I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and thank him for coming this morning.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
School Meals Programme
I thank the Minister of State for being here. I love the saying that perfection is the enemy of the good. Nothing could be clearer when it comes to the hot school meals. The Minister of State and I both know that we are feeding 550,000 children across 3,200 schools and the amount of money we spend on it is €300 million. The allocation in the budget to make sure that every child gets a chance of a hot school meal is absolutely crucial. It comes under criticism and it does need to change. However, this week we have made those changes happen with more changes to come. It leads me on to talking about the children during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays.
Two weeks ago, I was in a school in my county, Meath. I had a conversation with the principal about different aspects of the school. He pointed out to me that many children in the school are absolutely starving. As Irish people, we recognise that our parents were feeders. People coming into a house got a cup of tea and a slice of cake. In my house there were plenty of potatoes on the plate; we were very lucky. As a nation, we are feeders. To think that in 2026 we have children starving in school is really sad.
The particular school I am talking about does not get the holiday hunger programme. The holiday hunger programme needs to be rolled out to more schools and more children. This programme provides nutritious meals to children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage during the summer holidays. The pilot was introduced in 2025 with €1.3 million in funding to provide meals to children during these holidays. The programme has supported over 42,000 children across 500 schools which is excellent. It has only been in place for the last two years. Last year, we only found out in June that this programme was going to be extended into the summer of last year. It was fantastic but we were quite late learning about it.
This scheme supports those with the most educational disadvantage with one in five children experiencing food poverty during the summer holidays. I do not think it is fair that we need to wait until June 2027 to hear if we have the programme. We need to know now. Families need to know now. Schools need to know now if we are doing the programme next summer. The budget should allocate more money to the programme so it can reach more schools and more children. Although schools do not open during the Christmas and Easter holidays, we need to do something. We need to come up with some way of feeding children. The children who are in school are the same children who are hungry during the Christmas and Easter holidays.
I regularly use the statistics from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, whose representatives have appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Youth. Some 112,000 people came to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for food assistance. In our towns and villages, we know the number of Christmas hampers that people are donating. We see them in our supermarkets and local clubs are giving them to families who desperately need them. However, the Government needs to do its bit to help.
I strongly feel that in this budget, we need to put money aside to feed children who are hungry during all the school holiday times and to ensure the holiday hunger programme reaches more schools next summer.
I thank the Senator. Before I begin to give the reply on behalf of the Minister, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Senator's work in this area and in particular the research she worked on so tirelessly over the last 12 months which has contributed hugely to the reforms and changes to the system of school meals that the Minister has introduced. I have no doubt that he would echo that if he was here today. It has been one of the most important things undertaken by any Member of either Chamber in terms of influencing Government policy in this area. I again thank her very much.
In budget 2025 it was announced that a holiday hunger pilot project between the Department of Social Protection’s school meals programme and the Department of Education and Youth’s summer programme, formerly known as July provision, would be implemented during the summer of 2025. The pilot was part of a broader Government response to child poverty.
The objective of the school meals programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
The summer programme is an educational programme which supports vulnerable children with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The interruption of the regular school routine, social interaction with friends and other school supports presents a risk of regression in the learning, social and emotional development and well-being of these children. The programme supports academic, social and emotional development, ensuring children do not lose vital skills during the long summer break.
An evaluation of the 2025 pilot project found that 90.79% of schools that participated in the summer programme indicated that providing school meals positively impacted the children who took part. In 2025 the programme supported over 42,700 of our most vulnerable children with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. When looking ahead to 2026, 94% of schools surveyed indicated their intention to avail of the school meals during the summer programme in 2026. This pilot is a key initiative as part of the Government priority to combat holiday hunger.
In April this year, a one-year extension of the holiday hunger pilot project between the Department of Social Protection’s school meals programme and the Department of Education and Youth’s summer programme was announced.
Schools reported that the provision of meals supported attendance and engagement in programme activities, while also helping to reduce some of the pressures experienced by families during summer school holidays. The pilot has demonstrated the value of combining educational and nutritional supports, while ensuring that vulnerable children can continue to benefit from a structured environment that promotes their well-being, development and readiness to return to school.
The summer programme is an educational programme which is run during the summer months. It is a vital and targeted intervention that is specifically designed for children with complex educational needs or those at risk of educational disadvantage. The original intention and the continued emphasis of the summer programme is to mitigate the impact of learning loss on those children when schools are closed. The Department of Education and Youth has advised there are no plans at present to provide an in-school programme similar to the summer programme during the Christmas or Easter holiday.
I thank the Minister of State. This reply has said how great the programme is and has said absolutely nothing about what is going to happen in the budget and if there is going to be any money allocated for next year. I appreciate we are not going to hear what will happen in the budget. We will obviously get to learn that in October. However, I would have liked some reference to the fact that we will hopefully see this programme expand next year or see it in the budget for next year. I also note that it refers to the Department of Education and Youth, whereas it was the Department of Social Protection that rolled out this programme into the schools. I know both Departments work on the hot school meals, and I have commended the Ministers, Deputies Calleary and Naughton, on this work a good few times this week. However, between the two Departments we need to make sure that we have money allocated in the budget to roll this out to more schools next year. I am determined for that to happen. If we are talking about one in five, as was mentioned, that is 110,000 children and not 42,000 so you can see they are already 50% undersubscribed. I thank the Minister of State for coming in and reading this out to me. I would appreciate if he would go back to the Ministers, Deputies Calleary and Naughton, and re-emphasise the point that children are hungry. We would like to see that programme enhanced for the summer and to look at a way of giving out meals during Christmas and Easter. I appreciate schools are closed, so it is harder because they can use the schools in the summer. Maybe we could put our heads together and think of how we can feed children during these times, because they are the same kids who are hungry. I also thank the Minister of State for his compliments at the start. I appreciate it.
The Senator is aware that I know she has a real passionate interest in this area. I hear what she is saying. Unfortunately, as any Minister or Minister of State standing here today would say to her, as much as the Senator, the media and everybody would like the budget given out in advance, it will obviously be coming up and the announcements will be made within that. I will relay her concerns and the issues she has raised directly with the Minister, as I have no doubt she will take the opportunity on an ongoing basis to raise those concerns. I re-emphasise that the Government is fully committed to expanding supports for children and families and building on the success of the initial programme.
Social Welfare Benefits
Maidin mhaith. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an Ní i dTosach Suí seo a ghlacadh. I raise the cases of a number of people, where the same thing happened to them. There were two over the summer and one previous to that. There was a young woman who ended up hospitalised with quite a serious heart complaint. She was in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, and her payment was ceased because she was in hospital and therefore no longer in a position to seek work or make herself available for work, which is quite understandable. However, she was left without any payment. She still had rent to pay. She still had her electricity bill, and she still had children to feed at home, but she had no money. She is a proud person and did not want to be borrowing money from people. She was also worried because she has basically been told that she has limited time to live. She is worried and already stressed about this and what is going to happen to her family. All she wanted to do was make sure they were okay. She was afraid that if something happened to her within the next few weeks, her family would be left with a lot of bills to pay. Another man had a heart attack and his jobseeker's allowance was just cut off and he had rent accumulating while he was in hospital, and other bills to pay. Another woman, Brigid, fell and broke a bone. She suffered a stroke and ended up in hospital. Again, she was on jobseeker's. Her relative went in, as you are supposed to do, and informed social protection that she was in hospital. They were told that all they had to do was take up a change of circumstances form, which they did. The first week came and there was no money. The second week came and there was no money. The third week came and there was no money. Again, her bills are accumulating. When her relation inquired again she was told that she should apply for illness benefit, but that is not the case. You can only apply for illness benefit if you have been working and have accumulated sufficient contributions. She contacted my office, and my assistant told her she needed to apply for supplementary welfare. All of that takes time.
I cannot understand why someone in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, which is a means-tested payment, and who is hospitalised and not in a position to work cannot just automatically transfer to supplementary welfare until they are out of hospital and well enough to sort out what payment they should be on, whether it should be to go back to jobseeker's or applying for disability. In several of these instances that was the case, but that takes time.
There is a lot of form filling when applying for supplementary welfare. You have to submit bank statements and other documentation. If you are in hospital, you are not able to access that information. You will not be able to get your bank statements and so forth. Another problem arises if a relative is doing it. Due to data issues, a relation cannot do it. As jobseeker's is a means-tested payment, the rates of pay are the same. Why can one not automatically cease the jobseeker's but go onto supplementary until such time as you are well enough to address the issues?
I thank Senator Tully for raising this matter relating to supports for jobseeker’s allowance customers who become ill or are hospitalised. It is a condition of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme that a person must be capable of work, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Where a person cannot meet these scheme conditions due to illness or because they are in hospital, they may be entitled to support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by the Department through the local community welfare service, is considered the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.
Supports provided under the scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as additional needs payments. The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for a payment under other State schemes. A person who is temporarily ill or disabled and does not qualify for a payment under the Department’s illness-related schemes may qualify for basic supplementary welfare allowance, subject to certain criteria. This assistance is subject to the person having the right to reside and satisfying the habitual residence condition. Furthermore, the person must satisfy a means test. "Sick no benefit" operates as a category under the basic supplementary welfare allowance scheme and is generally used for those who are medically unfit for work but do not qualify for any of the Department’s illness-related schemes and have an income need. There are currently 3,085 customers in receipt of basic supplementary welfare allowance under the category of "sick no benefit". Basic supplementary welfare allowance is currently paid at a maximum personal rate of €252 per week. Where a person has an income need and wishes to be considered for a weekly payment under the basic supplementary welfare allowance scheme, they are currently required to make an application specifically for this payment. The claim process involves the receipt of an application, the gathering and verifying of information, the assessment of that information and a decision on the claim. This ensures the applications are fairly decided in accordance with legislation and guidelines specific to the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, while also allowing the community welfare officers to provide a speedy delivery of service to customers.
All customers have the right to apply for supplementary welfare allowance and have their applications processed in an appropriate manner. As the means test for supplementary welfare allowance is different from that which applies to the jobseeker’s allowance scheme, automatic transfer of customers between the two schemes is not possible or appropriate. Our community welfare officers have a great deal of experience in responding to all types of difficult situations and will be flexible in ensuring that a person is not left without the support they need.
I thank the Minister of State. I am saying that the time it takes to make an application for supplementary welfare and submit the information required can be weeks or months. In each of these cases, community welfare officers did not act very quickly. All of these people were left weeks, sometimes going into months, without income and were left borrowing money from family members. Okay, they got it back and were able to pay it back, but it put a lot of stress and worry on the people and left them owing people money all around them.
What is the difference in criteria in the means tests for the two payments? They are both means-tested payments and are similar amounts. I am not sure exactly what the difference is. It is not the Minister of State's portfolio and I do not know if he can tell me or not but I would love to know. It is an issue that affects quite a lot of people. If I am aware of three people in my locality being affected by this within a very short space of time, I am sure there are a lot more. Our hospitals are full of people, many of whom may be on social welfare payments. I understand they have to cease jobseeker's because they are not in a position to work but they should be able to claim the supplementary allowance without any hassle.
I will convey the Senator's concerns directly to the Minister. I have no doubt she will engage with the Minister as well.
It is important to put on record and to assure the Senator that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is always kept under review to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. Any person who considers that they have an entitlement under the supplementary welfare allowance is encouraged to make contact with their local community welfare service.
Rail Network
I welcome the Minister of State to Seanad Éireann. I thank him for being here for this important Commencement matter. I seek an update on the delivery of phase 1 of the western rail corridor from Claremorris to Athenry. As we both know, this has the potential to reignite connectivity across the western seaboard in a low-carbon fashion, connecting students with universities and colleges in both counties and connecting people with work, tourism, medical appointments and otherwise. It is a track that has lain idle for many years. If we are to move to a sustainable mode of transport, reopening railway lines where the State has ownership is a no-brainer. I thank the Minister of State for his work to lead and drive this forward, supported by Oireachtas colleagues across the west. It is important that we demonstrate progress, expedite the project and move it forward as quickly as possible to keep momentum going and inspire other areas. I hope with the support and leadership of the Minister of State, we will hear some positive updates today.
In Mayo we have Pro Rail in Kiltimagh where Eamonn Maloney has received planning permission and is doing brilliant work with his expertise in the rail industry. We have a very active support group, West On Track, which has been an ardent supporter of the reopening of the line. There is a commitment in the national development plan to the delivery of the western rail corridor, which I welcome and support. I encourage and ask the Minister of State to use every possible bit of influence he has to help expedite and drive it on to make sure this project can be realised as soon as possible to deliver for the people of the west.
I thank Senator Duffy for affording me the opportunity to discuss the progress being made in relation to the reinstatement of the western rail corridor from Athenry to Claremorris or vice versa, whichever way you are sitting.
Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens’ quality of life, addressing our climate action challenge and enhancing rural and regional connectivity. This Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland, as reflected by the investment we are making in the public transport system each year.
In July 2024, the Department published the all-island strategic rail review initiated by the former Minister for transport, Eamon Ryan, which I want to recognise. The review lays out a strategic vision for the future of rail on the island of Ireland and envisions the electrification of intercity lines, capacity enhancements to enable higher speeds and the delivery of new and reinstated lines to broaden access to the rail network.
Building on the recommendations of the review, the Department published the rail project prioritisation strategy in December last year, which sets out how to best sequence the recommendations of the rail review. The strategy recommended the delivery of a series of early interventions including new passing loops and platforms to boost rail network capacity, including on the Dublin to Galway line with second platforms at Clara and Woodlawn stations. Among these early interventions, Mayo rail users will benefit from a new passing loop west of Claremorris, while Sligo will see the recommissioning of platform 2 at Sligo station and a passing loop between Sligo and Boyle. These interventions will help to enhance frequency for services operating on these rail lines and increase the resilience of the rail network. These interventions are fully funded for delivery by 2030 through a €100 million allocation under the national development plan agreed by the Government last July.
The strategy also identifies major projects with longer lead-in and development times targeted for delivery between 2030 and 2040. Major projects include intercity electrification and significant capacity upgrades on the rail network. Among these major projects, I am pleased to report that the first to enter construction in the coming years will be the reinstatement of the rail line between Athenry and Claremorris. Funding has been provided in the national development plan for construction to commence in 2028 and pre-construction activities are well under way. Early work is ongoing in the form of vegetation clearance and detailed structural surveys along the alignment of key structures such as bridges and embankments, including the reinstatement of the bridge at Ballyglunin. Iarnród Éireann has also appointed a multidisciplinary consultant to assist with the preparation of the project appraisal documents required under the infrastructure guidelines. Taken alongside other projects in the region, including the refurbishment of Galway Ceannt Station and the provision of a passing loop and second platform at Oranmore, the reinstatement of this line will greatly increase rail connectivity in the west of Ireland, bringing sustainability benefits for both passengers and freight.
The Senator mentioned students. The existing line, phase 1 had passenger numbers of about 132,000 when it opened. Last year, the number of passengers on that line was 750,000. That demonstrates that if you invest in the infrastructure, it will be used.
Our biggest challenge at the moment is providing additional carriageways, so that we can cater for the increased demand that is there. It is also part of the strategy that we try to improve the freight we are carrying by rail, which at the moment is 1% of our freight. With this additional investment in rail, we will see that happening as well.
I thank the Minister of State for the update. Is he able to provide additional clarification on some of the technical design or is it too premature to talk about that? I have raised things previously about the three different rail crossings at Ballindine, for example. A point that I have made previously, and I want to reiterate here, is that investment in public transport in one mode should not negatively impact road users. Underpasses or overpasses or realignment in certain areas to make sure that we are not negatively impacting other transport users would be most welcome. It should be a design that is smartly done and future-proofed in terms of the investment while we have this window of opportunity to deliver this key infrastructure. As the Minister of State said, there have been previous projections on different rail lines that were not so optimistic. The figures that the Minister of State outlined, whereby year 1 was 132,000 and on the phase 1 in the-----
That was connecting Galway to Limerick.
The year 1 projection was 132,000 and now there are 750,000 passengers on it. The figures are phenomenal. We need to measure success on this next stage and use those numbers to compare and justify any future investment in rail reopening. I have had many people contact me in Charlestown, Kiltimagh and Swinford. They are enthusiastic for the reigniting of the railways in their towns in east Mayo. I would love to see that too. The first phase can help to inspire that if it can be done on time, expedited within budget and keep momentum going for the west.
The Senator mentioned the co-ordination between crossings on our major routes. We will have a crossing on the N17 twice, I think. I convened a meeting earlier this year of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, Galway County Council, Mayo County Council, the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Irish Rail, so that we will end up doing a co-ordinated approach to this and that any of the blockages that are there or any of the issues that arise will be dealt with in the pre-planning stage. That is ongoing at the moment. I am confident that we are planning ahead rather than ignoring things and that the stakeholders are working together to make sure we will have - when we are finished - a rail line that is operable and also that the roads are operable as well.
The recommendation to open the line between Claremorris and Athenry will be the first major infrastructural project to be delivered under the strategy. That is important. It underscores the importance of the line for enhancing regional connectivity. When opened, it will link Ballina, Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris and Tuam down to Athenry, Ennis and Limerick, and into Foynes, Galway, Cork and Waterford ports. That will relieve the congestion for freight, which is apparent at the moment on the line going directly up to Dublin. It is important that we continue to develop that. The opening of the line from Limerick to Foynes Port gives us an extra outlet for importing, exporting and using freight as our means of transport.
In relation to the whole concept of transport within Europe and within the Presidency, and looking at what we will be doing in terms of the Connecting Europe Facility for the next five years, we have included ports as a very important part of that infrastructure funding, as well as the hinterlands to ports. Ports need to have direct access to rail or a road to get their goods and services out. That is very positive news for the future development and sustainability of our rail network.
Hospital Staff
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Murnane O'Connor. There was a bit of a delay, but I am delighted to see her here because it is great to have a Minister of State from the Department. I am very happy that we waited to have the correct Minister of State in place. I thank the Minister of State so much.
I raised the issue of low staffing levels at St. Luke's Hospital in February in the Chamber alongside Senator Noonan. I do not think it was a Minister or Minister of State from the Department who answered our question. We heard at that stage that there was a commitment to the progressive development of St. Luke's. It is an area that the Minister knows plenty about. We had news over the summer that St. Luke's in Kilkenny has the highest staffing deficit in the Dublin and South East HSE region with 148 vacancies recorded in August. This comprises approximately 67.5 whole-time equivalent nurses. These are vacancies in nursing. We heard about these vacancies at the start of the year as well, so they are still in place. This has a direct impact on patient and staff safety. Staff are under significant pressure, including huge trolley pressures daily with no relief because of massive overspending by some hospitals, but not in this case by St. Luke's.
As the Minister of State knows, St. Luke's serves a very large catchment area as there are few hospitals located in the centre of the country. It has done incredibly well in the past in managing budgets, but in many ways, it seems that the hospital is being penalised for working within its limits. Ongoing staffing shortages include two emergency department consultants which had been promised. I have written several times to the Dublin and South East HSE team and I have never really received a satisfactory response. It took a long time to get any response and even when I got one it was not up to scratch. St. Luke's has the third lowest ratio of emergency department consultants per patient attending in the country.
Despite it being an incredibly busy model 3 hospital, it is simply not safe enough for patients.
Another question I have, which the Minister of State will, I am sure, be able to answer, is around the Carlow injury unit and when it will be fully staffed. I am a little concerned that when the Carlow injury unit opens, it will poach staff from the emergency department in St. Luke's where the staffing levels are already so low. Clarification on how those human resourcing systems will be put in place would be helpful. People in Carlow-Kilkenny are being let down by this. We are being punished for St. Luke's being a very effective hospital and for doing such a good job. The inequity is frustrating and it is having a direct impact on staff morale as well.
We heard recently that several health regions are having their spending powers removed. I am wondering how this will affect the staffing constraints already facing St. Luke's. I recognise that the HSE has been over budget but prior to 2020 there was significant underspending in the health service and it was hugely affected by austerity years combined with changing demographics and an ageing population. Our hospitals and healthcare centres must be staffed to safe levels for both patients and the staff themselves and we need budgets that reflect the reality on the ground.
There is a critical need for these clinical posts. Instead, we have seen the hospital over relying on highly costly agency staff which is not good value for money and there is a serious perception that St. Luke's is being treated differently to other model 3 status hospitals in the country. It would be helpful for us to understand where the staffing plans are and what was being made to ensure that we have safe staffing at St. Luke's and also, of course the Carlow injury unit when it will open.
I thank the Senator for raising this important question. The Senator and the Acting Chairperson, Senator Noonan, have constantly be raising these issues, and rightly so. I thank the Senator for this opportunity to address the House on this matter. I am taking this Commencement matter, as the Senator will be aware, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
The Government is committed to the development of services in St. Luke's General Hospital. As the Senator will be aware, we visited there recently - it is a few months ago the way the months are flying - with the Minister. St. Luke's General Hospital provides a range of important services to the people of Carlow-Kilkenny as well as counties Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Kildare and Laois. To meet the increase in demand for services, considerable additional resources have been provided in St. Luke's. Staffing at the hospital grew from 1,185 to 1,505 between the end of December 2020 to July 2026. It has grown quite considerably. This represents a significant increase of 27%. The HSE has advised it continues to actively progress and approve vacancies and implement workforce planning measures to support service delivery - they are constantly onto that - while staffing levels, patient activity and service requirements are also monitored on an ongoing basis. The budget for St. Luke's hospital increased by 62% between 2020 and 2026 and important capital projects are being progressed. These projects include the refurbishment of existing wards to accommodate acute beds, including space for a paediatric day unit which was completed this year.
I would also like to respond to the Senator's question on the update of the staffing of the new Carlow injury unit, which is important for us all. Enabling works have started on this unit. The work has commenced. While the work is progressing well and we hope to have it open as soon as possible, all efforts are being made to operationalise the injury unit prior to the planned opening in 2027. To put it simply, the contractors are in, it is being worked on, but my priority, like that of the Senators, is to have it up and running as soon as possible. This represents a key step forward in delivering this important service for the people of Carlow and surrounding areas. Recruitment for the Carlow injury unit will follow the national model for injury units. It includes: advanced nursing practitioners, emergency medicine medical staff, radiography, administrative support, and operation and governance roles. The HSE will ensure that staffing is phased in line with the construction process, commissioning requirements and service readiness. Even though Kilkenny will lead this now and it will be working in conjunction with Kilkenny hospital, they will have their own separately. Their staff will be different while they all work together, to clarify that.
I am also happy to inform that Senator the HSE has confirmed that the staffing, as I have said, in the injury unit will not impact the posts committed in St. Luke's hospital. The posts remain part of the hospital work plan and they are separate from the staffing model of the injury unit, because there were - the Senator is correct - huge concerns about that. Most of them are nearly hired now. Work has started. The main thing is we get it open as soon as possible.
I thank the Minister of State. I am glad to hear that the staffing will remain separate to St. Luke's and it will not draw from it, because, as the Minister of State mentioned, there were concerns around that. It is good to have that confirmation that it will not be drawn from the same pool.
I am delighted that work is progressing. I hope that we open the unit as soon as possible because the key thing is it will also alleviate a lot of pressure on St. Luke's accident and emergency department as well as a consequence of Carlow having its own injury unit.
On the question of the two outstanding emergency department consultants, I recognise the Minister of State is saying staffing and spending have increased but our whole metric around staffing has to be around safe staff levels. The HSE faced underspending powers in 2020 during austerity. I recognise a huge amount of money has gone into it but the challenge is that we still have two outstanding positions in accident and emergency - the third lowest ratio in the country despite the catchment area being so huge. That is a risk for patients who are coming in and it is a risk for staff. Those posts have been promised and they have still not been delivered. I cannot understand. When will they be delivered? I suppose we need clarity on that because it is dangerous for people.
We do not have a written response for the Senator but we will get that provided for her.
Apologies, I will get that for the Senator.
I will get clarification about those particular posts because it is important. I will be in contact with the Department today.
What I can say, as the Senator said earlier, is that Kilkenny hospital is outstanding. It is a model 3 hospital. The staff do great work there.
It is important, as she said. Working through the HSE and with the Department, there has been an increase in staffing but on those two particular posts, I certainly will come back to her.
On the injury clinic, we are moving as quickly as we can. When you give a time, there are always delays. We hope to have some of it ready or operational by the end of this year and then, in early 2027, it will be fully operational. It is great to see this. It adheres to Sláintecare. For the people of Carlow and the surround areas, it will be good to have this operating.
I thank Senators Stephenson and Noonan for their commitment. They are constantly highlighting the importance of this too.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.18 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.30 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.18 a.m. and resumed at 10.30 a.m.