high interest payments on original investors' capital before collapsing, owing £1 billion and catching 1,800 Irish investors for €100 million. I raised this issue briefly last week in the Dáil and received an email last night from another investor who has now realised he has lost €500,000 of money he honestly invested. All of this has been going on, and for years the Central Bank seems to have been lying idly by while these advisers drive around the likes of Kinsale and set up business in Carrigaline. They are getting off scot-free and laughing at the great scams they have pulled off on these innocent people.”
“Having been given reassurances by the financial adviser that they would get their money back, my constituent went to buy a house only to be subsequently advised the money was gone. This had a devastating effect on the constituent, who started to conduct their own investigation. They discovered there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in a similar position. Many feel isolated, ashamed and lost as to where to turn. My constituent made a complaint to the ombudsman in June 2024 and is still awaiting an outcome. The Garda fraud squad has been notified. Loan notes and companies are regulated by the Central Bank. This raises the question as to whether the Central Bank is conducting checks on companies and their indemnity. Is the Central Bank conducting checks on the people who set up these companies?”
“These same financial advisers then go and set up another company and continue to take investments from other innocent honest people without paying back what they took off previous people. To date, 11 companies have been set up by this financial adviser. I will give examples of the sums of money people have lost. People have lost €10,000, €150,000, €350,000, €450,000, €700,000 and many similar amounts. My constituent has been looking for their money back since 2021. There have been 3,800 emails back and forth between the financial adviser and the constituent but no money has been paid. Frequently, the financial adviser promises to pay back the money but the scam goes on while these advisers drive around in the same neighbourhood with top-of-the-range Range Rovers, living lavish lifestyles.”
“Over 13 years ago, a constituent of mine who sought financial advice on clearing their mortgage was advised by a financial adviser to invest their money with the same adviser, who guaranteed returns to pay back the mortgage and also to make money. This constituent made €40,000 on an initial investment of €50,000. They subsequently reinvested €45,000 plus another €105,000 over a period of time, bringing their total investment up to €200,000. Other family members were encouraged by the financial adviser to invest their money, which they did. This brought the total family investment to €360,000. The financial adviser promised to invest the money in trusted companies. This is where the scam starts. For this person, and so many more, the company went into liquidation, leaving my constituent and many like them in financial ruin.”
“The role played by some financial advisers in this State needs to be investigated immediately. The issue of financial advisers taking people's money for investments and the client getting no return for that same investment is both a local and national one. The issue has been aired on RTÉ on more than one occasion, most recently in March on RTÉ's "The Complaints Bureau", which reported on how loan notes were given to clients by financial advisers in return for their money. These loan notes then appeared to be worthless even though they are covered by the Central Bank. Constituents in my constituency, the Taoiseach's constituency and throughout the country have lost millions of euro due to these financial advisers. I will give one example from the dozens I am aware of.”
“Furthermore, we hold that non-citizens who commit serious crimes should be deported immediately. Applicants with violent or sexual convictions should not be allowed entry into our country. I mentioned quite a few young people. One young man in west Cork who has done quite a lot and whose work has probably gone unnoticed is Aidan Burke. He is a kind of a rap musician. I met him recently. He put together a song for young people who have mental health problems. He needs to be recognised. This is what we need to do. We must recognise the good young people out there.”
“The first Garda divisional youth awards were established by a local juvenile liaison officer in west Cork in 1995. He recognised the tremendous efforts of young people in the community that deserved acknowledgement. Since then, the awards have grown significantly. We have some great young people and we should not always be down on them. I recently met one such lad at a St. Patrick's Day parade in Skibbereen, a 15-year-old kickboxing world champion named Evan Collins. There are many more great young people in this country and we must ensure they are involved in the community. We must give them something to do and encourage them to get involved. Independent Ireland advocates for increased Garda funding, housing support and recruitment initiatives. We also believe that repeat offenders should face appropriate consequences for their actions.”
“I do this because he lives in the same community in which he works in Ballydehob. It is greatly important to the people of the Mizen Peninsula to have a garda living in the Garda station there. His family are there too. It is a great service to the local community. Damian White is another garda who comes to mind. He works with the youth. We have the An Garda Síochána Youth Awards. The point I am trying to make is that not all young people are bad. An incredible number of great young people are out there. They have a great deal to offer and we need to squeeze that potential out of them. The only way we can do that is through the An Garda Síochána Youth Awards at divisional and national level to celebrate outstanding young people aged between 13 and 21 by recognising the positive contributions they make to their communities.”
“The foundation of my political career lies in my beginnings within the voluntary community sector. I firmly believe everybody should engage with their communities in some capacity. Recently, I addressed the pressing issue of the lack of gardaí in rural Ireland. We have witnessed the closure of Garda stations without replacements. This has led to a decline in the sense of safety that once prevailed in the past. If people had an issue, they could visit their local Garda station where they would know the gardaí and they would know you and your family. This connectivity between the community and the Garda was always invaluable and should have been continued. We have had some exceptional gardaí in west Cork. I often mention their names here, such as Garda Jonathan McCarthy.”
“Councillor Daniel Sexton and myself attended a public meeting last Monday night, and I heard the same as I have heard year in and year out. The council is blaming the Department as its seeks clarity, and the Department blaming the council. Those who attended were rightly furious. I promised the people present that I would raise this issue with the Tánaiste. Will he speak with the relevant Minister to meet immediately with council officials to cut out the confusion to pave the way for funds to be delivered on these hugely Keelbeg pier works in Union Hall?”
“The people of Union Hall, Glandore and surrounding areas are rightly frustrated with the progress on promised improvements to their local pier. These promises are going on for years, and in that time, they have had visits from the Taoiseach and the former Minister for agriculture and the marine, looking at what needs to be done and raising the hopes of local fishermen and the tourism sector that funding would be given, but nothing has followed. The local authority has said there are three phases to the works that need to be done: first, refurbishment of the old pier; second, development of an additional 150 m of quay space for commercial fishing; and third, dredging of the channel for access to the pier facility.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. Last October, the women of this country were promised free HRT, with implementation set for January. We are now into April but nowhere nearer a start date. It is incorrect for the Minister for Health to place the blame on the Irish Pharmacy Union. The delays are on the side of the Department of Health. Many people are contacting pharmacists expecting prescribed medication to be free under the assumption the scheme has already been implemented by the Government. It is unfair to blame the pharmacists for this confusion. To be honest and fair to the women of this country, when will this scheme be rolled out and will it be entirely free?”
“Time and again, we have heard the words "more" ,"mná" and "equality for women" in the Dáil. While I fully support women, I suggest that instead of merely talking about helping them, we should take concrete actions to support them. This scheme was supposed to make life easier for women but, as we know, it is not as straightforward as we were led to believe. For women, the choice between paying essential bills, such as the ESB bill, or covering the ever-increasing cost of food takes precedence over their own health needs. This should not be the case. Given these delays and the financial burden on women, can the Tánaiste provide a clear timeline for implementation of the HRT scheme and detail the steps being taken to resolve these issues?”
“Patients still have to pay for GP consultations and pharmacy dispensing fees, significantly adding to their costs. Maybe, in hindsight, calling it a free scheme was a bit of a long shot. Hormone replacement therapy has significant benefits and impacts women's lives. It can alleviate symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings, improve bone density and enhance overall quality of life. Women undergoing HRT often experience increased energy levels, better skin condition and improved emotional well-being. In Ireland, according to one report, 78% of women report that menopausal symptoms interfere with their daily activities and 31% use HRT to manage these symptoms. These benefits highlight the importance of making HRT accessible and free, as promised.”
“The scheme was supposed to alleviate this financial burden for women experiencing menopause. Furthermore, the cost of getting a prescription from a GP for HRT includes a GP visit fee of €50 to €70 and some pharmacies charge a dispensing of €5 to €10. Pharmacists have contacted me and raised several concerns regarding the free HRT scheme. These concerns underscore the need for clear communication, a robust IT infrastructure and a well-defined implementation plan to ensure the scheme benefits those in need. Pharmacists flagged problems with the scheme from the time it was announced, particularly the misleading name "free HRT", which has caused confusion for patients who thought it would cover all costs, like the free contraception scheme.”
“Last October, the former Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, announced that hormone replacement therapy, HRT, would be made free, which was widely welcomed. However, despite the scheme being scheduled to roll out in January, it has yet to be implemented, leaving women to continue paying for their medication. The Irish Pharmacy Union has highlighted several issues, including insufficient communication from the Department of Health, no IT system for the pharmacists' reimbursement and no fixed date for the scheme's commencement. Additionally, it looks like the scheme excludes GP consultation fees and pharmacy dispensing charges, leading to criticism that the term "free HRT" is misleading. HRT typically costs a woman between €30 and €70 per month, amounting to as much as €840 annually.”
“They are a credit to their community. The problem, however, is that they are out there nights on their own, summer and winter, because of the lack of gardaí in west Cork. The numbers of gardaí are falling. They are not being replaced. Drimoleague Garda station comes up quite often with me. People ask why there is no garda appointed to the station. The Garda station is there but a garda is not. We need to look at community alerts. That is where policing was always at its best, when the local community knew of every mood that was going on. The garda would make it into the local village once every two or three weeks and got things sorted out locally. That saved lives and made people happy at home. This has to be looked into further.”