Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

 

5:50 am

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There are 18 Deputies offering and unless Deputies co-operate with time, there will be four who will not get in.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister came to the Chamber this afternoon with big folders and is surrounded by his colleagues, including the Minister for higher education, Deputy Lawless, but could not answer a straightforward question. It is not acceptable, smart or clever to come to the Chamber and refuse to answer a very straightforward question that students and their families need clarity on. Will their fees be set at €2,000 or €3,000? The Minister, Deputy Lawless, started this debate. He volunteered the information that fees would increase. I again ask the Minister to have the decency to be clear with students and their families and state the position clearly when he takes to his feet. If he cannot, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, should avail of the opportunity to make it clear whether students and their families will pay €2,000 or €,3000. It is a very straightforward question. Surely to God one of you can answer it.

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy McDonald. She has been in the House longer than I have, but she will understand that the budgetary process takes place in October, not June, July or August.

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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It does not take place in a studio in RTÉ.

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Have the respect to listen, please.

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The budgetary process is under way. I am fighting within the resources available for students and their families for the best possible outcome across the board in all of the measures the Minister, Deputy Chambers, outlined, including SUSI grants, fee thresholds and the student contribution fee, along with the cost of accommodation-----

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the fees be €2,000 or €3,000?

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Allow the Minister to answer.

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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No figure has ever been produced ahead of the budget in any area of Government spending, and that will not change this year no more than any other year. That has always been the position.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister has put the heart crossways in families.

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Ireland has long and historic ties with the US. Some half a million Irish residents visited last year and more than 30 million Americans claim Irish heritage. However, increasingly an authoritarian Trump government is causing real concerns, in particular for those who are undocumented Irish in America. We think about 10,000 such people are there. This is placing a strain on the relationship.

Last week, I raised the alleged unlawful detention of a Norwegian student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, in this House. I have heard from many Irish families who are concerned about their children, including students and young adults, travelling to the US and being detained or picked up. I have heard of worrying experiences since I raised this issue in the Dáil, including from Irish citizens. There have been allegations from an individual who said they were detained by ICE for a period of months without charge and with no access to a lawyer or mobile phone for overstaying their visa by a couple of days. Irish residents need guidance and reassurance before making plans to visit the US. Families need to know that their children will be safe over there. Will the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade review the safety of the US for Irish citizens? What representations is the Government making to the US Government on this?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I will allow the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to set out the specific representations that have been made at official or ministerial level. As the Deputy knows, a new ambassador arrived this week. The Minister met him this week and will be able to comment on his direct discussions with the US administration. The Ireland-US relationship is and continues to be important. I acknowledge the plight of residents and Irish citizens who live in the US and we are continuing diplomatic efforts for the undocumented Irish who live in the US. That is part of our wider engagement with the US administration. I will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to respond on the specific diplomatic efforts that have been made regarding what the Deputy referenced today.

Photo of Pádraig RicePádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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My question relates to the insourcing and outsourcing of public healthcare. Yesterday, the Minister for Health published the HSE review of insourcing and outsourcing, which I welcome. The report confirms that the health service are over-reliant on these arrangements to reduce waiting lists. Despite the huge sums of public money involved, proper oversight has been severely lacking, leading to alarming and shocking abuses of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, and clear conflicts of interest. While it is welcome that insourcing arrangements are to be phased out by June 2026, we also need to end the over-reliance of the health service on outsourcing to private hospitals and other external companies.

This aim is referenced in the review, but there is no timeline or action set out. Obviously, this cannot be done overnight. If it is to be achieved, we need to accelerate the delivery of Sláintecare reforms. By 2028, four new elective hospitals were due to be delivered, but no planning applications have been submitted nor have business cases been approved. In May 2023, the then Minister for Health announced the delivery of six new surgical hubs within 18 months, but only one new hub has been opened 25 months on. Can the Minister commit to accelerating the elective care reforms and, crucially, funding them so that the dependency on outsourcing can be reversed?

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It was very important to conduct the national assessment of insourcing, which I commissioned at the beginning of April because of my concerns, and to publish it. The Deputy has had an opportunity to consider it today. We have to use every lever to implement Sláintecare, including rostering for five over seven days, the public only consultant contract and making the best case possible for as much investment in health infrastructure as this Government can do collectively. That includes elective hospitals and surgical hubs. I understand the surgical hub in Mount Carmel has seen over 1,000 patients; that is my understanding from the CEO of St. James's. I have asked for detailed information on what exactly has been happening and when.

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I want to raise the inexplicable decision to cut SNA hours at Firhouse Educate Together National School. The school is already struggling to cope, with only eight SNAs catering for more than 90 children with additional needs. One parent wrote to me to tell me that her son started in the autism unit and with the amazing support of his teachers and SNAs was able to transition to a mainstream class and is proof of how early intervention and the correct support can help a child to integrate with his mainstream peers. She said the school needs an increase in SNA hours to give every child equal access to education as a basic human right, yet the Department is proposing to cut the SNA hours needed for inclusion and mainstream classes.

I raised yesterday how the Government is simultaneously trying to push children with mild general learning disabilities out of special schools and into mainstream education, which creates a need for more rather than fewer SNAs. This makes no sense. Will the Government consider it and ensure that SNA support is increased rather than decreased?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy can appreciate, I am not familiar with the specific school he referenced or what has occurred relating to SNAs, apart from stating that the overall number of SNAs will continue to increase nationally, along with the support we are providing for special education through the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, around school buildings, teachers, SNAs and other supports in schools. I will ask the Minister for education to respond to the Deputy on the specific case he referenced. There are review mechanisms, through engagement with the NCSE and others, on SNA allocations. I will ask that the engagement take place.

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Part of Citywest Hotel is now a holding or detention centre for those awaiting deportation. Is there a coherent policy? Are those awaiting deportation at IPAS centres allowed to roam free or are they locked into hotel rooms 24 hours a day? If detainees are held pre-deportation or pending prison transfer, that means the role of the centre is not purely accommodation; it is quasi-detention. Is using an hotel as a detention centre legal? It likely falls outside of the hotel emergency reception exemption and will be considered an unauthorised development unless retrospective planning permission is granted.

We also know for a fact that there has been no public consultation on safety and security protocols or an impact assessment on Citywest and, I presume, around the country. What is the plan for these situations? Obviously, it is inhumane to send families who have been in Ireland for a very long time back to other countries. This is why we need to dramatically speed up the process. Equally, there are people who do not have leave to remain who will forcibly resist any efforts to get them to leave. Should these people be roaming free in local communities?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is committed to significantly improving the processing times for international protection applications and bringing the appeals component back to the Department of justice in order to streamline the process. Next year, progress on the EU migration pact will make a difference in terms of the timeframes around processing. I cannot comment on the specifics the Deputy referenced in terms of Citywest. I will ask the Minister for justice to respond on the specific circumstances the Deputy referenced. It is obviously a sensitive matter. I will not pre-empt what he says.

Photo of John ConnollyJohn Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, the Government committed to a full review of the response of the State to the impact of the storm. As we recall, across the west and north west, there were extensive periods of outages of water, electricity, broadband and communications services.

It has had a large impact on the minds of people in that part of the country. Even today, constituents have reported to me an increase in the occurrence of intermittent electrical outages as a result of Storm Éowyn, which happened on 21 January. I am asking that we consider the publication of the report prior to the summer recess.

6:00 am

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There has been ongoing work across government relating to the lessons from Storm Éowyn and the recovery efforts. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, who is here, has been prioritising the outcome of this in terms of his submission to the national development plan and how we build more resilience into our public infrastructure, whether that is in communications, community infrastructure or energy infrastructure. Every Minister has been extensively engaged on the specific lessons from the impact of Storm Éowyn. I will ask some of the Ministers who have been centrally involved to respond to Deputy Connolly on what actions they have taken. It has been a constant focus of work since the storm occurred in late January.

Photo of Catherine CallaghanCatherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I speak today about the cost of third level education in Ireland. The programme for Government states the Government will reform SUSI to better meet the needs of students and their families. This is something I welcome and I urge the Government to take action on it from this year onwards. My question today relates to the discontinuation of the reduction in the student contribution fee. Since the Minister, Deputy Lawless, made the announcement at the weekend, my phone has been hopping with parents and students throughout my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny worried and anxious about how they will find an additional €1,000 to put towards their student contribution fee in two months' time. Making education more accessible to hard-pressed parents is something I campaigned very strongly on during the general election. I know for a fact it is something that we in Fine Gael negotiated to be in the programme for Government. Now is not the time to row back on commitments made during the previous election and by this Government. How can the Minister justify increasing the student contribution fee for hard-pressed parents?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Callaghan and I appreciate the question she has raised. As she has heard from the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, this will be considered in the context of budget 2026. All of us as a collective Government - Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independent Deputies - will work on strengthening the affordability of public services as a core priority. We want to make permanent changes to some of the costs that exist for students throughout the country.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is like an episode of "Love Island".

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is not your question, Deputy.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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This work is ongoing. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, will publish the report on the cost of education and this will inform the budgetary discussion that will take place.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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As the Minister knows, the victims of the pyrite scandal in the east coast of Ireland, comprising 3,000 families, rightly received 100% redress. In the west of Ireland we did not get this. Worse, nine months ago the Government looked at the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland rates and increased the cap but this was for people who were new entrants. Hundreds of families are being denied more than €40,000. They cannot make the final payments to their builders. This has been going on for nine months. The Government said it would sort it out nine months ago. Every week I am told we will have the legislation. Will the Minister please promise us now, prior to the recess, that the legislation to allow for all homeowners in the scheme to avail of the increase in the cap, so they have a fighting chance of at least making up something towards 100% redress, will happen? There are two more weeks to go. It is absolutely essential that the legislation is introduced.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn. I know the Minister met various stakeholders in Donegal in May, including representatives from the action group and many representatives on the council. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Browne, to set out the specific timeline relating to legislation and give Deputy Mac Lochlainn a specific answer to his question.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I am glad to see the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is here. Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel is a wonderful institution for young and old but mainly for adults. It has pottery-making facilities, a workshop that repairs tools and many areas of art and design. It is a fabulous centre for young people and I congratulate the board, under Seamus Leahy and Gerry Flynn. They are brilliant people. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was good enough to visit recently. We need to have secure and continuing funding for the centre from the mental health and disability budgets. We need a dual or hybrid model to secure this centre. It has been there for decades. Many of the participants suffer from mental health issues and they get great solace from this great outlet. The Minister of State saw this when she met people there and engaged, and I thank her for it. We hope to have a dual funding model that will be secure. The board is doing its best and it needs support.

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue and for attending the Cluain adult training centre with me and Councillor Siobhán Ambrose a few weeks ago. It is an excellent facility which provides a range of services for those with disabilities, acquired brain injuries and mental health challenges. It supports people who might fall between the cracks otherwise. I was very impressed by the fact that the centre identifies the needs of trainees and tailors the supports to suit them. I have asked mental health officials to engage with the disability officials who attended on the day to come up with a comprehensive plan. We will try to work out a service level agreement. I understand the majority of the funding is being provided through the disability budget but the mental health budget also must step up and I am committed to doing so. I will keep Deputy McGrath up to date on developments.

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I want to bring to the attention of the Minister for Health an issue raised by my colleague, Senator P.J. Murphy; namely, the revelation that sick certificates are being provided through some online platforms with no consultation between patients and doctors. From the point of view of medical practitioners, employers and patient safety, there are serious issues and concerns here. When it comes to someone's health, it is vital that a consultation between the doctor and the patient takes place. I understand the Minister for Health was in touch with the Medical Council recently and I welcome this. I hope some action will be taken. There are many waiting lists for GPs and primary care centres. I understand this is not the answer. I do understand there are genuinely people who become ill and are not in a fit position to work. On the other hand, this online service is wide open to abuse.

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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This is an issue for enterprise, social protection and health. GPs are private practitioners. Many of them have contracts with the HSE to provide public services. Services provided outside of these are a private matter. The Medical Council is there to protect the public. Part of this is registering doctors as quickly as may be, and part of it is making sure that doctors operate to a very high standard. I encourage the Medical Council to reflect on the issue Deputy Feighan has correctly highlighted, recognising the impact it may have on employers, particularly small businesses. I assure him that everybody in government takes a strong interest in this.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is scandalous that there are children with special needs today whose parents do not know whether they will be able to start school in the new term because the necessary SNA support is not yet in place. To give one example, there is a rural school in County Monaghan which has one SNA and one pupil who depends full time on this support. Another pupil is due to start at the school next month, who will also need a full-time SNA. This is the position of the school, the position of the preschool which the child is attending at present and the position of every professional who has worked with the child. The NCSE and the Government have not yet sanctioned the extra SNA at the school. In fact, the advice being given to the school is that the SNA who is already there should be shared between the two students. All of the evidence suggests this would be an extremely dangerous situation. It would not be an exaggeration to state that such an approach would present a significant risk to both students. Will the Government engage urgently with the NCSE to ensure this issue and the hundreds of other cases like it are urgently resolved?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Carthy and I appreciate and agree on how essential an SNA is to any individual with additional needs in the classroom. I am not sure whether the school Deputy Carthy has referenced has appealed the particular allocation this year to the NCSE.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, as I did with regard to Deputy Paul Murphy earlier, to respond on the specific case Deputy Carthy has referenced. Budget 2025 provided for 1,600 SNAs, the largest number ever allocated, which will bring to 23,000 the number of SNAs in our schools.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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That is no comfort to this family.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that. We are committed to continued investment in special education in terms of staffing and, in many instances, the need for new buildings for special classrooms. I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to respond to Deputy Carthy on the specific case.

Photo of Carol NolanCarol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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I want to raise the issue of TB. I want to make the point that farmers are key to our communities. They are also key to our economy.

I attended a very successful tractor run on Sunday. Large numbers were out raising funds for two local schools, Roscomroe National School and Coolderry National School, as well as a local charity called Living Links. There is huge concern regarding the TB proposals. We need to bring farmers with us and we need to protect and support them. I will quote from some of the farming organisations that have expressed concern. The deputy president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Eamon Carroll, has said he believes that the proposed measures will involve all of the TB burden being placed on farmers. The IFA's animal health chair, TJ Maher, has pointed out that the TB proposals are "crude" and suggested that the financial burden will be laid at the feet of farmers. Does the Minister accept the justified criticism? Will he go back to the drawing board and devise solutions?

6:10 am

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional trauma associated with a TB breakdown and the associated hardship, as the Deputy said, for many farm families. TB disease levels in recent years have continued to increase. Over a 12-month period, a herd incidence of 6.43% has been recorded, with more than 43,000 reactors. That is a serious deterioration in the situation which we cannot allow to continue. That is why the Minister, Deputy Heydon, met with all of the key stakeholders in recent weeks and held a further meeting with farming bodies. He wants to advance proposals to try to address this in partnership with farm families and farm organisations. I can ask him to send the Deputy some of the detail regarding the additional measures he proposes to take with regard to the bovine TB programme to try to tackle the current rates of TB, which is a serious issue across the farming community.

Photo of Liam QuaideLiam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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As the Minister knows, many settlements in east Cork were devastated by flooding during Storm Babet in October 2023. I met with the Midleton and East Cork Flood Protection Group last Friday, alongside my colleague, Councillor Eamonn Horgan. There is growing concern and frustration within the community about the rate of progress of flood relief works. We have had major delays with the installation of floodgates on homes and businesses and there are questions about their quality. The Midleton flood relief scheme is making its way very slowly towards the planning phase. However, smaller scale projects that would protect villages such as Mogeely, Castlemartyr, Killeagh and Rathcormac appear to be in limbo. Their residents are increasingly worried for the future. The flood risk that is particular to Whitegate, Ballinacurra, Ladysbridge and Youghal needs to be addressed. It is vital that the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, visits all the settlements in east Cork as a matter of urgency for an in-depth engagement in order that we have a clear roadmap on all aspects of flood relief for the months ahead. It would also be good to see the Taoiseach there because this is a huge issue for east Cork.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the urgency of this for residents in Midleton and throughout east Cork. I was there with Deputies O'Sullivan and O'Connor after the storm nearly two years ago. A priority for the Government with regard to broader infrastructure more generally and for flood relief schemes in particular is how we can shorten the project life cycle. In many instances, flood schemes are taking far too long. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is leading on that work, but is also seeking to prioritise flood relief schemes around the new national development plan review, which is being undertaken. I will ask him to respond to the Deputy on the specifics relating to the schemes he mentioned. It is an absolute priority. The Minister of State is trying to advance and commence some of these schemes, which I know are of pressing need to communities that are worried, particularly as we enter the winter period when there will be a considerable concern about rainfall.

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Last year, the Garda Commissioner finally gave his seal of approval to the provision of a new Garda station in the very heavily populated suburbs of Castletroy, Monaleen and Annacotty in Limerick city. I understand that the Government has set aside capital funding and approved capital funding for the project. Unfortunately, the task of identifying a site has been given to the Office of Public Works - this was more than 12 months ago - and the OPW, moving at its usual ponderous haste, has not yet identified a site. In the meantime, the people of that area have been subjected to a tsunami of crime because the area is not being properly policed. Will the Minister, his Department or another relevant Department intervene directly with the OPW to bring this matter to a conclusion? The 18,000 people in the area deserve no less.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I regret that crime has had a serious impact on the local community in the last 12 months. I engage with the OPW regularly and I will ask for an update on Castletroy Garda station. I will revert to the Deputy on it.

Photo of James GeogheganJames Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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At last Thursday's meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts, the Garda Commissioner confirmed that he had reported to the Minister for justice on the controlled delivery operation that related to the late Evan Fitzgerald. The Commissioner went on to say that he took note of the comments made in the Seanad by Senator McDowell with regard to what was or was not said in the currency of a live bail application, and that he had referred those comments to the ombudsman for consideration. On Sunday's "This Week" programme, the ombudsman's office confirmed that there is nothing further to be considered by it. Does the Minister for justice consider the matter concluded regarding what was or was not said in that District Court bail application? Does he intend to carry out any further inquiries on the matter?

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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First, what happened was a shocking incident for everyone present in Carlow. I am limited in what I can say relating to these matters, some of which continue to go through the legal process. I can ask the Minister for justice to respond to the specific question the Deputy raised following the "This Week" programme. He will be in a better position to give the Deputy any detail or informed information on it.

Photo of Natasha Newsome DrennanNatasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Throughout Kilkenny, there are major ongoing issues with the school transport scheme. In Gowran, the Department advised last year that another school bus be added due to the increase in the population, but still no additional bus service has been allocated. In my own area of Ballyhale, families like my own have been pushed to send children to school outside of their parish, despite the school bus collecting their neighbours. There needs to be a parish rule in order that children can attend the primary school in their local community. Year in, year out we face the same challenges with the school transport scheme. Something is clearly not working. Will the Minister step in to ensure that bus services are in place for the coming school term? It is just mayhem at the school gates.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the urgency of forward planning when it comes to school transport. Extensive work has been undertaken between the Department of education, Bus Éireann and other delivery partners to support that in communities across Ireland. I do not know the specifics behind what is happening in the Deputy's own constituency-----

Photo of Natasha Newsome DrennanNatasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Bus Éireann needs to engage with people.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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-----but I will ask the Minister and Bus Éireann to respond to the Deputy's specific needs. There is an ongoing engagement through the summer to ensure they provide the appropriate school transport services, which are of huge importance to counties across Ireland.

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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As the Minister may be aware, some schools throughout the country have told parents that they have to buy specific tablets up to the value of approximately €600. Some of these parents have been speaking to me. Those who have three children in secondary school have had to go to credit unions so that they can pay €1,800 for these specific tablets. The schools are sending out the information telling parents that the tablets have to be a certain make, model and particular type of brand. For a lot of people, it is not affordable. This is happening despite the introduction of the free book scheme, which was intended to reduce the financial burden. It seems to be in contradiction of what was described last year when the Government was coming up with €9 million for pouches to reduce screen time. Will the Minister provide some clarification on why this is happening? It is not just happening in one school in Cork; it is happening across the country.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Department of education fully appreciates that costs and funding can pose an issue for schools. It is constantly working to address this with enhanced financial supports which were advanced in budget 2025 for this year. Schools in any financial difficulty are asked to engage with the financial support services unit. I know that a priority for the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is to continue to improve the capitation grant in schools, for example. That is something that we worked to improve over series of years and is something that we will engage with over the coming weeks.

Photo of Eoghan KennyEoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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I want to raise an important issue with the Minister. Cork City Council has sent a business case to the Government regarding the establishment of an integrated services hub.

Across our towns and cities we are seeing more and more needs arising for individuals, particularly adults who are homeless. Across Cork we have charitable organisations offering beds for people to sleep, groups providing food, and many other amenities as well but what do people do during the day in terms of services? They need to be provided with a service like this, which would be the first of its kind in Ireland. It would provide food, shelter, activities, supports and any additional information people need. In the long run this venue could be the location for the provision of a supervised drug injection centre for the city. Is the Minister aware of this business case? What is the Government's stance on it as an integrated services hub for Cork? Will a business case be signed off?

6:20 am

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I know we cannot have an over and back on this. I am not sure whose incentive it is. Is it the Department of housing? I assume it is. To what Government Department has it been sent?

Photo of Eoghan KennyEoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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I am unsure who it has been sent to.

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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We will try to find out who within government has received the particular business case, or which Government Department, and indeed under what funding scheme it is proposed to support that particular project of an integrated services hub. We always welcome any initiative of local authorities, or indeed local communities, to provide rounded supports and services for vulnerable people in our community. We have countless examples of it happening in Dublin and it is positive to see such initiatives being proposed in Cork. I will ask whatever line Department to which it is being submitted to evaluate it and come back to the Deputy with a position.

Photo of Verona MurphyVerona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Minister.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 1.21 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.20 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 1.21 p.m. and resumed at 2.20 p.m.