I thank the Minister. In Fianna Fáil, we recognise the major contribution carers make to this society, many giving up careers and job opportunities and often providing full-time care to their loved ones. They take away a huge burden that would otherwise have to be met by the State by means of the use of third-party residences and institutional care for people who are disabled or had special or additional needs is something we moved away form many years ago. Fianna Fáil has been the party of the carer's allowance. I…

I welcome the Minister's reply. I also welcome the increases in the income rates to allow people to qualify for the carer's allowance. I recognise and welcome the commitment of the Government to a phasing out of the means test for the carer's allowance. I welcome the improved benefits under the carer's allowance scheme, the extension of the allowance to the self-employed and the provision of access to the State pension. It is absolutely important that we continue to support carers in their very onerous tasks. Many …

I wish to highlight the urgent need for the long-promised rehabilitation unit at Roscommon University Hospital. In 2015 a commitment was made for a €7.8 million investment to provide 20 dedicated rehabilitation beds, yet despite entering detailed design phase in 2021, the appointment of a design team in 2022 and further design assessments in 2023, the rehab unit was abruptly omitted from the HSE Capital Plan 2024 without explanation. We face a 50% shortfall in neurorehabilitation beds nationwide with huge geographi…

I can take it that the Minister of State is confirming that the rehabilitation unit in Roscommon University Hospital is still planned for the area and is undergoing review in the spatial assessment he described. The people of Roscommon have reason to be suspicious. They feel that, after reconfiguration, for which a whole host of new services were developed, including a successful medical assessment unit and injuries and endoscopy units, things in the hospital have been left in abeyance. As I have pointed out, the o…

In the context of Storm Éowyn, will the Tánaiste outline the specific protocols and contingency plans in place to ensure the Defence Forces' assistance in future natural disasters and the criteria that are used to determine the deployment of the Defence Forces in emergency situations?

I am reassured by the Tánaiste's answer regarding the Army's role in dealing with any future natural disaster. We must put it in the context of the devastation that was caused on the west coast, most especially in the Roscommon-Galway constituency that I represent but also in west Galway, Leitrim and Cavan. Forests were blown down, roads were blocked, water supplies were cut off and people had no electricity. In some cases, people did not have water supplies for up to 20 days. This was an intolerable situation. It …

I am reassured by what the Tánaiste said. What we need is a reassurance that we learn lessons from this storm. There needs to be the three corridors. We need Uisce Éireann and our local group water schemes to be generator ready. The three corridors issue might be a bit more complicated to solve, but it has to be solved in the national interest, when 700,000 households were without electricity, some of them for almost three weeks. In that context, people need to be reassured that every asset of the State is put into…

The future of healthcare in Ireland is at a turning point. Demand is increasing, with a growing, ageing and more sophisticated population. We have an opportunity to create a system that is patient centred, community driven and sustainable. Our focus must be on prevention and accessibility and ensuring that care is delivered where and when people need it most. A strong healthcare system relies on robust primary care and community care. Hospitals play a vital role but they cannot be a default option. We must continue…

In 2015, Roscommon University Hospital was allocated €7.85 million for a vital rehabilitation unit. It was part of a deal for the reconfiguration of the hospital after 2011 and of the enhanced infrastructure that was promised at that time. This project remained a priority under the HSE capital plan for eight years up to 2023. The last update indicated progression of the unit's design. Given this long-standing commitment and the critical need for the regional rehabilitation unit, why was Roscommon University Hospita…

Given the current fluid international political climate and the apparent disengagement of the US from European security, Ireland may be expected to contribute more to EU security. Historically, we have under-invested in our security forces, relying on others to protect our airspace and waters. With the need to protect our infrastructure and secure our borders, do we have a strategy for formal security co-operation to address potential threats or attacks on ourselves or the European Union?

I wish the Ministers of State, Deputies Naughton and Moynihan, well in their new roles. The opportunity to make this statement is timely. I am moved to refer to the heart-breaking interview on the "Oliver Callan" show last Friday of Radie Peat and Dan Lambert about their daughter who has non-verbal autism. They eloquently articulated the horrendous difficulty parents and their children with special needs face in seeking early diagnosis and intervention. As a GP, their story is the reality for many parents. Theirs i…

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak as a TD and GP about an issue of deep concern to my constituents in Roscommon–Galway and, indeed, people across the country, namely the status of our mental health services. While I fully acknowledge the very significant personal commitment of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and that of the Government in prioritising mental health care, delivering the Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life strategies, introducing the new Mental Health Bill, and having provided ad…

-----a system that is truly accessible, effective and responsive to all the needs of our constituents.

I congratulate the Tánaiste and the Minister of State. President Trump was elected on a platform of isolationism and protectionism. It is not clear whether he is using tariffs for crude political leverage or engaging in a true trade war. Neither is it clear if the traditional American guarantee to European defence is secure. Given the consequent economic and security instability and Ireland's unique exposure to the threat of tariffs, I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on any dis…

I thank the Tánaiste for his answer. It is critical for a country as small as ours, with a small economy very much exposed to the tariffs coming from the United States or any change in the economic climate affecting the relationship between the United States and the European Union, to work through the European Union, which is a powerful economic bloc, to advance our interests. I thank the Tánaiste for his answer.

Given the possibility of reduced access to the highest levels of the US Administration, that international forces may well be working against us in the US because of our stance on human rights in respect of Gaza and Palestine and the commencement of a trade war by the Administration of the United States against the European Union, can the Minister report on his plans for the establishment of a new US-based body that will specifically be tasked with further strengthening US-Irish relations? I realise he gave a compr…

As a newly elected TD and a republican, I thank the people of Roscommon-Galway for placing their trust in me. It is an incredible honour and I take this responsibility seriously. I thank my family, friends and campaigners for their support. I rise today to speak on behalf of my constituents in Roscommon-Galway who are deeply frustrated and upset in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. The storm resulted in a blanket loss of power, water and communications. Families were left without heat, unable to contact emergency servi…