Last week, the new housing plan was unveiled by the Minister for housing, Deputy James Browne. I draw particular attention to page 61 of it, where an important and long overdue commitment has been made. In summary, the plan ensures that when a victim of domestic violence must relocate to a new local authority, they will not face barriers in accessing housing supports. Crucially, it provides that victims can immediately avail of the full suite of social housing supports, including housing assistance payment, HAP, an…

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a very special celebration marking 30 years of the Threshold Training Network based in Tallaght. It was a positive and uplifting event filled with past pupils, advocates and community partners who all gathered to celebrate the incredible impact of this organisation on people's lives. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic team - Adrienne Kilkenny, Steven Fitzgerald, Alicia du Toit, Stephanie Curley and everyone who has been part of Threshold over these 30 yea…

I thank the Minister of State for attending today. I raise this matter because I have encountered its real-life impact. The issue concerns the application process timeframe for the partial capacity benefit. This scheme allows people to return to work if they have reduced capacity while continuing to receive support from the Department of Social Protection. The Department sets out that people must apply for partial capacity benefit before they start work, or within 21 days of starting work. This creates a scenario t…

I thank the Minister of State for that answer. I would argue the point about the three-week window. I do not think it is acceptable. People are living with cancer at the moment. Someone with stage 4 cancer could have returned to work six weeks ago and then realise they are exhausted. They would be in active treatment and cannot plan for when fatigue hits and when they cannot work at full capacity. I urge the Minister to look at this. I welcome the timeframes and the timely manner in which claims are being processed…

I welcome the Minister of State. I am raising this really important issue today as it is one that I have encountered in my own constituency. However, I must admit that it was not a scenario I had ever considered until I came face to face with people living it and, unfortunately, it is one that affects many families throughout our country. The role of our carers cannot be understated. Unless you have experience of being a full-time carer, you could not possibly comprehend the day-to-day of their lives. Any one of us…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. A really important part of meeting the needs is very good communication with the parents. They are going to be handing their child over for care when they are not there. I want people to be able to die in peace - I know it sounds dramatic - and to feel that their child, whom they have cared for all their lives, will be cared for in a loving, safe, high-standard environment in an area to which those people feel their children are connected. It will have to be very trus…

I welcome this important motion on supporting services for patients with head and neck cancers and commend Senator Craughwell on bringing it forward and sharing his family's own personal experience. There is nothing more powerful than lived experience. I also thank Senator McDowell for sending out the briefing document, which is very graphic and informative but is something we needed to see. I appreciate that also. Fianna Fáil welcomes this discussion as it is an issue that affects patients and families across the …

Today I will tell the House about a recently launched campaign called BreastCancerKnowMore. It is a survivor-led national breast cancer awareness campaign from Breast Cancer Ireland. Members may have seen the posters and billboards with very powerful images of six brave survivors. The campaign's message is powerful and direct: "I didn't know the signs. Do you?" It aims to help people recognise the warning signs of breast cancer early. It is supported by a free breast awareness app that teaches users the eight key s…

I thank the Minister of State for being here today. October is breast cancer awareness month so it is very timely that I am raising this issue today, the same day that I will attend my annual mammogram. I will most certainly be repeating myself today as I have spoken previously about the delays in scanning in symptomatic breast clinics. I will continue to repeat myself because the situation really concerns me. I am speaking both as a breast cancer survivor and as the founder of one of Ireland's largest online suppo…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have concerns. There is a specific issue with the symptomatic breast disease clinics. It is about when a girl, generally of 36 years or under, presents after being referred by her GP with a lump and is sent away without a scan that day. I think something has changed over the years. Years ago when I was diagnosed, I never met anybody who was sent away without a scan on the day. The question I have asked several times is whether something changed. Did something change…

To refresh memories, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, is a progressive neuromuscular disease that causes the weakening of muscles over time. It almost exclusively affects boys, with symptoms typically appearing between the ages of one and three. In Ireland today, around 110 people are known to be living with DMD and most of them are under 18. A child living with DMD struggles to walk, run or jump like their peers. They have difficulty standing up and need help to climb stairs. These children can also suffer with d…

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. With regard to the questions that I asked, is the pathway through the North a realistic option? It has been flown, so to speak, as a bespoke pathway. At present, there is a delay somewhere because the NCPE is waiting for a HTA to be submitted while the manufacturer is telling me it has a meeting next week. These are children whose parents sat in the room with the Minister. Those children will not qualify for this drug if this takes the timelines it normally takes. Even …

I welcome and support the Bill, which represents an important opportunity to modernise our mental health legislation and strengthen the rights of people who access mental health services. It is the most comprehensive overhaul of our mental health laws in more than 20 years. The Bill builds on the foundation of the 2001 Act but goes much further in ensuring our mental health laws reflect a rights-based and person-centred approach. The Bill introduces significant reforms, including revised criteria for involuntary ad…

Yes, I am not finished. I was acknowledging numbers have decreased but it is still far from ideal and runs contrary to international best practice. While the Bill sets out new safeguards, it does not appear to explicitly prohibit admission to adult wards. My worry is when Deputy Butler is not the Minister of State and another person is her post who may not have that focus whether he or she will be as passionate about keeping those numbers as low as she is? I worry about when the Minister of State is not in the role…

Next Tuesday.

Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

I raise a matter of urgent public health concern, which is the continued use and abuse of sunbeds in Ireland. Last week, the Institute of Public Health published a troubling report that provided an overview of sunbed use in Ireland and policy options to reduce skin cancer risk. I will take this opportunity to commend the institute on its critical work and to acknowledge the depth of research and analysis that went into this publication. The findings are stark. Ireland has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in …

I welcome the opportunity to raise the matter of ExWell Medical. It is a transformative, medically supervised exercise programme supporting people right across our communities. ExWell was founded in 2019 by Dr. Noel McCaffrey, following on from an initiative at Dublin City University. Since then, it has grown and now serves more than 7,500 participants weekly across 48 centres nationwide, including several in south Dublin. The programme often operates in community centres and local authority venues. Its aim is simp…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. In the next iteration of the national physical activity plan I would like to see a focus on exercise for older people. The benefits to people of being more active are a no-brainer. People in my community are worried about being able to afford their ExWell sessions. They are living on a pension and trying to make the positive change we all talk about. Cost is a barrier. The Minister of State mentioned that the HSE has occasionally established formal working and funding…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. As we approach the final year of this strategy, it is essential that we reflect not only on progress made at national level but also on how the strategy is functioning on the ground in communities like Tallaght, where both the promise and the pressure of the strategy are visible every day. The current strategy rightly prioritises a public health approach to drug use and outlines five strategic goals, namely, prevention and early intervention, access to treatment and reha…