2026-02-18

I want to return to the Government's cuts to special needs assistants, SNAs, for schools and its pause, as the Taoiseach calls it. I want to establish exactly what that means. I raised the situation generally but also specifically with the Taoiseach yesterday. Fossa National School in Killarney has been written to in order to inform it that it will be losing four SNAs. Johnstown Boys National School in Dublin will lose five SNAs. Scoil Barra in Ballincollig, Cork, will lose two SNAs. Will the Taoiseach help us by confirming whether or not those losses will proceed in September - "Yes" or "No"? Is that what this pause means or is the Government simply buying time and intending to resume its course of action? It is extremely important that we have clarity on this matter today because the actions of the Government have caused real concern, anxiety and anger, and have the potential to create chaos in school communities.

I call on the Taoiseach.

Will those SNAs be maintained or lost?

The Taoiseach to respond. Time is up, Deputy.

The pause means what I said as I discussed in response to earlier questions raised by other-----

No, you did not. What does it mean?

Deputy, that is not how this works.

The Ministers will engage with those schools and with the National Council for Special Education on that review. The schools themselves have appealed the decision, or will have appealed it, and there will be engagement.

That does not mean anything.

Next week sees the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That means the brutal bombardment of Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year. We have seen appalling casualties and appalling attacks by Russia on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. It is in that context that I raise the alarming revelations on the front of today's edition of The Irish Times, following an investigation by Conor Gallagher, and also covered today in the Ukrainian media today. The story is that components made in Ireland by two Irish companies are ending up in Russian weapons. There is no wrongdoing alleged against the Irish companies. These components are being sold on, it appears. However, these components are appearing in Shahed and Geran drones that are devastating Ukraine this winter. Some 682 civilians were killed last year alone with these sorts of weapons. Swarms of drones are leaving millions of Ukrainians without heat, power or water. A video of a young woman in Kyiv has gone viral. She told people not to worry about the food in her fridge spoiling during power cuts because without heating, her home is so cold that she is effectively living in a fridge. She has the hashtag #theflatisthefridge.

Thank you, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

This is the reality of life under Russia's grinding war.

Time is up.

What can the Taoiseach's Government do to ensure that Irish-made components do not end up in Russian weapons?

Russia's invasion is and has been an horrific act, violating not just territorial integrity but also causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, including Russian soldiers, Ukrainian soldiers and the appalling attacks on civilian infrastructure. Circumvention of sanctions has been a feature of the war. Europe has tried everything it possibly can, including the appointment of a former Secretary-General of the European Commission, Irishman David O'Sullivan, to try to deal with the circumvention of sanctions across the board. I read the report this morning. There is no suggestion that the companies themselves have done anything illegal, but we will pursue this and follow it through. It is concerning. The circumvention has been a feature in many areas of the war and many aspects of supplies to Russia and so forth.

I have no doubt the Government's age verification system proposals are well-intentioned but we in the Social Democrats have major concerns over this. It is not working in the jurisdictions where it is currently running, it raises major privacy and security concerns, it interferes with the rights of children and young people to engage in online life and participation in society more broadly and it leaves behind the root cause of the issues that exist in the online space. Why is the Government pursuing this when we know its efforts would be better spent on dealing with toxic algorithms and legislating for platforms as publishers? One of the Taoiseach's colleagues, Deputy Malcolm Byrne, agreed with me this morning on radio that this is a problematic initiative and he really failed to give his support to what seems to be Government policy now. This is a reasoned contribution. Earlier the Taoiseach said we are too quick to rush to criticism but that is not the case. I appreciate it is well-intentioned and that there is a place for classification but this is not going to work. We need better solutions.

First of all, the age verification tool is currently being piloted, or the intention by the Department is to pilot it.

But it is distracting from what we need.

Robust age verification is part of the infrastructure we need to build to protect our children online. Our counterparts in Europe are of the same view on how to achieve this and we will work together to ensure the online realm is safe for children. Piloting, by the way, is about evaluation, asking whether it works and whether it has other implications. The intention is that it would be privacy-preserving and would protect people's rights but we will explore all that too. The other side of the coin is we need to enable children through programmes in our education system to be more resilient in terms of what they face in the modern era.

We need to fix the online space.

Deputy please, that is not how this session works. I call Deputy Stanley.

I want to ask about the review of SNAs, which some have described as cuts. I understand reviews have to happen and that two thirds of schools will not be affected but one third will be and Rath National School and Timahoe National School in Laois have been notified of cuts. No account has been taken of the children being enrolled for September and their special needs. Circular 32/25 will mean some of the most vulnerable children losing their support and that support is essential. The pause is welcome but the Government needs to go further. The guidelines that came with the circular state, "The behaviour should be supported holistically with whole school and whole class approaches and individual needs supported by the class teacher ...". The problem is when a situation arises - and I have been in a school where I saw this happening - the teacher cannot leave the classroom and leave the other 23 or 24 pupils on their own. I am asking the Taoiseach to have these guidelines reviewed.

There is a workforce plan under way within the Department and the NCSE in respect of special needs assistants. Consultations are taking place and that would involve a review.

What about the guidelines?

On the guidelines, there is a circular from 2014. As I said, the workforce planning involves all the issues the Deputy just discussed.

My constituents are deeply concerned about the imminent closure of Perrott House, a mental health care facility in Skibbereen. This residential care facility, which was staffed 24 hours, had been home to many long-term residents and provided them with essential programmes like horticulture, music, poetry and art as well as access to the local library, church and shops in Skibbereen. The HSE continues to deny Perrott House is closing but with two patients left in this once-great facility the writing is on the wall. I looked at the HIQA reports from 2019 and 2020 and there were no issues with the then 15-bed facility which had 13 residents at that time, some for 20 to 30 years. At a time when more mental health beds are needed, why close 15 beds, leaving staff, patients and families very upset at being misled? Will the Taoiseach help save Perrott House at this late stage?

The Deputy is saying there are two patients left.

Yes, and they are being moved.

Again, I do not have the full details or specifics of the case but the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will undertake to examine it and understand the full background of it before making commitments in respect of it.

Recently the courts exonerated a number of gardaí from the mid-west region. They had been subjected to a seven-year investigation for being involved in practices that were commonplace in every single Garda district from one end of this country to the other. They were they only people who were prosecuted. During the course of that seven-year investigation, the gardaí were suspended, interrogated, vilified and had their names dragged through the mud. The net result of all this is a huge legal bill for the State and Garda morale in the mid-west on the floor. Does the Taoiseach think Garda management has questions to answer about this very ill-advised, partisan and heavy-handed prosecution? If so, when do we expect those answers to be forthcoming?

I am very much aware of the investigation, suspension and prosecution of the gardaí referred to by Deputy O'Dea. The most important fact to emphasise is all those gardaí were acquitted. That is how the administration of justice operated. It obviously operated in an impartial and independent way. As to whether or not there are questions for Garda management, any time there is an acquittal there may be reflections on whether the prosecution should have been brought or not but that is a matter for Garda management. What we cannot say should become normal is that when there is an acquittal there necessarily has to be an investigation into a prosecution. It is an essential part of the administration of justice that cases are prosecuted. Many people are convicted but the gardaí the Deputy referred to were acquitted and found not guilty.

In the past hour I came away from a meeting of the committee on social protection and rural affairs. There was a considerable, interesting discussion on Citizens Information and Money Advice and Budgeting services. One of the things that struck me was 20% of people cannot get access to those services. There are 89 centres nationally and about 140 information officers. That equates to about 1.5 staff officers per centre. The people who are especially affected are those with literacy and digital difficulties and other vulnerable groups who rely on a face-to-face intervention or a meeting. The plea to us on the committee was about staffing. That was the issue, and staffing is funding. What would more staffing do? It would increase face-to-face delivery-----

The Taoiseach to respond.

Obviously I did not attend the committee and am not aware of the full details that ensued but if you were to look at every agency in the country and back at where staffing was three or four years ago - it may not be the case here and I put that reservation or qualification in - there has been an increase generally. Numbers in the public service have risen very considerably. We are going to have to look at methodologies, how we do our business and how we do our work. MABS is a very important service and I am very supportive of it but I am very conscious our public expenditure growth is up to 8% per annum, which is quite significant. We have good, robust public finances and we are being criticised for spending too much by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and others and some economists worry about that too, so we need balance here. At a time when we are increasing services and increasing numbers, we need to keep a weather eye on outputs, whether we are doing things in the optimal way and whether we can do things more effectively. I make those points generally and without prejudice to the individual case.

Tá imní ar mhuintir Chonamara faoi iarratas atá curtha isteach ag Arramara Teoranta maidir le baint feamainne ar fud Chonamara. Mar is eol don Taoiseach, is ceist ghoilliúnach í seo. An príomhrud atá ag cur imní ar dhaoine ná cén cosaint a mbeidh ag bainteoirí feamainne traidisiúnta sa reachtaíocht nua. Dúradh in 2018 go raibh cosaint ann ach anois níl sé soiléir go bhfuil nó, níos measa fós, breathnaíonn sé ar nós nach bhfuil cosaint ann dóibh. Impím ar an Taoiseach breathnú ar an gceist seo agus oibriú le lucht bainte feamainne chun an ceart seo a chosaint, chomh maith leo siúd a bhfuil cearta fóilió acu. I am raising seaweed harvesting. The recent application by a large company for seaweed harvesting rights has caused huge concern. It is a very sensitive topic because it is a core Irish tradition. Traditional harvesters had been given complete assurances their rights would be protected but there is serious concern this is no longer the case in the new legislation. Will the Government work with traditional harvesters as well as those with folio rights to ensure their rights are protected?

Beidh an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Dooley, i nGaillimh Dé hAoine. Beidh sé ag bualadh agus ag déileáil leis na grúpaí áirithe ann. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil daoine imníoch faoin cheist seo. Gan amhras, tá an reachtaíocht agus an dlí ann. Tá fonn orainn cearta chosmhuintir na háite agus na dúiche sin a chosaint chomh fada agus is féidir linn. Caithfidh muid é a dhéanamh i gceart, áfach. Is áis nádúrtha tábhachtach í an fheamainn. Caithfidh muid éagsúlacht na háite a chur san áireamh, mar aon leis na nithe eile ar ghá machnamh a dhéanamh orthu.

The change in SNA allocations has caused a great deal of concern and distress among school communities local to me. Aghabullogue was due to lose half of its SNAs. Bweeng was to lose one of its three. Scoil Barra and Boherbue parents also highlighted concerns. There is also a knock-on impact, in particular on schoolchildren. The pausing of the new plan yesterday is welcome and gives reliefs to many school communities, but it has not completely resolved the concerns. Killmurry, for example, which had been unable to get a new SNA despite a growing need, is stuck. Schools which were in fear of losing an SNA and are appealing are concerned that their appeals may not be successful. What is the pathway for parents and school communities from now on? When will parents and school communities who are unsure and concerned know that their children will have the necessary number of SNAs?

I acknowledge the concerns raised in respect of the schools Deputy identified regarding the outcome of the review of their schools and those that perhaps did not get the additional SNAs that they sought and so forth. The Ministers will engage with the NCSE in the context of those schools where it was indicated that there would be a reduction. We want to clarify this issue as quickly as we can. There will be a time lag because we paused the process in order to provide opportunities to re-engage on the issue, and for the Ministers, in particular, to engage with the NCSE and come back to the Government with a resolution framework for this.

As the Taoiseach is aware, first responders play a critical role in our emergency services, but approximately one year ago a decision was made to prevent the officer group from taking the officer response vehicle to their place of residence. In December, I witnessed first hand a medical emergency on Main Street, Gorey. The ambulance and first responders were called. The first responders arrived in their own cars and were first on the scene. They did everything possible to assist the victim. Later that day, I went to their base to thank them and was shocked to see the officer response vehicle parked up in a corner. The vehicle could have provided vital medical assistance to first responders, but for the officer to drive to from their residence to collect the vehicle would have delayed the response, especially on a busy Saturday. I have no doubt that situations like this have been replicated the length and breadth of Ireland. This is having a detrimental impact on the ability of these highly skilled professionals to respond to accidents within the quickest possible time frame and with the best equipment to hand.

I agree with the Deputy. There was an internal review by the National Ambulance Service in 2024. It apparently identified potential benefit-in-kind tax liabilities for NAS staff using NAS response vehicles to travel to and from work and the HSE sought a ruling from the Revenue Commissioners on the matter. In the interim, it took the decision to inform staff that there could be an issue, which has led to the result of the Deputy outlined. I am informed that the Revenue Commissioners responded to the HSE with a potential way forward to address the benefit-in-kind tax liability issue. I understand engagement has been ongoing between the HSE and Revenue Commissioners on the matter. In light of the Revenue Commissioners' ruling, a process involving the drafting and agreement of revised policies has been ongoing within the HSE, involving negotiations with the recognised unions. I understand the process is ongoing. The HSE is obliged to comply with Revenue Commissioners' regulations regarding what is a potential personal use of publicly owned vehicles. I have just received this information. People need to have a bit of common sense and pragmatism. I will speak to the Minister for Finance to see if a regulation needs to be changed so that the speed of first responders-----

A letter from 21 school principals in Donegal has been sent to the Minister for Education and Youth and the Minister of State with responsibility for special needs education. They express their profound concern regarding the reality of special educational needs provision in our schools, in particular the operation of the SNA allocation model. I ask the Taoiseach to request a copy of the letter - I can send him one. It clearly demonstrates the failings of the system, which have been revealed by this review and has caused huge anguish and distress for parents. I have spoken to other schools outside of the 21 on the list. The Taoiseach needs to hear what is happening on the ground. The system is not working. The Government does not need to take a pause; the Government needs to stop the approach it is taking, talk to teachers and parents on the ground and change what is happening.

We will proceed with the increase in the number of SNAs for the school year commencing September 2026. We have budgeted for additional numbers and that will not stop. We will continue to increase the number of SNAs. Our concern will always be to prioritise the needs of parents and children to enable their full participation in school. Special needs assistants are a key part of that.

An bhliain seo chaite, labhair mé leis an Taoiseach faoi shaol na hoíche i mBaile Átha Cliath thuaidh, agus i mBaile Átha Cliath go ginearálta. I asked the Taoiseach about saol na hoíche, the night-time economy in Dublin agus dúirt sé go raibh mé lán le fuinneamh. Tá mé fós lán le fuinneamh. Yesterday, the Taoiseach saw that the Hoxton Hotel is now seeking a High Court injunction against the long established Izakaya. I still attend nightclubs. I might look 35 but I am actually 27. It is not just a symbol of the wider problem facing the night-time economy. We are losing venue after venue, including The Complex, and it is not acceptable. Businesses are operating under outdated licensing laws and unfavourable legislation. I have spoken to the Give Us the Night campaign, which said it is very disappointed with the commitment of the Government and that the night-time economy initiative, in particular relating to the policy on noise, planning and licensing, has effectively stalled. What is the current plan to protect and grow Dublin and Cork's nightlife? When will we see real licensing that will address uncertainty? We might qualify for the World Cup. The pubs need to be open if the matches are at 2 a.m.

Where are the best nightclubs?

Dublin.

Clearly, the Deputy was not at a nightclub last night. He is full of the joys of spring, despite the rain and all the rest. Deputy O'Gorman raised a similar issue yesterday. I undertook to speak to the Minister for justice in this regard. Maybe I should have left him take the question. There is a broader issue. Clearly, we will discuss this with the Minister concerned. There was an earlier iteration of this under the previous Government in terms of a broader policy. Towards the latter end of the previous Government, the issue was revisited and there was a reduction in enthusiasm for it, to put it bluntly. The night-time economy is important, in particular in terms of our broader framework for visitors and so on and young people. The nature of nightlife has changed. There is much more autonomy. People are not shepherded into one venue. The interest of young people is key-----

People need to dance.

-----and a few older guys who want to hang around in nightclubs.

Listening to Mary, the parent of a child included in the north Kerry CAMHS review, made for harrowing listening on "Morning Ireland" and would have sent a chill down the spine of any parent whose child has moderate to severe mental health difficulties. We await the publication of the report today. We also need to hear what the Government is doing about the wider CAMHS service. As of November, 1,800 children were waiting six months or longer for CAMHS therapy. These are children with moderate to severe difficulties who need therapy now, not in many months. The south west, my area, Dublin north east, the west and the north west have some of the longest waiters. The critical thing I want to communicate to the Minister for mental health is that when I speak to GPs in my area who cover some of the most disadvantaged committees in the country, they tell me they dread and even put off referring children to CAMHS because of the high level of rejection, because of the waiting times and, crucially, because of the urgency of need. They have to find other pathways. Some of those children are under eight years of age and need services. We need to see assurances for those families.

I thank the Deputy for respecting the fact of the report being published later this evening. We can arrange a briefing for health spokespersons on that. I will brief the Kerry Deputies as well this evening. There are challenges in CAMHS, but 225,000 appointments were issued last year to people who attend. Some people get a really good response from CAMHS. As regards the point the Deputy made in relation to CAMHS and intellectual disabilities, I set this model of care up in 2023, led by Dr. Amir Niazi, who was clinical director. Since then, we have started to fund it. This year alone, I put €1.5 million in recurrent funding into it for 15 new posts. We are coming from a low base and we are also trying to break down the silos between the CDNTs and CAMHS for children with a dual diagnosis. That is where I am finding a really significant barrier. I hope the standard access portal being set up across the country at the moment will help. I am happy to take it offline------

The previous Government enacted the Health Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2024, nearly two years ago. Vital components of that Bill have not been commenced, leaving families who have used surrogacy in a vulnerable state of limbo without any of the vital legal protections that the Bill sought to give them. I understand that the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority was established last year, but there has been no announcement regarding the appointment of a CEO or other staff or any further necessary legislation. Can the Taoiseach provide an update on the operational capacity of the regulatory authority, the timelines for commencement orders or further legislation from the Minister and make a promise to these families that the protections afforded to them, including the valid recognition of mother-child relationships established via surrogacy under this Bill will be enacted by the end of 2026, as a matter of urgency?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It has always been a complex issue; it is not simple. More than 20 years ago we set up the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction and it has taken that time to get a legislative framework to deal with the many issues pertaining to assisted human reproduction. I will talk to the Minister for Health in this regard. She has prioritised the commencement of this legislation and the creation of a proper edifice and framework to help people, particularly in respect of the surrogacy issue the Deputy referenced.

I raise the issue of SNA cutbacks. While I am delighted to see the Minister hit the pause button on that, many schools such as Feakle National School, Flagmount Central National School in my own county and many more lie on tenterhooks, not knowing what is going to happen. I have had some very heartfelt letters from children who have benefited from SNA support in their school. It is an enabler for them to access education. We need to know what lies ahead, apart from the pause button being hit. Circular 30/2014 redefined how SNAs support children. It said from now on support is based on complex care needs. That is so myopic and does not take into account the whole spectrum of needs children in a classroom can have in day. I say that as a former teacher, as someone who formerly worked as an SNA, and as someone who has a person quite close to them who benefited from special education. It is so myopic to say "complex care needs". These children need access to education every day of the week, not just toileting, feeding and medicine. We need to scrap that circular at the same time this cutback is paused. Please scrap the circular and rewrite it.

There is an expansion in the number of SNAs. The number will go up to 25,000 in September from 23,000. I listed earlier that since 2020, we have had an extra 8,000 plus SNAs. That is the level of expansion that has occurred. It is enormous by any standard and that should be acknowledged. There were pressures on certain schools as a result of the recent review and therefore we have paused it. Ministers will engage now with the NCSE and there will be engagement with all the schools that got an indication of a reduction. I caution Deputies on the role and remit of SNAs. They cannot solve all problems in schools; they were never meant to. Their fundamental role is to facilitate and help the participation of children in schools. Other aspects of the needs of those children will have to be supported in other ways. That is the reason we are introducing therapies in schools, for example.

I thank the Taoiseach. I call Deputy Burke.

We need to look at other potential supports for children to ensure good fruitful inclusion and participation in schools.

The Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 is currently going through the Oireachtas. It is also proposed to publish the public health tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products amendment Bill 2026, which will ensure nicotine inhaling products sold do not have eye-catching imagery, and other limitations on the sale of those products. When is it proposed to publish this Bill? It would be helpful if both Bills could go through the Oireachtas at the same time so that the necessary restrictions are put in place to restrict the use of these products, especially by young people.

The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O’Connor, has been very focused on this. The implementation will be imminent. These are necessary Bills and we want to get them done and implemented through both Houses and see what more we can do to get rid of these things and protect young people.

What is the timeline for publication?

Imminent.

I call Deputy Graves.

The Government's plan to cut SNAs from individual schools has to be scrapped. It shows the Government is out of touch with the needs of schools and parents, but most importantly, children. Imposing quotas to SNAs is going to affect our most vulnerable children. I have been contacted by schools and parents across my constituency and they are really anxious about the announcement. Those who have gotten letters do not know what situation they are going to be in. One mother who wrote to me yesterday asked: When will our Government open their eyes to people with disabilities in this country, especially our children? It is a no for this plan. It is an already weak service and thankfully the SNAs are amazing and do so much more than they are paid for. That is reflective of many parents' comments.

I have responded to this on a number of occasions this afternoon. We have increased the number of SNAs and will continue to do that. There will have to be reviews on an ongoing basis. Members accepted that in the House this afternoon. One has to evaluate all of the time. Needs change in schools. Some schools have additional need; others may not.

After a substantial review.

The Deputy is over time.

Obviously it will be after a substantial review. It should be school by school, ongoing and regular, so there are no big surprises like what happened with the letters that were sent by the NCSE when some schools were told they would lose four SNAs. That was never the case. Approximately 68% of those 500 are staying the same and increasing.

There are about 20 Northside Home Care healthcare assistants in the Gallery. These workers are on strike today. Some of them have worked for 25 years and are only paid €15.04 an hour. Others are on minimum wage. They get approximately 30% less than others doing the same job. They provide vital care for about 500 people on a daily basis. The reason for this ultimately is the HSE has arbitrarily excluded them from being treated as section 39 workers. When this was raised with the Taoiseach when they were on strike in January, he said he would "talk to the Minister and the HSE, to see if the issue can be satisfactorily resolved, averting any necessity for further industrial action". Yet here we are, back again. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Health to meet with these workers and instruct the HSE to treat them properly, give them pay parity and treat them as section 39 workers?

I acknowledge the very significant contribution healthcare assistants make to our health system. The difficulty here is there was a Workplace Relations Commission hearing on 10 March last year between ICTU unions and the relevant Departments. An agreement was reached on pay and conditions but that applied to section 39 organisations under the health Acts, section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, section 10 of the housing Act and section 40 of the Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Agency Act 2023. It applied to all bodies falling within those. There are many healthcare assistant work and homecare services, such as the Northside Home Care Service, which are funded through a separate, competitive, tendering process. That is a separate mechanism to the funding of section 39 organisations. The HSE says those tender processes and services commissioned by those tender processes are governed by separate contractual arrangements with providers. There is an issue there. It is not easily resolved. I will talk to the Minister. There is a one-day stoppage. We do not want industrial action taking place. I appreciate that people feel they need to do it. I will talk to the Minister again and see what we can do about it.