This is the first time Senator Ahearn has taken the Order of Business during this mandate, so I wish him well with that. All of us across the country were absolutely shocked when, nine years ago, we heard of the appalling murder of Clodagh Hawe and her three sons, Liam, Niall and Ryan, by their husband and dad. I was very moved over the weekend to hear her sister Jacqueline Connolly speaking eloquently about the impact that horrific tragedy had on their family. I had not realised there had been two previous tragedies in the family. Sometimes it is awful to hear how much any one family has to endure. Jacqueline has just finished writing a book called Deadly Silence. She feels very strongly, and I agree with her, that the serious crime review findings in this case should be released and would be of particular importance to domestic violence services in understanding the background to what happened.

Separate to that, there has been an independent study on familicide and domestic and family violence death reviews which made 212 recommendations. Three consultation groups were established: a family consultation group to support victims, a cross-functional interdepartmental group and an advisory group of NGOs. I understand the Minister is meeting with the groups and that a lot of work has been carried out on some recommendations, particularly the one on guardianship rights. It is important to ask the Minister to come to the House to have a debate on those 212 recommendations, get a progress report on where some of the important recommendations are and look into the ones that have not been advanced.

The other issue I want to speak about relates to electronic health records. Data for patients is typically held in separate systems across separate care settings. Commitments have been made to develop a national shared care record which will enable healthcare professionals working in acute hospitals to see information about the care a patient is receiving in the community and vice versa. This is critical to the reform of our healthcare. Equally so is a national electronic health record system providing a digital health record of a patient's journey through life. All of this is expected to improve clinical outcomes for patients. It is important we get information on where we are with these two types of data-sharing systems that will help professionals and patients.

Today, 15 May, is Hyperemesis gravidarum awareness day. Hyperemesis gravidarum, HG, is the medical name for extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, which affects approximately 2% of pregnancies, so 1 in 50.

Unlike typical pregnancy sickness, it is highly debilitating with women often unable to work, look after their other children or leave the house or bed. It results in frequent hospitalisation and lasting physical and psychological effects. Some women choose to terminate their otherwise wanted pregnancies as a result. Without treatment, and in severe cases, it can be life threatening from a range of causes, including organ failure, venous thromboembolism, VTE, brain damage and suicide.

Recent research strongly suggests that HG is a genetic disease caused by an unusual sensitivity to the growth hormone GDF15, which is produced by the placenta in pregnancy. Physiologically, it is very similar to the extreme nausea and vomiting caused by platinum-based chemotherapies. Yet women, with the same levels of sickness while pregnant are often told it is normal and that is due to inconsistencies in care.

Cariban is one of the most common medications used to treat HG. Since August 2024, it has been available on the medical card and drugs payment scheme, which is a welcome development. That is due in large part due to the #HG2costly campaign by Hyperemesis Ireland.

The next focus for those campaigning on behalf of women suffering from HG is the publication of updated clinical guidelines for medical practitioners to help improve and standardise treatments. This report was due in the first quarter of 2024 and has not yet been released.

At the moment HG patients are navigating a system where early and appropriate access to care can depend on where you live and which doctor you happen to meet rather than how sick you are or what treatment you need. We have some excellent and, indeed, world-leading HG care in Ireland but this should not be restricted to just a few maternity units. It should be available no matter where and how a HG patient needs treatment. The updated clinical guidelines will help with this.

Improved HG care needs to be part of the next national maternity strategy to reduce the burden on patients, their babies and the health system. HG has multiple effects on the physical and mental health of the woman during and after pregnancy but also on babies born after a HG pregnancy. Much of this suffering and its associated costs to the health system is preventable with proactive, standardised and equitable access to HG treatment.

I would welcome a debate with the Minister to get clarity on a timeline for the publication of the updated clinical guidelines, and to ensure that improved hyperemesis care is included in the new maternity strategy.

Senator O'Loughlin has mentioned the murder of Clodagh Hawe and her three sons. Being from Cavan, I remember hearing about it on the day and it sent shock waves through the whole country. I commend Clodagh's sister, Jacqueline Connolly, on speaking out on a previous occasion and for writing a book about this. At the time, some of the media reports and others described the perpetrator as a pillar of society and how this was a tragic event. To me, a tragedy suggests something accidental or that could not be helped. This person was not a pillar of society. He was a murderer and he should be called out for what he was, namely, an absolutely shameful individual.

I wish to raise the issue of the continued delays in dealing with appeals by An Bord Pleanála. Local authorities must give a decision on a planning application within a set length of time and applicants must adhere to that but the board does not, so the process can go on for ages. Yesterday, a person contacted me and told me they had received planning permission in March 2024. An appeal was lodged with the board by a third party a few weeks later but the appeal still has not been dealt with and a year has elapsed. The board did write to the applicant notifying that an inspector would conduct an inspection in August but no one arrived. The board again sent a written notification that an inspector would visit before Christmas but nobody arrived. The applicant still awaits a decision and cannot get anywhere, which is totally unfair.

I ask the Acting Leader to raise this issue with the Minister, Deputy James Browne, to see whether something can be done such as putting resources into the board to address this issue in order that people do not have to wait an endless amount of time without an answer during an appeal.