Irish-language and climate legislation
Gerry Adams sought progress on Irish-language, climate-action and health legislation, criticising the Government’s approach to Irish-language staffing. The Taoiseach said the climate Bill had been published and promised a date for the Irish-language legislation.
Tá cúpla ceist agam ar Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill and the health Bill. Dúirt an tAire, an Teachta Heather Humphreys, seachtain ó shin go mbeidh Bille foilsithe i gceann cúpla seachtain. An féidir leis an Taoiseach a chinntiú go dtarlóidh sé seo? Tá plean an Rialtais chun níos mó Gaeilgeoirí a fhostú sa Státseirbhís ina phraiseach anois. Tá sé scannalach go bhfuil sé ráite ag ochtar Airí, ina measc an tAire rialtais áitiúil, an Teachta Alan Kelly, nach bhfuil gá le daoine le Gaeilge ina Ranna. Is léir nach bhfuil an Taoiseach ná an Rialtas dáiríre faoin nGaeilge. Cén uair a bheidh an Bille ag teacht roimh an Dáil?
Tá ceist an-tábhachtach eile agam. Yesterday I raised the matter of the lack of a guiding timeframe for the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment to accept Opposition amendments on the remaining Stages of the Bill?
Recently I referred to a letter from HIQA, Health Information and Quality Authority, and recommendations it had made about health services in Drogheda but which had not been implemented by the Minister for Health or the HSE. I have written to the Minister about this matter, but I have not received an answer from him. I got back in touch with HIQA which informed me that recommendations made about national emergency departments which had not been implemented included the issues of emergency department services, emergency department clinical governance and emergency department management performance and information. It is not much of a surprise that we have such a crisis in the health service which has been exacerbated by the cut in the number of nurses. Is there a health (amendment) Bill pending to deal with these serious failings?
Comment on this
The climate change Bill was published last week and will be taken in the second week of February. The Deputy will have more than adequate time to give his views on it.
Tá a fhios ag an Teachta go bhfuil an reachtaíocht i dtaobh stádas oifigiúil na Gaeilge agus úsáid na Gaeilge anseo ar an gcéad liosta don seisiún seo. Ní ró-fhada a bheidh an tAire ag tabhairt an Bhille isteach. Tabharfaidh mé dáta cinnte don Teachta nuair a bheidh a fhios agam féin faoi. Tá an Bille curtha síos chun teacht isteach sa seisiún seo.
The hospital in Drogheda did put an action plan in place following HIQA’s 2012 report. It did bring about an improvement in the emergency department's performance in 2013. Clearly, there are significant problems in Drogheda in community services, but there are plans to address these. I spoke to the services and the Deputy will receive a response on the letter he received from HIQA.