Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters – Seanad Éireann (27th Seanad) – Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

An Garda Síochána

Senator Dee Ryan

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber to discuss this serious and important issue for the people of Limerick. I have been taking about this specific matter for seven years. He is the third Minister for Justice I have raised this issue with. In fact, I had the opportunity to meet with and engage specifically on this matter with one of his predecessors.

This issue first came to light in March 2018 when the beautifully designed and appointed new courthouse on Mulgrave Street, Limerick was opened. It was a very welcome investment for us in Limerick city. It provides six extra courthouses. It has vulnerable witness rooms and it has amazing facilities that we really need in Limerick. It has the capacity to hold the Circuit and District Courts. The Central Criminal Court has sat there and I believe that High Court sat in Limerick for the prestigious opening of this new courthouse in March 2018. A few months later, the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland was published. That was a milestone document. It made recommendations on security, safety, enhanced community care, the overall future of policing and where the force is going.

One of the most important recommendations it made was on the removal of gardaí, where appropriate, from non-core policing duties allowing us to free up our precious limited resource and get them back to the important core policing duties that we all need and rely on them to do. It is a critical recommendation, and it is the foundation for the onboarding of more civilian employees in to the Garda. It is a cornerstone in this day and age when recruitment in any sector is challenging. It is a cornerstone to ensure that we are maximising the use of our precious Garda resources. We are in a wonderful position in this country. During the general election campaign, at the majority of the doors that I knocked on people were asking for more gardaí. In the main, there is a great degree of trust in the gardaí. They are very engaged in the community. They are respected and their presence is seen as an enhancement to security by most people in my community. This is why it is critical that I raise the matter of the 16 gardaí seconded from Henry Street station in Limerick who are on security duty in the new modern courthouse in Mulgrave Street. At the same time, equivalent security duties are being carried out by private security firms in courthouses in Dublin. I welcome private security firms carrying out those tasks, where appropriate, in Dublin. This is what we want to see happening. However, I am asking the Minister - the third Minister of Justice that I have unfortunately had to ask this question of, to please consider releasing gardaí from those non-core policing activities at Mulgrave Street courthouse and give them back to the community for use in front-line policing measures where they are desperately wanted and needed in Limerick.

Minister for Justice (Deputy Jim O'Callaghan)

I thank the Senator for tabling this important Commencement matter. I know the reason she is raising this is, like virtually every other Member of the Oireachtas, she wants to see more members of An Garda Síochána on the streets in their constituencies. I want to see that happen as well. We are in a very fortunate position in this country where most of the public and virtually all Members of the Oireachtas want to see more members of An Garda Síochána in their communities. The reason they want that is to ensure that there is a sense of safety around. It gives people a great sense of confidence if they see members of An Garda Síochána in the area.

The Senator mentioned an important point. She does not want to see members of An Garda Síochána doing work that could be done by other persons; whether it is civilian members of An Garda Síochána or by private security firms, as she identified is happening in Dublin. The report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is something that I want to see implemented. I have included a provision in the general scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025, which I published two week ago, that seeks to ensure that we have more remote hearings for criminal charges, particularly remand hearings.

I hope that will result in fewer members of An Garda Síochána having to turn up in court, whether it is Limerick courthouse in Mulgrave Street or any other courthouse around the country. I note the Senator mentioned there being 16 members of An Garda Síochána in the courthouse. That gives me some cause for concern. I had been informed that the number of full-time members of the Garda allocated was ten. However, whether it is ten or 16, that is far too many.

I do not direct operational matters from the point of view of An Garda Síochána. It is not appropriate for a Minister for Justice to say, "I want to see the garda over in a different part of Limerick," I leave that to the Commissioner and the chief superintendents in Limerick. However, it is important that I try, as the Minister for Justice, to ensure we are putting in place principles that will provide guidance to An Garda Síochána. I would like to see private security firms doing the type of security work that the Senator Ryan says is being done by members of An Garda Síochána in Limerick but, similarly, we need to change the law to ensure that there is an awareness on the part of the Judiciary that we should not have members of An Garda Síochána present in courtrooms when it is not necessary for them to be there. If we can do those hearings remotely, that should be done. However, it may be the case that there is occasion when the Garda authorities require there to be gardaí in a courthouse. One of the things that An Garda Síochána do is provide a jury minding service. That is something we should take away from An Garda Síochána as well. In civil actions in Dublin there is a Courts Service official who is a jury minder. We need to try to introduce that into all criminal courts as well. However, it is also important that we ensure there is sufficient security within the courts. If gardaí are in courts, it should be for the purpose of giving evidence where it is essential for them to give that evidence. Alternatively, it may be the case that the Garda authorities believe there is a specific security threat and they are required in the court because of that.

As the Senator Ryan, I will be in Limerick next Monday. When I get the opportunity to meet members of An Garda Síochána there and commend them on the excellent work they do, I will certainly raise this issue and asking whether it could be resolved through ensuring that we did not have as many members of An Garda Síochána at Mulgrave Street courthouse.

Ultimately it is a matter for An Garda Síochána but I have listened very carefully to what the Senator has had to say and it is part of my policy agenda to ensure we get gardaí out onto the streets where the public want to see them.

Senator Dee Ryan

I thank the Minister. That is a really welcome response. We look forward to welcoming him to Limerick next week and for many engagements. Perhaps we will hear more directly from Chief Superintendent Smart on this topic. If we were to have these gardaí released back to Henry Street Garda Station, it would be a much-welcomed addition to our forces in Limerick. I look forward to engaging with the Minister further on that.

I commend and thank him and his Department on the support for the community access support team, CAST, which is a pioneering innovation and pilot scheme in Limerick. It further demonstrates the Minister's commitment to trialling new and innovative ways of engaging with the public. This pilot scheme places a mental health professional in a squad car with a member of the Garda Síochána. At the moment we are trialling it from within existing Garda resources. That is to ensure that in the case of an emergency call where a policing response is not the most appropriate response, there is a mental health professional on the scene to give the appropriate care to that individual. From speaking to the HSE and the gardaí in Limerick, the initial results have been really exciting for everybody involved. We look forward to briefing the Minister on that next week when he is down.

Deputy Jim O'Callaghan

I thank the Senator. Immigration registration functions were performed by members of An Garda Síochána and we changed that earlier this year. Those functions have been transferred to civilians or members of staff within my Department. We need to keep trying to identify the type of work gardaí are doing at present that can be done by civilians within An Garda Síochána or, as is the case of immigration registration functions, within my Department. I am very committed to the contents of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report. It has come up with some excellent ideas. The legislation that was suggested in the report has already been enacted, and I commenced it a number of weeks ago.

There is a broad recognition on the part of the Government and policymakers that the purpose of our legislation and policy decisions when it comes to gardaí is to ensure that we get them out on the streets. That is where people want to see them. We are in a lucky position whereby there is no place that gardaí cannot go. In fact, what people want is to see more of them in their communities. I again thank the Senator for raising this matter.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

There is a vote in the Dáil. I ask the Acting Leader to move the suspension of House for the duration of the vote.

Senator Gareth Scahill

I move that we suspend for the duration of the vote.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 2.45 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.02 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 2.45 p.m. and resumed at 3.02 p.m.

Dental Services

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

Fáilte to the students from Buncrana. They are very welcome to the Public Gallery. I hope they enjoy their day here in Leinster House.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The second Commencement matter is from Senators Scahill and Boyle.

Senator Manus Boyle

I welcome the students from Buncrana in my home county. It is great to see some Donegal people in here. There do not be many of us in, as it is so far away.

I wish to discuss dental hygienists. There is a lack of college places. Trinity College Dublin and UCC provide courses, but they are limited for professionals who are in high demand. In Cork, there are eight opportunities for placements. In Trinity, I am told there are 12 opportunities for placements.

Dental nurses who approach me are frustrated. They cannot further their education because of the limited courses in Ireland. Some have applied three years in a row and have still not got anywhere with it. There is a massive demand in the service for dental hygienists, not only in County Donegal, but all across Ireland. We need to multiply the number of courses without delay. Where are the opportunities to get these courses enhanced and going? We have a great college in County Donegal - the ATU in Letterkenny - with a brilliant campus in Killybegs. Perhaps the ATU could come on board and try to get dental hygienist courses up and going in Donegal.

Oral health is very important for everybody so I would like to see a demand created for these courses. I know from the feedback I have got in Donegal that there is demand for these courses but, sadly, people must travel either to England or somewhere else to get trained because they cannot get on the courses.

Senator Gareth Scahill

It is fitting the Minister of State is here because her constituency is located between Senator Boyle's and mine, between Donegal and Roscommon, so we know she will not let us down.

A couple of weeks ago I tabled a Commencement matter on the number of dentists accepting medical cards and the Minister's response was that we needed to look at having more public dentists on the scheme. When this issue we discussing today was raised with me and I realised that Senator Boyle had the same issue, we thought it was very important that we raised this in the context of education to see if it can be addressed. As Senator Boyle has mentioned, there are only two places delivering courses at the moment - Trinity College in Dublin and UCC in Cork - with a total of 20 places available each year. That number has not increased in more than two decades despite a growing population and oral health needs. Once qualified, dental hygienists must register with the Dental Council of Ireland, yet there are only 600 registered hygienists, and we do not even know how many are actively working. That is the reality. We face a dental workforce crisis, not just with dentists but also with hygienists. The Irish Dental Association has repeatedly sought for more support on this.

We are raising this issue with the Minister of State to see if we can collectively come up with a solution in order that we are not exporting our students to other jurisdictions to get qualified and then having to come up with elaborate schemes to attract them back to work here. As Senator Boyle has said, we know of students who have applied two or three times and have been rejected. I also know that more than 200 people applied for the eight places that are available in Trinity College Dublin, so there is significant demand. We already know, through our system, that there is significant demand. We believe dental hygienists will alleviate the pressure on dentists and open up more opportunities for them. We call on the Department to address this matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Deputy Marian Harkin)

I thank Senators Scahill and Boyle for raising this important matter here today concerning the availability of dental hygienist training places in Ireland.

I acknowledge what Senator Scahill said. I represent the constituency of Sligo-Leitrim, which is sandwiched between Roscommon, where Senator Scahill is from, and Donegal, where Senator Boyle is from. I also represent south Donegal, of course. Senator Scahill said I would not let them down, so no pressure.

The Government is firmly committed to ensuring our healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. My Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Higher Education Authority and higher education institutes, play a central role in delivering the education and training infrastructure needed to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce, including in critical areas such as oral healthcare. Ensuring adequate capacity to train future dental hygienists is part of our broader commitment to workforce planning that supports the health and well-being of the population. In the context of dental hygienist education and training capacity, I point out that dental hygienists are a vital part of Ireland's oral healthcare system. They play a key role in preventing and treating gum disease and promoting lifelong oral health.

Currently, as both Senators have alluded to, we have two higher education institutions - Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork - which offer programmes in dental hygiene. Between them, they produce approximately 25 graduates each year. This contrasts with about 100 dentistry graduates annually. My Department recognises that this represents a limited training pipeline at a time when the demand for oral healthcare, both clinical and preventative, is increasing nationally.

While my Department does not set quotas for student places, we work closely with the Department of Health and the HEA to explore how capacity can be sustainably expanded in key health disciplines, including allied professions like dental hygiene.

It is important to note that in 2023, the HEA carried out a targeted capacity expansion exercise across priority healthcare areas. One key outcome was the establishment of new dentistry programmes, including a new bachelor of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, commencing in 2025. This new programme will follow a community-based model of dental education and will provide at least 20 new dentistry places per annum for Irish or EEA students. That is significantly enhancing our national training capacity.

This expansion represents a landmark increase in student intake and clearly demonstrates my Department’s and this Government’s firm commitment to strengthening the oral healthcare workforce and supplying the graduates needed for a modern, accessible health system. I reaffirm my Department’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that any future expansion of dental hygienist education is grounded in evidence, responds to national needs and is delivered in a sustainable manner.

Senator Gareth Scahill

While I welcome the fact there will be 20 additional dentist places available, I do not believe that will meet the demand that I raised a few weeks back. Dental hygienists say that Ireland is experiencing a workforce crisis in dentistry, both in the public and private sectors. Although a call from many dentists has been heard loud and clear in the media, it is not being heard elsewhere. There is a shortage of dental hygienists. At its annual conference this year, the Irish Dental Association was inundated with requests from dentists unable to find a dental hygienist due to the shortage. That is felt throughout Ireland and we need to address it. We potentially need to look at expanding the role of dental hygienists so they have direct access and can provide more services in order to alleviate the pressure on dentists, open up the whole sector and address an issue we have.

Deputy Marian Harkin

I hear what the Senator is saying but it is my understanding that the Department of Health is currently conducting a scoping exercise and skills assessment across the oral healthcare sector, which specifically includes dental hygienists. This will form the foundation for future policy and programme development. As part of this broader review, the Dental Council has submitted revised scopes of practice that propose expanding the role of dental hygienists. If adopted, this would require corresponding updates to current education and training provision.

I assure both Senators that the Government is committed to responding proactively to manage future workforce requirements, including in respect of dental hygienists, dentists and workers required in the oral healthcare sector. I will speak to the senior Minister when I meet him tomorrow about the specific points the Senators raised today.

Maritime Jurisdiction

Senator Joe Conway

The pages of history are replete with chronicles of nations and tribes who have, by fair means or foul, aggregated spheres of influence to themselves and bestrode the world like colossi, only to see it all fritter away like quicksilver years later.

In this regard, we can look at the empires of the Assyrians, the Romans, the Mongols, the Ottomans and, of course, in terms of influence in our area over the last century, the British Empire. The waning of these behemoths of invasion and subjugation followed the usual and similar patterns of inspiring leadership driving expansionist campaigns, invasion spoils leading to further conquest, enrichment and ensuing corruption at home, followed by domestic division and eventual fragmentation.

Our own Continent of Europe has expanded empire-like in the eight decades since the Second World War, not in any land-grabbing way but in economic dominance. With the piecemeal breakdown of European integrity over the last 20 years or so, the conclusion is that the modern support and consent we have had in this Europe of ours are falling victim to a sort of sybaritic European negligence of the basic tenets of freedom and cohesion. This brings its own challenges. In this regard, Ireland has challenges thar an ghnáth.

It is a fact that the great majority - 75% - of this country's subsea communications go through the seas off our coasts. The cables carry commerce and investment every day to the tune of approximately €10 trillion. Since 75% of those cables are in or near our waters, we clearly have a duty to co-operate with others to police them and prevent them from being sabotaged and attacked. Such cables are vulnerable to crude physical rupture and disablement, even by weapons as seemingly innocuous as a dragged anchor engendering an outcome that would cause severe disruption and immeasurable damage. This is but one area where we are vulnerable beyond common comprehension. It is replicated on land, in the air, in space and in drone and laser technology. Of course, we see it played out every week in cybersecurity too. We spend 0.25% of GDP on defence. Compared to other small European countries, this is risibly small. Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania and Poland spend far more on defence. Even Finland, which has the lowest defence spending of those countries, spends ten times more per capita than we do.

While we have difficulty looking at the aggression now manifest in Europe, in the Baltic and Scandinavia, the dangers we experience here are just as great. Despite all that, we put to sea one serviceable vessel to cover the exclusive economic area off our coast of almost 500,000 sq. km. The quality of life and prosperity we have here cannot be guaranteed or guarded by that sort of investment. I would like to think we will get an explanation from the Minister of State of the Government's proposals to police not only our subsea cables, but all our vital interests. We have freedom and a way of life that it are worthwhile defending. Millions of Irishmen and Irishwomen have given their lives over the centuries for this and we should not be the generation to fritter it away. I look forward to what the Minister of State has to say about the plans.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

I ask the Minister of State to be brief. We are trying to get one more Commencement matter in before the Order of Business.

Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Thomas Byrne)

Is there a time set?

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

Yes, there is.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue. The Minister, Deputy Harris, cannot be here but I am very happy to be here. I am also very happy to hear a good explanation of the need for defence policy because many of the Senator's colleagues on the Opposition benches often openly question the need to spend anything more on defence than we are spending now. The Senator has set out correctly why we have a defence policy. It is to protect the island and everything about it and connected to it.

The Government is taking measures to safeguard subsea communication cables in Irish waters. Obviously, we cannot comment on specific security actions, but the following examples highlight the Government's commitment to enhancing the protection of undersea cables through our broader security initiatives.

Our approach to the protection of critical subsea infrastructure is multifaceted and includes enhanced monitoring, robust regulatory frameworks and strengthening co-operation with stakeholders. The security of Ireland's subsea infrastructure is a matter of most importance, with maritime security representing a priority action area for this Government. The Government has underscored the importance of maritime security through the commitment of the Department of Defence to lead in the co-ordination and development of Ireland's first national maritime security strategy.

It is being prepared in co-operation with national and international stakeholders and the private sector. It will take account of recent geopolitical developments, which have demonstrated the importance of the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. Protecting such infrastructure requires collaboration within the State and, as the Senator mentioned, between states to develop a full understanding of what is occurring in the sea.

The Tánaiste has recently approved Defence Forces participation in the common information sharing environment, CISE. There was a bit of criticism of this as well. It is an EU initiative that enables structured and secure information sharing among EU maritime authorities, both civil and military, allowing for more effective operations at sea. CISE will play a crucial role in increasing awareness of maritime activities and improving responses to growing threats at sea, including physical and cyberattacks on our critical undersea infrastructure.

Ireland is observing on the PESCO project on critical seabed infrastructure protection, which aims to increase the EU's operational efficiency in the protection of critical maritime infrastructure. Participation in the project will help in Ireland's mitigation of the risks posed to subsea architecture. This PESCO project will examine the strengthening of capabilities with regard to protecting critical undersea infrastructure, thereby increasing its security and resilience. Government and Dáil approval has been granted for Ireland to join the project. The process of requesting participant status has started.

The Minister for Defence chairs the Government task force on emergency planning. A subgroup of this task force produced the first guideline document on critical infrastructure resilience in February 2019 and it was updated in July 2021. While the primary responsibility for safeguarding critical infrastructure rests with the owner or operator, the guideline document provides the methodology for operators of essential services to follow to enhance resilience. It also outlines that it is the responsibility of each Department to foster links and work closely with semi-State and private sector operators of our critical infrastructure to enhance protection of that infrastructure from a wide variety of threats.

Last year, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications ran a consultation on international connectivity for telecommunications. The purpose of this was to gain a better understanding of the subsea market as a whole, as well as to gain more insight into individual cable systems at firm level to ensure Ireland is served by a suitably diverse, resilient and reliable cable system. The consultation received strong feedback from subsea cable owners, operators and developers.

In light of threats to EU critical infrastructure arising from geopolitical developments and subsequent attacks on pipelines in other jurisdictions, the Department engaged directly with the owners of subsea telecoms cables to obtain up-to-date mapping information so that relevant State entities have this on hand. The Department of Defence continues to work with the Department of the environment on this and the results of the tests have been shared with the Commission as part of a cross-EU process.

Crucially, patrolling of the Irish Sea in the vicinity of priority offshore infrastructure continues to take place by a mixture of air and naval platforms and the naval operations command centre in Haulbowline remotely monitors vessels in the Irish exclusive economic zone on a 24-7 basis.

Senator Joe Conway

I am very encouraged to hear the kindred thinking from the Minister of State. We can talk about co-operation with private and semi-State bodies and all that sort of thing, but the critical thing at this stage is to encourage the Government to initiate a reasoned and comprehensive national discourse on the issues we spoke about - and that means neutrality - and to bring the matter of co-operation on defence to a decision not just of the Government, but of the people. If the majority so accord, we should set about preparing a tangible defence of our land, our way of life and our values in co-operation with our European neighbours, brothers and sisters. We could not dissipate the chance to co-operate and the time really is now because the behaviour of Putin regarding Ukraine and all the shenanigans he has been engaged in since show how parlous our security is, unless we co-operate with our European neighbours - and, indeed, NATO, if it comes to that. That is where we should be going.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

The co-operation will continue. We are a militarily neutral country. We are not joining NATO but we talk to it and we want our military to be able to operate to NATO standards and to have equipment worthy of a modern army. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go ndéanfaimid é sin agus go bhfuilimid ar an eolas go bhfuil bagairtí amuigh ansin ag teacht ó thíortha ar nós na Rúise agus áiteanna eile. Tá na bagairtí seo ag tarlú gach uile lá ar fud na Mór-Roinne agus ar fud na farraige in aice leis an Mór-Roinn.

What the Senator said about co-operation is important. I note that the EU-UK co-operation and common understanding agreement, which was concluded yesterday, contains reference to co-operation on maritime security, including cables and other aspects of maritime policy, which is positive. It is not a question of not being neutral or joining military organisations. It is simply a question of working together to protect our independence. That is what we must do. The purpose of our military is to defend and secure this country and its citizens.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

The next matter is in the name of Senator Tully. I apologise, but time is going to be limited.

Senator Pauline Tully

Is the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, going to take this matter?

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

We are waiting for the Minister of State.

Health Services

Senator Pauline Tully

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This matter relates to paediatric diabetic services, specifically insulin pump services, in Cavan and Monaghan general hospital. I raised it with the previous Minister for Health, former Deputy Stephen Donnelly, in the Dáil on a number of occasions. Parents of children and young people have approached me to say that children with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes were unable to access insulin pump therapy through Cavan General Hospital and had to be referred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda or Temple Street hospital in Dublin. As stated, I raised the issue with the former Minister and, in fairness, he pursued it. I received a letter in May 2023 stating that the service would be expanded to include the provision of insulin pump therapy to children and young people from the Cavan and Monaghan area in Cavan and Monaghan hospital. The previous pathway required onward referral from Cavan and Monaghan hospital to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and Temple Street hospital.

We were delighted that this treatment was earmarked to be available in quarter 3 of 2023. That quarter and the following quarter came and went and parents were still telling me that insulin pump therapy was still unavailable in Cavan and Monaghan. I submitted a parliamentary question. The reply indicated that services had been expanded to include children in Cavan and Monaghan hospital in quarter 4 of 2023. However, parents were telling me that this had not happened and that referrals were still required. I followed up on the issue with a further parliamentary question, asking why 24 paediatric patients from Cavan and Monaghan were still travelling to Drogheda for insulin pump therapy. I was told that the pathway had been extended but was being managed through Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The situation had not changed. One still had to be referred from the diabetic team in Cavan General Hospital to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda if one wanted access to insulin pump therapy. This was important for children who were quite young and did not want to inject themselves or have their parents inject them daily. Children were meeting one team in Cavan General Hospital and another in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. One parent told me about having an appointment in Cavan General Hospital in the morning and another in the afternoon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. That meant a whole day. The child was not in school and the parent had to take a day off work.

I am asking for clarification. Is this service going to be provided in Cavan, as promised by the former Minister and indicated in the first letter I received from the RCSI Hospitals Group?

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

I might have to cut short the Minister of State, if that is okay, because we must finish at 3.30 p.m.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I will try to be brief in that case. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. We are trying to improve services in Letterkenny General Hospital as well, so I understand what she is trying to achieve and the importance of insulin pump therapy.

I will cut to the chase and speak to the situation with regard to Cavan and Monaghan hospital. As we know, the provision of insulin pump therapy is a highly specialised subspecialty of paediatric medicine and must be led by a consultant endocrinologist. Cavan and Monaghan Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda have a shared care model with clear clinical pathways relating to children accessing paediatric insulin pump therapy.

The initial set-up and subsequent clinics, which require consultant involvement, are carried out at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. All other clinics, including a dedicated paediatric nurse clinic and a diabetic clinic, are conducted at Cavan Monaghan Hospital. Prior to this pathway of care being introduced in quarter 4 of 2023, patients requiring insulin pump therapy would have been referred to Drogheda or Temple Street for the entirety of their care and would have had to attend all clinics as opposed to just the insulin pump clinics in Drogheda and Temple Street.

The Government is aware of the needs of members of the diabetes community and the challenges they face. In recent years, there has been increased demand for paediatric diabetic services. That is the position regarding Cavan and Monaghan. Follow-up care is available at Cavan Monaghan Hospital, but the initial appointments and the consultant-led insulin pump appointments take place in Drogheda, in the main, and Temple Street.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Malcolm Noonan)

Unfortunately, we do not have time for the Senator to come in again because of the Order of Business.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 3.31 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.36 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 3.31 p.m. and resumed at 3.36 p.m.

Seanad Éireann díospóireacht - Tuesday, 20 May 2025