I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the HSE's public dental and orthodontic service in south Tipperary. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. The HSE oral healthcare service aims to provide an oral examination and necessary treatment for children at ages approximating to second and sixth class and, in some cases, fourth class. Emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16 and for those with complex and additional needs. The HSE provides orthodontic treatment …

I have listened to the Deputy and taken on board the points he has made. I will bring them back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The Deputy has advocated for his constituents to ensure they have better dental and orthodontic treatment services. I assure him that improving access to dental care for children is a priority. We need an accelerated response to the staffing deficit that Tipperary is experiencing. We must also ensure that waiting lists are reduced significantly over the time ahead. The Government…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Health. It is great to get an opportunity to provide an update and acknowledge the extraordinary role played by healthcare workers in protecting us during the pandemic. In recognition of those exceptional circumstances, a special scheme was introduced in July 2022 to support eligible public health sector staff who developed long Covid. This was a temporary and exceptional measure, unique to the health sector, designed to acknowl…

I acknowledge the extraordinary service of our healthcare workers during the pandemic. The temporary special scheme for long Covid was an exceptional measure that was introduced in recognition of the unique risk faced by staff in those early days and uncertain times. It provided sustained support for nearly five years, which was a level of protection unmatched in any other sector. The Deputy is dressing this up in another way that is not reflective of the level of support that has been provided to date. Although th…

I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this important matter of EV charging points in Laois. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. A significant challenge to EV uptake by consumers i…

I thank Deputy Stanley for his advocacy and for raising this matter on the floor of the Dáil. It is not the first time he has raised it and it is an important issue for those who have EVs. They do need more security and predictability in regard to charging networks and facilities. There are three ongoing schemes, LDV1, LDV2 and LDV3, being administered by the Department of Transport and these will ensure Ireland meets its EU targets for a publicly accessible EV charging network. For LDV1, a total of 131 high-powere…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, to update the House on the current position regarding Cloontagh National School in County Longford. Cloontagh National School is a two-teacher school based in Killashee parish. The school is under the patronage of Bishop Paul Connell and a Catholic ethos is upheld. School enrolment has decreased from 23 in 2021 to 2022, to 14 in 2025 to 2026, reflecting the national…

I thank the Deputy again for raising important points regarding a school in her constituency. I will ensure I take those points back to the Minister for education, Deputy Naughton. I emphasise again that the Department is fully committed to ensuring there is appropriate accommodation available for all school pupils and will, in the wider context, continue to engage with Cloontagh National School and ensure the building project for the school is subject to the required diligence under the Government's infrastructure…

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, to outline to the House the current position regarding the school projects for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools, Station Road, Dunboyne, County Meath. These school building projects will deliver a new 24-classroom primary school, with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs for the senior school, and the construction of an eight-class…

I again thank Deputy O’Rourke for bringing this important matter to the floor of the Dáil. I certainly agree with him regarding the time dependency relating to this project. I will take the points he has raised back to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, in the context of her consideration of the needs of Dunboyne junior and senior national schools and ask that they be considered as part of the ongoing Department-led prioritisation process. The consultation with the school patron and the school authority will continue. …

I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. The irony here is that Sinn Féin voted against yesterday’s cut in excise duty, which will make the cost of fuel at the pumps cheaper and reduce the cost of energy and fuel for households and families. The Deputy is about blaming the Government for its lack of action, when we actually took action. Sinn Féin was the only Opposition party to vote against the cut. It looks like Sinn Féin is making it up as it goes along every single day. Even the Private Members' Bil…

Sinn Féin voted against the cut.

People will see.

I thank the Deputy for raising the points she has. On this side of the House, we do not agree with them. The carbon tax has been one of the most progressive taxes we have introduced. It has contributed-----

-----more than €4.7 billion to the Exchequer.

It has allocated more than €170 million-----

------to the ACRES scheme. That is a programme that has a direct impact on rural communities across the country. It is the Sinn Féin model to spend fast, wide and worry later. How would we replace the revenue streams that support these vital programmes-----

-----not just ACRES but also the fuel allowance and the expansion of the fuel allowance? It supports the fuel allowance. How would we generate the revenue that supports 470,000 households and indeed the likes of the home retrofitting programme? It has made a substantial difference. That is why we have expanded it for four weeks. It is targeted to those who are most impacted. We have also put in measures to reduce the cost and we have been very upfront that we cannot cover all sectors and households-----

-----but the €250 million package announced on Wednesday will be of enormous benefit by any yardstick. If we look at what Sinn Féin is doing up the North, it is introducing a measly €30 that will not be introduced until 1 July. Its hypocrisy in telling us down here when it stands still in the North when it has a Minister for the economy and finance doing absolutely zero, shines in the face of its lack of responsibility or urgency in regards to these needs. We have put the measures in place and legislated for them, …

I thank Deputy Smith for introducing this Bill. It is understood that this Bill seeks to amend the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 to create a statutory entitlement to leave with pay from employment in order to enable an employee to avail of cervical, breast or colon cancer screening programmes provided by the national screening service or any other screening programme recommended to employees by his or her medical practitioner. Improving participation in the HSE’s national screening service is something we a…