John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [67574/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding the programme for Government. [71592/25]

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding the programme for Government. [71593/25]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding the programme for Government. [74525/25]

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [3638/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [3639/26]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [3646/26]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [3648/26]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach p=for an update on the programme for Government. [3830/26]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [4024/26]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [4088/26]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [5973/26]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [5990/26]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on progress on implementation of the programme for Government. [6013/26]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on progress on the implementation of the programme for Government. [6016/26]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [6067/26]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [6093/26]

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding the programme for Government. [6125/26]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [7328/26]

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [7692/26]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding theprogramme for Government. [8090/26]

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach for an update regarding the programme for Government. [8196/26]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 22, inclusive, together.

The programme for Government, Our Shared Future, sets out a series of ambitious commitments across social, economic and environmental policy. The Department of the Taoiseach's Statement of Strategy 2025-2028 puts the implementation of the programme for Government central to the mission of the Department and the Cabinet committee structure plays a central role in overseeing the whole-of-government approach to implementing the programme.

Just one year into its five-year life cycle, tangible and substantive progress is being made in implementing commitments across all areas in the programme. For example, housing is a key priority of the Government. We have agreed regulatory reform, tax reductions and an investment of €275 billion over ten years, the largest infrastructure investment in the history of the State. We are targeting the construction of 300,000 homes including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports. We have agreed reforms to rent pressure zones, strengthening the rights of tenants and stimulating increased investment and development activity. We have reduced VAT on the sale of completed apartments from 13.5% to 9%. There were 36,284 new dwelling completions in 2025, an increase of 20.4% on 2024 and the highest number of completions since the series began in 2018. The number of apartments completed in 2025 was 12,000, up 38.7% from the previous year. There were 18,308 scheme dwelling completions in 2025, an increase of 13.1% from 2024. Close to 6,000 single dwellings were completed in 2025, up 12.5% from the previous year.

In the area of infrastructure, the Government has provided a total public capital investment of €275.4 billion over the period to 2035 under the new national development plan, NDP. The accelerating infrastructure task force and a new infrastructure division are driving wide-ranging reforms that will remove barriers to the delivery of strategic infrastructure. Government has published Ireland’s sixth nitrates action programme underscoring Ireland’s success in retaining the nitrates derogation.

The Government’s pro-enterprise decisions in budget 2026 invest in Ireland’s enterprise base and support job creation, regional development, innovation, tourism and long-term competitiveness. We reduced the VAT rate for food, catering and hairdressers from 13.5% to 9% with effect from 1 July 2026. We increased the research and development tax credit from 30% to 35% which is having a significant impact in inward investment. We revised capital gains tax, increasing the entrepreneur relief lifetime limit threshold from €1 million to €1.5 million. We increased the national minimum wage by 65 cent per hour, a 4.8% increase that directly benefits over 200,000 workers. We extended the special assignee relief programme, SARP, providing income tax relief for persons assigned to work in Ireland from abroad. We also extended relief on foreign earnings to the end of 2030 and increased the limit on the deduction to €50,000 to assist indigenous exporting companies and their employees overseas. We are also committed to implementing action plans on competitiveness and productivity, insurance reform, market diversification and collective bargaining.

In the area of disability, I established the disability unit in the Department of the Taoiseach to bring renewed focus and urgency to disability issues across government. The new national disability strategy was published in the second half of last year. In budget 2026, we approved record investment of €3.8 billion in specialist disability services, an increase of 20%. This funding will support enhanced therapy services and other specialised supports for approximately 45,000 children and the recruitment of additional staff for children’s disability network teams. Funding of €20 million is also being provided for the assessment of need targeted waitlist initiative, delivering approximately 6,000 clinical assessments. We established the new education therapy service and launched a recruitment campaign to put 90 occupational and speech and language therapists into 45 special schools in the 2025-26 school year. We also allocated €3 billion to special education, benefiting approximately 250,000 children in the school system who present with a special educational need.

In terms of child poverty and well-being, in the budget we made significant provisions including a €320 million package for children featuring the largest increase ever in the child support payment, increased income thresholds for the working family payment and the extension of fuel allowance to those on the working family payment, €3.2 million of additional funding to expand the national network of family resource centres and an additional €5 million for Equal Start, a 30% increase. There is an additional €16.5 million to implement a new DEIS strategy and the new DEIS plus scheme.

4 o’clock

There is a 22% increase totalling €7.3 million for youth justice supports. The expansion of the income thresholds for the national childcare scheme will reduce the cost of childcare for lower income families.

On migration, we have published a new International Protection Bill to allow for a firm, fair and effective international protection system that aligns with the European Union's migration and asylum pact. We have established a new United Kingdom-Ireland 2030 programme of strategic co-operation to support and strengthen the interaction between Ireland and the UK. We have doubled the resources available to the shared island fund, with a further €1 billion available out to 2035 to foster reconciliation, mutual respect and growth.

On justice, defence and national security, we have established a new ministerial council on national security, which I chair. We have allocated €1.49 billion in defence funding in budget 2026, an increase of 11%. Likewise, justice has a significant allocation of more than €6 billion, €11.5 million of which is for domestic and gender-based violence initiatives. There are many more allocations, but due to time pressure I will not go into them.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach mentioned housing at the outset. One of the commitments in the programme for Government regarding housing was to repurpose the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme to become part of the starter home programme in order to enhance uptake. I am not sure we will have any difficulty with uptake; the difficulty is with supply. We are conscious that we are trying to generate supply across the entire sector. Last year, Galway City Council managed to complete nine affordable houses and Galway County Council completed 17. The local authority advised me it is finding it challenging to fund affordable housing programmes. In 2023, I voted to develop 30 affordable houses in Galway city, but they are yet to break ground. The local authority has advised me it is a funding issue. We need to examine and enact that commitment. We need to make sure the affordable scheme is something that local authorities can develop because they play an important role in increasing supply.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I want to raise a number of urgent school issues affecting school principals, teachers, children and parents across County Kerry. In an urban primary school in Killarney, Presentation Monastery National School, more than 85% of pupils do not speak English at home, with 44 nationalities among the 170 pupils. Despite this, there is no DEIS primary school in the Killarney area. Over the past two years, the school has lost two English-language teaching posts and a full SNA, which severely impacts its ability to support the children of parents working for minimum wage and in the hospitality sector. I ask that the school's case for DEIS status be urgently reviewed, along with other schools in Killarney. I would also like to raise Loughfouder National School in Knocknagoshel, where the roof of a SET and sensory room has collapsed due to severe weather. The school has no alternative space and children with special educational needs are now without a safe environment. Emergency funding is urgently required. I also want to raise Aghatubrid National School, Filemore National School, Coláiste na Sceilge and Scoil Saidhbhín in Caherciveen, each of which requires urgent attention. I would also like to mention-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I hope the Deputy does not have a long list.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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-----St. Brendan's College in Killarney, which the Taoiseach has seen for himself. It requires tens of millions in funding for redevelopment.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The programme for Government commits that the Government will work to facilitate an easier return to Ireland for emigrants, including reciprocal driving licence arrangements with the USA, Australia and Canada and the creation of a one-stop shop to support and assist with obtaining PPS numbers and other administrative issues. As the Taoiseach knows, we need some of our Irish citizens to come back and contribute to the labour force in critical areas such as construction and housing, the healthcare sector, pharmaceuticals, IT and so on. We need to make it easier for Irish emigrants to come home and contribute to the labour force. We all have examples of people who have found it difficult to engage with services here when they come home, whether that is obtaining a driver's license or PPS number or dealing with social welfare. A one-stop shop is critical. I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that gets up and running as soon as possible.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As the Taoiseach is aware, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to protect and renew the regional, local and non-national road network. There has been a welcome increase since 2020 in funding to local authorities on an annual basis. We need a more significant increase. As the Taoiseach is well aware, very heavy rainfall is causing awful damage to our local and regional roads. Counties like Cavan and Monaghan have particular problems because of our typography and our drumlin soils. We do not have free draining soils and, therefore, face additional problems in the road network. The Taoiseach will recall meeting Fianna Fáil councillors from Cavan and Monaghan, along with me, when they put forward a strong case for a substantial increase in funding for a roadworks programme for 2026, taking into account the fact that 92% of the road network in Cavan does not comprise national roads. There is significant demand for additional funding to bring roads up to the proper standards to which people are fully entitled.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Critical to the delivery of housing, the Government's top priority, is the need to unlock infrastructure that will allow that housing to be provided. I would be grateful for an update on the housing activation fund. In particular, the provision of the northern inner relief road for Gorey will unlock 73 acres of land in St. Waleran's for housing development. Now that the wastewater treatment plant in Arklow has been opened by the Taoiseach, there is provision for the town to grow, but a second bridge over the river is needed in order to allow for expansion. I ask the Taoiseach to treat both of those projects as priorities.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We need to deal with the planning and delivery of infrastructure. I have received a letter from the parent of a child attending junior infants in St. Mochta's National School in Louth village. The parent writes that two classes are currently being taught in the school hall and special education teachers are teaching in a cupboard, in the staff room and in a corridor due to lack of space. I have previously raised Monksland National School on the Cooley Peninsula, where teachers are taking their lunch in their cars or in a shipping unit. I do not think any of that is up to scratch. There is a lack of SEN offices, a GP room and all of the rest.

I dealt with Louth County Council's design team for Ardee Educate Together. A proposal has now gone through to address the parking problem for the new school and two proposals have gone to the Department. I would like to think there will be support from a governmental point of view for delivery on that. That is before we start talking about the issues that need to be delivered in Dundalk as regards flooding, which may involve catchment flood risk assessment management, CFRAM. On the overpumping capacity Louth County Council has for the River Blackwater, we now need to make sure there is constant capacity. Beyond that, we need to make sure wastewater capacity exists in my part of Dundalk, where it does not exist at this point in time. We need the coast road updated and a treatment plant because 2033 is far too late.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I listened to the Taoiseach's response on Leaders' Questions to my party leader, Deputy McDonald. He said the Government will introduce regulations for e-scooters. That is also in the programme for Government. Since 2024, e-scooters have been legal on Irish roads, but people do not need a licence to drive one. They do not have to be registered, taxed or insured. As we speak, e-scooters are being driven recklessly and with impunity across Dublin. They are so quiet that pedestrians do not hear them until they are right on top of them. They are being driven on footpaths and at night time with no lights or reflective clothing. The drivers are often dressed in black. They are being used to transport money and drugs for criminal gangs. They are driven without helmets. There has been an increase in the number of people presenting to accident and emergency departments with acquired brain injuries due to accidents involving e-scooters. I ask for an update on the measures the Government will introduce, when that will happen and how the law will be enforced.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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In the programme for Government there is a commitment to increase the number of special schools and special classes across the State to ensure children can go to school in their local communities. At this point in time, hundreds of children across the State are not being considered for a special class or special school place, despite the fact that they have all of the paperwork in order, because they missed the 1 October deadline for the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. I am dealing with three principals in a special school and two in mainstream who have identified children for school places. They have the perfect places for these children, but they have been told by the SENO that under no circumstances are they to offer children those places because they do not have a letter of eligibility from the NCSE. It is a major issue. What does the Taoiseach have to say to those children?

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Today is World Cancer Day. I am a cancer survivor. I am lucky. I am in good health. I have seen the improvements in science and medicine which save lives every day.

However, I have also seen first hand the fact that the State's health system discriminates against some people who have cancer. I will give the Taoiseach a number of examples. There were a quarter of a million fewer people who had cervical, bowel or breast screening in 2020 than in 2019, and we have still not caught up with the number of people who missed out on screening at that time. A quarter of all cancer patients at the moment are left waiting for longer than three weeks, even though that is a timescale in which they should achieve radiation therapy if that is what they need in relation to good health. A woman from Limerick has a 15% lower chance of survival than a person from Cavan in relation to breast cancer because of the differentials geographically on survival rates. If you go to a public hospital, you have a 12% less chance of survival than if you go to a private hospital. In Britain, for example, you are 5% more likely to survive breast cancer. This is not good enough. We need to make sure every single patient is treated fairly across the geographic and demographic spaces in this country.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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While we welcome that the basic income for artists pilot scheme is extended until February, we are now in February and just a week away from the scheme coming to an end and we are still none the wiser as to when the promised follow-up scheme will be up and running, who will be able to apply and how they will be selected. Forty-seven out of the 174 artists in my county of Mayo who applied were successful and benefited hugely from this scheme but when will the new scheme be opened for applicants and when will it start providing funding? How many artists will the follow-on scheme fund? Are the 2,000 artists who took part in the pilot scheme able to reapply? Will the new scheme yet again be a random selection or does the Government intend to introduce criteria based on merit or on need?

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Are gardaí accountable or are they a law unto themselves? Who should police the Garda? I refer to a constituent of mine, George Nkencho, who was shot six times on his doorstep. We are meant to believe that that is okay and there is "nothing to see here". His family have never been allowed a public inquiry or a trial. The minimal thing they got was an inquest, which ended on Friday. That is a very limited process. It does not allow for cross-examination, examination of forensics, all those kinds of things. We are actually meant to believe that 13 gardaí wearing stab vests could not disarm a young fella with a kitchen knife - a young fella who happened to be black, by the way - and that the only solution was to get out an NP7 within one minute of arriving on the doorstep and shoot him - not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, not five times but six times, including twice in the back. It is an absolute travesty of justice that this family have been denied by the DPP, who was handed a two-year investigation and said, "Nothing to see here". The DPP also denied Nikita Hand and denies rape victims regularly. We need to talk about the DPP in this country and their inordinate power to prevent very important cases getting to court. George Nkencho should be alive today, and this State has covered this up for over five years.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The number of people in emergency accommodation in this country is shocking but I want to highlight in particular the issue of family and child homelessness. The number of families in emergency accommodation has gone up by 100% since 2016, which is absolutely shocking. Many if not the majority of cases coming into me now of people stuck in emergency accommodation involve families with children, often with special needs, in there for long periods because of the lack of three- and four-bedroom houses. There is a problem with one- and two-bedroom houses but there is an even bigger problem with three- and four-bedroom houses because we are relying so much on private developers, who tend to build one- or two-bedroom units because they can make more profit from them. There is not the delivery we need of three- and four-bedroom units, and that is contributing directly to child and family homelessness being disproportionately bad in terms of keeping people in emergency accommodation. What is the Government going to do about it?

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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I want to raise with the Taoiseach the unacceptable delay in paying agreed pension increases to retired workers of An Post and CIÉ. A 7% increase for An Post pensioners was agreed back in September. The Minister was asked to approve this increase from 23 October, yet pensioners are still waiting while the Minister stalls and delays. It has been almost 18 years since CIÉ pensioners have received any sort of increase in their pension. An agreement was finally reached last May between the unions and CIÉ. However, the Government is sitting on this and stalling any progress. The stalling is causing huge financial hardship for pensioners already struggling in a cost-of-living crisis. Will the Taoiseach explain what is causing the delays and when these pension increases will finally be paid?

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Despite public transport and the improving of public transport being a key commitment of this Government, many areas have actually seen a poorer service than was there previously. I am speaking in particular in this instance to the Gorey-Dublin rail line. Previously, there were four carriages on it and it sat 262 commuters. For some inexplicable reason, Iarnród Éireann changed those four carriages in October of last year. It put on a different carriage system, which seats only 185 people. I hear of consistent overcrowding and people fainting on that line, and there are health and safety issues with it. I have raised it with Iarnród Éireann and the NTA. I have been told they would get back to me in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, I am still hearing from constituents in Wicklow town and all along that line who face incredible overcrowding. Will the Taoiseach please look into that? It is unacceptable.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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The housing crisis is an absolute social catastrophe. I was contacted yesterday by a woman who is a civil servant, who is in her 50s and who has been evicted from her home into homelessness. What is the Government going to do about homelessness? In particular, what is it going to do about the delivery of social and affordable housing? Today the Social Democrats launched a detailed proposal for a State construction company. It is costed. We need a game changer. We need the public sector to deliver affordable housing, just like we do in health and education. Will the Government take this up and implement and create a State construction company that could guarantee the delivery of housing? We have young people who are tradespeople emigrating from this country because they do not see a future. We could be employing them in a public construction company, alongside the market, while guaranteeing the core delivery of social and affordable homes by the State, like this country did in the past.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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We are all conscious that parts of the country have been gripped with anxiety this week and last week in relation to heavy rainfall and risk of flooding. So far, east Cork has been spared this time around but what we are left with is an eerie calm because we know we may not be so fortunate next week, next month or next year. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to streamlining and delivering flood relief schemes. The large-scale project for Midleton is extremely overdue at this point but it is at least edging towards a planning application. Meanwhile, the villages that were struck by Storm Babet in October 2023 remain entirely in limbo. There is no clarity on when works will begin to protect Mogeely, Killeagh, Castlemartyr, Rathcormack, Lady's Bridge or Whitegate. Some €107,000 was recently allocated to Whitegate but that was only to appoint a specialist to survey possible works. It will not fund any actual works, over two years on from Storm Babet. The residents of these villages are sick and tired of waiting and fighting for flood protection. When will we see a timeline for these works in Mogeely, Rathcormack, Killeagh, Castlemartyr, Lady's Bridge and Whitegate?

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Management, staff, students and parents and the whole school community are extremely disappointed and dismayed at the decision last week by the Minister, Deputy Naughton, not to release long-promised funding for the Kilkenny school campus. Both Kilkenny City Vocational School and Coláiste Pobail Osraí are now at capacity. Kilkenny City Vocational School is the only DEIS post-primary school in Kilkenny city and it has an exemplary record. Both schools are non-denominational and co-educational. Coláiste Pobail Osraí is the last remaining Gaeilge post-primary school in Kilkenny city and county. The reality for both schools currently is that their classrooms are not fit for purpose, there are no outdoor recreation facilities, there are no outdoor sport facilities and no PE facilities. Any help the Taoiseach can give to reverse this decision would be hugely appreciated by the whole school community. Will he meet with the school community, with Kilkenny and Carlow ETB and the principals as a matter of urgency to discuss this specific project and to try to get it to construction stage as soon as possible? If the project is not advanced by July 2027, the planning permission will run out, and €3 million has already been spent to get to this stage. I implore the Taoiseach, if he could, to meet with me and the relevant school authorities. That would be fantastic.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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De réir anailíse ó thionscadal One Million Homes, atá foilsithe inné, tá easnamh de 12,635 teach sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Tá pobail Ghaeltachta gan a dhóthain páistí chun scoileanna áitiúla a choinneáil oscailte, gan trácht ar chumainn spóirt a choimeád beo. Ó 2015 i leith, níor tógadh ach 1,250 teach ar fud na Gaeltachta. Ag an ráta sin, léiríonn an anailís chéanna go mbeidh easnamh de thart ar 32,000 teach sa Ghaeltacht faoi 2036. Le deich mbliana anuas, tógadh díreach 36 teach i nGaeltacht na nDéise i bPort Láirge. Tá sin idir trí agus ceithre theach sa bhliain, cé go bhfuil timpeall 550 páiste faoi bhun 18 mbliana d'aois sa cheantar. Mar thoradh air sin, tá clanna óga á mbrú amach as a bpobal féin agus tá an Ghaeilge á cailliúint dá bharr. Is géarchéim pobail agus teangeolaíochta í seo. Tá géarghá le tithe inacmhainne agus sóisialta sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Mar sin, i bhfianaise na bhfíricí seo, cad go díreach atá an Rialtas chun a dhéanamh anois? An dtarraingeoidh an Taoiseach le chéile go práinneach na hAirí cuí maidir le tithíocht, pleanáil agus an Ghaeltacht chun treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta a fhoilsiú gan a thuilleadh moille, agus freagra comhordaithe a chur i bhfeidhm sula mbeidh sé ródhéanach do na pobail thábhachtacha seo?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all the Deputies who spoke in relation to this question. Deputy Connolly raised the issue of affordable housing and the local authority affordable scheme in Galway. I will certainly engage with the county manager and the city manager there on the low progress in respect of the application of that scheme in the Galway context. Certainly, as part of the housing action plan, we want to do more on the affordable housing front as well as the social housing front. There have been certain local variations in terms of the application of the schemes. Some of them have been better than others in terms of scale and the number of schemes completed. I will engage with the county councils, the managers and the Deputy to try to progress it. I will talk to the Minister for housing in respect of the Galway situation too.

Deputy Cahill raised quite a number of issues, including Presentation Monastery National School. He mentioned a significant number. I think the Deputy said that the first language of 85% of pupils is not English, which is huge. This means there are particular needs. Progress is being made in terms of an examination of DEIS plus. If a school is not even in DEIS, the prospects of being in DEIS plus are more limited. There was an extensive review of DEIS about three years ago. I will talk to the Minister about whether there are specific supports we can give that school, particularly in terms of the language issues, that might help it to deal with what is clearly a different set of challenges being faced. The Deputy also referred to Knocknagoshel, where the roof of the sensory room has collapsed. Emergency works grant funding should be available for that. I will alert the Minister to it. I think he also mentioned Filemore National School, Aghatubrid National School and Coláiste na Sceilge. What is the problem with Coláiste na Sceilge again?

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of issues there.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. That is a school I helped enormously when it was starting. The only challenge is that it produced an awful lot of high-quality Kerry footballers afterwards who won All-Irelands against us, which was pointed out to me with glee by some of the Deputy's colleagues. I have visited St. Brendan's College. A lot of people raise school issues. We are spending a lot more money on schools. A lot more schools need extensions or full buildings. St. Brendan's College is a fantastic school but it is in an old building. I fully appreciate the needs. I will be engaging with the Minister for education to see what we can do in terms of the school programme because quite a number of Deputies across the board have raised school issues today.

Deputy Séamus McGrath raised the issue of a one-stop shop for bringing people back into the country and trying to clear up a lot of issues from driving licences to a whole range of other issues. I will progress that with the relevant Ministers. I commend him on his precise scrutiny of the programme for Government and every single aspect of it to keep us on our toes. I will follow up on that one.

On Deputy Brendan Smith's contribution, there is a big issue with regional and non-national roads. The flooding of recent times has done a lot of damage in specific locations, but the rainfall generally has had an effect. I spoke yesterday to the Minister responsible - the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien - on the impact of the floods on the roads, the need to review how we allocate funding to non-national roads and the need to get a serious allocation there. The inclement, wetter weather of recent years is playing havoc with non-national roads across the country.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne raised the housing activation fund. Some €1 billion has been allocated. I hope some of that could be allocated to the northern inner relief road in Gorey - I will follow that up - and to the second bridge for Arklow. As the Deputy knows, when we were in Aughrim yesterday we discussed with a number of people, including the county manager and some of the engineers, how Arklow is now primed for housing development. We have put in a massive wastewater treatment plant there. It is a very modern one. If we need to lift any limits that are on Arklow in terms of house construction and so forth, we will continue to follow up on that in the context of the housing activation fund.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised a number of classroom issues in County Louth. I think he said that a school hall is being used.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Yes. It is about departmental engagement with the three schools: Ardee Educate Together, St. Mochta's National School and Monksland National School.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Again, I will talk to the Department of education in respect of that matter. I will talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, about the CFRAM issue in Dundalk. Others have raised flood relief as well, including Deputy Quaide. Flood relief programmes are complex. They take time. That is just the reality. In the interim, we should be providing interim works that can be of assistance.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have seen some of the works in Midleton, either embankments or gates. We can be doing more and we should work with the local authorities. The OPW wants to work with the local authorities on interim measures while the schemes themselves are being developed. I think that is the direction of travel we intend to work on.

Deputy Mark Ward raised the regulation of e-scooters. The Minister got sanction from the Cabinet today for preliminary regulations covering the wearing of helmets and hi-vis vests for the users of e-scooters, e-bikes and so forth. That is important. We also understand that there will be a need for more regulation in respect of how e-scooters are being applied on our streets.

Deputy O'Rourke raised special schools and classes. There has been a lot of increases in special schools since 2020. I think the number is well over 11, and perhaps up to 15. I will check the latter figure for the Deputy. There has been a huge number of increases in special classes. In fact, the big phenomenon in education at the moment is the phenomenal growth in the number of children needing special education provision. The October deadline brought on a huge increase in numbers compared to last year. This is notwithstanding those who missed the deadline. This is a very significant issue that we need to analyse and evaluate in terms of the nature of supports and whether we are providing the optimal supports. A significant number of people have come forward since the early deadline was put in place. The Minister of State with special responsibility for special education, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the Minister for education, Deputy Naughton, have alerted the Government to the significant increase in numbers who have applied, particularly those who would have been in mainstream classes but, because of the early date, principals and others are saying should be in special classes. This is increasing the demand and the need. We will come back to the Deputy on the date. I know the Minister and the Minister of State are working on it, and I will come back to him on it.

Deputy Tóibín spoke about World Cancer Day. I accept that there are geographical variations. That is not a situation that is acceptable. Overall, cancer survival rates have improved enormously. I appreciate that the Deputy, being a cancer survivor, is in a good place to articulate and advocate on behalf of this issue. Covid did intervene in some of the screening programmes, and, yes, the catch-up is not there fully in respect of some of them. There is consideration on the way, even to expanding the age cohort that would benefit from various screening programmes. Overall, it is important to say that survival rates have improved significantly over the last two decades for various cancers in this country and that is a positive we have to acknowledge.

Deputy Conway-Walsh asked about the pilot basic income for artists scheme. The Minister has proposals in that regard. I will ask him to come back to the Deputy.

To respond to Deputy Coppinger, gardaí are accountable. We saw an example of that in the courts yesterday. The Deputy again raised the issue of the DPP. I am not clear what she is saying should be the case but an independent Director of Public Prosecutions is essential in a democracy. It is good practice. If the Dáil was to become involved in deciding who gets prosecuted and who does not, we would be on a very dangerous slippery slope.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I am not saying that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know but we would then need an alternative to having an independent Director of Public Prosecutions. That is the core issue here.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I am saying the office should not have the power it does.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I fully accept that families and people in specific situations may be very angry and annoyed at the absence of a prosecution. I fully understand the concerns of the Nkencho family in respect of what happened but, whatever way you look at this, I see having an independent Director of Public Prosecutions as a strength in our system. I see other systems. The Deputy talked about the United States. Prosecutorial services in the US are very embroiled in politics. In certain states, becoming an attorney general can depend on your politics. I am not too sure that is ideal either.

Deputy Boyd Barrett spoke about emergency accommodation numbers. There are big issues involved. There is a wider issue there. Emergency accommodation is a complex issue.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I asked about three- and four-bedroom houses.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has received about €100 million in additional money specifically to deal with the issues affecting families in emergency accommodation who require housing that the Deputy has referenced. The Minister is working on that.

To respond to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, yes, there is a delay. I am pursuing that with the Minister of State responsible for post offices, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for public expenditure. There is an issue that needs to be sorted fairly quickly. Both Ministers tell me there is not an issue but there clearly is. My understanding is that the increase is not an issue but there might be something else relating to the Labour Court. That should be progressed.

Deputy Whitmore asked about public transport. I will raise what is happening there with the NTA. Deputy Malcolm Byrne has also been raising the matter of transport between Dublin and Wicklow with me. There are issues here for CIÉ and the NTA. A lot of people travel that route. Commuter travel is one of the biggest issues facing the Deputy's constituents. We need to review our plans to make sure we can accommodate additional numbers on public transport.

Deputy Rory Hearne raised the issue of the housing crisis. We have the LDA. We are committed to providing 72,000 social houses. We are building more social houses now than at any time since the 1970s. We are doing this through local authorities and approved housing bodies. Last year may end up having been a record year for social housing. I am not sure we should stop doing what we are doing. Perhaps that is not what the Deputy is suggesting but he is saying we should establish a State construction company. That would take a while. It could slow down the construction of social housing. It is not a panacea. I am not clear whether we are in the realm of direct labour any more. Would that work? It did not work in the past. We are now delivering about 12,000. Last year, about 8,500 were directly built by approved housing bodies and local authorities. We need to get up to 10,000. If we can get higher than that on a progressive basis, we will. I am not sure we need a State construction company, on top of what we already have, to deliver social housing. I will look at the Deputy's document but it seems to me that we now need to get on with the agencies we have and get the thing done.

I think I dealt with Deputy Quaide's point on flooding schemes. It is a cause of worry and anxiety. We need more interim measures. I will talk to the Minister of State, Kevin Moran, in respect of Mogeely, Killeagh, Whitegate, Rathcormac and the other villages Deputy Quaide mentioned. The interim measures are key. The wider scheme is complex given the nature of what is happening in that area and all of the issues the scheme needs to address. I will talk to the Minister of State in respect of that.

Deputy Cleere asked about Gaelscoil Osraí and the vocational college in Kilkenny. I will meet with the community there. Deputy Cleere, Deputy John McGuinness and others have raised this matter before. I will be meeting with the Minister for education on this. I am familiar with the colleges. I have visited the community college and the Gaelscoil. I am anxious to deal with these issues for the school communities involved. I do not have an issue with meeting with the school community if the Deputy wants to arrange that.

Deputy McGuinness raised the issue of pobail Ghaeltachta agus an méid tithíochta atá á thógáil againn sna ceantair sin. Chuireamar articles éagsúla san Acht pleanála ionas go mbeimid in ann déileáil go speisialta leis na Gaeltachtaí ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta de. Tá an infheistíocht ann anois. Tá muidne sa Rialtas sásta gach aon rud is féidir linn a dhéanamh chun níos mó tithe a thógáil sna Gaeltachtaí. Má tá scéimeanna faoi leith i gceist ag an Teachta, ba chóir dó iad a chur in iúl dúinn. Bheinn sásta iad siúd a chur os comhair an Aire agus cinneadh dearfach a dhéanamh faoin gceist sin. Is ceist thábhachtach í.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It is now 4.35 p.m. so we will not have time to go into Questions Nos. 23 to 39, inclusive. That therefore concludes Taoiseach's Questions.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Could we take just one question now?

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We have dealt with Questions Nos. 1 to 22, inclusive. We are due to finish at 4.38 p.m. It is now 4.35 p.m. We will not conclude Questions Nos. 23 to 39. We will suspend while we are waiting for the Minister.