2025-12-11

The people of County Monaghan received a huge shock this morning with the news that The Northern Standard newspaper, which has been a Monaghan institution for 186 years, is set to close. For generations, The Northern Standard has been a trusted local voice with top-class local journalists, photographers and other staff. It has chronicled every significant event in our community life. It has held to account those of us in political life. Its closure would be a huge loss and it creates real concern about historical records and contemporary reporting. Of course, the disappearance of an historic paper such as The Northern Standard is part of a much wider pattern. Does the Government intend to bring forward any legislation or other supports for local and regional media? As a matter of urgency, will the Government see if an intervention can be made to explore whether there is any possible avenue to save The Northern Standard?

I join the Deputy in saying that it is awfully sad when a provincial newspaper closes. Unfortunately, many of them have closed in recent years. The Deputy knows as well as I do that media platforms have changed. People's connectivity to local papers has changed. National papers are also under enormous pressure. My Department has in recent years responded positively, within the rules laid down for what we can and cannot do in the context of market intervention. We support young reporters and journalists who act as court reporters. We also support newspapers in terms of local democracy so they can attend local area committee meetings in Carrickmacross, Monaghan or wherever else and ensure that council meeting are reported. An awful lot of the local papers are taking that up. The Department is conscious of making sure that State agencies, such as the HSE and An Post, advertise, where possible, with the local paper rather than online. I know, for instance, that for road opening licences and road closures, Monaghan and Cavan county councils would be adept at that. I cannot make a direct intervention, as the Deputy knows, in the case of The Northern Standard. If it has an archive and is looking to have that archive housed, there may be an opportunity for the National Archives of Ireland to discuss that. I thank the newspaper for what it has done for the people of Monaghan and for democracy. I hope that the journalists and others who work at the paper find employment in the local area. I wish them the best of luck. At this time of the year, Christmas, it is a tough loss for a community. I respect that. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

The poet, Michael Hartnett, has a special place in my heart, not only because of his poetry but because his maternal home place in Camas, outside Raheenagh, is a part of the world that I know very well. When the Minister was launching the Éigse Michael Hartnett Literary and Arts Festival earlier this year, he acknowledged that there is a need for capital funding for arts in this country. The Limerick Leader reported that he said he wanted to help to develop arts centres, theatres and other artistic infrastructure around the country. I am delighted he said that. However, in a letter to an arts space in Dublin yesterday, the Minister said something completely different. He passed the buck to local authorities and washed his hands of any responsibility for his Department. Why would he be so positive in his message in Limerick and so negative and dismissive of an arts centre in Dublin? Are we to take it that his interest in the arts is only confined to areas outside Dublin?

The Deputy should reflect on that comment, to be honest. I have been here a long time and have heard some personal comments. What the Deputy said is beneath her. I take offence.

Answer the question, please. The Minister is so dismissive.

I am not dismissing anything. My Department has not been approached formally by anybody with regard to this.

The Department has been approached. There was a letter.

Deputy Sherlock, allow the Minister to respond.

The Deputy has already insulted me. By the way, my parents lived next door to Michael Hartnett. I know him and his legacy quite well. There are two methods by which properties are acquired by the State. One is through the local authority. The Deputy is a former member of Dublin City Council. The other method is through the Office of Public Works. I mentioned this issue last night to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. There is no provision for my Department to acquire properties. The Deputy and I know that. There is no methodology by which my Department can acquire properties. There are mechanisms for my Department to support properties that are either in the charge and ownership of local authorities or in voluntary and community groups. Any organisation that is in the charge of a local authority, voluntary group or charity can come to my Department. The Deputy is right that we have plans for 2026 around arts centres. They will be properties that are not owned by the national cultural institutions. They will not be eligible to apply. The Deputy might reflect on her comment. I hope she comes back in a second time. I think an awful lot of people in Dublin and I regret she has made such a comment. Perhaps she would like to come back in.

You had the opportunity.

There is no allowance for that.

There is no facility for that.

I take it she does not want to come back. She will not apologise.

I am working on the basis of what was said to The Complex.

That is fine.

On Tuesday, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality announced that there is to be a complete overhaul of the assessment-of-need process, which, we can all agree, is absolutely not working. Some 18,000 young children are on the waiting list. That is evidence of how ineffective the system is. The announcement was made with no consultation with education staff and there is little or no detail for either education or clinical staff. The timing of the announcement coincided with research from Dublin City University, DCU, on education provider burnout. It comes at a time when parents are still fighting to get an appropriate school place for their children and for assessments of need. Even if they get them, they are then fighting to get the services they are supposed to get. These children are without services, supports and appropriate school places. They are not thriving. They are basically surviving. What the announcement has done is put fear and frustration in the hearts and minds of school staff, parents and children. What the children deserve is support, respect and an appropriate education. Will the Minister tell me how that will be achieved and guaranteed?

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I speak to it not only as the Minister deputising today but as a parent and teacher. The Minister, Deputy Foley, raised the matter at Cabinet and spoke publicly to the media about it. I reiterate that as a Government, we must ensure that the needs of children are identified at an early stage and that they receive supports to meet those needs, whatever they are. There may be a need for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or another service. The Minister brought proposals to Cabinet this week. They will be fleshed out. There will be consultation and an opportunity for people to engage. I will raise the points made by the Deputy with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. We are as anxious as anybody else that this is resolved. Many of us are parents of young children and have worked in schools. I do not think anyone has a monopoly on this and we want to try to make sure we get it sorted. It will not be for want of effort on the part of the Government.

It seems that when Donald Trump and the big military powers in NATO tell this Government to jump, it says “How high?” We have had a chorus of voices saying we will spend more on weapons. Simultaneously, we are going to get rid of the triple lock and undermine our neutrality. When it comes, however, to the promise the Government made on the occupied territories Bill to impose sanctions on the state committing genocide, which is armed by Donald Trump and the big powers in NATO, it seems now it is not happening. A motion was passed in this Dáil - the Government let it go through, which means the Dáil asked for it - that there would be action on the occupied territories Bill before Christmas. Is the Government not doing it because Donald Trump and the powers in NATO have told it they do not want Israel sanctioned for its crimes against the Palestinian people?

I am not sure what the question is there in relation to NATO and Donald Trump. There was a conflation of a lot of issues.

Where is the occupied territories Bill?

The Minister for foreign affairs has outlined the Government’s position as recently as the last few days with regard to the occupied Palestinian territories Bill and the prohibition of doing trade with that geographical area. The position of the Government has not changed.

No action.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, prosecuted Sean Ward (Fish Exports) Limited, a Killybegs seafood company, for allegedly tampering with weighing scales in 2015. The case collapsed after ten years in late 2025, with the judge citing a complete lack of evidence. This has led to a huge industry backlash against the SFPA for what many have called harassment, wasted resources and damaged reputations, and a call for major reform. In light of this judgment in the SFPA v. Sean Ward (Fish Exports) Limited case, will this Government ask the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, to review all current weighing pending prosecutions against fishermen from Castletownbere to Killybegs?

As the Deputy knows, there is a separation of powers in this State with regard to the role of the Executive, the Oireachtas, the DPP and An Garda Síochána. On the more substantive issue the Deputy raised, I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine to respond to him.

The national development plan, NDP, sectoral transport plan published some days ago has a lot of very welcome initiatives and projects in it, which I think will transform infrastructure up and down the country. Today, however, I want to zero attention in on the importance of the DART+ programme, in particular the DART+ South West programme. This is pivotal not only in providing the necessary infrastructure that people in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West, Kildare and the greater Dublin area require for rapid and frequent public transport, but is also key to unlocking housing supply, as per the South Dublin County Council development plan and those of other local authorities across the country, to increase the capacity of that line. It is imperative that we do everything we can now to prioritise the delivery of this programme, including, insofar as possible, tendering as much as possible alongside the DART+ South West programme. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, for his engagement with me on this matter. I look forward to working with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, and other Government colleagues to try to make sure we prioritise the delivery of DART+ South West because it is long overdue and is needed to achieve our housing delivery targets and to provide people in Dublin Mid-West with the necessary transport infrastructure they need.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, are working with regard to rail. DART+ South West, which forms part of the broader DART+ programme, involves an extension of the DART from the city centre to Hazelhatch and Celbridge. The programme will increase train capacity from 12 to 23 trains per hour. An Coimisiún Pleanála granted permission for DART+ in 2024 and it is estimated the route will serve 56,000 people. The review of the NDP allocated €22.3 billion Exchequer resources to transport from 2026 to 2030, with an additional of €2 billion from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to support the Metrolink and other projects. I understand the Deputy's comments, and I am sure Deputies from that part of Dublin will agree with him. I know it is a priority for the Minister and Minister of State.

I concur with the comments of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in extending our sympathies to the family of the late Paddy Cooney in Athlone. He served the people of Longford-Westmeath with distinction for decades. I also want to query an issue with GP contracts. I want to get a commitment that where new GP contracts are offered for tender, those who win the tenders commit to maintaining the existing surgeries that are in place. We have seen circumstances where a contract was taken on and a surgery was closed down six months later, leaving people having to travel up to ten miles in some cases. There is one case in my home county of Longford concerning a surgery in Lanesborough. I need a commitment that whoever wins the contract, a doctor will be in place to attend that surgery. The contract is currently up for tender. I am seeking a commitment that the contract will be kept in place and that should an attempt be made to close the outreach surgery, the contract will be terminated and offered up again.

I understand the Deputy's concern with regard to rural GP practices. It is an issue for all of us who represent rural areas. On the specifics of this issue, I will have the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who, unfortunately, is unable to be with us this week, revert to the Deputy directly with a specific response.

The Complex is a vibrant arts and cultural centre in Dublin's north-west inner city. It is fighting for its life, having received an eviction notice for January. There is, however, a chance to stop this happening but the Government has to play its part. A detailed viability plan to secure the centre's future is on the table. Dublin City Council has agreed to provide some of the money to purchase the building. It was hoped the Government would provide the finance to make up the shortfall. Management at The Complex received a letter from the Minister yesterday in which he abdicated any Government responsibility for the purchase of arts buildings. This is very wrong. The Minister has the power to help to save The Complex. The community really needs him on board. The arts sector needs him on board to find a solution. The loss of The Complex would be absolutely devastating. I am asking the Minister to make this vital funding available to save this unique arts space that has really positively served the community for almost two decades. I ask him to commit to working with the management of The Complex and the community to save this really vital piece of arts infrastructure.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. She raised it in a different way from her colleague in the Labour Party. She will understand that there are only two ways properties could typically come into the State's ownership. One is through the local authorities and the other is through the Office of Public Works. The OPW manages all the State's portfolio on behalf of Government Departments, including my own. For instance, this includes the national museums. This building we are sitting in is actually the property of the OPW. I mentioned this issue to the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Moran, last night. If there is a mechanism to get the building into the State's ownership, my Department can then obviously engage to discuss how we will support it going forward in terms of its operation and everything else. I encourage Dublin City Council, the largest local authority in the country, with the largest rate base in the country, to heed what the Deputy has said with regard to the local community and the importance of The Complex and to try to see-----

It is already on board. We need the Minister on board as well.

The Deputy knows I cannot give grants for the purchase of properties, in the same way as I cannot do it for sports facilities.

I ask the Minister to conclude.

I have raised the Deputy's question with the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. The OPW is probably the best vehicle to get this done, so I will raise the matter with him again.

I thank the Minister.

I raise again the question of support for school secretaries and caretakers. It is unfortunate that the talks at the Workplace Relations Committee, WRC, collapsed and the issue is now going to the Labour Court in January 2026. We need to give a clear commitment in this House that we will look to get this issue resolved as quickly as possible. It is a real concern for long-serving school caretakers and school secretaries. I am thinking of people like Valerie Gregory and Declan Murray at St. Michael and St. Peter school in Arklow, who have given over 20 years of service, husband and wife team Nancy and Mick Byrne in Riverchapel National School who, again, have given a lifetime of dedication, and Martha Hogan, without whom Monaseed National School could not work. I was proud to be able to support their campaign. It is critical that we do everything we can, especially now coming up to Christmas, to give a commitment to school caretakers and secretaries and indicate that we will get this long-running dispute finally resolved.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Minister for Education is not around. Regardless of that, I agree. The concept of school secretaries and caretakers and other ancillary staff who are integral to the operation of our schools being on picket lines was, to be quite honest, very difficult. The industrial machinery of the State is the vehicle through which this issue needs to be progressed. I hope the unions and the Department will be able to enter into it in a spirit of co-operation and we do not see what we saw before. Nobody wants to see children having to walk past their school secretaries and caretakers. At the end of the day, we have to leave this issue, in the same way we would with any other industrial relations issue, to the industrial relations mechanics of the country to be able to resolve it. I am sure, at the end of the day, that where there is a will, there is a way.

I want to raise the issue of lithium batteries which are everywhere now. Lithium is in rechargeable batteries, disposable vape battery packs and mobile phones. I think the Minister has a background in chemistry so he will know that lithium is highly reactive. I visited a waste to energy facility in Dublin recently and learned that lithium batteries are a huge problem because they end up in the waste stream and can explode in the chambers, causing a lot of damage. What progress is the Government making to support proper recycling and processing of these lithium batteries? What is being done to make their disposal and recycling safe, where possible?

The Deputy is right that in a previous life I was a chemist. Lithium does not fall from the sky. It is dug out of a huge hole in the ground and anybody who says there are no environmental consequences from an electric car is not telling the truth. In some far flung place in the world somebody is driving a gigantic Volvo BM, spewing thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to try to get a bit of lithium out of the ground. It is not an inconsequential extraction. The Deputy is right that there have been issues with regard to their safety, particularly in phones and poorly-built toys from countries outside the EU that might not have the same regulations as us, particularly a CE mark. I will ask the Minister with responsibility to respond to the Deputy directly. He raises a very valid point but it may be something that is more pertinent for the European Council than this House.

The Bryan MacMahon hall at Scoil Réalta na Maidine in Listowel, which is named after the former principal and writer, was built around 1960. Its roof is in a bad state at the moment. There is no internal membrane in the roof and no felt inside the slates. Plaster has fallen in from the attic and there is significant mould and woodworm due to water ingress and a lack of insulation. It needs a total overhaul. The school was refused funding under the emergency works scheme two years ago and was recently unsuccessful in its application under the climate action grant scheme. The hall does not have adequate facilities. It is the heartbeat of the school, providing space for PE lessons, drama, staff meetings and after-school services, to name but a few. Will the Minister step in and do something? The school community should not have to fundraise to get this essential facility working for the next 70 years.

I thank Deputy Daly for the question. I know the school well. John B. Keane used to say that if you fell out of bed in north Kerry you would wake up in west Limerick. I know the town very well and the school in question. I do not know about the issue the Deputy raises and I do not know how much plaster has fallen down but I will ask the Minister for education and her officials to revert to the Deputy.

Employers all over the country are struggling with increased rate costs, pension auto-enrolment costs, and increased wage costs. Employees and people on social welfare are struggling with the cost of living, including energy and electricity costs. Everyone is struggling with the costs of the road and the price of petrol and diesel. At the same time, the Government was able last week to devote another €125 million to Mr. Zelenskyy and Ukraine. This was on top of the almost €6 billion that we have spent over the last five years supporting them here in this country. How long more can we keep supporting them and giving out this kind of money? If we give €1 million here or €1 million there to different sectors of our own community, it is discussed here in the Chamber but those figures have never been discussed here, even though that money comes from Irish taxpayers. People are scratching their heads at the Government this week over this. I am hearing it all across the county.

I will go back to a comment I made earlier about Deputy Healy-Rae. We agree on most things but we do not agree on this. Support for Ukraine is something that we have to do, to be honest about it. We cannot have a situation where a country's territorial sovereignty is illegally invaded by a state like Russia and we do not support it. Most people would agree and I know that deep down, Deputy Healy-Rae agrees. We have to support them. Their lives have been made an utter and absolute misery by a state that has no regard for international law. I do agree with the Deputy with regard to small businesses and increased costs. That is why the Minister for enterprise, Deputy Burke, has now insisted that any memorandum being brought to Government, with regard to any great idea any of the 15 of us might have, must pass the small business test in order to ensure that we keep costs to businesses down. In the Deputy's local town of Killarney, which I know well, and in Kenmare I am sure they welcomed the reduction of VAT in the budget. That has sustained thousands of jobs all over the country. I know some others on the Opposition benches do not agree with it but I agree with, as does Deputy Healy-Rae, because it sustains thousands of jobs in towns like Killarney.

The Luas green line remains out of action today. It has been about 24 hours since it went down and we do not know when it will be back. This is causing significant disruption and frustration for commuters across Dublin. Businesses across the city are also concerned, particularly as we are in the lead up to the busy Christmas shopping period. The fact that one Luas line going down can cause such havoc in our capital city is indicative of how poorly our city is served by its public transport links. Contrary to what the residents of Dartmouth Square might think, it is vital that we also have a metro serving our capital city, including the south and south-west of the city, in time. We are over-reliant on too few public transport links currently. We have seen this Government delay the shovel-ready DART south-west project. This is a transport link that could go a long way towards addressing the traffic chaos that we have seen on the M50 and the N7. Will the Government urgently reverse course on DART south-west and will it provide us with a functioning, robust public transport system in our capital city?

I already answered a question from Deputy Moynihan on DART south-west and the Government's commitment to it, as well as to DART+. I do not disagree with Deputy Ahern at all and that is why Deputy Darragh O'Brien, when he was Minister for housing, brought forward legislation in relation to objections. It is also why the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste speak so frequently with regard to the abuse, as I see it, of judicial reviews as being an obstacle to getting essential pieces of infrastructure over the line. It is not just a Dublin issue but is all over the country. Whether it is in relation to roads or public transport, it is everywhere. Deputy Ahern is correct that Dublin needs a metro, a connection to the airport and an underground. Dublin is one of only two capital cities in the entire EU that does not have an underground network. We need one and the Government is committed to building it. I hope there is a favourable response with regard to the latest planning issue but we will have to take that as it comes.

This is a blister pack. This is the safest way to organise medications for older people, those with dementia and vulnerable people. Access to these blister packs is not optional; it is a life-saving measure. This blister pack is as important as the medications that are held within and not provide funding for this from January is dangerous, callous and mean. I ask that the Government would sit down with the pharmacists and work out a deal so that people know they will have their blister packs in January. This has been raised repeatedly with me by constituents. The County Wicklow Network for Older People is very concerned about it. I am sure this is an issue right across the country. It is not okay to make people who cannot afford this to go without it because it is life-saving.

I know what a blister pack is and do not need to be shown it. I have used one in my own house and I have had to use-----

Then the Minister will know how important it is.

Please.

Please fund it.

If the Deputy is going to ask me a question and then shout at me-----

I did not shout.

That was not a shout. The Minister will hear me in a minute. I will be shouting.

Stop, please. Allow the Minister.

I know what a blister pack is and have had to use one myself as have other loved ones in my family. I answered a question on this earlier in response to Deputy Carthy. The Taoiseach outlined yesterday the steps he believes are available to the HSE and the Irish Pharmacy Union to discuss this matter and I am sure those discussions will happen in due course.

Page 67 in the programme for Government makes reference to the Government's commitment to investing in school buildings and certainly that is welcome. However, there are serious issues in my own constituency of County Offaly. We have a fantastic school, St. Brendan's Community School, in Birr which was approved for works back in 2018. Those works entailed an ASD classroom, an extension and other minor works to the school building. Since 2018, there has been absolutely no progress. To the school's frustration, it has received information that it will have to wait until the national development plan is published before any further progress can be made. As a former teacher, the Minister will understand that this is extremely disappointing because there is a significant demand for ASD classes. There are pupils who need to come into St. Brendan's Community School in Birr. I ask the Minister to urgently intervene with Government to sort out this matter and to allow progress to be made.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Massive investment has already been made in primary and post-primary schools across County Offaly by the Department of education under both this Government and the previous Government. That will continue. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, will respond to the Deputy on the specific issue she has raised regarding Birr when she returns.

It is great to have the opportunity on Questions on Policy or Legislation to ask about the swimming pools we need all around Ireland. The swimming pool gap analysis report recently came out, which showed us that there are significant gaps around. The Minister is well aware of the swimming pool gap in north Kildare. As a councillor, I ensured a significant amount of funding was put in place for a pool but there is still a gap to be filled to reach the final cost. This is something we have discussed regularly. I am keen to provide a swimming pool for north Kildare. How can we ensure we get that off the ground in the new year with support from the Minister's Department?

I thank Deputy Neville for raising this issue. We discussed this previously at a meeting held in the Department. The Deputy is right; Swim Ireland published a gap analysis with regard to swimming pools in the last week. There are huge gaps in relation to the number of swimming pools available across the country, particularly in large urban centres. What were once small villages are now massive towns with populations as big as Limerick city's. We need to invest in them. I made it very clear the other day that, where these projects are led and driven by local authorities and developed on local authority land, my Department will engage and liaise with those local authorities on the possibility of delivering them through the large-scale sports infrastructure fund.

A total of 93 families in Cork will spend their Christmas in homeless accommodation. Five of them will have been in homeless accommodation for over three years. This year, the Government will spend €21 million housing these families while there are hundreds of boarded-up council houses in Cork that could be turned around. These are places where children could have a proper Christmas and hang stockings on the chimney, knowing that Santa will come down it. However, the Minister's Government will not reopen the voids scheme. Will the Minister or his Government give a commitment now? We are two weeks out from Christmas and families are homeless. Will the Minister commit to opening and funding the voids scheme to give these families a home this year instead of wasting money on emergency accommodation when it should be put into homes?

The Deputy raises a very important issue. Some local authorities are very good at dealing with voids. Some local authorities have no issue in returning voids to their stock.

The scheme is closed.

They do it out of their own resources and by connecting directly with-----

The Government is spending €21 million on homeless accommodation.

Will the Deputy let me answer?

Allow the Minister to answer, Deputy Gould.

If the Deputy does not want to hear the answer, I will sit down. Does he want to hear the answer? Some local authorities are very good at this.

You are the Minister. I am not talking about local authorities. You are in government.

Deputy Gould----

One second, I asked a question.

You asked a question-----

I asked a question but the Minister is talking about local government. He is the Minister representing the Government here today. He is the person who should give the answer. He should not blame local government. He wants to blame local government and Irish Water.

That brings an end to Questions on Policy or Legislation. Before we break for a sos, I will mention the death of Philippa Bayliss, the internationally renowned artist. She was born in Kilkenny in 1940. She lived in Myshall and died tragically during the week as the result of an accident. I join with the world of art in sending my condolences to her family members.

With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence, as Minister with responsibility for the sector, I will join with him and with the House in extending the sympathies of my Department and of the Government to the family on their loss. It is not just a loss to the family but the loss of a great cultural icon here in Ireland.