{"head":{"counts":{"debateCount":3,"resultCount":3}},"results":[{"debateRecord":{"house":{"showAs":"34th D\u00e1il","committeeCode":"","houseCode":"dail","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/house\/dail\/34","chamberType":"house","houseNo":"34"},"chamber":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/def\/house\/dail","showAs":"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann"},"lastUpdated":"2026-09-24T16:20:48+00:00","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/main","formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/main.xml"},"pdf":null},"date":"2026-09-24","counts":{"contributorCount":55,"divisionCount":0,"debateSectionCount":35,"questionCount":26,"billCount":0},"debateType":"debate","debateSections":[{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":false,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_3","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Appeals","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_3.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  Mine is a fairly straightforward question. I need to understand what the Minister is doing to improve the quality and consistency of first-instance decisions. The reason I ask is partly due to the fact that I am tracking the figures but also due to what I see coming into my constituency office. I ask the Minister to refer, if he could, to the domiciliary care allowance application process.  That is the one that, anecdotally and according to the figures, seems to be the most problematic. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Dara Calleary)  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo. As she knows, we in the Department are committed to ensuring that decisions on social welfare applications are of consistently high quality and in accordance with legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.  Proportionally, the number of appeals received equates to about 1% of all decisions that are made by the Department. In 2024, the Department reported 3.4 million decisions and the appeals office reviewed 40,684 appeals. In 2025, the Department made almost 3.6 million decisions. The number of appeals received was lower at 39,642.  We have worked hard to improve the appeals service. In 2025, a total of 51,638 appeals were finalised. Of these, 24% were revised by the scheme area of the Department without having to be considered by an appeals officer. This means that the decision was revised at the earliest part of the review or appeals process. Some 21% were allowed or partially allowed by an appeals officer and 46% were disallowed. The remaining appeals cases were withdrawn.  It is important to note that where an appeal is allowed or partially allowed or a decision is reversed, this does not necessarily indicate that the original decision was incorrect. In many cases, an appellant submits additional information or evidence during the review or appeals process that was not available to the deciding officer. That is where I am going to focus. I will focus on getting that information and encouraging the provision of that information at the beginning.  I thank the appeals office, which is doing extraordinary work at the moment. It significantly reduced the number of appeals awaiting decision in 2025. Appeals on hand reduced from 21,629 at the beginning of 2025 to 9,633 at the end of the year, which was a 55% reduction. That movement has continued throughout 2026. At the end of June, we had 6,695.  The waiting list for domiciliary care allowance appeals is just over nine weeks at the moment. We are at all times focused on bringing that down. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  The domiciliary care allowance and disability allowance are particular concerns for me. I have spoken previously about the issues. It is rough on the families. They have to write about their children on their worst days and about all the bad things that they do to the family. That is not where people want to be. Considerable work could be done by the Minister's Department in advance of that.  Notwithstanding that, for 60% of domiciliary care allowance applications, the original decision is overturned on appeal. The Minister is telling us that 45% of appeals are upheld and 24% of them are upheld without having to go to a higher officer. That is not a case of more information being added. That points to something being missed in the first instance.  I want to convey to the Minister on behalf of my constituents and the multiple people who have contacted me about the issue that the appeals process is very rough for those people who are going through it. When their circumstances do not change, their appeals are being overturned. I understand that there is sometimes new evidence but sometimes there is none, and that is a problem. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I assure the Deputy that we do not want it to be that way. Way back in the spring of last year, our first Question Time focused on the domiciliary care allowance. I thank the Deputy for her interest. We have worked hard to try to make it as easy as possible. We introduced online applications. We are introducing an online appeals office, which gives people time in their own space to do that. We are constantly working to make it as easy as possible. The applications process is now online. Since it went online, just over 45% of applications have come in online, which probably gives an idea of the profile of the demographic applying. I am constantly focused on the issue. As I said, the waiting period for the domiciliary care allowance is 9.2 weeks for appeals. That was considerably higher prior to the focus that the appeals office has been putting on it. We had discussions last week at management board level as to how we could make the appeals process tighter for disability allowance, in particular. The amount of information that can come in on an appeal is quite extensive. That changes a lot decisions. To go through that information takes time. We are looking at how we can use our best processes to manage that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  An overturn rate of 60% points to a problem. I also thank the people in the appeals office. We deal with them on a regular basis and I know they are doing their best. Having said that, there is an issue. I cannot think of any other instance where there would be a 60% overturn rate. That kind of rate is a structural failure. I am not necessarily calling it an \"error rate\", but the original decisions are not good and that is why they are overturned. In the intervening time, families are left without money. I welcome the fact that the waiting time is coming down, but it is still nine weeks that people will be left without money and there will then be more time required to process that. There is only so much that people can do while they are waiting. There is a toll on families.  I welcome the focus on the appeals process. I would welcome and appreciate it were the committee to get regular updates on what is happening and if things are going in the right direction. Sometimes, the anecdotal evidence takes a while to catch up, and that is fine and I am perfectly willing to accept it. For the moment, however, I see from the people coming into my office and from people contacting me from outside my constituency that the 60% figure is a worry. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I would not say that 60% of decisions are overturned. That figure means that extra information was supplied during the appeal or review. That information might not have been available originally and would have changed the outcome.  I will certainly give an update. We will try to give a regular update to the committee. It would be of use to me, too, so we can look to see where there are pressure points. I thank the chief appeals officer and her staff. They have put significant work and investment into dealing with this issue. They constantly show their empathetic natures and understand the need to guide people and mind them through the appeals process. People are under considerable pressure and the appeals office is attuned to that. We are more than happy to deal with any specific case that the Deputy has in mind. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Appeals"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_4","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Payments","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_4","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_4.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  My question is about the uptake of the working family payment. As the Minister knows, child poverty is one of the priorities for the Government and a major scourge within our society. I would like to hear how the Government is focusing on getting families who need that payment and would do very well with it to take it up. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy for his question. As he knows, reducing poverty and supporting families begins with ensuring that people are aware of the assistance available to them. The working family payment is a weekly, tax-free payment for employees on low earnings who have children. Evidence shows that it is an effective means of targeting support towards vulnerable working families and reducing their risk of poverty. This Government has therefore increased the working family payment income thresholds in successive budgets, enabling more families to qualify.  My Department promotes the scheme across the year through information campaigns, engagement with stakeholders, direct communications, information on our website and through social media. We have amended the application process to make it as clear and straightforward as possible. We have also introduced an online application process through mywelfare.ie .  The budget process always raises awareness of the working family payment. As part of budget 2026, we increased the working family income threshold by \u20ac60 for every family size. I also increased eligibility for the fuel allowance to include working family payment recipients. That had a significant impact on the amount of applications we received. The number of families receiving the working family payment has increased from 47,000 in 2023 to more than 56,000 in 2026, which is an increase of almost 20%.  My Department and I are focused on continuing to improve awareness of all of our schemes, improve accessibility to the understanding of those schemes and to improve the uptake of those schemes. When we complete the current budget process with whatever changes are made, we will once again renew promotional campaigns and awareness-building campaigns. We will also work with various employer groups to ensure they are aware that their employees could be entitled to this payment. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  I thank the Minister for his reply. On Committee Stage, the assistant secretary general shared the information that, as the Minister said, there would be 56,000 recipients in 2026. However, the Department estimates a 53% uptake among those who are eligible, which means that approximately 50,000 people who would get that payment were they to apply for it are not getting it. That is a big problem. What comes to mind for me is the fact that the Government was able to work with Revenue to identify all recipients of carer's allowance and target them in quite a negative way in terms of tax bands.  It seems the Minister is not doing the positive side of that story, which is working with other agencies to target the families who need support, reach out to them, send the community welfare officers out, send officials from the Department out or whatever it is. For some reason, the Minister is not focusing on these neediest families. I ask him to consider how he can work to identify these families and reach out to them proactively rather than relying solely on an application process. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  The 50% figure is based on a 2023 paper by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI. Since then, as I said, we have increased the number of families by 20% and that continues to increase. The working family payment, because it is connected to earnings, is complicated and complex. That earning profile can change depending on work patterns so it is not a direct correlation in terms of it. Certainly, however, I will ask my officials to pursue if there will be information available through working with Revenue. We had a debate in this Chamber on Tuesday evening about not sharing information. We also have to be very careful in relation to that. I have to say that I think the Deputy will see greater uptake. The alignment of the fuel allowance payment to the working family payment did more to raise awareness of the working family payment than a lot of things. I think the 2026 figures will show growth. The working family payment is one of the most important payments in the Department. It encourages people to go out to work. It acknowledges that there is an expense in going to work. I will be doing my utmost to promote its availability and accessibility but also to ensure people know they may or may not qualify for it. That is the biggest challenge with the working family payment. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  I accept that. I appreciate anything the Minister and his officials do in that regard. It is important to acknowledge that consistent child poverty is at 8%, so it is double what it was before. When we take housing into account, it is about 10%. It is about 26.6% for families whose youngest child is between the ages of zero and five. Working families really do need this kind of support.  Child poverty is something that comes up in the context of the budget every year. Last year, the Taoiseach said he wanted a second tier of child benefit. The Minister said he wanted a second tier of child benefit; he did not deliver it. This year, the Minister said he would like to deliver a second tier of child benefit but he cannot deliver it in this budget. It would, therefore, be helpful to know what he thinks about reforming the working family payment and this question of second tier of child benefit. What is the plan over the course of the Government? Will the Minister introduce it over the coming years? Why not this year? Importantly, I spoke to a paediatrician recently. I was expecting her to talk about healthcare or the HSE. The thing she focused on was child poverty and this question of a second tier of child benefit. I would be really interested to know how the Minister is actually going to tackle this problem, including the housing costs that are plunging people into poverty. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I assure the Deputy that we are very focused on child poverty. I am not just waiting; we are doing a lot of consultation on what a second tier of child payment might look like. One of the models that is most quoted would result in potentially thousands of families getting lower income on that model, so it is important that we review all the options.  We moved last year in budget 2026 to increase the child support payment by \u20ac16 and \u20ac8. That was a record increase. We are negotiating with the Department of public expenditure in relation to the child support payment for this year. That goes directly to the lowest income families. As I said, we also increased the threshold for the working family payment last year and we added the fuel allowance to the working family payment. It was first time people who were in work were able to access the fuel allowance. That was worth, given the extended season, about \u20ac1,100 per year to those working families.  We are doing the work on what a second tier of payment might look like but we are also ensuring those families are getting payments and support when they need it most. We will continue the work. I do not want a situation where, potentially, up to 100,000 families are worse-off because we introduced a second tier of child payment. That is not going to happen. In the meantime, we are supplementing their working incomes as well. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Payments"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_5","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Child Poverty","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_5","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_5.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  The ESRI findings on child poverty are a pretty damning indictment of the statements the Minister and the Government make. I think we will find it very hard to disagree with that. I am interested to know whether the Minister accepts the ESRI findings and its statement that \"the Government is very far from meeting its target with regard to reducing child poverty\". Rhetoric is one thing, and to be fair to the Minister's boss he is very big on that, but actual delivery is another. The statistics do not bear out what the Minister says in this Chamber. It does not seem to be translating. I want to know specifically whether the Minister accepts the ESRI findings. Does he accept that child poverty is rising? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy. I welcome the publication of the ESRI report and the focus it puts on child poverty. The focus is very much aligned with mine and the Government's, including my boss, which includes the reduction in child poverty as one of his top priorities. Our determination to deliver this priority has been reflected in a number of major measures, which I have just discussed with Deputy Hayes but I will reiterate them for the House. We have significant increases in the targeted payments, namely, the working family payment and child support payment. That includes 26% in the over-12 child support payment in 2026, which followed on from a 15% increase in the 2025 payment. We have made successive increases of \u20ac60 per week in the working family payment threshold and, as I said, we have expanded access to the fuel allowance for nearly 50,000 families who are in receipt of the payment. These increases are in addition to the expansion of the hot school meals programme, the introduction of the free school books programme and the provision of free GP care for children.  In the context of my Department, the total value in budget 2026 alone was \u20ac320 million. Many of these measures have not yet been reflected in the survey on income and living conditions, SILC, data on which much of the ESRI report is based. However, I note that while there has been an increase in the number of people living at home at risk of poverty, the core measure for consistent poverty, which is favoured by many advocacy groups, has improved. It was at 7.8% in 2025, down from 8.5% in 2024. That is too high and I am focused on driving that down.  There are a number of proposals within the ESRI report. The proposal for a two-tier payment, which we just discussed, differs from the proposal contained in the 2025 edition of the report. That indicates that this is a complex challenge. It is complex to get a new payment structure that reaches more families at risk of poverty without disadvantaging those who are already in receipt of existing claims. We had 270 submissions in response to our public consultation and we will be including the work of the ESRI. We will be engaging with the committee in relation to this. My most important work here is to ensure that we do not disadvantage families by moving to a different model. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  I do not think the measure the Government uses for poverty will in any way interfere with the people who are living with material deprivation. I genuinely think they do not care what metric the Government chooses to measure it by because they are in poverty. The ESRI tells us very clearly that there is a rise. Some 17.4% of children are living below the poverty line. After housing costs, that goes to 22.7%. In fact, we are going in the wrong direction when it comes to child poverty. That is not a failure of the systems that are used to measure it. With the greatest of respect, that is a failure of the Government and the gap between what the Minister says he wants to do and what he actually does. The Minister has spoken repeatedly about a second tier of child benefit. That is something he should look at because the families of those children living in those homes need in-cash transfers to be able to get themselves out of poverty. Rather than quibble about those figures from the ESRI, the trend, no matter what way we measure it, is only going in one direction. That speaks to the fact that there is a gap between what the Minister said and what the reality is and that gap is widening, not closing. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  We also look at the measurement of consistent poverty. That is taken from the Central Statistics Office's, CSO\u2019s, indicator of consistent poverty. Our child poverty target is based on the CSO figures. The CSO's Survey on Income and Living Conditions, SILC, 2025 showed a decrease in consistent poverty from 8.5% to 7.8%. It also showed an increase in children experiencing enforced deprivation from 21.2% in 2024 to 19.6% in 2025. The social protection measures in budget 2025 and budget 2026 are not captured in those figures because there is a lag in terms of how those figures are measured. We are again in negotiations with the Department of public expenditure for a substantial child poverty package in the context of budget 2027.  They are in addition to the school meals programme - which, for a family with up to two children, can save up to \u20ac1,100 per year - the schools books programme and various other initiatives that are under way under other Departments.  We are very focused on this. We are seeing progress. Is it quick enough? No, absolutely not. The second-tier payment will be part of that. I reiterate that some of those who are promoting models that are being discussed and endorsed at the moment would leave families on lower incomes worse off. We cannot allow that situation. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  I do not think the Minister is in any danger of leaving people worse off just because he thinks the measurement might be off. With the greatest of respect, I think that is a bit of a nonsense argument. The Minister can see the trend and what way it is going. I do not want to get into an argument because there are people at home who, God love them, might be watching this wondering what we are talking about. This is about child poverty, yet they would see the Minister and me arguing about the figures. The measurement the ESRI gives us is a very important one, as is the fact that it gives its own narrative opinion, which is that the Government is very far from meeting its target. This is a fact. The ESRI is a very respected institution. Its estimation of what the Government and the Minister's Department are doing is that they are very far from meeting their target. There seems to be a huge gap between talking about an additional rate of child benefit and doing it. I sincerely hope the Minister does not wait until just before the next election before rolling out a package because people, and children in particular, need that support now. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I can assure the Deputy that we are not just talking. I reiterate the changes in last year's budget in the context of the child support payment, which included a record increase, particularly for over-12s, the full expansion of the hot schools meals programme and the expansion of the fuel allowance to working family payment recipients, with 50,000 extra families entitled to the fuel allowance. They will all make a difference on those figures. Yes, the ESRI is respected. I listen to it and I value its opinion but when I look at the figures from the Central Statistics Offices, CSO, which has access to live figures and detailed information, they are showing us going in the right direction in terms of a reduction from 8.5% to 7.8%, and from 21.2% in 2024 with regard to children in forced deprivation to 19.6%. All of that is happening in the context of a growing population. Is it fast enough? Absolutely not. That is why we continue to direct resources and time and inject energy into this. The consultation in relation to the second-tier payment has given us a lot of food for thought, with over 220 submissions that will be seriously considered. I will engage with the joint committee on these and we will bring clarity to this a lot quicker than the timeline I just outlined. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Child Poverty"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_6","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"State Pensions","counts":{"speechCount":7,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_6","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_6.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paula Butterly  There is still a significant amount of women of older generations who are not eligible for State contributory pensions despite having made PSRI contributions through employment during their working lives but who do not have a sufficient contribution record to qualify for a pension when they come of pensionable age. Is the Minister considering any further measures to recognise these periods spent outside of the workforce due to family responsibilities or a caring role? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank Deputy Butterly for her question. As the Deputy knows, the State contributory pension is financed through the Social Insurance Fund, with entitlement based on a person\u2019s social insurance record. To qualify, a person must generally have at least 520 paid contributions, which is equivalent to ten years of contributions. This requirement maintains the contributory nature of the scheme. It ensures a sufficient connection with the social insurance system.  The system makes significant provisions for gaps in a person\u2019s contribution record arising from caring responsibilities. Up to 20 years of home caring periods or homemaking disregards may be included when calculating a person\u2019s rate of contributory State pension, subject to the relevant conditions. These periods can improve the rate of pension payable but they do not satisfy the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions.  Further, where a person has provided full-time care to an incapacitated person for a total of at least 20 years, long-term carer's contributions may be awarded. These are treated in the same manner as paid contributions for the contributory pension. This can enable a long-term carer to qualify even where they do not otherwise have the 520 paid contributions.  For those who do not qualify for a contributory State pension or who qualify for a reduced rate, they can apply for the means-tested non-contributory pension, which provides an important pension safety net subject to the relevant means, habitual residence and other qualifying conditions. Alternatively, as the Deputy will be aware, where a person is receiving a contributory State pension, an increase for a qualified adult may be payable in respect of their spouse or partner, subject to an assessment of the qualified adult\u2019s means. We hope that these measures mean that no one with a financial need is excluded from a payment in their old age.  In its 2021 report, the Commission on Pensions strongly supported the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions. Any future changes to that would have to be considered in the context of the sustainability of the State pension fund and the Social Insurance Fund going forward. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paula Butterly  I acknowledge the measures that have been introduced over recent years, including the homemakers scheme, home caring periods and long-term carer's contributions. They are positive developments and help to ensure that caring work receives greater recognition within the pension scheme. However, some women from older generations are not benefiting fully from these reforms because they had already reached the pension age before many of these measures were introduced or because they do not have the minimum level of paid contributions needed to access the contributory pension scheme. A concern for me, particularly in my constituency in County Louth, relates to women whose caring years took place largely before 1994. While home caring periods and other reforms have improved recognition of caring responsibilities, many women feel they have received little recognition for years spent raising families at a time when pensions supports for carers were far less developed. Many of these women made contributions during their working lives. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  The Social Welfare Act 1997 legislated for changes in the minimum number of paid contributions. The number increased to 520 in April 2012. The homemakers scheme allowed time spent caring for children under 12 since 1994 to be disregarded in the divisor of the yearly average method of calculation. Home caring periods were introduced for those who reached State pension age after September 2012. They can be awarded from any time, including pre-1994. Each of the pension caring supports is specific to the method of calculation but we have to ensure equality, and there is a concern that if pre-2012 pensioners were also allowed to avail of the total contributions approach, including home caring periods, their arrangements would be significantly more generous than those of post-2012 pensioners. I am happy to engage with the Deputy if she has specific cases, so we can give her a more detailed response. We are very focused on the sustainability of the pension fund going forward but we do want to acknowledge those who spent time away from the workforce in a caring capacity. I am anxious, within the context of sustainability, that people do not lose out and about the need for fairness for every pensioner. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paula Butterly  I thank the Minister for offering to look at this in more detail, including specific cases. These women, for decades, did everything that society asked them to do. They worked, stayed at home and took care of their children and other family members. It is really important because it is that cohort of older women, who in many cases could be our own mothers, who do not have their own financial independence. It is maybe means-tested or linked to their spouses' entitlements. That is really unfair and when we talk about equality, we have to give women the recognition for the work they have done inside and outside the home down through the decades. We are in modern times and we keep saying there is more equality but where is the equality for that cohort of women? The only options they had back in the day was the famous pin money or runaway money. Let us give them that comfort. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I will engage with the Deputy because that is also the cohort of women that was forced to give up work when they got married, by law. My own mother was one of those. We will certainly engage with the Deputy but it is important that we have that concept of fairness across the system. We also have to keep a very firm eye on sustainability, as we are all getting older. The Deputy is right in regard to those people who made caring their priority and had no other choice. We will engage with her in that space. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy David Maxwell)  With the permission of the House I will go back to question No. 4. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"State Pensions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_7","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Code","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_2","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_7","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_7.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I thank the Minister for taking the question. Is he considering extending the age of domiciliary care allowance from its current position of 16 years of age to 18 years in the upcoming budget? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy for his ongoing interest in that. The domiciliary care allowance, DCA, is payable to a parent or guardian in respect of a child under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continuous care and attention. There are currently 65,950 families receiving this allowance in respect of approximately 75,500 children at an investment of almost \u20ac359 million in 2026. DCA stops being paid when a child turns 16. That aligns with the age disability allowance becomes available. If the young person has a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a disability allowance payment in their own right of \u20ac254 per week, subject to satisfying the qualifying conditions for that scheme. That compares with a monthly payment of \u20ac380 under DCA.  I have no plans at this point to extend the age of entitlement for DCA. My focus in relation to carers remains the process of phasing out the means test for carer\u2019s allowance, which is consistent with the policy approach advocated in the programme for Government and by family carer organisations. As the Deputy knows, significant improvements have been made in this area over the last number of years. Where a parent or guardian in receipt of DCA is also receiving carer\u2019s allowance or carer\u2019s benefit, those payments may continue after their child turns 16 where the qualifying conditions are met. There is also the carer\u2019s support grant which is payable where full-time care continues.  I am absolutely focused on keeping the range of supports under review. This has been examined and predecessors in the Department tried to make movement on this some time ago but there is considerable debate within communities about this. I am happy to engage with Deputy Wall on how we could do it. We might get a chance with the next question to go through some of the concerns people have in this space. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I thank the Minister. I have been on this for six years now and I spoke to his predecessor about it. She made attempts to raise this from 16 to 18 as well. The Minister has continued on that and we have had a number of conversations on it.  Recently we conducted a survey of almost 1,000 people and well over 900 of them wanted this increase. They wanted it because they are finding it very difficult to prove, in their opinion, that their child who continues to have the disability qualifies for disability allowance. Disability allowance is in essence a job-seeking payment and that is the problem here. When you have a child who is 16 and going to a special school or a mainstream one, it is so difficult to prove that child is not fit for work, basically. That is what the vast majority of parents we dealt with in that survey have said and it is why they are looking for this extension. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I am happy to engage with the Deputy on the survey and the feedback on it. DCA is not means-tested or taxable. We discussed with Deputy O'Reilly earlier that we have done a lot of work to try to reduce the burden of the application process and the appeal waiting times. The number of families in receipt of DCA has increased by 41% in the last five years and more than doubled in the last ten. The number of children for whom a DCA is paid has increased by an even further amount.  I will certainly engage with the Deputy on it. I have looked at this since he began raising it with me and gone through previous files. There are very differing opinions even with some of the disability groups on it. It would a worthwhile discussion at the committee - I see the Chairman is here - to engage with this and understand where people's feelings are strongest on this and why in particular there is a lot of opposition to it. I would like to engage with the Deputy on the survey and go through it. I can see Deputy Boyd Barrett looking at me as well. I would like to engage on what this change would mean and what the drawbacks of it are. We have to go through those drawbacks, which have been outlined by a number of groups in recent years. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  The Minister has thoroughly engaged with me on this matter but the issue is the latest figures we have from his Department show nearly 16% of children were refused disability allowance when coming from DCA. That is almost 1,300 children who now have no payment. As the parents of those children regularly tell me, and I am sure other Members, their child's disability has not gone away. It is just they have been unable to prove and qualify for disability allowance. The disabilities their child and loved one has remain and they are still paying for it. They are paying for private services, as we know, though I am not going to go into that today. The problem we have is what to do for those 1,300 children and their families who are now without a payment. As the Minister said, there are more people entitled to DCA and that is good but the figure is only going to grow, so it is a debate we need to have. The vast majority of respondents to our survey said they wished for the age limit to be extended. I hope we can have further discussions on it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Let us do that and let us bring this to a head. It will not be in advance of this budget but let us bring it to a head over the course of the next number of months and try to get an understanding on some sort of agreed way forward. Previous Ministers tried to change this and they had to stop. We will certainly look at the Deputy's survey, engage with the committee and get a number of different perspectives on that. Ultimately, it is those children and their parents we need to keep our focus on so we do not have that cliff-edge at such an early stage in life. I am happy to engage and will get my office to follow up on that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Code"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":false,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_9","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Budget 2027","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_9","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_9.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Paul O'Shea  I agree with Deputy Wall on the domiciliary care allowance. We agreed at the committee yesterday to block off a bit of time to discuss that and prepare a report for the Minister.  I take this opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contribution made by family carers across the country. Every day, carers provide love, support and care to family members who depend on them. They allow people to remain at home and part of their communities to live life with dignity. I am asking whether the Minister will increase support for carers in budget 2027. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy. The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by carers and we have prioritised improvements in supports for carers in recent budgets. We have provided over \u20ac2.2 billion for caring income supports in 2026. That included a \u20ac10 increase in the maximum personal rate of carer's allowance and carer's benefit to \u20ac270 and \u20ac271, respectively, for carers under 66. For carers aged 66 and over the maximum weekly rate increased to \u20ac308. For carers with children the weekly rates of the child support payment increased by \u20ac16 to \u20ac78 for children aged 12 and over and by \u20ac8 to \u20ac58 for under-12s from January 2026. This was the largest child support payment increase in the history of the State.  In budget 2026, the weekly income disregards for carer's allowance were increased significantly to \u20ac1,000 for a single person and \u20ac2,000 for a couple, which built on significant improvements introduced in recent budgets. As a result, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of \u20ac110,000 will retain their full carer\u2019s allowance payment and receive a partial payment with a household income up to \u20ac138,000. This means virtually all those receiving carer's allowance are now receiving the maximum rate. The Government has also provided a range of other supports, including the payment of the carer's support grant, and the \u20ac20 increase to domiciliary care allowance.  We are engaging with the Department of public expenditure on potential budget measures. Discussions are still going on and the Ministers for Finance and public expenditure will reveal the budget on 6 October. I assure the Deputy we are very committed to moving forward on our shared programme for Government commitments to carers and to supporting them and I am continuing to focus on that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Paul O'Shea  I thank the Minister. The contribution carers make cannot be measured simply in financial terms but we should recognise the work of family carers also represents an enormous contribution to the State and to our public services. I also acknowledge the progress the Government has made in supporting carers. In particular I welcome the very significant increase in the income disregards for carer's allowance introduced last year. That was an important step in recognising the people should not be forced to choose between caring for a loved one and having the opportunity to work and earn an income.  I believe we should go further so my ask for budget 2027 is that we increase those income disregards again. We should continue on the path we have started. The ultimate objective should be to move towards removing the means test for the carer's allowance altogether. A person who is providing substantial care to a loved one should not feel that he or she is being penalised because he or she has some income of his or her own. We should be encouraging carers who can work to remain connected to the workforce rather than creating barriers for them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I agree with the Deputy regarding the focus we need to put on carers. We also need to mind existing carers as well. We will see through our commitment regarding abolishing the means test over the lifetime of the Government but I am also focused on existing carers. That is why over the past number of years, we have continued to increase the weekly rate of carer's allowance, which is now at \u20ac270. In January 2022, it was \u20ac224. We have expanded eligibility for the carer's support grant and are consistently engaging with carers' organisations. We hold a carers forum in the Department every May where representatives of young carers, Care Alliance Ireland and Family Carers Ireland come together - not just officials but carers from across the country - and we engage with them and bring in other Departments. It is not just about the Department of Social Protection. We also bring in representatives from the Departments of Health and public expenditure in a cross-government initiative so we can assist them. I will be meeting Family Carers Ireland this weekend ahead of the budget to discuss its priorities. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Paul O'Shea  I recently met Family Carers Ireland at its regional meeting in Cork. I know that Members right across this House have met many family carers and associations associated with caring in recent weeks. We should recognise that caring in itself is a hugely valuable contribution to society. I commend the Minister and the Government on the progress they made last year but I do not want us to stop here. Let us use budget 2027 to take another significant step forward by increasing the income disregards again and let us set ourselves the longer-term ambition of moving away from the means test model. Our family carers do an extraordinary job for their loved ones and for our country. They deserve our recognition but, more importantly, they deserve a system that supports them rather than one that puts unnecessary barriers in their way, so I hope, from his contribution this morning, the Minister will continue to support carers in budget 2027. Will he make that journey? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I assure the Deputy we have very strong and ambitious commitments relating to carers in the programme for Government and I will see them through. I also want to ensure that we focus on existing carers but also on young carers. The young carers who attended the carers forum made a huge impression on me in terms of their daily lives, what they are doing for their loved ones while continuing education and work and the pressures of it places on them. I will work with other colleagues in government in terms of specific supports for young carers. I will work with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and the Minister for Health on how we mind all carers but particularly that cohort of young carers. I will be engaging with Family Carers Ireland at this weekend. We have ongoing engagement with it. I thank it and Care Alliance Ireland. I also thank the Deputies who really focus on the work of carers. Collectively, we very much appreciate the work they are doing but appreciation will not put lights on in a house. We have to show real cause and this Government is showing real cause. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Budget 2027"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_10","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Payments","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_10","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_10.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  Will the Minister will increase the carer's support grant in the forthcoming budget in two weeks' time? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I acknowledge the Deputy as one who has constantly and consistently championed this issue. As I said, we have consistently improved our support for carers and \u20ac2.2 billion will be provided for carer's income supports in 2026. The carer's allowance is the main income support payment for family carers. Over 111,000 people are receiving the payment at an estimated cost of more than \u20ac1.4 billion. The carer's support grant is automatically paid to people in receipt of carer's allowance, carer's benefit and domiciliary care allowance. Other carers who are not in receipt of a carer's payment may also be eligible for the grant. A separate grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant was increased by \u20ac150 to \u20ac2,000 in June 2025, which is the highest ever level. In June of this year, over 147,000 carers perceived the grant. The grant is not means-tested and is non-taxable. The estimated investment in the grant in 2026 was over \u20ac364 million. We are continuing to accept applications for the grant so anyone who may have an entitlement can make an application through his or her local office or through mywelfare.ie . In the context of budget 2027, we are continuing to negotiate our budget with the Department of public expenditure. We will have a package for carers within that programme but we have not finalised our discussions yet. They will be announced on budget day on 6 October. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  As the Minister knows, caring is a very onerous responsibility. It is often a 24-7, 365-day-a-year operation. Surveys by carers have shown that 75% of carers receive no respite whatsoever and the grant itself has been eaten up by inflation not to mention the cost of living over the past number of years. If we look at the past number of years from 2021, we can see that there has only been one year of an increase in the carer's support grant and that was \u20ac150 in 2025 and was, of course, in advance of the general election in November 2024. There was no increase in the grant in 2026. Family Carers Ireland is looking for an increase of \u20ac150, which is a very modest increase that, in fact, does not keep up with inflation and does not take into account the cost of living. It is a very modest request and I ask the Minister to include it in the budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  We are engaging around it. Given that the carer's support grant is not means-tested and is non-taxable, it is very important signal. That grant has increased by \u20ac300 since 2021. If we look at the rates of change in carer's benefit and carer's allowance in January 2022, we can see that carer's allowance was \u20ac224 a week in January 2022 and went to \u20ac270 and that carer's benefit has gone from \u20ac225 to \u20ac271. We are also investing considerably in the weekly payment that is given to carers. There have been a lot of changes in the carer's support grant over a number of years and we will continue to focus on it. The current rate is the highest rate ever and I think the highest number of people are in receipt of that payment. What I would say to all Deputies is that there is no closing date for applications for it and if there are people engaging with their offices, who are not getting it, please put them in contact with us. Over 147,000 carers have received the carer's support grant to date in 2026 out of an investment over \u20ac364 million. It was paid on 4 June and since that date, over 5,000 people have actually applied and qualified for the grant. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The Minister is not giving away much in his reply. The request by Family Carers Ireland is very modest. It certainly does not keep up with inflation and it certainly does not take the cost-of-living crisis into account. An increase of \u20ac150 on \u20ac2,000 is not a big request. For a very small amount of money, it does a particular amount of good and gives carers the opportunity to have a slight rest and a recharge of their batteries, so I hope that the Minister would see a way to do that in the budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I assure the Deputy that we are very much focused on carers. If he thinks I am not giving away much, he should talk to the Minister for public expenditure. We are working hard in this space. In 2026, we invested \u20ac2.2 billion in carer's support payments, which is a really solid indication of where we are going on this. We pay the carer's support grant on 4 June every year, or the first Thursday in June every year. Since then, which is maybe less than three months ago, an additional 5,000 people have come into payment. I will ask my Department to do a bit of awareness-building that this grant is available. A lot of people who may be entitled to it may not realise they can draw it down without a means test. We are going to do some work on that. Most of us in this room would be a very effective channel of communicating that availability to people.  We had a discussion earlier. We need to make more information available to people. We have a lot of schemes, and this is one of them. I am pretty sure we will do that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Payments"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_11","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Code","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_11","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_11.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  My question is about the payments and income disregards, how they are adjusted over time to keep up with inflation and the changes to the national minimum wage. As the Minister might be aware, and I am sure many advocacy organisations have said to it to him as they have said it to me, the changes to the minimum wage have implied a certain number of hours that someone can work that puts them over the income disregard threshold. Therefore, if the minimum wage goes up, as it has in the last while, which is very welcome, some people who might have got a payment are no longer eligible. I would like to hear the Minister's thinking on that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Changes to social welfare rates cannot be just based on trends in prices or wages but must take account of a wider range of factors, including household composition, patterns in the consumption of households and developments in services, including, for example, the expansion of free GP care, school meals and free school books. Accordingly, changes to social welfare rates, including means tests, are based on a wide range of inputs used by my Department, most notably CSO data, including the survey of income and living conditions, SILC, the labour force survey, the monthly CPI releases and the CSO earnings and hours in employment surveys. We also take account of ESRI research, analysis from the minimum essential standard of living studies of the Vincentian Partnership, which are funded by the Department, as well as extensive engagement with stakeholder and advocacy groups across the year, but particularly at our pre-budget forum and the annual social inclusion forum. The Department also undertakes social impact assessments using the SWITCH model developed by the ESRI, a model whose development and maintenance is also funded by the Department. These inputs provide a broader perspective and a deeper understanding.  Based on these inputs, several changes to income disregards have been implemented in recent years, including, for example, changes to means thresholds for the lone parent and disability payments. In June of this year, the income disregard for carer\u2019s allowance increased by \u20ac375 to \u20ac1,000 per week for a single person and by \u20ac750 to \u20ac2,000 per week for a couple. This increase was far in excess of inflation in 2026. With respect to payment rates, the increase in core rates of \u20ac10 per week in 2026 represented an increase of between 3.8% and 4.1% for working-age payments, which was also ahead of inflation. Notably, as we discussed earlier, increases of \u20ac8 for those under 12 and \u20ac16 for those over 12 in the child support payments represented increases of 16% and 26%, respectively.  We have tried to address many datasets in relation to income adequacy and look at the many supports that are available. We are very focused on this. We will not be found wanting in ensuring that families and welfare are protected from the impact of inflationary measures. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  I completely understand. The Minister trots out this line that he is keeping up with inflation or surpassing inflation. However, all the research would suggest - this is something put out by the European Union and the OECD - that the lower income populations have a higher rate of inflation because, as a proportion of their income or their costs, they often have to pick more expensive options. Whether it is pay-as-you-go electricity meters, not buying food in bulk or otherwise, a lot of things are really hard for those people. The Government is making an argument in the run-up to this budget that there should be indexation of tax measures. I think that is worth considering, but if that is true, we should also be looking at the indexation of other things. We should be looking at the indexation of income disregards and things like social protection payments. In particular, older people have been calling for a very long time for pensions to be indexed, but it is not something this Government or any previous Government has seriously taken up. I would like the Minister to consider this. If the Government is making an argument about indexation on one side - on tax - should it be making the same argument on social protection? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  As I said, we work hard to keep core social welfare rates ahead of inflation. We cannot just identify them in the context of not looking at the other supports that are available. On fuel allowance, we have increased the rate and the eligibility and, this year, we increased the season by an extra four weeks. That is an additional \u20ac1,100 of income for those 410,000 people who qualify, and that is on top of their weekly rate. I have referred to a range of other supports across the morning\u2019s session in this regard. We are investing \u20ac28.9 billion in our social protection system in 2026. There were increases in all of the core weekly rates, in addition to the support payments that are paid.  This budget will be very much focused on how we can target exactly those people discussed by the Deputy, those who are subject to high inflation in the context of fuel, food, children and supports. However, we cannot just look at the weekly rates. We have to look at the other range of supports that we fund, even within our own Department in the context of school meals. In other Departments, there is the example of the free school books scheme. Where the costs are, we have tried to make interventions to assist people. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  There is also the context of housing. We know that poverty is increasing when we take housing into account. I do not lay that at the Minister\u2019s door, and I believe it is a whole-of-government problem. The Minister said that he increased the fuel allowance by four weeks this year, and that was a welcome and needed measure. However, it is important for people to understand that it was actually a restoration. Fuel allowance was for 32 weeks before the austerity era. That is core to this whole problem: we do not look at indexation. The back-of-the-envelope calculations that I have done for social protection payments show they were worth more to people before austerity. We still have not closed the book on austerity, and what those payments would look like.  I absolutely welcome the change to the means test for carers. However, the disability allowance and blind pension have not been changed in several years. The jobseeker\u2019s transition payment takes account of the minimum wage changes, which puts certain lone parents out of qualifying for the payment because of income disregards. The wage subsidy scheme is also not keeping up with the minimum wage in terms of the number of people it can employ. Therefore, there are real issues relating to indexation. I would encourage the Minister to finally close the book on austerity. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Core rates have increased for all payments, including disability allowance. Core rates in budget 2026 increased by 4.1%, and by 4.8% for some payments. Second, in the so-called noughties, what the Deputy calls pre-austerity, there were no hot school meals going to every primary school in the country. A minimum of 500,000 children are now receiving hot school meals every year. That is an investment of nearly \u20ac300 million. It is a cost reduction for families that otherwise would be paying for meals. Every family is getting it. That universality is important because in any given school, you do not know what is happening with any given child. That is why we went for the universal model. As for the free school books scheme, ten years ago, families would have paid for everything regarding books and school equipment when going back to school. That is now paid for centrally from the Department of Education. There are the weekly rates, but there are also other interventions that are reducing the burden of cost on families, in particular, low-income families. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Code"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_12","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Budget 2027","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_12","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_12.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  I ask the Minister to honour in budget 2027, in two weeks time, the commitment made to abolish the means test for carer\u2019s allowance. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Carer\u2019s allowance is the main income support for carers. Some 111,000 people are receiving the payment, with an estimated investment of over \u20ac1.4 billion this year. Carer's benefit is a weekly social insurance-based payment for those who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to provide full-time care. At the end of August, there were 5,136 recipients of carer's benefit, with an investment of over \u20ac76 million this year.  The programme for Government commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for carer\u2019s allowance, with a commitment to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of this Government. It is not possible to do everything we might like to do in one year. Each year, I have to balance the value of any individual measure, no matter how much I support it, against other equally merited measures. However, as the Deputy will agree, the process of addressing the means test for carer\u2019s allowance is well under way.  As part of budget 2026, and with effect from July, we increased the weekly income disregard by 60% from \u20ac625 to \u20ac1,000 from \u20ac625 for a single person and from \u20ac1,250 to \u20ac2,000 for carers who are part of a couple. These disregards are now by far the highest in the social welfare system. The changes mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of \u20ac110,000 can retain their full carer\u2019s allowance payment or can receive a partial payment where the household income is up to \u20ac138,000. One consequence of this change is that virtually everyone on an existing payment on the scheme is receiving the maximum weekly rate.  In line with the carer\u2019s allowance income disregard for a single person, the earnings limit for carer\u2019s benefit was also increased in July to \u20ac1,000 per week. As discussed earlier, we are involved with budget negotiations. This is a very solid programme for Government commitment which I have made considerable progress on. I am determined to see it through. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  In the run-up to general election in 2024, every party in this House, including Fianna F\u00e1il, made a commitment to abolish the means test for carers. It was not to be abolished over the lifetime of the Government or in two, three or four years. The commitment was to abolish the means test. That commitment was broken last year. From what the Minister said, it sounds as if we will have a similar situation this year. The fact is that, as the Minister is aware, the 500,000 carers we have save the State something like \u20ac20 billion per year. They are paid a very low hourly rate. Broken down, it amounts to \u20ac1.60 per hour. A survey shows that 75% of carers get no respite, 49% suffer from severe loneliness and 32% suffer from very bad mental health. There were increases in the income limits in this year's budget, and they are welcome, but they do not solve the problem. The moneys needed to do this are not significant. Both the Parliamentary Budget Office and Family Carers Ireland indicate that the sum involved is less than \u20ac400 million. I suggest that the Minister should honour the commitment in the forthcoming budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  The Deputy is very experienced. He knows there is a programme for Government. I hope to be in office for five years, and I will deliver on the commitment. It has to be done on a phased basis. I would love to do it overnight. If did that, however, the Deputy would be criticising me for not doing other things in the Department. We have had record increases. I genuinely think that any payment in respect of which you can have an income of \u20ac110,000 and retain the full allowance gives a sense of the direction of travel. In July, the income disregard was increased by 60% for a single person and for a couple. That gives a sense of my determination to drive this through. In addition, the vast majority of existing carers who are receiving a payment are on the maximum rate, which means that we have increased their income as well. I assure the Deputy that we are engaging and working on this in the context of our budget negotiations. We will invest \u20ac2.2 billion in supporting carers this year. I very much value their work and the work done on their behalf by Family Carers Ireland, Care Alliance Ireland and, especially, as we said earlier, the young carers' groups. That work is very important. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The Minister's party and every other party in this House made a commitment to the electorate. That commitment has not been honoured. That is a very serious situation because it calls into question people's trust in the democratic process and in politicians. That is serious. The Minister should take what I am saying on board and abolish the means test in the forthcoming budget. There are something like 33,000 carers in receipt of the carer's support grant who are not in receipt of the carer's allowance. That is a significant number. These people do the same work as all other carers. They are under the same pressures as other carers. They feel the same loneliness and have the same lack of respite and mental health difficulties. They should surely be entitled to the carer's allowance. The moneys involved are not significant. The Parliamentary Budget Office has indicated that. This is something which, in the context of the political and democratic processes and in the context of being fair to people, the Minister should introduce in the budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Respectfully, I object to the Deputy's assertion that we are not delivering on this. There has been a 60% increase to the income disregard. Somebody on \u20ac110,000 can get a full carer's payment. We are working towards the abolition of the means test. I will examine the difference between the number of people receiving the carer's support grant and the number getting the carer's allowance. They may be people who are working and who do not want to get the full payment, but I will examine the position. I reiterate that there has been a 60% increase in the income disregard, which means that somebody on \u20ac110,000 can get a full payment. Somebody on \u20ac138,000 can get a partial payment. These are not inconsiderable payments, but I want to get to a stage where we abolish the means test in order to acknowledge the work of carers. I absolutely acknowledge it. I also want to make sure that as we expand it, we protect existing carers. I have to try to allocate my budget in a way that protects existing carers and expands the scheme. I assure the Deputy that if I get five years in this Department - and well before then - by the time we get to the next election, the Deputy and I will be able and say that the means test has been abolished. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Budget 2027"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_13","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Fuel Poverty","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_13","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_13.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  It is shocking and shameful that in one of the richest countries in the world, one in seven households cannot afford to heat their homes or pay their energy bills. Some 400,000 households went without heating during the past 12 months. Many of those who are struggling with that - it is 64%, according to the ESRI - do not get any assistance at all because they are over the threshold for the fuel allowance. Will the Minister do anything about that to help people who are getting no assistance and who cannot pay their energy bills? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Fuel allowance eligibility encompasses 23 qualifying schemes, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the supports available to eligible households. In addition to these qualifying schemes, people over the age 66 do not need to be in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection to qualify for fuel allowance, subject to the means test. According to the most recent CSO data, there are just over 1.8 million households in Ireland. Of these, 463,910 are currently eligible for the fuel allowance scheme. That is 26% of all households nationwide.  The report the Deputy is referring to is the Energy Poverty and Affordability in Ireland report. While the report does recommend broadening the eligibility requirement, it highlights that the fuel allowance is a well-targeted policy instrument in our effort to combat energy poverty. It also highlights that the allowance is effective in reducing the likelihood of people experiencing energy poverty. The figures used in the report are based on survey on income and living conditions, SILC, data from 2024. In the two years since, we have expanded the fuel allowance system to include the nearly 50,000 families who were brought into scheme this year by means of the extension of the fuel allowance to recipients of the working family payment. In addition, in the period since the 2024 SILC survey, the allowable means for fuel allowance was increased in 2025 and in 2026 for those aged 66 and over. The allowable means for those aged 66 and over now stands at \u20ac534 per week for a single person and up to \u20ac1,068 per week for a couple. The amount of savings and investments that are disregarded was also increased for those aged 66 and over, from \u20ac20,000 to \u20ac50,000. All of these - the rate measures and the one off payments that were made - have resulted in a significant investment in respect of dealing with fuel poverty, but I absolutely acknowledge and am very aware of the challenge that exists. We continue to negotiate our budget package on fuel. Energy is very much at the heart of that package. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  Any of the improvements made since 2024 have been wiped out by Trump's warmongering and the profiteering of energy companies. The situation is set to get worse. The proof of that is that more than 500,000 households are currently in arrears on either their gas or electricity bills and that a massive chunk of people, in the region of 60%, who are suffering and will struggle even more this winter than last are not eligible for the fuel allowance.  Last night, the Government made the shameful decision to vote down our proposal which would have given \u20ac500 to every single household and more to those with a disability by taking \u20ac1 billion from the billionaire owners of data centres who are getting electricity at half the price of people who are struggling. It voted that down. Does the Minister know what the energy gap, as it is known, is? That is the gap that would take everyone out of energy poverty. It is \u20ac480. If the Government is not going to do what we asked last night, will it at least extend eligibility for the fuel allowance to those who need help? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Eligibility for fuel allowance has been extended and has changed extensively over the past number of years. We introduced 50,000 new families into it. It is the first time fuel allowance has been extended to those on working incomes. It is something I want to continue that those in lower-paid jobs get support. Almost \u20ac557 million is being invested in the fuel allowance scheme and we are negotiating in the context of budget 2027 a very significant energy package across Government. The fuel allowance will form part of that. I note the Deputy\u2019s proposal, and other proposals on how we can target the fuel allowance more to assist people. We engage with families across the country. I thank those in the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, which engaged with energy companies on people's behalf. The fuel allowance, the Deputy has to admit, is significant and targeted and it is acknowledged as being targeted in the context of the report the Deputy framed his question on. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  Yes, but 60% of people suffering energy poverty do not get it and that situation is going to be worse this winter because of Trump\u2019s warmongering - the man for whom the Government rolled out the red carpet in the past week or so. While it seems the Government is not willing to extend the fuel allowance to those who need it, it wants to continue to give \u20ac1 billion a year to data centres so that they can get energy at half the price of the people who cannot turn on the heating this winter. It is unbelievable. It shows really twisted priorities. The Government will not help people who will literally be shivering with the cold this winter, afraid to turn on electric heaters, but it will give half-price electricity to the billionaire owners of the data centres. The money is there if the Government wants to at least give the fuel allowance to people over that threshold, although we would go further. It is completely unfair. People are going to suffer real hardship this winter unless the Government does something. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  We have invested in this. Since 2020, an additional 100,000 households have qualified for the fuel allowance. As I said, we have gone through the extension of means for older people in particular and since 2020, we have invested \u20ac290 million in the fuel allowance. In 2026, we will invest \u20ac557 million and, subject to the budget negotiations, that will continue and grow. I am going to ensure that every Deputy in the House gets the 23 schemes available in terms of the fuel allowance and the supports. Some 100,000 additional households qualified for the fuel allowance in 2026 that did not qualify in 2020. We have extended the fuel allowance and the weekly rate of payment. We have made it easier in terms of means for older people who are most at risk of fuel poverty to get access to it as well. That is the trend and path of expansion I will continue and I am determined to negotiate a package in the context of budget 2027. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Fuel Poverty"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_14","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Care Services","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_14","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aisling Dempsey","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_14.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aisling Dempsey","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aisling Dempsey  I ask the Minister about the number of additional persons who have qualified for the carer's allowance since the increase in the weekly income disregard that took effect nationally in July 2026, and more particularly, in Meath West. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  The carer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment for people who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who requires such care. There are a number of qualifying conditions for carer\u2019s allowance. These include conditions relating to the care recipient's need for full-time care and attention, the provision of that care by the applicant, the applicant\u2019s employment or education circumstances, residency requirements and satisfaction of the means test.  As part of budget 2026, I announced significant improvements to the carer's allowance means test, which took effect from 2 July 2026. The weekly income disregard increased by 60%, from \u20ac625 to \u20ac1,000 for a single person and from \u20ac1,250 to \u20ac2,000 for carers who are part of a couple. The Department does not hold the detailed data on the income of each individual household in the State that would allow it to identify the number of additional people who qualified specifically as a result of the increase in the income disregard. Furthermore, statistics on carer's allowance recipients' are not compiled on a constituency basis and, therefore, I cannot give direct information for Meath West. Information is, however, available on the direct impact of the changes on existing recipients.  Following the increase in the income disregard in July 2026, approximately 2,700 carer's allowance recipients benefited from an increase in the weekly rate of payment. The overall number of people receiving carer's allowance at the end of August 2026 was 110,808. That compared to 97,985 in December 2024, and 104,522 in 2025. Much of that can be attributed to the increase in the means disregard. However, we also have to have an eye to the demographic and care changes in the State. The total number of recipients reflects new claims coming into payment and also claims which are completed or ceased where caring responsibilities may end. Recipient numbers are continuing to increase due to broader demographic and social factors. I assure the Deputy we recognise the invaluable contribution being made by family carers. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aisling Dempsey","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aisling-Dempsey.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aisling Dempsey  I thank the Minister for his response. It is unfortunate that we cannot get the figures but I totally understand the reasons behind that. There has been a significant increase in the number of applications and I am glad to see that. It is a positive and important development for the families across Meath West and nationally who are caring for older people or people with disabilities. I do not want to reduce any of them to numbers or money but we have to recognise - and I know the Minister does - that they are saving the State a huge amount of money by providing vital care for their loved ones. I really feel we are recognising that and we are going to deliver on our commitment in the programme for Government to completely abolish the means test. In the past couple of years we have made significant steps.  Will there be another national social media or media campaign to highlight to the busiest people in our society, these carers who are potentially holding down part-time work and fulfilling other responsibilities, the progress we have made here? I encourage the Minister to keep up the good work in this area. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy. That is a very good suggestion. When we complete our budget negotiations, it would be useful to remind people that a single person working as a carer can have an income of up to \u20ac1,000 per week and a couple, \u20ac2,000, and still be in receipt of a full carer\u2019s payment. In the context of the carer's support grant, I made the point earlier to Deputy Healy that we paid the annual grant as always on the first Thursday of June. It was a record amount this year. In the two or three months since June, an additional 5,000 payments have been made. I had a conversation with Deputy Hayes earlier about awareness-building generally around the accessibility of the social protection system. That is something I am going to be focused on in the winter and as soon as we have clarity around what the budget rates for 2027 will be.  In the context of changing means but also demographic and social changes and the implementation on the ground of more community-based care, there is a lot more interest in the carer\u2019s allowance. We will provide people with that necessary information. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Care Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_15","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Energy Prices","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_15","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_15.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aindrias Moynihan  The free electricity allowance remains fixed at \u20ac20 a year; exactly the same level since 2013, yet electricity prices have increased substantially in that period, reducing the real value of the support.  This is affecting not only older people but also those who have disabilities and those who are living alone. It is part of the programme for Government to review the household benefits package. What plans does the Minister have to increase the free electricity allowance in order that it better reflects the energy costs households are facing? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Teachta as an gceist th\u00e1bhachtach seo. Mar is eol d\u00f3, the household benefits package is available to those who are aged 70 and over, regardless of means or household composition. It is also available as a supplementary allowance to those in receipt of about 15 different social protection payments. In total, 561,000 households benefit from the payment. We will invest \u20ac317 million this year on household benefit, of which about \u20ac231 million is allocated in respect of energy costs. It is an important support to households with energy costs.  When acknowledging the increase in energy costs, we must also acknowledge the volatility in those costs. For example, the price of oil has fluctuated from $60 a barrel in December 2025 to $138 a barrel last April. It fell back to $68 a barrel in July and is now back up to over $100 a barrel. I need to ensure that any measures I take in that context are targeted and timely and that they hit those who directly need them. Also, we have looked at targeted measures in recent budgets. Looking at the household benefits, we also have to look at the changes in fuel allowance payment, which now support over 463,000 households, over 100,000 more households in recent years.  The fuel allowance has been utilised to respond to spikes in energy costs. We have been able to extend the season. During the course of the period to which the Deputy refers, there were also the one-off payments. We are looking at the fuel allowance and the household benefits in the context of the forthcoming budget package. I also direct the attention of the House to the information campaign we launched last week at the ploughing concerning the eligibility for household benefits and, particularly for those over the age of 70, that it is not means tested. There has been huge interest in that campaign, both at our stand at the ploughing, but also through phone calls and engagements. What we have found in terms of the interest, is that the majority of those contacting us are on the payment. I encourage all Deputies to bring the attention of their constituents to that campaign through my Department's social media channels and through their own information. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aindrias Moynihan  I acknowledge the headway made on the broader household package. I welcome the fact that it is being examined. In particular, I draw the Minister's attention to the electricity allowance. When the allowance was set in 2013 it had the capacity to buy 1,526 units of electricity per year. Today, that same \u20ac420 payment covers no more than 450 units of electricity. That is more than a 70% reduction in the capacity of the allowance, which is impacting not only on pensioners but also on people with disabilities and people living alone - people who would have higher energy costs and more challenging household bills. The allowance is frozen, the electricity bills are not and older people, people with disabilities and people living alone are paying the price in the meantime. Do the officials recognise the electricity aspect of the allowance? Can there be a particular focus on it in any review? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I assure the Deputy that we are very focused on all energy costs and on electricity in particular. That is why we have looked at the fuel allowance in particular for the older age cohort in terms of expanding eligibility for it. The allowable means for those aged 66 and over for the fuel allowance is now \u20ac534 per week for a single person and \u20ac1,068 for a couple. In particular, we have increased the disregard of savings and investments from \u20ac20,000 to \u20ac50,000 for those aged 66 and over to encourage more eligibility for fuel allowance, which is paid through the fuel allowance season, which for the information of the House, will begin next week, at a time of peak usage. Looking at the energy side of the household benefits, we have increased the resources relating to the fuel allowance. Also, during the period we are discussing, we had the single energy payments and other supports. I am very focused. The fuel allowance payment has been identified as targeted at those most vulnerable to energy shocks. Within the capacity of the fuel allowance, we have the ability to respond in a dynamic fashion, as we did this year, by extending it for four weeks at a time of unexpected high energy prices. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aindrias Moynihan  Making improvements to the overall burden of fuel costs is positive, and the fact that there will be different measures to do that. I want to draw the Minister's attention in particular to the electricity aspect of it because the allowance that was there provided people with the capacity to buy a certain amount of electricity and its value has eroded over time. I will briefly stay focused on the electricity aspect of it. Could that be increased? Could it be linked with a certain number of units of electricity such that people who are on the allowance would have the peace of mind of knowing that if there is an increase or a reduction in the price of electricity in future, they would be somewhat protected because the allowance would cover a certain number of units rather than being at a fixed euro value? That value has eroded significantly in the past ten years or more by 70%. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I see why the Deputy wants to isolate the electricity part in the context of the household benefits package, but we cannot isolate it without looking at the other changes that have been made in the context of additional payments. I focused on the fuel announcement, particularly for the cohort that applied for household benefits - the change in income and in savings and investments, which will allow people to qualify for the fuel allowance. That is why we have 100,000 more people qualifying for the fuel allowance since 2020, never mind since 2013. In the context of the fuel allowance, people are not directed towards one form of energy. This is important to me and the Department. Through the fuel allowance, people have the flexibility to decide their own fuel and their own source of fuel. They are not directed towards any particular kind of fuel. As I said, we are constantly focused on how we can address energy challenges, and looking at the various challenges that exist. The expansion and flexibility of the fuel allowance programme is my best initiative and tool at a time of such volatility in the energy market. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Energy Prices"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_16","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Disability Issues","counts":{"speechCount":7,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_16","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_16.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  Does the Minister plan to introduce a cost of disability payment in the forthcoming budget in light of the high costs faced by people with disabilities? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  The Government very much recognises the additional costs that disabled people face in their daily lives and we are committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures. This is why, as part of the programme for Government, we have included a commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost-of-disability payment. To that end, the national human rights strategy for disabled people was developed with significant input from disability groups and advocates. It included a commitment to a strategic focus network summit on the cost of disability. A public consultation process on how a cost-of-disability payment can best be delivered was launched on 20 February and ran for six weeks. It received over 1,100 submissions and culminated with a summit at the Aviva Stadium on 13 May. That summit was attended by the Taoiseach, the T\u00e1naiste, the Minister for children, the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport and me.  Arising from the lived experiences shared at the summit, I presented to the delivery and monitoring committee, which is chaired by the Taoiseach, in the middle of July. That meeting as also attended by a number of colleagues and representatives. We will publish the presentation as soon as possible. It is clear that a whole-of-government approach is important in addressing costs. As well as income support, we have to improve delivery and access to key services. One of the themes of the day was that transport is a major challenge.  With particular reference to the cost-of-disability payment, we are currently addressing that in the context of budget discussions. The consultation feedback is that disability groups predominantly want a cost-of-disability payment paid at a basic rate to all qualified recipients. There is a high demand for a graduated payment made as a supplement to some people based on the nature of disability and the costs arising.  However, the main demand was that disabled people and their advocates would be involved in codesign of any detailed scheme, and we are working towards a model in that regard. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I thank the Minister. I know he will share with us the amount he will give in the budget in the further reply. He will be aware of the additional costs for those people living with a disability. The Indecon report puts that cost at between \u20ac9,000 and \u20ac12,000 per year. Indeed, when we were at our Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism, we saw a number of reports that the cost could be anything up to \u20ac30,000 per year. It is a substantial amount for anybody living with a disability. I welcome that the Minister has given a commitment that he is seriously considering a payment.  What the people who are living with disabilities and their advocates want to know is that, in budget 2027, the Government will finally recognise the urgent need for a cost-of-disability payment. I hope the Minister will confirm that all of his conversations with those in the Department of Finance and elsewhere will result in that payment, once and for all. The Disability Federation of Ireland is looking for \u20ac55 per week. Will the Minister confirm that that amount will be forthcoming? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  Nice try, Deputy. The budget negotiations are ongoing. It is very important, and I very much recognise that the estimates of costs that are there. The first payment will not address all of those. The key issue will be to introduce the permanent disability payment. It will grow, as many other social protection payments have done, but we will begin the work on how we deliver that payment through codesign, partnership and as far as we can with the disabled persons organisations. There are many differing views as to how the payment should be delivered. My first job is to get it introduced and start the process immediately in terms of delivery and how that works. We will revert to the groups and to the submissions as to how we can best do that in a shared way.  In the context of the figures the Deputy mentioned, such as from the Indecon report, we will not be able to get that level in the first year of the payment but I am very aware of the cost. Like many other social protection payments, this payment will increase in the years to come once we have it introduced and the budget for it ring-fenced. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I welcome that the Minister has confirmed that there will be a permanent payment. It is important that those who have disabilities can look forward to having something they not only need, but will also help them with the cost-of-living crisis.  I mentioned the heating supplement previously - there is a further question on it that we will not get to - and how there were only 700 people in receipt of it out of 170,000 or more people on the caring supplement. These are the issues that people are facing day in, day out. It is an issue I have asked so as to publicised it again.  On the cost-of-disability payment, we obviously welcome the fact there will be a permanent payment. More importantly, we welcome the continued dialogue with those advocacy groups. It is most important that they get a say in exactly how and when that payment will be delivered and the cost of it. The co-operation with advocacy groups is something we would all welcome in this House. Long may that continue with among Departments. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  On the heating supplement, we had a very productive meeting with the Irish Cancer Society yesterday on how we could work with it. I am certainly happy to work with other groups in promoting the heating supplement. As the Deputy said, there is a low uptake. We will engage on that. Generally, we have not finalised our budget at all yet. I know I have the support of the Taoiseach, the T\u00e1naiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, as the three leaders of the Government, in introducing this. We will be negotiating very hard over the course of the next ten days in the context of getting it introduced and set up as a permanent payment rather than one that is set from budget to budget and depends on whatever are the priorities of the day.  The most important thing for me is to then get it delivered. There are many differing views. We received 1,000 submissions and there were many hundreds of different views as to how it should be delivered. That will be the discussion we will have with the various organisations. That codesign piece is very important. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy David Maxwell)  We have now reached the end of the allocated time, but the next Minister has not arrived, so I will allow Deputy Shane Moynihan to ask one question before the Minister arrives. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Disability Issues"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_17","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Social Welfare Payments","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_8","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_17","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Shane Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_17.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Shane Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Shane Moynihan  I appreciate this opportunity from the Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  We have just completed a public consultation on a second-tier of payment. It concluded on 12 June and we received submissions from representative bodies, advocacy organisations and service providers. We are currently finalising the analysis of that consultation.  On 8 September, the ESRI published its sixth annual report on poverty, income inequality and living standards. The report proposes a version of a second-tier child benefit as a possible mechanism. It was a very different proposal from the one considered by the ESRI in 2025. We are currently looking at that proposal and the differences. However, we acted in budget 2026 by introducing record child support payment increases for over-12s and under-12s and by improving the availability of the fuel allowance for those on the working family payment, which ensured that 50,000 families who previously would not have had access to the fuel allowance would receive it. As the Deputy knows, the working family payment is aligned to the number of children in a family.  We are considering the consultation. We are looking at the ESRI's revised proposals. As we discussed earlier, I will engage with colleagues from across the House through the joint Oireachtas committee on this during the course of the next budget. I can give the Deputy a guarantee that we will have a considerable child poverty package in the context of budget 2027. We are negotiating that as we speak. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Shane Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Shane Moynihan  I thank the Minister. I do not for a second doubt his personal commitment, or that of the Taoiseach, to dealing with child poverty. When I look at the taxable payment that has been recommended by the ESRI, it has a lot of things going for it: its effectiveness; it could take up to 20,000 children out of poverty; it could eventually subsume the child support payment; and it could tackle a lot more of the children who are in poverty at the moment. It is simpler to introduce and it is much easier to understand as well.  In the round, as the Minister carries out that engagement with colleagues across the House and, I am sure, the ESRI on those proposals, I encourage him to consider that as a possibility for doing what we all want, namely, to really make a dent in the journey of bringing down child poverty in this country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  We will engage with the ESRI. It was a very different model from the one it proposed previously. We also want to engage with the ESRI on details on income thresholds and what means test it would have in mind. There is quite a lot of work to be done in this space. We want to incorporate the feedback from the consultation process and engage with Members of the Oireachtas on their views in this space. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare Payments"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  Are we waiting for the Minister to arrive? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Jerry Buttimer)  We are here. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  I am reluctant to say too much while the Minister himself is not here but there are about 15 Deputies who have submitted questions. They are expecting a response from the Minister. I mean no disrespect to the dream team that has arrived. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  Did Kerry win the all-Ireland this year? Is the Deputy still cranky over that? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  No, I am a bit cranky with the Minister for not turning up. It is not the first time he has not shown up. In all fairness, the Ministers of State are more than capable of deputising. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy David Maxwell)  We will move on. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_19","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_19","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_19.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  Further to previous parliamentary questions, I want to ask the Minister about the child fares that will be reduced in the upcoming budget. I also ask about the price hikes that have recently been announced. In particular, does the Minister of State have any response to the response of the NTA at the transport committee that these price hikes will inevitably lead to fewer people using public transport? We are in a cost-of-living crisis and I believe it is the wrong approach for the Government to take to allow the increases of 15%. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney)  I thank the Deputy for the question. As he is aware, the NTA in its capacity as fare regulator, recently announced the revised national fare structure to take effect from January 2027.  While adult fares will increase by an average of 15%, child fares are being reduced in several areas nationally. This represents the first broad adjustment to fares since 2018 and follows a period in which operating costs have risen sharply. In the Dublin commuter zone, in regional cities, in participating towns, and on TFI Local Link services, a new reduced child rate will apply, set at 33% of the equivalent adult fare rate. The determination will also continue to protect existing Government-supported fare initiatives, including the free travel scheme; free travel for children under nine years of age; and free companion travel arrangements for people over the age of 70. The NTA\u2019s assessment is that, even with these changes, fares will remain approximately 8% lower in real terms than they were eight years ago. The adjustments to fares are required to help offset the cost increases in recent years. They are also required to improve fare revenue recovery and ensure the sustainability of the public service obligation, PSO, funding.  We recognise that the NTA applies detailed statistical analysis of fare elasticity to assess the impact of fare increases on passenger demand and overall public transport usage. Notwithstanding these considerations, steady passenger growth is expected to continue in 2027, supported by the ongoing expansion and enhancement of services, which are anticipated to attract additional users and further strengthen public transport demand. The NTA will continue to monitor patronage trends closely as the new fare structure is implemented.  Safeguarding the long-term financial sustainability while being responsive to passenger needs remains a central commitment under the programme for Government. Achieving this requires a careful balance between delivering high-quality reliable services and ensuring the network is adequately funded. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  I thank the Minister of State for the response. Will he please expand on his comment that child fares in several areas will be addressed? We in Sinn F\u00e9in believe that fares should be abolished completely for anybody up to 18 years of age. What exact areas does he mean?  The Minister of State also mentioned that, due to inflation, fares were 8% lower in real terms but what he failed to say was that, between 2008 or 2009 and 2016, there was an incremental increase in fares.  Will he give us a guarantee that there will be improved and better services as a result of these fare increases? I do not believe there will be. The fare increases clearly should not go ahead in a cost-of-living crisis. They should be put off for another time. The Government should be investing more in it. There has been a huge decrease in the amount of new services that have been implemented this year compared to last year. The Government did not even have a transport plan published for this year until around this time last year. It shows a lack of enthusiasm, a lack of initiative, and a lack of priority for public transport. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I will give the Deputy a few examples of the reduction in the new fares for children. In regional cities like Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, the new reduced fare is 33% of the equivalent fare. In town services like those in Athlone, Balbriggan, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dundalk and Kilkenny, child fares are cut to 50 cent. These are facts. What I said about fares being 8% lower than what they were eight years ago is also a fact.  The Deputy asked about improving services. This year, we have spent \u20ac941 million in delivering PSO services. If we look at the increased number of people using public transport, that is because we have been increasing the offer in terms of public transport. Looking at what we will be doing over the next number of years with BusConnects, the all-island rail review extending train services, putting in passing loops to create more frequency, and looking at train stations to be able to take that capacity, we have a very good news story here in public transport and what we are doing with it. What we need to do is continue that trajectory, which we will do. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  There are very few new services. Look at the number of new services that were delivered this year in BusConnects. It is way below what is acceptable and the progress that had been made up to that. The clock has been turned back.  I am glad the Minister of State mentioned town bus services because I want to bring up the issue of Tralee town bus services. In a recent committee meeting, the NTA said it was going to \"look at\" the possibility of a town bus service for Tralee, which is one of the largest towns in the country. It was going to \"look at\" it next year and the year after, so it is guaranteed that there will be no town bus service. I wonder whether this Government has something against the town of Tralee. In the living city initiative, which has been announced for Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Sligo - all towns of a more or less similar size - Tralee has been completely excluded from the regeneration possibilities that are opened up by it. To hear that, while the Culloty Tralee People's Bus Service has done great work for many years - it is important to work in conjunction with the Culloty family - the Government and the NTA have no interest in putting a new town bus service into the town of Tralee is deeply worrying. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  Tralee is just one town and the NTA is looking at it. Regarding public transport, 363.6 million passenger journeys were carried out in 2025. It was a record. That was because services were being increased all over the place. Be it rail, bus or Local Link, all of those services are being expanded. However, if we are going to have a sustainable public transport system going forward, we also have to have what I would call a fair revenue, which is a vital component in that funding model. Some \u20ac941 million in Exchequer funding has been put into the PSO this year to keep it going. We need to be able to expand the services more. What the Deputy desires for Tralee can and will happen but it will take money to do that, and we need to have a proper PSO to fund it. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_20","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Departmental Budgets","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_20","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aidan Farrelly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_20.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank Deputy Farrelly for the question. The application of the \u20ac18 million expenditure levy is currently forming part of the 2027 Estimates negotiations process under way with our colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. It is fair to say that it will be challenging to absorb this levy into our current expenditure budget for 2027. The Deputy has been a long-time advocate of increasing services of his area of Kildare. As he knows, the PSO expenditure accounts for around 70% of the current Vote, as the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has just said. What that means for the House is that reforms in motor tax, modernisations listed in the national vehicle and driver file and the road traffic Bill 2026 will generate some savings. Once the relevant provisions of the Bill are enacted, they will remove the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc, therefore reducing the Department\u2019s administrative costs by approximately \u20ac8 million per annum.  It is important to say to the House that priority will be given to protecting the PSO funding as part of our budget 2027 negotiations to advance the progress that we have achieved in recent years and to ensure that we deliver a public transport system that is not just sustainable, but also dependable, accessible and affordable.  In response to Deputy Daly, we are ambitious. We want to see services expanded and we want to work with people in all parts of the country and with all colleagues across the House to ensure we deliver for people in terms of accessible public transport. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aidan Farrelly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aidan Farrelly  I thank the Minister of State for that reply. It is a bit of a leap to ask us to accept that it is still part of the negotiations. The Minister of State definitely knows by now where that \u20ac18 million shortfall is going to be made up and it is not part of the budgetary process. He could tell us. I have asked him to detail to us what that is going to look like for 2027. He is choosing not, and that is unfortunate. We will see it come out in a couple of weeks and that is fine, but this was an opportunity to outline it. Otherwise, what we are going to see are fare hikes - they are going to be part of that - and a lack of investment in services. The Minister of State is talking to us about ambition, and I accept what he says, but that ambition last year was zero. There were no new services, certainly when it came to buses.  We have an opportunity here to keep the fares as they were and actually look to further reduce them, not increase them. All I can assume is that the likes of the fare increases will go directly towards this \u20ac18 million bill that the Department of public expenditure is putting on Departments. Unless the Minister of State can tell me otherwise, what is looking likely for next year is a continued lack of investment in services and further fare increases, which is what the NTA has said, in order to meet what is ultimately other Departments' misexpenditure. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I am not going to have that particular row with the Deputy on the floor of House, but I want to make it quite to clear to him that the budgetary negotiations are ongoing. They have not concluded. The budget is on 6 October. We are very much committed to enhancing services, and an unprecedented \u20ac940 million allocation for PSO services in the budget of 2026, which was a 43% uplift, is by anyone's standard \"ambition\". That is called wanting to see an expansion of the services.  It is a challenging period in public transport. We are seeing an increase in passenger numbers. All of us who live in urban areas see the increase in people using it. I will give the Deputy the example of the commuter rail project in my city of Cork. It is a savage success story. More people are using it. The Deputy's colleague, Deputy Quaide in Midleton, will tell him that it is an example. Deputy Kenny in Mallow will tell him that Mallow is full. Midleton is full, as is Cobh. Deputy O'Shea is in that area as well. It is a huge success, and that shows the breadth of our ambition, but I will come back to the Deputy further in the supplementary reply. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aidan Farrelly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Aidan-Farrelly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Aidan Farrelly  Those policies are working because the fare points are right. We know that increased fares reduce passenger numbers. The Government has made a decision in the last couple of weeks that it knows will be tantamount to a reduced level of service demand at a time when we have climate and affordability crises and at a time when the Department is not rolling out new services. They are facts. Absolutely, there is \u20ac900-odd million being allocated and I commend the Department for that, but ultimately it has been levied with a bill by the Department of public expenditure. To me, it is being bullied by that Department into having to pay for the Department of education's overspend.  What I am asking the Minister of State for is not a conversation about a decision that the Government is going to make in the budget. I am asking him to tell us what planning has happened as to where that \u20ac18 million will come from. The Department has that decision made already. I have to expect that, given the months the Department has had to plan this - this has been going around an awful long time - the Minister of State knows where this expenditure is going to come from. What I am looking for is detail to ensure that no public transport services suffer, and no further public transport fare increases happen, because of it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I am smiling because, as the Deputy knows quite well, the budget is on 6 October. Our Department's negotiations with the Department of public expenditure have not concluded. For me, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, our priority is very much about service expansion and the delivery of accessible and reliable services to give travelling members of the public certainty.  I want to make the point to the Deputy that we need to have a conversation about how, in the broader thrust of public transport, service expansion is not just about funding. It is also about the availability of mechanics and drivers, as well as being about how we can deliver new services. As the Minister of State for rural transport, I am acutely aware of this. Deputy Daly mentioned Tralee in the context of the new delivery of town services. We will work to deliver new services. With our colleagues in the Department of public expenditure, we will arrive at a budgetary position that will ensure that the PSO gives that uplift for new services. I look forward to working with Deputy Farrelly for the people of Kildare and delivering services for them.  The Deputy's question is a fair point in the context of people's expectations, but \u20ac940 million is a significant uplift in public transport funding. I hope that we can deliver more. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Departmental Budgets"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_21","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":8,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_21","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_21.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  I have raised overcrowding on early morning trains into Galway with the Minister of State a number of times. It has been going on for years on all services, particularly on that train that arrives into Galway at 8.10 a.m. It is at a crisis point now. People are being put in serious danger. I have had a lot of people in touch with me, and I am sure the Minister of State has as well. What is going to be done about this in the short term? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney)  I thank the Deputy. To take forward the implementation of the all-island strategic rail review, my Department published the rail projects prioritisation strategy in December 2025. In the short term, the strategy specifies a number of early interventions, including new passing loops and platforms to boost the rail network\u2019s resilience and capacity. These investments are funded to be fully delivered by 2030 under the national development plan. The strategy also identifies major projects to be delivered in the long term, including the reinstatement of the western rail corridor between Claremorris and Athenry, which I am pleased to say is also funded to commence construction under the national development plan.  To cater for the future demand envisioned under the rail review, we are progressing rail station upgrades across the network, including at Ceannt Station, where improvement works have already increased the number of platforms from two to five. We are also continuing work at Oranmore Station, which will provide an additional platform and a passing loop, increasing capacity on the Galway to Athenry line.  Regarding the Deputy\u2019s query on enhancing capacity on the network, larnr\u00f3d Eireann\u2019s rolling stock is currently fully deployed on services across the network. Notwithstanding this, I am pleased to note that, as part of the DART+ programme, three orders delivering a total of 285 new carriages have been placed so far. When the first and second orders start entering service next year, this will allow for the redeployment of existing intercity and commuter trains to other parts of the rail network experiencing capacity issues. The reason we have the capacity issue is because when we built the line from Athenry to Ennis, we had 132,000 passenger journeys per annum. Last year, we had 750,000 passenger journeys. That is an enormous increase, and it is the fastest growing line now, which is what justifies doing all this other investment. We will continue to do that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  I raised this with the NTA last week and was told that all available carriages were in use at peak times, but I have a number of questions in relation to this and would appreciate clear answers to them for the people who have to travel on these overcrowded services daily. Why has there been no forward planning and how have we ended up in a situation where we do not have additional rail carriages? When are we going to have additional carriages on the trains going into Galway? I want a clear timeline on this because the Minister of State mentioned that new electric carriages were going to be arriving into Dublin, which would free up existing stock to go out to the regional routes. Is that going to happen in quarter 2 of 2027? Do we have a clear timeline on when that will happen? Has there been engagement will rail operators and departments in other jurisdictions about the possibility of securing stock on a short-term basis to address these capacity issues while we wait for the new stock?  Why has the Government not funded the promised new Athenry bus service? We have been waiting for that for two years. That will take significant pressure off the existing rail services into the city.  These are the questions that I am getting of commuters, and I would appreciate clear answers to them because this is not a sustainable situation and the Government cannot continue to sit on its hands. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I want to reiterate that the Government is not sitting on plans. It is very active at the moment, and the Deputy knows that as well. He also well knows that we are preparing to open the line between Athenry and Claremorris, which is something he supports, and we need to get on with that.  Next year, 2027, is when we will have additional carriages becoming available. The NTA is working with Irish Rail and the latter has been looking at other places across the world but it cannot just get carriages from some other place because the railway lines themselves may be of different configuration. It is not like getting a car from some place and putting it on the line. There is a lot more to it than that and the carriages have to be compatible with what is there at the moment. In fairness, what we have seen here, and it is something that we have to acknowledge, is the biggest growth in public transport in the west of Ireland. We have gone from 132,000 to 750,000 passenger journeys per annum on that line, making it the fastest-growing line. I agree that there is a shortage of carriages on it. We need to put more into it and I am working to make sure it happens next year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  I just cannot accept the response that nothing is going to be done here in the short term. We are told we have to wait for carriages, with very vague assurances as to when they are going to become available. I have been contacted in relation to people becoming unwell. One woman described getting on the train this week and said that people were pushing and shoving so much that she thought someone could go down the gap between the train and platform. This is the situation on public transport every morning into Galway city.  Can the Minister of State give us a clear timeline as to when the rail services going in and out of Galway specifically, and particularly that one arriving at 8.10 a.m., will have additional carriages? Can we get a clear time on that? How we have ended up in this situation where we do not have additional rail carriages? I appreciate it takes time and we cannot just get them into service within a very short period but how has there not been forward planning such that we are left in this situation? I also want to ask about the Athenry bus service. That has been promised for two years and would make a really significant difference in terms of taking pressure off these services. Why has that not been funded? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  Just to reiterate, I did say that there will be additional carriages available in 2027. That is the first thing I said to the Deputy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  For Galway? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  Yes, for Galway. The second question the Deputy asked was why this has arisen. It has arisen because when one orders new carriages it takes about five years to get them manufactured and delivered to one's specification. That is the timeline. The carriages were ordered four or five years ago and they will be with us next year. I do accept that there has been an underfunding of our service. It has grown over the last five to ten years and that particular line has grown substantially. We need to double-track that line from Athenry into Galway and that is also in the strategy that we have in place. What we need to do first is make sure we can put in the passing loops to get more frequency in and out with the trains we have. I fought hard to make sure that we would retain that early morning train service into Galway, which we have succeeded in doing. As for the bus service, we are working to get that in place as well but we have to make sure that whatever we put in is sustainable. There was a bus service there previously that was not sustainable. That is something we have to be very careful of, that we are not just doing things for the sake of doing them and finding that they are not sustainable. I know that the NTA and Bus \u00c9ireann are looking at that at the moment. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_22","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_22","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_22.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ciar\u00e1n Ahern  This is a simple one for the Minister of State. I am glad to hear from Deputy Buttimer that the budget negotiations with the Department of public expenditure are ongoing because my question is whether the Minister will provide the \u20ac70 million in funding that the NTA says is required to avoid the increase in public transport fares. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank Deputy Ahern for his question. As the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I have said, the recently announced change in fares were the first revision in eight years. The change is aimed at supporting not just the continued expansion but also the improvement of public transport, while maintaining affordability. Any overall increase in revenue generated will go straight back into investment in public transport services, delivering better connectivity, capacity and reliability for passengers and commuters. This investment will also form part of the Department's engagements with the Department of public expenditure as part of the annual Estimates process, which has not yet concluded, for next year.  On an overall basis, fare revenue only covers approximately 38% of the cost of operating the PSO services nationally, with the remaining costs funded by the Exchequer. It is, therefore, imperative that there is a rebalancing of the critical equation in how we fund PSO public transport nationally, ensuring that fare revenue continues to make a sustainable contribution alongside significant levels of subsidy, while maintaining the affordability and accessibility of public transport. I would also highlight that this level of fare recovery is largely consistent with European averages, with our actual fares set at much lower rates. I appreciate the concerns expressed by people about the recent fare increase and many of them have contacted me. However, in line with international best practice and to bolster the State\u2019s capacity to invest in service expansion, network improvements, and operational resilience to encourage continuous passenger growth, it is essential we prioritise this reinvestment of fare revenue, ensuring that we can maintain a well-funded, reliable system and deliver greater long-term benefit rather than reducing fares to unsustainable levels. It is fair to say that achieving this requires a careful balance between delivering high-quality, reliable services and ensuring the network is adequately resourced to meet growing demand. We saw a record 363.5 million journeys undertaken just last year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ciar\u00e1n Ahern  I thank the Minister of State. Often when I ask a question of the Minister for Transport, I am fobbed off to the NTA because I am asking about operational matters but this is a funding matter. It is a hugely disappointing decision from Government and a baffling decision in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and a climate crisis. The current policy has been working for the Government. It is a really popular policy with the public, it is politically popular and I am baffled as to why the Government is doing this when we know that the low-fares policy is incentivising people to use our public transport. It is just so disappointing and hard to understand. We can support, rightfully, one cohort of transport users, namely people who drive and are reliant on their cars and of course, we should be supporting them with reductions on VAT and excise, but at the same time, we cannot be pitching public transport users against these other users of transport. We have to be supporting everyone, which is why this decision is so disappointing. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  The Deputy and I speak the same language. It has been a success story and to keep it that way, there has to be an honest conversation around fare structures. To be fair, we must consider the volume of people using public transport. I know that some Deputies will dismiss the \u20ac940 million but that is a significant investment by Government in public transport. I would make the point that we have maintained a fare freeze for eight years, along with targeted affordability measures of which we are all aware. Those measures compare favourably internationally. I take the point that there are people who are unhappy and who are being affected. They have communicated with all of us and I have met them but it is important to make the point that we have implemented one of the most significant fare reforms in recent decades through the introduction of the 90-minute fare and substantial discounts for young people and students through the young adult card. Our commitment, as a Department and as Ministers, is to ensure that we have a reliable and accessible public transport system. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ciar\u00e1n Ahern  I certainly will not dismiss the very significant investment in public transport which is really welcome. The problem with the PSO is that it is not keeping pace with the volume of users now and the demands. The Minister of State talked about 38% of the costs of the PSO being covered by fares but public transport pays for itself in other ways through reduced congestion, safer roads and lower carbon emissions. The idea that fares need to cover costs is not entirely correct. Talking about international comparators and Ireland being relatively lower or higher compared to elsewhere does not really butter any parsnips for people who are impacted by these fare increases. AML\u00c9, the association of student unions in Ireland, has come out in recent days looking for free fares for everyone under 25. If we are going to be increasing fares elsewhere, I would love to see us focusing on a group like that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  The significant point is that our PSO programme funds public transport services, both bus and rail, and as we know, it is composed of Exchequer funding and fares. The Deputy is right and the priority for us, working with the NTA, is to deliver on BusConnects so that it takes people out of their cars and onto the bus network. I have seen it in my own city of Cork.  In the past couple of weeks, with colleges and schools back open, there has been an increased volume of traffic on our roads. That emphasises the importance of BusConnects.  The Deputy will agree that we must continue to prioritise public transport, which is what the Government is doing, and the PSO element of that is very important. Discounts for young adults and students are critically important. For my Department, this is an important part of our budget negotiations. As Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, I am acutely aware of the need to enhance the offering across the whole country. Deputy O'Shea, who is in the Chair, has spoken to me about different bus services in his area, Deputy Pa Daly referenced the town bus in Tralee, and other Members will be speaking this morning about other bus services. We are committed to investing but there is a need for honest conversations. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_23","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Road Projects","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_23.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  I am interested in the proportion of funding given for active travel versus the proportion given for rural and local roads. I am in favour of funding active travel but the specifications being given to councils are completely off the wall and are making it more expensive to deliver infrastructure projects of short duration. I have raised this issue previously and the officials have come back with standard answers. This matter needs to be looked at by the Minister or a Minister of State. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I thank the Deputy for his question, which concerns an issue he has been raising on an ongoing basis.  In accordance with section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority. Work on such roads is funded from councils' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. For 2026, \u20ac718 million was allocated through the regional and local roads grant programme for the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, with approximately 90% of the funding allocated to road maintenance and renewal. This facilitated an increased funding allocation of \u20ac26 million this year for road protection and renewal works. That represents an increase of over 25% in funding compared with 2021.  Under the 2026 regional and local roads grant programme, Laois County Council was allocated more than \u20ac15 million for the maintenance and improvement of its regional and local roads, which is an increase of nearly \u20ac1 million compared with 2025. That funding will support the local authority in carrying out an extensive 2026 programme of maintenance and restoration. In addition, it will support various climate adaptation projects, bridge rehabilitation schemes and safety improvement works.  Within the budget available for the maintenance of regional and local roads, the objective is to allocate funding to eligible local authorities on as equitable a basis as possible, taking the length of the road network into account. The main focus of the grants continues to be the protection and renewal of roads.  In addition to keeping the regional and local roads network in good repair, targeted improvements are also prioritised. All projects put forward must comply with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines and my Department's appraisal framework. Each project is assessed on a case-by-case basis, keeping available resources in mind. The 2026 allocation to Laois County Council includes funding of \u20ac500,000 for specific improvement grant schemes. Furthermore, on 1 July, I announced additional funding of \u20ac40 million to address the damage to roads as a result of Storm Chandra. The funding to Laois County Council under this additional package was \u20ac1 million. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He is correct regarding the allocation to the council but my point is that \u20ac3.5 million was given for active travel. I do not have a problem with that allocation; the problem is how it is being spent. He mentioned the departmental guidelines, which is where the issue arises. The specifications and stipulations set out in those guidelines are completely off the wall.  To give one example, I was calling for action from the council on Triogue Way 25 or 26 years ago. One section of footpath was put in there across Millview car park. It has worked out to be the most expensive car park in the world because of those specifications. The footpath part alone, which is 74 m in length, cost \u20ac105,000. Other work was done as well, with the whole project coming in at more than \u20ac400,000. That is crazy money. The amount of concrete that went in underneath it would support a section of motorway. An articulated truck could be driven down it. It is over 13 ft wide in places. That is absolutely ridiculous. It is happening because the Department is telling the council it must be done a certain way. Concrete was being poured for months, with a private contractor crew working on it for four months. Meanwhile, overseers and engineers cannot fund even drainage works or basic repairs to rural roads. That needs to be looked at again. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I understand the Deputy's frustration. I am sure he will agree that the funding allocation for Laois County Council for local and regional roads is good enough. His frustration seems to be in relation to the \u20ac3.5 million allocated to active travel projects. He is of the view that the works are perhaps being over-specified and the standards are too strict. I will take his points back to the Department. When doing this kind of work, we must ensure public money is spent in such a way that we deliver the best outcomes and get as much bang for our buck as possible. I will communicate the Deputy's important feedback to the Department. I do not think anybody is engaged in over-designing. There might be reasons that it looks that way, such as underground structures or whatever. I cannot comment on that. It is just a matter of ensuring we get value for whatever public money is spent. The local authorities want to do that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  On the overall funding, if the Minister of State has more millions of euro, he should send them down to Laois, because they are needed. The cost of repairing roads has been increasing by 15% per annum. I do not have a problem with the \u20ac3.5 million for active travel; if he has another \u20ac3.5 million, I would welcome it. The problem is the specifications and what we are getting for the money. That is the point I am making.  Does a footpath really need to be 13 ft wide? Ten-wheeler wagons were drawing in concrete at Triogue Way. I know all this because I park in the car park beside it and I saw what was going on every day. The amount of concrete that has gone into it would support a section of motorway, never mind a footpath and cycleway. The good footpath that was already there had to be ripped out because of the Department's specifications. A row of bollards could have been put alongside it in the car park, a perfectly good cycleway could have been installed and the car park resurfaced. Everything would have been fine and dandy.  What is being done is absolutely ridiculous. We need a sense of proportion and we need to be practical. The Minister of State is a practical kind of person. He must speak to officials in the Department about this. We need to get bang for our buck. That is the point I am making. Allowing rural roads to deteriorate to the point they need substantial works will mean spending more money in the longer term. An area office is needed to get work done. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I reiterate that any funding we allocate should be spent wisely and in such a way that we get as much out of it as possible for the benefit of the taxpayer. I do not believe anybody is wasting money. It may be that the specifications and design standards need to be looked at, which is something I will take back to the Department. We must get as much done as we can with the money we have. As the Deputy rightly said, costs are increasing. We must be more prudent and agile in how we spend it. I will convey his comments to the officials. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Road Projects"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_24","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Bus Services","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_24","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Currie","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_24.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Currie","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Emer Currie  I want to make a simple, evidence-based case for retaining an all-day direct bus service from Littlepace to Dublin city centre. Under BusConnects, the 70 bus service, which is one of the most popular routes in Dublin West, will be split in two, with a direct service at peak times only and a local service during the day to the Blanchardstown Centre. Having surveyed 1,300 homes in three weeks, I got 978 responses, 98% of which wanted the daytime direct service retained. Will the NTA look again at this proposal? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, for her work on the survey she mentioned and for engaging with such large numbers of people. As she said, this is an important service.  The changes proposed for the 70 bus route are part of the wider BusConnects Dublin network redesign. One of the core principles of that work is to provide a more frequent, reliable and better-connected public transport network across the greater Dublin area. The redesign seeks to provide improved service levels and reduced waiting times for all passengers throughout the day.  Under the proposed network, the existing 70 service will be replaced, as the Deputy has said, by two new routes, namely, L64 and P64. The peak-time P64 service will continue to provide direct links between Dunboyne and Dublin city centre. I am told that the L64 will operate between Dunboyne and the Blanchardstown Centre and is currently projected to run every 15 minutes. Both routes will also connect with Dunboyne rail station, providing access to rail services into the city. For journeys to the city centre outside peak periods, passengers can travel to the Blanchardstown Centre using the L64 route and transfer to one of four B spine services, which are expected to operate every four minutes.  The NTA will provide more detailed timetables closer to implementation, taking into account demand levels, operational requirements and available funding. Based on current assessments, approximately five to six direct peak-time services to and from the city centre are envisaged. These changes will also be supported by the 90-minute Leap fare, ensuring that passengers making multi-modal journeys do not incur any additional costs.\u00a0 Furthermore, the planned development of the Blanchardstown to city centre core bus corridor will also reduce journey times and improve interchange facilities.  The benefits of these new services include the introduction of significantly better all-day frequency, not just during peak commuting hours, and better network connectivity options within the 90-minute Leap fare. I will speak with the Deputy and bring her information from the survey back to the NTA. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Currie","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Emer Currie  I thank the Minister of State for that reply. The people of Littlepace know the plans inside out. Some things can look good on paper but are counter-intuitive. Nothing annoys people more than when the NTA, supported by the Government, focuses on fixing something that does not need to be fixed and decides to remove something that is working for them and gets them to work, college or appointments on time during the day.  The Minister of State will recall that I previously highlighted the problems we were having in Dublin West, where popular commuter bus services required more capacity but did not receive adequate investment. He knows that I did a lot of work on the figures behind that to make the argument evidence-based. The 70 was one of those routes. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, ensured that more investment came to that service.  The people who responded to my survey were overwhelmingly regular users. They said that the service is now reliable. Some 93.5% of them said that the service is now reliable. This change seems illogical. We are giving residents something they did not ask for. They just want the 70 to work well. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank the Deputy and appreciate where she is coming from. I hear the frustration. I appreciate the views of neighbours. As a public representative like the Deputy, I fully understand that sometimes what is proposed does not align with reality. It is important that I, having taken the question this morning, articulate and communicate the Deputy's views and those of residents back to the NTA. I am not obfuscating responsibility but, as the Deputy knows, the NTA is charged with the project. As a Minister and Ministers of State, we do not have any direct, day-to-day engagement. I will sit down with the Deputy to look at the situation and will ask the NTA to do so. If it is not broken, why fix it? We need to ensure that our overarching policy is about an enhanced bus experience. It is about ensuring that bus corridors are brought in, we have a continuous bus lane and improve active travel facilities.  The points made by the Deputy are hard to go against. The travelling public who use the service in a place understand. They use it every day. I will certainly reflect with the Deputy and take her views back to the NTA. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Currie","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Emer-Currie.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Emer Currie  I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate it. He will know, having been a public representative for decades, that when you do a survey and get that kind of response, you have to listen to it. Out of 978 people surveyed over a three-week period, only 12 said they would have no issue with having to change buses at the Blanchardstown Centre. Some 99.1% of them described the direct service as either \"extremely important\" or \"very important\" to them. Worryingly, 60% of people said that if this change makes their journey longer or less reliable, they are more likely to drive instead. The biggest issue that they identified was increased journey time. Some 80% of people said that was the issue.  I appreciate that the Minister of State will bring this issue to the NTA. I ask the NTA to meet the community. I have sent it this survey. The results speak for themselves. It is important that the NTA shows it is willing to engage with communities about issues that impact them. Nearly 1,000 people in a three-week period responded to my survey when I only dropped it to 1,300 homes. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  All of us, no matter where we are from, want Bus Connects to succeed. At its core, it is about bringing new service and providing better all-day frequency and more reliability. Every day, we get complaints about the quality of a bus service, whether in Cork city or Dublin. We are not immune. As a Minister and Ministers of State, we are determined to ensure that we can deliver that.  It disappoints me, as a Minister of State and a public representative, that the NTA would not meet residents. Ultimately, the NTA is the solution-maker for any issue. It will be putting the network in place. It has a duty to meet residents, community groups and whoever else in Littlepace, in this case, to sort out the matter, work, listen and have that engagement. Public engagement allows them to be informed. It allows us all to have a better outcome in the end, we hope. I commit to sitting down with the Deputy and articulating with her on behalf of the people she represents. All of us must work together to have a better bus system that will benefit the travelling public who want to use the service.  If I were using a bus, which I do occasionally, and the journey became longer, I would ask whether I wanted to use it. The connectivity piece is important. The success of Local Link has been that A to B connectivity for people. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Bus Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Questions Nos. 124 and 125 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_26","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Rail Accidents","counts":{"speechCount":8,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_26","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_26.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  On the evening of 3 September, Eoin Doyle, a 12-year-old boy, lost his life when the car he was travelling in was struck by a train in Kiltybo, just outside Ballyhaunis. It is incredibly sad and a devastating loss of life. His family and, indeed, the entire community are still in mourning and grief. I spoke to the family and their wish is that no family in the future will ever go through such a loss and such grief. My question to the Minister of State is what lessons will be learned. How many tragedies have there been on the rail network? How many collisions have there been? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  Before I commence answering the question, I too extend my sympathy to the bereaved family of the boy and to the community. It is an appalling incident or collision and the consequences are life-changing. On the loss of the young boy, I say to the family, \"May he rest in peace.\" "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  Amen. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I thank the Deputy for the question. Rail safety is an important priority for me and my Department. The total number of collisions involving heavy rail in Ireland between 2016 and 2025 amounts to 842 according to the 2025 annual report of the Commission for Railway Regulation, CRR, which was published in June. \u00a0This figure covers a variety of collisions, with the vast majority due to train collisions with large animals on the line or other obstacles on the line.  Train collisions with other vehicles are rare. In 2025, there was one train collision with a motor vehicle. No train-on-train collisions on active rail lines have occurred in the previous ten years. I can provide the Deputy with a table showing a breakdown of the year-on-year collisions and the category of these collisions based on the CRR report.  The CRR is Ireland's independent railway safety regulator and has been a central part of the State's railway safety framework since its establishment under the Railway Safety Act 2005.  Its core mission is to promote, oversee and enforce safety across the rail sector, ensuring that railway operators maintain the highest standards of safety for passengers, workers and the wider public. Through inspections, audits, authorisations, compliance monitoring and enforcement activities, the CRR works to ensure operators meet both national and European safety requirements. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  Eoin was a wonderful young boy. He was a very talented Gaelic footballer, soccer player and golfer. He even won an athletics event in the weeks before his passing. He had the opportunity to meet the Mayo team with the Sam Maguire Cup as well. Like his parents, grandparents and wider family, he was very involved in the local community.  I am aware of the crossing where the incident took place. It is extremely rudimentary in nature. Visibility there is poor. Indeed, there was strong mist on the evening as well. The crossing, like many others, is a death trap. Many motorists are completely unaware of such a significant hazard that lies ahead. Since the incident, I have been contacted by many people across County Mayo who have outlined to me the near misses they also had. The technology is available. We need to replace those user-operated crossings with automated barriers and significant warning systems and sirens. The technology is there. It is widely available and is cheap. In fact, it is used across every apartment complex in Dublin and in other cities and car parks across the country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I have given some data on this, and there is more data in the reply, which I will not read out. It is there for the Deputy to read. It is important that I do not comment on a matter that is under investigation. We have to respect the investigations that are ongoing. A preliminary examination by the rail accident investigation unit, which is the independent national investigation body into the accident that occurred at level crossing XM 160, is ongoing. Decisions made by that investigation unit will be based on the outcome of that examination.  The CRR, the independent national safety authority, is also carrying out its initial assessment of the circumstances surrounding the accident. Decisions made by the commission will be based on the outcome of that assessment. As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and level crossings on the network, including the level crossing referred to, is a matter for Irish Rail in the first instance. I will go back to the basic point that we cannot comment until the investigations are complete. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  I appreciate that there is a review under way, how sensitive this topic is and the Minister of State's sincerity. I have read previous reports in relation to other incidents. I am calling for us all to work constructively together. This is above politics. We need to replace user-operated gates with automated gates. This is happening in every car park and apartment complex across this country. The technology is there. It is widely available and it is cheap. The truth is that many of these crossings are on local roads that have high volumes. I ask that lessons be learnt from this incident and that actions be taken in order that no family has to experience a similar loss and grief that comes with it ever again. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I agree with the Deputy. I was at the ITS Ireland conference in Limerick yesterday at which I saw the technologies that are available. Irish Rail is working with technologies to improve its lines. However, it is very important that we make sure whatever actions we take in relation to improving are correct and that they actually bring the safety standards up to where they are required.  There are 868 level crossings in Ireland, of which 127 are known as occupation-type crossings. These include user-worked unattended occupational level crossings on private and public roads. Since 2008, and including the most recent accident in Mayo, there have been four fatalities at level crossings. It is important to note that on the day in question there were two accidents. The first took place at a level crossing on the Tullamore line when a train collided with a tractor. We then had the fatal accident as well. Some of the people who were discommoded by being removed from the first train were on the second train. It was just a freak occurrence. Unfortunately, it cost a life. That is why it needs a very serious examination of all of the level crossings. I accept the Deputy's point that the technology is there, but we have to make sure the technology will work and that it will hopefully remove the risk of ever seeing something like this happening again. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 127 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Rail Accidents"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_27","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":10,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_27","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_27.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  Is the Minister of State aware that two services relating to BusConnects had to be rerouted because buses cannot traverse Church Hill in Glanmire despite numerous public consultations and millions of euro being spent on it? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank Deputy Gould for raising this very important matter. As he knows - we are both from Cork city - detailed planning for the implementation of the BusConnects Cork network is under way. I am told by the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Cork City Council that does involve redesign, which is continuing to happen, with the new network to be rolled out on a phased basis. It is fair to say that we both wish it could happen faster. However, the major public transport investment will increase bus services across Cork city by over 50%, supporting a growing population and encouraging greater use of sustainable transport, which we both want.  I am not fully aware of what is proposed, but I was in Riverstown last weekend and am aware of the proposed routing of services via Church Hill in Glanmire. The Deputy mentioned the public consultation. I am informed by the NTA that following the publication of the redesigned network in 2022, it continued to assess proposed routes to ensure they could be operated effectively. In the case of Church Hill, routes 2a and 14a were subject to further testing and detailed consultation with Cork City Council. While buses were able to travel along the alignment proposed originally, further testing identified significant challenges relating to sightlines, footpath issues and the scale of infrastructure works required to address the junctions of Church Hill and Gleann Caoin. Given the cost of those works, the decision was taken by the NTA to realign routes 2a and 14a. Under the revised arrangement, as the Deputy knows, route 2a will operate in both directions on Barnavara Hill towards Dunkettle and will serve the Ballinglanna development, while route 14a will serve Glanmire Road in both directions. I am told by the NTA that the revised alignment has been successfully tested with appropriate associated infrastructure works being considered along the normal planning routes.  I understand the frustrations and challenges experienced by some residents, which I will come back to in a second, in the changes being proposed. I am told by the NTA that the revised alignment is intended to ensure a safe and effective delivery of the new network to enable the expansion of the services through Cork. However, I am prepared to listen to what the Deputy has to say in terms of the residents, whom he is going to talk about in a second. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  Some \u20ac85 million has been spent on BusConnects in Cork since 2021. That includes \u20ac11 million this year alone. What have we got for it? People in Cork and people I represent will tell the Minister of State we have got nothing for it. Then, after all the consultation - five rounds of consultation - we were told on 27 August that the bus will not be able to serve Church Hill in Glanmire and that there would be no bus stop for people living in Crawford Woods.  People are buying houses, moving into communities and renting while expecting to have a proper bus service. Glanmire is one of the fastest growing areas in the State, with hundreds if not thousands of new houses there. Then we do not have a bus service that delivers. These people expect a bus service. Glanmire was actually in Cork city when the boundary was increased a couple of years ago and now we have a situation where some residents have not got a bus service. Many people in Glanmire are very upset by the standard of bus service they have, with buses not turning up, ghost buses and the app not working. People deserve to have a public transport system they can depend on. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thoroughly support Deputy Gould. I share the same ambition he has and it frustrates all of us that we have issues with the bus service, not just in Cork but across the country. To be fair to the NTA - and I am critical of the NTA, as he knows - we have seen investment by Government through the NTA in the BusConnects Cork network and we will have delivery on the ground. It needs to be expedited but, in fairness, as the Deputy is a long-time member of both Cork City Council and the Oireachtas, he knows to get to the end result of BusConnects, there has to be planning, preparation and delivery in the context of BusConnects. There have been different approvals by Government in line with our infrastructure guidelines. I look forward to that happening and to the Deputy and me travelling on buses and being able to be positive about BusConnects Cork.  I wish to make a genuine comment to Deputy Gould. I will happily articulate on his behalf and that of the residents he mentioned, who deserve a bus service that is reliable and accessible. I will take up the points regarding the residents of Glanmire because the Deputy is right. It is a fast-growing area. We need to ensure there is no gridlock in Cork. The N40 is jammed every morning. We have seen since the opening of the Munster Technological University, MTU, and University College Cork, UCC, after the summer and the growth of Cork University Hospital that traffic in the western suburbs has grown expeditiously. I will talk to the Deputy afterwards and I will communicate on his behalf, and that of the residents of Glanmire, with the NTA.  As the Deputy knows, this is not an operational matter for me as a Minister of State and for the Department. It is the NTA working with Cork City Council. I will happily come back to Deputy Gould afterwards on that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  I wish to update the Minister of State. This route was supposed to be in place in 2024. We are in 2026 and we are told the route is not feasible. Millions of euro have been spent. Some \u20ac85 million has been spent in five years and now we are finding out things cannot be done. How many other routes will this also affect? There are people there at the moment who are experiencing the cost-of-living crisis and are struggling. They are looking at this Government and the NTA burning money. That is what they are doing. They are burning money while people are struggling. The NTA told me that detailed consideration of the scale and cost of the measures has led to a decision not to align this route. Why was that not discovered earlier?  We have a situation in Cork where there is absolute gridlock, no matter which direction you are coming from, whether it is north, south, east or west. That is why we need BusConnects to deliver. What we have is BusConnects not delivering. We have areas like Clogheen, Kerry Pike, Sunday's Well, Upper Glanmire and other areas of Cork that are looking for bus services and were promised them. None of them have been delivered. The other area was Kilcully. All those places are waiting for buses with no sign of them. Actually, it is not that there is no sign of them; they are not coming. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I will pose the question to Deputy Gould: is he for or against BusConnects? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  I am for it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  No, hold on----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  I met with it. I put in submissions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  Yes. The important point is that we have to deliver. The Deputy talks about burning money. Some \u20ac940 million of a public service obligation, PSO, contribution to public transport is a significant amount of money. The Deputy is around a long time and is a clever man. The money we are spending on BusConnects is about delivery and putting the infrastructure and the planning in place so we will have BusConnects. I am absolutely confident that BusConnects will succeed. The Deputy will come into this House and will be lauding BusConnects when it happens. He is right and I completely agree with him; it is not happening fast enough and it is taking far too long. I share his frustration and I understand the upset among people. I deal with it every day. I meet people every day. I use the bus, despite what the Deputy might think. There are ghost buses but, as the Deputy knows, as he talks to people in Bus \u00c9ireann, it cannot get mechanics or drivers. It has recruited internationally. We have to address the whole point.  I share the Deputy's ambition. I want it delivered and I will work with him to have BusConnects succeed in Cork. I will take on board the Deputy's views, which are genuine, about the area of Glanmire. Glanmire is one of the fastest growing areas of Cork and it does require a bus service that delivers for people. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_28","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Bus Services","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_28","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_28.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed  Is the Minister for Transport aware of ongoing capacity issues on the north side's 15 bus route and the measures that are being taken to ensure local residents finally get a usable and dependable 15 service? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Yes, I am aware of concerns regarding capacity and reliability on the route 15 service, which provides an important 24-hour, high-freguency connection between Ballycullen and Clongriffin, serving communities, including Templeogue, Terenure, Rathmines, the city centre, Fairview and Artane.  I understand that the current route 15 timetable is being reviewed by the NTA and the operator, Dublin Bus, with additional running time and an additional bus being incorporated into the schedule. Here, capacity pressures are most likely to occur around peak school travel times. The revised timetable is due to be introduced on 6 December and will provide for an additional 12 drivers, with the aim of improving service reliability and reducing the impact of delays. An additional journey was also introduced in January 2026 to assist with customer loading.  Looking ahead, the BusConnects programme will also bring changes to the route. The current plan, subject to funding discussions, is for the northside of route 15 to transition to the D-spine in quarter 4 of 2027, with the A-spine covering the southside in 2028. These changes are intended to strengthen connectivity and provide improved public transport options for communities along the route.  I, the Minister for Transport and our officials will continue to support the NTA and Dublin Bus in ensuring that the public transport network has the capacity and resources required to provide reliable services to passengers, particularly where workforce resourcing has been a core concern over the past while. The Department's upcoming public transport workforce task force action plan will play a key role here, looking to facilitate and support the implementation of such critical service changes. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Aire St\u00e1it. The 15 is meant to be a northside workhorse service serving Belmayne, Clongriffin and Clarehall. As Deputy Gould said, Glanmire is a fast-growing area. This is also a fast-growing area on the northside. It is meant to be a 24-hour service. It is meant to be going every five to 12 minutes at peak but the service is just not delivering. Local residents will tell you that if you are getting on at Clarehall, you cannot get on. The bus is full at Clarehall at peak. Clarehall is stop three out of 17 on the northside stops, if you take Connolly Station as the last northside stop. The NTA's own data for the service show that one in five buses are late and it does not seem to even gather the capacity issues I can see. I do not know how it reports or deals with that. There does not seem to be a mechanism to deal with that. As Cathaoirleach of the climate committee, I advocate for people to get out of cars and get into the buses but the 15 \"ain't working\" and we need to get the NTA to step it up. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I hear the Deputy's frustration with this service. I have outlined changes that are going to happen in December with additional drivers and bus runs. It is important. The Deputy says the demand is there so we have to make sure that whatever service we put in place actually meets that demand and is providing a service.  It is a capacity issue. It has been in terms of getting drivers, having the buses, having mechanics to service the buses and all of this. I met with the NTA and Bus \u00c9ireann last week in connection with another issue.  These issues are being addressed, but maybe not as quickly as people would like. Like the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, said when talking about Cork, I will be bringing this back to the NTA. It is important that whatever we do with public transport we have to make it a service that people enjoy using and that people can rely on so, going back to the Deputy's position as Chair of the environment committee, we end up with a situation where people do not need a car; where they can not just leave it at home but maybe get rid of it and enjoy public transport. That is the overriding goal for everybody. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Muir\u00ed.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Naoise \u00d3 Muir\u00ed  I raised this in February and the response at the time was it was planned that a revised schedule for route 15 would be introduced in September. It is now September. I welcome the clarity on what the NTA is proposing but now it is saying, per the Minister of State's response, it will introduce its changes in December. Everything is being dragged out. We are talking about a fair increase in bus services raising about \u20ac70 million of which only a quarter is really targeted at improving services like this.  I am not going to repeat myself but we really need to crack the 15 so it works for the northside. I know the Minister of State will but I implore him to sit on the NTA, to dialogue with it and to get this service working properly so the people I talked about finally get a reliable service as commuters to work or school, or to appointments in the city centre. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I thank the Deputy. I will bring his concerns back to the NTA. It is no problem. I will also seek to find out whether it can bring forward that date if it had already given a date in September. The date the authority now says it is going to introduce the service is 6 December. I do not know why it has been delayed. I can imagine why. An additional 12 drivers and additional bus services coming on will make a difference but we need to keep on top of it to ensure the service is fit for purpose and that we provide public transport for those who want to use it. That is the aim of everybody and we will continue to work on that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 130 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Bus Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_29","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Bus Services","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_29","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_29.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  As the statutory body responsible for regulating fares across services operated under the PSO contracts the National Transport Authority is central to shaping a public transport system that is fair, efficient and accessible. Through its management of fare strategies, it helps to ensure pricing structures support social inclusion and modal shift while also underpinning the financial viability and resilience of the network.  A significant milestone under the national fares strategy was reached in July 2026, when a simplified fare structure already in place in Dublin was extended to Cork. Passengers there can now avail of the TFI 90-minute fare, allowing transfers between multiple bus services within a defined period on a single fare. This is encouraging multimodal travel and reducing the cost of interchange. The NTA recently noted the introduction of the TFI 90 fare and fare capping has delivered a simpler and more affordable fare structure for passengers in that area, with a view to facilitating future expansion of the multimodal network. This represents a shift away from operator-specific pricing towards a customer-centred, integrated transport network. For the first time, passengers using Bus \u00c9ireann's Cork TFI city bus services can catch any bus in the city and transfer between buses in Cork city as often as needed within 90 minutes, all for a single fare of \u20ac1.70. The new on-board ticket validators complement this by allowing passengers to tap their Leap card. This reduces boarding times and improves overall reliability and punctuality.  The national fare determination announced by the NTA in September builds on this for Cork with city fares being held at those levels from July 2026, rather than adjusted or further increased. Time-based tickets for children, students and young adults such as 1-day, 7-day, monthly and annual tickets will actually see costs fall by about 30%. These offer particularly good value for some frequent users and demonstrate both the NTA and Department are firmly committed to delivering a public transport system that is sustainable, dependable, accessible and affordable. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  Just to let the Minister of State know, the fare hike came into Cork in July. What that means for adults going to work, college or hospital appointments is an extra \u20ac240 a year. On top of that now we will see the price go up for the train. If you get the train or the bus you are going to see your fares going up. Has the Minister of State conducted any tests to see if people can afford to absorb these fare hikes? People are telling me they are being priced out. He talks about the 90-minute fare but we have people who could be waiting an hour for the bus. That would not be unusual. Expecting the 90-minute fare to work is not feasible with the bus service we currently have in Cork. Not one extra bus route has been delivered in Cork in 2026 and at the same time the bus fares are being hiked up. How can that be justified? The app is not working. The NTA has admitted that. I have met the authority on a number of occasions. People are standing at bus stops looking at signs and the app is not working. They are looking at their phones to see when the next bus is and the bus disappears. How can that be right? How can the Government be charging people extra for that? The only thing we are getting from BusConnects is announcements. We are not getting buses and we are not getting new bus services. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  I will repeat what I have said about the changes that happened in July 2026 in Cork. They make the fares cheaper and make it easier for people to use multimodal transport. If there are issues with buses not coming on time we have discussed that earlier and we are working on that. The cost for children, students and young adults in Cork of time-based tickets such as the 1-day, 7-day, monthly and annual tickets is coming down by about 30%. That is a fact. This is as a result of the introduction of the standard discount for young adult and students at 50% and children at 33% of equivalent adult fares. These can offer very good value for some frequent users.  It is important to say this Government has invested \u20ac941 million in the PSO levy in 2026. That is a huge increase from 2025 and we will continue to invest in public transport. There are problems with public transport in places and we will continue to work on that to improve its efficiency and reliability. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  We were told in Cork the fair increases were to pay for the 90-minute fares that were to come in. This is nonsense. It was done when the schools and the colleges were on holidays. It was snuck in over the summer with the thought that people would not spot it, but I spotted it. People who get the bus contacted me because they spotted it and could feel the difference. We are now being told more hardware will be needed for contactless payments. Will fares go up again when that comes in? People are struggling. There is a cost-of-living crisis. The cost for adults is an extra \u20ac240 a year. They cannot afford to drive and now they cannot afford to take the bus. Where was the feasibility audit done to see if people can afford this? The Minister of State talks about the PSO levy, about climate change and about getting people out of cars. How does putting up the price of buses at the same time as trying to get people out of cars work?  I have another point to make. We have one park-and-ride in Cork. There is gridlock in Cork city. Why are park-and-rides not being rolled out north, west and east of the city so we can get people out of cars? We need have buses for them to get into the city. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  The local authority should be putting in place the park-and-rides. The Department of Transport will support that and we need to see what the proposals are.  Let us just go back to understand what the PSO services support. They support a wide range of Government policy including climate action, sustainable mobility, regional development, social inclusion, compact growth and economic competitiveness as well as the accommodation of population growth.  There is a significant increase in demand for public transport because we are providing additional public transport at a price that is affordable. It has to be said that 27% of the population can avail of free travel. This is another important fact. It is important that we not lose the run of ourselves. We have to make sure that whatever we do in public transport is sustainable and that we can deliver the service to make sure that everybody has that choice and can enjoy using public transport as well. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Bus Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_30","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":8,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_30","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_30.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Erin McGreehan  I am asking about the actions undertaken to improve transport in rural areas, in particular in north Louth and mid-Louth. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I thank the Deputy for her ongoing support for public transport in Louth and other places in rural Ireland. This question deserves attention in terms of the progress we have made in rural transport. As the Deputy knows, it is one of the key points of our programme for Government. The Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I are very much committed to balanced regional investment being designated as a core principle in the national development plan, NDP, sectoral investment plan for transport. Predicated on that is investment in rural transport, Local Link and that piece to which we will return in a minute.  The Government is firmly committed to rolling out additional improved service levels along with expanded and improved infrastructure at national and regional levels. Probably the most visible of these programmes is the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. This is a multiphase programme of investment in a new and improved public transport service for rural areas. Under the programme, upwards of 600,000 people now have access to useful daily public transport services for the first time and 188 new and improved regular public transport services have been provided, resulting in a more than fivefold increase in passenger numbers. Multimodal transport is something that has existed in urban areas for a long time and I am delighted that, under our remit, we are now seeing rural communities connected as well.  It is a key commitment in the programme for Government and also for County Louth, and I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I met John McGahon, chief executive of Dundalk Chamber of Commerce yesterday and he raised the matter with me. The Deputy has been very strong in her advocacy to me for a long time. The sectoral plan will also see us looking at investment in greenways but also giving an uplift in terms of rail.  In my supplementary answer, I will discuss other matters regarding County Louth. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Erin McGreehan  As the Minister of State is aware, Louth is the smallest county. Sometimes, one would imagine that it would be easier to get around the county by bus but when one tries to reduce one's reliance on private transport, it feels sometimes like crossing a continent. We all know that rural connectivity is a real programme for Government commitment. We need to be able to travel between our towns and villages and from our rural communities where people live, work and access all services. The bus service in Louth is not fit for purpose in many ways. There is no direct bus between Ardee and Dunleer, which are neighbouring towns and only a 15-minute drive apart. To make that short journey by public transport, one has to go from Ardee to Dundalk or from Ardee to Drogheda to get to Dunleer. It makes no sense.  The service from Dundalk to Omeath and beyond is very local to me. Buses serve the Cooley Peninsula but the timetable is far too limited. If one wants to rely on transport for education, healthcare or work, one really needs to take the car. The service does not get people to where they need to be in a particular time. We need more frequency. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I hear what the Deputy is saying in the context of County Louth. The key point for us as a Department and for me as the Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport is to look, along with TFI and Local Link, at the enhancement of the No. 161 from Dundalk to Carlingford to Newry. We are also looking at the piece around the No. 162 Dundalk to Monaghan bus service and the review of existing services in County Louth, including the No. 177 between Ardee and Dunleer. I will certainly take the Deputy's views back.  We are looking at the proposed new DN1 route between \u00c1th Leathan, Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT, and Haynestown-Marlmount. As part of our negotiations with the Department of public expenditure on the budget, it is important that we see investment in rural transport, but I will work with the Deputy to ensure that we see further investment in County Louth. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Erin McGreehan  It is positive that the Minister of State is looking at this. We need a robust plan for Louth to allow us to travel across and enjoy our county by bus. It is a fabulous place and the integration of additional routes would be a fantastic investment in the people and roads of County Louth. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  I was in Carlingford over the summer, which is a beautiful spot. Regarding the Deputy's point about passenger numbers, the numbers using the regular rural service have increased by 72%. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Erin McGreehan  That shows the interest. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  If we put in investment aligned with the interest, people will travel. As the Deputy said, it is about tourism and economic opportunity but also about getting people from A to B. It goes back to the discussion that I had with Deputy Gould this morning about getting people out of their cars and onto buses. I will work with Deputy McGreehan on that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 133 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_31","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Public Transport","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_25","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_31","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_31.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  I also want to ask about whether there is an equivalent ambition to delivering more rural services, as we cannot have a situation where all of the money for the next few years is invested inside the M50 and not beyond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  The Estimates are the Estimates. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating when the tender is brought in. I will not give any commitment until we see what the real overall cost is from the tenders. The range that is there at the moment is between \u20ac14.4 billion at the lower end to \u20ac17.49 billion. The firm proof of the pudding will be when the tenders come in next year. This project is a key component in delivering not just a rail connection within the city of Dublin, but also the opportunity to build houses and open the entire city up for development.  The Deputy asked about rural Ireland and what we were doing around the country. We have put the Galway outer ring road and the Cork commuter rail in as two strategic projects that we need to get done. They are moving ahead fairly fast. Within the all-island rail strategy, which is under my remit, the Deputy can see what has been prioritised in terms of rural rail and what needs to be done there. The Deputy can see what we are already doing in terms of the development at Cork and Limerick stations and what has been completed at Galway station in order to provide for additional rail capacity. That is happening as we speak under the strategy. There is an opportunity for us in the regions to make sure that we continue to develop and provide the infrastructure so that people can live, work and enjoy life in the regions. That is Government policy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  I know I am under time constraints, but I note that some people from Garvaghy Road have arrived in the Public Gallery. I welcome them and stand in solidarity with and support them.  There is only one problem, in that the Minister of State has not answered the question I asked him about the budgetary constraints and whether the Government was going to deliver on cost. We have seen what happened over the years with the children's hospital - the cost overruns there - so is the Minister of State going to give us a commitment to deal with any escalating costs? What provisions has the Government put in place to prevent a cost overrun like those we have seen on so many different projects over the years? The Government cannot present the public with another multibillion euro project without keeping costs down because we have seen cuts around the country, particularly in County Kerry, where we are waiting on more buses and larger buses. One cannot even get a cup of tea on the train from Kerry to Dublin. We see that the lack of services there in contrast to all the moneys being committed, so we want to make sure that the money is going to be limited. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Canney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Canney  The Deputy is asking what kinds of constraint or what time or safety factors we will put into the contract. That contract and the conditions of that contract are being prepared at the moment before it goes out to tender.  I can assure the Deputy that this project will be delivered. It has to be delivered because it is vital for the country. It is the single largest project that we will undertake from a capital expenditure point of view. I look forward to it being delivered.  Many projects in this country are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest standards, and we do not talk about that at all. It is important that I say that and put it on the record. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Is f\u00e9idir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scr\u00edofa ar www.oireachtas.ie. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Transport"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_32","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Leaders\u2019 Questions","counts":{"speechCount":43,"speakerCount":11},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_32","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Martin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Kevin Boxer Moran","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Before I begin, I want to welcome to the D\u00e1il the members of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition who are in the Gallery. F\u00e1ilte romhaibh go l\u00e9ir inniu. They come here at a deeply concerning moment for their community because a fresh application has been made for an Orange march along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown this Sunday. That is an issue that can reopen issues residents believed were settled for nearly three decades now. It is raising real fears, real concerns and renewed division and tension in that area. It should not be allowed to happen.  T\u00e1 teaghlaigh at\u00e1 ag obair faoi bhr\u00fa ollmh\u00f3r \u00f3 gach treo. T\u00e1 na bill\u00ed siopad\u00f3ireachta ag ard\u00fa, t\u00e1 costas tith\u00edochta ag dul in airde ar ghn\u00e1ththithe, agus t\u00e1 costais breosla ag ard\u00fa go gasta. Anois d\u00edreach, agus muid ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an ngeimhreadh, t\u00e1 bill\u00ed leictreachais agus g\u00e1is ag ard\u00fa ar\u00eds. Taobh istigh de choic\u00eds, t\u00e1 SSE Airtricity, Bord G\u00e1is agus Energia le gn\u00e1thbhill\u00ed leictreachais a ard\u00fa do n\u00edos m\u00f3 n\u00e1 milli\u00fan teaghlach. T\u00e1 g\u00e9argh\u00e1 le creidmheas leictreachais. An athr\u00f3idh an T\u00e1naiste a intinn agus gealltanas a thabhairt inniu go gcuirfidh an Rialtas \u20ac400 i gcreidmheasanna leictreachais ar f\u00e1il do theaghlaigh fud fad na t\u00edre an gheimhreadh seo le d\u00e9ile\u00e1il leis na hardaithe praghais seo at\u00e1 in ann d\u00f3ibh?  There is no doubt that people are being ripped off from every direction. The weekly shop, fuel and now electricity and gas prices are all going up and up. More and more of people\u2019s hard-earned wages are being swallowed up just to cover the basics. In just 11 days' time, one day before the budget, there is going to be a wave of increases in electricity prices. SSE Airtricity will increase its prices, Bord G\u00e1is will follow and Energia will follow after that. Together, these increases are going to affect 1 million households out there. For families using gas and electricity, the increase will be more than \u20ac300 a year.  This is something the T\u00e1naiste could have seen coming. At almost exactly the same time last year, energy suppliers were announcing increases and the Government was withdrawing energy credits from families. It did that despite the energy regulator warning that without those credits, arrears could increase significantly. The Government went against that warning, and that is exactly what happened. By February of this year, more than 300,000 electricity accounts were in arrears. The numbers were significantly higher than the previous year. By June of this year, more than 500,000 electricity and gas accounts combined were in arrears.  We warned the Government that this was going to happen. We have consistently raised the issue of energy credits and the supports that families need. We have raised it over and over again. The Government simply does not understand the pressure that people are under. Now, we are back here again. Prices are rising and winter is coming. People want solutions. I cannot understand the Government\u2019s hands-off approach to big energy companies that is allowing this to happen. It must intervene to help people. It must realise the scale of the problem that is out there. There is a solution. We have put forward the solution to the Government time and again. We have consistently called on it to deliver \u20ac400 in electricity credits this winter, and do the heavy lifting in terms of the solutions that Sinn F\u00e9in has put forward that would permanently see a reduction in electricity prices across the State. We have repeatedly called for these credits to be restored.  Will the T\u00e1naiste give any certainty to people today? They know that their electricity will increase in just 11 days' time. One million households out there are going to see nearly a double-digit increase. What certainty will the T\u00e1naiste give them? Can he tell them that the Government decision to withdraw the energy credits has resulted in more people falling into arrears, which is a fact? Can he tell them he has learned that lesson and will now commit to them to introduce a \u20ac400 energy credit to help them pay these bills? Will he stop taking a hands-off approach while these big companies are ripping off their customers, left, right and centre? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  First, I join with the Deputy in welcoming residents of the Garvaghy Road to D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann today. I am very much aware of the concerns of residents in the area. I am also very much aware of the very painful and traumatic history in relation to that community and what they endured. I want to assure the Deputy that Government officials are monitoring the situation closely. Like him, I am mindful of the role of the Parades Commission. Again I very much welcome the residents to D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann today.  I am extremely conscious, as is the Government, of the pressure that people are under when it comes to energy costs and energy prices. I want to say to people in this country that help is on the way through the budget in 12 days' time. There are a number of issues that we are actively endeavouring to advance to provide assistance and certainty to people when it comes to energy, while also being honest with people that there is no government in the world that can absorb all of the impact of a global energy shock. There simply is not, and it would be untrue to suggest that there is, but there are things we can do and things we will do.  The first is providing certainty in relation to excise for the winter period. I heard Deputy Doherty earlier this morning on a radio programme. Beyond weeks, certainty for the winter period on excise is something that we can and will provide.  Second, looking at the issue of carbon taxation in terms of how it applies to certain products, the Deputy will recall that my officials did a piece of work in the summer through the Tax Strategy Group, and they published a paper in July, I think, which looked at the idea of different products and how they could potentially be considered in the context of carbon tax. I am particularly concerned by the home heating situation and the gas situation, which the Deputy referenced. Similarly, we have to be honest with people on this. There is a limitation to how much you can do on that without bringing yourself into a challenge with the European system, and we do not want to tip that balance wrong, but this is certainly something we are going to actively look at.  Third, there are decisions we can make in terms of parts of our society and sectors within our economy that are most at risk of fuel poverty or most dependent on fuel. I am thinking of lower income households and those who qualify for the fuel allowance. The fuel allowance season will start on Monday, with more than a quarter of households in the country, 500,000 households, benefiting from that. I am also thinking of our farmers and hauliers, who are particularly dependent on fuel, and our supply chains are dependent on them.  Fourth, we need to help households and businesses with the actions that they are already trying to take to reduce their electricity and energy bills. Whether it is through solar panels or retrofitting, we know households and businesses are doing things in the here and now, and we need to make it that bit easier for them to do that. Deputy Doherty will have heard the Minister for energy talk about his plans for a scrappage scheme for boilers, and there has been a significant and widespread welcome for that from experts this morning.  In addition to this, the budget will need to be viewed in the round. There are certain measures we can take on the energy side. There will be a temporary package of measures in relation to energy, and the Deputy made some suggestions on that this morning. The composition of that is for the Government to decide in the days ahead. I would also say to people that they will need to look at the budget in the round. Families and businesses do not view things in the kind of Government Department or agency silos that this place sometimes discusses. They view this in terms of what it means for their families. If we can reduce the income tax burden and look at the challenges and costs that families face around childcare and the like, that too can help.  In 12 days' time, the budget will be delivered. Energy will be a big part of the Government\u2019s budgetary package but a cost-of-living theme will be weaving through all of the various levers at the disposal of the Government across a range of areas. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  When I stood here this time last year, raising these questions with the T\u00e1naiste, he was giving the same type of mantra: this would be a cost-of-living budget, and this had to be looked at in the round. People know their real-life experience in the last year. They feel worse off. They feel under more pressure. They have seen their grocery bills increase and their petrol, diesel and home heating oil increase. They have seen their rent increase. They have seen their mortgage increase. They have seen increases that the Government has brought forward in relation to student fees and other things that have put pressure on those families. They know the pressure that they are under. They are also looking at a government that is talking about billions of euro in surplus, and they are asking that some of that is used to support them now.  We have put forward a proposal time and again to the Government. We told the Government that it was absolutely wrong to withdraw those energy credits. There is a direct connection between what happened in households right across the State and the decision the Government took. When it decided to end energy credits, more families fell into arrears - that is just fact. The T\u00e1naiste can shake his head all he wants. Let me tell him the facts. In February of this year, 316,000 households were in arrears. In the previous year, it was fewer than 60,000. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy, the T\u00e1naiste will respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  That is a fact. The question I am asking is, will the T\u00e1naiste commit to giving certainty to families and reintroducing energy credits to help people to pay their electricity bills? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  The Deputy has been at this for a long time. A very long time, in fact. Let us not rewrite geopolitical history as to why energy prices have risen. It is not due to any decision taken in D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann. It is because the Strait of Hormuz is closed. It is because there has been bombing of Iran. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  It is not funny. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  It is not funny. The T\u00e1naiste should not laugh about it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  Neither the Deputy nor I took a decision. Let us not blow up the egos of people in this House. There is a geopolitical energy shock going on. It is the greatest energy shock in the history of the globe, according to the International Energy Agency. This has nothing to do with energy credits in the last domestic budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Of course it has. Does the T\u00e1naiste think that taking away the energy credits did not have an impact? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  If they made no difference, why did the Government introduce them? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Martin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The Taoiseach  Come on, Deputies. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Please, Deputy Doherty. Allow the answer to the question you asked. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  May I answer the question? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  That is just silly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I know the Deputy likes to blame me for everything but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a stretch. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Nobody is blaming the T\u00e1naiste for that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  That is what has happened with the global energy market. The Deputy asked whether the Government would use some of the surpluses to assist the people. We have the largest intervention in the European Union. It is eight times larger than the intervention in France. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I thank the T\u00e1naiste. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  That is one of the reasons, when we look at petrol and diesel prices across the European Union, that Ireland is not in the top ten. Help is on the way. There will be more help in 12 days. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jerry Buttimer","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Jerry-Buttimer.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jerry Buttimer  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I ask that colleagues join me in offering a warm c\u00e9ad m\u00edle f\u00e1ilte to a delegation in Public Gallery, indeed all of those in the Public Gallery today, who are from the working party on general affairs of the Council of European Union, led by Mr. Philip Grant and Mr. Nigel Hutson. They are in Dublin for a meeting of the General Affairs Council and are being hosted in Leinster House by the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne. They are all very welcome.  On the other side of the Public Gallery, I believe we have fifth and sixth class students from Blessington Educate Together National School. They are all most welcome.  I now call Deputy Whitmore. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Whitmore  I welcome everyone to the Public Gallery, and give a special welcome to the fifth and sixth class students.  There are now more than 500,000 households in arrears on their gas and electricity bills. That number has never been higher and it is continuing to soar. Thousands of people all over the country are facing a cold and bleak winter and feel a rising sense of dread every single time a bill comes through their doors. Many of these people have never had problems paying bills before but now, despite scrimping and saving, they are simply unable to make their budgets go any further.  At the same time as more people go into arrears on their bills, the profits of energy companies are booming. Just last week, the ESB announced its profits for the first half of the year: they were up by \u20ac100 million. Its CEO is in line for a pay hike of an eye-watering \u20ac161,000. This gives some indication of the bonanza that energy companies are enjoying. This is all happening while their very own customers are going cold. This is not sustainable, it is not fair and it is not right. It is time that the Government stopped hand wringing and actually did something about it.  A windfall tax on the superprofits of energy companies needs to be introduced now to stop this immoral profiteering. This is money that could be used to provide support for those who need it most, a \u20ac400 targeted energy credit for low- and middle-income earners to give them some immediate relief from skyrocketing bills as they face into a very difficult winter. However, the budget needs to go much further than that. We all know that Trump caused the war in Iran and the global energy shocks that arose from it but it is the Government that has left households so exposed to these energy price shocks by failing to invest and to support them to become resilient and move away from fossil fuels. The Government has failed to invest in solar to the extent it should have. We should be front-loading investment in solar panels, which can be installed quickly and easily and bring costs down immediately. That would mean at least a saving of \u20ac450 on bills this year, next year and every year after. The Social Democrats have a solar for all plan that we are asking the Government to adopt. It would double the grants for solar panels, introduce a grant for battery storage and make solar panels free for households most at risk of fuel poverty. Finally, please roll out plug-in solar. That is what we need to see, namely, some ambition from this Government instead of the usual tinkering around the edges.  Does the T\u00e1naiste agree that it is immoral for energy companies to make windfall profits during an energy crisis? Will the Government introduce a windfall tax on their superprofits? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I thank the Deputy. The T\u00e1naiste to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Whitmore  Will the Government introduce a \u20ac400 energy credit for low- and middle-income families and radically ramp up solar? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I join Deputy Whitmore in welcoming our constituents from Blessington Educate Together National School. It is good to have them all here.  There are a couple of points I want to respond to. I believe there is significant merit in a windfall energy tax. This is not just me commenting on it, as I chaired a meeting on it in Dublin Castle last week with all of my European counterparts. We have tasked the European Commission with doing a body of work and reporting back to the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, ECOFIN - the meeting of European finance ministers - which will take place, from my memory, on the Thursday and Friday of budget week. It is best to approach these issues at a European level. That is how we approached it in the past when the Deputy will recall that we legislated for a framework and put in place a tax at the start of the Ukraine situation after the brutal, illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are some companies that are benefiting very significantly from profits, not because they are enterprising or innovative, but just because the Strait of Hormuz is shut. Therefore, there is a compelling case. Working at a European level is important, but that is not a long-term comment. The Commission is due to report back to ECOFIN on the Thursday and Friday of budget week.  Deputy Whitmore's party has put forward proposals on how to help people through this winter period and beyond with their energy costs. There will be an energy package in the budget. There will be some temporary measures to help people with the here and now and this winter. However, I agree that there also need to be some measures to help people more permanently. The details of that are for budget day but the Deputy heard the Minister for energy yesterday giving an indication of a number of proposals that he intends to bring forward on battery storage and a scrappage scheme for boilers.  Quite frankly, we are seeing people go gangbusters on solar panels and electric vehicles, EVs. We see it in our own community and in the data that is coming through. However, we still need to see if there is more we can do to help accelerate that because people are trying to make decisions in the here and now in their own lives to reduce their bills. People are full of common sense. We need to make it as easy as possible for them to make those decisions too. There are things we need to do in the here and now. I know the Social Democrats also voted this way on temporary excise reductions and what we do on home heating. I would make the point that the fuel allowance is already a targeted energy support. It will kick off from next Monday. We accept that, going into this winter period, energy prices will probably be the number one concern on the minds of people in this country and we will come forward with a comprehensive package of measures in the budget in 12 days' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Whitmore  I thank the T\u00e1naiste and I welcomed hearing the Minister talking about battery storage. It would have been better if the Government had not removed the battery storage grant in 2022 when Ukraine was invaded. That would have assisted.  A lot of people have put in solar, but there are many hundreds of thousands of people who cannot afford to do it. It is those people who are really struggling. It is the low-to-middle-income earners who are finding it hard to move away from fossil fuels because they are not getting enough support from the Government. Rather than throwing good money hand over fist at these short-term, emergency, temporary measures that are incredibly costly and leave us with nothing to show for them at the end of the day, it would be better if all those billions of euro given in energy credits previously were actually doing their job and we did not have nearly 330,000 people in arrears on their electricity bills or 188,000 people in arrears on their gas bills. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I thank the Deputy. The T\u00e1naiste to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Whitmore  They do not work. We need to insulate homes. That entails a long-term strategy and long-term investment. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I agree, and then I have a point of difference. I agree that there are lots of people out there who want to make the transition in their own lives and are still finding the gap too large. I was at the ploughing championships and met representatives of the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, in the IFA tent on this. Often, farmers are pitted against climate action but there are many farmers saying they want to put solar on their buildings and they need more support through the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme, TAMS. These are active issues we need to look at.  We need to do both, though. We need to help with the here and now, too. I will say to people right across the country that the measures we help them with, albeit they are classified as temporary in terms of trying to somewhat suppress the growth in energy prices, have a positive inflationary effect on the economy. Officials and economists in my Department estimate that the measures we have put in place to help reduce energy prices somewhat with excise reductions and the like have not been wasted measures and have actually kept down inflation by approximately 0.6%.  Officials and economists in my Department estimate that the measures we have put in place to help reduce energy prices somewhat, with the excise reductions and the likes, certainly have not been wasted measures but, rather, have actually kept down inflation by approximately 0.6%. When someone is shopping in the supermarket tonight with their basket of goods, that food would have cost approximately 0.6% more had we not taken these measures. We need to do both. However, I fully accept that we are facing the second energy shock in the European Union in half a decade and we need to transition much more quickly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ged Nash  Energy costs are the absolute top priority for people across the country. The October budget in a couple of weeks\u2019 time will be all about the cost of living. It has been a busy few weeks for the T\u00e1naiste and his Cabinet colleagues. Two weeks to the budget and Simon\u2019s sieve gets leakier by the day. There will be indexation of income tax bands and credits for PAYE workers but nothing to address the hit they took last year when working people were made to pay for tax cuts for diners and developers. There will be a fiver in the fuel allowance but no commitment yet to the extra four weeks again next year. There will be an extension of the cuts to excise on motor fuels and, as the T\u00e1naiste has said time and again, something will be done to reduce the price of home heating oil. These measures will barely make a dent in the real costs for families. The Government seems only to be concerned with certain sectors of society - only some energy users and only some road users.  Electricity and gas prices are already going up by at least 10%. Public transport fares are to rise by even more. The price of diesel and kerosene will rise further and it is oil and energy companies that are profiting massively off the crisis caused by Trump. Why is the Government not taking a comprehensive approach to energy affordability? The impact of higher oil prices is already feeding into higher inflation. Input costs for construction, transport, fertiliser and so on will lead to even higher food and housing costs next year. Wages will have to rise but the Government is turning its back, for example, on public sector workers. Families are really struggling with soaring grocery bills and unaffordable rents. They need to know the Government\u2019s plan on energy costs. The T\u00e1naiste needs to front up with them now.  Last week, finance ministers from across Europe met with the T\u00e1naiste. They gathered in Dublin. Six of them wrote to the T\u00e1naiste a number of weeks ago in relation to taxing the windfall profits of power companies. A week on, where does the Government actually stand? I know what the T\u00e1naiste said earlier but will this happen? We know that carbon tax will be paused again but consumers are getting the price signal of higher oil prices and that will change behaviour. What we are missing is the ring-fenced funds to help families who were hit the hardest. A windfall tax is needed to support households with targeted energy credits and to fund retrofitting. It could help to plug the carbon tax gap too.  The energy crisis has been rolling on for months - in fact, it has been rolling on for years - and we need a proper plan. In May, the Minister for energy updated the Cabinet on progress from the national energy affordability taskforce. An action plan was supposed to be submitted to Government by the autumn - we have heard little of it since - focused on short, medium and longer-term measures to support households and businesses. That is all this Government seems to be doing. I have three questions. Has the Government received the energy affordability action plan and will it be published before the budget? Will it put an actual windfall tax on power companies and when? On behalf of families throughout the country, I have a very clear question: will the Government finally commit to a \u20ac400 targeted energy grant for families across the country? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I am slightly confused. On the one hand the Deputy is chastising me for talking about what might be in the budget and on the other he is asking me to give it all out today. Those two things are a little bit contradictory even for me to justify in my own mind. I certainly make no apology nor do I need any permission from the Opposition to talk directly to the people of Ireland about the Government's intentions and not allow those intentions to be misrepresented by the Opposition. I want the people of Ireland to know and will continue to communicate directly with the people of Ireland in relation to our budgetary plans, in relation to our plans to deliver on our programme for Government commitments about making sure work pays and that people who work hard in this county can get ahead and not just get by. We are going to make progress in areas like childcare and there will be a significant package of supports for energy in the budget in 12 days' time.  I know we have this debate regularly and the Deputy will not be surprised to hear me say this but I want to say it again: when he says our packages to date have just supported parts of society or some sectors of the economy, I have to push back on that. The economic advice available to the Oireachtas through the chief economist to my Department is very clear that the package of measures we have put in place has suppressed inflation in the overall economy by 0.6%. A PAYE worker, even one who does not drive a car, is actually benefiting from a lower rate of inflation than we would have otherwise seen. There is a direct correlation between the commodity price and general inflation in the economy. I want to make that point.  I also want to push back on the idea that we do not want to do a deal with public sector workers. We want to sit down with them and for work to pay in this country for everybody in the public and private sectors. We value the role and contribution of our public sector workers. We have constructive trade unions in this country. I said that to them directly this week. They played a big role in this country in the darkest economic days. We want to get around a table and have a conversation about a new public sector pay deal.  On the Deputy\u2019s three specific questions, I have received, I believe, or certainly I am aware of the content in relation to the national energy affordability taskforce report. There are a number of proposals there that Government will be able to advance and bring forward. I need to seek clarity from the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, as to his intention in relation to publication and the likes, and I do not wish to speak for him other than to say there is good work being done there. I am taking the constructive, genuine way in which the Deputy wants to see it and consider what might be there, so I will speak to Government colleagues in relation to that.  On the issue of energy in general, the Deputy is asking me to clarify what will be in the package and whether there will be certain proposals. I accept and acknowledge that the Deputy has made constructive proposals too. The final composition of the energy tax package has not yet been decided by Government. It will be decided in advance of budget day. There will be some temporary measures to help in the here and now. The fuel allowance scheme, which is permanent, opens on Monday. I reiterate that for people watching. There also need to be more permanent measures in terms of how we can help people transition. We will consider all of the constructive ideas we have heard in this House in the composition of that.  On the windfall energy tax, given that we hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ireland has to play an honest broker role in trying to get people around the table to see if there is a consensus or majority view. That is what we kicked off in Dublin Castle the last week. We asked the European Commission to do a body of work and report back to ECOFIN on Thursday week. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ged Nash  We know the decisions taken in last year's budget, where PAYE workers were simply ignored by this Government, have made things much more difficult for ordinary working families throughout the country to absorb even small increases in food and energy prices. The Government needs to make up for that in this budget. The T\u00e1naiste knows that himself. In my view, that is a decision that will haunt this Government and its relationship with PAYE workers for the duration of its term. We know that energy costs will absolutely dominate the political discourse. It is what everybody is talking about on the streets, at football matches and in our offices and clinics. It is of huge concern. We cannot keep making up energy policy and interventions on the hoof. I ask again: why is the energy affordability plan we were told to expect by the autumn to enable us all to plan for the budget in a comprehensive way being hidden? Why is it being concealed? What is the T\u00e1naiste's position on energy credits? He is prepared to tell the media what his view is on excise cuts, carbon tax, kerosene and VAT and so on, but not on energy credits. We need to know. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Kevin Boxer Moran","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran  If you had come into Government when you had the chance, we would be able to tell you now. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Please, Minister. That is unnecessary. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I have direct responsibility in government for taxation policy, excise tax, and the application of tax on carbon. Therefore, when I am asked a direct question, I answer it. The issue in relation to energy credits and energy supports in general is a matter for the broader Government to consider in the round. I genuinely believe, and I think the Deputy does deep down too, that people are less concerned about the modality by which we help people and more concerned about help. What I am saying very clearly to people is there will be a number of ways we will endeavour to help people with the cost of living. They do not quite think in the way we think in this structured bureaucracy we work in, sometimes. They want to know if they are going to be helped to get through the winter, if they will have more of their take-home pay, if their childcare bill is going to come down and if somebody is going to do something in this global chaos of energy to try to suppress Ireland's exposure to it to some degree. The answer to all of those questions is \"Yes\". The Government will come forward with a range of measures. I acknowledge the constructive suggestions from some Opposition parties. We will take them on board. We will consider all of these in the round and we will bring forward an energy package on budget day, which is just 12 days away. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  The T\u00e1naiste has said budget 2027 will prioritise workers who get up early every morning, yet the hundreds of thousands of workers who get up early every morning to catch a bus, train or Luas find they are being targeted by the Government to pay more. Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael have made a choice. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, they have chosen now as a good time to hike up public transport fares - not by the rate of inflation, which is 3% or 4%, but by an average of 15%, and far more for some journeys. For example, standard fares in Limerick, Galway and Waterford are going up by 26% under the guise of simplification. Child rail commuter fares in Cork are actually increasing by 130% because of new rules around standardisation. For a short hop journey on Dublin Bus, the fare is rising by 33%.  So what does that actually mean? It means that if you take the bus to and from work in Dublin city, you are paying an extra euro a day, an extra fiver a week, an extra 250 quid a year. That is a real impact on people's incomes at the best of times but to put that on people in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is cruel. The T\u00e1naiste has made a huge political play about the income tax changes that are due in the budget, which will deliver hundreds of euro to workers. Yet if those workers take public transport, he is going to reach into their pocket and take hundreds of euro back. Budget 2027 will punish people who take the bus to work. The only promise that commuters have to look forward to is that he is going to do it the same time again next year with another fare increase. All we are talking about is \u20ac70 million. If \u20ac70 million is provided to the NTA in this year's budget, it would remove the need for these public transport fare hikes. It would protect low-income workers from this hit. Why do the financial struggles of workers who take the bus and train not matter to the Government? It found the money to support motorists and hauliers when they needed it. In fact, it found 20 times the amount of money that would be needed to stop these fare hikes. Why is the same concern not being shown to people who take public transport? They are struggling too. They are struggling with the cost of energy. They are struggling with the cost of heating their homes and now, from January, they are going to be struggling with the cost of public transport as well.  This is the T\u00e1naiste's first budget as Minister for Finance. He should not use it to punish people who take the bus and train. He should provide \u20ac70 million extra to the NTA to stop these fare hikes. He should treat public transport users with the same concern as everybody else who gets up early. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy O'Gorman very much. I understand that nobody welcomes a fare increase but we are making a choice here to continue the progress that we have made in public transport because a low fare is no good if there is not a bus. There are a hell of a lot of parts of this country where people are still waiting for bus routes, Local Link services, and where people want to see the roll-out of a better public transport network. I can understand why Deputy O'Gorman says it that it would only cost this to do that - what he says is factually correct - but of course this to do that has to be seen in the context of the other things we need to do as well, which is to provide more bus routes and better public transport. We need to invest in more frequent and more reliable services, and in enough buses so that there is a bus when somebody goes to get the bus. The only factor is not the fare but sometimes whether a person will get a seat or if there is a route. There are parts of this country where public transport is still very much in its infancy and we need to invest significantly in that as well.  There is a context to this. Fares will still be approximately 8% lower than they were eight years ago. That is at a time when the cost of running the services has increased significantly too - that needs to be factored in - and when the network is expanding. The State is increasing its contribution to public transport substantially. It will continue to do so. That should not be dismissed. We are also maintaining a number of other things, some of which the Deputy and I worked on in the previous Government. Free travel for kids aged under nine will remain in place. Children do not pay for public transport in Ireland under the age of nine, which is something we introduced in the previous Government. There are 50% young adult and student fares as well. The companion pass has been expanded to everyone over the age of 70 who can now bring someone with them on public transport for free as well. Crucially, we are going to roll out 140 new and improved services. The fare money is going directly back in to more routes and enhanced routes too, so people using public transport will see the benefits of that too.  Deputy O'Gorman did the thing that lots of people in this House do. Deputy Nash did it a moment ago. \"Why do you like the motorists?\" We have got to stop doing this. This is deliberately ignoring the economic facts available to this House, as is the House's right, but it is not a very honest thing to do. The advice available to the Government, economically, is that the measures we have taken to reduce fuel prices have helped suppress inflation in the Irish economy by an average 0.6%. Therefore, the person getting the bus, train or Luas has benefited in terms of the inflation in our country being around 0.6% lower. They have benefited from that decision when they have gone into the shop. We should not try to ask: \"What about the motorist versus the person getting the bus? What about the person in rural Ireland versus urban Ireland?\" The decisions that we have taken have had a positive impact on suppressing inflation growth in this country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  When the NTA came before us in the transport committee last Wednesday, it was very clear that this fare increase is not about delivering extra services next year; this is about providing the exact same level of service this year as last year. Public transport users are getting nothing extra. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  They are wrong. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  That is what they told us. That is what they said. The T\u00e1naiste says they are wrong. None of the 145 extra routes he is talking about are funded. Again, that is all conditional on decisions coming up before the budget. The NTA did tell us the consequence of this decision. It is 4.5% fewer passengers using public transport next year. That is going to be the consequence and the legacy. The T\u00e1naiste is right: this is about choices and priorities. In the previous Government, the Green Party chose to reduce fares and deliver more services. The Government is choosing to hammer public transport users. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  Deputy O'Gorman is continuing his dogma of trying to pit one part of society against the other. The Government has to do more than one thing at a time. We have to continue to improve public transport and we make absolutely no apology for trying to help people in terms of excise cuts. If it was up to Deputy O'Gorman, he would not reduce the cost of petrol or diesel. In fairness, unlike some, he is very honest in relation to that. We believe people, including in his constituency, need assistance in the here and now as well.  The reason the NTA is wrong is that it is not the sovereign Government of this country. We are. What the sovereign Government of this country will do in 12 days' time is provide clarity in relation to public transport funding for 2027. What I am telling the Deputy is we have made a decision that the fare changes that are being brought about by the NTA, which are effective from next year, will result in a sustainable level of funding that will enable us to significantly expand public transport routes in this country. The people have not chosen the Deputy to be in government. He is not going to misrepresent the record of this Government. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Leaders\u2019 Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_33","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 na Comhalta\u00ed Eile - Other Members\u2019 Questions","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joe Neville","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joe Neville","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Joe Neville  Today, I want to discuss capital infrastructure projects and the legacy this Government can and should leave in the State in relation to important project delivery. We must ensure, while doing this, that we give value for money and that our spending is cost effective. I know that as a country we can do it all.  All around us, the largest companies in the world are at a cutting edge. A ten-minute walk from my house, we have one of the most sophisticated semiconductor foundries in Europe. Intel, even with Covid in the background for a period, was able to deliver a multibillion euro plant on time and on budget. Pfizer, with sites in Kildare and Cork, has spent billions, with companies like Amazon and Microsoft building too. This is done with Irish people at the helm - designing, building and overseeing these successful key projects. We need to ensure that the same rigorous application of high standards is shown to State investments. Through good strategic planning, we have seen our economy prosper, wealth being created and our population grow. With that, our infrastructure has become strained and that is why the Government, wisely, has put \u20ac275 billion aside for capital investment in infrastructure over the next ten years.  As a Government, we have also taken positive steps by passing the Critical Infrastructure Act. We have delivered the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan, set up the Housing Activation Office and published the detailed national development plan review. We know that we can do things right. The national broadband plan, despite much negativity from the other side of this House, has been a great success. The Luas cross-city extension, which improved public transport in the capital, along with the motorway extensions and bypasses, such as in Tuam and Macroom, have changed people's lives.  We can build and we can deliver but we also need to ensure that the \u20ac275 billion put aside for infrastructural spending is spent well. There must be accountability, oversight and consequences where the relevant State bodies fail to deliver. Be it failures from the initial scoping of the projects, lack of functionality or management overrides, it is not good enough for heads of State projects and CEOs to come before Oireachtas committees such as mine and the Committee of Public Accounts and talk retrospectively about cost overruns and delays in capital infrastructure. Many of them then shrug their shoulders when they come before us in the PAC, blaming those who came before them, which leads ultimately to no accountability. This is why I am highlighting this today. The people of Ireland need to be assured that the highest standards are being followed, that value for money is being sought and that infrastructure is being delivered economically and efficiently. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Neville for raising this issue. I also thank him for his ongoing work on infrastructure and for being my party's spokesperson on infrastructure. I was pleased that we visited Intel recently in his county. Intel has shown a real vote of confidence in Kildare but also in the Irish economy.  Deputy Neville is right that we are investing an extraordinary amount in capital. More than a quarter of a trillion euro will be spent on infrastructure in this country in the timeline the Deputy outlined.  With that opportunity comes great responsibility to make sure projects are delivered, with value for money to the fore but also with speed and efficiency. There is obviously a cost to the projects not being in place in the here and now. We still live in a country where public infrastructure can be somewhere between 25% and 30% below the EU average. We all know there are real infrastructural choke points in our constituencies and communities, whether it is water, energy, wastewater, transport or social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals and, of course, housing as well.  The Deputy is right to point to the fact that there are a lot of things this country does well. The national broadband plan was pretty much universally opposed by most political parties in this House but people now herald it in their own constituency, are delighted with the connections and are happy to turn up to the events. We backed the national broadband plan. It has come in on budget and it has come in ahead. It has made this country the most connected country in the European Union. It has made rural Ireland, including farmyards, extraordinarily connected as well. It was something nobody else in this place wanted but we backed it and it was the right decision to make.  There have also been times when things have not gone right in relation to infrastructure. The work the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, has done deserves great credit in terms of looking at how we can accelerate infrastructure and what we have done as a Government in bringing the private sector in with the public sector. I never buy this idea put forward by some people that the private sector can just run everything. No, the public sector has an important role to play too, but collaboration between the private and public sector can be really good. Bringing in private sector expertise - I think of the likes of Sean O'Driscoll - along with public sector people to sit around a table and ask what we need to accelerate infrastructure delivery has now given us our action plan. We have seen 95% of the commitments already delivered. All 30 actions in the plan actually remain on track.  We have already seen the benefits in speeding it up. There have been 26 weeks saved on the Waterford wastewater treatment plant, which the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, will be pleased to hear. There have been 26 weeks saved on the Ballymore Eustace to Saggart main water project, Deputy Neville will be pleased to hear. That is due to the removal of external reviews and changes in thresholds within the infrastructure guidelines. We have seen 12 months taken off the greater Dublin drainage project. We have seen timelines for maritime area consents now reduced by 30% for fit bodies. This is already having a really positive effect. The ESB is receiving quicker decisions from An Coimisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la and well below the statutory timeline of 48 weeks. With MetroLink, we saw the withdraw of the judicial review speeding up the project. We have passed the Critical Infrastructure Act as well. We have a lot of work to do but the reforms in the action plan are beginning to take hold and we have to drive them on every day. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joe Neville","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Joe Neville  I thank the T\u00e1naiste for the response. I highlighted this because it is so important. Yesterday, I saw glimpses of it at the infrastructure committee. We had Garret Doocey of the housing activation office talking about the projects it did. I asked for specific timelines and transparency to be put in place so the office can come before us biannually at our committee. It is really important we see it in the Chambers and the committees so we know what is being done. Ultimately, then, we can reassure the public that we are on time and the money is being spent.  At the same time, we had Uisce \u00c9ireann with us and I was able to highlight the issues we have with the water infrastructure in Leixlip. Local businesses put up a post on social media about water infrastructure. The water was out on Sunday and again yesterday. How do you try to run a business in that situation? There is the yin and yang of longer-term projects being run well but we also have to ensure the infrastructure for the current housing and businesses runs properly and well for them. Whether that be cars stuck in traffic or water not working, those issues have to be resolved in our areas too. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I fully agree. The housing activation office and Garret Doocey are doing a very good job, along with the team and the seconding in of people from other State agencies. The Deputy is right that we have allocated a lot of money and communities now want to see those projects delivered quickly. Each of those projects are enablers for housing right across the country as well.  I personally believe there are two ways the Government should operate: the Government should help when it can and get the hell out of the way when it cannot. Infrastructure requires both. We are helping by providing a quarter of a trillion euro in investments but, also, sometimes we need to get out of the way in terms of bureaucracy and red tape - is there anything to be said for another permit, review or body? That is really what the accelerating infrastructure taskforce action plan is about. We help by providing the funding and get out of the way when it comes to far too much bureaucracy and red tape. I have given tangible examples to the House today, on foot of Deputy Neville's question, of where we are already seeing the benefit of speeding up those timelines. We have to keep at that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Before I move to Questions on Policy or Legislation, we are having some technical difficulties with our clock but a minute is a minute. I am still watching. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 na Comhalta\u00ed Eile - Other Members\u2019 Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_34","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Pholasa\u00ed n\u00f3 ar Reachta\u00edocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation","counts":{"speechCount":39,"speakerCount":22},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_34","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Martin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Carrigy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Carrigy.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Carrigy.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Guirke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Donnelly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Donnelly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Paul-Donnelly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Daniel Ennis","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Daniel-Ennis.D.2026-05-25","memberCode":"Daniel-Ennis.D.2026-05-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Earlier, we welcomed some of the residents from the Garvaghy Road. It is a very difficult time for them. People are shocked at the prospect of an Orange Order march being forced down the Garvaghy Road this Sunday. I was a teenager when the Orange Order attempted to force marches down the Garvaghy Road many years ago. I remember the images of the fear that was created in that community - the stand-off, the riots and the violence that happened afterwards. Things have moved on so much and thank God they have but it is utter madness that anyone would try to drag us back there.  For 28 years, this community has lived in peace, free from unwanted Orange Order marches being forced through their community. That progress must be protected. Can the T\u00e1naiste tell the D\u00e1il today what engagement the Government will have with the British Government? Will he join with me in expressing support for the Garvaghy Road community and the right to live free from fear and intimidation? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank the Deputy. I spoke with his party leader on this issue yesterday. I am very much aware of the concerns of residents in the area. I too remember the scenes on our television screens and the likes of the real, painful, traumatic and extraordinarily upsetting and divisive scenes that community lived through and experienced. I am also conscious that we are all working for a better future for this island and a shared island and shared future and, I hope, ultimately, a unified island as well. I need to be mindful in the position I occupy of the independence of the work and role of the Parades Commission and the need for it to be allowed to do its work. I assure the Deputy and the residents that Government officials here are monitoring the situation closely. We have asked our joint secretariat in Belfast to keep us informed of developments. I am pleased the residents of the Garvaghy Road are here with us today. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jen Cummins  On Monday, Virgin Media will show a documentary about special education in this country. The sneak previews I have seen show there are still children without an appropriate school place. However, equally shocking is that those who do get a place in school are being educated in cleaners' rooms with no windows or natural light, or they are being educated under staircases in classrooms. On top of that, a regulation room in one of the schools shown has been put in a disabled bathroom. Thankfully, the caretaker blocked off the toilet, but this is the state of our education system.  The school I saw is Stapolin Educate Together National School, which is trying its best. When the Minister of State visited it before the end of the previous academic year, he told the school to use all available space, and it is. The school is oversubscribed and could fill two classes. What will this Government do to make sure this is not happening in 2026? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and acknowledge her ongoing work on this. I obviously have not seen the programme but I have seen the promotional clips for the programme and I will of course watch the programme and also discuss the matter with the Minister for education and Minister of State with responsibility for special education.  Objectively, we have seen a very significant increase in special classes, with 587 new classes sanctioned for the year. We have seen new classes established in every county. We have seen an increase in the number of special classes by 130% since 2020 and the special education budget is now over \u20ac3 billion. That does not take away from the point the Deputy makes, and I am not endeavouring for it to do that either, in terms of the need for capital to catch up, and the spaces, supports and facilities that our schools need as well. We will have an opportunity to reflect on this further in the budget in 12 days' time but I will watch the programme closely and engage with the Minister on the issues. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I raise with the T\u00e1naiste today the urgent need for additional carriages and hourly train services on the Waterford to Dublin line, which runs through my hometown of Athy. I have been raising this issue for the last number of years and I just want to read to the T\u00e1naiste today from an email I got this morning from Eimear, who at the time was on the 7.15 a.m. Waterford to Heuston service. She said there were 18 people standing in the gap by the doors on the second-last carriage this morning. Two of them were retired people, very unsteady on their feet, who kept stumbling and were struggling to hold onto the train as it moved up and down. They had free travel passes, while Eimear had a tax saver ticket through work. After the train stopped in Newbridge, a further 12 people were standing in the same spaces.  This is happening too often. It is happening too often because there is only one early morning service from my hometown of Athy. So many people have come to live there and that is what is happening regularly. I ask the T\u00e1naiste to request of the Minister for Transport that we get more carriages on that particular line before we have a very serious accident. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the need for additional train carriage capacity serving his hometown of Athy on that Waterford to Dublin line. I thank Eimear for contacting Deputy Wall and providing that live lived experience from a train service this morning.  I will certainly speak with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and ask that he engage with Irish Rail on the matter and come back to the Deputy directly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The Israeli genocide in Gaza involves scholasticide, that is, the intentional destruction of the Palestinian education system. Israel University, the last remaining university in Gaza was demolished by the Israeli military. Some 80% of schools have either been damaged or destroyed. Tens of thousands of students, teachers, lecturers and university academics have been murdered. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised what it says is very serious alarm over the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system. Against that background, is it not shocking that the Government is refusing visas to Palestinian students to study at Irish universities? Surely, on the basis of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the destruction of the Palestinian education system, visas should be granted to these students, who, against all the odds, have qualified for and have been offered places in Irish Universities. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  The T\u00e1naiste to respond. Please, Deputy. Time is up. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  I hope he will reverse that decision. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I deplore the ongoing genocidal activities that we are seeing in Palestine. I am conscious, in making these comments, that it is the UN General Assembly's high-level week and that the Taoiseach, the Minister for foreign affairs, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, and a number of other representatives of the Government are present at the United Nations. The Taoiseach, the Minister for foreign affairs and others are prioritising engagements on issues relating to Palestine.  On the specific issue regarding visas for Palestinian students, the Department of Justice is working with the Department of foreign affairs to assist Irish citizens and their families who are affected from an immigration perspective. The Department is also continuing to work with the Department of Health on the Gaza medevac programme. We have responded to humanitarian crises before by establishing programmes to allow people in the State to bring relatives here if they can prove that they can independently support them. The Afghan admissions programme was the most recent of these. There is no special arrangement in place for Palestinian students. No one is proposing the establishment of such a scheme, but we continue to support the Palestinian people in many ways. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  The T\u00e1naiste has said that people want certainty around the new investment accounts and that he wants more young people to get into saving. That includes the tens of thousands of ordinary people who get up early in the morning to go to work. Some of them, luckily enough, have been able to put savings into vehicles like exchange-traded funds. At present, those people are taxed on eight years of those savings, even if they have not sold a thing. They are taxed on something they have not sold as a capital gain. The Department of Finance refers to this as a deemed disposal. The people to whom I refer want two straight answers. First, will they be able to move their savings into these new accounts without paying exit tax? Second, will the T\u00e1naiste and the Department finally scrap the concept of deemed disposals or are they going to continue to kick the can down the road? Deemed disposal is an unfair and uncertain tax. It should not be there at all. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I will make two points. First, in the context of the final detail of the scheme, we will have an opportunity to thrash all of that out in the debate on the Finance Bill post the budget, including how the new accounts will interact with other investment opportunities. I will be happy to consider all of the issues the Deputy raises then.  On deemed disposal, I am on record in this House - I am certainly on the record in lots of places - as stating we need to move beyond deemed disposal. It was of a different time. It was an anti-avoidance measure, so it would be important to replace it. Obviously, we need to still have anti-avoidance measures. How much we can do in this budget will depend on the overall tax package and competing priorities, but I do expect to make some progress on it. The retail investment roadmap I published this summer shows the clear direction of travel in terms of moving beyond deemed disposal. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Erin McGreehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","memberCode":"Erin-McGreehan.S.2020-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Erin McGreehan  Farmers and fishers in County Louth and across the country are being squeezed by rising fuel, fertiliser and fodder costs. These are essential costs, as the T\u00e1naiste knows. A fishing boat cannot go to sea without fuel. A farmer cannot simply skip the buying of winter feed. Rural families depend on their cars, so they feel pressure at work and at home. How is the Government going to continue to support rural communities, farmers and fishers? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy McGreehan for raising this really important and timely issue. The Government is very conscious, as the Deputy is, of the pressure on farmers and fishers and is determined to provide supports. Today, the Ministers, Deputies Heydon and Chambers, will meet. The Taoiseach, the Deputy and I were all at the ploughing last week. We heard very clearly three issues, namely fuel, fodder and fertiliser. I call them the three Fs. There will be support for farmers with fodder and fertiliser. I am pleased to inform the House that we are working to extend the fuel supports scheme for farmers. I expect the details of that to be finalised in a couple of days. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Ward  If the T\u00e1naiste or I want to get a Bus \u00c9ireann bus or an Iarnr\u00f3d \u00c9ireann train, including a DART, we just turn up at the station, buy a ticket and get on. Wheelchair users cannot do that. There is an expectation that they should give up to 24 hours notice to use an ordinary transport system that is provided and subsidised by the taxpayers of this country. Surely it is not beyond us to provide a better facility for wheelchair users. I acknowledge that there are new DART carriages coming, but they are up to two years away. They will facilitate ease of access, but wheelchair users who are using Bus \u00c9ireann or Iarnr\u00f3d \u00c9ireann will still have difficultly getting on and off transport and will still have to give notice in the meantime. They should not have to give notice in this day and age and we should be making sure it is easier for them to use public transport. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Martin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Martin.D.1989-06-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The Taoiseach  I fully agree with Deputy Ward. I thank him for raising what is an incredibly important issue. I see it in my community and, of course, he also sees it in his, probably most particularly on the DART line. Not to justify it, but this has certainly arisen as a result of a huge disparity in facilities at stations and access points across the country, particularly in the context of the many stations that were designed and built in the Victorian era.  We are absolutely committed to improving accessibility. There has been some clear and tangible progress. Last year, Irish Rail reduced the advanced notice requirement to just one hour at 15 of the busiest stations across the network, covering almost all terminus stations and the majority of assistance requests. There is a specific action in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. Irish Rail is set to introduce a new passenger assistance management system across the rail network for customers requiring assistance, including those with disabilities, by the end of this year. Briefly, another good example is the new infrastructure, as the Deputy rightly referenced, namely the DART+ fleet, which will arrive next year. Each carriage will have an automatic sliding doorstep that will deploy every time the doors open. This will reduce the platform gap. The Deputy is so right to highlight this, and we should pursue it until it is fully resolved. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Ward  I welcome that Government MEPs and Senators are finally starting to speak out about the dangers and harms of nitrous oxide. I hope Government will start supporting my legislation. My Bill is due to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny in November, following a nine-month delay imposed by the Government. In those nine months, we have had 14 cases of spinal cord damage in Beaumont Hospital and \u20ac3 million spent on storage of nitrous oxide canisters seized by customs, a matter which I raised with the T\u00e1naiste at the finance committee. Dublin City Council reports a 490% increase in the number of canisters collected. Some 160,000 canisters end up in waste facilities. Veolia recycled 120,000 canisters last year. There has been 130% increase in the number of people accessing addiction treatment for nitrous oxide and a 900% increase in the number of people discharged from acute hospital services because of nitrous oxide. These figures are stark. They are not mine; they are contained in independent reports. In the absence of any solutions from Government, I ask that it work with me in a tangible way to progress my Bill through the Houses. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  We will work with the Deputy on this. I acknowledge his sincerity and his work on this, as I have said before. This is a serious issue. I would characterise the Government's position slightly differently in the sense that there was some work that was ongoing in relevant Departments. However, the Deputy's legislation will now obviously go to pre-legislative scrutiny. That is an opportunity to put all of this information and evidence together to look at the Bill in the round. Certainly, we have very much an open mind in working with the Deputy constructively on what is a very important issue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Miche\u00e1l Carrigy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Miche\u00e1l-Carrigy.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Miche\u00e1l-Carrigy.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Miche\u00e1l Carrigy  Longford has untapped potential in terms of tourism. A number of projects have been developed to address this. I have been a director of Longford Tourism for the past 14 years. We have established our tourism network and a new strategy website aimed at increasing the awareness of what our county has to offer. Its rich and often untold story forms a backbone of this vision. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy 'Boxer' Moran, who was here earlier, for his support over the years with the formation of the Hidden Heartlands brand name and the work he is doing in the OPW. The Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre and the Corlea Bog Amenity Walk constitute a unique and untapped tourism and heritage site in Longford. We are working hard to promote the world of our heritage and the activities we have to offer, but we need further investment in order to bring to fruition the various projects that have been identified around the country, particularly for this, as I said, unique historical site and amenity that has so much potential in what is already a fantastic place to visit and enjoy. I attended a directors' meeting 10.30 a.m. for Longford Tourism, and we will be holding our annual general meeting at 3 p.m.  When will we seen further investment in this sector and particularly for Corlea bog and trackway as there is a timeline for this to be delivered. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Carrigy for raising this issue. I must say that Longford is really making big progress in the tourism sector. So many people are now heading to Longford and there are a number of tourism facilities there as well. I thank the Deputy for his work and passion around Corlea and the bog and trackway centre. It is a remarkable piece of our heritage. I share the view that there is real potential to make it a visitor attraction for Longford but also for the wider midlands.  I know the Deputy knows through his work that F\u00e1ilte Ireland has invested \u20ac262,000 into a study on the centre's future development through the just transition fund. I am informed that the work is now nearly complete on that, and this will give the OPW a clear basis for considering the next steps while protecting the Iron Age trackway that makes it such a special area. I am glad the Deputy is keeping a focus on it. I will be very interested to see the options the study comes up with, and the Government will work with the Deputy to advance them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  I was contacted by a woman whose husband has multiple myeloma. It is a type of blood cancer, and it develops in the plasma cells. She stated that her husband is cold throughout the whole winter. He needs help with the either fuel allowance, which he does not get, or lower fuel prices. Another man contacted me and said that they need two cars to get to work. They have to commute huge distances in extreme traffic every day. His wife is considering staying at home to save the costs on the cars and childcare. They have had no holidays in the past two years. They have good salaries but they are paying everything out. Hardworking people in this country are saying that it is no longer worth it.  I want to invite the T\u00e1naiste to the fuel protest meeting in Moate on Sunday at 5.30 p.m. That meeting is being organised by ordinary hardworking people whose backs are against the wall. In April, this Government made the catastrophic mistake of refusing to talk to these people. Will the T\u00e1naiste learn from that mistake and join us on Sunday? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank the Deputy very much for the invitation but I will be working here on the budget in relation to fuel and energy, so I do not need to attend a protest meeting. What I need to do is make sure that people in this country do not feel the need the protest because they feel that we are making policy decisions that will help them.  By the way, I have also spoken to a number of the people who were involved in the fuel protests. I met many of them at the ploughing. I met many people at the ploughing and at the Longford show with Deputy Carrigy as well, including people who were involved in those protests. I met all the farmer representative organisations, the hauliers as recently as yesterday and the trade unions. Fuel and energy is a real issue but what I am saying to people, and I hope they are hearing it, is that we are going to provide clarity in relation to excise. We are looking at carbon tax on both home heating oil and gas. I have just given Deputy McGreehan a view in relation to the extension of the farm support scheme as well. The Government will bring forward a package in the round in relation to the energy situation in the budget in just 12 days' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  The T\u00e1naiste is probably well aware that there are thousands of council tenants across this country living in absolutely scandalous conditions with mould and damp. In my constituency, I have been working with a number of harrowing cases. I visited homes and have seen mould and damp on windows and in bedrooms, and the impact on children and babies. How is it right and fair that council tenants living in mouldy and damp conditions in houses that the State is responsible for are now being charged higher rents in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis because the Government has failed to fund councils sufficiently?  Some 40% of council tenants are in poverty after they pay their rent. That is five times the rate of homeowners. How can they afford more? Is it fair that children are left living in mouldy and damp conditions with devastating impacts on their health? Will the T\u00e1naiste make a real move on the cost-of-living crisis for these people, and will he give councils the funding required for maintenance so they do not have to increase rents on these people? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I see the Deputy linked two issues. I see them as somewhat separate. The idea that anyone is living in a home owned by the State that has mould and damp and that children and the likes are there is not an acceptable situation. I fully agree with that. If the Deputy wants to provide me with the information, which I know he will, I am happy to pursue that with the Minister for housing and with the local authority too. Local authorities have a duty of care to their tenants too and just like governments at a national level have to manage their budgets, so too do local governments as well.  In relation to the budget in general, there will be a focus on child poverty. I acknowledge the Deputy was at the child poverty and well-being summit in his constituency in recent weeks. There are a number of targeted measures that we need to take to help families and children most at risk of poverty. The fuel allowance, which opens on Monday, is one such payment but there will be a number of other measures in the budget in 12 days' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Guirke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Johnny Guirke  Bradley is a 15-year-old boy from my constituency of Meath who is waiting for an urgent orthodontist appointment in Navan, and he is not the only one. Bradley suffers from a severe jawbone condition that requires urgent uninterrupted orthodontic care. For over two years he has endured immense pain, endless procedural cycles and days where he could not even eat solid food. Last October was a milestone when his top brace went on but then the HSE system failed him. His orthodontist went out on unexpected leave and no replacement was provided. When a critical appliance broke in his mouth in July, it took two weeks just to get a cursory glance, only to be told no one else would touch his case. Bradley has now gone seven months without treatment. He is sitting right now with loose braces and useless blocks in his mouth. If his treatment backtracks, he faces a traumatic, preventable operation to break both of his jawbones. Can the T\u00e1naiste give me a cast-iron guarantee that Bradley and other children in Meath will urgently be provided with the orthodontist services they badly need? Both the T\u00e1naiste and I know this is not right. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Guirke for raising this issue. I am sorry to hear what Bradley and his family are enduring. I am not going to comment into the record of the D\u00e1il on an individual case on which I do not have all of the information but the Deputy is entirely right to highlight the issue in relation to the orthodontic system and care in his constituency. On foot of him raising it, I will send a transcript of what he said, plus a broader query, to the Minister for Health and to the HSE and ask that they come back to the Deputy directly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  There are families in east Galway right now who are really worried because they cannot afford the cost of putting a fill of oil in the tank this winter. The reality is that the Government reduced the price on diesel and petrol but it is fair to say that it has not done anything yet to help families with the cost of home heating oil.  In this budget there needs to be a serious measure put in place to support the families that I represent in Galway to get through this winter because the price has completely ballooned. I ask that serious consideration be given to that and that supports be put in place. Also, there are families who have paid huge sums of money in the past month or so to fill a tank. Consideration needs to be given to backdating any payment or any support that goes in place for home heating oil because families cannot decide when the tank becomes empty and they have to fill it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Dolan for raising the issue. He is right on the broader issue. When you look at the cost of energy, it has risen across the board, of that there is no doubt. However, when you look at the cost to fill a home heating oil tank, it has risen in quite an alarming manner. Roughly speaking, it was \u20ac950 to fill the tank last winter. It is anywhere between \u20ac1,500, \u20ac1,600, \u20ac1,700 and rising to fill the tank this winter. This is an extraordinary rise for families.  We are working through this as a Government together. The details will be published on budget day but the Tax Strategy Group paper does identify that we can treat carbon differently on different products. Regarding kerosene, there may be something we can do in that space. What we cannot do is do anything that risks our derogation in relation to the emissions trading system, ETS, because we do not want to end up paying billions more to Europe as a consequence of this too. There obviously will be some people who will be disproportionately more at risk of fuel poverty, and the fuel allowance system is part of that. We need to look at all of this in the round but we will endeavour to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Donnelly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Donnelly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Paul-Donnelly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Donnelly  I have attended meetings with local residents, councillors and TDs from every party about the world famous Dunsink Observatory. The Dunsink urban plan will see a new town built that will have a bigger population than Longford and there are serious concerns. Even though every person we met wants to see housing on the site, there are serious concerns. Promises of new bus and Luas services are met with deep scepticism and concern, even from the National Transport Authority, NTA. Irish Water stated that there is no chance of phase 1 or 2 being completed without the Shannon pipeline at a cost of over \u20ac7.5 billion.  Dunsink Observatory is currently working towards UNESCO world heritage status. This will have serious implications for the density and heights adjacent to the observatory. We cannot have a massive development like this being developer-led. It must be State led. Would the Government support a local authority, cross-departmental and inter-agency team to oversee this development to ensure we do not make the mistakes of the past and that we see the environment and biodiversity protected, as well as public transport, water, schools, etc., put in place as the homes are being developed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Donnelly for highlighting this issue in relation to the Dunsink Observatory and the views of the community there as well.  My understanding is that the public consultation process has concluded. The local authority is duty bound to consider all of that feedback. From what the Deputy says, it sounds like it has received quite a lot. It will then be for the local authority to come forward with the next steps. The Government stands ready to assist in any kind of modality or with suggestions the local authority might make as to how best to consider these matters. We await the next decision from the local authority. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Martin Kenny  We have a serious issue in the north west in regard to transport infrastructure. The issue of infrastructure has been raised by many Members and the T\u00e1naiste has given commitments in regard to critical infrastructure. The western rail corridor is a particularly critical piece of infrastructure for the centres of population from Sligo right down along the western seaboard. It is welcome that the part from Athenry to Claremorris is now going to be developed. Work is progressing on that. However, in the context of the next leg, which goes right the way up to Sligo and past the international airport at Knock, it is being proposed at the moment that a cycleway be put in place. Transport infrastructure is vital. A cycleway is nice to have and nobody has a problem with it if is adjacent to the rail line, but it certainly should not block progress in regard to building a rail corridor which will provide essential transport for people from Sligo all the way down to Galway and further afield. People have to go for cancer treatment to Galway because the cancer services in Sligo were closed down. In fairness, people are saying that they cannot go for treatment on bicycles. They need proper transport, and we need to have a commitment from Government that what I am referring to will be done. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this issue. I am familiar with the greenway issue from my engagement with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and various TDs, including the Deputy, in relation to Sligo. This should not be an either-or situation. Any decision in relation to the greenway needs to preserve the railway. My understanding, from local discussions, is that the greenway will be done in such a way as to preserve the railway line. We have, as the Deputy said, already started on the western rail corridor with the decision on the Athenry to Claremorris leg. We are still committed to the further expansion but in the interim - in the here and now - the greenway can be delivered in a way that preserves the railway line. I am also conscious of the point the Deputy makes more generally about transport in the north west. I welcome the progress that we intend to make on the N17, which will be very much welcomed by the Deputy's constituents too. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  Why is the Government using its Presidency of the European Council to propose a massive undermining of the right of privacy of European citizens? The Irish Presidency has a proposal for the digital omnibus, which is a deregulation agenda in the interests of big tech. What it proposes is that, effectively, GDPR be disapplied when it comes to AI. As a result, the use of personal data will be presumed to be lawful as long as it is being used in terms of AI. This means that what currently would be illegal, which is collecting personal data for advertising, would become legal as long as it is being done under the guise of AI. Why is the Government pushing this deregulation agenda? Why is it pushing a massive giveaway of European citizens' personal data to big-tech corporations? Will the Government stop this and will it defend the right of privacy? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I happened to see some of the news coverage of the committee discussion in relation to this yesterday. I say this very respectfully, but sometimes there is a misrepresentation of the role of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is not an executive function; it is a role to act as an honest broker in terms of bringing forward the various views raised by the 27 member states at meetings, often of officials through Coreper structures and the likes, as well. It is not a position of the Irish Presidency; it is a bringing forward of the feedback from the member states, fulfilling the honest broker role. From an Irish perspective, we take very seriously the need to live in an innovative European Union and an innovative Irish economy in the context of the benefits of AI that are there. We certainly are not in favour of a free-for-all. Far from it. Our view is quite the opposite when it comes to making sure that there are guardrails in place and that there is respect for citizens' rights. Some of the strengths of the European Union have been around having robust structures in place versus what happens in other parts of the world. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Daniel Ennis","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Daniel-Ennis.D.2026-05-25","memberCode":"Daniel-Ennis.D.2026-05-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Daniel Ennis  The ESRI recently published a report which highlighted the number of children living in households below the poverty line rose to 200,000 in 2024. All the while, this Government boasts about tax surpluses. We are told that the money is being kept aside for a rainy day. For those families and children, it is raining and it is pouring. In my constituency, we see billions running through the IFSC while right next door on Sheriff Street, where my family still lives, there are people who cannot even afford to put food on the table. These levels of widening inequality are not inevitable. They are a choice, and they are a choice being made by the Government. The Government reported a budget surplus of \u20ac23.2 billion in 2024. When we have 200,000 children living below the poverty line, we do not have a budget surplus; we have a bad accountant. What real, targeted and meaningful measures will the Government take in budget 2027 to reduce the scandalous rate of child poverty in this country? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  I thank Deputy Ennis for raising the issue of child poverty and for raising it in a very real way in relation to his community and his constituency, including Sheriff Street and the area he represents in D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann. What I am not going to do is get into a back-and-forth on statistics and reports, etc. The point is that child poverty is still too high. I agree with that. It is true that the ESRI data probably has not yet seen the benefit of some Government measures that we took, most particularly in the previous budget, but that is not the point. No matter what figure one wants to land on, it is too high. I accept that. What measures are we going to take? We will have to take quite a number of them, but the working family payment and child support payments have been a useful way of targeting resources at those most in need. Continued investment in youth services, education and early years education is also really important. There is a child poverty unit in the Department of An Taoiseach. I must say, in a completely non-political way, that officials and experts now working on child poverty are providing advice to Government which is useful and informed. The child poverty and well-being summit, which will also produce a report, will hopefully give good guidance to this House. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Heneghan  I am sure the T\u00e1naiste is aware that a recent poll in The Irish Time s is showing that nearly 90% of people are finding it hard to manage financially. I am hearing directly from families and parents across my constituency that go leor daoine are struggling with bills at home. Many of them are also being asked for voluntary contributions or to hold fundraisers just to keep the local school that their kids are attending afloat in the context of paying for heating, electricity and cleaning. I have introduced legislation on private wires that could help to unlock community energy sharing, as is done in Denmark and Germany. I am also pushing plug-in solar, but that is all I can do. Will the T\u00e1naiste, as the Minister for Finance, ahead of the budget, increase the school capitation grant in order that parents who are already struggling are not forced to go into their own pockets so that their schools can stay afloat? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Simon Harris","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Simon-Harris.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" The T\u00e1naiste  First, I will not jump over the constructive contributions the Deputy has been making on private wires legislation and the likes. I thank him for that and for his expertise and interest in that, which is valuable to Government. We look forward to working with him on that.  The Deputy will understand that frustrating thing I am going to say about not being able to get into every specific of the budget, other than to say that we did increase capitation last year. That was important and was welcomed. We are listening and engaging with the school communities in relation to their funding base. The Minister for education is in talks with the Minister for public expenditure. We will finalise the package which will be revealed here as part of the national budget on 6 October. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna ar Pholasa\u00ed n\u00f3 ar Reachta\u00edocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_35","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Non-Binary and Intersex Recognition Bill 2026: First Stage","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_35","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Frankie Feighan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12","memberCode":"Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruth Coppinger  I move:  That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the recognition of a non-binary gender and for those born intersex; to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2015 to recognise a non-binary gender; to amend the Interpretation Act 2005 to include a non-binary gender; to amend the Civil Registration Act 2004 to allow qualified informants to record an X on Registers for Births, Stillbirths, Adoptions, and Death; to amend the Equal Status Act 2000 and Employment Equality Act 1998 to outlaw discrimination based on sexual characteristics.  This Bill will give legal rights and recognition to non-binary and intersex people in Ireland. This is obviously a small minority of people but they face extreme invisibility, marginalisation, violence and discrimination. The Bill would essentially do three things. First, it would introduce the option of an X marker on the gender recognition certificate, in addition to M and F for male and female. Without legal recognition, a non-binary person is systematically discriminated against in accessing healthcare, legal documents, passports with their own identity, and more. Second, for a person born with intersex characteristics, it would allow a parent or a qualified informant to put an X on a birth certificate, meaning parents would no longer be forced to immediately choose between male and female, with the very serious consequences that brings. Third, it would give equality before the law and prevent discrimination.  What do we mean by non-binary in the context of this Bill? It refers to any person who identifies outside the binary of male and female. This includes non-binary people but also genderqueer people and anyone who sees themselves as not fitting into a male-female binary. Again, there are not exact figures for the number of non-binary people in Ireland. A serious opportunity was missed by the census, for example. It which could have posed a question around that, which was raised at the time. State Departments in Ireland are not categorising. However, up to 10% and possibly more, of people are LGBTQI in surveys and at least one third would identify as non-binary from that category.  Globally, it is estimated that 2% of people identify their gender in a way that is outside the binary.  What is intersex? People who are intersex are born with innate variations of sex characteristics, including chromosomal, anatomical or hormonal, that vary from the societal or medical understanding of the typically male or female. Approximately one in every 500 babies is born with either ambiguous genitalia or other variations of sex development. It is not an insignificant number. Intersex variations may not be noticeable until puberty, with some variations not noticeable without testing. There are more than 40 different types, which I do not have time to detail. The UN recognises that at least 1.7% of the world population is born with an intersex trait. For comparison, 2% of people globally have green eyes. There may be as many as 90,000 intersex people in Ireland alone.  Intersex identities have been portrayed as a newfangled development. In fact, in all ancient civilisations, there was a recognition of many genders, including two-spirit people in native American culture, Hijra people in India, and the third genders and more depicted in art and literature in Mesopotamia and Asia.  This Bill is important for people's personal lives. I do not have time to read out all the testimonials we received when we announced we would be bringing forward this Bill. It is important as well because medically unnecessary and irreversible surgery is being done on children who are born intersex in this country. The Government should bring in a Bill to ban that practice, which has been banned in many countries, including Malta. It leads to very damaging consequences such as infertility, pain and urinary problems. Ireland has been called out over this on the world stage.  The key reason for bringing forward this Bill is the hostility that LGBTQI people are facing in the world right now. Again, I do not have time to go into all the statistics but we have seen Trump in the US take the X marker off passports and announce there are only two genders. Many people are living in hiding in the US. There are people living in hiding in Ireland as well because they are not able to be comfortable going to their doctor, going to a hospital, getting a passport and doing all the many other things many of us take for granted. Belong To has done some very important research in this regard.  In the time I have left, I want to mention promises that were made by the State. In 2018, after a review of the Gender Recognition Act was undertaken, it was promised that non-binary recognition would be introduced. This Bill would fulfil that promise and answer people's hopes that it will actually be implemented. I have noticed the Taoiseach going on Pride marches and announcing how great it was to do so. Many people who engage with Pride are non-binary or intersex. The Taoiseach must not bow down to any right-wing pressure. The changes we are proposing are very important to people in this country in their daily lives. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Is the Bill opposed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Frankie Feighan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12","memberCode":"Frank-Feighan.S.2002-09-12","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Frankie Feighan)  No. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruth Coppinger  I move: \"That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time.\" "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Cuireadh an D\u00e1il ar fionra\u00ed ar 1.24 p.m. agus cuireadh t\u00fas leis ar\u00eds ar 2.05 p.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Sitting suspended at 1.24 p.m. and resumed at 2.05 p.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Non-Binary and Intersex Recognition Bill 2026: First Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-24\/debate\/dbsect_36","debateType":"statement","bill":null,"showAs":"World Pharmacists Week: Statements","counts":{"speechCount":16,"speakerCount":8},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_36","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Carroll MacNeill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Rice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Keira Keogh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marie Sherlock","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marie-Sherlock.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Marie-Sherlock.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Carroll MacNeill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Health (Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill)  Tomorrow, we celebrate World Pharmacists Day 2026. Of course, it is World Pharmacists Week. This year's theme, chosen by the International Pharmaceutical Federation, is empowering pharmacists for healthier futures. It is an appropriate theme for Ireland. Over the past year, we have taken significant steps to empower pharmacists to play a broader and more clinical role within our health service. Through new services, new responsibilities and new investment, pharmacy is becoming an even more important part of delivering accessible, patient-centred healthcare.  Pharmacists are a phenomenal asset to, and a fundamental part of, our health infrastructure. Community pharmacies are located right where people live. Some 85% of people live within 5 km of a pharmacy. They are embedded in our communities. They are often the first and easiest place for people to turn for trusted advice and practical support. World Pharmacists Day provides an important opportunity to reflect on the immense value of the pharmacy profession. It is a day to recognise not only the expertise of pharmacists but also their commitment, compassion, professionalism and dedication to patients both within our hospitals and in communities across the country.  In September last year, the landmark community pharmacy agreement was published, following agreement between my Department, the HSE and the Irish Pharmacy Union. The agreement supports commitments to expand pharmacy services, provides new investment in the sector, supports value for money and modernisation, and advances important digital reforms. I welcome to the Public Gallery representatives from the Irish Pharmacy Union. I thank them for their work and collaboration on the agreement.  The progress achieved over the past year demonstrates what can be accomplished when the Government, the HSE and professionals work together with a shared ambition to improve services for patients. These achievements include the common conditions scheme, MediBack for the safe disposal of unused medicines; the medicines optimisation support service; the national condom distribution scheme; health promotion initiatives, including alcohol in pregnancy and men\u2019s health; PPV23 pneumococcal vaccination for eligible individuals; and the promotion of the BowelScreen programme at population level.  The most significant pharmacy reform delivered over the past year, and indeed for some years, has been the introduction of the common conditions service. This landmark initiative has expanded the role of pharmacists in patient care and has made access to treatment faster and more convenient for thousands of people. For the first time, appropriately trained pharmacists can assess and prescribe treatment for a range of common health conditions. The service currently covers eight common conditions, namely, allergic rhinitis, cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo, oral thrush, shingles, cystitis and vaginal thrush. This represents a significant advancement in how care is delivered in Ireland by allowing patients to access care quickly and conveniently without the need to secure a GP appointment for every minor illness.  The service was developed in response to recommendations of the expert task force on pharmacy and was formally launched in January. This service brings healthcare closer to people, reduces inconvenience for patients and families and helps to ensure that people receive timely treatment for common conditions. Importantly, it also contributes to the wider objective of improving capacity across the health service. By enabling pharmacists to manage appropriate conditions safely within their scope of practice, the service helps to reduce pressure on other parts of the system while ensuring that patients receive prompt and high-quality care.  The response from the pharmacy profession has been extraordinarily positive. More than 95% of eligible pharmacies are participating in the service, demonstrating a strong commitment across the profession to supporting this important reform. It demonstrates a strong commitment across the profession to supporting the people in their areas, their customers and patients, who will be able to get better access and much more quick access to expert care for common conditions. We now have the opportunity to see how we can drive further with the next set of conditions.  Pharmacists are highly trained professionals with an extensive knowledge of medicines, therapeutics and patient care. The common conditions service allows patients to benefit more fully from the expertise of the person at the centre of their community. For parents caring for a sick child, for workers balancing employment and family responsibilities and for people who may find it difficult to get appointments elsewhere, the service offers a practical and patient-centred alternative.  However, it is not just about convenience. It is about a relationship with trust, it is about accessing expertise and it is about building how we are bringing patient care into every part of every community. Nowhere can that be done better than through the community pharmacy network. The community pharmacy expansion implementation oversight group, which comprises representatives from pharmacy practise, the HSE and pharmacy and medicines regulators, supports the safe implementation of this service. There has been extensive training to deliver the service. I really want to thank pharmacists and their teams, who have leaned into this enormous opportunity to change how healthcare is delivered. With the success of the initial number of conditions, the challenge now is to see how much further we can go. The Department is currently evaluating this formally to see how effectively it has been implemented, where challenges have been encountered by patients, healthcare professionals and, of course, where we might go with the future. I have spoken to a number of people around the country who have availed of this of this service. However, I believe that we are nowhere near the point where people really fully know and are aware that it is available and as more people avail of the service, it will build through word of mouth. Even 12 months from now, we will see this as a much more regular part of the vernacular about how people are accessing care. It is a fantastic place to start. Sometimes we have to start somewhere. I am excited to see how this builds and how we can develop it. It is also part of a broader journey.  I want to highlight is MediBack. A few weeks ago, I was very pleased to announce the rollout of MediBack, a new nationwide unused medicines disposal service. Basically, this service provides patients with a safe, convenient way to return unused or expired medicines to pharmacies for proper disposal. It is so very important. The service helps reduce the risk of accidental harm, supports the responsible management of medicines and contributes to environmental protection. It is hugely significant. It helps to prevent antimicrobial resistance, as I said, safeguard the environment, reduce the risk of falsified medicines entering the black market, lowers the risk of accidental poisoning and supports suicide prevention and self-harm reduction by limiting access to unused medicines. If I look in the back of my cupboard, as I did when this service was introduced, there are out-of-date medicines and things that are no longer necessary. I have a little pile to bring back to my pharmacist. I encourage everybody to look in the back of their medicine cupboards to see what they can bring back to their pharmacist, if only for environmental protection apart from protection of their families and households from accidental poisoning or taking expired medicines that are not safe. People should look at the back of their cupboards to see what they can bring back to their pharmacist who is there to support them. The service also supports Ireland's One Health objectives by trying to protect people, animals and the environment from the risks associated with inappropriate storage or disposal of medicines. We know this is a massive environmental issue. Both the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan 2021-2027 issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 identified the establishment of such a nationwide disposal service as a priority. Every pharmacy that signs up to the community pharmacy agreement is required to provide MediBack free to the public. MediBack also aligns with the objectives of Sl\u00e1intecare by promoting patient safety, improving environmental sustainability and generating evidence to inform future service improvement. The Department, the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, and the HSE are currently developing the evaluation arrangement for the service. That evaluation will provide a valuable opportunity to build a clear evidence base on the scale of used and expired medicines in Ireland and over time, the service will give us important information on both the types and volumes of medicines being returned. That information can then help inform future policy on prescribing, including overprescribing and deprescribing, and dispensing practices, including pharmacy and medicines optimisation, antimicrobial resistance and public awareness. It will support a more targeted approach to reducing medicines waste while improving value for money, patient safety and environmental protection. Programmes such as MediBack can operate quietly in the background but they are a really powerful reminder of the broader contribution pharmacists make to society. Pharmacists are not just simply involved in the supply of medicine. They are stewards of medicine throughout their lifecycle, supporting their safe and effective use as well as their responsible disposal. As healthcare systems increasingly focus on sustainability, environmental responsibility and prudent resource management, initiatives such as MediBack become ever more important.  I want to highlight the Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Act 2026 enabling pharmacists to issue additional prescriptions for some forms of contraception. Patients will be able to seek new prescriptions for short-acting forms of contraception - the progesterone-only and combined hormonal pill patch and ring - throughout the services. Pharmacists, of course, are already able to provide emergency contraception. Needless to say, that will continue. Pharmacists will be enabled to issue repeat prescriptions once a GP prescription has been in place for at least six months, the patient is happy with the form of contraception provided and no additional risk factors concerning side-effects have been identified. That service will be open to women, girls, transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid individuals for whom a suitable form of prescription contraception as prescribed by their doctor for a duration of at least six months. That is going to make a huge difference to the need to attend a GP for renewals. This is possible now through a pharmacy and it is a very important. The service is free of charge for those eligible for the free contraception scheme and it will also be open to private patients who are not eligible for that, subject to a locally determined fee. It really is a fantastic initiative that enables better access for people to conveniently do more with the pharmacy. Now that President Connolly has signed the Bill and it has been accordingly enacted, the next steps are to prepare secondary legislation to enable the training and clinical aspects of the scheme. The drafting of those statutory instruments is ongoing.  I want to thank all the pharmacists right around the country for the way in which they support the patients in their community. I thank them for the trust that they have developed with their community. I thank them for their expertise and professionalism and the way in which they use their expertise in a gentle, careful way to support the people who need them, often at very difficult moments, and support them in an ongoing way help to help manage their conditions over time. I wish every pharmacist in the country a happy World Pharmacists Day and a productive week next week. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy David Cullinane  I welcome the opportunity to speak today. I thank the Minister for her contribution. Pharmacists are medicines experts and are among the most accessible health professionals in the State. There are approximately 1,900 community pharmacies providing around 2 million visits every week. Their role has evolved well beyond dispensing and medicines management. Community pharmacies are now involved in prescribing for common conditions, vaccination and wider public health work. Hospital pharmacies are also central to safe and effective medicines use and patient-centred clinical pharmacies where patients have more complex needs. The key point is that we need to use pharmacists to their full potential and integrate pharmacies further into community care. That can improve access, strengthen prevention and medicine safety and reduce avoidable pressure on GPs and acute hospitals.  The community pharmacy agreement and the common condition service have been important steps. The common condition service is an important development in pharmacy care and one for which Sinn F\u00e9in has advocated. It allows pharmacists to prescribe, on a protocol basis, for eight common conditions, but the work of pharmacy reform is far from complete. The common conditions service still falls far short of universal healthcare because consultation fees are not covered for patients, including medical card holders. Prescribed medicines may be covered in the normal way but the consultation fee itself still has to be paid. If we want to direct more care into appropriate alternatives to GP visits and hospitals, the cost of doing that should not simply be transferred to patients. Government should publish the cost of making essential pharmacy care freely available on the same basis as GP care. More broadly, reducing pharmacy costs for patients should form part of the Sl\u00e1intecare roadmap. This should include reducing the drugs payment scheme threshold, adding more medicines to the reimbursement list and reforming the GP visit card so that it takes into account other elements of primary care, including pharmacy and dental services. The next step is to make greater use of community pharmacies in chronic disease management and proactive health checks. Pharmacists are still not formally integrated into existing chronic disease management teams. There is scope for a greater role in targeted cardiovascular screening, blood pressure checks, diabetes and cholesterol checks and wider screening and prevention.  We in Sinn F\u00e9in have proposed a role for community pharmacy in integrated and targeted cardiovascular health screening and management for people at highest risk of cardiovascular disease.  Vaccination through pharmacies can also be expanded, including targeted free access to vaccines such as the shingles vaccine. I have read recently that there might be some movement on that issue. It might be something that will be included in the budget, if the media reports are right. I am supportive of a shingles vaccine. I know we have to start somewhere, and a start would be welcome. If is the case that it is in the budget, that would be welcome. Shingles and respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, vaccines targeting those most vulnerable would be really helpful and pharmacists have a role to play there as well.  We also need to move towards a full pharmacy prescribing model, within each pharmacist's accredited scope of confidence. The expert task force recommended independent, autonomous, prescriptive authority. At present, pharmacists are limited to protocol-based prescribing for eight conditions. The legislation is in place to support the wider prescribing role but it has not been implemented in full. Expanding the role of pharmacy also requires proper workforce planning. Pharmacists have identified increased workloads, administrative burdens and workforce shortages such as barriers to delivering better care. The wider health service continues to suffer from a lack of strategic workforce planning and underinvestment in training places. Students are also facing exceptionally high points requirements because of the limited number of higher education places, despite the need to train more pharmacists domestically. We need to rejig workforce planning for both community and hospital pharmacy.  The South East Technological University, SETU, and University Hospital Waterford partnership is, I think, a good example of the value of regional training hubs. It brings together hospital practice, education and placement, postgraduate training, research and workforce development. Pharmacy already plays a much wider role in healthcare than simply dispensing medicines. The next phase is to build on the community pharmacy agreement and the common conditions service, and moving to universal healthcare must include pharmacy care. That means integrating pharmacy further into primary care, reducing financial barriers for patients, expanding its role in chronic disease management, screening and vaccination, implementing wider prescribing within pharmacists' accredited competence and ensuring the workforce and training capacities are there to support those reforms.  I also want to welcome the visitors in the Public Gallery from the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU. I commend all of those community pharmacists and those who work for them for the role they play in primary and community care more generally. We obviously look forward to continuing to support the evolution of the role that pharmacists play in healthcare, including in primary and community care more generally. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  I wish to thank the pharmacists for everything they do. Pharmacists play a crucial role within our health services and our primary care system. Within communities, they provide a vital service, often as part of a first call if a person is feeling unwell. They often help in a failing health system where patients are subjected to huge waiting lists for primary and clinical care. The role pharmacists play and the services they offer have developed over the years, especially in more recent years as we have sought to address shortcomings within our primary care system.  Universal healthcare, in my opinion, necessitates pharmacy care. Going by my own engagement with pharmacists, whether as a patient or as a public representative, there seems to be consistent willingness to provide enhanced services and assist in any regard in which they are fully capable and qualified. They just need sufficient engagement, appropriate supports and fair compensation in terms of logistics of delivery. Of course, pharmacists are always invaluable in our hospitals, helping to ensure that medicines are used safely and effectively as outlined by my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, through the example of the 2026 SETU and University Hospital Waterford partnership. They are, however, underutilised and, regretfully, sometimes underengaged and not sufficiently consulted by the Government on matters that significantly impact their ability to best serve their communities.  In terms of underutilisation, I am not sure I ever encountered an issue where pharmacists or their representatives were unwilling to engage and discuss how they could provide additional and enhanced services. However, there seems to be an emerging trend, particularly in recent years, where what I would view as positive announcements were made but someone forgot to work out the detail of how that service would be delivered and sometimes forgot to talk to the pharmacists. Who was that person who forgot to talk to the pharmacists? If they did talk, they did not listen. A perfect example was the free hormone replacement therapy, HRT, system. I welcomed the scheme and I commend the Minister for her part in developing it in principle and shepherding it through her Department, the Cabinet and so on, but there seemed to be a major disconnect somewhere along the line with regard to realising that, perhaps, the pharmacists who would actually administer the scheme might have some thoughts or needs with respect to its operation. The Minister may laugh but did she consult the pharmacists? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Carroll MacNeill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill  I do not think the Deputy has----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  Later on, we saw a similar situation in regard to the blister packs. Did the Minister consult the pharmacists? The free contraception scheme is another very positive scheme that our pharmacists are crucial in the delivery of. I have raised with the Minister on a number of occasions the need to significantly increase the upper age threshold for eligibility. Has the Minister increased that age? The scheme was first introduced in 2022 and limited to those aged 17 to 32. The increase to 35 in 2024 was woefully inadequate. Now, in 2026, we are still in the same place. Is the Minister going to tell me today that she is going to increase the age from 32? It still has not happened. At this pace of roll-out, it will take far too long before it is open to all who should be able to avail of it. I am certain that our pharmacists can and would willingly support this delivery but has it happened? I am not aware of any concerns in regard to the logistics of the appropriately expanded service but if there are, I am confident that the Minister could talk to the pharmacists about this and work it out with them. Has the Minister worked it out with them? If the Minister is really eager, she would be willing to work with the pharmacists and ensure that everybody over 32 years of age is able to get free contraception. Otherwise, the only explanation is a lack of political will on the part of Government.  As we mark World Pharmacists Week and recognise the significant value that our own pharmacists provide for all our communities, we have a few good points that the Government should take away from today. Yes, it should continue to deliver worthwhile initiatives and I am certain that it will find a very willing partnership in our pharmacists. Let our starting point be viewing them always as crucial and primary partners in primary care. Seek their opinion and expertise at as early a stage as practicable and hear out their concerns in their own capacity to deliver these initiatives. Crucially, hear out what supports might be needed. With that, we can best ensure that policies can succeed in moving from the theory of policy papers to the practical reality that pharmacies delivering primary care services can do better within their communities. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Rice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Rice  I apologise to the Minister. I missed her opening statement. I was down at the Traveller committee, where we are looking at the health report produced by the committee, which shows damning findings and extreme levels of health inequalities faced by our Travellers as a result of racism, discrimination and neglect. It was welcome that the two junior Ministers engaged on that issue but I think it would be good, at some point, for the Minister to engage with that report as well. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Carroll MacNeill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill  I met Pavee Point recently. I will. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Rice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Rice  Yes. We might engage as a committee on that because a substantial amount of work and hearings went into that report.  That brings me to the point I made previously. We get a lot of statements on the D\u00e1il floor in relation to many issues. We had statements on pharmacy-related issues not too long ago but there are lots of other health issues.  I see this in my work as Chair of the health committee. We get such a number of requests on different issues from Government and Opposition members to discuss particular topics. We probably have about ten requests for every single session of the health committee. One of the challenges I have is trying to get as many of those in as I can. As such, there is a long list of issues that warrant teasing out on the D\u00e1il floor and enough time at the committee and I would welcome some kind of engagement on the topics we could discuss here. Our group and other groups put forward issues at Whips' and D\u00e1il business meetings but they do not often make it onto the agenda. It would be good to engage on some of those and also some of the legislative priorities. We engaged over a year ago on the assisted human reproduction Bill. We were told at the time it was urgent, it was coming and was pressing and the committee rushed our consideration over the summer. We worked over August to do that report and a year on we still do not have legislation. My point is just that this D\u00e1il time is really precious and valuable and there are pressing legislative priorities the Minister and I share but I would like to see some of that time dedicated to those, including the right to healthcare accountability and many other issues that could be addressed, like staffing issues in the health service, funding, CHI - the list goes on. Traveller health is one that, based on that report, needs to make it onto the agenda. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Mark Wall)  Deputy, we have been talking about pharmacists. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Rice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Rice  It is a related point about how we decide on statements, what kind of statements we have and the discussions we have. It is an important point because I feel strongly, as a citizen and an elected representative, about this Parliament, how we run the Parliament, how we make it more productive and how we serve the citizens of the State best. It is a great honour to be here to represent people and the time we have here is vitally important. Engagement with a senior Minister on these issues is really important and a Minister's time is very precious as well. It is just a point that maybe we could have dialogue on this at some stage.  On the pharmacists, I acknowledge there has been a real expansion of the services on offer from community pharmacists. The focus is no longer just on a dispensing-based service, which is rightly the core of the clinical model and the very foundation of our pharmacies. We are seeing a move towards a more expansive and integrated model where pharmacists\u2019 expertise is recognised and utilised. The Minister and her predecessor should be acknowledged for their work to expand services in community pharmacies. It is really important we are seeing the expansion of the work that happens in pharmacies. Too often task forces are set up but do not lead to tangible change. This has not been the case with the expert task force to support the expansion of the role of pharmacy. The task force was established in 2023 and published its findings the following year. Since then we have seen pharmacists enabled to extend certain prescriptions for up to 12 months, the introduction of the common conditions service and the passage of a Bill to allow for pharmacists to represcribe certain contraceptives and I understand that the Department is finally on course to appoint its first Chief Pharmaceutical Officer. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Carroll MacNeill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Carroll-MacNeill.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill  It has done so. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Rice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-Rice.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Rice  It has; that is great. There has been some real progress and that should be acknowledged and welcomed by both the Minister and her predecessor. It is important that work is happening and it is good to mark it on World Pharmacists Day.  As we know, Sl\u00e1intecare has a strong emphasis on enhancing public health and prevention and the delivery of an integrated healthcare system. Pharmacists have an important role to play in the delivery of these aims. When it comes to public health and prevention, they are already engaged in health promotion, screening and vaccinations but they are capable of more, particularly in the area of prevention. Take, for example, HIV prevention. There is an urgent need to expand access to PrEP into other clinical and community-based settings. The State\u2019s current PrEP programme is too restrictive. We only have 13 public PrEP services. Of the 26 counties served by the PrEP programme, 16 have no public location to access PrEP, while of the 38 private providers of PrEP 33 are based in Dublin. Community pharmacists are part of the solution to these regional inequalities and we need to expand the breadth of healthcare staff eligible to provide PrEP services, and that includes pharmacists. The Sexual Health Strategy commits to:  Explore and where possible, implement the best ways to enable wider, timely access to PEP, out-of-hours and for people living at a distance from public STI clinics, e.g, through online solutions, availability through pharmacists and primary care services, following necessary legislative change.  Thus it is in the strategy that pharmacists could engage in this work and it would be great to hear from the Minister about where this commitment stands and if any progress has been made since the strategy was published last year. In my capacity as Chair of the health committee I received quite a concerning letter from the Gay Health Network, which represents many of the organisations advocating on sexual health. It said \"...despite repeated engagement over almost two years, the South East remains without a publicly accessible PrEP service\". That is an entire region without access to a public PrEP service in the south east. The Gay Health Network and others have tried to engage with the HSE on this. They have written and I understand they have not received responses. The network said in its letter that \"People living in the South East continue to be denied equitable access to a nationally funded HIV prevention programme that has been available elsewhere in Ireland for several years\". There are therefore real concerns about health inequalities and access to prevention. Pharmacists are part of the solution and that issue in the south east needs to be urgently addressed . There should be engagement with the organisations that have been advocating because to date that has not been adequate. Looking at these issues again is on the draft agenda of the health committee.  The other area we have seen progress is the introduction of the common conditions service, which has certainly been a positive development. This service allows for pharmacists to assess symptoms and prescribe treatment for eight common conditions, including thrush, shingles and cold sores. However, my problem with this service is every patient must pay for it. The consultation fee is not reimbursed by the State, even if you have a medical card. Earlier this year the Irish Independent reported pharmacists are charging between \u20ac30 and \u20ac35for this service and any medicines prescribed comes with an additional cost. I accept the medicine cost can be reimbursable if a patient avails of a HSE community drug scheme and that this new common conditions service is still cheaper than visiting a GP if you do not have a medical card or GP visit card. However, why would anyone with a medical card or GP visit card pay for the common conditions service when they could see their GP for free? This undercuts the main reason for thecommon conditions service, which is to divert people away from overstretched GP services. There is an access issue there that needs to be addressed. When the Irish Pharmacy Union first proposed this scheme it estimated nearly 1 million GP consultations for medical card patients could be dealt with more appropriately by a pharmacist. We all know there is a problem with how overstretched GP services are and there is a solution here to free up GPs and provide better access to the common conditions service for people with medical cards. At a minimum medical card patients should be able to avail of the common conditions service free of charge. That is something the Minister might take away and have a think about.  Last time we were here we talked about contraception and I will take this opportunity to again raise the matter of prescription-free oral contraceptives. As I have said previously, the World Health Organization recommends prescription-free access to oral contraceptives. This includes both combined oral contraceptives and progestogen-only pills. This would still be treated as behind-the-counter pharmacy access requiring eligibility screening by trained pharmacists before being dispensed. We must remember pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals and they should be allowed to operate at the top of their licence. Community pharmacists have been providing emergency contraception prescription-free since 2011 and real consideration should be given to extending this to oral contraception. This would make the process faster and easier for women and further alleviate pressure on GPs. It would be particularly beneficial for those who are not eligible for the free contraception scheme as it would reduce the cost. It has been three years since the Irish Pharmacy Union told the Oireachtas health committee: \"There is no clinical reason for oral contraceptives to be supplied only on foot of a prescription; with proper protocols this is a very safe and effective healthcare intervention.\" The previous health committee endorsed that call from the IPU and wrote to the then Minister for Health on it, urging him to allow direct access to oral contraceptives through community pharmacies. I ask the Minister to look at that one as well.  Also on the topic of contraceptives, there is a need to expand the free contraception scheme in the upcoming budget. The scheme is currently available to women aged 17 to 35 but we know from the National Women's Council and others that age is a barrier to accessing that.  In the area of vaccinations, community pharmacists now administer one in every three vaccines under the flu and Covid vaccination programmes but there is scope there for further expansion to utilise those services to the maximum.  I thank all the pharmacists around the country for their work, dedication and for the services they provide. They are a vital part of communities and provide accessible and trusted services to people. They are central to the delivery of an integrated care healthcare system as envisioned under Sl\u00e1intecare. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Keira Keogh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Keira Keogh  I thank the Minister for being here. I welcome the opportunity to speak during World Pharmacists Day and to recognise the invaluable contribution made by pharmacists across the country, including in my constituency of Mayo. Mayo people will use any excuse to say \"Up Mayo\" these days.  This year's theme is \"Empowering pharmacists for healthier futures\" and it is a fitting reminder of the central role pharmacists play in our healthcare system. They are often the most accessible healthcare professionals in our communities and provide advice, support patients, administer vaccines and ensure the safe use of medicines.  In many rural towns and villages across Mayo, the local pharmacy is a vital front-line health service and a really trusted point of contact for communities.  I recognise the progress that has been made in expanding the role of pharmacists in recent years. Through the Government's common condition service, community pharmacists can assess patients and, where appropriate, prescribe certain prescription-only medicines for a range of common conditions like shingles, impetigo, conjunctivitis, cold sores, allergic rhinitis and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. This means that patients can access treatment more quickly and, in turn, it reduces pressures on our already overburdened GP services and it prevents presentations at accident and emergency departments. Pharmacists also play an important role in supporting women accessing hormone replacement therapy, HRT, with the State now covering the cost of HRT medicines under the national HRT scheme where these treatments have been prescribed by a healthcare professional.  I welcome the upcoming secondary legislation, which I know is being worked on at the moment, to provide regulatory guidance and pharmacist training for the contraceptive prescribing service, which will allow repeat prescriptions for some forms of contraception. This is a really important and welcome move. I think especially of those women who are suffering domestic violence or under coercive control where trying to get a GP appointment might be very difficult or where they might be seen going into the doctor. To be able to go into a local pharmacist and get this is key. These reforms recognise the expertise of pharmacists and demonstrate how empowering them to work at the top of their licence can improve access to care, particularly in rural communities such as those throughout Mayo.  I also really welcome the newly launched MediBack service, which has been online since 26 August. It is another really good and practical example of the important role our community pharmacists are playing. It is providing a safe and convenient way to return unused or expired medicines correctly, which is protecting our environment but also protecting public health and safety. We lost my nana in 2024. One slowly goes through the process of cleaning out the house but we are finding so many unused medications and to be able to pop into the local pharmacy is helpful. It is similar to what we have with batteries where we have the WEEE collection. Now we have somewhere to go with our medicines because it is too easy to throw them in the bin and we do not know the consequences so I remind everybody to check their cabinets this week. I thank the Minister and her Department for their work on that really practical scheme.  I also acknowledge that the demands placed on our pharmacists have increased significantly in recent years because our population is ageing and our healthcare needs are becoming more complex. Pharmacists are taking on an even greater role in preventative care, medicines management and supporting patients to live healthier, longer lives. They consistently demonstrate professionalism and dedication in serving their communities. However, while we are celebrating their contribution, we must also acknowledge the challenges facing them and their struggles. There are a few facing the sector.  The most pressing concern expressed to me by pharmacists in Westport and Newport is the ongoing issue of medicine shortages and stock availability. Despite the calm our pharmacists often offer at the counter, they have told me the true nature of their role, which often involves a lot of stress. To add to that, they are dealing with these significant supply issues where they are sometimes spending valuable time late in the evening trying to source alternative supplies of essential medicines, sometimes contacting prescribers to prescribe something alternative and then trying to reassure concerned patients who cannot access the medications they normally rely upon. This often places additional pressure on already busy pharmacies and can create anxiety, particularly in older people and those managing long-term conditions. I think of one story where a lady was coming in for her regular HRT medication and the pharmacist could not provide it for her, which was stressful for him and for her. This pharmacist told me that at one point, up to 300 basic medicines were not available on his shelves at a particular time and reported that at one stage, he even tried to quarter tablets. That is very stressful. In rural counties such as Mayo, these supply disruptions can have an even greater impact because patients often have to travel significant distances to get to their pharmacist and if we are waiting for the medicine to reach Mayo, that can also add to the delay. Community pharmacists are doing everything possible to manage these shortages but they cannot solve systemic supply chain issues on their own. I was told about that lady with the HRT but also about another mother whose child was diagnosed with ADHD after a long waiting process. She went in to collect the medication but could not get it. I know that these issues are also global in nature, with supply channels being driven by a range of factors and the global demand for medicine does continue to rise with the ageing population and chronic conditions.  I welcome the work that the Minister has done on this. I know there was a new agreement this year. The Irish Pharmacy Union survey for this year is ongoing and we will not see the effects of that just yet but if we look at the Irish Pharmacy Union's 2025 medicine shortages survey, we can see that 57% of pharmacists reported that medicine shortages had significantly increased over the previous 12 months compared with 82% in 2024. However, the overall scale of the problem remains significant, with that 57% of pharmacists still encountering shortages. The survey suggests that shortages might be beginning to level off rather than worsen but it is not lost on me that pharmacists are continuing to spend significant time sourcing alternatives. As such, I really welcome the new framework agreement that was announced earlier this year between the State, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and Medicines for Ireland to govern the pricing and supply of medicines until 2029. I know that this agreement aims to improve patient access to medicine, strengthen medicine supply chains and reduce shortages, encourage the early introduction of generic and bio-similar medicines, and maintain the financial stability of the service. It is in this vein that I welcome the programme for Government commitment to support pharmacists to adopt a proactive approach to managing medicine shortages but the Government must continue working with pharmacists, wholesalers, manufacturers and healthcare providers to strengthen medicine supply chains, improve communication around shortages and ensure that patients can access the medicines that they need when they need them.  We must also continue to support investment in our pharmacy workforce, particularly in rural areas, so that community pharmacists can remain sustainable and continue delivering essential services close to where people live. Today, in advance of World Pharmacists Day, I thank all pharmacists and pharmacy staff across Ireland but especially across Mayo for their dedication to patient care. I do not want to name all the pharmacists in Mayo but there is one very famous tonic. If anybody is starting to have a bit of a sniffle or to come down with something, he or she is not sent in to see the doctor but, rather, down to Tom Treacy's to get his famous tonic. Nobody knows what is in it but apparently it is a cure for everything. I must also mention my own pharmacist Ronan Lally, who has kept me alive in this new crazy political life. I think we can all agree that we Deputies do not have the healthiest of lifestyles and maybe not that much time to go to the GP, so our pharmacists so often keep us alive. With that, I thank pharmacists for their expertise. Their commitment and service have a real impact on the health and well-being of our communities every day. Happy World Pharmacists Day. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Mark Wall)  Too true is right. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marie Sherlock","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marie-Sherlock.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Marie-Sherlock.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Marie Sherlock  I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak during statements in advance of World Pharmacists Day. It has been said many times in the Chamber that pharmacists play an extraordinary front-line role in terms of that preventative and community care piece. We know there are over 1,900 community pharmacies across this country. In some ways, they are the unsung heroes of our health system. While there is a lot of focus on our doctors and nurses and other parts of the health service, it is the pharmacists, many of whom run seven-day operations or extended hours, who are at the front line or coalface within our health system. This is particularly true at a time when access to GPs is an issue. The Minister will be fed up listening to me talking about access to GPs and that very real issue that is particularly concentrated in certain parts of this country. In addition, when our hospitals are under enormous strain, it is really critical that we support our pharmacies and our pharmacists to be able to provide as much of that care in the community as possible.  About 2.1 million adults visit a pharmacy every single week in this country, which is a phenomenal figure. An extraordinary proportion of our population is accessing healthcare through something that is on our main streets not hidden away. In that regard, I welcome the progress in the past year with regards to the vaccination service, and BowelScreen in particular. It is great that 1,600 pharmacies have now signed up to the BowelScreen programme. The MediBack issue has been a bugbear for a long time.  People come to me, particularly when a loved one dies, and there is a lot of medication in the house. It is one of those awful parts of having to deal with the situation when somebody passes away - getting rid of the stuff from the house but with nowhere to go. There is the environmental issue but also the awful waste when it is going nowhere. Therefore, it is fantastic that the MediBack system is now there.  I want to raise the need to look at where pharmacies are located across our communities, particularly those communities that do not have as much access to GP care as is possible. The Minister will have heard me talk of this before. In the north inner city, the Dublin 1 area has just over 3,500 people to one GP, whereas the national average is 1,700 to one GP. The reality is that people are much more reliant on their pharmacists for care. In the case of my constituency, there is a population with very complex medical needs. In that regard, we need to look very closely at how we support our pharmacies.  The other key point concerns who turns up at our emergency departments. In particular, I think of the Mater hospital being the local GP for many people in my community. When we look at the national figures, people did not have a GP referral for 72% of emergency department presentations last year. That is a wake-up call in terms of how people are accessing health services. To a much greater extent, they should be relying on GPs but because GPs are not accessible and because people cannot get a timely appointment, they end up going to the emergency department.  I say that in the context that we need to better resource and support our pharmacies, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The deprivation grant was rolled out to GPs a number of years ago, which is certainly very welcome, but it is not going to change anybody\u2019s world. It is a small amount of money but it is an important reflection and indication to those GP services in disadvantaged areas of the work they are doing. It was changed last year, and some GPs in the most deprived areas are no longer getting it, which is an issue I need to take up with the Minister. I have been putting forward parliamentary questions but I am making very little progress with the HSE on finding out who is now getting it. The key point is that there is a deprivation grant. It should be going to the GPs who have the most disadvantaged set of patients. Similarly, we need to see the deprivation grant going to pharmacies as well. Effectively, they are providing a front-line health service in areas where people cannot easily get a GP. The IPU has put a cost on this of somewhere in the region of \u20ac2 million, which is a very small amount, but it would go far in supporting pharmacies in disadvantaged areas.  The other key issue I want to raise concerns prevention and the rollout of vaccinations. We know that community pharmacists play a big role in administering the flu vaccine every year. A source of frustration is the lack of co-ordination with regard to vaccine supplies. Every year, pharmacists contact me to say they have run out of stock, while other pharmacists contact me to ask if I know anyone or any local school that might need the flu vaccine. There is a lack of co-ordination when I talk to the HSE locally about where supplies and stocks are. At a time when we need to be mindful of how money is spent in our health service, it is ridiculous to think that this co-ordination is not there.  Women\u2019s health is obviously a very important issue for the Minister, as it is for me. The contraception prescribing service that will operate from early next year will be wonderful. However, to repeat myself, why is the cut-off at the age of 35? I appreciate that it is about money but the key issue is that this is a really important service for women. We need the Minister, as a woman, to champion this within the health budget. We look forward hopefully to some progress on that.  There are two final issues I want to raise. The first concerns the reports this week on the changes to the drugs payment scheme. A number of people have contacted me who are particularly concerned because the drugs payment scheme has been a lifesaver for them. In a cost-of-living crisis, the prospect that the drugs payment scheme threshold may change is very frightening for people, particularly given what was reported with regard to long-term illnesses, which was some sort of co-payment. As the Minister knows, the list of illnesses on the long-term illness scheme has not changed in donkey\u2019s years and, of course, there is a huge demand to add new illnesses to the scheme. The critical issue for those with long-term illnesses who are not on the long-term illness scheme is that there might be changes to how they pay for their drugs. It is a great concern. I ask the Minister to clarify whether there are changes afoot, given the reports we saw.  We have talked today about community pharmacists. Obviously, there are a lot of pharmacists within hospitals but there are also pharmacists within addiction services. They play an enormous and profoundly important role in the lives of those on a recovery path, particularly with regard to the opiates stabilisation programme. It is important to highlight that a number of sessional pharmacists were taken on in the 1990s and 2000s as a fix. They were taken on on a contract basis, and that has been rolled over every year because there was effectively no space for them to be taken on on a permanent, full-time basis. They have been with the service for many years but they accrue no pension rights. The reality is that they have fought and fought the HSE on this issue but they have made no progress. I will take it up with the Minister on an individual basis but it is important for me to raise their situation on the floor of the D\u00e1il. They have provided a vital service but they feel that lies have been told to them by the HSE. The reality is that people have died without any pension entitlement, particularly death benefits for their families. They have provided a service that is hidden from the rest of society but certainly in the communities I represent, it is a vital service. They feel very much abused and disrespected in the roles they have played. I will take it up with the Minister outside the House. It is important to recognise that the pharmacists we are talking about here today are not just on our main streets, although they are wonderful, but also the ones in silent but really important roles in our health service, keeping people alive. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  As we work to mark World Pharmacy Week with World Pharmacists Day tomorrow, I want to thank pharmacists and their teams across Galway East and throughout the country for the work they do every day. In towns and villages across my constituency, the pharmacy is somewhere people know they can turn to. They can walk through the door, speak to someone they trust and get professional advice about something that is worrying them. That might be a parent concerned about a child. It could be somebody adjusting to a new prescription or an older person who needs a little extra time to understand their medication. Those conversations are crucial. The reassurance, patience and personal attention that pharmacists provide make a real difference to people\u2019s lives. I do not think we can ever underestimate that. In rural communities in particular, the value of having that expertise close to home cannot be overstated. Accessing healthcare can mean arranging a lift, taking time off work or travelling a considerable distance. The local pharmacy provides an accessible connection to care. I also acknowledge all of the pharmacy technicians and support staff. Their contribution is essential to the service that patients receive.  There has been meaningful progress in support of this sector, which I welcome. The community pharmacy agreement provides over \u20ac75 million in additional investment across 2025 and 2026, and the common conditions service launched in January is an important expansion of the pharmacists\u2019 clinician role. However, if we want pharmacies to take on greater responsibilities, we must address the pressures they face. I would highlight four of them today. The first is financial sustainability. Pharmacies face rising operating costs, just like other businesses, while carrying significant healthcare responsibilities. Funding must reflect the professional time, staffing and facilities needed to deliver services safely. The second is workforce capacity. New services require trained people and time with patients. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"World Pharmacists Week: Statements"}]}}]},"contextDate":"2026-09-24"},{"debateRecord":{"house":{"showAs":"34th D\u00e1il","committeeCode":"","houseCode":"dail","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/house\/dail\/34","chamberType":"house","houseNo":"34"},"chamber":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/def\/house\/dail","showAs":"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann"},"lastUpdated":"2026-09-24T09:00:53+00:00","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/main","formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/mul@\/main.xml"},"pdf":null},"date":"2026-09-23","counts":{"contributorCount":159,"divisionCount":10,"debateSectionCount":24,"questionCount":0,"billCount":5},"debateType":"debate","debateSections":[{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_2","debateType":"topical","bill":null,"showAs":"\u00c1bhair Shaincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Matters","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)  I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case:  Deputy Emer Currie - To discuss the abolition of the deemed disposal rule.  Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss access to planned residential placements for adults with intellectual disabilities.  Deputy Duncan Smith - To discuss the loss of the remains or partial remains of unidentified bodies.  Deputy Paul Lawless - To discuss the future of a school in County Mayo.  Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne - To discuss the status of a new school building in County Galway.  Deputy Matt Carthy - To discuss funding for a public swimming pool in Carrickmacross.  Deputy Conor Sheehan - To discuss the funding of CCTV schemes for Limerick city.  Deputy P\u00e1draig O'Sullivan - To discuss lack of resources and staffing issues at Cork University Hospital.  Deputy Tom Brabazon - To discuss the new school building at Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann, Dublin 13.  Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa - To discuss the difficulty in obtaining an involuntary committal for mental health services.  Deputy James O'Connor - To discuss public transport services in the east Cork area.  Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for EV charging infrastructure to be located in developments.  Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the development of intergenerational community hubs.  Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy - To discuss the upcoming Ireland-Israel football match.  Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the imminent closure of unit 1, Sarsfield Court and the vacant units on the site .  Deputy John Clendennen - To discuss recurring water supply disruptions affecting Birr, County Offaly and concerns regarding the reliability of the network and communication with affected residents.  Deputies Conor D. McGuinness and David Cullinane - To discuss transport and connectivity in Waterford.  Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the need for improvements to the Dublin to Rosslare rail line, in particular for passengers south of Wicklow town.  Deputies Cathy Bennett and Natasha Newsome Drennan - To discuss the failure of BreastCheck to achieve mammogram targets. To discuss the failure of BreastCheck to achieve mammogram targets.  The matters raised by Deputies Cathy Bennett and Natasha Newsome Drennan; Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa; Deputy Conor Sheehan; Deputy Tom Brabazon; and Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne have been selected for discussion. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"\u00c1bhair Shaincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Matters"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","debateType":"topical","bill":null,"showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":false,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_4","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Health Screening Programmes","counts":{"speechCount":11,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_4","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  Over 3,500 new breast cancer cases arise in the State every year. It is absolutely shocking to say that 20% of the scheduled examinations did not take place last year. This should be seen as a red flag for Government and a huge concern for us all. The Minister needs to understand why this is happening and seek to address it immediately, whether through advertisements, education, more flexibility in the service in terms of missed appointments, and any other mechanism necessary. However, last year is not the full story of the missed targets. The missed targets over the past three years amount to 122,334. These can be taken in tandem with figures released to Sinn F\u00e9in earlier this year that show 45% of breast cancer surgeries are not happening within the recommended timeframe. With a growing and ageing population which will see the number of women eligible increase from 500,000 in 2019 to 700,000 by the end of the decade, the picture painted is one that should be deeply concerning for the future. It is not sufficient to simply increase targets and expect everything else to flow. We have seen the outworkings of that in terms of HRT, blister packs and so on. What I want to hear from the Minister of State is her comprehensive plan to set this right now - not just targets, but the substance. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan  In little over a week we will mark the beginning of cancer awareness month. This should be a time when we can talk about the great progress being made in fighting cancer across the State. While progress is being made in some areas, which is positive and should be strongly welcomed, the national target for mammograms has been missed for a third consecutive year, and not by any small amount; it has been missed by 46,000. That is 46,000 women who should have been scanned. While the numbers of those being scanned are reaching record highs, we must ask why these targets are being missed by such a vast amount. If breast cancer is detected at stage 1, 99% of women will survive but survival drops to 37% if detected at stage 4. Data suggests that nearly one third of women are not getting breast cancer surgery in time. Women's lives should not be a statistic. These delays are crippling families with the fear of the unknown and reducing survival rates. University Hospital Waterford's webpage states that the hospital \"provides a high quality service which addresses all aspects of care for women affected by breast cancer\". Therefore, what is happening? Have there been cutbacks in the hospital? What multi-annual investment in cancer care will be seen to address demand and to prevent these backlogs increasing? Behind each and every one of these figures is a mother, a daughter, a sister and a grandmother. The devastation to families caused by failures to detect breast cancer early is absolutely immense. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)  I thank Deputies Bennet and Newsome Drennan for this opportunity to discuss the important matter of breast screening. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I genuinely thank the Deputies for raising it. It is really important. The more awareness we can bring to breast cancer screening, the better. It is not often I get the opportunity. I will be in the Seanad at 10.30 a.m. answering a similar question and I welcome that. I am standing here as, I assume, the only woman who has availed of BreastCheck for those aged 50 and over. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  No, I have too. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  The Deputy certainly does not look old enough. I am going to draw on my own lived experience in relation to this because is really important. If we only take one thing away from today it is that we urge every eligible woman to attend for breast screening when they are called as the numbers are only at 70%. The last time I attended was two years ago in the summer. I remember arriving at about 11.05 a.m., five minutes late, and I apologised to the nurse on duty who told me not to worry as I was the first person to arrive that day. She said that when the sun was shining unfortunately the screening was not a priority for people. It is really important that it is noted on the floor of the D\u00e1il that people turn up for only two out of every three appointments. The question is what we do to improve that and to look for solutions.  Enhancing Ireland's cancer screening programme is a priority for the Minister for Health and for all of us in the House. These programmes are a vital component of our health services. Breast cancer is the most common non-invasive cancer in women, with over 3,500 cases diagnosed in Ireland every year. About one third of these are detected through screening. BreastCheck, Ireland's national breast screening programme, screens women aged 50 to 69 years of age. It aims to detect breast cancer at the earliest possible stage and provide assessment and access to onward care for women who need further interventions. It operates four regional screening units and 24 mobile units serving 54 locations across the country. In 2025, BreastCheck screened 173,443 women, the highest number in its history. However, the HSE acknowledged that this was below the target it set itself for that year.  The Government has made significant investments in cancer screening programmes in recent years. This includes improvements to infrastructure, staffing and technology, and the Minister for Health understands from the national screening service that these improvements include a new patient database system. This is a modern system that simplifies and streamlines workflows for BreastCheck's team. It enables real-time data tracking of screening a participant's journey and helps address the service gaps. The HSE has also implemented a streamlined appointment system and reorganised radiography staff to increase weekday appointments using its current resources. Since 2023, the NSS has recruited new consultants and senior radiographers, secured additional recruitment funding and expanded training places. BreastCheck has partnered with University College Cork to launch a postgraduate mammography certification in Ireland. This is really important because it enables mammographers to train in Ireland. Three new mobile screening units have been added since 2020, bringing the total number to 24. BreastCheck continues to commission new mobile screening units and plan for additional screening infrastructure. BreastCheck has been engaged on inviting women at higher risk, those waiting longest, newly eligible women, and women from marginalised groups who may face barriers to screening. We really want to encourage all women to attend their appointments or to reschedule them. Filling every slot helps to ensure that more women receive screenings. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  As I have said before, we need to make BreastCheck more visible so people know to have their breast checks done. The HSE and BreastCheck are failing too many people, with patients on trolleys, years-long waiting lists, delayed diagnoses, overcrowding in hospitals and families just left in limbo right across the whole of the HSE, not just in BreastCheck. Just in my locality of Cavan and Monaghan this week, there has been a patient lying on the floor. I realise that it is not about BreastCheck but I thought I would bring it up with the Minister of State here today. It is absolutely horrendous that we have people lying on the floors in our hospitals and patients who cannot get their BreastCheck screenings. Despite the millions being spent by the HSE, people still are not being seen in the timely manner needed. The public deserves more in every area under the HSE. I ask the Minister of State to take this on board. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan  I know a woman in my community who found a lump. She went to her GP straight away. She did everything right. She got her referral for an appointment but had to wait seven weeks to be seen, only to be told then that she needed an urgent ultrasound and a mammogram but would have to wait three to four months. This was despite the presence of the lump and a history of breast cancer in her family. Her own sister had it at 36. That should be setting off alarm bells. Four months later, she got her scan and a biopsy and received a positive diagnosis of breast cancer. She has dense breast tissue and needs an MRI scan as a result. First, she was told it would take two to three weeks. A day later, she got a phone call and was told she would be waiting another eight weeks. That is over six months of waiting that this woman has had to endure, all while the cancer is growing. How is it acceptable to leave a woman waiting like that for an urgent scan? The woman, Linda, would like to ask why she is in this situation and how many more women are just like her. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  As Deputies will know, I cannot talk about individual cases on the floor of the D\u00e1il. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan  Nobody wants to talk about it. I sense it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  Sorry, but it is not an over-and-back. The most important thing we can do leaving here today is to encourage women, first and foremost, to avail of screening. Only 70% of BreastCheck screenings are accessed every year. That means two out of every three women avail of the service. We can all agree that we should leave here today trying to encourage people to avail of it.  The second point is that one third of all breast cancers are detected through screening. I have a very good friend who, many years ago, went for her very first mammogram, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a very positive outcome.  In relation to the cases both Deputies have raised, the circumstances are simply not acceptable to me as a woman or as a Minister of State in the Department of Health. It is not a situation we want to see arising. The HSE is making every effort to expand services.  The point made on visibility is important. Breast cancer is not something we should be hiding away. In Waterford, my constituency, the BreastCheck van is in the Regional Sports Centre for six months of the year and in Dungarvan Community Hospital for the other six. Every eligible woman aged from 50 to 69 in a particular area is invited to attend. Unfortunately, only two out of three do. Notwithstanding the case cited, it is important to get the message out that if a woman of any age notices a change in a breast, she should go to her GP immediately and get support in as timely a manner as possible.  I thank the Deputies for raising this. It is so important that we talk about women's health on the floor of the D\u00e1il. I will bring the Deputies' comments back to the Minister. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan  She knows about it. She has her email. Nobody is answering me. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Health Screening Programmes"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_5","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Mental Health Services","counts":{"speechCount":9,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_5","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  I thank the Minister of State for being here. It will not be the first time we have had this discussion. It is a very difficult discussion to deal with. We all know that in Ireland we have a history of it being far too easy to get an involuntary admission to mental health services. The problem is that, on some level, the pendulum has swung too far the other way. There can be difficulties at times. I am talking people who are obviously sick. While they may not be, from the Garda's point of view, an imminent danger to themselves or others, they are definitely in harmful circumstances and in mental anguish. At times, it looks like the State has washed its hands, and that is why many people may be attempting to do an awful lot of good work.  I will go through a number of examples without getting into any more detail than I need to. I dealt with the case of a man who had been put out of emergency accommodation. He had obviously breached the rules within this emergency accommodation. He had mental health issues and a long history of mental health issues. He was known to mental health services. There was an attempt at a voluntary admission whereby the Garda and a mental health social worker attempted to cajole him to go to Crosslanes. That did not work out. The problem is that this probably happened two weeks into the event. It probably took about six weeks before there was an authorised officer.  We are looking for more authorised officers who can deal specifically with these sorts of cases. If we were in the North or in Britain, it would probably be a lot easier for an authorised officer to deliver an involuntary admission. Therefore, we need to consider this. Obviously, a GP is needed and, as garda\u00ed will often say, GPs will generally not sign forms for involuntary admission, even in cases where they would at times believe it should happen. Whether it is a matter of guidelines, protocols or re-examining the legislation, we need to find a solution. There is a very wide conversation to be had.  I spoke to the Minister of State previously about a woman in similar circumstances who went months refusing help but needed help. I could not get into the issues that were impacting on her. The garda\u00ed had taken her in during really cold weather. She was dealt with and is in a better place at the minute but it just took far too long.  I also have an issue at the minute concerning a man who had previously been homeless and had been housed by Louth County Council. He is now having a recurrence of his mental health issues, which has happened previously. The problem, I assume, is that he is not taking his prescribed medication. There is probably street medication. Street tablets would be taken. He now has in his house a whole pile of people that neighbours would not necessarily want to have there, creating an awful lot of antisocial behaviour.  Louth County Council is attempting to address it. The question is how the response can be escalated. The Garda says that it is difficult for it to bring about an involuntary admission. Mental health services are not offering anything. There is talk, when dealing with circumstances like this, that maybe it is the HSE or the social inclusion and community activation programme that has to escalate the response but the protocols need to be understood.  I have two more cases. They relate to parents who are in really difficult situations but I will leave those for the next round. It is a matter of the overall solution that is required. I will talk to the Minister of State about some of these issues afterwards. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue and for his persistent advocacy in relation to mental health.  The Mental Health Act 2001 sets out the current legal framework for the involuntary admission and treatment of people in inpatient mental health services, known as approved centres, where a person has a mental disorder within the meaning of the Act.  Even though I passed the Mental Health Act earlier this year through the Houses and the President signed it into law, it has not been enacted because there will be a lead-in time of approximately two years. It is very complex legislation and it deals specifically with involuntary detention, especially for those who do not have capacity.  On the thrust of what the Deputy is saying, involuntary admission involves a three-step process. First, an initial application may be made by a family member, a member of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, an authorised officer in the HSE or another person. We currently have 126 authorised officers around the country but we will be expanding that number considerably because, when the new Act comes into play, a member of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na will not have that authority anymore.  I expect to have approximately 500 authorised officers around the country.  Following the making of an application, the person is examined by a GP or other medical practitioner. Under the Act, if the medical practitioner believes the person has a mental disorder, they will then be referred to an approved centre for examination by a consultant psychiatrist. The consultant psychiatrist must certify that the person has a mental disorder and requires admission before an order to involuntarily admit that person is made.  For a person to have a mental disorder, there must be a likelihood of the person being an immediate and serious risk of harm to themselves or to others or, because of their condition, the person is likely to seriously deteriorate in the community and his or her detention is likely to be of materiel benefit to the person. To be clear, members of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na cannot admit anyone. They can recommend. They can ask for a consultant psychiatrist to look at a person and determine whether they should be voluntarily or involuntarily detained for their own safety.  The following is really important. To deprive someone of their liberty is a serious infringement of that person's human rights and must only be done when it is absolutely necessary and only in accordance with the robust legal safeguards. The decision to involuntarily admit someone under the Mental Health Act is a clinical decision and can only be made by a consultant psychiatrist. Just because a person may benefit from inpatient admission is not sufficient grounds to deprive them of their liberty. A person is entitled to refuse treatment for physical or mental health conditions. Only when a person meets the criteria for involuntary admission can they be admitted and treated without consent.  That said, I fully accept that many people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness need more support. The answers cannot simply be to broaden the grounds for involuntary admission. We need services that are more responsive, more flexible and better able to meet people where they are, particularly those whose illnesses, housing circumstances and complex needs make it difficult to access or engage with traditional services. Our focus must be on reaching and engaging people earlier, building trust, and ensuring that care is available in ways that work for them before a crisis point is reached.  I have to be clear that a person's housing status does not affect their right to refuse care, provided they have the capacity to make decisions about their own care. That is why we are opening Solace Caf\u00e9s across the country. We have six open now. Three more are funded this year for Donegal, Mullingar and Kerry, and I hope to open many more next year, if I receive the financial support in the budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  I understand what the Minister of State is saying in relation to the lead-in that is required for the new Mental Health Act. However, even in the short term, is it the case that we need guidelines, whether they are being given to local authorities or GPs at times? We could all have an argument about what is immediate or serious harm and whether someone is going to seriously deteriorate. I would argue on the cases I have cited that there has at times been a deterioration that is very obvious, but people are afraid. Furthermore, I get the idea that, in a perfect scenario, we assume there is capacity, but we are dealing with issues where people are making really dreadful decisions that are impacting on themselves and others and, in some cases, are very dangerous.  On some levels, families do not have the capacity to start the forms and their interaction with mental health services can sometimes be imperfect. I accept that some of that is down to them seeing themselves as being constrained by rules, laws and resources, but I have seen circumstances where there had been an attempt. One of the young men has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and is off his tablets. The mother had previously had to get protection orders. He is living there and she is very worried that the situation is deteriorating. In fairness, there was an attempt at getting a voluntary admission, but it did not work. I will not even bother reading out the response I received from the HSE. We need to find a way to deal with this.  Just in the last day, a mother was in. Her son, who is 29, has a long history of mental illness. In some instances, mental illness has brought him into prison, but he does not want support at this point in time. They cannot get a referral from a GP. Community services have put him off the books and his mother needs a solution. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  The Deputy mentioned several cases that I cannot speak to individually. However, I must be crystal clear that there are absolutely no circumstances where, if a consultant psychiatrist determines that a person must be involuntarily detained against their consent for their own safety or the safety of others, there is a resource issue. That is categorically not true. If we do not have enough capacity----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  It is about getting the person to that point. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  The Deputy cannot throw out statements like that, saying it is a resource issue in relation to involuntary detention. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  People have to get them to the psychiatrist. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)  One speaker. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  I am sorry, but Deputy \u00d3 Murch\u00fa must listen to the answer because we cannot just change a whole piece of legislation that has been there since 2001 for individual cases. We have to be very clear that there are huge criteria relating to how people are involuntarily detained, especially when they do not have capacity. We did not mention that today. We also did not mention the fact that, in a lot of these cases, there is a dual diagnosis of a mental disorder and drug addiction.  It has to be understood that it is not down to the garda, the family or the GP alone. In many instances, it is the family and GP working together. They make a referral to mental health services because they believe the person meets the criteria to be legally detained under the Act, and there is a legal framework to back it up. A consultant psychiatrist will then determine whether the person reaches the capacity or not. The capacity must be the likelihood of that person being an immediate and serious risk of harm to self or others or because of their condition the person is likely to seriously deteriorate in the community and his or her detention is likely to be of material benefit to the person. The department of psychiatry is not a place to put a person because they are homeless. We must be very clear on that. It is about all elements of the State coming together.  The Deputy might send me a couple of the cases he mentioned to see if I can be of any help to him. I know he is genuinely worried about them, but I have to work within the Act I currently have. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Mental Health Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_6","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Closed-Circuit Television Systems","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_6","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Catherine Ardagh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, for coming here this morning. It is good to have someone from the actual Department.  This feels to me a bit like Groundhog Day because it is my fourth time raising this issue. It is my second Topical Issue Debate, and I am effectively going to say the same thing I said ten months ago, so I sincerely hope that the Minister of State's Department has not given her the same reply as they gave another Minister ten months ago.  There is a comprehensive network of CCTV cameras in Limerick, 240 of which are monitored live. They were put in place for a specific reason, that being, we previously had a very violent feud in Limerick. They were put in place because, ten years ago this month, two children were burned alive in a car in Moyross. These cameras are stationed explicitly mainly in the city's four main regeneration areas, namely, Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St. Mary's Park. They were initially funded through economic social intervention funding through the regeneration process through the Department of housing. Regeneration has now concluded. That funding is being progressively wound down, which means there is a funding deficit every year to fund the ongoing live monitoring and maintenance of this camera network.  Last year, thankfully, the Mayor, John Moran, stepped in with his mayoral fund and plugged the gap of last year's funding deficit. He did that on the basis that he was asked by the Minister of State's Department and by the Minister for justice effectively for more time to deliver a permanent funding solution. We are now nearly a year on from that and a funding solution has not been forthcoming. This year, State funding is going to drop to \u20ac550,000, leaving a \u20ac660,000 shortfall that our local authority cannot absorb.  The issue is that, when I raise this issue, I get a response from the Minister of State's Department that intimates that I might be talking about community CCTV and that the Department can only fund CCTV up to \u20ac40,000. The issue here is that we have a specific, almost bespoke, case in Limerick because, unfortunately, we have had quite significant violence in the city.  The cameras have been transformative. There is a 70% prosecution rate with them. The tragic murder of Rose Hanrahan was effectively solved because the perpetrator was apprehended through the cameras. The chief superintendent and An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na have been clear this is one of the most important tools they have to carry out their day-to-day duties. If the Minister of State turns these off, she might as well take 20 or 30 garda\u00ed and bus them back to Templemore. This is something we have cross-party consensus on. My colleague, Senator Ryan, raised it in the Seanad recently. Deputy O'Dea raised it with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, recently and the Minister said he would endeavour to make sure the cameras do not have to be turned off.  A working group was supposed to be set up last year to deal with this issue. I would like to know, though maybe the Minister of State will have to come back to me with this, how many times that working group met. What were the outcomes of those meetings? I cannot get that information through parliamentary questions. Will the Minister of State and her Department agree to meet with Oireachtas Members from the mid-west and with the Mayor to find the solution to this? Will she agree, at least in principle, that the cameras cannot be turned off and that it would be detrimental to public safety and confidence in policing locally? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Catherine Ardagh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Catherine Ardagh)  I thank Deputy Sheehan for raising this matter. He said he has raised it on numerous occasions in this House. He outlined the huge success rate of CCTV in Moyross and Limerick. CCTV across the country makes us feel more secure in the community and in our own homes.  Community safety is a top priority for me, with delegated responsibility for youth justice, and for my Department. Everyone has the right to feel safe and free in their communities. Community CCTV plays a huge role in achieving this. CCTV in public places gives people a greater sense of security. It is also effective in deterring criminal activity and antisocial behaviour and in assisting with the investigation of crime.  The consideration and operation of community CCTV is a matter for the local authority concerned. As Minister of State, I have no role in the day-to-day operation of local authorities. Updates on individual schemes should be sought from the relevant local authority. CCTV infrastructure across the city and county continues to support community safety, assist Garda investigations and deter criminal activity and antisocial behaviour.  I am aware of concerns regarding future funding arrangements for the Moyross CCTV scheme. It is not straightforward in terms of who is responsible for the funding. The majority of funding for this scheme was previously provided through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, together with significant support from the mayoral fund.  In August 2025, a business case was submitted to the Department of justice seeking funding for the retention of the Moyross CCTV scheme after the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage indicated its intention to reduce its financial contribution over time. In September 2025, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, wrote to the Commissioner stating that the Department could not provide funding as the business case and application did not fall within the scope of the community CCTV scheme. The Minister met with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, and the Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, in November 2025 to discuss future funding arrangements. Following those discussions, a decision was taken that funding for 2026 would be provided through the mayoral fund.  My Department's position remains that the Moyross scheme should either continue to be funded, directly or indirectly, by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, or be funded by the Mayor\u2019s office or Limerick City and County Council. I recognise the value placed on the scheme locally. Information provided by Limerick City and County Council points to extensive use of CCTV footage in Garda investigations and highlights the importance of the system in supporting public safety and criminal prosecutions, particularly where witness intimidation has historically been a concern.  I note the Deputy's asks on the working group, how many times it has met and the outcomes. I will have to come back to him on that. I will make a note of that today. I will also pass on his request for a meeting between Limerick Oireachtas Members and the Minister.  In relation to a commitment that the CCTV will not be turned off, as a junior Minister in the Department, I cannot give a full commitment today but I will come back to the Deputy. As the funding is at the moment divvied out by the Department of housing and the mayoral fund, maybe he is asking the wrong Department but I will come back to him with an answer on that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  My frustration is that the Department of housing and the Department of justice seem to be operating in silos in relation to this. They do not seem to talk to one another. We are talking about \u20ac600,000 per year to plug the gap and ensure the continuation of this service. The irony is not lost on me of Government putting \u20ac58 million directly into infrastructure for the Ryder Cup, while we are talking about the live monitoring of the CCTV network that keeps the people of Limerick safe - not just Limerick city, it goes into Limerick county as well.  The Minister for justice often talks about his belief in high-visibility policing, yet he is effectively going to allow An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na in Limerick to be blindfolded if the live monitoring ceases. This is incredibly serious. We have a feud bubbling up, particularly in the Ballinacurra Weston area. It needs the cameras. Cameras are very effective when garda\u00ed get reports from communities. The Minister of State represents a similar type of constituency. People are not inclined to come forward with specific reports when incidents occur but when garda\u00ed check the cameras, they clearly see what has happened. I do not want the people of Limerick to become collateral damage in a game of ping-pong between the Department of housing and the Department of justice. The Department of housing constantly states its position is that ESIF funding is gone, regeneration has concluded and, because of that, it no longer has a vehicle through which to fund it. Could we not at least sit down with all the relevant stakeholders to see if we can find a solution to this and allow the live monitoring to continue, so the safety of the people of Limerick is not put at risk? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Catherine Ardagh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Catherine-Ardagh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Catherine Ardagh  I represent a similar constituency with significant intergenerational disadvantage and intergenerational trauma. We do not have widespread CCTV in Dublin South-Central but I can absolutely see the benefit of it. The Deputy makes a compelling case for ensuring this deadlock in relation to funding is overcome. I will be certain to pass on his requests to the Department.  The Government is progressing nationally a new framework for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes through Part 5 of the Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na (Recording Devices) Act 2023. This will provide a modern and consistent legislative basis for CCTV schemes with clear responsibilities for An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na and local authorities. The Deputy will not have to come into the House and try to mediate who will be paying for this CCTV scheme. I am pleased the legislative and operational work required to support commencement is expected to be completed within the next few weeks. The new framework will support the continued development of CCTV as an important community safety tool and provide greater clarity on the operation of CCTV schemes.  I recognise the important contribution CCTV infrastructure makes across Limerick, including the Moyross scheme, and the value local communities place on such schemes. I welcome the engagement that has taken place between all relevant stakeholders regarding future arrangements. I look forward to continued co-operation between my Department, An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, Limerick City and County Council and other stakeholders to ensure CCTV infrastructure across Limerick continues to support safer and stronger communities into the future. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Closed-Circuit Television Systems"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_7","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Schools Building Projects","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_7","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Tom Brabazon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Tom Brabazon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Tom Brabazon  Is scoil dara leibh\u00e9al, l\u00e1n-Ghaeilge \u00ed Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann. T\u00e1 s\u00ed lonnaithe i measc seomra\u00ed ranga at\u00e1 ar iasacht \u00f3n scoil b\u00e9al dorais. T\u00e1 prefabs in \u00fas\u00e1id aici chomh maith. Beagnach 25 bliain \u00f3 shin, gealladh go mbeadh foirgneamh \u00e1 shol\u00e1thar ag an Roinn chuig pobal na scoile, ach n\u00edl s\u00e9 sin tar \u00e9is tarl\u00fa go f\u00f3ill in ainneoin an ama sin ar fad. Tar \u00e9is na moille seo ar fad, t\u00e1 dul chun cinn beag d\u00e9anta againn. D\u2019imigh an foirgneamh amach le haghaidh tairiscint\u00ed an bhliain seo. Tugadh gealltanas d\u00fainn ar fad go mbeadh an t\u00f3g\u00e1il ag tos\u00fa sa r\u00e1ithe deireanach den bhliain, ach n\u00edor tharla s\u00e9 sin go f\u00f3ill agus an ch\u00e9ad trian den r\u00e1ithe sin beagnach imithe. T\u00e1 dalta\u00ed, foireann agus pobal na scoile ar fad ag fanacht r\u00f3fhada don scoil nua seo. Caithfear br\u00fa \u00e1irithe a chur ar an Roinn chun an scoil seo a shol\u00e1thar gan a thuilleadh moille. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Education and Youth (Deputy Hildegarde Naughton)  I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the D\u00e1il the current position in relation to the new school building of Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann in Dublin 13. This school building project will cater for a long-term projected enrolment of 600 students with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs.  It is a project which has been a long time in development. The preliminary design stage 1 focused on assessing the most appropriate options for locating the new school building on the school site at Grange Community College. This work included site surveys and an assessment of impact on the existing Grange Community College school. The process confirmed the viability of the project on the Grange Community College site and enabled my Department to approve the project to stage 2A of the design process in February 2013. The design team submitted its stage 2A report in August 2015 and my Department authorised the design team to progress to stage 2B in February 2017. As the Deputy is aware, the original grant of planning was due to expire in December 2022. Due to changes to the planning Acts in September 2021, a new application was required and the final grant of planning permission was received in December 2023. I am pleased to inform the D\u00e1il that the invitation to tender issued late in the fourth quarter of 2025. Tenders have recently been returned, and the design team is currently carrying out a detailed review in order to submit the tender report to my Department. It is envisaged that construction will commence in the fourth quarter of 2026.  Since 2020, the Department of education has provided over \u20ac2 billion in capital funding for Dublin schools. Over this period, a total of 300 schools have been upgraded through provision of either a new school building, extension, modular accommodation or climate pathfinder projects. Some 20 school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the NDP implementation plan, including Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann. There are currently 47 large scale extension, modular or climate pathfinder projects in Dublin under construction. There are also 53 projects under way through the climate action summer works scheme. In addition, since 2020 a total of 541 special classes have been sanctioned in Dublin, of which 140 were sanctioned for September 2026. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Tom Brabazon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Tom-Brabazon.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Tom Brabazon  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Aire. Dh\u00e1 bhliain \u00f3 shin, bhrath dalta\u00ed, tuismitheoir\u00ed, bord bainist\u00edochta agus foireann na scoile nach raibh aon dul as acu ach dul amach ar an mb\u00f3thar ag ag\u00f3id\u00edocht de bharr na moille agus easpa soil\u00e9ireachta \u00f3 thaobh spriocdh\u00e1ta\u00ed don pr\u00f3iseas t\u00f3g\u00e1la de. Is m\u00f3r an n\u00e1ire at\u00e1 ar an Roinn gur th\u00f3g s\u00e9 25 bliain le teacht chuig an bpointe seo. D\u2019imigh dalta\u00ed, a thosaigh a gcuid oideachais dara leibh\u00e9il leis an ngealltanas go mbeadh scoil nua ar f\u00e1il d\u00f3ibh, tr\u00edd an c\u00f3ras i sean prefabs a bh\u00ed briste agus fuar. T\u00e1 na dalta\u00ed sin cr\u00edochnaithe lena gcuid oideachais anois. N\u00edl s\u00e9 seo maith go leor. Cathain a bheidh na tarrac\u00f3ir\u00ed agus na t\u00f3g\u00e1laithe ar an su\u00edomh ag obair ar an tionscnamh \u00e1irithe seo? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Hildegarde Naughton  It is envisaged that construction will commence in the fourth quarter of 2026. When I came into this Department earlier this year, Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann was announced as part of the 105 school building projects on the NDP list, so this is a priority for my Department and, as I have said, it is due to go to commence construction in the fourth quarter of this year. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Schools Building Projects"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_8","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Schools Building Projects","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_3","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_8","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne  I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for choosing this Topical Issue. It is a matter close to my heart. It is my local school and my former primary school that I attended until 1987, and I thank the Minister for attending here this morning in person.  I acknowledge that Scoil Mhuire was one of 105 schools on the list of priority school buildings for the years 2026-27 as part of the \u20ac1.6 billion investment for this initial tranche published in January of this year. I thank the Minister for her involvement in this and for including Scoil Mhuire, Maigh Cuilinn ar an liosta.  At present, there are 383 pupils enrolled in Scoil Mhuire. There are 24 teachers, seven special needs assistants and an administrative principal, Terry Kavanagh. I acknowledge Mr. Kavanagh's work and that of the board of management and I thank previous boards of management for their dedication on this project over the years.  The brief of this project is the demolition of the existing and original single-storey building and the development of a new 16-classroom primary school with two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs at the current though enlarged site in Moycullen.  Tr\u00e9asla\u00edm an obair at\u00e1 d\u00e9anta ag an Aire, an Teachta Naughton, an pr\u00edomhoide, Terry Kavanagh, agus an bord bainist\u00edochta. T\u00e1 Scoil Mhuire ar cheann de na 105 scoil ar an liosta a d\u2019fhoilsigh an tAire i m\u00ed Ean\u00e1ir. Teasta\u00edonn scoil nua go g\u00e9ar. T\u00e1 383 dalta ag freastal ar an scoil faoi l\u00e1thair. I measc na foirne, t\u00e1 24 m\u00fainteoir, seacht c\u00fant\u00f3ir riachtanas speisialta agus an pr\u00edomhoide riarach\u00e1in. T\u00e1 an bord bainist\u00edochta ag lorg scoil nua ina mbeidh 16 rang agus dh\u00e1 sheomra oideachais speisialta. T\u00e1 cead plean\u00e1la ag an mbord bainist\u00edochta agus an deoise. T\u00e1 an scoil ar an liosta tosa\u00edochta. Cad is c\u00fais leis an moill?  The diocese and the board of management have planning permission for this school. They have had it for a period of time. It has appeared on a number of lists, including, thanks to the Minister, the list of 105 schools that was published in January of this year in this initial tranche.  I have raised this on numerous occasions in this House and the other House and I have every confidence that this will be the last time that I will have to raise this school project. As I said, it is a project that is very close to my heart. It is on the priority list of 105 schools. The present facilities are not good enough. There is a great standard of education and it is a great school, but there are a lot prefabs. It is a single-storey building. It needs to be demolished and upgraded. Where are we at and what is the delay? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Hildegarde Naughton  I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the D\u00e1il the current position in relation to the new school building for Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen, County Galway. At the outset, I would like to state that the delivery of this new school building is a significant priority for me and my Department and I know this is school in the Moycullen area is close to the Deputy's heart.  The brief for this major project is to provide a new 16-classroom primary school with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs at the existing site in Moycullen. The board of management has acquired additional land to accommodate the new build. This project is included in my Department's NDP implementation plan and is part of a first tranche of 105 prioritised schools to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027. I expect Scoil Mhuire to go to tender in the coming weeks.  As we both know, and the Deputy knows very well, Moycullen is part of the Galway city commuter belt and continues to experience strong population growth due to its proximity to the city and the attractiveness of that area as a residential location for many commuting families. The project supports the Department's objective to ensure sufficient school places in areas of population growth. The additional capacity will allow the school to accommodate projected demographic growth while providing a high-quality environment for teaching and learning.  The project for Scoil Mhuire is being delivered as part of the Department's ADAPT programme. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external project manager to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of architectural planning to tender and construction. The project is at the completion of stage 2B of the architectural design process. Stage 2B involves detailed design, securing all statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documentation. Planning permission was secured in May 2023. As I said previously, this project is expected to progress to tender in the coming weeks.  I have visited the school, so I know the fantastic work that is happening there in teaching and learning, as well as the need for a new school. I know the work that Deputy Kyne has put into this, given that it is his local school. We look forward to seeing progress on this over the coming weeks.  Since 2020, the Department of education has provided over \u20ac283 million in capital funding for Galway schools. Over this period, a total of 98 schools have been upgraded through the provision of either a new school building, extension, modular accommodation or climate pathfinder projects. Ten school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the national development plan implementation plan, including Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen. Since 2020, a total of 111 special classes have been sanctioned in Galway, of which 33 were sanctioned this September. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne  I thank the Minister for the response and for the excellent news that this project will go to tender in the coming weeks. I take it, therefore, that the Minister has engaged with the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, and that this project has been or is ready to be sanctioned by the Department of public expenditure. I acknowledge the progress with other schools as well. We were out yesterday at Col\u00e1iste Cholmcille in Indreabh\u00e1n ag casadh an fh\u00f3id - turning the sod - on that extension. Work is also going ahead at Clifden Community School, which is also on the list. Therefore, three schools that were on that list have seen substantial progress. It is great news that this project will go to tender in the coming weeks. If the Minister could be more specific on the date, it would be great. I know the principal and board management will be anxiously awaiting a letter from the Minister\u2019s staff and the Department in relation to the official sanction to go to tender. That will take some time, of course, but I am very happy to hear this news.  The school has been delivered under the ADAPT scheme, which is a devolved scheme. It is important to acknowledge the work of the principal and board of management. This is good news for Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen. Is \u00e9 an dea-sc\u00e9al n\u00e1 go bhfuil an tAire ag r\u00e1 go mbeidh an scoil ag dul go dt\u00ed an ch\u00e9ad ch\u00e9im eile i gceann c\u00fapla seachtain agus go mbeidh s\u00ed in ann dul amach ag lorg tairiscint\u00ed. Cuirim f\u00e1ilte roimh an dea-sc\u00e9al sin. Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Aire. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Hildegarde Naughton","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","memberCode":"Hildegarde-Naughton.S.2013-07-19","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Hildegarde Naughton  I also acknowledge the hard work that the board of management and all the school team have put into this project. As I said, it is expected to proceed to tender shortly. In relation to engagement with the Department of public expenditure and reform, all school building projects that are over \u20ac10 million must be submitted to the Department of public expenditure and reform for its approval before proceeding to tender. This is one of a number of projects currently under review by the Department of public expenditure and reform. Our engagement has been positive and, as I said, I would expect this to go to tender in the next few weeks. We will keep Deputy Kyne updated on the matter. I thank him for raising it. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Schools Building Projects"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_9","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Message from Select Committee","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_9","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)  The Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport has completed its consideration of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2026 and has made amendments thereto. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Cuireadh an D\u00e1il ar fionra\u00ed ar 9.54 a.m. agus cuireadh t\u00fas leis ar\u00eds ar 10 a.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Sitting suspended at 9.54 a.m. and resumed at 10 a.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Message from Select Committee"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_10","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Fuel, Energy and Carbon Tax Relief: Motion [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":45,"speakerCount":27},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_10","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Fitzmaurice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niall Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niall-Collins.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Niall-Collins.D.2007-06-14","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joanna Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pat Buckley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pat-Buckley.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Pat-Buckley.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Christopher O'Sullivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Fitzmaurice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice  I move:  That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann:  recognises that:  \u2014\u00a0households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, tradespeople and businesses are facing renewed and significant increases in the cost of fuel and energy, adding further pressure to an already severe cost-of-living crisis;  \u2014\u00a0petrol and diesel are essential rather than discretionary expenses for hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in rural Ireland where access to adequate public transport and viable alternatives to private vehicles remains limited or non-existent;  \u2014\u00a0farmers and agricultural contractors have no practical alternative to diesel for the operation of tractors, harvesters and other essential agricultural machinery, and that rapidly increasing marked gas oil, or green diesel, prices represent a direct threat to the viability of primary production and agricultural contracting;  \u2014\u00a0increasing fuel costs have consequences extending far beyond the individual fuel user, increasing the cost of producing and transporting food, construction materials and other goods and ultimately increasing prices for consumers;  \u2014\u00a0households dependent on kerosene and other home-heating fuels, particularly throughout rural Ireland, face significant additional costs as the winter period approaches and frequently have no immediately available or affordable alternative heating source;  \u2014\u00a0businesses which manufacture, produce or supply goods and transport those goods using their own vehicles make an important contribution to employment and economic activity but can be excluded from existing fuel rebate arrangements because of requirements relating to haulage licensing;  \u2014\u00a0the Government has made approximately \u20ac85 million available for fuel support for farmers and agricultural contractors, but only approximately \u20ac26 million of this allocation has been claimed to date, leaving substantial funding available which should continue to be used for the purpose for which it was allocated;  \u2014\u00a0approximately \u20ac15 million in European Union (EU) assistance towards increased agricultural input and fertiliser costs is insufficient to meet the scale of the additional costs currently being experienced by Irish farmers;  \u2014\u00a0carbon taxation has a disproportionate impact on people who have no realistic ability to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, including rural commuters, farmers, contractors, hauliers and households dependent on oil heating;  \u2014\u00a0further increases in carbon tax are already provided for under existing legislation and will further increase the cost of transport and home heating unless those increases are abolished;  \u2014\u00a0D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann was recently recalled to prevent increases in fuel taxation from taking effect, demonstrating that Government can intervene where taxation would otherwise add further to exceptional fuel costs; and  \u2014\u00a0comments suggesting that diesel prices in excess of \u20ac2 per litre could become a \"new normal\" are deeply concerning and that the role of Government must instead be to use the measures available to it to protect households and businesses from exceptional energy costs;  further recognises that:  \u2014\u00a0international conflict, geopolitical instability and volatility in global energy markets are outside the direct control of the State, but decisions relating to domestic taxation, expenditure and targeted supports remain within the control of the Government;  \u2014\u00a0taxation intended to encourage behavioural change cannot achieve that objective where reasonable and affordable alternatives are not available;  \u2014\u00a0rural communities should not be disproportionately penalised because successive Governments have failed to provide adequate public transport, alternative heating systems and other infrastructure necessary to reduce dependence on fossil fuels;  \u2014\u00a0maintaining the viability of farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers and other businesses is essential to Ireland's food security, employment, rural economy and national supply chains; and  \u2014\u00a0exceptional additional Exchequer revenues arising during periods of elevated prices should, where appropriate, be used to protect households and productive sectors of the economy from exceptional cost increases; and  calls on the Government to:  \u2014\u00a0abolish all further scheduled increases in the carbon tax, rather than merely postponing those increases, and ensure that households, motorists, farmers and businesses are not subjected to further automatic increases in carbon taxation;  \u2014\u00a0maintain appropriate reductions and reliefs in excise duties applying to petrol and diesel for as long as exceptional fuel-price pressures persist, and use the taxation measures available to the State to ensure that increases in international oil prices are not unnecessarily compounded by domestic taxation;  \u2014\u00a0explicitly reject the proposition that diesel prices in excess of \u20ac2 per litre should be accepted as a \"new normal\", and commit to using all reasonable taxation, expenditure and policy measures available to Government to reduce the impact of exceptional fuel prices on families and businesses;  \u2014\u00a0ring-fence the full \u20ac85 million allocated for agricultural fuel support, ensure that any portion not initially claimed is not surrendered to the Exchequer or redirected away from fuel assistance, and use the remaining allocation to extend fuel support for farmers and agricultural contractors for a further five months;  \u2014\u00a0recognise the exceptional impact of marked gas oil prices approaching \u20ac1.50 per litre on farmers and agricultural contractors and ensure that future agricultural fuel supports properly reflect the actual additional costs being incurred by those sectors;  \u2014\u00a0provide additional Exchequer funding in Budget 2027 for farmers facing exceptional fertiliser and agricultural input costs, over and above the approximately \u20ac15 million being provided through EU support, and ensure that this constitutes additional funding rather than the reallocation of existing agricultural programmes;  \u2014\u00a0introduce targeted measures, in advance of the winter period, to protect households from exceptional increases in the cost of kerosene and other home-heating fuels, with particular regard to older people, low-income households and households in rural areas with limited alternative heating options;  \u2014\u00a0urgently review the eligibility criteria applying to fuel rebate and support schemes for the haulage and commercial transport sectors, with a view to ensuring that legitimate businesses which transport their own goods as an integral part of their business are not unfairly excluded from support solely because they do not hold a particular category of haulage licence;  \u2014\u00a0require a rural impact assessment to be carried out before any future increase in taxation on transport fuels or household energy, including an assessment of the availability, affordability and practicality of alternative transport and heating options;  \u2014\u00a0publish, on an annual basis, a clear account of the total revenue raised through carbon taxation, the amounts allocated to individual programmes, the amounts actually expended, and any unspent, surrendered or carried-forward balances;  \u2014\u00a0ensure that future energy and taxation policy gives appropriate and balanced consideration to affordability, energy security, food security, economic competitiveness and the particular circumstances of rural Ireland, alongside the State's environmental and emissions-reduction objectives; and  \u2014\u00a0commit that the State's response to exceptional international energy-price increases will be based on actively protecting households, farmers, contractors and businesses from costs beyond their control, rather than accepting permanently higher fuel prices as inevitable or as a \"new normal\".  I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. Everyone knows there is a war and there are crises in different countries. When you have a crisis, you have to try to protect your people as best as possible. When the Covid-19 pandemic came around, in fairness, the Government brought out different measures to try to handle it as well as possible. It cannot solve everything and we will never claim that it can but what we have to do, as the Government has said many a day, is to see that the people who get up early in the morning and the people who cannot get up early in the morning, for one reason or another and who may have a disability, are looked after. We have to protect all parts of society.  Our motion states, as we have always said, that the carbon tax is very unfair. Future increases must be got rid of, to put it simply. It is not us. We are not economists. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, stated clearly that the carbon tax is the most regressive tax on Irish people. In fairness, measures were brought out. There were tax reliefs for white diesel, petrol and all of that. Those reliefs must continue.  Money was announced for the agricultural sector and contractors in the amounts of \u20ac85 million and \u20ac15 million. That was welcome but the problem is that there is no good looking at money when you need it. You need it spent. You need to cushion the blow.  I will give an example. I tested a tractor agitator yesterday. In one hour, it burned \u20ac64 worth of diesel. That is a fact. Agitating is heavy work but that was what it was burning. Only a fraction of the money that has been allocated, the \u20ac85 million, has been spent. That money was ring-fenced for the contractors and farmers around the country who produce the food. There is an example today from across the Border. We would all love to see a united Ireland. One of the biggest potato producers in this country has gone into administration. That is a sign of pressure. Any money is welcome and we are not against getting money but that money needs to be ring-fenced and another round of the fuel support needs to be given because if it is not, there will be consequences for agriculture and in farming circles.  The Government was a part of it when EU decided it would put an extra carbon border adjustment mechanism, CBAM, on fertiliser. That has driven fertiliser prices mad, to be quite frank. I know the EU has offered a paltry sum of \u20ac15.3 million. New money needs to be found for that. It should not come from the \u20ac85 million. That money was given by the Department of public expenditure for the fuel in the agriculture and contracting sectors. That needs to be resolved.  There is also another cohort of people. I will give an example of a discrepancy. Three days ago, I did a synopsis of the situation. If I were to buy 1,000 litres of kerosene in Dundalk, it would cost \u20ac1,610. If I were to walk down the road and across the invisible line of the Border, I could have bought it for \u20ac1,236. That is because of the differences in VAT and carbon tax. We must ensure, as we move towards the winter, that we look after the people in their hour of need, no more than when Covid was here. Any time you have a crisis, you try to help the people. Those are the people who come good again and pay the taxes of this country. Many people are under pressure, to put it simply.  If the Government wants to persist with carbon tax, we gave an alternative. People have the option to go on holidays and if they want to pay an extra bit in carbon tax, they can. However, you do not have an option to drive, especially in rural areas. People have to drive 20 km or 30 km where the Minister of State comes from, where the Leas-Cheann Comhairle comes from and where we all come from. They do not have an option but to drive to work most days of the week. That costs money. The Minister of State will say that some of the carbon tax goes to retrofitting, and it does. I do not deny that. If it were applied to aeroplanes, we would bring in more money and could put it towards whatever we want. At least a person has an option to board an aeroplane. They do not have an option when they are going to work.  The Minister of State is in the Department and I wish him well in his new portfolio. We hear about the amount that is going to agriculture, and that is right. There is an amount going to agriculture. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle and I would have quizzed the Department about that at the agricultural committee. How come in 2009, when there was no carbon tax, under a rural environment protection scheme, REPS, we were able to give farmers \u20ac700 more each? What has happened? Has the agricultural budget been cut and are we pulling money from somewhere else? We have to face up to this argument, which I am hearing being thrown out, that agriculture is getting it. Agriculture got \u20ac700 more from the Exchequer in 2009. That is 17 years ago. Saying that it is going back to farming is a red herring. Money has gone from farming.  In the past week, we met IBEC about competitiveness, as I am sure that other TDs did in their different areas. Look at yesterday. We always heard of Zetor Tractor, \"Buy a Zetor and you will never forget her.\" Yesterday, Zetor announced that it is pulling out of Europe and going to India and China. Talk to pharmaceutical companies that have to go and tender among themselves. This is not competition. Ask them if we are losing competitiveness.  Have a look at the number of ordinary people under pressure in regard to electricity. People try to keep going as best they can. Working people are quiet people. They go to work every day. We must protect them but we must also protect vulnerable people who are under pressure. You hear the stories on the radio. There are people who are afraid to turn on their heating and lights. That is not an Ireland that the Minister of State or I would sign up to. Thankfully, the country, in the line of revenues, is going pretty well. However, it is a sad thing if a country is going pretty well and two thirds of its people are under pressure. Those are the statistics that come from the polls.  I see that the Government's countermotion does not mention where the rest of the \u20ac85 million is going. A lot of what is in our motion was side-stepped. The budget is coming in two weeks' time. We need to ensure that we do not make a hames of it, as we did the first time we tried the fuel support. We saw what happened after that.  You have to look and listen. We are messengers of the people. We are Teachta\u00ed D\u00e1la and we listen to the voice of the people. I ask the Minister to take this motion on board and make sure that it is delivered. This is not politics; it is about people right around our country who are hurting. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Collins  Today, people are being crucified by the cost of fuel. Farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, small businesses and ordinary working families are being hammered every time they pull into a filling station or fill the tank with home heating oil. What are they being told? They are being told that diesel costing about \u20ac2 per litre could become the new normal. I want to make one thing absolutely clear on behalf of Independent Ireland. We will not accept \u20ac2 diesel as normal. There is nothing normal about families having to watch the fuel gauge because they are afraid of the cost of living and filling the car. There is nothing normal about a farmer wondering how much it will cost to keep the machinery running or about an older person being afraid to turn on the heat as winter approaches.  The Government will say that international events are responsible for rising energy prices. Of course international events affect the price of oil, but the Government decides the tax, excise, whether to impose another carbon tax increase and whether to put its hand into the pockets of people who have no alternative. Do not come into the House and pretend that the Government is powerless. It is not powerless; it is making choices. For far too long, rural Ireland has been paying for those choices. A worker in rural Ireland cannot walk out the front door tomorrow morning and get on a bus that does not exist. A farmer cannot run a tractor on fresh air. An agricultural contractor cannot harvest a field without diesel. A haulier cannot deliver goods around the country without fuel. Have the fishermen of the country been factored in when it comes to these increases and the crisis we have at the moment? They have told me that they are in a dire situation. Some boats have stopped fishing due to the price of diesel. A 700 horsepower trawler towing for whitefish and prawns burns 3,000 litres during the course of a few days. That could cost up to \u20ac30,000. This is no longer sustainable in an industry that this and previous Governments have devastated in any event. An elderly person with an oil-fired heating system cannot magically produce thousands of euro to replace it because Government policy says they should do so.  The Government cannot tax people into alternatives that it has failed to provide. That is the fundamental point behind this motion. We are demanding that all further scheduled increases in carbon tax be abolished, not postponed or delayed until political pressure dies down. If the Government wants people to change behaviour, it should give them a realistic and affordable alternative. It should not punish them for living in rural Ireland or for having to drive to work. It should not punish families for heating their homes with the only means available to them. Our farmers and agricultural contractors need action now. Some \u20ac85 million was allocated for agricultural fuel support. According to the figures in our motion, only around \u20ac26 million has been claimed. Leave the balance where it belongs. That money was allocated to agriculture and it must stay there. We are calling for the full \u20ac85 million to be ring-fenced and for the remaining money to be used to extend fuel support to farmers and agricultural contractors for another five months.  Let nobody underestimate the situation facing agricultural contractors. When the price of green diesel is heading above \u20ac1.70 per litre, the sums simply stop adding up. These contractors are not operating machinery for recreation. They are cutting silage, harvesting crops, spreading slurry and carrying out the work that keeps Irish agriculture moving. If contractors cannot survive, farmers pay more. If farmers pay more, producing food costs more. If producing and transporting food costs more, the families and hard-working people of this country doing the weekly shop ultimately pay the price. This is not simply an agricultural issue; it is a food security and cost-of-living issue. It is an issue for every household in the country.  The most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, show that overall consumer prices have risen by 3.7% in the past year, but that headline figure does not tell the full story. Housing, electricity, gas and other fuel costs are up 8.5%. Transport costs are up 5.4% and education costs have risen by 8.9%. The CSO specifically points to rising home heating oil and electricity, rents and mortgage repayments, while higher petrol and diesel prices are adding to transport costs. Winter is approaching. Thousands of households, particularly across rural Ireland, depend on kerosene. Where are they supposed to go? What exactly is the Government's answer to the pensioner in west Cork or some other part of rural Ireland watching the price of heating oil rise? Is it that they should put on another jumper? That is not good enough. We need targeted winter assistance for older people, low-income families and households that are facing exceptional heating costs.  We also need fairness for hauliers and businesses that transport their own goods. If a legitimate Irish business is manufacturing products, employing people, paying taxes and transporting goods using its own vehicles, it should not be pushed outside a support scheme because it does not tick the right bureaucratic box. These businesses create jobs. They deserve support, not red tape. There is another thing we are demanding before any future Government increases taxes on fuel or household energy: there should be a rural impact assessment taken out. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  Cuirim f\u00e1ilte roimh an gn\u00f3 Comhalta\u00ed Pr\u00edobh\u00e1ideacha seo \u00f3 Independent Ireland inniu. A bill was presented to me this week by an 89-year-old woman who is a constituent in my county. She paid \u20ac860 for less than half a tank of home heating oil for her house. That is the equivalent of about three weeks' income for her. The amount of oil she bought is unlikely to do her until the other side of Christmas. That is an incredible price for any elderly individual living on their own to have to pay just for a staple good. That heating would swallow up three weeks' income in that period is absolutely incredible. The Government is taking \u20ac200 of that \u20ac860 in tax, which means that it the cause of a significant portion of the difficulties she is having in regard to paying for her oil.  Right now, it takes more than \u20ac100 for a worker to fill a tank with petrol or diesel. That individual is a worker who gets up early in the morning and who our Government is very fond of talking about on a regular basis. Of the \u20ac100 that goes into his or her tank, \u20ac45 goes in Government taxes. The Government talks about the fact that there are wars in Iran and Ukraine and that both have helped to push up oil prices. That is correct, but the Government is one of the biggest drivers in respect of the increase in the price of fuel in this country. The Government is tax-gouging the people of this country in regard to fuel. Fuel is not a luxury good; it is a staple. People cannot do without fuel. They do not have an alternative to putting on the heat in their homes or to getting into the car to get to work. It is actively the Government's policy objective to increase the price of fuel.  Aont\u00fa was the only political party a number of years ago that opposed the introduction of carbon taxes. The reason we did so was very simple. The idea of introducing a tax that, year on year, would increase the price of a product irrespective of the economic circumstances that people would be in or the international price of that product is absolutely wrong. It is scandalous, and the Government did that. We have had an acceptance and admittance - nearly an apology - from the T\u00e1naiste in recent weeks that the idea of bringing in a carbon tax is a stupid and dangerous idea as regards families.  Let me illustrate how quids in the Government is in this case. As a result of the war in Iran and the fact that prices have increased so significantly in recent times, it will take in \u20ac280 million more this year in VAT than it did last year. The Government will take in \u20ac1.6 billion in VAT on energy this year. In April and May, it took in \u20ac440 million in accumulated VAT because of the increased price of fuel. Last year, the Government took in \u20ac4.5 billion in fuel taxes, the most in the history of the State and in the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis. Just when people were suffering significantly in regard to the cost of fuel, the Government reached into their pockets and took more money out of them.  It is very important to realise why we have reached this juncture. Why has there been a change of heart among those in government in recent times in respect of this issue? It is simply down to people power. The reason the Government has taken a different tack in recent months is because hundreds of thousands of ordinary Irish citizens could take no more and took to the streets last April. Ordinary individuals, the people who keep this country going and who do the work to pay the taxes could not take any more.  This Sunday a really important meeting will take place at the Well in Moate, County Westmeath. It has been organised by those protestors. It is to look at what the next steps will be in order to try to ensure that the Government listens to the people about the price of fuel. I encourage people to go along to that. Aont\u00fa will be there standing with them, as we did last April. Does this Government not realise that its policy is bad for families, bad for businesses and bad for the economy? The Government has to change tack on taxation on energy. If it does not do so, many more businesses will go to the wall and many families will not be able to put on the heat or feed themselves this year. We will have serious difficulties as a result. I implore the Government to listen to common sense for a change on the issue of energy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Aindrias Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Aindrias-Moynihan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)  I welcome Mr. Robert Watson to Leinster House and to the Gallery, from where he has been observing proceedings this morning. F\u00e1ilte romhat, Robert. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niall Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niall-Collins.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Niall-Collins.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Niall Collins)  I move amendment No. 1:  To delete all words after \"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann\" and substitute the following:  \"notes that the Government:  \u2014 remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf;  \u2014 recognises and understands the pressures that have arisen due to rising fuel costs as a result of the conflict in the Middle East for all families and businesses, in particular for sectors most reliant on fossil fuels;  \u2014 highlights that successive Budgets have provided targeted support to help households with cost-of-living pressures and re-affirms that energy affordability is a priority for this Government; and  \u2014 remains committed to decarbonising our society, increasing investment in renewable energy sources and recycling carbon tax revenues to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty through targeted welfare interventions;  recognises that:  \u2014 this Government has delivered one of the largest support packages in the European Union (EU) per head capita which has included:  \u2014 excise duty reductions on diesel, petrol and 'green diesel';  \u2014 an enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme for the entirety of 2026;  \u2014 the deferral of the 1st May Carbon Tax increase;  \u2014 the extension of the fuel allowance for one month;  \u2014 funds made available for payments to road transport operators under the Road Transporters Support Scheme;  \u2014 funds made available for payments to farmers, farm contractors and fishers under the Fuel Income Support Scheme; and  \u2014 a reduction in the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) Levy;  \u2014 it is not possible to offset all of the increases in energy prices, which are driven by market factors, using the tax system;  further recognises that, in the long run the best way to protect Ireland from the impact of international fossil fuel prices is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel imports, which we will achieve through the progressive decarbonisation of the Irish economy and society and through the steps that will be taken to meet the Government's commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;  further notes that:  \u2014 current support measures instigated by this Government are estimated to cost over \u20ac1.3 billion from March 2026 to the end of February 2027 and have provided significant relief for households and businesses across the country;  \u2014 the Government has responded and will continue to respond in a way that protects those most vulnerable to fuel poverty; and  highlights that, the Government remains cognisant of the pressures faced by households and businesses as a result of increased fuel prices owing to the conflict in the Middle East and will seek to address this as part of Budget 2027.\".  As Deputies will be aware, we are living in an extraordinary uncertain period internationally. The consequences of this are being felt in every home and business right across the country. As a small, highly open economy and a net energy importer, Ireland is naturally exposed to movements in international energy prices. However, throughout the crisis we have monitored developments closely. We continue to examine the international situation and have always taken decisions which result in practical supports for households and businesses across the country.  The motion before the House does not fully take into consideration the array of supports which have been implemented by Government as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. This Government has delivered one of the largest support packages in the EU per capita , totalling over \u20ac1.3 billion and targeted at households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, tradespeople and businesses. Since the beginning of the crisis, this Government has acted to reduce excise duty on diesel, petrol and marked gas oil and to ease pressure at the pumps. We moved to defer the 1 May carbon tax increase on home heating fuels and we are we are now examining different options available in relation to the cost of home heating oil ahead of the budget. We enhanced the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and passenger transport operators. We introduced bespoke schemes to support road transport operators, farmers, farm contractors and fishers. We also reduced the NORA levy. It is for this these reasons that the Government will not accept the Independent Technical Group\u2019s motion.  I am happy to have the opportunity to discuss some of the key points made by the Deputies on fuel, energy and carbon tax relief. I am aware that people who live in rural communities like mine do not have the same public transport options as those living in urban communities, but to suggest that there is little or no public transport available across rural communities is simply not true. Government commitments under the national development plan and in the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan will strengthen rural economies and communities. It means investments in new and existing public transport infrastructure and increasing connectivity, particularly for those who live outside of major towns and cities. The Deputies argue viable alternatives to private vehicles remain limited or non-existent. However, reliance on petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles is decreasing. One in four new vehicles purchased in Ireland in 2026 was an electric vehicle, EV. Industry data for 2026 shows uptake of EVs in rural counties is proportionally higher than in urban counties. The recent interest in the Government\u2019s EV scrappage scheme is encouraging and highlights increasing consumer engagement with the transition to electric vehicles.  I assure the House that the Government understands the exceptional pressure rising fuel costs have placed on our farmers and farm contractors. We have worked intensively with representative stakeholder groups with a view to providing adequate and targeted supports. The announcement of the further extension of the fuel excise rate reduction until the end of October will have provided some reassurance and certainty to farm families and to businesses. It should be noted that existing legislation provides relief for expenditure relating to carbon tax on farm diesel incurred by any person carrying on the trade of farming. In effect, this keeps carbon tax on marked diesel fixed at a rate of just 4 cent per litre for the farming sector. That is the rate that applied in 2012.  As Deputies will be aware, the Minister for agriculture acted to implement a comprehensive \u20ac100 million fuel income support scheme to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers facing unprecedented increases in fuel costs. The scheme provides \u20ac20 million per month in supports. Farmers and agricultural contractors benefit from a support rate equivalent to approximately 20 cent per litre of marked gas oil used based on the verified fuel consumption in 2025. This targeted and practical support package ensured those most exposed to these increases received meaningful assistance at a most crucial time of the year. On fertilisers, the European Commission announced at the end of July an exceptional aid package to compensate farmers impacted by increased fertiliser and energy costs due to the Middle East crisis. The EU package is worth \u20ac540 million in total with Ireland\u2019s allocation being \u20ac15.4 million. It is crucial to note that the EU regulation which provides for this funding also makes provision for member states to provide for up to 200% in additional national funding. In Ireland\u2019s case, this would be up to \u20ac30.8 million which would allow for up to \u20ac46.2 million to be disbursed to Irish farmers under this scheme. The regulation provides for support to be targeted at farmers most impacted by increased costs and disbursed to farmers no later than 28 February 2027. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, and I are actively working on behalf of Government are to finalise a scheme which will deliver this funding to the farmers most impacted by higher fertiliser costs and as quickly as possible. The consideration of additional national funding to top up the EU exceptional aid funding is being actively considered as part of the 2027 budget discussions.  It is important to note that the motion also fails to reflect the reality that the spikes in the price of home heating oil are not as a result of taxes or Government policy but, rather, the wholesale price of oil. The motion also fails to recognise the drivers of energy inflation are global in nature and that it is not possible for the State to control volatile energy prices. Our need for society and the economy to decouple from fossil fuel dependence has been even more apparent in recent times given the levels of volatility in the international fuel prices. The best way to achieve energy security and insulate our economy and society from fuel price shocks is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The carbon tax is an important long-term policy tool in helping to achieve energy security.  The fuel excise applied to kerosene home heating oil is purely carbon tax. The non-carbon component of the mineral oil tax is not applied. Setting the carbon tax rate at zero would have consequential impacts for the most vulnerable to energy poverty. Carbon tax revenues are recycled and used to protect those most vulnerable to energy poverty. Successive budgets have provided additional funds for the just transition measures. This ensures that carbon tax is a progressive tax. Funding from carbon tax provides additional funds for targeted social protection payments, residential energy efficiency measures, as well as funding to encourage green farming practices. As of budget 2026, the Government had allocated over \u20ac4.2 billion in carbon tax revenue to fund the just transition and decarbonisation measures since 2020.  In examining changes to the carbon tax system, it is incumbent on us all to take into account our obligations under the EU emissions trading system legislation and the conditions of the derogation which this Government has negotiated with the European Commission. The principal condition of this is that our national carbon tax remains above the average auction clearing price of the emissions trading system for buildings, road transport and additional sectors, ETS, 2, thereby avoiding double taxation.  Heating fuels such as kerosene and natural gas are within the scope of the ETS2. Losing this derogation would result in carbon revenues being controlled at EU level, thereby undermining our national programme of home energy upgrades and retrofitting, the investment in our electricity grid and development of indigenous renewable energy on the scale required. This will take investment and time. The Government is committed to continuing to make these important investments in Ireland's future.  This motion comes less than two weeks ahead of budget 2027, in a period when we are examining the different options available in relation to the cost of home heating oil, rural impacts and agricultural supports, as raised in the motion. Looking at these issues in the round to ensure an impactful response for households and businesses across the country is the responsible way to act. While no government can fully shield all households from all the impacts of the crisis, this Government has acted time and again to mitigate those impacts. We will be taking further significant action in budget 2027, which is less than two weeks away. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am not sure who wrote it, but it appears to have been a civil servant who does not understand rural Ireland and has not walked in the Minister of State's constituency or in Cork North-Central, which is mine. The Minister of State talked the big talk about energy security, yet this Government and its predecessor, in which he also served, stopped exploration for oil and fossil fuels. He talked about energy security as a benefit for people who were struggling. There are 500,000 households in energy arrears in this State. That does not sound like energy security to me; it sounds like the highest level of debt we have seen in respect of gas and electricity bills.  I bring a human story to the Minister of State's attention. I visited a gentleman the other day who was living in a cottage in Rathcooney. He had one bar lit on his fire and was wrapped in blankets. It reminded me of something one might see in a movie from the fifties or sixties. That man was frightened to death to turn on the heating. He has to choose whether to heat his home today or eat tomorrow. That is not an exaggeration on my part. Every TD worth his or her salt is out talking to people locally, listening to people at the till, talking to people struggling at the petrol pump and hearing from taxi drivers about how they might have to take their cars off the road. These are people's lived realities in this State at the moment.  I have said it previously in the House and I say it again today that carbon tax punishes the people in this country on the lowest incomes and with the fewest choices. Government members talk about energy renewal and moving to solar, assuring us people will be grand. Where will people find \u20ac18,000 or \u20ac19,000 to put solar panels on their roof, for which they will get back a grant of \u20ac1,800 or so? A person would need a ball of money under the bed to be able to avail of some of these grants. They are quite useless to the people who are most vulnerable when it comes to energy security.  As I said, 500,000 households are in arrears. Home heating oil has gone up by 45%. The Minister of State, as defender of the Government, says that this is out of its control, that it is the result of what is happening in the Middle East. Nobody denies what is happening with the conflict in the Middle East. However, if I drove my car onto a forecourt in Malta today, I would pay \u20ac1.21 for a litre of diesel. Malta is part of the European Union but it is able to keep its energy costs down. If I drive my car onto a forecourt in Ireland today, I will pay approximately \u20ac2.20 for a litre of diesel, which is the price I saw advertised on the Naas Road the other day. That is what we are looking at in this country.  How can that price be sustained for the guy living in Youghal who has to drive to Cork city or Ringaskiddy because there is no bus or train service he can use? It is all well and good to say we must look at the models in other European countries and how they are doing so well for commuters and all the rest of it. The services are not there for people in this State. The Minister of State and his Government colleagues need to wake up on this issue. What about the guy in Mallow? There is a train service from Mallow to Cork but where is the orbital bus service in Mallow town to get him to the train? He still has to drive his car to the station. For many people in this country, the car is their only option to get to work. We continuously hear from the Government that it represents the people who get up early in the morning. In fact, it is the people who get up early who are suffering. They are suffering at the pump and the till.  The Government is like Nero, fiddling with bits and pieces and giving out a reduction here and a couple of cent there while it watches Rome burn. We are constantly told we live in a wealthy country. The Minister for Finance cannot pass a microphone without telling everyone what a fantastic job he is doing and how people should be saving. There is nothing there to save. People are struggling in this economy and finding it harder than ever before. The State is not doing enough to protect them. We are not doing enough for the small business owner who is paying \u20ac5,000 to \u20ac8,000 every month in energy costs for refrigeration. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty  It is unfortunate that successive Governments, going back to the abolition of domestic rates in the seventies, have been very dependent on excise duty revenue. We do not have a very broad tax base. When pressure is felt, there is a question mark in the accounts about how, if this income is reduced, it might impact on our overall day-to-day spending budget. I am sure everyone in the Government is at least aware of how much people are feeling the pinch right now, especially those in rural Ireland, who are more dependent on cars and on kerosene for fuel. They must be given a break, however temporary it might be, given the mayhem Trump is facilitating around the world.  At the same time, with the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, we are conscious that we must wean ourselves off our addiction to fossil fuels. I have mentioned energy self-security 15 or 20 times in the Chamber since I was re-elected in 2024. We must address our addiction to fossil fuels from the Middle East and elsewhere and become self-sufficient through the use of green hydrogen, electric vehicles and biofuel. We must become a net exporter of energy and have a quid pro quo when the sun is shining and the waves are moving. We need to be in a position to get the revenue from the data centres and to be 100% self-sufficient in respect of our public transport needs.  I will focus in particular on public transport and electricity because we are trying to get people off fossil fuels, but the reality is they have no option but to drive vehicles that run on those fuels. There are not enough incentives to drive EVs. In all the new housing estates, for example, the current policy is to put in a few EV chargers, which is great, but residents are paying a commercial rate to big business. They are not being charged at the domestic tariff. I am lucky enough to live in a house that was built in the 1960s. I have a driveway and can charge my EV using a cable, for which I pay a very cheap overnight rate. People are being encouraged to buy into new home developments in places like Adamstown, Kilcarbery, Seven Mills and Citywest, all of which are in my constituency, but they cannot even get a parking space. If they manage to win the fight for a space, they cannot put a cable under the ground for charging their EV because that is against planning law. Technology exists in Portugal that allows people to key in a code and pay a domestic-type tariff for their EVs. If we had that type of technology, we would accelerate the move towards electric vehicles that can be powered more by the grid.  At the moment, some of the energy produced by wind is going to waste because we do not have the capacity to store it.  We are so dependent on gas as the baseline that we are paying an excess in electricity prices. People are being screwed left, right and centre because of the lack of vision in Government circles. I have spoken before about the need to invest in the grid infrastructure so that we can have private, home production and people are not disincentivised from storing solar electricity in a battery at home and, if there is a power cut, using the power in their homes rather than having to switch off, like so many houses do at the moment, especially when it is tied to an Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, grant.  We need to think about the big picture, but this motion is about the small or more immediate picture. The more immediate picture is that people are strung out trying to pay costs they have no alternative to in the short term. We need to start moving more towards the big or macro picture and increase momentum while - it is not a dichotomy - trying to help people out during the current crisis, because it is a global crisis. It is not either-or. If we are trying to wean people off fossil fuels, we are going about it the wrong way by increasing public transport prices and having ghost buses in the estates I mentioned. Even if people have the choice, they will not make it because they do not know whether they will get to work reliably. It is a mess, but it is within the Government's power to sort out some of it very quickly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Martin Kenny  I thank Independent Ireland for bringing forward this motion. I am disappointed the Government is once again negating its impact. We are seven months into this crisis and the situation is only getting worse, with diesel prices hitting more than \u20ac2.20 per litre at the forecourts. Home heating oil costs \u20ac1,600 for 1,000 litres and green diesel is almost \u20ac1.70 per litre for farmers. As workers and families suffer, the prices continue to rise at the pump and the Government is the only one winning, with record revenues coming from VAT.  Workers, families and farmers across rural Ireland are facing the brunt of this crisis. They need their cars to get to work, go to the shop or bring their children to school. Farmers need their tractors to spread slurry, move silage, feed livestock and much more. The majority of family homes in rural Ireland depend on home heating oil to heat their homes. The Government delays in addressing the cost-of-living crisis are adding to the pain and hardship families are going through. Thousands of families are in arrears on electricity bills and barely making ends meet.  Last night, Sinn F\u00e9in introduced legislation to remove carbon tax entirely from home heating oil, taking \u20ac183 off the cost of 1,000 litres. It was the eighth time Sinn F\u00e9in had brought forward legislation to cut the price of home heating oil and I call on all sides of the House, including the Government, to support it and give people a break.  The Minister for agriculture introduced a fuel support scheme for farmers, fishers and farm contractors with a budget of \u20ac100 million. He promised the budget would go to fuel support for farmers, farm contractors and fishers. In a reply to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister told me that more than \u20ac60 million allocated to that fuel support scheme had not been spent. This money should not be redirected to other areas. It should be allocated to, and spent on, fuel support.  The fuel support scheme was flawed. It was only a sticking plaster on a major crisis. The Minister should have reduced the price of green diesel at the pump and that is what should be done now. I call on the Government to use the \u20ac60 million to reduce the price of green diesel at the pump, which is what should have been done last April.  The cost of fertiliser has skyrocketed since the start of this crisis, which was brought on by the war in Iran. In the budget, the Government needs to provide \u20ac30 million to co-finance the EU fertiliser support scheme of \u20ac15 million. We should not take money from the fuel support scheme to co-finance fertiliser support. They are two separate issues affecting agriculture and the Minister should not use one pot of money to solve both problems. The Government needs to start putting workers and families first. It is time that half measures were over. We need to see real solutions to help farmers and workers to get through this crisis.  The reality is that much of this has been caused by the conflicts across Ukraine, Iran and Gaza and all these things. It is quite ironic that the EU puts rules in place for governments about what they can and cannot do on VAT and so on. It makes it difficult for governments to act appropriately in many of these situations, and the EU does not act appropriately in many of these situations. We need the Government to recognise that we will have huge problems if it does not act forcefully to ensure we help people out by bringing down prices for everyone across the board. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  At the core, this debate is about a growing sense among ordinary people that they are being left to shoulder more and more of the burden while the Government sits on its hands. Ordinary workers, families and pensioners are paying more. Rural communities are expected to shoulder the cost of Government failure and inaction. For months now, families across the State have faced soaring living costs and household budgets are going through the roof. Yet, when practical measures are put forward to help people, the Government delays, does not act and says that now is not the time. It is turning its back on ordinary people.  The reality facing people on the ground, particularly in rural Ireland where families have no alternative but to rely on private transport and home heating oil, is stretching beyond all recognition. Heating is not a luxury for people; it is a necessity to prevent them getting sick and keep them warm during winter. The alternatives are not available. There is no just transition. There is a bigger and bigger green divide, or even a wealth transfer to people who can already afford it, while other people in older homes and rural areas cannot afford it. The Government continues to pile cost upon cost on people who have few alternatives.  Nowhere is that more apparent than with carbon tax. Sinn F\u00e9in has said that there should not be any more carbon tax increases. The Government cannot keep increasing the costs for rural families while failing to provide any alternatives to allow them to transition. It cannot tell people to stop relying on oil and cars and reduce their bills while refusing to deliver on public transport, energy infrastructure and supports to make that possible. Rural Ireland is being left behind and people see it in rising fuel costs, soaring home energy bills and few or no public transport services. They see communities being forgotten, while Ministers in Dublin tell them that everything is fine. The Government says it wants to support people in the here and now, but that is now. It means helping people, including pensioners who are worried about turning on the heating, to face another winter. It means recognising that many households are already struggling with bills such as mortgages, rent and childcare and cannot face any more. Some 500,000 people are in arrears on their energy bills. We need real action, not more words. The Government has totally failed.  Yesterday, Sinn F\u00e9in brought forward legislation to remove carbon tax from home heating oil. It was the eighth time we had sought action on this issue and the eighth time the Government parties or Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and some Independents had chosen to reject the proposals. People are not fools. They can see what is happening. They can see a Government that talks about helping families but repeatedly votes against commonsensical measures to put money back in people's pockets. It is a Government that is more than happy to collect billions of euro in tax revenue as prices rise while refusing to give meaningful, practical relief. The Government has failed to understand the pressure felt in the communities, but the House has a choice. It can continue down the road of higher costs, higher carbon taxes and more pressure on families or it can send a clear message that enough is enough, that rural Ireland matters, that heating homes is a necessity and that struggling families deserve support and not lectures. It can send a message that, when people are facing a crisis, the Government will say it has their back. For these reasons, I support the motion and encourage others to do so. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn  Hundreds of thousands of families heat their homes with home heating oil. I can speak with authority. In Donegal, most families rely on home heating oil. They are facing into the winter and a fill costing \u20ac1,600. Last year, it was \u20ac900. It is a massive burden, particularly for older and vulnerable families.  People who live in Donegal are being penalised for making a choice they do not have. Where will older people get the money to retrofit their homes? How can people get to work without driving a car, van or lorry in a place like Donegal where the public transport system just is not there? They are being penalised for making a choice they do not actually have. This is nonsense. The Government has been doing this for years. It is not listening, but now we are at a profound point because our electricity is the most expensive in Europe. Home heating oil is at an unmanageable level and petrol and diesel are at the level they are at now. The Government has been slow to respond again and again.  I will talk about electricity.  The last time the Government gave energy credits was when people were voting at the last election. The cynicism is unbelievable. My colleague, Deputy Pa Daly, who is our energy spokesperson, has revealed that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has only met one of the energy companies this year. He has met just one, back in January. There are three he has not met at all. The Government is doing nothing to confront the energy companies about profiteering. It is giving families no energy credits. It has provided no clarity on home heating oil and has not taken one cent off the price throughout this crisis. That is why people are so angry. That is why there is again talk of protests. There is no urgency. There is cynicism. The Government is not listening to people. We in the Opposition are going to continue to come in here to tell the Government the truth as we see it in our communities and to hold the Government to account until it wakes up and does what needs to be done. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joanna Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Joanna Byrne  There is a lot in this motion, which I thank Independent Ireland for bringing forward, but I will focus on petrol and diesel prices for now as successive Government policies have made my home town of Drogheda a commuter town. Decisions by Fianna F\u00e1il governments that there should be a focus on just one town in a county - in the case of Louth, that is Dundalk - has seen foreign direct investment and a lot of jobs go to Dundalk while jobs continually leave Drogheda. The closure of BD, which employed hundreds of skilled workers, is the most recent example. According to the last census and the Drogheda business improvement districts, BID, commuter survey, 8,000 people leave Drogheda every day and almost 15,000 leave the wider area of south Louth and east Meath to commute over an hour to work, usually here in Dublin. Some 65% of those surveyed leave for work before 7 a.m. and do not return until after 6.30 p.m. Because of the huge increases in fuel prices, they are paying a fortune for the privilege of doing so. That was the last census. With the huge increase in the number of residents in Drogheda thanks to the house building boom along the port access northern cross route and with job losses locally, that figure of 15,000 is sure to rise in the next census.  This State ran a surplus of \u20ac12.5 billion last year, over \u20ac2 billion more than the Government projected on budget day. It has the resources to make a real difference but has refused to do so thus far. What sorts of prices do we need to see on the forecourts before this Government steps up? Nobody wants to see people forced to once again launch protests against fuel and energy prices, shutting the country down. I ask the Government to please not let us get to that point. We in Sinn F\u00e9in have brought forward legislation to reduce taxes on petrol, diesel and home heating oil. Cuts to taxes on diesel would have made up roughly of that, with green diesel, petrol and home heating oil cuts making up the majority of the rest. Our proposals would have made a real difference to my constituents in the Drogheda, south Louth and east Meath area and to others around the State who commute daily and who are now paying well over \u20ac2.20 per litre of diesel. This cannot become the new normal. The Government parties can remedy this problem if the Government legislates for the good of the people of Ireland and cuts the taxes. It needs to lift the burden of people whose backs are against the wall with the rising cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire  Workers, families and everyone across this country are facing a situation in which everything seems to be going up. It is not just homelessness, house prices and rents but also the cost of petrol, childcare, home heating oil and electricity. It is absolutely everything. There is not a household in this country that are not looking at their bills, trying to figure out how to get to the end of the week or the month, depending on how they are paid, because everything has to be accounted for.  During this debate and previous debates, the Government has trumpeted the various things it has done but people know well that it had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do an awful lot of those things and that those things have not gone anywhere near far enough. To be honest, I suspect that, if there had not been enough public pressure and if the international circumstances had not changed, we would be looking at some of the duties being added back on. We also know that not a single cent has come off the cost of home heating oil and that nothing has been done in relation to energy credits. The Government ignored warnings from the Opposition that, if it got rid of the energy credits, people would fall into arrears. Lo and behold, record numbers of people are now in arrears with their energy bills. It is not just us saying that; the energy regulator is saying so as well.  People are tackling issues all the time. Families are trying to deal with rents like they have never seen before and childcare costs that are absolutely crippling them. The Minister of State needs to act on this. He needs to deal with the issue of home heating oil at last. People have seen huge increases. We need more action on the cost of living in general and on the cost of childcare, education and healthcare. It is right across the board. The way that this State is set up means that middle-income earners who pay taxes are not only not getting support but are being asked to pay a second time. Through voluntary contributions, GP fees and third-level fees, the cost-of-living crisis comes back to bite them every time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pat Buckley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pat-Buckley.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Pat-Buckley.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pat Buckley  I thank the Independent Technical Group for bringing forward this motion. Where will I start? Constituents have told me that they go cold and hungry and that some days they do both. They cannot afford to heat their homes and their kids are constantly sick. They end up cutting back on food to pay for electricity. Cold homes, empty fridges and impossible choices face some of my constituents in east Cork, who are forced to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the table.  As I listened to the Minister of State's response, I was sitting here thinking \"Jesus wept. The Government has now normalised poverty in 2026.\" It is a sad indication of where this Government is going. It had a knee-jerk reaction last year when normal, ordinary working families, farmers and others who were struggling went out on a protest. It labelled those people for standing up and trying to tell the Government, which is supposed to serve its people, that they had enough and could not take it. The Government is going to see that again.  The Minister of State mentioned the Government supports. They are not working. Ministers speak about it as if it is the Government's money. It is the taxpayers' money. It is our money. The Government is supposed to support the people who support us in supposedly doing our job up here. The Minister of State also mentioned rural transport, saying that what has been said about it is a myth. It is not a myth. Rural transport is at zero. I was in contact with the NTA during the week about rural link services for Ballymacoda, Shanagarry and Knockadoon. It told me straight out that the Government is not giving it funding. Its priorities are up its backside because it is so self-centred. I hear some Government TDs say that they are listening to their constituents. I do not know what planet they are on. I can walk down the street and see people who are struggling every single day.  There is a knock-on effect here. The majority of stuff in the supermarket, in the chemist and everywhere else was carried there by a diesel-run engine. Where there is action, there is an instant reaction. If the price of diesel goes up, the price of carrying goods goes up and that will be passed on to the consumer. In all of the Government's actions, it has done nothing to serve the people. I support our Bill from last night and the Independent Technical Group's motion today but I guarantee the Government will support neither because it is not on the proper planet. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  I have said in this House a number of times, before the people, that the Irish Government is not responsible for global events precipitating global energy price hikes. However, people look to their government to insulate them from the worst impacts and the Government continues to fail on that account. Why can it not help struggling families to heat their homes? People are crying out for help and the Government has the power. Why is it waiting? There is a behavioural tax on homes right across the country and in my own constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. The changed behaviour for many, especially among the most vulnerable in our communities, this winter will be that they go cold because the Government is wed to the nonsensical, unjustifiable and completely unnecessary carbon tax on home heating oil. Sinn F\u00e9in has now come before the D\u00e1il eight times to seek the removal of carbon tax from home heating oil. At every opportunity, the Minister of State's Government has said \"No.\" In essence, the Government believes people should suck it up and pay the increased costs. If they go cold, that is not governance. It is simply callous. People have struggled enough to pay electricity bills and to pay the tax on petrol and diesel for their cars. They are paying to send their children to school and college. They have had enough without the Government tinkering around the edges. I ask the Minister of State to please support the Sinn F\u00e9in legislation. Let us put a little warmth back in people's homes this winter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  Many have said it before; we all accept that Government is not responsible for what has happened with the war in Iran. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are responsible and we are all suffering as a result. However, let us be absolutely clear. There are things the Government can do. It did reduce the cost of petrol and diesel when it was forced to.  We all know an insufficient amount was done in relation to that. How do we know that? We know that because we can look at the forecourts at the minute. We are looking at \u20ac2.20 per litre of diesel and costs that we could not have expected. In the long term, we know it has also failed in relation to delivering on wind power and alternatives.  We have a real problem, particularly when we are talking about home heating oil and the 700,000 households that have no choice but to use home heating oil. The carbon tax is not going to allow them, facilitate them or force them into using something else. They have no choice. I was on cheapestoil.ie. The average price of heating oil in County Louth today is \u20ac1,605.97 for 1,000 litres. The cheapest is \u20ac1,559 for 1,000 litres. That is phenomenal. The price last year was in and around \u20ac900. We are talking about removing the carbon tax on that in order to mitigate at least some of the pain. We are talking about \u20ac183 - something that could be done today that could impact on people's lives tomorrow. There are many who are waiting because they have heard kites flown that something may be done in relation to home heating oil. It needs to be done now. It needs to be done straight away.  Today, the Irish Cancer Society revealed that cancer patients are losing an average of \u20ac16,200 in annual income. If we get into that, they face monthly travel-associated----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)  Thank you, Deputy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  -----costs of up to \u20ac300 a month. Some of that is fuel. We need help on that as well. Some of that is heating. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)  The Deputy should conclude. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  We need to get serious. Regarding the cost of disability payment that the Government took away, we need to ensure that is delivered. We have a lot of people under pressure, and the Government could help a lot of them now. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jennifer Whitmore","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Jennifer-Whitmore.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jennifer Whitmore  As a country, Ireland has never been as wealthy. We have never had so many resources available to us to support people and to make this country even better than it is, yet we still have so many people who feel completely left behind by this Government and the previous Government. They are struggling to keep their heads above water and really cannot see a future for themselves. We saw a report yesterday about the number of young people who are planning on emigrating. We have sort of turned into a country of contradictions. Some people are doing incredibly well, but there is a huge number of people who are struggling and finding it very difficult. There are 324,000 households in this country in arrears on their electricity bills. There are 188,000 in arrears on their gas bills. These are the highest figures ever. Those people are not doing that by choice. They are in arrears because they are unable to pay the extortionate energy prices that we have seen over the past number of years. For people who are filling their cars at the moment with a 60-litre fill of petrol, it is costing \u20ac6.60 more for a fill than it did in February and for diesel it is \u20ac9.60 more than it was in February. We can see how people are really struggling.  Ireland is a small country and economy and we have been repeatedly hit over the years with these global crises that have caused huge challenges, problems and difficulties in this country. We have had the war in Ukraine and now the war in Iran. While it is clear - I think everyone would agree - that Ireland did not play a part in causing any of those wars, the Government had to rally and come up with emergency measures to deal with them. What we have not seen from this Government is a move from emergency, temporary and incredibly costly measures to actually making our homes, households and businesses more resilient to those kinds of energy shocks. Yes, those temporary measures were needed, but where is the long-term planning from this Government? Where is the strategic thinking?  The incredible amount of corporation taxes coming into this country have resulted in a very lazy Government - a Government that has no vision for the future and is quite happy to throw money at problems and situations but not actually put any long-term thinking into how to deal with these issues on a long-term basis. That is costing us a fortune. In March 2026, there was \u20ac250 million on a package of temporary fuel tax reduction supports. In April 2026, there was \u20ac505 million. Post-Ukraine, we had a \u20ac2.7 billion package in mid-2022 to tackle rising energy costs. The lump sum energy payments that were made in 2022 cost \u20ac1.3 billion. These were untargeted measures. I repeatedly was very critical of the untargeted approach that the previous Government took, essentially putting something like \u20ac100 million into the electricity meters of holiday homes. The then Government gave people who already had two homes \u20ac100 million in taxpayers' money. In 2023, those energy payments cost over \u20ac1 billion. In 2024, it was \u20ac500 million. Billions have been spent post-Ukraine on short-term relief. We are now seeing billions being spent post-Iran.  What the Government needed to do at that time post-Ukraine was not just hand over public money as an emergency measure. Rather, it needed to look at the country as a whole and ask, \"How do we make ourselves more resilient?\" The global energy shocks will continue and we are far from immune. We are incredibly reliant on fossil fuels and the global energy market. What the Government never said was, \"How can we actually move away from fossil fuels? How can we make our homes resilient? How can we make sure that if something happens in the Middle East or in Ukraine, it is not a household in Portumna or Rathdrum that is paying for it? How can we ensure that our communities are protected?\"  The Social Democrats have continually called for longer-term focus from the Government. We have our solar for all plan. One million homes in Ireland are suitable for solar panels. If those homes had solar panels, they could reduce their energy cost by \u20ac400 or \u20ac500 per year. That would be game-changing for so many households. We have repeatedly called for more grants and better supports because solar panels are still far too costly for far too many people. In fact, I first raised this in 2022 after the war in Ukraine. I asked the then Government to, please, focus on solar. I could not understand why that Government was so blind to the financial, climate and societal benefits of solar panels and making sure that houses were resilient. Yet it did nothing. In fact, it was pulling grants from people. It took away the battery storage grants that were available. It pulled support from people. That is why we are in the situation we are in now. We have a Government that has far too much money and is wasting it and is not thinking through. It seems not to care about the next five and ten years. It is just throwing money at problems. I remind the Government that it is not its money; it is the public's money. People expect it to be prudent with that money and to use it in a responsible manner, but the Government is not doing that.  There are many measures, such as the solar plan the Social Democrats have come up with, that would support people, but the Government is ignoring them. We have called for an energy windfall tax similar to what was implemented after the Ukraine war but I cannot see any advocacy for that at a European level. There are alternatives to the home heating oil crisis that people are facing at the moment. There are alternative technologies that could be utilised.  However, the Government is moving so slowly on them, allowing people to face extortionate rises in prices. The Government has no vision and is completely tone deaf to what is going on in people's lives.  I want to make a point about the cost-of-living crisis that people are facing at the moment and how tone deaf the Government is. It put forward this \u20ac100 voucher for 16-year-olds. That is simply a public relations stunt. That is all that is. A woman with four children contacted me yesterday. Both she and her husband work. However, like many people in this country who work really hard, they are finding it very difficult to keep their heads above water. She texted me and asked, \"Are they actually serious about this credit?\" Her daughter has teeth erupting from the roof of her mouth. She is in constant daily pain with it and it will be three years before she sees an orthodontist or else this family can fork out \u20ac5,500 to get it done privately. The Government is completely tone deaf and does not understand the struggles that people are facing. It does not seem to understand where it is wasting money. It is not acceptable to have a teenager in daily pain because dental services are not being provided in her in her locality. What family has \u20ac5,500 to fork out on orthodontics? That is an incredible amount of money. I ask the Minister of State to bring this message back to the Government. The money it is wasting now it is not its money; it is public money and we need it to support communities, support people and spend it wisely. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ciar\u00e1n Ahern","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ciar\u00e1n-Ahern.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ciar\u00e1n Ahern  I thank the Deputies from Independent Ireland for bringing this motion forward today. Everyone in this House knows and agrees that we are going through a severe and extended cost-of-living crisis. We all want to do everything in our power to protect people most at risk from energy poverty. Many people in the country are struggling now. However, the vast majority of us in this House, in opposition at least, agree on the reasons for the cost-of-energy crisis and the long-term solutions. The climate crisis is not mentioned once in this motion. That is just wild. Where is the acknowledgement in this motion that the current energy crisis has been directly caused by Donald Trump? Where is the acknowledgement that Trump, whom Independent Ireland welcomed with open arms to this country a week ago in the Phoenix Park, whose politics some of the Deputies here try to ape and assimilate, is the direct reason that energy bills are high here and across the world? Trump's illegal, reckless and pointless war on Iran has brought us here, not the carbon tax. Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg and their billionaire class are the only economic migrants into this country who are actually responsible for our problems, but Independent Ireland Deputies cannot find it within themselves to criticise them. Independent Ireland cannot punch down on them.  Where in this motion are the proposals for a tax on excess profits of energy companies? Where is the support for a moratorium on data centres which are adding to household bills and being built to placate tech billionaires? There are none, because these are the guys Independent Ireland Deputies want to cosy up to. Where have they been while we have been protesting against the hikes in public transport fares that are facing commuters, students, people with disabilities and people who cannot afford cars? They say they are concerned with transport costs but, just like the Government, only for certain cohorts.  We can absolutely agree that there is no question that households and small businesses across Ireland have faced extraordinary pressure from energy costs. Families have seen electricity and heating bills rise, motorists have faced much higher costs at the pump, and many people have been left with difficult choices between heating their homes, travelling to work and meeting other essential household expenses. Such is the scale of the energy crisis and the cost-of-living crisis more broadly that we now have more than half a million gas and electricity accounts in arrears. The pressures are very real and any serious discussion of energy policy or climate policy has to begin by recognising them.  An equally important point needs to be made: those pressures are being exacerbated and prolonged by Ireland\u2019s continued dependence on fossil fuels, which the Deputies are seeking to subsidise indefinitely in this motion. The existence of a cost-of-living crisis does not remove the need to address Ireland\u2019s dependence on fossil fuels. The experience of recent years has demonstrated why reducing that dependence should be an economic and social priority as well as an environmental one. Our over-reliance on imported fossil fuels means that we are massively over-exposed to international energy markets and geopolitical shocks, as we have seen following Trump's and Netanyahu\u2019s misadventures in the Middle East.  The Minister has pointed out previously that our dependence on imported fossil fuels is a vulnerability, including the fact that approximately 80% of our gas is imported from our nearest neighbour. We urgently need to reduce that dependence and the carbon tax has an important role to play in that. What is important is the policy framework we put around it, how the proceeds are used, and whether we give people realistic and affordable alternatives.  This motion notes that for a lot of people in rural areas, and notwithstanding the progress that has been made with respect to the Local Link in recent years, there is still a lack of alternatives to private cars or fossil fuel-powered home-heating systems, and I agree with that. We need to go further and faster in rolling out supports and incentives to allow people to wean themselves off fossil fuels. We need to make EV grants, heat pumps, insulation, solar panels, batteries and so on more accessible to larger cohorts of the population, particularly people in rural communities and low-income households.  However, we will not be able to do that if we do away with the mechanism designed to fund those supports. Labour\u2019s position has always been that carbon tax should form part of a just transition rather than being considered in isolation from household incomes and energy affordability. To be fair, we have supported increases in carbon tax while arguing for a refundable carbon-tax credit for low- and middle-income households. That distinction is important. Carbon tax is intended to reflect, through the price of fossil fuels, some of the environmental cost associated with their use. Yes, it is also designed to incentivise the move towards lower-carbon alternatives.  Carbon tax detractors often claim that it is a regressive form of taxation, but I do not believe that. In last year\u2019s budget, over \u20ac1 billion raised through the carbon tax was allocated to alleviating fuel poverty and reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, thus protecting those who need it most from inflationary shocks. The largest stream of ring-fenced funding went to retrofitting, social protection, and - the Independent Ireland Deputies might be surprised to learn - farmers, through the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES. The evidence has shown for years that carbon tax is a progressive measure and that our most vulnerable households are better off as a result of it.  Of course, the precise treatment of revenues from it should be transparent and must be scrutinised but the underlying principle is straightforward: if the State asks people to change how they heat their homes, how they travel and how they consume energy, the State must invest in making those changes possible. That sentiment is somewhat reflected in the motion, but the proposal seems to lean more towards the State just ceasing to ask people to make those changes.  I would lean the other direction; we must continue to encourage people to transition towards cleaner energy, but crucially we have to support them in doing so and protect those who are not yet capable of doing so. The unfortunate reality for some Deputies in this House is that climate change is real and it is accelerating. We have just emerged from a summer of extreme weather events both at home and abroad. We need immediate, targeted protection for households under pressure but we also need sustained investment that reduces the underlying need for that protection. Scrapping the carbon tax would be catastrophic in both respects.  Let us look again at the figures from last year\u2019s budget. Some \u20ac558 million, the largest stream of ring-fenced carbon tax funding, went to retrofitting, including the warmer homes scheme which gives grants to low-income households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. That funding is helping struggling families to keep their homes warm and lowering their bills.  The second largest stream of funding, \u20ac350 million, went to social protection payments to help alleviate poverty and protect people from the cost-of-living increases. These payments were chosen on the basis of research by the ESRI which focused specifically on determining how to make the carbon tax progressive and to ensure that the most vulnerable were not worse off as a result.  If we are going to be in the business of making policy here, we have to ensure it is evidence based. Contrary to proclamations that the carbon tax is regressive, the opposite is in fact true. This tax helps us to alleviate poverty. It particularly targets groups known to be at greater risk of energy poverty - low-income families and single adults living alone, exactly the people most in need of support at the moment.  Will the Deputies who are advocating for cuts to the carbon tax go back to their constituencies and gleefully tell pensioners on fuel allowance the good news that they will not be getting any further increases because they have successfully got the carbon tax slashed? Delaying the increase in carbon tax costs the Government millions that would otherwise go to targeted supports for those who need them most - low-income households, single pensioners and farmers.  In budget 2026, there was \u20ac163 million more in ring-fenced funding from carbon tax than there was in budget 2025. However, because of the suspension of the carbon tax increase, there will be no such additional funding for just transition measures next year.  It is also worth noting in all of this that some sectors, including heavy industry, haulage and farming, are already eligible for partial or even full reliefs from the tax. Of course, the Government has utterly failed to make clear the value and purpose of the carbon tax, how it works and who it helps. None of this is to say that I or the Labour Party do not have issues with certain aspects of the carbon tax. For example, the first \u20ac20 per tonne of the tax is not ring-fenced for just transition measures. I think it should be. However, this motion amounts to simply prolonging our dependence on and subsidisation of fossil fuels, leaving all of us - farmers and hauliers included - exposed to international price shocks like the ones we are experiencing at the moment, as well as defunding the supports available to help people wean themselves off fossil fuels.  We need a two-pronged approach - one that protects the most vulnerable in the immediate term, while also supporting people to reduce their dependence in the longer term. That is what a just transition should be. We in Labour have consistently called for targeted energy credits to help households struggling with bills and, at the same time, we want to see far greater investment in retrofitting schemes so that more households can improve their energy efficiency and bring those bills down in the first place. A temporary reduction in the price of petrol or diesel might bring the price down for a few weeks until Trump decides to, in his words, annihilate another country, but it does not reduce our dependence on oil. A retrofit does reduce that dependence, as do renewable energy, public transport and EVs. That is why Labour has consistently put these measures at the centre of our climate proposals. Not only are they climate measures in their own right, they will also help with the cost of living not just today or for this electoral cycle, but in the long term.  Households that are given the right supports can afford to retrofit their homes today and can reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills tomorrow. Those supports are funded by the carbon tax. This motion presents a false choice between helping people and tackling climate change. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:  To delete all words from \"notes that the Government:\" to \"will seek to address this as part of Budget 2027\" and substitute the following:  \"recognises that:  \u2014 working people, families, students, households and pensioners are facing renewed and significant increases in the cost of fuel and energy, as well as increases in public transport fares, adding further pressure to an already severe cost-of-living crisis; and  \u2014 the Government is directly contributing to this cost-of-living crisis by refusing to introduce price controls on fuel, energy or groceries, abolishing energy credits, enabling data centres to push up energy prices, gutting rent controls, underfunding retrofitting and solar panels for low- and middle-income households and imposing a regressive carbon tax;  calls on the Government to:  \u2014 impose strict price controls on fuel, energy and groceries and abolish standing charges for electricity and gas;  \u2014 stop the planned increases in public transport fares and introduce free public transport to incentivise public transport use;  \u2014 introduce a \u20ac500 energy credit in the Budget, to be funded by an energy levy on data centres;  \u2014 abolish the carbon tax and replace it with higher taxes on big business and the wealthy, including a new multimillionaire's tax on wealth, that will also fund a massive expansion of retrofitting grants and free, frequent and expanded public transport; and  \u2014 freeze and cut rents.\".  This morning, I went to a briefing in the audiovisual room by the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association. There, we heard about the financial impact of suffering from lung fibrosis or pulmonary fibrosis. For some people, it is \u20ac5,000, which is a third of their State pension. It is no surprise that more than one in two said that as a result of having this disease and the cost of living crisis, there had been a moderate or severe impact on the financial situation of their family. There were also lots of very reasonable demands, which we of course support. To be honest, what struck me was how on earth, in 2026 in one of the richest countries in the world, with a massive budget surplus, we have the spectacle of groups of people who are suffering like that having to come in here to beg for small amounts of money in order to avoid being put in an even worse situation of poverty. That is a result of the political choices this Government has made in respect of particular groups, but also, in general, its choice not to protect people from the cost-of-living crisis.  I welcome some measures proposed in this motion, such as maintaining the excise cuts on petrol and diesel and not further increasing the carbon tax, but the truth is this motion does not go nearly far enough to protect people from this crisis. The crisis is getting worse and all the indications are it is going to continue to worsen. Why? Because of Trump's imperialist war on Iran, which continued with new threats last night. The Deputies in question obviously welcomed Donald Trump to Ireland. It is because of the Government's refusal to tackle the housing crisis or to stop the runaway growth of data centres from driving up energy prices, of which there is more and more evidence every single day. To really protect people, we need price caps not just on petrol and diesel, but also on electricity, gas, groceries and public transport fares. When prices keep rising, excise and VAT reductions are not enough. Even after the reductions, we are already back over \u20ac2 per litre of diesel, which is the level that prompted the fuel protests. Yesterday, we heard wholesale electricity prices are up 77%. We need price caps to give people security.  We also need to abolish the carbon tax. The Independent Ireland motion proposes scrapping the extra increases but the continuation of the carbon tax. We need to abolish the carbon tax entirely. People Before Profit has always said it is the big polluters who should pay, not ordinary people. All the evidence shows it is big business and the wealthy who have caused the climate crisis. Some 80% of emissions are coming from just 57 companies. Here in Ireland, it is big agrifood companies and big livestock farmers that are increasingly joined by big tech in terms of their data centres. They are the ones causing and profiting from the climate crisis.  However, we also need to get off our addiction to fossil fuels. We need to get people to switch to cleaner and cheaper renewable energy as quickly as possible and to use public transport or active travel. That cannot happen overnight, which is why we need price caps on fuel and energy. We need to massively increase the grants and pace of retrofitting and public transport roll-out. Every household that needs it should be getting free retrofitting and solar panels provided directly by the State. Instead of public transport fares going up, they should be going down and we should have free, green and frequent public transport. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  Carbon tax is just another unfair tax heaped on families already reeling from a cost-of-living crisis and it must be abolished. It unfairly penalises working people rather than the big corporate polluters and drives families and vulnerable people deeper into fuel and energy poverty. The major polluters must be made to pay, including the big oil companies that are making obscene profits. The eight biggest companies have made $93 billion in profit in just three months.  Of course, most ordinary families will never benefit from the carbon tax. Retrofitting of council houses is almost non-existent. A recent report on local authorities shows that only 2,671 were retrofitted in 2025, 37 more than in 2024. Middle-income families already under huge financial pressure cannot raise the funds to cover the grant shortfall. This is called the green divide. Is it not contradictory that although we have a carbon tax, we continue to increase the cost of public transport, thereby forcing people back into their cars? A 15% increase was announced recently and there is more to come, as we were told at a recent Oireachtas meeting by the deputy chief executive of the National Transport Authority.  Petrol and diesel are essential rather than discretionary for hundreds of thousands of people, especially in rural Ireland where access to public transport is either very limited or non-existent. People in my constituency in south Tipperary have very limited public transport and therefore have no practical alternative to using a car. If you live in south Tipperary and work in Clonmel - in Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Tipperary University Hospital, MSD, Medite, Tipperary County Council or any of the other businesses in the town - you must use a car. If you attend university in Clonmel, you must use a car. If you shop in Clonmel, you must use a car. If you attend college out of the county, in Waterford or Limerick, for example, you must use a car. Of course, farmers, agricultural contractors, haulage companies, small businesses and the self-employed have no alternative but to use petrol or diesel. The supports that are already in place must be retained and increased. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  I welcome the fact that the Deputies have given us an opportunity to discuss the cost of living crisis and the energy price hikes, but I will repeat what I said last night: shame on Deputies, some of whom have put forward this motion, for expressing support for Donald Trump and his rotten agenda, which is directly responsible for the energy and fuel price hikes inflicting misery on hundreds of thousands of people, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in arrears and unable to pay their gas and electricity bills or crippled with the high price of home heating oil, fuel or diesel. Trump did that and the people who express support for him should be embarrassed by their support for that agenda and the misery it inflicts on people.  Of course, it is better than nothing to do as their motion does, which is to suggest we should defer further increases. However, what is actually necessary is imposing price controls on gas, electricity, petrol, diesel, home heating oil and all the things that have spiked as a result of Trump's war for oil.  It has also, more importantly, imposed death and destruction on the people of Palestine, the Middle East, Venezuela and so on. It is a war for oil which has now driven up the price of energy and fuel for people across the world, including in this country. We need to control the prices that he has driven up by imposing price controls to make things affordable and making those who are profiteering from the cost-of-living misery pay for it, which is also completely absent from the Deputies' motion and the Government's thinking or amendment.  We can protect people from the cost-of-living misery if we look at the massive profits of those who provide home heating oil, the cost of which went up again last year. The electricity and energy providers, oil companies, data centres and their billionaire owners have seen their profits go through the roof. Tax these people and make them pay their fair share of tax. Of course, we do not want to talk about that. We do not want to talk about the gross wealth and income inequality and the fact that there is a minority of people who are profiteering from the cost of living and housing misery that is being inflicted on others.  I hope and expect, although I say that half sarcastically, that the Deputies will be enthusiastic in supporting the public sector workers who are balloting for industrial action and demanding decent pay increases because of the rising cost of living and inflation caused by Trump's warmongering and the misguided priorities of this Government, which is always looking after the rich, the billionaires and the corporations that are doing so well while ordinary workers suffer. We intend to go much further in our amendment, by imposing price controls, introducing free and frequent public transport, and taxing the data centres in order to pay for real relief, to give people an energy credit, give people with disabilities support and to support workers balloting for decent pay. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion on fuel, energy and carbon tax relief. This issue matters enormously to people in my constituency of Kerry and across rural Ireland. When we talk about energy prices in this House, we have to remember that behind every statistic is a family, an individual trying to heat his or her home, a person trying to get to work or a small business trying to keep its doors open. In Kerry, many households are particularly exposed to the cost of home heating oil. For those families, filling an oil tank can mean a significant one-off expense. It is very different from receiving a monthly electricity bill and for many people it can create a serious cashflow challenge.  Energy arrears remain at historically high levels. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, reported earlier this year that 316,000 domestic electricity customers and 179,000 domestic gas customers were in arrears, with average debts of \u20ac492 and \u20ac207 respectively. There is absolutely no question that affordability remains a serious issue but we also need to be honest about what Government can and cannot control. Energy prices are heavily influenced by international wholesale markets and geopolitical developments. The State cannot determine the international price of oil or gas and Mr. Trump has made hundreds of thousands of lives here at home and throughout the globe an absolute misery, of that there is no doubt.  What can Government do to protect households from these pressures? There has already been a very significant response. We have strengthened supports for people on lower incomes, including through the fuel allowance, and we have invested substantially in energy efficiency and retrofitting. Those measures are important because we should not simply be dealing with high energy bills year after year. We also need to reduce the amount of energy that households need to purchase in the first place. There are also measures taking effect in the electricity market. From October, the public service obligation levy is being reduced by 66%, while the CRU has reviewed network charges to limit the impact on customers. That is the type of practical intervention that can make a real difference to household bills.  On the motion before us, budget 2027 is just two weeks away. That is the appropriate point at which to consider the full package of measures, including taxation, energy costs, income supports and the cost-of-living crisis. We should look at the evidence and ensure that whatever measures are introduced are targeted towards the people who are experiencing the greatest pressure, including people in Kerry who are dependent on home heating oil. I will certainly be looking at what the forthcoming budget does to address these pressures. We should continue to invest in retrofitting and energy efficiency because making a home warmer and more efficient provides a longer-term benefit to the family than simply responding to a price spike. The CRU has also highlighted that suppliers have obligations to work with customers experiencing payment difficulties, including affordable repayment arrangements and protections against disconnection where customers are engaging with their supplier. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Heneghan  I thank the Deputies for bringing this forward. I really love talking about energy and savings. Last year, the Minister of State confirmed an underspend of \u20ac120 million. I understand that since then the SEAI has been spending it. The Minister of State will have no doubt heard me talk about plug-in solar. I want to imagine how that \u20ac120 million could be used immediately for the Irish public. Let us take a ballpark figure - back-of-the-envelope stuff - of \u20ac120 million. If we could bulk buy plug-in solar systems, which are on average \u20ac500 per unit on the German market, through a Government scheme and could get a reduced price of, say, \u20ac400 per unit, which could immediately be plugged in, that \u20ac120 million would mean 300,000 plug-in solar systems. That is 300,000 households, including apartments and properties on which solar systems cannot be on the roof, which would immediately start seeing savings.  Plug-in solar systems do not work like the ones on the roof. Electricity goes towards the path of least resistance, so it is for a fridge, washing machine or any appliance that is drawing electricity where one will see the savings. It is not like another system. At current electricity prices per kilowatt hour, and based on the UK savings of \u20ac230 per year - it legalised plug-in solar systems on 27 August - in the first year, from that \u20ac120 million, Irish households would see up to \u20ac70 million in savings. These plug-in solar systems last ten years. The payback and the return on investment is huge. I urge the Government to examine this. I know the Independents have been pushing it and supporting me on it.  We need to examine every assessment, the BER requirements, and the simpler retrofit system. I understand we cannot print money out of nowhere and I understand the carbon tax provides for these systems of retrofitting but I would love the money to be spent more efficiently. We should ensure people get the benefits, and not through a BER system or through someone who knows they have a grant, so they will increase the price of a system because they know they have a Government grant. We saw it with the cycle to work scheme. Some bikes suddenly had a higher price because the seller knew people were getting a grant. We see it with the solar schemes and with the retrofit scheme with the council where people put the price up because there is a council grant. That price gouging and gazumping needs to be examined. SEAI approval for solar system grants needs to be examined so the benefit goes to the people, not the people installing the systems.  We need to use infrastructure much more effectively, which is why I introduced to this House the Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026. I look forward to people on all sides of the House supporting that. I have introduced it and I look forward to debating it in this House. With the private wire system, if we have a large-scale energy user, it should be easier for them to create on-site renewable energy and reduce costs. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  I thank Deputy Michael Collins and Independent Ireland for giving us this opportunity to talk about these important issues. The carbon tax has to be got rid of.  Fuel is dear enough. The purpose it was brought in for in the first place does not exist now.  I want to talk about people in Kerry who use heating oil or kerosene. The cost of it has cone up from 90 cent to \u20ac1.68 this week. People just cannot afford that. They will only be able to purchase far less than what they need to keep themselves warm for the winter. It is the same with green diesel. Some people were not included in the packages given out in May. The agricultural contractors and farmers were given packages at that time to help them to reduce the cost of the green diesel. Many of them could not draw it down because they had infringements for spreading slurry outside of the time. Maybe some of them were not up to date with Revenue. They were not eligible. That is why the Government has some money left over. I am asking the Minister of State to check with the people who were refused and give it to them forthwith.  Another sector was left out completely. The Taoiseach was sitting where the Minister of State is now and said construction vehicles would be included. He said that sometime around 5 May. That has not happened. The construction sector has not been included at all. I raised with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, last week, and he said that he was beginning to work on it now. I asked who the Minister in charge was. He did not know. He was not the Minister in charge. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, is not the Minister in charge of it. Is any Minister responsible to help the people with construction vehicles, whether it is diggers, rollers, cranes, or teleporters? They are all the different vehicles that use green diesel to keep them rolling in the construction and civil sector. They do maintenance along our roads, repair our water breaks and all those things. Quarries were meant to have been included. Those people did not get a bob. The T\u00e1naiste said that they were going to be covered. He said it to the media around that time. If a person does not have their word, they have nothing at all. The Taoiseach said in this Chamber that construction vehicles would be covered. They are not. It has gone from 90 cent up to \u20ac1.68 since. How long will it be before these vehicles grind to a halt? A lot of these contractors have entered into fixed contracts. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)  The Deputy is over time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  They are losing money, hand over fist. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)  Deputy, you are way over time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  I am asking the Government to come out and do something about it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Christopher O'Sullivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan)  As the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, said earlier, I reiterate that the Government is moving a countermotion in respect of the Deputies' Private Members' motion. I fully appreciate the Deputies' concerns raised here this morning. As a Government, we do not control the wholesale price of oil but we have acted in a significant way to assist households and businesses with the real impacts of this energy crisis.  As I have stated already, the Deputy's Private Members' motion does not fully reflect the considerable supports, which have been implemented by this Government. These are supports have been designed to share the burden of the conflict in the Middle East with households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, tradespeople and businesses. The motion also fails to take into account obligations set out in EU legislation in relation to fuel taxation, to which the Government must adhere, including Ireland's obligation in respect of the emissions trading system for buildings, road transport and additional sectors. The motion does not reflect that the reality of global commodity markets or recognise that the drivers of energy inflation are global in nature. Consequently, it is not possible for the State to fully absorb all of these costs. Government policy must be considered and measured.  To date, this Government has delivered one of the largest support packages in the EU per capita . In doing so, we have deferred the 1 May carbon tax increase on home heating fuels; reduced excise duty on diesel, petrol and green diesel; enhanced the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and passenger transport operators, mitigating price increases in these sectors and the associated knock-on effects they have on food and passenger transport prices. We have funded payments to road transport operates under the road transport support scheme. We have funded payments to farmers, farm contractors and the fishing sector under the fuel income support scheme. We have reduced the NORA levy. We also extended the winter heating season by four weeks, increasing the total yearly payment to \u20ac1,216.  The Government recognises the exceptional pressure that rising fuel costs have placed on our farmers and farm contractors, and worked intensively with the representative stakeholder groups, with a view to providing adequate and targeted supports. The Government reduced the tax on MGO by 5.4 cent a litre, and the NORA levy by another 2 cent per litre. On top on that, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine implemented a comprehensive \u20ac100 million fuel income support scheme to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and the fishing sector facing unprecedented increases in fuel costs, which gave a support rate equivalent to approximately 20 cent per litre of green diesel. This Government has been doing its best for farmers and the agricultural sector. I have no doubt that it will continue to do so.  As regards rural Ireland, I know better than most the impact that the fuel crisis is having on households in my constituency and others. I appreciate that people living in rural Ireland are twice as likely to use home heating oil as their main heating fuel. In fact, according to the latest CSO figures, around 26% of households in Ireland use it as their main heating fuel, which is around 500,000 households. This Government understands that these are disproportionately older, rural, and, in a lot of cases, lower income households. Many of these households would be eligible for the aforementioned fuel allowance. The Government is also very conscious of those who use home heating oil but do not qualify for that payment. That is why the upcoming budget will also deliver for middle-income families. The facts are that this Government has acted time and again to provide for households at risk of fuel poverty, and to ease the burden on all households impacted by the crisis.  The upcoming budget will build on the work of budget 2026 to protect households from rising energy costs. Budget 2026 provided an extension until 2030 of the 9% VAT rate currently applied to gas and electricity bills. It provided for enhanced social protection payments, including an increase to the fuel allowance rate. As mentioned, there was an expansion in the fuel allowance eligibility rules, benefiting approximately 50,000 households. It provided the \u20ac400 income tax disregard for households involved in microgeneration, which was extended for a further three years to the end of 2028. While no Government can fully shield households from all the impacts of this crisis, this Government has acted to mitigate the impacts of the crisis time and again. We have acted to support households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, tradespeople and businesses. This Government will continue to take action in budget 2027. For the reasons stated earlier, I reiterate the Government's countermotion. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard O'Donoghue  I will cover some of the comments those on my right made. They talked about Donald Trump coming to the country and said that some people went to meet him. I have no problem meeting Donald Trump. As a public representative, I would meet him because of 300,000 jobs in this country. If you multiple that by two or three, up to 1 million people are employed in this country as a result of American investment. That is why I would meet him. Do I agree with what is happening in the Middle East? I 100% do not. I am sitting here with some people to my right, or far right, and I do not agree with them but I acknowledge them the same as I would Trump. I will sit here and talk to the Deputies. It does not mean I like them or their policies but I will sit down in this Chamber and talk to them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  Deputy O'Flynn explicitly supported the kidnapping in Venezuela. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard O'Donoghue  The Deputy has had his time.  The Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach's party had a good old swing at us as well, so I will comment on it and its support of carbon tax. His colleague spoke a while ago. When the Labour Party was in government, it introduced water charges and property tax. It then cut child benefit, rent allowance and fuel grants and supported the USC. These are the same people who are trying to lecture me here today.  We will go back to the motion at hand. The Minister of State and the Department might just listen to this. I might be able to educate them today. The Government does not import fuel into this country. It has nothing to do with importing fuel into this country. Let us tell the public today that these are the facts. What the Government is responsible for is putting the taxation on the fuel when it lands here. I will tell everyone here today, including the people in the Gallery, who are all welcome, to please listen.  Fuel is brought into this country by the likes of Fuels for Ireland. It arrives and then all the taxes that the Government puts on it are collected at the port. It is then sent to distributors, who add the VAT for the local filling station. The local filling station then puts on three or four cent of its own. This Government has nothing to do with bringing fuel into this country. All it does is put tax on it.  I will simplify matters. If a litre of fuel comes into this country at \u20ac1, the Government puts tax of \u20ac1 on it. People in this country work and pay tax at 20% and 40%. I want everyone in this country to know that when they or their parents collect their children, when they go to hospital appointments, when they go to hurling matches and when they go to work to, for example, feed the vulnerable in this country, for every \u20ac1 of fuel they put into their cars at the pump the Government takes a \u20ac1 in tax. So, it is taking \u20ac5 in tax in every \u20ac10. People have voted Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and others into power. Those people have allowed them to do this every time. I would say to the people of Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael, for their children\u2019s sake or their grandchildren\u2019s sake, that we need to get rid of these people in government. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Christopher O'Sullivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan  The Deputy has a microphone. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard O'Donoghue  All they are good at is taxation. They talked about electric vehicles and that we need to change to them. They never mention that electric vehicles are twice as heavy on tyres as normal cars and twice as heavy on road surfaces. If you replace a battery in an electric vehicle, it will cost you \u20ac20,000 to do so when it has been driven for 200,000 km. They never mentioned about the cobalt that goes into these batteries. They mentioned that this year one in four cars sold were EVs, so that is 25% this year. They forgot to mention that EVs count for 4% of vehicles in this country and that 96% of people drive fossil fuel vehicles. It is those people work in this country and who look after other people every day that the Government is taxing, despite the fact that they pay tax at work. That is what the Government represents.  As a businessman, I would tell the Government to cap the tax on fuel. Take the tax up to a certain amount and the Government would have the same amount of tax - it would not be down 1 cent - but when the price of fuel increases, we will pay the increased tax without the 50% tax or a 100% tax on top of that. This is what we are asking. That is a business approach. Those in government would know nothing about that because they are not in business. Civil servants all the way up; never had to worry about putting food on the table for other employees. That is what is wrong with those in government. They came through the Civil Service and they knows nothing other than taking money off the hard-working people of Ireland. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Christopher O'Sullivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan  The Deputy is taking a swipe at the civil servants. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)  I call Deputy Fitzmaurice. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Fitzmaurice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice  On behalf of Independent Ireland, whether you agree or disagree with the motion, I want to say thanks to each speaker for making the effort. We respect democracy and we respect different views. People are entitled to their views.  There are a few things that need clarification. We have always put forward an option if people wanted to find the money. Some 340,000 or 350,000 flights come into Ireland, and people have a choice to fly or go on holiday. However, they do not have a choice about driving between 20 and 80 miles to work. The carbon tax is affecting that. We want solutions, but the problem is that the Government\u2019s masters in Europe will not allow it to do implement solutions at the moment. You can fly wherever you want on a holiday and not pay carbon tax. When you have to go to work, however, you pay carbon tax. Something just does not add up.  Retrofitting has been good. No one is against retrofitting - we are all for it \u2013 but a few things need to be made very clear. With the warmer homes scheme, if an engineer comes out and sees that someone has PVC windows and insulation on the walls, they will say \u201cBye, bye. No more. That is it\u201d. That is the box ticked. Let no one cod themselves about what has been done. Second, if someone has a dormer house, the engineer will run away. They will not do insulation on dormer houses. Those things need to be made very clear.  We in the D\u00e1il need to get a grip of ourselves. If we have more electric vehicles and there is more help for people, we are not opposed to that. Let us look at the statistics and the facts, however. Most cars bought in Ireland this year and last year are in the \u20ac10,000 to \u20ac15,000 bracket. You cannot buy a new electric car for that amount. That is what people can afford. We have to deal with the cards we have been dealt. No one has anything against giving more grants for EVs or whatever if the Government wants to do that, but this is the reality.  In addition, we just think we can run out of this room, flick a switch and go into a new world of wind, solar and whatever. Solar is very good in houses - there is no problem with it \u2013 but have a look at the TAMS grants. The system is now done on a points basis and farmers who wanted to get these grants are being refused them. That is the madness, and I smile about it at times.  On wind, more turbines have been put up around the country. However, there is a reality here. Look at the amount of wind in July. It is nearly as if people would deprive us of a bit of sun or the good summer we had this year. When we got a bit of fine weather and the turbines did not move, we were down to 22% for the month of July. That is the reality. What do we do when that happens? Do we say that we are going to live in this fancy, lovely world and knock off the lights for 80% of the people and leave them high and dry?  We need to focus on what we have. There are fossil fuels. Those fuels are going to be needed. If we move to other ways of doing things, that is fine. Provided it all adds up. If it does not add up, you do not make the decision. The one part that does not add up is for someone to tell people like those of us in the agricultural sector that carbon tax is a great thing and that it goes back to agriculture. In the past under REPS, when there was no carbon tax, farmers got nearly \u20ac1,000 more under their environmental payments. Those are the facts. They cannot be proved wrong. Show me why someone who does not have an alternative to using a harvester of 900 or 1,000 horsepower and who has to cut silage in one window of a particular month has to pay carbon tax when an alternative machine, whether electric or whatever, that can be used to do that work has not yet been made.  If we want to live in the perfect world, there is a thing called hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO. The latter would reduce someone\u2019s emissions by something like 90%. Why are all the taxes on that if you want to tick the box? HVO, with modifications to a boiler, could be used in place of home heating oil and in diesel cars and tractors if it was made attractive to use. We put constructive proposals forward for the simple reason that we have to live realistically. We have to listen to the people. At the moment, people are hurting and when you are hurting you try and solve it and try and help them. That is our job collectively. It is not a case of \u201cMe better than you\u201d or anyone better than anyone else. We will disagree and have different viewpoints. Ultimately, however, people in each constituency voted for us to make their lives better. That is why I am asking the Minister of State to take that----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Christopher O'Sullivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Christopher-O'Sullivan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan  Deputy Fitzmaurice is proof that you can make valid points without bursting our ear drums, screaming across the room and putting our hearing at risk? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Fitzmaurice","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Michael-Fitzmaurice.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice  I thank the Minister of State. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Amendment to amendment put."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time this evening. The Minister of State\u2019s point is taken. To be fair, there are microphones. For staff and all Members in the Chamber, it should be considered that the microphones are on and everyone can hear you. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  Some of us have deeper voices than others. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I understand, but the staff have to be considered. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Fuel, Energy and Carbon Tax Relief: Motion [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_11","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 Cheannair\u00ed - Leaders' Questions","counts":{"speechCount":45,"speakerCount":11},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_11","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Kevin Boxer Moran","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  L\u00e9ir\u00edonn an tuairisc a d'fhoilsigh Bonkers.ie inniu go mbeadh aon socair a chuirfear ar f\u00e1il sa bhuis\u00e9ad slogtha suas ag arduithe praghsanna. T\u00e1 go leor daoine \u00f3ga ag smaoineamh ar imeacht thar lear ar th\u00f3ir saol agus todhcha\u00ed n\u00edos fearr. Is \u00ed an cheist mh\u00f3r n\u00e1 cad a dh\u00e9anfaidh an Rialtas sa bhuis\u00e9ad chun an saol a dh\u00e9anamh n\u00edos inacmhainne?  We are now less than two weeks to budget day. The main thing on people's minds is the runaway cost of living, and the big question is what the Government will do to get costs under control and help households keep their heads above water. Prices keep going up, the bills keep coming in and people are really sick of being ripped off. This morning we hear that the pressure on workers and families is set to increase in the next few weeks. An analysis published by Bonkers.ie shows that households will have to pay out over \u20ac1,000 just to cover the list of price hikes that have already been announced. I refer to hikes in gas and electricity costs, health insurance, PRSI, mortgage repayments and streaming services. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, and Simon Harris therefore simply cannot come in here on 6 October and roll out yet another budget that fails to tackle the cost of living and leaves working people behind.  To be clear, the Government's failure to tackle the affordability crisis has real consequences. Yesterday, the National Youth Council of Ireland published a startling report. It revealed that seven in ten of our young people are considering leaving Ireland. The biggest factor driving this sentiment among our young people is their inability to live an affordable life here. That is a damning indictment of more than a decade of Fianna F\u00e1il-Fine Gael partnership Governments - budget after budget, decision after decision, short-changing working people and short-changing our young people. Young people have had it with being left at the back of the queue because our young people are smart and they get it. They hear from the Government that the economy is strong and the surpluses are large, yet they cannot get their start. They know also that while they are losing out, people at the very top are benefiting. They need to know that things can be different, that this is where they belong, that this is their country, that this is their home and that things can be better. Life can be affordable in Ireland, and this has to start with the budget.  The Government is floating and leaking a lot, but last night, in real terms, it faced its first test. It had the chance to back a Sinn F\u00e9in proposal to cut the cost of home heating oil by removing carbon taxes but it blocked that proposal and it failed that first test. It chose instead to let 700,000 households keep taking the pain.  Does the Minister accept or even recognise that the Government's policies have left young people behind? Does he accept or even recognise that its decisions leave working people behind? Does he accept or even recognise that households simply cannot afford another Fianna F\u00e1il-Fine Gael budget that delivers simply more of the same? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Jack Chambers)  I completely reject the Deputy's constant failed state narrative, which Sinn F\u00e9in has been propagating for years now, from trying to break the State to then propagating a narrative that we have a failed State. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Martin-Kenny.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Martin Kenny  A failed Government. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I reject that in the hardest terms. We have a country of full employment----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  There are 17,000 people homeless. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----with continued resilience of our economy, despite the multiple shocks of recent years, and a Government that is motivated to give young people hope when it comes to housing, when it comes to their future and in terms of their employment and their wages. That is our central motivation as part of budget 2027. It is to drive better affordability in our economy and, yes, to respond to the serious pressures that we recognise many families and households face when it comes to the cost of living.  That is why there will be a targeted income tax package prioritising low- and middle-income workers to reward work in our economy and give them a break. It is why we want to make significant interventions and further progress when it comes to housing and delivering greater housing supply across our economy because, yes, the challenges and the pressures faced by young people are concentrated in affordability of homes and of rent. That is why areas like the renter's tax credit are under further consideration by the Government. Third, it is about ensuring we build a country that continues the levels of employment we have and continues to attract jobs and grow our economy into the medium term. While Sinn F\u00e9in just attacks the Government two weeks out from the budget, we are preparing a sensible, responsible and affordable budget that we can sustain into the medium to long term. Sinn F\u00e9in makes commitments and promises that would break our economy and undermine the public finances. That is the challenge with Sinn F\u00e9in. It proposes higher taxes and massive increases in expenditure. That does not give young people the longer term hope or prospects to live and build a life here. Everything we are doing is to protect capital investment in housing and infrastructure, so we prioritise investment in transport infrastructure, reduce congestion and build the social infrastructure and the communities that are required right across the country.  Let me be absolutely clear: the central objective of this Government is to respond to that immediate pressure. That is why we will take further decisions when it comes to the pricing of energy in our economy on budget day. It is why we will respond to affordability challenges that young couples with children face when it comes to progress on childcare, for example. We want to ensure that the sentiment of young people is responded to in this budget with, again, improved housing supply and further progress in the delivery of social and affordable homes in 2027. That is the central motivation of the Government. Instead of just criticising, attacking and continuing with its negative dialogue day in, day out, Sinn F\u00e9in should come up with some suggestions or solutions for once----- "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Please allow the Minister to answer. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----that would actually build hope in our economy, because all young people hear from Sinn F\u00e9in is higher taxes on work. How will that work for young people? They hear higher taxes on businesses that employ young people. How would that work for young people? How does that give them a greater prospect of a job in the medium term? There is also a level of objectionism to housing supply, which would not help housing supply in our economy. How would that help young people who need homes and want to buy homes across communities in our country?  We will respond to the issues with the cost of living, but we also need to be mindful that we are living with multiple conflicts internationally, a significant level of uncertainty in terms of the geopolitical position with the conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. I think people understand that that is impacting pricing in our economy and that the Government can insulate to some extent but cannot insulate all elements of how pricing is changing. That is reflected not only in Ireland but also internationally. We will prioritise interventions to help people. That is the focus of the next few weeks. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  There are absolutely solutions to all this. There is a constructive way forward. There is absolutely hope, especially for our phenomenal young people and for working families everywhere. Last night, we brought forward just one of those solutions, which could have had an immediate effect for 700,000 households, a solution to remove carbon taxes and make home heating oil in some way affordable for those families that were struggling. We will never apologise for shouting out for working people right across this land and for our young people, who have to be listened to, who have to be given hope and who have to see the solutions in concrete terms. That means a Government making the right choices. We need to choose working families, we need to choose our young people and we need to choose hope in the future and not to continue with the Government's track, which is to look after the better-off and the developers and not to upset the banks. That is what will give people hope, those concrete choices. Last night, the Government made its position clear. It chose not to intervene and not to support our solution. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We did not acquiesce with Sinn F\u00e9in's classic political opportunism, which they repeat here every week. They are all about shouting out and giving no solutions to anybody. The higher level of tax they would impose across our economy would break it and it would not be able to accommodate half of the spending demands they continually repeat here. We did not agree to the Bill because we have a budget in two weeks. We have a budget that will help working people and reward work but also address some of the cost pressures families face, specifically with home heating oil. We have been clear that is a specific consideration in our tax policy measures and will be considered, as well as further deferral of excise on petrol and diesel. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Your leader was not interrupted. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We will use our budget with the T\u00e1naiste, specifically focusing on the energy issues families are facing. Sinn F\u00e9in is just seeking to bring that forward and score political points. That is not a solution or a constructive-type of opposition when we have a global conflict and significant international uncertainty. It is just populism, opportunism and a reckless imposition of taxes. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Minister. I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  It is the Sinn F\u00e9in approach. It does not work. It would break our economy, and it will give no hope to young people who want that certainty into the long term. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Minister, time is up. I call Deputy O'Callaghan. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Says the party that broke our economy, the actual party that broke our economy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy O'Callaghan is on his feet. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Honest to God, the Deputy has got a brass neck. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy, please. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  Minister----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  Fianna Fail actually broke the economy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Excuse me. The Deputy is on his feet. Can we have some courtesy please? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  There is only party in here----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy Doherty, please. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  -----that broke the economy, and it is over there on the other side of the Chamber. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Kevin Boxer Moran","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Kevin-Boxer-Moran.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran  No pointing fingers now, Pearse. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Please, look here, can we all exercise some decorum? This has to run efficiently. Deputy O'Callaghan is on his feet. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  This morning, I spoke with a mother about her 13-year-old son. He is autistic and non-verbal. In July he was told he had a place in Belmayne special school. I am sure the Minister can imagine the sheer relief and excitement of hearing that news. Starting a new school is a huge moment. One can imagine the logistics, planning and emotional preparation. Now, I want the Minister to imagine what it must feel like to be told you will be starting school in September, only for September to roll around and you are still stuck at home. When I spoke to this child's mother this morning she was at her wits' end. She told me her child is now going backwards. He is not sleeping. He woke four times last night. She spoke of her utter heartbreak watching children walk by the front window on their way to school while her child languishes at home with no solution in sight. This Government claims disability services are a priority. However, despite all of its pre-election commitments and promises, disabled people and their families continue to be failed. Every day they must battle with a State that is supposed to be there to help them just to get the bare minimum. Every day they learn that is too much to ask. The Taoiseach, Miche\u00e1l Martin, has been a champion of special schools. He has called them \"the future\" but he has not been so vocal on the serious issues these schools and their pupils are grappling with, even though it is in the Government's gift to resolve them. These schools need proper staffing levels, proper resources and multi-disciplinary teams.  I know some families watching this have children who do not have a school place. There are others attending special schools who are provided with just a few hours per day. Their children are denied the support they need to make their education a success. I want to be clear that these issues are not the fault of the staff, who are trying their best in difficult circumstances. The fault lies with the Minister's Government. It is only too happy to get the positive media coverage when announcing these new schools but behind the scenes it is failing to resource them with the staffing levels they need. Behind these headlines are young children sitting at home while their peers move on with their lives.  I have two simple questions. Does the Minister think any of this is acceptable, and when will the children promised a start in school this September, actually be able to take up a school place? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy. As a constituency TD like him, I regularly deal with many children who have in some instances not gotten a place. To be fair to the work of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, that has improved significantly at the start of September this year compared with previous years. I do not have the specific case details of the child in Belmayne the Deputy mentioned and I regret they do not have a place. We will take that up with the Department of education and the NCSC afterwards. Every child should have their educational rights vindicated in this State, including children who have special educational needs. What we have sought to do over the past number of years is to respond to the level of demand we have seen increase for special education across our State. We have 34,000 children who will be enrolled in special classes and special schools in this school year, which is an 86 % increase since 2020. In fairness to the NCSC and the Department of education, they have responded to that level of demand. Most children are being accommodated in special classes, and we have ramped up provision of special schools as well.  On the parent and child the Deputy is speaking about, that step change in investment, staffing and provision has not delivered for them. I will ask the different arms of the Department of education and others to respond to that. We have prioritised our wider budgetary provision on special education, which we have also engaged on at the Oireachtas committee. There is a \u20ac3 billion investment in special education for 2026, the highest annual provision in the history of the State and a 58% increase since 2020. You can see the front-line delivery of that. Special classes have increased by more than 136% since 2020 with more than 4,000 classes supporting more than 34,000 students.  I turn to the Deputy's question on staffing and supports. SNA numbers have increased by 45% with 26,000 SNAs expected to be working in schools by the year end. There will be 22,500 special education teachers in place by the year end. We have sought to prioritise this area because as constituency TDs we all recognise that no child should be at home when they should be in a school place, in a special class or a special school. The position and work of the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy Naughton, have improved that with the portal established to give much better forward planning 12 months ahead of schedule, so there is better ability for the NCSC to plan and respond to that demand. I will ask the respective State agencies to respond to the Deputy's specific case. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Minister. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The motivation of Government for next year----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  You will have a response. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----is to continue to resource special education in a way that meets the level of demand that is there. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  Every child has a right to an education, and this Government is failing to deliver on their rights. As we speak there are children sitting at home without a school place. I have raised with the Minister that this is not isolated. There are children who were given school places and who were meant to start in September. They and their families were told at the beginning of July that they had a school place in September. At the end of August, after they kept chasing and chasing, they found out that the place they had been given and promised does not actually seem to exist at the moment. Why is that happening? Why are families being put through the trauma and stress of being promised a place and told their child has a place, and yet here they are coming towards the end of September, and the child is sitting at home regressing? The Government has promised them a place. Why are they at home? Why are they not in school? When is the Minister going to give these families some certainty about when their children can start school? They have been given no information at all - nothing. When is the Minister going to give them answers? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy. I just spoke with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, about this issue. He said he will follow up on this particular case. The cohort of children who may be waiting this year is far smaller than in previous years because of the level of investment. However, it is incumbent to the Deputy's point that the NCSC and the Department of education ensure that where a commitment is made, it is delivered on. From my perspective, we have provided a prioritisation of this in our budgetary process to vindicate every person's educational rights, as should be the case. It is important that the respective bodies and structures there to deliver that do so for the children involved. In my constituency in previous years there was acute pressure in September of any given year and that has been reduced significantly in 2026 compared with previous years through the success of the portal and the forward planning structure.  Obviously, in the case the Deputy raised, that has not worked for them thus far. We will take up the case with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and engage directly with the Deputy about it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  The whole country owes a debt of gratitude to Nikita Hand. We thank Nikita for the bravery she has shown. So many other people have felt emboldened to speak up about abuse they have experienced because Nikita's courage gave them courage. Speaking about her new book in recent days, Nikita Hand has talked with extraordinary dignity about suffering the trauma of rape and sexual violence. She has also spoken about the long-term impacts on her: PTSD; hours-long panic attacks; and experiencing her own body - in her words - being \"turned into a crime scene\". As she said, powerfully: \"You do lose a huge part of yourself when something so traumatic happens to you after being raped, or sexually assaulted\". The multimillionaire sportsperson who was found liable in a civil court is responsible for causing this loss to Nikita Hand, and his violation has continued long after the assault was over. Nikita should be, and is, the national treasure, not him. As a D\u00e1il, we have responsibility to show perpetrators that we reject them and their horrific conduct - that they are to blame.  But this is not Nikita Hand's ordeal alone. Tragically, there is an epidemic of sexual, domestic and gender-based violence in our society, and a culture of misogyny, which feeds the proclivities of perpetrators, who, frighteningly, walk among us every day. The Government's policy on gender-based violence is described as one of no tolerance but that zero-tolerance approach still sees parts of Irish society and the State tolerating the intolerable. Why should a victim be made to feel responsible for the reputation of the perpetrator or the well-being of his family? Why is it that domestic abusers can still use our courts system to wage further torment on the people to whom they cause such suffering? Why is it that, in just six months, nearly 2,000 women were turned away from domestic violence services due to a lack of State-funded beds?  For that matter, why is it that victims, usually women and children, still have to leave their own homes to seek safety? Why does the abuser get to stay in the family home? That is still the reality all too often. The stakes are high. Women's Aid records that nine women have been killed this year, already more than the total number of femicide victims last year. A quick escape can make the difference between a life saved and a life lost but, sadly, the difference between escape and remaining trapped can be heartbreakingly mundane: money for a taxi, a deposit for a flat or a new phone. That is why the Labour Party has proposed the safe fund - a three-year, \u20ac3 million, non-means-tested fund for immediate financial support to survivors of domestic violence when they need it, to be administered by Women's Aid, which I met recently to discuss this.  The Taoiseach has previously expressed warm words about our proposal, but the budget is in just two weeks and we have heard nothing from the Minister. He controls the purse strings. I have a simple question for him: will he commit today to save lives and fund the safe fund in budget 2027? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this important issue. I echo what she said about the bravery, courage and leadership of Nikita Hand, who has done the State some service in her wider leadership over the last number of months. From all of what she has said, we must ensure that we continue to support many victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, has led a number of initiatives in this area through some of his legislative reforms across the last 12 months. As Deputy Bacik said, the Government is taking a zero-tolerance approach to this and to ensuring that survivors can access the support, protection and justice that they need. Any such behaviour has no place in a modern society. To repeat, those engaged in domestic violence will be investigated and prosecuted. The work of the previous Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, over the last number of years has shown that we are taking an unprecedented whole-of-government approach to the scourge of violence, which we are seeing too often in our communities. That was reflected in unprecedented funding of \u20ac80 million across the range of service provision in budget 2026.  To speak to the delivery of some of the accommodation, we are accelerating delivery of safe accommodation with a commitment to provide 287 safe spaces by the end of 2026, significantly strengthening capacity. As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, has progressed Jennie's Law, Valerie's Law and other important initiatives and has prioritised this in the context of the EU Presidency overall.  In response to Deputy Bacik's point on the budget, we will obviously continue our engagements as part of the Estimates process. We need to continue to make further progress in this area around the funding of the different initiatives that are involved, including accommodation, which is essential in communities where in some instances there is the gap that the Deputy referenced. We will continue to work to support Cuan, which provides leadership, oversight and accountability for delivery as well. We will consider that in the Estimates process overall. It will be a priority for the Government to continue supporting the co-ordinated response across many of the strategies that have been published and to make further progress in this area; that victims be supported not only at the point of crisis, but right the way through the justice system; and the different parts of the State are there to support them and have the respective funding streams to continue making progress in 2027.  We will consider the Deputy's specific suggestion. I appreciate her raising this important issue today. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  I thank the Minister for his positive words. As he says, Nikita Hand has indeed done the State some service in speaking out and I acknowledge the progress that has been made, but there are still far too many gaps in provision for victims and survivors, as I think the Minister has acknowledged. Clearly, there are still serious gaps in the provision of refuge spaces. This is something we in the Labour Party have been speaking out on for many years now. We need to see that addressed urgently. The proposal we make - I will supply the Minister with more information on it - is a very practical one to address another very practical gap in support. To be clear, we believe that perpetrators should be the ones removed from a violent home, but so long as that is not always the case, State inertia is currently making it really difficult and sometimes impossible for those who experience domestic abuse to escape from violence, which puts lives in danger. Where do survivors go if they have no money? How do they get the immediate funds necessary to resource that escape, often with small children and sometimes in the middle of the night, as Women's Aid will tell the Minister and anyone who listens. That is why we have proposed the safe fund. It is a simple, straightforward proposal. It has been done elsewhere. We appeal again to the Minister to introduce the safe fund in this budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I am sorry. There is a malfunction in the clock but I am watching the time on the screen. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  You will hold us to account on the time, a Cheann Comhairle.  I appreciate Deputy Bacik raising this. We will consider that with the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, in the context of the Estimates. I know he is keen to ensure that there is further progress in 2027. We obviously want to give effect to the wider recommendations in the O'Malley review, which is all about seeking to supporting the victim's journey right through the criminal justice system and from the point of crisis right the way through. That speaks to the further progress we have to make with Cuan and the different State bodies and agencies that co-ordinate the response. We will give consideration to that. It is important as well to ensure that the broader State agencies are prioritising this in how we fund them, and that is something we want to continue to make progress on. The Minister is working on a new five-year strategy from 2027 to 2031 in terms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which is to give further progress and momentum to this area and to develop that across the coming years. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Collins  I beg your indulgence, a Cheann Comhairle, for a few seconds to welcome all the councillors from Independent Ireland, from all over the country, that have come up to the D\u00e1il today, especially Councillor Mark Casey, who is joining Independent Ireland. He is our 27th councillor. We welcome him.  I want to talk about what is happening to families all over the country when it comes to the debacle that is school transport, because you could not make some of this up even if you tried. I will give the Minister a sample of the thousands of school bus ticket problems throughout Ireland. We have children who have held concessionary school bus tickets for the last number of years. Their paperwork describes them as priority concessionary applicants. This year, they have no seats on the bus, yet we are dealing with cases where people who have applied more recently for concessionary places have received tickets on the same buses. Will the Minister explain to me what \"priority\" means if a family that has held those seats for years suddenly loses them while fewer applicants are accommodated? We have students waiting for concessionary tickets yet we are informed that there are ten empty seats on the bus. These children have no proper way of getting to school while the bus is passing their door with empty seats. Then we have another young family who made the major decision recently to return home from Australia with their children. Their children are eligible for school transport, yet because of the timing of their application, they have been told their request will not be reviewed now. They may be accommodated in the 2027-28 school year, but even that is not guaranteed.  What are they supposed to do? Is one parent to give up work? Is that how we welcome a young Irish family back to rural Ireland? Then there is communication with Bus \u00c9ireann. Parents become desperate and frustrated. They come to our offices because they cannot get an answer. The public representatives themselves are then left waiting far too long for responses. I also want transparency on the allocation of concessionary tickets where a lottery or random selection process is used. Who conducts this? Who oversees it? How is it recorded? How can parents be satisfied that the system is fair?  The 2020 programme for Government committed to reviewing the school transport scheme to achieve better outcomes and reduce car journeys. The review was done. At the Fianna F\u00e1il Ard-Fheis in 2024 the then Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, stated the Government was going to reduce the distance rule to 1 km for primary schools and 2 km for post-primary school so that more children could gain access. She also stated the Government was going to introduce a system whereby the nearest school rule would be removed to give greater choice and greater flexibility. Why has the Government not delivered? Why are children being left on the side of the road? Why are parents stressed out of their minds trying to get their kids to school? Parents are trying to get out to work in a cost-of-living crisis so why is the Government not delivering on the promises it made in 2024?  Fianna F\u00e1il went into the 2024 general election promising 100,000 additional students on school transport by 2030. Similar promises were made in the 2025 programme for Government. What is the Government waiting for? When will the Government implement the school transport review it has already committed to? Does the Government still stand over the commitment made by the then Minister, Deputy Foley, to reduce the distance criteria to 1 km for primary pupils and 2 km for post-primary pupils? Will the Government remove the nearest school rule? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Collins. As he knows, the wider organisation and the operation of it is managed by Bus \u00c9ireann and the Department of Education and Youth sets the wider policy and the funding profile. To answer the question, if we stand back and look at the funding of the school transport scheme from 2019 or 2020 to this year, it has expanded significantly. We had 120,000 children using the service in 2019 and this number is now at over 180,000 pupils in 2026. This is a 50% growth in a very short number of years. This speaks to a Government that has prioritised this and is funding it at a greater level. The funding for school transport in 2019 was approximately \u20ac219 million and this will rise to more than \u20ac600 million this year. This is a scheme that is heavily subsidised, and rightly so, and supports many families throughout the country.  With this level of growth there are certain constraints in areas where the demand has risen. This is managed, as Deputy Collins knows, by Bus \u00c9ireann and the current terms of the scheme are continuing to apply for the 2026-2027 school year. This means children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and attend their nearest school and at post-primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 km and attend the nearest school.  As eligible children have to be facilitated in the first instance, the available of concessionary transport varies from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of the child's time at a particular school. Bus \u00c9ireann has always arranged for the service to be full based on the capacity of the vehicle and there can be instances where a given bus may have empty seats. As we know, some people do not always use their ticket for various reasons during a particular year. Bus \u00c9ireann can only reallocate tickets that have been handed back by a family.  We have the Estimates process upcoming. What we have had to do over the past 12 months in particular is to manage a level of demand that has increased significantly to absorb it with additional capacity. Every year we have to assess what the projected demand will be in the next school year and what the capacity constraints are in the system to deliver against this. This will be the same for this year. Obviously we want to see more children using school transport. This speaks to the level of funding, which we have increased in the last number of years. Any further changes to be considered as part of the Estimates process will come down to the extent to which the funding support can grow, the demands projected by the Department of education and Bus \u00c9ireann's capacity to put it into operation. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Collins  I thank the Minister. The school transport scheme has been reviewed and promises have been made yet children are still being left behind. This is the major issue we have. How can a child have no transport while a bus passes their door with ten empty seats? Why are priority concessionary pupils receiving no apparent priority? When will the nearest school restriction, and this is a very serious question on which the Government has promised but not delivered, be changed? Have the promised 100,000 additional places been delivered? The Minister has said that 60,000 or 70,000 have. When will extra buses be rolled out for children who need to go to school?  We also need a fair electronic system to detect non-use and to reallocate seats that are persistently unused to children who desperately need them. Basically it should be a case of use it or lose it. These are children trying to get to school. They are not numbers on a spreadsheet. If Bus \u00c9ireann and the Department cannot administer the scheme properly and make sensible use of empty seats, is it time to hand its administration to somebody who can? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The challenge is that if we were to follow through on Deputy Collins's suggestion and remove the system we have today, it would be far more challenging for many of the pupils and students who use it. It is a very complex system built up over many years, which has significant organisation to it across many parts of rural Ireland. If we were to follow through on what Deputy Collins suggested, we would have significant disruption to service capacity right across the country and we need to be cognisant of that.  What we will seek to do in the budget is, obviously, to assess the wider demand projection for 2027-28. Also, we know there is increased demand, particularly at second level, which has to be accommodated and obviously different distances are required there. We will assess that. What we are saying is that we will have to assess the demand profile and what the consequences are in terms of what is required in direct Exchequer funding. That is our wider assessment around how we would phase any changes to the existing criteria, to answer Deputy Collins's question. We will continue to keep this under review as we assess the wider dynamics of school transport. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 Cheannair\u00ed - Leaders' Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_12","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 na Comhalta\u00ed Eile - Other Members\u2019 Questions","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_12","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne  I wish to raise the future of Galway Port with the Minister this morning. I believe he has an important role to play, as Minister for Public expenditure and due to his previous role as Minister of State at the Department of Transport who had responsibility for ports and who visited and engaged with Galway Port CEOs, the harbourmaster and the chairs of the Galway Port company over the years.  Under the national ports policy 2013 Galway Harbour Company transferred ownership to Galway City Council. The transfer changed the shareholder but did not resolve Galway Port's long-term place in the national port system. This year Galway Port received planning permission for its ambitious but realistic extension and relocation plans, which will include a rail link and will cater for larger cargo ships, including naval berth, allow for easier and safer access for cruise ships, free up land for housing in the inner harbour, provide additional leisure and recreational land, have a positive impact on the city council's rates base and protect the city from flooding surges. I am sure the Minister will agree that all of these are positive.  However, the draft ports policy, which ended its public consultation at the end of August, continues to include Galway Port as a port of regional significance only. Why is Galway the exception among Ireland's port cities? Dublin, Cork and Waterford are included as national ports, as is Limerick via Foynes. What is the funding route for Galway Harbour Company's extension shortfall? It has its own resources and it can sell land and draw down a loan, but there will be a shortfall as the Minister is aware. Will the ports policy accept that Galway has huge international demand from cruise ships, with bookings extending into 2033?  In its submission Galway City Council stated local authority-owned ports should have equal access to State, EU and blended funding where projects satisfy transparent criteria and deliver national, regional or public value. Equal access does not mean that every project should be funded but it means that projects should be assessed on their own merits rather than excluded because of ownership, in this case local authority ownership, or port classification, in this case as a regional port.  Galway Port is, since the last ports policy, part of the EU TEN-T comprehensive network and this recognition should have practical consequences in national investment planning, infrastructure development and access to appropriate funding. Galway City Council's request is that the final ports policy should explicitly state the future role of Galway Port in the national commercial port and TEN-T networks.  The policy should also confirm that all ports within its scope, including local authority-owned ports and TEN-T ports, that are not ports of national significance, may access Exchequer, European and blended finance through transparent project-based criteria. This must include an Exchequer funding route for maritime safety, access and resilience infrastructure where the wider public benefits cannot be funded from port revenues only. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Jack Chambers)  I thank Deputy Kyne for raising this important issue. I am very familiar with the Port of Galway, having visited it many times in my role as a Minister of State at the Department of Transport. I know the ambition in the port to grow, as well as the Deputy's wider work in Galway West over the last number of years to bring that to fruition.  As the Deputy knows, the draft revision of the national ports policy, for which the second public consultation period ended on 28 August, confirms the importance of the Galway Harbour Company and other ports of regional significance to their immediate hinterlands and, crucially, to supporting balanced regional development. It is supportive of all ports of national and regional significance in maximising their contribution to meeting the needs of the State. The wider programme for Government commits to supporting investment in our commercial and passenger port infrastructure through that national ports policy.  We approved that new policy as a Government on 16 June and it encourages all ports with commercial activity not only to contribute to the facilitation of trade but also to support renewable energy, energy security, climate adaptation and decarbonisation goals, both within their regions and across the State as a whole. In this context, I welcome An Coimisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la's decision in April of this year to grant planning permission for the extension of the Port of Galway, marking a significant infrastructural milestone for Galway city and the wider west of Ireland. To the Deputy's point, this project represents a very positive example of ambition and growth and the necessity for balanced regional development.  The Minister for Transport has advised me, though, that 91 written submissions were made during the recent consultation on the draft revision of the national ports policy, including from the Galway Harbour Company, Galway City Council and Galway County Council. These are currently being assessed by the Department of Transport. It is the intention of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to submit a final draft of the policy to the Government by the end of the year.  With our new national ports policy, we are trying to ensure that our ports are that growth centre for renewable energy and the intensification of housing supply and to ensure that we build that regeneration, which is possible. Obviously, there will have to be choices around how we allocate capital to that, which is something for the Government to consider when the new national ports policy is developed. It has much more ambition than where the national ports policy sits today. I know it was significantly constraining, particularly for regional ports across our country. They may not have been able to develop in line with their wider ambition up to now. I think the new ports policy will be a catalyst for much greater economic development for ports of regional significance. We will have to make choices on what the funding for that will be, but, between the continued work to get planning permission in respect of development and the finalisation of the new national ports policy, it will represent an important ability to follow through on that wider ambition for the Port of Galway. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Se\u00e1n Kyne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Kyne.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Se\u00e1n Kyne  I thank the Minister for his response. He spoke about renewable energy. The Port of Galway presently handles about 20% of Ireland's onshore wind development components. Unfortunately, the Port of Galway has been judged by its existing tonnage capability rather than what it can achieve and will achieve in its new port extension. It was a different world and a different era back in 2013. Many people, including members of the Minister's own party, quite rightly criticised that ports policy, but it is continuing now in the draft policy. That mistake is continuing on now in the draft policy. My request to the Minister, the Taoiseach, the T\u00e1naiste, the Minister for Transport and the Minister of State with responsibility for ports in the Department of Transport, is that it be ensured that the next and final policy delivers for the Port of Galway and for Galway city. It has to deliver for the Port of Galway and for Galway city. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  In the first instance, the ports policy is seeking to prioritise the commercial aspect of each port of national or regional significance. That is an important principle and discipline across how we manage all our ports. It also speaks to wider that ambition which may not have been reflected previously and the potential of ports around renewable energy, energy security and other issues, which may not have been assessed to the same extent at the time of the previous ports policy.  This is why the further consultation was ongoing and why we want to continue that engagement on the draft ports policy. It still has to come back to the Government for a final decision by the end of the year. As per the programme for Government and the commitment to develop a new national ports policy, we are clear that we do want to ensure that the momentum in infrastructural development and balanced regional development happens in the Port of Galway and across the west of Ireland, with its huge potential for renewable energy. We want to fulfil that ambition through this ports policy. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 na Comhalta\u00ed Eile - Other Members\u2019 Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_13","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Pholasa\u00ed n\u00f3 ar Reachta\u00edocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation","counts":{"speechCount":48,"speakerCount":22},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_13","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joanna Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"James O'Connor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-O'Connor.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"James-O'Connor.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Shane Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joe Neville","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Edward Timmins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Edward-Timmins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Edward-Timmins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Murphy.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Murphy.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Heydon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Heydon.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Martin-Heydon.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Duncan Smith","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joanna Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joanna-Byrne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Joanna Byrne  This week, our national football team looks set to line out against the terrorist State of Israel in the Nations League. The Government has been completely devoid of leadership and humanity on this issue and its inaction and reluctance to intervene or enable the FAI to withdraw from fixtures will be a lasting stain on our nation.  Sporting infrastructure and stadiums have been obliterated and 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered. This includes 566 footballers, 100 of whom are children, who have been murdered. The Government has chosen to sit on its hands and make Ireland complicit in sportswashing genocide. In referencing genocide yesterday, the Taoiseach himself stated that Israel cannot continue denying what the world knows. We now need action to back up the Government's words and soundbites when it comes to challenging Israel on its ethnic cleansing mission in Palestine. What is it to be: 90 minutes of football and six points or 75,000 lives? What matters more? The Government and the FAI have left our footballers exposed and hung out to dry. They should never have had to shoulder this burden. I am asking the Government, once again, to intervene to stop these games. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Jack Chambers)  We heard the Taoiseach's remarks yesterday and we saw the personalised comments directed by the Israeli FA at Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson, which were completely inappropriate. We have been clear in all of what we have said on this and other matters relating to Israel, Gaza and the shocking actions of Israel. We have been consistent on this. The only place where we get criticism of it is in this House. There is a very strong view across the Government of complete solidarity with the people of Palestine and regarding the genocide which is occurring in Palestine. There is total solidarity in the House here with the people of Palestine. The Deputy knows as well as everybody else that the Government does not control what fixtures are fulfilled. The FAI has articulated the reasons for which it is continuing with that particular fixture, over which we do not have control. We have to respect the FAI in respect of running games. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Liam Quaide  Imagine a new mother in acute psychological distress being told that to get the inpatient care she needs she must be separated from her baby. This is still the reality in Ireland because, nine years after it was recommended, we still do not have a specialist mother and baby unit. This is highlighted today on thejournal.ie . The Irish Association for Infant Mental Health, I-AIMH, is clear that women and babies should be supported together. We know this in our bones. A mother and her baby should not be separated. That early bond is foundational and separation can worsen the mental health difficulty itself.  This sits against the gravest possible backdrop. Suicide is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths between six weeks and one year after birth. Ireland, of all countries, should understand the consequences of separating mothers and babies. We have a painful history of doing exactly that. A modern health service should never recreate that separation. After nine years, what is holding this unit up and when exactly will it open? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)  Perinatal mental healthcare has been transformed over the past ten years. We now have six consultant-led multidisciplinary teams in our major maternity hospitals and specialist perinatal midwives providing targeted supports in a further 13 hospitals. This means that perinatal mental health services are now available in all 19 maternity hospitals. The demand has been huge. Nearly one in five of all pregnant mothers has looked for support. Some need more support than others. In budget 2026, I funded a further consultant psychiatrist to work in two of the main teams in Dublin, at the Rotunda and the Coombe.  In relation to the specific question from the Deputy, St. Vincent's University Hospital has been selected as the location for Ireland's first perinatal mother and baby unit. The Department of Health continues to progress this plan as part of the wider capital plan.  I have secured up to \u20ac470 million for mental health capital spending up to 2030. I hope to progress this project as quickly as possible. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  The Minister, Deputy Chambers, spoke about solidarity with the people of Palestine but it is appalling to see the Government refusing visas for students from Gaza who are fleeing a genocide and have already secured funded scholarships in Irish universities. There is an ongoing case involving nearly 30 such students, which the Government is fighting in the courts. From what we know of the reasons given for visa refusals, the grounds seem really spurious, including an inability to supply original documents from banks and post offices that have been bombed to dust in Gaza. One engineering student literally risked his life crossing the Gaza Strip to do a required English proficiency test, which he passed with flying colours, only then to be refused a visa to come here to take up his place. Serious contradictions in Government policy have emerged. The Department of further education encourages students from Gaza to apply for scholarships here, while the Department of justice condemns them to remain in a war zone by refusing visas. How can the Government stand over such a cruel policy? The justice and further education Ministries are held by Fianna F\u00e1il. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, and his colleagues could address this issue by granting visas. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Government is deeply conscious of the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians. Ireland has consistently stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people, including by supporting access to higher education opportunities in this State. Since the outbreak of the war in 2023, 90 students have been awarded Government-funded scholarships to study here. In addition, approximately 60 Gazan students have come here to study in that period through scholarships offered directly by higher education institutions. For the 2026-27 academic year, data from the Department of justice tells us that 50 student visas have been granted to students from Gaza. The Ministers, Deputies Lawless and Jim O'Callaghan, are now engaging directly with higher education representative bodies to progress a clear pathway for eligible students for the next academic year. We all are in solidarity with Palestinians. We all want to see these scholarships awarded and visas facilitated. It is a matter then of each individual application being assessed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  It is almost two years since Dr. Abu Safiya was detained by the Israeli occupying forces. His crime was to not abandon his hospital in Gaza. He is being held in solitary confinement. He is being kicked, beaten and tortured every single day. He has not been charged with any crimes. He is just one of hundreds of thousands of victims of Israel's genocide, brutality and occupation. It is scandalous that the Minister stands in this Chamber again and again to talk about genocide but he will not say that our football team should not be normalising the genocidal Israeli state by playing football against its team. It is absolutely scandalous. I appeal to the Ireland players to do the right thing. The Government and the FAI are not brave enough to say we should not play football against baby killers. Unfortunately, it is now in the hands of the players to do the right thing, shame the Government and show the whole world where the support of the Irish people lies. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I reiterate our position of total solidarity with the Palestinian people. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  Do something then. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  There is a collective view in this House on the shocking genocide that has occurred. As I have said to the Deputy's colleagues, the Government does not and cannot decide whether a fixture will be fulfilled. The FAI has set out its reasoning for fulfilling this particular fixture. We have heard the comments by the Irish manager, Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson, who, like his players, is in total solidarity with the Palestinian people. The FAI has engaged with UEFA as part of addressing its concerns regarding this particular fixture. The Government has no role in organising fixtures or deciding whether they are played. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  It has been reported to me by a worker in the national children's hospital that there are major problems with 400 bathrooms in the new hospital in terms of the insulation that was used. I have been told there will be massive delays while the defective bathrooms are being fixed and this will cost the taxpayer dearly. As we know, portions of the insulation used previously at the hospital were similar to those involved in the fatal 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. Another worker has told me the ventilation system in the hospital is still not up to clinical standard. Approximately 5,000 rooms are involved. At the latest count, some 100,000 defects have been identified in the hospital, there were 20 missed deadlines and the construction cost has ballooned to \u20ac2.24 billion. The facility was supposed to open six years ago. Will the Minister tell the D\u00e1il today when those 400 bathrooms will be fixed, at what cost to the taxpayer and who will be held to account? When will the incineration of taxpayers' money end? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We are all agreed on the need to ensure lessons are learned from that particular contract. We have had independent evaluations of what occurred and they absolutely will inform future contracts, whether in health infrastructure or in other areas. That is well documented and has been well debated here and at Oireachtas committees. I do not have to hand the specific detail on the issues the Deputy has raised. No hospital should open unless it meets regulatory standards for patient safety. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  Will the Minister come back to me with specific details? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I will ask the Minister for Health or Children's Health Ireland to respond to the specific concerns expressed by particular workers and raised by the Deputy today. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"James O'Connor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-O'Connor.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"James-O'Connor.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy James O'Connor  An important survey done by the National Youth Council of Ireland shows that seven in ten young adults have considered leaving this country to go abroad for a better quality of life. As a young person in politics supporting the Government, I want to ask the youngest member of the Cabinet how the Government feels about this specific issue. We know the economy is in a sound and solid position but people are not feeling that in their ordinary lives, particularly the young people who want to access housing and a better quality of life. Is there more the Government needs to do to respond to the sentiment expressed by young people that democracy in Ireland is not working out for them and their families? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The sentiment of young people is absolutely essential in how we frame and decide different policies. The single biggest priority of the Government is ensuring supply and affordability of housing. We want to ensure young people have the prospect of owning or getting a home and that there is rent affordability. To give balance to the survey the Deputy mentioned, many young people are coming back to live in Ireland and are getting jobs here. Of course, I am as concerned as anybody by the sentiment reflected in the National Youth Council of Ireland survey. Our central focus in the budget will be on the cost of living, affordability in people's day-to-day lives and, most importantly, improving housing supply, including by building social infrastructure and homes in communities right across the country. The central issue feeding the sentiment expressed in the survey is the need to address affordable housing and wider housing supply. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Maxwell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"David-Maxwell.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy David Maxwell  My question concerns the inadequate school transport services this year and every year for rural families. We see countless families who have paid on time for the tickets they applied for, only to be told there is no place on the bus. Some children, having used a bus for a number of years, were advised this summer that there is no room for holders of concessionary tickets. Parents tell me they see school buses passing down their road with empty seats. Will funding be approved in the budget to allow for the upgrading of buses, including, for example, from a 20-odd-seater to accommodate a greater number? There are options to tackle this problem. I am making the case for more funding for school transport to allow children to travel to school without this major headache for parents next year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I know people in some rural communities, where there is a certain level of demand, do not have a ticket or have had issues with the organisation or operation of this service. It is important to stand back and look at overall Government investment in the service. As I have said previously in the House, it has increased exponentially. The funding of the school transport system must be sustainable and must fit within our broader medium-term plan for growth and expenditure in the economy. The funding has gone from \u20ac219 million in 2019 to more than \u20ac600 million this year. The future profile of that funding must be sustainable and must fit within our broader plans. We want to support improved capacity. We have seen the level of demand increase from 120,000 children in 2019 to 180,000 in 2026. That represents such positive use of the service but, obviously, it has presented some capacity constraints. We will work with the Minister for education to ensure we continue to improve the service in the months ahead. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  I have been contacted by a group of midwives in Galway who have completed their internships. They are fully qualified but have been informed that there is currently a recruitment freeze in the health service and positions will not be offered to them. This is despite the fact that the director of midwifery at University Hospital Galway has confirmed to them that there are currently 23 vacant midwifery posts across the Galway University Hospitals. These midwives have spent years in education, training and gaining clinical experience in order to qualify. We know that there are significant staffing pressures in our hospitals. It is totally unacceptable that they would not be employed within our public health service. This is a direct result of Government policy, which has imposed unrealistic budgets and which has restricted hospitals from directly recruiting the essential staff they need. These talented people who have worked hard to qualify as midwives deserve to be employed by the HSE. These vacant posts should be filled in order that these midwives can provide care to women and families and not be lost to countries abroad. I want the Minister to give a commitment that this will happen. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  Budget 2026 allocated \u20ac27.4 billion in funding for the health system in 2026, which is a record allocation of current expenditure and an increase of 6.2% on 2025. We stood up a structure of regional executives that were given an employment allocation in the context of the record budget we introduced. In some instances, those executives recruited in excess of that. It is matter for those executives, in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Health, to ensure that we absolutely prioritise clinical staff, nurses and the front-line interface of patient services.  I reject the suggestion that we have an underfunded health service. We have a health service that has been funded to an exceptional level over the past number of years, rightly so, and that has been underpinned by Sl\u00e1intecare and so on. We also need to ensure we prioritise how we recruit. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louis O'Hara","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Louis-O'Hara.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louis O'Hara  What about the recruitment of these midwives? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I am sorry Deputy, time is up. I call Deputy Darren O'Rourke. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  It is a matter for the HSE----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Minister, time is up. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----and the Department of Health to prioritise any further recruitment in line with the budget we have provided. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Darren O'Rourke  I wish to raise the school transport scheme. Thousands of children across the State have been left without places on school buses. Scores of children in my county of Meath, including at least 23 in north Meath who attend to O'Carolan College in Nobber, have been affected. The Government conducted a review of the scheme. It emerged that what locks many people out are the eligibility criteria. People who qualify for concessionary tickets are being left off school buses. Bus \u00c9ireann says that it cannot sanction extra places for concessionary pupils without getting the okay from the Minister. I am looking for the Minister to okay those additional places. When will the eligibility criteria be changed in line with the Government's review? Will the Government introduce a monitoring system in respect of the actual usage of the tickets? This is a significant issue. Tickets are allocated but many are not used on a daily basis. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  This has been a big priority for Government over the past number of years. That is reflected in how we have budgeted for this and how we expanded the scheme. There has been a 50% increase in pupils utilising school transport this year compared with 2019. That has been reflected in how we are supporting it. I accept that there are particular issues in feedback from local communities where a ticket is given and not utilised and where another pupil who requires a ticket is not given one. There should probably be better monitoring by Bus \u00c9ireann and the Department of education in order to ensure that we ensure that we maximise capacity. That is a frustration for parents and children. I will reflect the feedback from the Deputy to the Department of education. This is something that should happen. It should be a use-it-or-lose-it policy rather than a ticket being bought or a concessionary ticket being given and then not being utilised throughout the year to the detriment of someone who would use it. We can better manage current capacity within that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  While there have been some moves in regard to e-bikes in the context people being obliged to wear high-vis vests and helmets and a bans for under-18s, all of which are welcome, the number of serious injuries and fatalities continues to increase. In 2021, there were 173 hospital presentations and 309 in 2025. The signs are that it will be worse this year. Existing laws, including the new ones, are not being enforced. People continue to ride on footpaths and are not wearing helmets or high-vis vests. Those under 18 also continue to ride these scooters. Pedestrians are being put at risk. Garda\u00ed say they cannot pursue those involved. One garda has already been in court in Dublin over this. The situation needs to be fixed.  I am not in favour of a ban. E-scooters are a cheap and eco-friendly way for people to get around, particularly for people getting to work. It is not a case of banning them; it is a case of enforcement. The enforcement of existing rules, along with new laws requiring registration, insurance and a basic driver's licence, are needed. Government promised a lot of action over the summer. That action was needed yesterday and it is needed now. Will the Government legislate to have these scooters registered and introduce a requirement for the people who ride them to be have insurance and licences? Will it bring in legislation to enable garda\u00ed to enforce the rules, particularly in relation to pursuit? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  When canvassing over the summer, this was one of the major issues reflected in many estates right across my community. There is serious concern about the misuse of e-scooters and scramblers. We have taken action in the context of the existing laws. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has signed some of the regulations around this that are being introduced. We need to listen to the feedback of the clinicians appearing before the Oireachtas committee this week about further actions that may be required. We also need to be open to further legislative intervention if this continues to be a serious issue in communities across the country.  To be fair to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, it has significantly increased its enforcement activity in this area. The Garda authorities report that there were 1,412 incidents in which e-scooters were seized in the first half of this year. That compares with 931 such incidents in the whole of 2025. The force has significantly improved the level of enforcement activity, but we do need to keep the legislation under review to ensure that we drive greater enforcement in this area. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  They have to be able to pursue them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy Michael Collins is on his feet. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Collins  I wish to raise the completely unacceptable situation facing families on Cape Clear Island off west Cork. One family who contacted me is caring for an elderly mother who has a progressive neurological condition and who requires 24-hour care. Her 81-year-old husband and daughter are doing everything they possibly can but they cannot replace a proper health service. The facts are stark. Cape Clear had no nursing cover whatsoever for the entire month of July. A nurse was present for only five days in August. Across the period of 20 months examined, there was no full nursing cover over half of all days. This island is located 12 km off the coast of west Cork. When something goes wrong, people cannot simply drive to the emergency department. The community reports 13 medical evacuations since January, including five in just ten days in August. This situation cannot continue. I ask for three commitments, namely: restore consistent full-time public health nurse cover on Cape Clear; put guaranteed replacement cover in place when that nurse is unavailable; and restore proper home help and home support services for vulnerable islanders. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I acknowledge the concerns raised by residents and by the Deputy relating to nursing services on Cape Clear. HSE South West has acknowledged challenges in the recruitment of nursing staff to Cape Clear in recent years. Notwithstanding these challenges, the HSE has advised that a regular nursing service continues to be provided on the island in line with population needs. A registered general nurse is based on Cape Clear from Monday to Friday and on alternate weekends. A public health nurse, based in Skibbereen, supports the service as well through the provision of specialist-based nursing services and by attending the island as required. Additional nursing supports, I am informed, are being provided from Skibbereen during periods of leave or absence. Contingency arrangements are also in place during periods when a nurse is not expected on the island due to unexpected leave, including prioritisation of urgent cases. It is important, as the Deputy said, that the people of Cape Clear have confidence in safe and appropriate nursing services. I will reflect the Deputy's concerns to the Minister. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Shane Moynihan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Shane-Moynihan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Shane Moynihan  Ba mhaith liom labhairt inniu maidir le c\u00farsa\u00ed a bhaineann leis an gcead\u00fanas tiom\u00e1na. I ask for some common-sense interventions with regard to certain categories of driver licensing that we have in the country. Two issues have been raised with me by constituents regarding the removal of code 78, which restricts a licence holder from operating a manual vehicle if he or she demonstrated proficiency in an automatic vehicle. An arbitrary line has been drawn whereby anyone who qualified to drive before November 2013 has to have that restriction on their licence. I ask that this be reviewed.  The second issue relates to category BE, which permits people to tow a trailer while driving a jeep or car. In order to attain a category BE on your licence to drive a trailer attached to your jeep, you have to have spent two years under the mentorship of a qualified BE driver. There is a very limited pool of people who have that qualification and who can mentor others. Will the Minister support a review of these two requirements and apply a common-sense solution in respect of both, while also ensuring that road safety is maintained? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important issue. I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, regarding the particular interpretation taken by the Road Safety Authority in respect of licence renewals.  I am not familiar with the technical aspects the Deputy referenced. The Minister and Minister of State will need to evaluate the matter in line with what he said. I will ask them to respond to him directly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Joe Neville","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Joe-Neville.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Joe Neville  The issue I want to raise is dereliction and, more importantly, how we can rejuvenate our towns and villages. Coincidentally, in recent days I was contacted by representatives from two different towns in north Kildare who were looking to meet up to discuss what we could do. A huge number of people, such as those involved in Tidy Towns, are doing great work in trying to revitalise our town centres. However, their efforts are being held back by issues relating to derelict properties. We need to check what powers are in place for local authorities. We may need to move those powers to Revenue in order to enable it to get those properties. Ultimately, many of our towns have growing communities, growing populations and growing needs. We need more childcare facilities and new family resource centres. If our towns and villages are going to be emptier, we need to put in place facilities in these properties. Some of that could be done by way of Government-led projects. We have a dereliction tax. There is talk about setting the rate at 7%. Can we look at putting it at 10% in order to really incentivise business owners to get things moving? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Deputy is correct. There are too many derelict properties in towns and villages across the country. We need to use all levers of Government to incentivise their use for community infrastructure or for enterprise. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has brought in a series of grants to help bridge the gap for different communities and for people interested in investing and turning properties around. The T\u00e1naiste and the former Minister, Paschal Donohoe, have done work on moving this tax to Revenue, which will have a significant effect.  I will reflect on the position the Deputy set out in respect of a higher rate of tax and whether that would be a better stick as regards the utilisation of properties. We need to see properties that have been derelict for decades moving back into use. We need the right mix of incentives and the stick, that is, taxation. We are all trying to move towards that. I appreciate the Deputy raising the issue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Edward Timmins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Edward-Timmins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Edward-Timmins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Edward Timmins  As the Minister will know, we will take in approximately \u20ac17.5 billion in windfall corporation taxes this year. Our budget surplus of \u20ac8 billion looks great but without these windfall corporation taxes, our finances would be in deficit to the tune of \u20ac8 billion or \u20ac9 billion, which is concerning. It is moving in the wrong direction. I know the Minister is aware of this. Would he consider doing something like what is done in Norway, namely ring-fencing these windfall corporation taxes, or a large proportion of them, and not allowing them to be used for current expenditure? Only what is earned from the fund in which they are held would be used for current expenditure. This would be a way of being fiscally prudent and planning for our future. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Deputy and I have engaged at meetings of Oireachtas committees on following through on that and moderating the growth rate of current expenditure from 9%, the average over the past five years, to 6%, the rate we have set in the medium-term fiscal and structural plan. Part of driving that involves ensuring we are much more effective in driving efficiencies in the existing base spend, achieving much better value for money for taxpayers and continuing to commit to the two structural funds we have established, namely the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which have been welcomed by international markets. We are due to have \u20ac25 billion set aside by the end of this year. That will grow to a figure in excess of \u20ac30 billion next year. That provides a strong anchor of fiscal discipline whereby, by means of legislation, we are putting a lot of the windfall receipts aside. On the Deputy's point as to whether we should put even more aside if there are further windfall receipts, what anchors us in moderating day-to-day expenditure, which we are committing to, is our medium-term structural and fiscal plan. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  I want to speak about the ongoing crisis in GP services across the country. I refer to access to GP services for both private patients and medical card holders. In my town of Wexford, it is virtually impossible for medical card holders to access a GP. It is heading in the same direction for private patients. Only last week, I was contacted by a family of two adults and three children who had relocated to Wexford. They are private patients and they were rejected by four GPs. We are now looking to other towns in the county to try to get them facilitated. As the Minister will know, this is an ongoing crisis. The Minister for Health has given commitments in the past but the problem is getting worse. We really do need radical intervention in this area. I have spoken to my colleagues and I know that towns across the country are suffering greatly in this regard. I would appreciate some type of intervention. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I regret that this has been the direct experience of many people in Wexford. The most appropriate structural intervention to improve provision of GP services across our State has been what we have done on the graduate side of things. The number of postgraduate places for general practice has massively expanded in the past number of years. That pipeline of graduates is now coming through the system. We should see the benefit of that in different communities. The HSE has also worked to address some of the deficits in particular areas of population growth. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to the particular acute issue in Wexford to which the Deputy refers. This will improve as that pipeline of graduates is seen throughout the country. We are already seeing many of them conclude their general practice training. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  There are three Deputies outside the timeline. I ask them to be brief. I will give them 30 seconds with a further 30 seconds for a response. It is a 15-Member slot. The Members chosen have been taken. I am doing this at my own discretion. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Murphy.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Murphy.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Murphy  Back in March, I wrote to the Ministers for agriculture, justice and Transport on the issue of sulky racing and general sulky use. It is extraordinary to think that sulky racing is permitted under the Roads Act 1993. This issue crosses all three Departments. I ask that the working group look at welfare, enforcement, legislative reform, minimum ages, and a licensing and regulatory framework. It is extraordinary that the racing of sulkies is permitted. Is there any update from the working group? Does the Minister support an outright ban? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Heydon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Heydon.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Martin-Heydon.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)  I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this matter, for his ongoing work as chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and for his personal interest in the issue of sulky racing, which he has been raising for some time. As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am responsible for animal welfare. The question of who is permitted to operate on roads is a matter for the Department of Transport and enforcement in respect of any breaches of the rules is a matter for the Department of justice. I wrote to my colleagues in those Departments to ask them to nominate people for a working group. That working group has held an initial meeting. I understand that more meetings are planned for the future. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Duncan Smith","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Duncan Smith  The Minister may have read in the Irish Independent this week that the remains of a body found in Galway in 1995 went missing from a HSE mortuary. There are 51 sets of unidentified remains on the Government database. In three of those cases, the remains or parts of the remains have gone missing. These include a skull found in north County Dublin in 2006 and partial remains found in Wexford in 1995. It is hoped that modern technology will allow these remains to be matched with missing people, allowing them to be identified. However, through carelessness, neglect or poor processes, this has not happened. I ask for a proper audit and for solid processes to be put in place in order that these unidentified remains can be cared for and comfort can be given to families in these tragic cases. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I did not see the specific report in the Irish Independent . Following through on this is obviously a joint competence of the Departments of Health and Justice. We will ask that confidence in further co-ordination be ensured, particularly for families who have particular concerns. I will ask both Departments to respond to that issue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Malcolm Byrne  I very much welcome the Government's intention to proceed with a youth culture card, as committed to in our manifesto and in the programme for Government. This will help to build youth audiences for the arts. I would be grateful if the Minister could outline the timeframe for the introduction of the youth culture card and when applications will open for the proposed arts capital programme. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Deputy may have read news reports, but such reports do not supersede discussions on the Estimates. Nothing has been agreed on any matter relating to the budget yet. We will have to consider all matters in the context of what is available for 2027. The arts capital programme was referenced in the sectoral investment plan that we published. It is also reflected in the programme for Government. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to set out a timeline in that regard. A decision on what is possible for 2027 is still subject to discussions on the Estimates. I am being consistent on that in the context of budget 2027. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna ar Pholasa\u00ed n\u00f3 ar Reachta\u00edocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_14","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Withdrawal of the State from the Migration and Asylum Pact of the European Union Bill 2026: First Stage","counts":{"speechCount":9,"speakerCount":4},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_14","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  I move:  That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the withdrawal of the State from European Union legislative measures comprised in the Migration and Asylum Pact of the European Union; and to provide for related matters.  Six years ago, we in Aont\u00fa, called for a proper debate on the issue of immigration. We were the first party to do so in this House. We said very clearly that if there is not a debate that the issue will not go away. It will be pushed underground. It will be used by ne'er-do-wells to cause trouble in the country. We were attacked at that time by pretty much every single political party. Now, most of the parties have moved onto the same ground as ourselves but there are still major differences. The EU migration pact is one of them. The EU migration pact hands over Irish sovereignty on a key issue to the EU. The EU will determine in future the numbers of people who will come to Ireland, the number people we must accept through the asylum process, and it allows Brussels to determine the money that we must pay in lieu of accepting those same applicants. Already the Government is putting away \u20ac9 million for fines that it expects next year as a result of that pact.  We have received legal advice from the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisors and the European Commission that it may not be possible to withdraw from the opt-in. However, we have also received different legal opinions. We know that if there are future changes to the EU migration pact and how it is run we still a constitutional right to opt-out. We also know that countries like Poland, for example, have been given exemptions in relation to that pact. The reason that this Bill is being proposed by ourselves today on the floor of the D\u00e1il is that we want to challenge and test the full limits of what this country has a right to do. Poland receives an exemption from the pacts because it has accepted 1 million Ukrainian people. Ireland currently has 1.2 million immigrants living in the State. A total of 23% of the population are from outside of the country. Ireland is an outlier in those terms.  No other major European country has figures next nor near that. The only countries that come close are microstates where they have small populations and where small numbers can change the proportion significantly. Many of these people are living integrated and cohesively in this country. Many are working positively and putting their shoulder to the wheel. However, it is also putting significant pressure on the housing crisis. It is a foundation of economics. The supply and demand determine the price and availability. The Government has not been able to supply housing over the past number of years. By increasing the number of people coming into the country, we are pushing up prices currently. Incredibly, 42% of people on the Dublin housing waiting list are foreign born. That is making it harder for them and also for locals to be able to get a house. I urge the Government to accept this Bill. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  It is an honour to introduce this Bill before the House to remove Ireland from the EU migration pact to restore Irish sovereignty over its borders. The decision to opt into the EU migration pact by this Government or the previous Government was reckless. The idea that the Government is unable to determine the future cost in terms of fines is incredible. Ireland has unique challenges in sharing a border with a non-EU country. It is extraordinary that this has never been addressed in relation to this pact. When the EU migration pact passed in the D\u00e1il, it did so by a narrow majority. By my calculation, 59 of the TDs who voted that day are no longer TDs. They either retired or lost their seats. Newly elected TDs like myself have never had the opportunity to have our say in relation to the EU migration pact. The Irish people have never had a say either. We are the ones who are mandated by the sovereign people of Ireland. The previous Government seeded sovereignty in relation to our borders even though the Government is unable to tell us through parliamentary questions how much it will cost us in terms of fines. That is why we in Aont\u00fa are tabling this Bill to try to reverse that decision and return decisions over migration and our borders to the democratically elected D\u00e1il.  As Deputy T\u00f3ib\u00edn mentioned, Poland was given exemptions in relation to the migration pact. Those exemptions were necessary because of the extreme pressures that Poland was and is experiencing in relation to Ukrainian refugees. However, Ireland is experiencing very acute challenges as well, such as the fact that 23% of the population of this country are foreign born, that we have such an immense housing crisis and that the services in terms of education and health are at capacity. These are factors that should be accounted for. I refer the EU migration pact----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Deputy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  -----and the primary criteria in terms of GDP, which is incredibly------ "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  The Deputy's time is up. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  -----inflated in this country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Is the Bill being opposed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  Not opposed. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  I move: \"That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time.\" "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Withdrawal of the State from the Migration and Asylum Pact of the European Union Bill 2026: First Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_15","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2021\/150","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2021\/150\/dail\/3_ord","houseCode":"dail","stage":"3_ord","isBillStage":false,"showAs":"Seller\u2019s Legal Pack for Property Buyers Bill 2021: Order for Committee Stage (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Seller\u2019s Legal Pack for Property Buyers Bill 2021: Order for Committee Stage","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_15","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Heneghan  I move:  That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration pursuant to Standing Order 187. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Cuireadh an D\u00e1il ar fionra\u00ed ar 1.26 p.m. agus cuireadh t\u00fas leis ar\u00eds ar 2.27 p.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Sitting suspended at 1.26 p.m. and resumed at 2.27 p.m. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Seller\u2019s Legal Pack for Property Buyers Bill 2021: Order for Committee Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_16","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/88","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/88\/dail\/2","houseCode":"dail","stage":"2","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage","counts":{"speechCount":41,"speakerCount":39},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_16","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Norma Foley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Maurice Quinlivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Maurice-Quinlivan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Maurice-Quinlivan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Keira Keogh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Daly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Martin-Daly.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Claire Kerrane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gillian Toole","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gillian-Toole.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Gillian-Toole.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Higgins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Norma Foley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (Deputy Norma Foley)  I move: \"That the Bill be now read a Second Time.\"  As Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, I am pleased to introduce to the House today the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026. This Bill is the first legislative reform of the assessment of need process since it was established in the Disability Act 2005, over 20 years ago. This Bill is an acknowledgement by Government that the current assessment of need process has to become a source of deep frustration for applicants, both children and young adults, and indeed for their families. The Government is particularly mindful that long waiting times for assessment of need are causing uncertainty and distress to families who may already be under considerable pressure as they try to ensure their family member receives the supports and services they need in order to fully develop and thrive.  In my statement today I will set out section by section the proposed changes being introduced by this Bill and how these legislative reforms aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the assessment of need system. Section 1 of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026 defines the Disability Act 2005 as the principal Act. The Bill which comprises a total of eight sections only makes very specific and targeted changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act which describes and sets out the legislative basis for the assessment of need process.  Section 2 of the Bill makes specific and targeted changes section 7 of the principal Act which sets out interpretations of terms used within Part 2. In particular, the Bill strengthens the definition of \"assessment\" in section 7(1) to clearly identify the determination of disability as a distinct part of the assessment process. It seeks to make explicit what was previously implicit in the principal Act, notably the requirement for HSE assessment officers to make the determination of disability before identifying the health and education needed the applicant.  Additionally, section 2 amends the definition of substantial restriction in section 7(2) of the principal Act. Specifically, the Bill replaces the word \"disability\" with the word \"restriction\", placing greater emphasis on the need of the individual arising from the restrictions they face in daily life. It brings the legislation more in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, focusing on the person's needs rather than their disability.  Section 3 of the Bill makes amendments to section 8 of the principal Act. The Bill clarifies that a request by a HSE assessment officer to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, for assistance in relation to the need for an education service as part of the overall assessment process, should be made once a determination of disability has been established. Section 3 also clarifies that the assessment report prepared and issued by the HSE assessment officer will include a statement on the substantial restriction that the applicant is subject to. This new provision replaces a requirement for an assessment report to include \"a statement of the nature and extent of the [person\u2019s] disability\", moving away from a focus on diagnosis. This will help to ensure the focus is on the restrictions experienced by the person and their needs arising from those restrictions, rather than on a specific impairment or diagnosis.  Section 4 inserts an entirely new set of provisions to section 9 of the principal Act. These new provisions provide for the withdrawal, closure and reinstatement, where required, of applications for an assessment of need, AON. These provisions address a gap in the existing legislation, which does not provide for the closure of applications. They also aim to provide a degree of flexibility to applicants and their families who may not wish to continue with their application due to personal circumstances or may not be in a position to engage with the process at that point in time. This should also provide for improved case management by the HSE, allowing for the closure of dormant or inactive applications currently in the system. As I will explain, substantial protections will also be in place at all times for every applicant so that this provision operates in everyone\u2019s best interest.  The Disability (Amendment) Bill provides for two types of withdrawal. The first is a voluntary withdrawal mechanism whereby the applicant voluntarily chooses to withdraw their application from the assessment of need process. The applicant can withdraw their application at any stage throughout the assessment process up to the point at which a service statement is issued and the applicant must inform the HSE in writing of their intent to withdraw. The voluntary withdrawal will take effect on the date at which the HSE receives this notice from the applicant.  The second type of withdrawal mechanism is termed a \"deemed withdrawal\" and will only occur when it is no longer possible to progress the assessment process. Regulations, which are at an advanced stage of development, will set out very clearly the conditions under which the HSE can act upon a deemed withdrawal. These will include, for example, where the applicant is deceased, has permanently moved outside the jurisdiction or fails to provide the necessary information over a six-month period despite repeated efforts by the assessment officer to progress the assessment process. The deemed withdrawal would take effect on the date at which the HSE notified the applicant.  Importantly, the Bill also has regard to the potential vulnerability of families and provides that there is an option to reinstate applications to the AON process for both voluntary and deemed withdrawals, even in those cases where attempts to elicit information over a six-month period have failed. In each withdrawal case, a request for reinstatement can be made by the applicant within 12 months of the date of withdrawal. This allows applicants who may have disengaged from the process for personal reasons to re-engage and have their original applications assessed. The Bill sets out how applications will be treated once they have been reinstated, especially in relation to steps that had already been taken to process the application at the time of withdrawal.  In all, these new provisions for withdrawal, closure and reinstatement will apply to both existing and new applications to the assessment of need process and will ensure greater flexibility in how applications are managed across the system.  Section 5 of the Bill makes changes to section 21 of the principal Act. Section 5 provides the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality with regulation-making powers in relation to the provision for the withdrawal, closure and reinstatement of applications to the assessment of need process. The regulations, which are in development, specify the conditions under which withdrawals, closures and reinstatements can take place, enhancing protections for applicants to ensure that this provision is grounded in legislation and does not exceed the limits of the principal Act. Section 5 also makes an amendment to section 21( a )(v) of the principal Act around requests for assistance from the NCSE. This is to reflect the changes made to section 3 of the Bill whereby a request to the NCSE for assistance should be made once a determination of disability has been established  Section 6 provides the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality with the powers to request the HSE to develop a set of statutory guidelines setting out the assessment of need process. It is intended that the statutory guidelines will support HSE assessment officers and liaison officers to deliver a consistent and uniform approach to the processing of assessment applications across all six health regions, promoting greater fairness and transparency. The guidelines also ensure that the overall assessment process is grounded in legislation and does not exceed legislative parameters. The guidelines, which are currently at an advanced stage of development, are procedural in nature. They will cover all aspects of the assessment process from an administrative perspective. This includes the initial processing of new applications right through to how the withdrawal and reinstatement of applications should be conducted by assessment officers. Over time, it is expected that a standardised process for the delivery of assessments of need will make the system more efficient and effective, helping to reduce processing times. The guidelines will also provide greater clarity about the assessment of need process for applicants and their families so that they can better understand what happens when they make an application.  Section 7 provides for the transitional arrangements to address the changes introduced in the Bill and how they will apply to new and existing applications. Applications received by the HSE on or after the date at which the new Act commences will be processed under the new legislation. Applications received by the HSE before the date of commencement of the new Act, where no steps have yet been taken to carry out the assessment, will also be processed under the new legislation. Meanwhile, applications on hand with the HSE on the date of commencement of the new Act, where steps have been taken by the HSE before that date, will be processed in line with the existing legislation set out in Part 2 of the principal Act. This means that the HSE will be required to administer two systems for the processing of assessments of need until such time as all applications received prior to the commencement of the new Act are completed. These two systems will be similar in many aspects, other than those set out in the Bill. However, as I mentioned previously, an exception to the transitional provisions will be the provisions for the withdrawal, closure and reinstatement of applications. These provisions will apply to all new and existing assessment of need applications, giving all applicants the right to withdraw, close and reinstate their applications as per the new Act and regulations.  Section 8 of the Bill is the Short Title and addresses commencement.  I recognise that many families turn towards an assessment of need at a vulnerable time in a child or young adult\u2019s life, as they seek to identify their needs and the services that may be available to meet those needs. However, I must emphasise that an assessment of need is not required to access services and I highlight that a person seeking services, whether for themselves or their child, can apply directly to the HSE for those services without an AON. Nevertheless, the statutory right to an assessment of need as set out in the Disability Act 2005 remains absolutely unchanged. The legislation I have presented today showcases the Government\u2019s commitment to improving the assessment of need experience for those who seek an assessment of need. Of course, legislative reform should only be one aspect of our focus, and I am committed as Minister to working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and across Government on improving access to services for some of our most vulnerable children.  I commend the Bill to the House. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  On some level, this is a technical Bill, but because it deals with assessment of need, the Minister will understand that there is a huge level of trepidation and worry out there about the delivery of a service that has seen abject failure over many years.  We know that the reason this is being tackled is because, at last count at the end of June, we had 23,282 children on the waiting list for an assessment of need. That was 1,286 in Louth. That is a phenomenal amount of families. We all know that even those who have got an assessment of need do not necessarily get the service plan in the time required, nor do they receive the therapies and supports, which is the biggest issue that remains for families. I would like to think when we are introducing legislation on assessment of need that there would be some glimpse of light in terms of how we are going to deliver.  Regarding this legislation, there are a number of questions. When the Minister refers to withdrawal from the list, we would all like to know what the interaction is going to be. We understand removing someone because they are deceased or are outside the State and enough interaction has been had with them to ensure that that is definite.  However, where further information is being looked for over the six-month period, we would like clarity about the interaction. Too many times as constituency TDs, we have seen families where there is an element of chaos, even dysfunction, and other things happening in life, meaning they have missed appointments and are then dropped off some of these services. We need to make sure that we are not allowing for something like that. I would request that.  We need to know about the statutory guidelines and when we will see them, and ensure there is a consistent, streamlined approach. We all want to see that. The consistent approach would be the best approach. We have all spoken before about the entire process, from assessment to therapies, that we would like to see streamlined. I request that that information come as soon as possible. I know Deputy Quinlivan as Chair of the disability committee has requested a briefing and I believe it is to happen next Tuesday. It is vital that we have that level of information.  I get fed up at this stage having a conversation about the size of the AON list. Particularly when dealing with constituents and families who are going through absolute anguish at times and do not necessarily have a child who is having difficulties in school but cannot get the very obvious therapies that he or she needs, all I want is for there to be somebody to talk to about this entire process. I heard Mr. Bernard Gloster say that before.  This is being done alongside the idea of the autism intervention protocol and assessment service. I accept what the Minister says, in that there is no removal of the six-month right, because that is one of the few rights that people have and they do not want to let it go. There should be an assessment of need within six months. I do not think anyone would have an issue if someone who was deemed to need an autism assessment would have that, as long as we are talking about something that improves the service that they are going to get and that he or she actually gets the therapies that are required. Unfortunately, across all of this, we do not see anything about an increase in the number of occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists, who are absolutely necessary.  In-reach teams are to be filled at this point in time. When will we see that service up and running? I have always thought it would be incredibly difficult to see delivery on the numbers that are missing from primary care and children's disability network teams, CDNTs, while also trying to fill this third stratum to deal with the autism assessments. I would like to make sure that we have whatever detail is needed for this legislation. We will need further detail about what can be provided. In conversations like this, I often think of my own son, Toirleach, who is autistic. I think of the over and back that my wife would have had. He was in with the early intervention team, which later became the CDNT. He was in primary care, then back into the CDNT. I have said before that St. Joseph's National School and \u00d3 Fiaich College have been his saviours.  I will always believe in in-school therapies. I would like for us to have a more fundamental conversation about the Disability Act. We were talking to those occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists about how to deliver a system and a service that worked. There are an awful lot of questions to answer, but at the minute, we are talking about breaking the law and failure to deliver. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Maurice Quinlivan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Maurice-Quinlivan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Maurice-Quinlivan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Maurice Quinlivan  For years, disabled children and their families have been failed by successive Governments. They have been promised rights, supports and services, but too often those promises have not been delivered. Families have been left waiting for assessments, therapies, school supports and basic services. They have been forced to fight the State for what should already be available to them as a matter of law and dignity. This is not a new failure. Governments have published strategies, made announcements and offered warm words, but families cannot raise their children on warm words. While Governments make announcements, children are waiting. While Ministers make promises, parents are fighting for assessments.  While the State is legally required to provide an assessment of need within six months, the HSE said earlier this year that 21,782 children were overdue for an assessment, and there are more than that on the list itself. Behind every number is a child waiting for answers, a parent trying to understand what their child needs, and a family trying to access therapies and educational supports. These are not statistics. These are children and families who have been failed by the State. I have rightly highlighted this failure before, including the fact that the children in Limerick are waiting beyond the statutory timeline. The Government has been in daily breach of its own laws. This is the reality we are dealing with. Families cannot wait years for an assessment that the law says should be completed within six months. We all agree that the assessment of need process needs to reform, but reform must not mean reducing the right. It must mean making that right real, enforceable and deliverable.  The Disability Act 2005, read together with the 2007 regulations, provides a framework in which an assessment must commence within three months and must be completed within a further three months, subject to limited exceptional circumstances. The six-month timeframe must be protected. If the Government tells us the proposed legislation does not remove the six-month statutory timeframe, which I think the Minister is saying, I welcome that commitment. We need an ironclad commitment and we need to have protection made absolutely clear in legislation. Six months must remain six months or sooner. We should be working to complete assessments within six months or sooner. The timeframe must not be an aspiration but an enforceable legal obligation. It must not be restarted because an assessment moves from one stage to another. It must not be extended indefinitely because the State has failed to provide the staff and expertise needed to deliver the service.  The proposed legislation introduces a significant change in the structures of the assessment of needs process. The existing framework is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of the nature and extent of a child's disability, the child's health and educational needs, the service required and the timeframe in which these services should ideally be provided. Under the proposed legislation, greater emphasis is placed on an initial determination of whether a person has a disability before the assessment process of his or her detailed health and educational needs. That is a significant change. We must streamline the process without narrowing the entitlement. We must make the system work better without making the rights smaller.  That brings me to the role of the assessment officer. Under the proposed reforms, an assessment officer may determine whether a child has a disability before the full consideration of his or her health and educational needs proceeds. This is a significant responsibility to give to somebody, so we need to ask what qualifications, expertise, experience and skills the person must have before he or she can make the determination. The regulation requires appropriate qualifications, knowledge, competence and training, but the legislation does not clearly prescribe the professional qualifications and competencies required of an assessment officer. That needs to change. An assessment officer should be properly qualified, properly trained, experienced in disability matters, competent in applying the legislation and capable of a co-ordinated and genuinely multidisciplinary assessment. Assessment officers should not replace clinical, psychological, educational or therapeutic professionals. The role should be clearly defined in law to co-ordinate the process, gather and evaluate the relevant evidence, ensure the statutory requirements are met, and make decisions within the limits of their training, expertise, and legal authority.  Where specialist evidence is required, the officer must have timely access to the appropriate professionals. This is particularly important when an officer is considering a \"no disability\" determination. That decision must be based on sufficient evidence, properly recorded reasons and appropriate professional support. The child and his or her parents must understand how the decision was reached and be clearly informed of the review and appeal rights. This is not about creating another bureaucratic hurdle. It is about getting the decisions right, and the concern is not theoretical. The HSE has warned that the proposed sequencing of the process could create delays in obtaining educational reports and completing the assessment of need within six months. That is a serious concern.  If the new legislation requires a disability determination before the education component can proceed, the Government must ensure that this additional stage does not stop or reset the clock or delay access to the full assessment. The six-month period must run from the date when the valid application is received. It must not begin when the assessment moves from the disability determination stage to the health or educational needs stage. If the State has failed to meet its legal obligations, the answer cannot be to change the rules for the family who have already been waiting. We need both things at the same time: a properly qualified assessment officer and a genuinely multidisciplinary assessment process. We should not streamline the system by removing expertise from it. We should streamline it by ensuring the right expertise is there.  For too long, disabled children and their families have been asked to wait for an assessment, therapy, school supports and the Government to act. Families have waited enough. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  I could not agree more with an Teachta Quinlivan. Families are sick of waiting, and they have waited long enough.  I will say to the Minister what I always say when we have a debate like this, that being, persons with disabilities are not disabled or restricted by their own bodies or intellectual capacity. Rather, they are disabled, or restricted, if you will, by an ableist world full of hostile architecture. They are restricted by systems designed to exclude them and they are gravely and seriously disabled by a Government that refuses to listen to them.  It is very welcome that we have the chance to discuss the AON. However, this Bill will not provide for one single solitary speech and language therapist, occupational therapist or special education place more. Without those services, all the chat in this House is not going to make any difference to people's lived reality.  I was looking back through my emails. A woman whom I have met contacted my office recently looking for assistance with an urgent issue affecting her youngest son and her family. She was at pains to point out that when these delays happened, it was catastrophic for the child. Of course it is. That has a knock-on impact on every single person in the family. Effectively, they all wait and they are all locked out. Her youngest child is now facing significant delays and barriers in accessing support at a critical stage of his development. In late 2024, this child was referred by the area medical officer to several services, including a neurodevelopmental clinic. The mother was asked to complete the assessment of need forms and return them to the doctor so that he could add the notes and submit the application. She did this. She delivered them in an addressed envelope to the reception at the doctor's office. Assuming the application had been submitted, the child's mam waited the statutory six months before contacting the assessment of need office to inquire on the progress.  After several weeks of follow-up and being informed that the systems were down, the mam was eventually told that no record of his application could be found. She contacted the area medical office in May 2025. During that phone call, she was informed that there was no AON application on file. She was told not to submit another form because the doctor had no supporting notes, that no supporting notes would be provided and that the office would not support any request to backdate to 2024. She wrote to me to say that her youngest child's needs had continued to escalate significantly. He presents with severe impulsivity, a complete lack of safety awareness, physical aggression and significant behavioural challenges. Unfortunately, because his assessment of need form was never submitted, they are back at the beginning of the process. It fell to me to tell her that her son would now join a list that had 23,282 children on it. This is further compounded by the fact that she now has to start applying for schools, but she has no assessment of need.  This mother has done everything right. She has given up work in order to be able to attend to the needs of her child because the State is not stepping in. Her child is being treated less favourably than other children, but his mam is doing her very best. Access to services that do not exist and being left lying on waiting lists and forgotten about are not good enough. I would not want it for one of my children. I do not think anybody would. It is not fair. In the coming weeks, we will hear the Minister's colleagues talking in the House about the budget and giving themselves a pat on the back for how well they are doing. The Minister should judge it by how long kids are waiting. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy David Cullinane  The most important issue here is the rights of children with disabilities. Any objective review of this Government and, in fact, previous Governments over a long number of years would show a poor record. In many areas, it would show a disgraceful record. In 2005, the Government at the time - the Minister's party was in government - put in place an Act that provided rights for children with disabilities, including the right to an assessment of need. Every year since, the Government has utterly failed. What we have seen is children waiting far too long for an assessment. In many cases, they are not getting it. Worse than that, however, is that parents have had to go to court daily to demand that the State implement what it is legally obliged to do. Hundreds of cases - thousands over the years - have happened.  The Government then tried to pull a fast one. It brought in a new standard operating procedure. It tried to pawn off what was not an assessment of need as an assessment of need. Parents brought the Government to court. The High Court agreed with the parents that it was not an assessment of need. It was set aside. Since then, the waiting list has increased massively. In fact, it has multiplied by a factor of six, seven or more. We have far too many children waiting for an assessment.  Children cannot get access to services. What is really appalling and upsetting for parents, who have to battle for services, is that the assessment does not come and they are told they do not need an assessment to access services, as if the services are there. They then try to access services, sign up with a CDNT, and are put on a waiting list for an assessment or a service to be given to their child.  I raised last week in this House an issue in relation to the Waterford south city children's disability network team because I had met a group of parents. I have done far too many of these meetings, where, unfortunately, the same pattern or story is being told of parents stressed and unable to access the services and children not getting the developmental supports that they need. They were telling me that there was no point of contact for over a year for parents in relation to the CDNT. There was no nurse. Even trying to get incontinence pads for children who needed them was an impossibility. There was only one occupational therapist and no psychologist. As a result, children were left without supports. Children need multidisciplinary supports, including occupational therapy, speech and language, and psychology. It is all part of the team that is required, yet across many of these CDNTs, we do not have the staff.  We can bring in legislation and tinker with the system, but the issue is capacity. The only thing that will resolve this issue for parents and children is if we have the staff and capacity to ensure, on the one hand, that children get timely access to an assessment and, on the other hand, they actually get the services they need.  In the context of the Bill, there needs to be a discussion about the role of the assessment officers. I know this was dealt with during pre-legislative scrutiny at the relevant committee. It is something that needs to be teased out further on Committee Stage. I know a number of concerns have been raised. No impediment can be put in the way. There can be no three-card trick employed by the Government to in any way deny a child access to an assessment of need. It was enshrined in law. Children are legally entitled to this assessment. They are also entitled, I would argue as a matter of right, to appropriate services. For far too many children, they are not getting it. There are many missed opportunities for those children. If we are going to have a fresh start, that fresh start has to be about capacity and making sure that children have better access. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Liam Quaide  The central problem with this legislation is that it changes the assessment of need process without addressing the issue at play here, namely, the chronic under-resourcing of our services, compounded by the recruitment embargo in 2023, followed by the pay and numbers strategy, which was another form of recruitment restriction. We can change the eligibility for an assessment of need and we can change procedures or produce new guidelines, but if a child who does not proceed through the full statutory assessment of need process is then directed toward primary care, child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, or a CDNT that cannot see them for months or years, we have not solved the problem. We have simply moved that family into another form of purgatory. That is not simply my assessment. The report of the disability matters committee from the pre-legislative scrutiny process stated very clearly: \"Across virtually every submission and hearing, the strongest operational theme was that delay and dysfunction in the AON system are inseparable from workforce service-capacity problems.\" That is the kernel of the issue.  The Psychological Society of Ireland said that legislative reform alone could not resolve these delays without investment in staffing and retention across primary care, CAMHS and disability services. We heard the same critical message from professional bodies, disability organisations and service providers that the AON crisis cannot be separated from chronic workforce shortages and inadequate service capacity. They are different organisations with different professional perspectives, but they had essentially the same message, namely, you cannot legislate your way out of a capacity crisis.  That is why our committee recommended that implementation of this legislation would have to be accompanied by a funded workforce and service-capacity plan, including multidisciplinary staffing, so that legislative reform is actually matched by operational capacity. Yet the Government is determined not to look at the elephant in the room. Where is that plan? By that plan I mean a credible, funded, multi-annual plan setting out the staffing that primary care, CDNTs and CAMHS actually require; what number of whole-time-equivalents are currently in post; where the shortfalls are; and when those posts will be filled.  The Government repeatedly makes the point that a child does not need an assessment of need in order to access health services. Formally, that is the case as a child can be referred directly to those services but there is an enormous difference between having a pathway by which somebody can be referred to a service and actually being able to get assessed and receive an intervention from that service within a reasonable period.  I have expended an extraordinary amount of effort over the past year trying to establish the true extent of waiting lists in primary care services for young people. Frankly, it should not have required the volume of parliamentary questions or hounding of the HSE that it did. I had to repeatedly ask not simply for broad waiting time categories of over 52 weeks, which is what the HSE kept giving me, but for the longest actual waits, and the numbers of people waiting more than two years, three years, four years, etc., because broad national figures can completely obscure the experience of the children at the far end of these waiting lists. What eventually emerged was jaw-dropping. In July of last year, a child on a primary care psychology list had been waiting 13.5 years. In June of this year, almost a year on, the longest wait for psychology was still over ten years. Also, this year, a child waiting for an occupational therapy assessment had been waiting 509 weeks - almost ten years. The longest physiotherapy assessment wait was 346 weeks - more than six and a half years. These are for very short blocks of intervention. This is not wrap-around supports over the long term.  Given that primary care is supposed to provide early intervention, these waits would be farcical if they were not so consequential for the young people left waiting. Therefore, when we say to families, \"You do not need an assessment of need to access services,\" we need to ask a much more important question: when will their child actually get the service? That is one of the reasons families pursue an assessment of need in the first place. For many, it is not simply because they have some particular attachment to a statutory assessment process; it is about pursuing the only part of a fragmented system where there is a clearly defined legal entitlement.  That reality came through repeatedly during our committee meetings and it is against that background that we have to look at what this Bill is changing. The legislation makes clear that an assessment officer will first determine whether the applicant meets the statutory definition of disability. Where the determination is that they do not, they do not proceed to the subsequent part of the process assessing the health and education needs arising from a disability. That is a hugely consequential decision and my particular concern is about the child on the other side of a \"no disability\" determination. That child may still have very significant needs. Where do they go? Who has clinical responsibility for working with the family? How quickly are they going to be seen? Who makes sure that they have not simply disappeared from the statutory AON process into another queue that could last years? Our committee specifically recommended that the Government publish data not simply on AON waiting times but on no-disability outcomes, closure decisions, reviews and the impact of implementation. We need to know what happens to these children afterwards.  There is then the very significant question of who makes that initial disability determination. Some assessment officers have clinical backgrounds and considerable relevant experience but the Bill does not require an assessment officer to have relevant clinical qualifications or clinical experience before making this determination. This issue was examined in detail by our committee. Department officials told us that the assessment officer role is currently an administrative role, that the work at this stage is typically desk-based and that assessment officers are not operating in a clinical capacity, yet they are making clinical decisions. A survey of 22 assessment officers found that 59% had a clinical background. That also means that a substantial minority do not. This was not just an Opposition concern. A Fine Gael Deputy, Miche\u00e1l Carrigy, questioned how somebody without a clinical background could make such a significant early determination before a clinical assessment had taken place. His Fine Gael colleague Deputy Keira Keogh rightly asked the very basic question of whether there would actually be eyes on the child before a decision was made not to proceed further. This is why the committee recommended minimum qualification, competence and experience requirements for assessment officers, including relevant clinical qualifications. It said that where an assessment officer is making a determination that someone does not meet the statutory threshold for disability, that should either be underpinned by relevant clinical qualifications or be subject to review or sign-off by an appropriately qualified clinician. That is a sensible safeguard. Why is it not provided for in the Bill?  The Government may say that clinical advice will be available and point to the development of in-reach teams but access to clinical advice is not the same thing as a requirement for clinical oversight of a decision which can stop a child proceeding through the statutory assessment process. We need to bear in mind that these assessment officers will be under enormous political pressure in an overstretched system to reduce referrals for assessment of need.  I also want to address the single point of access initiative. I fully support the principle behind it. Families should not need to understand the internal architecture of the HSE before their child can get help. They should not be passed between primary care, CDNTs and CAMHS, with one service saying the child belongs somewhere else and the next service sending them back again. A genuine no-wrong-door approach would be a significant improvement. However, the single point of access does not resolve the underlying problem which is the failure to adequately staff services. A more efficient referral pathway into a ten-year waiting list is still effectively referring a child into a phantom service. I am hearing varying reports from around the country about how single point of access is functioning in practice.  There is also a serious unresolved issue around contested cases. What happens where primary care believes a child requires CAMHS? What happens where CAMHS believes that child is more appropriately supported through a CDNT? Who adjudicates that? From what I am hearing among clinicians around the country, psychiatry is not fully signed up to how these contested cases will be resolved. This is not some peripheral concern of mine. The final report of the Committee on Disability Matters specifically identifies \"the absence of a clear and timely HSE mechanism for adjudicating on contested referrals or service-boundary disputes\". It says disputes over whether primary care, CDNTs or CAMHS should take responsibility can leave children and families without a clear service response. This has to be resolved because a single point of access is only a meaningful reform if there is also a clear point of responsibility.  These safeguards are particularly important when we are making changes to the point at which somebody can be stopped from proceeding further through the statutory process. The deeper point remains: the assessment of need crisis cannot be separated from the crisis in the services surrounding it. If primary care were properly staffed, if CDNTs had the multidisciplinary teams they require, if CAMHS and CAMHS-ID had sufficient capacity and if single point of access genuinely meant that children could no longer fall between services, then families would have far less reason to pursue an assessment of need simply to get their child assessed. If those services remain severely underinvested in, changing the statutory process risks changing where children wait rather than ending the waiting.  Therefore, I want the Minister to address four fundamental questions to bear in mind as we proceed with this Bill. Where is the funded workforce and service capacity plan recommended by the committee, particularly for primary care? Why has the committee's recommendation on clinical qualifications, experience or clinical sign-off for assessment officers not been provided for? What is the final national mechanism for adjudicating contested single point of access cases and are all of the relevant clinical disciplines fully signed up to it? What happens to the child who receives a no-disability determination? Who follows that child through the system and establishes whether they actually receive the assessment and intervention they need?  The measure of these reforms cannot simply be whether the AON waiting list becomes shorter. We need to know what happens to these children. Were they assessed? Did they receive therapy? Did they receive the right service? Most importantly, did they get that help while it could still make the greatest difference to their development and well-being? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Leas-Cheann Comhairle  Before we continue with Deputy Cummins I want to welcome the Granagh Ladies Club to the Public Gallery. They are here with Richard O\u2019Donoghue. I understand it has two male members as well. They are all very welcome. I hope they enjoy their day with Richard. We will return to the debate now with Deputy Cummins. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jen Cummins  I welcome the effort to streamline things for children with disabilities but I have a number of concerns. It starts from when a child is born. In my own constituency of Dublin South-Central there is a lack of public health nurses so developmental checks that take place at zero to six months, six to 12 months, one to two years and three to five years and so on are not happening in my constituency. There is not enough staffing. The challenge parents have is that they might get their zero to six month check when the child is six months.  They are often given a tick-box checklist: \"These are the things you should look out for.\" Early intervention and identification of developmental delays at that age are essential and are connected to assessments of need, AONs, because if we are not able to get an assessment of need, if a child is on a waiting list for an average of 27 months, how will they know what that is? I know this legislation is an effort to streamline things. Even when a child does get an assessment of need, where are the services? The reality is that so many children do not get the services. As education spokesperson for my party, my huge concern is the fact that the assessment of need is no longer needed for provision in a special class or a special school place.  How will the school know what the child's needs are without suitable documentation? There are concerns among education unions that they were not consulted when this announcement was made earlier in the year. How exactly will this work in practice? Deputy Quaide has spent so many months and years looking into this and identifying where the challenges are. From an education perspective, we see even today, in this House, that we have two special schools in respect of which the parents are begging us to facilitate what is needed in those schools even more. We are constantly playing catch-up for children with disabilities and adults with disabilities. I am so concerned that this system is so confusing, is so hard to navigate and is understaffed.  My other concern is that those children who did not get a public health nurse visit or an assessment of need on time - now they do not need one - are not getting this service in the CDNT or primary care and not getting an appropriate school place. What does that say to a child? They were failed by the health system and then they will be failed by the education system. We are failing them. I have massive concerns that this is a way of just getting rid of those over 20,000 children who are waiting over six months and the \u20ac23 million the State has spent to defend that delay. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sin\u00e9ad Gibney  I welcome the opportunity to comment on today's Bill. I have three key points to deal with: first, fragmentation of services; then the suitability of the people making assessments; and, finally, the root causes of these issues.  First, accessing services is fragmented, difficult and plagued with delays. This Bill and this Government, instead of ensuring that children are not waiting ten years for primary care psychology or speech and language therapy, are simply moving the goalposts and creating a new system which fails to guarantee children and their families the supports they need. Pressure on the assessment of need system does not justify gatekeeping access. While it may massage the numbers, the reality is that it will leave thousands of children uncounted and unsupported.  These are not just my words and my views, and I thank the parents who told me and my office about their experiences. A mother of three children with additional needs told my colleague:  Children will not be appropriately identified, and it places teachers and parents in a very difficult situation. Is this just Government trying to cover over the extent to which they continue to fail our children?  We need to treat children with disabilities equally, as full people. They may have educational needs, health needs and social needs just like the rest of us. Our systems should move to recognise the whole person, not further silo off support and leave parents going from pillar to post, from waiting list to waiting list, all while struggling to give their children the best support they can.  My second point is that this system means that people who are not qualified to assess children are put in a position of deciding what level of support they need. This Bill does not require the assessment officers to have relevant clinical qualifications or experience, so the gatekeeper of the proposed system does not necessarily need to have any clinical expertise. Another parent in my constituency shared her experience with me, and it shows just what we risk when we do not have properly qualified people conducting assessments:  My daughter was just diagnosed Autistic last year while trying to transition to secondary school and dealing with puberty. At all parent teacher meetings at primary level we asked how she was socially as I had always had a feeling she faced additional challenges. We were mostly reassured that she was fine, even though she had very few friends. This is not to blame the school. The primary school is amazing but they just don't know what they don't know.  My final point is that we need to address the root causes of waiting lists and service delays, not treat the symptoms by trying to lessen the number of people who can access the system. Our disability services are plagued by underinvestment, huge workloads and a poor or non-existent referral system. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are real children and real families and they deserve real support, not moving goalposts. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  There is extreme concern, as my colleagues have expressed, that really what is going on here is the Government trying to hide the scale of need that it is not meeting and that this is not ultimately about delivering services but about trying to take the political pressure off. It is disgraceful when we look at the waiting lists. Of course, that is the power of the waiting lists. They reveal the level of need that is there. The waiting lists that were released as a result of the great work by my colleague, Deputy Quaide, show that, for example, 3,500 children between zero and four years of age are waiting for psychology. These children are at the most important stage of their development. There are 1,000 children waiting over a year. That is the figure only for those between zero and four years of age. Of those, 464 are in my constituency.  Another area is speech and language therapy. These are children awaiting initial therapy. Let us say you get the assessment or you are passed on. How long do you wait for the actual therapy? There are 6,500 children across this country waiting for initial therapy. There are 680 waiting more than two years, and two thirds of those are in my constituency and the Dublin north area.  These waiting lists are absolutely unacceptable. There is an inequality as well in all this because we know from talking to parents that many of them are forced to pay privately to try to access the various services. What that means for those on lower incomes is that they are pushed. We saw the research from Barnardos showing that two out of every ten families literally cannot put food on the table. Part of the reason is that families are squeezed to try to pay for services the State should provide. The Government says that it is about cherishing all children equally and that Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael are about giving every child the same opportunity, while these children whose families cannot afford to pay to access services do not have the same opportunity. They are stuck on waiting lists for basic services that should give them equal chances in life but they are not getting them. We have a deeply unequal society. The Government talks about all the gains it is making and all the changes it makes, but these children whose families cannot afford to go private and who are stuck on waiting lists are being developmentally delayed and being denied basic opportunities and supports. The minimum we should have is a public primary care system that meets every child's needs regardless of the ability of the family to pay for them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  This is a very important Bill. As the Minister is aware, disability services in Kerry face huge challenges, including staffing shortages, long waiting lists for children's assessments, respite for children and a lack of adult residential and respite care. There is a huge backlog in relation to assessments of need and huge issues with services, accessing services and staffing. As the Minister is aware, the HSE and Kerry Parents and Friends Association have struggled with recruitment, which has severely impacted all services, including residential and respite care for both adults and children in our county. There are massive issues and gaping gaps for children with profound disabilities when they reach 18 years of age and transition out of child services. Parents and their families are on their knees. They are at the end of their tether and genuinely face burn-out when it comes to services, respite and residential shortages right across the county. At this stage I would say they are burnt out from fighting on behalf of their loved ones and lobbying us politicians for what should be a basic human right.  We are coming from a very low ebb when it comes to disability services. We are still in the dark ages. I have met many of the families in County Kerry and their loved ones. I have met many of their mothers.  What these wonderful families have been put through is absolutely heartbreaking. They are providing the State with a massive service with little or no help. They are caring for their loved ones on a 24 hour per day basis, seven days per week, all year round. They have no choice but to carry out their duties, more often than not without a wink of sleep. Many of these families in our county have not received a night's respite in seven or eight months. Many have had to forego important family events because they cannot get respite. If anyone believes this is acceptable, they are living in cloud-cuckoo-land. This is appalling. It is an absolute disgrace, and it has to be changed. It is at crisis point and has been for many years. We consistently hear about the huge budget for disability services. There is no real evidence of this on the ground so far. The families who are directly involved do not see it and those at the coalface do not see it. There is an urgent need for a cost-of-disability payment. Individuals and families are facing savage financial pressures from trying to deal with their disability, especially now with energy costs like gas, oil and electricity at an all-time high. The Government must introduce a cost-of-disability payment in the budget in two weeks\u2019 time.  The Minister is aware of the Before We Die campaign. Parents are extremely concerned about what will become of their loved ones when they themselves pass away. This is a real concern and a real issue. I received a reply to a parliamentary question recently which stated there were 500 qualified housing applicants and a mere 12 properties available. As the Minister is aware, I have raised the issue of St. Mary of the Angels in Beaufort, which is a fabulous residential facility and campus, along with St. Francis Special School. I am aware that Crowe consultancy group is looking into the future of St. Mary of the Angels. There is massive potential for this campus. Outside of the buildings there is a school, a special swimming pool and lovely gardens. There are approximately 15 acres of prime development land. It is an ideal location in the heart of our county, in mid-Kerry, with many services already being provided. It is the ideal location for a centre of excellence for people with a disability, for day services, day respite, night-time respite and residential care. It will be a missed opportunity if we do not grab this once in a lifetime opportunity to do something big and great that will serve the most vulnerable in society for decades to come, especially in our own county. I plead with the Minister to do everything in her power to give hope to the many families in our county who have been deprived of services they deserve for far too long. It would be sinful if the opportunity were missed. I was obviously delighted to invite an Taoiseach to St. Mary of the Angels recently to meet with the staff, and the staff in St. Francis Special School, to see for himself this fabulous campus and the opportunities that are there. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Leas-Cheann Comhairle  Mark O'Shea in the Public Gallery is 95. He has been looking forward to this day. I hope he enjoys it. He is a guest of Deputy Richard O'Donoghue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Malcolm Byrne  I share the Minister's ambition that this should be the best country in the world in which to be a child. That should apply to every child and they should be able to access whatever services are needed as quickly as possible. I disagree with some of the arguments being put forward about a Government effort to massage figures. If we look at the figures, which are widely available, the scale of need has grown. When the current model for assessment of need applications first opened in 2008, there were 2,535 applications. There were 13,186 last year. We are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of applications. It is important to acknowledge, particularly in work done by the Department of further and higher education, the increase in the number of places on medicine and allied related courses. In 2025, there was a total of 320 additional places in occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and dietetics, and an extra 141 places on third level courses in those areas starting in the 2026-27 year. The Minister has been open and honest in acknowledging the scale of the challenge. I also welcome Government moves in providing additional higher education course places in these specific areas.  That said, like all of my colleagues, I am concerned about how long it is taking to access services. There should be no wrong door. There should be a possibility that a child in need of an assessment has it done as quickly as possible and that they can have access to the necessary services. I was concerned when I found out at the end of last year that for County Wexford there were 261 assessments of need overdue for completion, based on the Department's own figures. In other words, those application assessments had not been completed within six months. There were 261 in Wexford, but in County Wicklow it was 1,194. Those statistics are individuals. They are families, as Deputy Cahill talked about. It is all-embracing, not just for the individual young child or young person concerned, but for their whole family. It is something that is of deep concern. We need to develop and provide certainty to all of the CDNT teams around the country and ensure they have access to a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist and the necessary admin support to do their work. That is not the case around the country and many of the CDNT teams are not working in ideal conditions.  In that regard, I instance the one in my home town of Gorey, where there has been a continued problem because where the CDNT is operating at present is not up to scratch for a modern clinical team. The intention was to move it to the new Gorey primary care centre whenever it was built. However, the HSE has taken 16 years before it made any decision with regard to that primary care centre. I am appealing to the Minister. Part of the problem with some of the decisions being made is that many areas of Government are not talking to each other. People working in the CDNT are not necessarily engaging as fully as they should with the HSE. There is often a similar challenge with regard to CAMHS. Many of these organisations are operating in silos.  I also touch on an issue I have raised before about CORU and the recognition of overseas qualifications. It is completely bizarre that people are able to acquire good qualifications in medicine and medical-related areas, including speech and language and occupational therapy, but CORU delays their recognition for month after month. We have vacancies that need to be filled. If people want to come into this country to work in those specific areas, we need to fast-track recognition of their qualifications. It should not be a case that a regulatory agency is holding up the recognition of those qualifications.  It is absolutely essential that we place far more emphasis on school-based therapy services to provide as many supports as possible within schools in all of our communities. When Anne Rabbitte was Minister of State with responsibility for disability, there had been a difficulty with a special school in County Wexford about the appointment of a speech and language therapist and occupational therapist. They had been back and forth with the HSE. In fairness to the then Minister of State, she told the special school to go ahead and hire them and she would make sure the HSE paid them the money. There needs to be far more partnership with some schools to ensure that what we have is a child-centred approach in the delivery of all of these services.  I know the Minister is deeply committed on a personal level to reform this and to ensure that assessments of need happen as quickly as possible. However, it is not just about the assessment, but that the necessary support services are put in place. I believe we need to address the costs through some form of cost-of-disability payment in the budget, as has been outlined. I come back to my central point. We want this to be the best country in the world in which to be a child.  There should be no wrong door for any child or their family when it comes to seeking the supports they need. I support the moves being made in this legislation, but it is how it will be implemented and the impact it will have that will make a real difference. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  The test of any disability Bill is very simple. Will it deliver better outcomes for children with disabilities and their families? Those families have heard enough about reforms, reviews and new processes. What they need has been stated many times. They need assessments and they need services. What I want to know is if this legislation will improve the scandalous situation affecting children with disabilities and their families in Monaghan and Cavan. There are 794 children in my constituency waiting for assessments of need. Virtually none of them will receive it within the statutory six-month period. Each one of that number is a child. Each one represents a family that has been fighting a system that Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael have allowed to fail them.  The Government response is to introduce a new Bill at a time when it is breaking the law that is already in place. I want to say this clearly: the families of these kids will not accept any attempt to simply streamline children off a waiting list rather than deliver their rights. Changing procedure does not provide a single extra speech and language therapist. It does not provide a single additional occupational therapist, psychologist or special education place. Families in counties like Monaghan and Cavan do not need another Government announcement. They do not need a new law. They need the law that is there to be honoured. They need the staff to be employed to do the work. Above all, they need their children to get the services that they are entitled to when they need them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Donnchadh-\u00d3-Laoghaire.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire  Most parents who have children with additional educational needs are very well aware of the context of this legislation. The reality is the Government needs to change the process and the legislation because it cannot abide by its own laws. It is breaking the laws it has set. That is a scandalous situation. There are other issues we could say this about as well, but it is remarkable that there is so little improvement in an issue that has got so much attention and discussion in so many years. In fact, in many respects, things have gotten worse. As things stand, there are almost 2,000 children in the county of Cork who have gone beyond the statutory timeline. About 80% of them are more than three months over the statutory deadline. Even for those in Cork who have an assessment of need, of the 370 reports completed since 2022, only a fraction have service statements to outline what supports and services will follow. Ultimately, the next failing after that is the fact that children who have all the correct documentation, reports and so on are unable to access the services and therapies in an adequate way and on time. That is another issue.  That brings me to access to therapy in special schools. I attended a briefing a short time ago that was also attended by parents of children who attend Carrigaline Community Special School and a special school in Belmayne. Some of the stories told were simply unacceptable. There is a particular issue with ETB schools and the fact that there are not enough therapists attached to the multidisciplinary team. There are also issues with respite. They also raised a lot of other good points about the standardisation of policies and procedures across special schools and training in special education for teachers. Children in Carrigaline Community Special School, in other ETB schools and in all kinds of schools across the State are being failed because there are not adequate therapies available.  I know that this has already crossed the Minister's desk. I urge her to ensure that in schools such as this \u2013 it is not about any one patron, it is about schools as a whole \u2013 get the therapies they need for the children that attend them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the intent she has displayed in bringing this Bill forward to make changes to the process relating to assessments of need. While I agree that legislative reform is necessary, I am of the view that the proposed changes presented in this Bill do not address the key issues of resourcing and funding. The needs of children should be met by the State through the provision of well-resourced public health and education services. We all know that early intervention is vital but, shamefully, far too many young children are failed by an under-resourced and overstretched system for assessment and in the context of the provision of essential supports and therapies once diagnosis is secured.  At the end of last year the Government promised targeted reforms to the assessment of need, with the Minister for Education and Youth stating that the system is no longer fit for purpose. This Bill is not the targeted reform parents and their children need. This Bill is short-termist, with piecemeal changes that will have absolutely no real or tangible impact on children and their families.  Every day of the week I try to support families who are being failed by the Government because they cannot get access to the essential therapies they need and deserve. Some 90% of children are not seen within the six-month limit, as required under the Disability Act. The average waiting times have now stretched to more than two years. We have a system that is unable to cope with the demand and it is shortly going to implode.  Only this week, I have been supporting multiple families who cannot get an assessment of need or access to vital therapies. I will give an example from one constituent in Kildare South. It states:  We applied for the Assessment of Need in May 2023, we were advised that an assessment would be completed no later than November 2023, as per the legal requirements. However, this did not happen and I went through the complaints procedure, and received further notification that an assessment would be completed no later than September 2024.  The person involved stated that another two years have passed since the previous deadline and that it has been almost three years since the initial application, which is far too long when it concerns the well-being of her daughter.  Another family of a young child I am working with in Newbridge has been waiting over a year and, equally as important, that child is still without a special school place. That is the harsh reality for many families I am working with throughout Kildare South, as are many of my colleagues in the Labour Party. I have had families tell me that they are forking thousands of euro on services that should be and must be delivered by the State. They are eating into savings and college funds and taking out loans and going to credit unions just to get access for their children to the services they need.  The Minister previously announced the 11 new in-reach teams to provide clinical guidance and support for clinicians performing assessments. The Government can barely staff the CDNT teams throughout the country. Only recently I received a reply from the HSE west and central Kildare area that they are still recruiting for an assessment officer. The most recent figures available to me also show that, as of October 2025, there was an 18% vacancy rate across positions in CDNTs, with over 450 positions unfilled. Vacancies include those key and vital therapies, with 27% of occupational therapies and 44% of clinical psychologists unfilled. Will the Minister provide an update to the House today on the actions her Department is taking to address the workforce challenges we are all seeing right across the State in every area.  As well as that, the reply to the parliamentary question also informed me that they are relying on private providers to increase the capacity of assessments and decrease waiting times. I believe every resource of the State should be used to tackle these issues. However, could the Minister clarify how much the State is paying to private providers at this time? This is an issue across the health sector whereby the State is outsourcing healthcare, and where the Government is not doing enough to prevent long waiting lists and vacancies.  Under the current Act, the statutory timeline for an assessment of need is six months. In the HSE Dublin and Midlands area, there were more than 6,500 children overdue completed assessment of need reports. Nationally, the figure is over 20,000. Figures from the HSE also show that 8,200 children were waiting for their first contact from the CDNT at the end of March 2026. More than 5,260 are waiting over 12 months. The regional healthcare area of HSE Dublin and Midlands, which includes my county of Kildare, has the highest waiting list for first contact with a CDNT, and nearly 1,700 children have been waiting for over a year.  We in the Labour Party have raised concerns regarding continued attempts by Departments to pass the buck. When the Minister previously announced the replacement of the existing assessment of need process with a new system, we in the Labour Party raised concerns as the proposals were to replace the requirement of a formal diagnosis when determining access to a special class and special school.  This, as my colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny, stated, is a serious development. Such proposals will have profound implications for school teachers and, most importantly, for the children and families who urgently require timely access to specialist support. By replacing diagnostic criteria with an educational assessment, the Government is placing an unreasonable and unsafe burden on school communities.  The Minister has said that children will no longer need an assessment of need to get a school place and that it will be up to education to allocate places. I presume that reference was to the Department of education. Unfortunately this is not happening for those who require a special school place, as I found out recently in my constituency of Kildare South. For so many parents right now, an assessment of need is one of the criteria for the allocation of a special school place. Some of the families I am dealing with are waiting on an updated assessment of need as the one they have for their child is a number of years old. The problem they have is that their child is now older, the disabilities and medical conditions remain the same or, unfortunately, have increased but they are waiting on an updated assessment of need or an interim report to try to secure a special school place for their loved one. Time is, unfortunately, against them.  I am sure the Minister is aware of statements made by the INTO calling this a profound breach of trust, a sentiment we in the Labour Party continue to echo. The Taoiseach even said that assessment teams would be carrying out such work. I ask the Minister to clarify which assessment teams will actually end up doing this work. This situation is leaving parents with two parallel pathways, with one to get the therapies the child needs and another to get a diagnosis and a school place for the child. The Government's solution is to place more pressure on teachers who are already, as we all know, stretched to their limit. They cannot be expected to pick up the slack from Departments and they cannot take the responsibility for the failure in addressing the huge waiting times. It is a system not based on lived reality.  Only recently my Labour Party colleague, Councillor Ali Field, brought a petition to the European Parliament to fight the case of her family and other families regarding the long waits for an assessment of need. At that time she said:  My son James who has severe autism and is totally nonverbal has been failed by our state on so many levels. James was deprived of essential early intervention help while he was left waiting on a list for almost two years for an Assessment of Needs and diagnosis.  I have been banging this drum for many years now, as have so many parents and advocates. But our government are not listening. They do not seem to realise that they have a duty of care to all children including the children with the highest support needs.  Another mother who signed the petition, Vivienne Sullivan from Kildare, said:  My son Isaac was on the AON list from 2017 to 2025. His file was lost twice, and on another occasion, he was recorded as having been seen when he had not.  We rang weekly and, in the end, daily. Often the phone was unanswered. He finally had an assessment in March 2025, but he still has no access to services. Isaac is 14 now and has been waiting since he was 5. It's not acceptable.  Following this petition I am pleased to see the European Parliament Committee on Petitions has sought a report from the Department on the Government's continued breach of children's rights. I hope that today the Minister will acknowledge this and provide an update to the House on the publication of the report.  In the Labour Party's alternative budget of 2026 we set out how we would urgently invest in tackling what has happened with the Government and how it has added to the growing waiting lists. The Labour Party would have an initial additional allocation of \u20ac15 million under the waiting list initiative to outsource assessments of need for the 5,000 children waiting longest while capacity is built up in the public service. We also need to see urgent action to train more therapists and specialists along with ring-fenced funding to hire future staff. There is also a real question regarding the Government's proposals as to how these new assessment teams will be staffed. Access to an assessment of need has become a major barrier for many families of children with additional needs throughout Ireland. There is an element of short-termism in the Bill as it does nothing to address the long waiting times for assessments of need and does not support timely access to services needed by so many of our children.  I also want to raise concerns about the fact that the Bill will give powers to issue statutory guidelines when the D\u00e1il has not seen sight of those guidelines. As have others, I ask the Minister to confirm the proposed guidelines. What is the timeline for these publications? Has the Minister seen these guidelines? These are critical questions that must be addressed by the Minister and the Department before the House can give any consideration to, or have confidence in, the changes we have been presented with here today. What parents and their children actually need from the Government is a clear and immediate action plan that gets to grips with the growing waiting lists. The workforce challenges in vital services like speech and language, occupational therapy and physiotherapy must all be properly resourced. Children must have access to special schools and school places in their local community. Families need certainty from the Government that their child can access an assessment of need and the services they so desperately need so the constant battle can eventually stop. The Government must give a clear commitment to families on when it will finally comply with its own legal obligation to the assessment of need process under the Disability Act 2025.  I will share another story before I finish, and take young Padraig Creaney from my home town of Athy as an example of the issues and problems I deal with on a daily basis. Padraig got an assessment of need when he was 12 years of age but despite his family continuing to seek a new assessment to cover his additional and, unfortunately, growing needs, it has not been forthcoming for more than 12 years. The family simply does not know where to go next. As it is for the Creaney family in Athy, every day is a fight for these families and their children. They are fighting for basic services. There is a fight for an assessment, a fight for therapies and a fight for a school place. When will the Government finally support these families and actually make a real dent in the waiting times and lists for access to an assessment of need and the vital therapies that the children of this State deserve and have a right to? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Keira Keogh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Keira-Keogh.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Keira Keogh  I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026. For me, disability advocacy is not only a policy area but really personal because for 19 years prior to becoming a TD I worked in the disability sector. I specialised in supporting mainly neurodiverse children at an early intervention level alongside their families and their schools. I know this area really well.  I worked in private practice as a choice because my counterparts and colleagues in the HSE tended to have huge caseloads that yielded a lot of stress and overwhelm. I was able to keep my caseload at a manageable low level and see clients and families on a weekly basis, which often yielded very good results and achievements. I know first-hand the struggles that families with disabilities or suspected diagnoses face. Over many years I referred many families to get an assessment of need, mainly to access home tuition at the crucial and very influential early intervention ages, with regard to ten hours of tuition between the ages of two-and-a-half years and three years and 20 hours between three years of age and preschool.  As a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters I have had the opportunity to hear detailed evidence from stakeholders, service providers, advocacy groups, parents and, most importantly, people with disabilities themselves for whom we cannot and should not make decisions without their input. In my previous role, my role as a member of the committee and my role as a Mayo TD, one message has come through clearly again and again and it is one that we all know. It is that the current assessment of need system is under huge strain and needs reform. This is something we all agree on. The committee on disability matters has heard repeated evidence of long waiting lists, significant demand, staffing pressures and the frustration and upset experienced by families trying to navigate a system that is really complex and difficult to access in a timely manner.  As we know, data from 2025 showed that 87% of children in Ireland did not receive their assessment of need within the legally required six-month timeframe. This statistic is deeply concerning because behind every one of these figures is not just a number; a delayed assessment is a child or a family waiting for answers and crying out for support or information. These are real children and families who need to access supports to meet their needs. I know, and it will be said again and again, that people can access primary care without a diagnosis and can access a CDNT without a diagnosis but because there is pressure on these services some people turn to an assessment of need thinking it is a faster pathway to services.  Others will definitely still want an assessment of need to understand their diagnoses. As I said, there is then that cohort that wants the diagnosis because, as matters stand, they need it for home tuition or access to an autism class or a special class. I understand from parents that the frustration rarely stems from the assessment itself but, rather, from the delays experienced.  Many families, including those living in rural parts of County Mayo, face long delays for specialist appointments and that can delay access to crucial early intervention that would yield some of the most significant developments in the early years of a child's life. Families really want to have a system that is fair, transparent, responsive and focused on identifying the supports their child needs as quickly as possible. On that basis, there are positive aspects to this Bill. A key aim of the Bill is getting the therapists back doing more therapy rather than spending more of their time carrying out assessments. As this new system is introduced, we must ensure that there are always eyes on the child. That is one of my concerns. I want to ensure that at all points there are eyes on the child and that the assessment officer has the necessary expertise to make the crucial decisions. Where a child is found not to meet the disability threshold, that decision should be issued in writing and with clear reasons provided to the family. The parents must also have access to a review and appeals mechanism, because these decisions do have life-changing consequences and families need all possible transparency and fairness and to have confidence in the process.  One of the most important changes is the emphasis on a needs-based approach. We all agree that the assessment of needs process should be focused on identifying and understanding a child's needs rather than being consumed by unnecessary bureaucracy and administrative difficulty. In my view, a needs-based approach has the potential to allow professionals to focus their expertise where it matters most: on developing appropriate plans and supporting children to access therapies and services sooner.  For families in County Mayo and throughout rural and urban Ireland, outcomes matter. Parents want their child's needs identified early and accurately in order that appropriate health and educational supports can be put in place. It is in this vein that I also welcome the provisions regarding the development of the national statutory guidelines. Families should have confidence that the process is being applied fairly regardless of where they live in the country.  I also welcome the provisions in the Bill relating to the withdrawal, closure and reinstatement of applications. It may be the case that this is a practical response to a reality that many families experience, as individual circumstances can change and families might experience illnesses or a need to move, and under the current legislation there is no clear mechanism to facilitate those situations, which can leave applications inactive within the system for extended periods.  I am nearly out of time, so I will cut to the end and welcome the legislation. I hope it streamlines the process and clears the backlogs, but I do want to make sure that there are eyes on the child as well during the making of these crucial decisions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cormac Devlin  I welcome the debate on this Bill. Parents who have contacted me about assessments of need consistently raise three points, namely timely appointments, clear answers and a straightforward path that supports their child\u2019s development. We know the current system is not delivering that. In 2008, the HSE received 2,535 applications. Last year, that figure grew to 13,186. By the end of June of this year, 23,282 were overdue. In the first quarter of this year, only one in ten was completed on time. Behind each figure, of course, is a child waiting and a family losing time they cannot get back.  This Bill makes three practical changes. It focuses the assessment on what a child needs rather than on a lengthy diagnostic report, which is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD. It puts statutory guidelines in place so that a family in my constituency of D\u00fan Laoghaire, or a family in Donegal and elsewhere, can expect the same process. It allows applications to be closed where a family has withdrawn or moved abroad, with a right to reinstate within 12 months. What the Bill does not change matters just as much. The six-month statutory timeline stays, the right to apply stays and the definition of disability stays.  I ask the Minister for one assurance regarding Committee Stage. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters raised concerns about the qualifications of the assessment officers who will decide in the first instance whether a child has a disability. Families need confidence in that decision. I would welcome the Minister setting out how it will be provided. Equally, an assessment records a need. It does not meet it. The 11 new in-reach teams, the therapists now in our special schools and continued recruitment are what will turn this Bill into real help.  This Bill deals with the start of the journey. I want to use my remaining time to comment on the other end of it. In recent weeks, I have heard from parents in my constituency who are part of the Before We Die campaign. I thank them for making their views known. They are asking for progress, and they are right to ask for it. Their question is one that no parent should have to carry into old age: who will care for their son or daughter when they are gone? The evidence supports them.  The latest figures from the Health Research Board, HRB, show more than 2,100 adults using disability services whose main carer is aged 70 or over, and 516 whose carer is over 80. They show that 2,197 people needed residential places, with nearly three in four needing one now. I welcome the acknowledgment by the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, on Monday that too many families reach crisis point before a residential place is available.  I know the Government has begun to respond. The Taoiseach met the campaign and put the issue on the agenda of the Cabinet committee on disability. This year\u2019s disability budget is a record \u20ac3.8 billion and will be used to fund 152 new residential placements. This week, the Government confirmed that every council will set targets for housing people with disabilities from 2027 to 2030. I will work with my colleagues Councillors Moylan and Clark to make sure that D\u00fan Laoghaire-Rathdown\u2019s target matches that need.  I recognise the providers who carry out this work every day. In D\u00fan Laoghaire, there are many providers, but I focus on one, namely the team at St. John of God Services, which has provided generations of people with outstanding support from Dunmore House. Carmona Services supports 750 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, from early years through to day services, respite, residential homes and independent living. Its staff, and the families who fundraise alongside them, are a credit to the community. Even with services of that quality, Carmona has to tell families that they have to wait for a residential place for too long, and that matters to them. The problem is not the people doing the work. It is the number of places available, and we need to see more progress here.  I have two specific requests to make of the Minister. First, that the successor to the action plan for disability services, due from 2027, guarantee a funded future plan for every adult whose main carer is over 70, agreed with the family before a crisis and not after it. Second, that the Department establish the national register of need these parents have called for, so that every family knows where it stands and the State can plan ahead.  Every family deserves timely assessments and a clear path to services that work for them right through the person\u2019s life. I look forward to working with the Minister and her officials as she continues to make progress on these issues. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Ward  Parents being left waiting for assessments of need for their children is a huge issue in my area. To me, what the Government is trying to do here today is typical smoke and mirrors. It is going back to its usual three-card trick by moving children from list to list without them getting the proper therapies that they need at the end of it. I represent the same constituency as the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability, Deputy Emer Higgins. We both represent children who are a waiting list for assessments of need. In our area, as we speak today, over 2,000 children have been waiting for more than six months for an assessment of need. The Government is breaking the law by not providing these assessments under the Disability Act 2005. Last year, instead of providing resources for therapies, the Government spent \u20ac7.2 million fighting these desperate parents in court. These are parents who just want their children to reach their full potential. There is no greater crime than this.  In our area of Palmerstown, 154 children are waiting for an appointment with a physiotherapist. Will the Minister guess how many of these children have been waiting for more than a year for appointments? The answer is that every one of them. This Bill that we are speaking about today does not provide for one additional physiotherapist. In the children's disability network team, CDNT, in Rossecourt, which serves Adamstown, Lucan and Balgaddy, we have only 43% of the number of psychologists that we need in our area. The Clondalkin CDNT is housed in a lovely, brand-new building.  There is no point in having a brand-new building if we do not have the staff to provide therapies there. We have no occupational therapist and no speech and language therapist, and this Bill does not make provision for those posts. I cannot see anything in it that will help the parents who contact me desperately trying to get the therapies their children need in a timely manner. The Government really needs to buck up its ideas and get this sorted. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  It is unbelievable that we have to come in here every year to talk about the issues with services for children with additional needs and children awaiting an assessment of need. The average waiting time in Cork at the moment is 27 months, notwithstanding the legal requirement that all children should receive their assessments of need within six months. I spoke to a woman yesterday who had received a letter stating that her child would be waiting 36 months for assessment, which is six times longer than the legally permitted time.  Government members come into this Chamber trying to cod the people. They are trying to cod the parents who have to fight every day for their children with additional needs or disabilities. The Minister needs to do her job and address this issue. I have a list in my hand of children with additional needs, special needs and disabilities who are not in school right now because they have no school transport. I spoke to a grandparent yesterday who was driving his grandson to school from Blarney Street in Cork city to Fermoy three days a week. School starts at 9 a.m. and this grandfather waits three hours in Fermoy before collecting the boy at noon and driving him home. How can anyone be expected to do that every day? That child misses two days of school a week. I know of other children who are at home because there is no school transport.  Where are the extra resources? Where are the occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and SNAs people need? Where are the school places and the school transport? Children are being sent from Ballincollig out to Boherbue and Macroom. Children from Knocknaheeny and Mayfield are being sent down to Rochestown. Children from the northside of Cork city are being sent to Fermoy, which is a 40-minute drive. Why are places and services not being provided in communities for the children who need them? It is not right. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","memberCode":"Paul-Murphy.D.2014-10-10","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Murphy  This Bill sums up everything that is wrong with the Government's approach to disability services in this country. We have a crisis, with families crying out for help, and here we have a Bill that is not about investing in the health and education professionals needed to operate a properly functioning system. The Bill is not about addressing that in Chamber House CDNT, where well over 1,000 files simply have not been opened, there is a vacancy rate of more than 50% in some professions and a rate of one third across the board. In Tymon CDNT, also in my constituency, the situation is similar. This Bill is not about providing resources. Instead, it is about looking for shortcuts. Rather than putting the resources in place to meet the goals, it is about shifting the goalposts.  The Government has been under massive pressure on this issue. That is a testament to all the campaigners, parents and families who fought for years to put it on the agenda. Cara Darmody has been outside Leinster House again and again. The campaigners have demanded action on assessment of need and provision of the therapies that must flow from that. The Government is feeling the pressure. At the end of June, 23,000 assessments of need were overdue, with assessment taking an average of two years and two months to complete. That has created a problem for the Government. One of the good things in the law is that assessment of need must take place within six months. That is clear. When people come to me looking for support for their children, the first question I ask is whether they have applied for an assessment of need and, if so, how long they have been waiting. If it is more than six months, the advice we give them is obvious and, I presume, is the same as that given by lots of other TDs. We tell them they should ask a solicitor to assist them to take the State to court. Obviously, it is ridiculous that people must do that. Of course, once the assessment of need is done, children just move onto other waiting lists for necessary therapies. Unfortunately, there is no legal right in terms of timeframes for access to therapy.  The Government has a problem with the law that requires an assessment of need to happen within six months. Instead of the State's approach being to provide the resources to ensure people get an assessment of need within the timeframe and that the State stops breaking its own law, what we are seeing, in effect, are attempts to water down the law to reduce the legal liability on the State. In reality, we should be expanding that liability by introducing timeframes in respect of therapies as well as for assessments of need. Instead, the Government would like to water down its liability.  The pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill by the committee reported that any reforms to the AON process should not restrict access for children and families and should provide clear and robust procedural safeguards. Witnesses warned that if the legislation resulted in a higher threshold for determining disability before a fuller assessment of need can be carried out, children with complex, fluctuating or less visible needs could be screened out of having those needs assessed at all. It seems none of those concerns has been heeded in the Bill.  What we are getting is a new system that will enable the HSE to unilaterally withdraw assessment of need applications without seeking parents' consent. The conditions under which the HSE can do this are not specified in the Bill. Instead, section 5 provides that this will be worked out in ministerial regulations. That means we will not get a chance to debate, amend or vote on them in the D\u00e1il. It is fundamentally undemocratic. We are expected to take the Minister's word for it that the conditions for withdrawing parents' applications will be fair and reasonable and that the HSE's desire to cut waiting lists will not be a factor. We have seen this previously with other waiting lists, such as for social housing, with people arbitrarily bumped off the list because the State claimed their needs had been met through the housing assistance payment, HAP, or there was no response to a letter.  The power of the HSE to withdraw applications and bump applicants off waiting lists is all the more worrying because there is no requirement first to get parents' consent. The withdrawal is to happen instantly once the HSE decides to issue a withdrawal notice. The parents can challenge it and request a reinstatement but the application will only be reinstated from the date of that request and will not include the time between the notice being issued and the reinstatement request. That could encourage further massaging of waiting lists. What happens if the parents do not get the withdrawal notice because they have moved house? What happens if they have been made homeless? Many parents are going to be in that situation. They will get 12 months to request reinstatement but with the process currently taking two years and two months, lots of parents will not realise they have been taken off the list.  What the Government is trying to do with this Bill is extremely concerning. It should invest in providing assessments and services rather than trying to fiddle the figures like this. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  Bringing this Bill before us is an admission by the Government that it has failed, and is failing, tens of thousands of the most vulnerable children in our society. Introducing the Bill, the Minister indicated she was mindful of that failure by referring to the unacceptable waiting lists for assessment of need. She talked about the frustration felt by parents and families and the impact on children. However, the Bill she has put forward does absolutely nothing to address that. She did not even bother to explain what the purpose of the Bill was and how it would impact on the problem she briefly and half-heartedly acknowledged, namely, the unacceptable failure by the State to provide the most vulnerable in our society with the necessary assessment of need. Some 28,000 vulnerable children with special needs and disabilities have not received an assessment. When people finally do get an assessment after a long wait, they cannot access the services they need.  The Government's Bill looks designed to cull the lists. It certainly will not deal with the fundamental problem, which is that the CDNTs are massively understaffed.  The Government has failed to recruit the people necessary to staff the CDNTs to be able to do the assessments, and more important, to provide the services, supports and resources children need, which are critical and which their parents are up the wall about because they know they will have a lifelong impact on their children. The failure to get a diagnosis can compound situations in terms of mental health problems the children suffer from, getting bounced between CDNTs and CAMHS.  The change in definition from disability to substantial restriction is very concerning. What does that mean? What defines \"substantial\"? Why does a change in definition address the problem? It is difficult not to suspect that what is happening is that the Government is reducing eligibility, that it is raising the bar to make it more difficult for people to get the services and supports they need, rather than addressing the fundamental problem. It has the right to take people off the list because when people are waiting this long, many people are forced to go private. Where have we seen that story? We have seen it in every public service situation. Long waiting lists force people to go private, leaving the poorest, the least well-off, on the lists and they can be taken off if they do not reply to letters. People who are the most vulnerable and most stressed with housing situations - and often housing crisis situations overlap with children with these sorts of needs - might not reply to letters. They get taken off a list. They realise they have been taken off the list and seek reinstatement but are put at the bottom of the list again. It is unbelievable and it looks, unless the Government can tell us otherwise, like this about culling the list and reducing eligibility for the things that are necessary.  Section 6 gives power to the Minister for statutory guidelines. We do not know what they are. We already have assessment of need guidelines. Why does the Minister need this new power? We are being asked to pass legislation, when we already have guidelines, that gives the Minister the power to pass new guidelines, which we have not been told about and we do not know what they are. It stinks and it certainly will not address the problem. It looks like culling the list. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  The current situation regarding assessments of need cannot be allowed to continue. It is a national scandal. Children with special needs who are vulnerable cannot even get assessed to get proper services. Some 23,000 assessments of need are overdue, having exceeded the statutory timeline. The average duration it takes to get an assessment of need is 27 months. That is the average. Some people wait up to three years. That is not acceptable.  In Laois-Offaly, the figure averages in the region of 900 overdue assessments of need. Laois-Offaly in particular continues to be a blackspot but there are several blackspots in the country. Key to this is the staffing of the HSE. There are not enough clinicians to do the assessments. Getting the assessment is only the first battle in the difficulties for families in Laois-Offaly. The fact is that the CDNTs, in Laois in particular, do not have the required number of staff to provide the therapies and services. That is the real problem. The most recent HSE staffing figures I have are that in network 11, which covers the north of the county, no dedicated occupational therapists have been assigned to date, there are no psychologists and no social workers have been approved. That is network 11. I will move on to network 12 which covers the other two thirds of Laois. Three OT posts and two speech and language posts are vacant and no social workers have been allocated. They are the HSE figures, not mine.  People therefore finish up having to pay for assessments of need privately. Many cannot afford to. It works out at between \u20ac1,000 and \u20ac2,000. Then they have to start paying for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and so on. This is putting huge strain on the majority of middle and low-income households. Organisations, such as Laois Offaly Families for Autism, provide support including counselling services and therapies, but they are made up of volunteers. Are we going to load all this on volunteers? These are typically mothers and fathers who have children with special needs and have to raise money to try to provide the services. The legislation brought forward by the Minister could help to speed up the AON process, if it is done correctly, but staffing is the key. Without the staff, the legislation will mean nothing. They are the facts.  I am seriously concerned about the power being given to the Minister and the HSE in section 5 to remove applications. It presents a real danger and the Government has not explained this properly. There is real concern about this and it is deemed an opt-out clause.  Statutory guidelines are promised as part of the Bill. If they were proper guidelines they would be required but it has already been pointed out that there are guidelines in place. There needs to be consistency with standard procedures and transparency. The assessment of need has to be about establishing what the child's needs are. Early intervention at a crucial stage of a child's development is simply not happening. This is the sad thing about all this in many cases. We know the importance of having timely interventions at the point children are at in their development.  What is the update on the 150 additional staff that were promised for CDNTs? In her closing remarks, the Minister of State might give us those figures. They are just to replace the people we are losing from the CDNTs. We need to accelerate that. Will there be enough assessors? I note that 11 clinician guidance teams are promised in the Bill but will be there be enough assessors in place to carry out the assessments of need? That is a key issue that needs to be dealt with. The Government needs to make it a national priority to fill the gaps in the CDNTs properly. In Laois-Offaly and a lot of other counties, but Laois-Offaly is a particular blackspot, that means filling the wide gaps in occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, social work and other therapies. Anything else is simply window dressing. That is the fundamental point. Resources are needed. Streamline it but do not streamline it in such a way to get people off waiting lists who need to be on them, children who need to be seen, looked after properly and assessed and given the services they require. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruth Coppinger  Before I speaking on this Bill today, I got the views of a solicitor who takes many cases on behalf of parents. This is their initial perception.  This Bill amounts to a significant watering down of the rights of children with a disability. The assessment report under the 2005 Act has been described by the courts as the gold standard. It is supposed to be comprehensive and evidence based and set out the child's needs and the services required to meet these needs if costs were not an issue at all. Under the 2005 Act, an assessment report had to include a statement of the nature and extent of the disability. This was hugely important to families as the report set out the extent of the child's need. Now, all that will be provided is \"a statement of the substantial restriction to which the applicant is subject\".  The Minister of State will agree that is a huge difference. We need to break the news to families, disability organisations and advocates that they need to get agitated about this. In recent years, one of the biggest features of society has been the activism of disabled people and their carers. There was the Green Paper that had to be withdrawn by the previous Government. The care referendum was rejected because of issues around disability rights and there have been campaigns all around the country for school places appropriate to children's needs, by parents, mainly mothers.  It seems that the assessments of need rule really bothers the Government because it gives parents the right to have it done within six months.  We all know that 90% of these assessments are not done within six months, leaving the Government looking really terrible. In introducing this, the Government is now trying to create a new avenue that would get rid of that terrible vista. These assessment reports will be much less comprehensive and less thorough. They are clearly designed to reduce the waiting lists but what will they actually deliver? As has been said, there are huge concerns about people not being classified as disabled in the first place under this legislation. The six-month rule definitely galls and pains the Government.  Some 9,300 children currently await a first appointment with a CDNT. The number has fallen but it is still very high. In Dublin 15, which makes up most of the Dublin West constituency, a task force on special education had to be set up. One of the findings of that task force was that 40% of referrals to the CDNT were still just that - referrals. I heard another TD talk about the waiting list in Cork. I do not mean to make comparisons or to have a poverty competition but in one of the CDNTs in Dublin 15, as of last year, the waiting list was up to seven years long. It is one of the highest by far because of the youthful population. The other one was better.  How is this going to be addressed? The crux of this is that the Government is not able to recruit the professionals who are needed. The reason it cannot do so is that they have fled to the private sector. That is where most of the people are. What is ironic is that they are actually doing these assessments of need privately and parents are paying for them. They have also fled the country because they cannot afford to live here because of the chronic housing crisis that this Government and previous governments have not dealt with. They cannot afford to have a decent life here. Until that is addressed, the CDNT lists are just going to keep on increasing.  I have a million pages of notes here that I wanted to bring in but I will just say that this is an attack on children's rights. Who are these assessment officers? I do not have time to develop that point but perhaps the Minister of State would answer that question because it is not stated in the legislation who the people who are going to do these assessments are. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Ward  I broadly welcome the Bill. It is not a very long Bill but it is important insofar as it sets out important minimum standards. One thing on which we can all agree is that we must make this process easier for the people who need assistance. We must make it easier for people to get the assessments and to get help in place so that they can then reap the benefits of that assistance. We know that there are people the length and breadth of this country who need assistance and who, in reality, are not getting it or not getting it in sufficient quantities or in a timely manner. We can all get behind the idea that the purpose of this Bill has to be to make it easier for people who have additional needs and who need the support of the State.  I might start by making a point about the drafting. This is something I say about all amending legislation like this Bill. The 2005 Act is the principal Act, the Act that is being amended, but it is impossible to know what this Bill, which will be an Act, does without having a copy of the 2005 Act next to you. Because sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 amend provisions of the 2005 Act, it is impossible to know what they are actually changing unless you have the 2005 Act present. This is a point I make quite a lot. When we are amending legislation, we should consolidate that legislation. Instead of amending specific provisions within a section, we should repeal that section and restate it in the amending Bill because that would make it much more accessible for everyone. This is part of what I am talking about, the need for it to be more easily accessible. You should not need to have two pieces of legislation to understand what one of them does. In general, we should be moving towards simply restating the law, making it available in one place rather than in two. That is a technical issue more than anything else.  With regard to what this Bill does, the specific and targeted amendments I have mentioned relate to certain aspects of the existing assessment of need process and aim to make the system more effective and efficient. However, I do not believe that legislation alone is actually going to do that. It may well be a tool that is required to achieve it but what the people who need disability assistance and various services want to know is whether this legislation will actually change the landscape for them in real terms. Are they actually going to be able to access the services they need in a timely and efficient manner? The review of the 2005 Act, which is being led by the Department of children, is obviously welcome. The notion of nationwide statutory guidelines to standardise how the HSE carries out assessments and consistency across geographic regions of the country are very important. However, we already have targets that have never really been achieved, including the six-month deadline which has been breached time and time again.  Perhaps the Minister of State will have an opportunity to address this in what she has to say but, however necessary this legislation might be, it is not clear to me how it guarantees in any real way that those targets will be reached. That is a question I am asked all the time by people in D\u00fan Laoghaire. They want to know how we are actually going to change this system so that it works for the people who need those services. Even though the statutory six-month deadline for assessments of need exists in law, every one of us in this Chamber has spoken to constituents. I do not want to say that deadline has been disregarded because I do not think there is anybody out there who is not trying to meet it but we have not managed to deliver on it. We have to be able to deliver if anybody is to have confidence that we are reforming this system in a way that will actually make a difference.  The approach of this legislation has to be about making it easier and more accessible for families. We must ensure the staff are in place to operate this system. If there are vacancies, that needs to be addressed. Most of us will have heard stories of gaps that are there and situations that have not been filled. That creates delays and knock-on effects for families and people with disabilities. That has to be addressed. I sometimes despair at the slow pace of progress. Again, I do not think anybody is deliberately frustrating progress but, as legislators, it is our job not only to put in place measures requiring progress but also to put in place mechanisms to support delivery.  I support the provision of the 11 new inreach teams, which will be available to provide clinical guidance and support for clinicians performing assessments of need and the assessments informed by the new autism access assessment protocol. I note that each team will include a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist and an administrator. That is welcome because that is the kind of thing you can point to when dealing with constituents. It allows you to say that concrete things are being done to ease the process and to grease the wheels in a way that will actually have a tangible effect on the ground. I welcome the fact that these teams are being put in place.  The Bill is quite short containing not very many amendments. I hope the Minister of State will be able to give us a commitment that the effect of the realisation of these amendments on the ground will be to create greater, more efficient and faster access for people with additional needs, people with disabilities, their families and their parents so that they can get what they need and to deliver for those people. That is what everyone in here wants. That is what we are all waiting for. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"John-McGuinness.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John McGuinness  What every parent wants to know is whether this legislation will deal with the issues and the specific timelines that will be put in place. Will it make the assessment better? Based on this legislation, I cannot tell them. I am happy to support any legislation that will in any way deal with the waiting times for families and the other issues they face in relation to assessments and access to therapists, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists but I do not see that in this Bill. Let us not pretend that this Bill is going to fix everything as regards the care of those who need it. It is not. If it is not going to, we have to ask where are the professionals we need to deliver the services, to carry out the assessments and to put in place all of the supports individuals require. There are many other players out there in the delivery of services who are doing it to the best of their ability but whom the Department is not looking at to see if it could learn from them.  I will give the example of SOS Kilkenny. The principal individual there is Francis Coughlan. He has put forward his budgets year in and year out. He has been left short. He is trying to innovate and move the services on within the community. He is trying to support the families. It is an excellent organisation. Every single year, however, he, the families he represents and the individuals for whom he provides the services are being challenged by the State in terms of the delivery of the services that they need. It is the State that is letting them down because it is not planning for the professionals to be employed and to be maintained in their jobs. What they need is the pay that will keep them there and the structure that will allow them to work freely within the HSE or any other organisation. They are not getting that. That is, perhaps, why they are leaving the country and going elsewhere.  I can point the Minister of State to St. Patrick's special school, which is again delivering services way beyond what it should be doing and way beyond what it is being paid for doing. It is not being acknowledged. I encourage the Minister of State to visit the likes of those services and to go Jonah Special School in Slieverue and see what they are trying to do with limited resources, and very successfully doing it, but they require the State to intervene to support them and give them money to develop a modern state-of-the-art service housed in buildings that can accommodate the needs of those children. We are not learning from those at the coalface who are doing this for individual children. Kingsriver Community in my constituency is another project that is doing fantastic work. It is being treated very badly by the HSE. There is no planning in terms of the financing of capital programmes or the financing of the services that they are delivering. The staff are giving more and more of their time - they are not being paid for it - just to make sure their services are being delivered to the clients they have. How bad is that in terms of the reflection on the State? It is absolutely scandalous.  The CDNTs, CAMHS and all those organisations that children get referred to are under enormous pressure. As a result of that, children and families are being pushed from pillar to post. They are not getting the type of assessment that is required or the supports that are needed in a structure that is heavily bureaucratic and is interested in nothing other than fulfilling a timeframe or a limited scope in terms of the treatment of all these cases. Neither do I see a plan in place to look after children as they go through their teenage years and become young adults and to support the families in question. What is going to happen when parents die and move on? What is going to happen to those children? What plan is in place to look after them? Where are the services that are defined that they will need? They are not there. As I worked with the Down's syndrome organisation in Kilkenny, I have seen where they too cannot get services from the HSE. When they get their funding, however, which the Minister of State kindly assisted them with, they are able to buy the services privately. It is the bureaucratic nature or set-up the HSE that causes people to look beyond that service. They can deliver a more streamlined service without the hindrance of the reporting mechanisms that are all there. We should not try to hide the fact that we are failing children and forcing them and their families into the courts. We should not be doing that. Every single cent of funding should go directly to organisations that are successfully delivering the type of therapies and support services that are needed, not just for the individual concerned but for the family also. I have heard these debates over and over again and there are no results. I am deeply disappointed with the system and that there is not more in this Bill. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathy Bennett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Cathy-Bennett.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathy Bennett  There are many issues with this Bill. What I wish to focus on is if it is successful in its content as assessment of need is often only the first step in a long and arduous journey towards seeing these needs met. As Teachta\u00ed McGuinness and Ward stated, this Bill will not provide a single additional speech and language or occupational therapist. It will not provide additional special education places in our schools. It will not address the failures in workforce planning that allow vacancies to persist for far too long. In response to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister highlighted to me the supposed progress made nationally in delivering these reports. However, in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, there is no such supposed boom in care for our children. In fact, in half a year just 18 assessment of need reports were completed. This was nearly one third less than in 2024. There were 18 assessments out of 800 applicants. How can the Minister of State stand over this? We are nowhere near addressing this for the people of Cavan and Monaghan. Just one report was completed within the statutory timeframe. There were zero in the previous year. This is an abject failure and an utterly shameful and contemptible failure on the part of the Minister of State and her predecessors. My challenge to the Minister of State is that as the Government looks to progress this Bill through the Houses over the coming weeks or months, she should see how many assessments of need she can oversee the completion of in Cavan and Monaghan in that period. Can the Government deliver one single report within that timeline that it is legally obliged to meet? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  When we strip away all of the legislative jargon and the Government's spin surrounding this Bill, one question remains: is it going to get additional services for the children who need it? That is not just a concern that has been expressed on these benches. Even some of the Government's own representatives have questioned whether this is going to happen. The answer, unfortunately, is \"No\". The Bill is being presented as a solution to the assessments of need crisis, but the same Government that has presided over the collapse of the assessments of need system is now introducing the legislation that appears designed just to make the waiting lists look smaller on paper. At the end of June, there were 23,000 children waiting beyond the statutory timeframe for an assessment of need and 20,000 waiting more than three months beyond the legal deadline. Those are children whose development is being delayed. Families are living in uncertainty. Parents are forced to fight the State for years to get the services that they are entitled to receive.  The crisis cannot be resolved through administrative changes like the Government is seeking to do. It requires investment and leadership and that is what the Government has failed to provide. Year after year, governments arrive with a Bill that seeks to streamline the process, but who are they streamlining it for? There is no assurance that families will find themselves removed from waiting lists through bureaucratic processes that they do not fully understand. There is no confidence that children who are taken off lists will be quickly reinstated when circumstances prevent attendance at appointments. Parents have every reason to be worried because this Bill does not address the real crisis. There is not one additional speech and language therapist. There is not one additional occupational therapist. There is not one additional psychologist and no additional special education place. There is no guarantee that any child who receives an assessment of need will actually receive the therapies they deserve. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty  I welcome aspects of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026. The Minister of State can argue that it is absolutely required, but in another way it is just a reflection of ongoing State failure. For over 20 years, it could be argued that the State has breached its own laws under the Disability Act 2005, which has left so many thousands of vulnerable children without access to services. In this context, we could call any sort of move towards a needs-based approach a positive step because a child should not need a complex medical label just to get their basic speech and language therapy sessions.  Giving the HSE the power to get rid of the defunct applications from the list will give a more accurate picture of the backlog and will reduce the backlog to a degree but the backlog will still be massive. This Bill does not address the actual historical lack of services. The law stipulates that an assessment must take place within six months and yet the reality on the ground, as others have mentioned, is different. Groups are saying different things but the statistics indicate a wait of about 24 to 27 months and in some cases three to five years in individual worst cases. As others have said, it has been estimated that roughly 21,000 children are overdue assessments in the country.  I acknowledge that the State has spent a lot of money on services but the State has also spent about \u20ac23 million on legal fees fighting parents in courts and that money could have been put into the front-line services. Groups like Inclusion Ireland and AsIAm have repeatedly pointed out that the change in the rules does not mean anything when we still have a 30% vacancy rate across the children's disability network teams. Those teams need to be filled.  Deputy Se\u00e1n Crowe raised an issue in this Chamber relating to one particular area in Tallaght in CHO 7. The constituency I share with the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, including areas like Saggart, Rathcoole, Lucan, Palmerstown and Clondalkin, has one of the worst bottlenecks in the State. I believe it was Chamber House that Deputy Crowe referenced which had a 53% staff vacancy rate, which means a lot of families were left absolutely stranded.  Thousands of families have been told that a child is a so-called \"open case\" but they have never received a first contact from a therapist. The definition changes here will not create those speech and language therapists. We want to see real investment in staff. I know sometimes in other areas of the health and family support services it has been difficult to actually get to that. I acknowledge there is a challenge. This legislation will not get any educational psychologists or other psychologists for families in Newcastle or Rathcoole.  Others might argue that this Bill is purely a cynical exercise in legal risk management, a way to stop parents from suing the State by lowering the bar in terms of what constitutes an assessment. I do not believe that but the Government will be open to accusations unless it backs up some of the measures in this legislation with increased staffing levels so that we can see the number of people on the waiting list coming down. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Collins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Michael-Collins.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Collins  Independent Ireland will support measures that generally speed up assessments for children with disabilities. However, let us be very clear that speeding up paperwork is not the same as speeding up care. I have repeatedly raised the waiting times for assessment of need. Families are waiting far beyond what is acceptable. Parents are exhausted, fighting the system while vital years in their children's development are passing by. These are not statistics; these are families. I know of a five-year-old child referred for an assessment of need on 29 May 2026. The family was later told that the child was being placed on a waiting list for a private provider and that this could take another seven months. Families are being told about timelines, stages and processes. What they want is an assessment and the help that their child needs.  Another young man from Bandon was referred for an assessment of need when he was four years old. He is now 12 and still waiting. His family moved address within the same area and informed the HSE but his assessment was never followed up. How can we possibly defend that? Another 11-year-old boy waited 18 months to be seen by the west Cork children's disability network. He was then told he did not meet the criteria and was referred to the primary care for speech and language therapy, and psychology. After waiting 18 months he was simply moved from one waiting list to another. That is not a joined-up disability service.  This problem does not end with children. A 47-year-old woman with an intellectual disability has been waiting for two years for a place with CoAction Skibbereen. She is at home for 24 hours a day with her elderly father without the stimulation and socialising she needs. She has been assessed as suitable for the service but still has no place. She should not be facing another winter sitting at home simply because the services are not available.  We also deal every year with parents desperately trying to find special class places for children with autism. Children reach school-going to age without their families knowing whether their child will have an appropriate school place. The same uncertainty happens year after year. That is unacceptable. The same applies with SNAs. Principals across Cork South-West tell me they need greater SNA support. The system must recognise the needs that exist in the classroom.  There were also serious problems with this year's summer programme with late planning, portal problems and delayed approvals. Schools need adequate notice so that they can recruit to teachers and SNAs, and properly plan for vulnerable children. One principal in Cork South-West told me about a child who had received additional staffing and had successfully attended the summer programme for the previous two years. This year, the additional staffing was refused. The principal faced a choice of telling the child he could no longer attend or somehow make the programme work. She refused to turn the child away and instead she gave up her own paid role and worked without remuneration so that another staff member would be paid and the programme could operate safely. No principal should have to work for nothing to plug a hole created by the State.  Early intervention is supposed to be the cornerstone of our disability services but early intervention is meaningless if a child spends years waiting for an assessment and then joins another queue for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or psychology. I agree that we should speed up assessments but above all we need to put the staff and services behind those assessments.  I have been involved in many of the meetings that have taken place over the past 12 months or so. The problem for children with intellectual disabilities is that they have no voice. If their parents are not strong enough to be the voice for them, they are left out in the cold. I know of a child in Castletownbere who cannot get transport services. That child is currently at home sitting with her dog every day of the week. That is no place for that girl to be. She is an intelligent child. She needs to be respected but she cannot because there are no services. There are no transport services. The whole system is broken from start to the finish.  There are 85-, 90- and 95-year-old parents trying to drive children for intellectual disabilities services which sometimes are not there. Even if they are there, the elderly parents are no longer able to do it. They are not getting the help that is needed. A very serious issue that needs to be looked at is the transport service for people with intellectual disabilities. The Before We Die campaign is trying to fight to give their children a right to have a home. Many of them can live independently as we have proved in a project we did in Schull, where there are two children with intellectual disability. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Richard-O'Donoghue.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard O'Donoghue  We can pass whatever legislation we like in this D\u00e1il but first we need to have the people to carry out the assessments to support the legislation we are putting through. We are able to bring in all this different legislation but we are not able to follow through on it, which is disappointing. We have the housing crisis. Students are qualifying in different fields within medicine and then have to leave the country because they see no future here. It is down to supply and demand. We have fantastic skilled workers here in various different fields.  I spoke to a woman last week who had completed her qualifications and was going into the health service. She has done four years and was about to do a further year in the area she wanted to cover. She looked at it on the basis of how much it was going to cost her even though she was trying to further her education to help people. She decided she had enough and was going to head off. I met her parents who were devastated that she had to leave the country. This is a young person aged 24, not long out of college and she wanted to further her education. She said to me that she had no future in Ireland. She said, \"I want to stay near my family. I want to work within disability. I have no future. My only future is to leave this country.\"  We have inflation issues, over taxation of people who are working and over taxation of fuel for cars which are necessary for people to go to work.  Every young person who wants to stay here is given no option but to leave. Who is going to suffer only the people on the waiting lists and the people from disability sectors who need help? That, to me, it is a failure for the Government not to see it has to make sure everyone in this country who wants to stay here is given the right to do so and can see a future and raise a family here, if they so wish. Looking at the statistics, the age of couples who want to settle down to have a family, compared to one decade back, has changed and gone forward ten years. I know people who are settling down at 35, 36 or 37. I was married at 26. That is the difference today. Even those couples who do not want to get married are not settling down until closer to their forties and possibly having only one child.  When we go forward two or three decades from now, we will be looking for people to look after us, but they will not be there. What are we doing? We are driving them out of this country because we are not putting in the proper supports for them so they can care for others. That is the sad thing about this. We can make legislation, but it is only a piece of paper. It is no good unless you can actually put the proper infrastructure behind it to make sure it happens. The infrastructure in this case is to give all the young people qualifying in this country the opportunity to stay here. We have to keep them here. This has to come through not just in the disability or health sectors but also in the housing sector and ensure there is viability so that they can see a future. If you cannot achieve that, you will not achieve anything.  We are going to have to work together. I ask the Government to listen to reason. The budget is coming up. It could do one thing in this budget to help everyone in this country and give them a small piece to ensure they have some bit of money left in their pockets at the end of the week. I have said already and will say again that there is only one piece Government has got to do that will have a knock-on effect across everything, and that is a cap on the taxation of fuel in this country. Fuel can keep rising but increasing the fuel cost and increasing the taxes on people we want to keep here will drive them out of the country all the time.  On the other side of that, you have people protesting. People in this country cannot afford to protest and do not want to protest. They are not going out and jumping up and down just for the sake of it; they see no other option. They are not criminals and they should not be put down as that. They are people who see no other option and they are standing up for people from the disability sector, the vulnerable and children. They stand up for all those sectors. The Government has a chance in this budget to give a small lifeline to people to make sure we can hold them in this country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Peadar-T\u00f3ib\u00edn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peadar T\u00f3ib\u00edn  This Bill is a three-card trick. It is dressed up as an effort to help people with disabilities and special needs but it is little more than a press statement in the form of legislation. It costs very little to produce and draft a Bill, but there is a cost to providing services and to providing the professionals needed to be able to deliver those services. The assessment of need system is under enormous strain. More than 20,000 assessments are overdue and more than 90% of children are not receiving an assessment of need within the statutory six-month timeframe. Applications for assessments of need have risen from approximately 4,700 in 2020 to 13,000 last year. Those figures represent thousands of children and families waiting for answers and supports. The parents who want to spend their energy on helping and raising their children are actually spending all of it on trying to get the services they are entitled to and to negotiate the system that is preventing them from getting the help they need. We heard before at the committee on disability that organisations accept the need for reform. They accept that the current system is not working well enough. However, they also raise serious questions about this Bill and the fact it does not address the root causes of this problem.  One concern that has been raised repeatedly is that the problem is not simply the assessment process itself but, rather, capacity. Organisations repeatedly pointed to shortages of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other professionals across the disability sector. They described a system which demanded continuous growth in resources but is not being provided for. During that committee, it was noted that a disability team which originally supported about 121 children with eight staff members was later supporting 628 children with only an additional six staff members. The result was that waiting lists went back years rather than weeks.  I want to reference the work of Cara Darmody, who has been hailed, and rightly so, in this D\u00e1il as a young girl who has probably done more on the whole issue of assessments of need than any TD here. TDs are so fast to get their photographs taken with her but they are not listening to her and that is the key issue. One of her recent proposals was that to fill the gap of professionals and staff needed, it would be logical to try to contract in those resources privately to deliver that work. She made that request to the T\u00e1naiste at least six months ago and made it again recently. I am a great believer in public services but you also need common sense and cop-on. If there are private staff available here or in Britain, they should be used to bring down the current waiting lists.  The evidence points overwhelmingly to a shortage of staff and this Bill will not change that. It changes procedures but it does not change capacity. It does not increase the staffing levels or create an additional entitlement to supports once an assessment has been completed. This is a significant limitation - a life-changing limitation, in reality.  I am also concerned by the introduction of a preliminary determination of disability before full assessments of need take place. Many people simply see this as a trick by the Government to reduce the waiting lists in the future. Assessments of need should be focused primarily on understanding the child's needs and identifying appropriate supports. Care must be taken to ensure additional procedural steps do not create further obstacles for families already navigating complex systems. Careful scrutiny is required regarding the provisions that allow applications to be deemed withdrawn and closed. There will also need to be a process is needed to deal with circumstances where a case can no longer progress. Legislation must also recognise practical circumstances such as communication failures, changes in contact details and family circumstances and simple administrative errors. Strong safeguards are essential.  Another issue that must not be overlooked is what happens after an assessment has been completed. The Disability Act provides a right to an assessment but it does not provide a corresponding right to receive the supports identified during that assessment. For families, that distinction is critical. Receiving confirmation of a need is important but having that need met is what truly matters.  The Bill also gives considerable weight to future guidelines. Greater consistency across the country is a worthwhile objective, but people with disabilities, families and representative organisations should have a meaningful role in shaping the guidelines that will ultimately influence how assessments are conducted and how eligibility is interpreted. Ultimately, legislation must be judged by outcomes. If waiting lists remain at current levels, children continue to wait for years for assessment and supports remain unavailable after needs have been identified, families will see little practical benefits from procedural reform alone. Reform is necessary, consistency is necessary and clarity is necessary but, most of all, capacity is necessary. Until those reforms are matched by investment in staff, services and supports, we risk changing the process without changing the experience of the child and the families who depend upon it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Supporting people with disabilities and their families is a priority, particularly for me as a TD for Galway East, to ensure the people of Galway East receive the services they deserve. I want to see a system that supports their needs close to home and gives families confidence for the future.  I start by acknowledging the work Government has been doing.  It provided \u20ac20 million this year for the assessment of need targeted wait list initiative, the development of therapy services in special schools and the work to recruit additional clinicians. All of this is to be welcomed and encouraged. It is a case of building on that. With those measures, we have to be honest about where we are. As of the end of June, more than 23,000 assessment applications were overdue. Behind every one of those applications is a person waiting and a family trying to understand what help is available and when it will arrive. For a parents watching their child struggle, being told the system is under pressure offers very little reassurance. They know that early intervention matters. They need to see that urgency reflected by the system.  This Bill proposes practical changes to make the assessment process more consistent and more focused on a child's needs. I support that direction. Where an appropriate assessment can establish the support a child requires, we should avoid unnecessary duplication that takes clinicians away from providing therapy. I also welcome the retention of the statutory right to apply for an assessment and the existing six-month statutory timeframe. Those protections matter and families must have confidence that reform will strengthen the system. The provisions for closing and reinstating applications must be handled sensitively. A family overwhelmed by caring responsibilities may struggle to respond to correspondence and they need to be given the time to address and deal with it. They must receive clear communication and meaningful support before an application is deemed withdrawn. We must also remember that completing an assessment does not in itself provide a child with therapy. Families need access to speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and the other supports identified. Children who need help must be directed towards appropriate services even when they do not meet the statutory definition of a disability. Our responsibility continues into adulthood. People need suitable day services, respite and residential supports with genuine choices about how and where they live. Families need confidence that those supports will be there as the circumstances of the family change.  I was over the moon last year when I saw that the ring-fenced disability capital budget was going up by \u20ac15 million to a total of \u20ac43 million. I ask the Minister of State to go back to her Department and get absolute clarity about how that money has been spent this year to date. What capital projects have been delivered in disability this year? Where has the money been consumed that was ring-fenced for capital budgets? Has it all been consumed by detailed design and tender stages and planning, or have we actually delivered tangible disability projects? I work closely with Corlann, formerly Brothers of Charity, and also Ability West in Galway. They are legacy organisations. They have sites and they have space. Does the Minister of State know what they do not have? They have a huge service-level agreement with the HSE on how to deliver services and they obviously have their negotiations about funding, but they have no provision for capital funding to build the homes themselves that they could staff, man and where they could provide the respite support and the residential care. They then end up taking on more residential units and paying huge rents. Those end up being commercial leases. The people who go into residential care under the commercial lease, and Corlann and Ability West, do not get the same protections as a normal tenant would in a residential dwelling. As a result the organisations that this State is funding are subjected to crazy rent increases. One could not imagine how much residential care homes rents' to landlords, because they are not protected the way a residential lease is, but are under a commercial lease.  If the \u20ac43 million in the disability capital budget has been primarily consumed by lengthy planning applications, tender stages and detailed designs but no real delivery, maybe it is time to change the way we do it. In the forthcoming budget, the Government should look at giving a devolved grant to the disability organisations around the country for capital projects exactly the way it works with education. One could say to Corlann or Ability West that we will give them \u20ac2 million this year and they can deliver the services. It is like sports capital. When you give it to an organisation with this modus operandi and drive, it will do an incredible job at delivering it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Martin Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Martin-Daly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Martin-Daly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Martin Daly  I thank the Chair for giving me time to speak on what is an important amendment to the Disability Act. I welcome the amendment to the Disability Act on its narrow basis, which is to streamline the assessment of need process and ensure that assessments of need are not used as a barrier to accessing services. It is clear that the statutory guidelines will be changed, which will standardise the assessment of needs process nationally and provide consistency throughout the country. That is to be welcomed. It is also to be welcomed that the assessments of need will not be used as a barrier to therapies within the HSE or access to special education in future and that there will be other pathways for children who have special and additional needs to have access to those therapies and assessments.  I welcome the 11 new in-reach teams which will include an occupational therapist, speech therapist, psychologist and an administrator to help professionals within the service to carry out these assessments that will allow children to access therapies in a timely way. The Minister and Minister of State have brought considerable focus to trying to streamline access to services like the single point of contact with the HSE. Clinicians and professionals in the community will be able to refer to a single point in the HSE. That decision on whether children are to be seen by primary care, CAMHS or a CDNT will be made in-house and not be sent back to a general practitioner to reapply for that service. The advent of the autism assessment intervention pathways is also to be welcomed and will hopefully take away some of the pressure on the assessment of needs requirement. All of those are welcome developments and the changes that are proposed under this amendment are also welcome.  I have to put this into context as well. I am aware of the focus that has been brought by having the disability unit in the Department of the Taoiseach and of the increased funding of \u20ac3.8 billion this year which came with that. However, it is incumbent on the Government and the Department to ensure that these changes are not perceived to be in some way reducing waiting lists and creating a false narrative around the access to therapy. It is true that we do not have the capacity that we require under all the different services, whether CDNTs, primary care, CAMHS or special education in schools, and that we do not have the capacity to deal with all the young people who require those therapies and interventions. It is really important that the Government recommits to ensuring that the required professionals, both in the community and in the different organisations, are recruited and retained within the system in order to provide these services. If you are telling someone that there is no longer a barrier of having to have an assessment of need in order to gain access to various therapies in circumstances where people can directly access those therapies but where there are no therapists available to provide them, then the Bill will mean nothing.  It is important to point out that the delivery of special classes throughout the country has improved. However, there are companies which provide modular school buildings and which have good records in doing so but which are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the building unit in the Department of education when it comes to the provision of schools and special classrooms.  I need to put that on the record. We need to streamline our procurement processes to make it easier and to provide more competition within the sector to provide this necessary infrastructure. I will give an example. We have three building companies, modular companies, who have an agr\u00e9ment from the NCAI, which allows them to build these schools. They have track records on that. One of them in particular is precluded from a framework within the Department of education and that is something that is to be regretted.  I am going to come back to personal stories. I received a letter from a paediatrician yesterday who referred a young person who has generalised anxiety to the local CAMHS service in County Galway. That paediatrician received a letter back without the CAMHS service seeing that adolescent and essentially pointed them in a different direction, to counselling services in the community and other such things. That consultant paediatrician had made a clinical assessment of that adolescent and had felt that the young boy deserved an assessment by a CAMHS team but was simply rebuffed by another part of the service. I met a young mother the other day who has an 11-year-old young person with autism and has had a very difficult time in gaining access to services. There is a lack of communication between primary care, CDNT and CAMHS and the only people who suffer in this regard are the children and the parents who are involved. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Claire Kerrane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Claire Kerrane  I hope the Minister of State has listened very carefully to the many speakers in this House. I have sat in for most of the debate and I think it is clear from Members of the Opposition, as well as her own party and Government backbenchers, that this Bill does not actually deal with the nub of the issue. If the issue in terms of assessments of need was that we have far too many children on the waiting list who do not actually need to be on the waiting list and we need to remove them from the waiting list, then this Bill might be in some way useful. That is not the issue, however. Time and again, the actual issue is raised. The issue is that we do not have the workforce or the therapists to meet the needs that are there in terms of children that need supports. The only question that we should be answering in terms of any legislation - whether legislation is actually needed or not in the first place - is how do we get children who have additional needs the support that they need when they need it, which is now, how do we access those children and how do we ensure the easiest way for them to receive the supports. As my colleague, Deputy \u00d3 Murch\u00fa, has said many times, at this stage it probably is the schools. It probably is having the therapies in the school setting and the supports and the services actually going to the children, rather than the other way around.  In Roscommon and Galway, the people whom I represent, are in no way different to many parts of the State; in fact, every single county in the state. We have had a situation in Galway in particular where the number of overdue assessments of need has more than doubled. The average wait time now is 24 months, that is, two years. Looking at the data for quarter 1 of this year, four assessments of need were completed in Galway and eight were completed in that same period in County Roscommon.  There are questions that have been raised here in terms of the guidelines and what those guidelines will look like, as well as assessment officers, who they will be, what their backgrounds will be and whether they will have any clinical expertise. Those questions need to be answered and they should really be answered in legislation like this or at least in this House. For a lot of people out there, this is just going to look like another layer. It is another layer on another layer. We are talking about 11 in-reach teams when we cannot staff our CDNTs in many parts of the country, we cannot staff or retain our primary care therapists, and now we are going to have another layer of more therapists when, in reality, those therapists are not there. That is the nub of the issue and I do not believe that this Bill will deal with the actual issue, which is workforce. That is really concerning.  Issues have been raised in terms of therapists coming home. More can be done on that, particularly those who are educated and receive their professional degrees in England, for example. There have been difficulties in that regard. For parents looking in, however, it is one issue after the other. It is the school place, the SNA, and July provision. As for dental checks, when I was in school, you got two or three dental checks but now a child is lucky to get one. We are going backwards in terms of basic supports and services for children. Again, I come back to the primary question, namely, how do we get children with additional needs the supports that they need when they need them? I do not believe, unfortunately, that this Bill is going to do that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gillian Toole","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gillian-Toole.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Gillian-Toole.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gillian Toole  I will start echoing the sentiment Forest E. Witcraft, who said, 100 years from now it will not matter what his bank account was, the car he drove or what house he lived in, but what will matter is the difference that he made in the life of a child. That is integral to what we are discussing here, namely, meeting the needs and embedding rights into our legislation. I will try to confine my comments to this amendment to the 2005 Act. This came about from a 2023 report by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. It recommended that Ireland should review the relevant legislation, including disability legislation, the EPSEN Act and Equality Acts to bring them in line with a human rights-based approach to disability. I am aware that the six-month right is enshrined. That is not changing; it is its delivery and pivotal to that is reducing waiting times and urgently addressing staff shortages.  I acknowledge the initiatives to extend the third level placements for occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. I would also like to commend Dunboyne College of Further Education, which runs gateway courses for speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. I have actually linked Catherine Fox, the principal, with the HSE and the school of nursing in Maynooth. They have that memorandum of understanding already. There are things that can be done proactively.  If we go back to the rights piece, however, that is effectively what we are dealing with here. Next month, I think, Professor Noel Purdy and the inclusive education task force that has been convened will begin their work in earnest. They have a six-month timeframe to work through. That is dealing with the review and the implementation and the action plans from the review of the EPSEN Act. Again, that is feeding into the delivery of services. I do not for one minute deny the fact that recruitment is key to all of this.  In terms of the committee deliberations, I thank the secretariat, the Library and Research Service, the individual parents who wrote into the committee and the 16 different stakeholder groups who put a huge amount of time and effort into the submissions to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters. The Minister of State has the report from the committee and its recommendations, particularly the cross-cutting recommendations. In particular, I raise recommendation No. 26 on page 20. Key to that is the recruitment piece and again, every possible opportunity to recruit from abroad to retain the graduates that we train here. Perhaps there is a contractual piece that can be done there whereby we prioritise our graduates to come back after they have travelled abroad. There is another key piece in the report in relation to recommendation No. 29. It calls for a review of the legislation 12 months from commencement, as well as a further review within 24 months. That is pivotal.  Areas that were of concern to me included, I have to admit, section 4 regarding the deemed withdrawal but I am pleased to hear and to read of the reinstatement and the fact that families can reapply within 12 months. That was an area of concern but I am pleased to see that it is proposed to be addressed. In relation to section 6, the Ombudsman for Children's Office had raised concerns. We discussed them at the committee, as well as the statutory guidelines. They are also very welcome.  Last week, I met the Meath disability services team manager and we went through recruitment. We have identified the shortfall in places for OTs, speech and language therapy and child psychology in the Trim area CDNT. That is having a serious knock-on effect. I suggested to her, as I have done with the Minister of State previously, that waiting list initiatives should include access to integrative therapies relating to all the things we included in our inclusive education report, namely art therapy, drama, equine therapy, music, nurture rooms, sensory rooms. We can meet some of the needs of children while the families wait by being creative and by complying with legislation. The Department did it this summer with the alternative respite funding that was made available. I ask that where, in the context of children who are not in special classes or special schools, if a teacher or an early years educator identifies a need - they are professionals after all - the Department should take their word for it and expand the wait list initiative and alternative respite funding. That will allow us to hit the ground running.  There is an excellent service, Ability Equine Assisted Therapy, in north Meath. It is at risk of being wound up. It is a charity and everything is above board, but those involved are so busy trying to meet the needs of families in north Meath that have children who may have regulation or behavioural issues or occupational therapy issues. There are good people doing good work, and we need to be creative with the framework to support them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Heneghan  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Teachta Toole. B\u00edonn s\u00ed i gc\u00f3na\u00ed ag teacht isteach sa Teach seo chun solutions a thabhairt. I commend her on her work on the disability committee. I also commend the Minister of State and her staff on the Bill and the sensible measures it contains and on the work that has been done. I will always support anything that makes the process faster, clearer and more consistent for every parent and child across Ireland.  There are definitely good provisions in the Bill. I commend the standardising of the process across the six health regions. If this is done right, it will be life-changing. Giving the families the proper mechanisms to withdraw applications temporarily and reinstate it makes sense. I really welcome that. Some of the parents I have spoken to are happy and feel like they are being listened to. However, there will always be something I will look to add. We need to be clear about the scale of what is involved. There are thousands of overdue applications for assessments of need. I have submitted parliamentary questions on this matter. Changing the process will help, but we cannot just change the process. We must also change capacity and what will happen to the child and their family after they get an assessment. That is what parents keep telling me and that is what I will keep pushing for.  I recently spoke to a mother in Dublin Central - she is watching me right now \u2013 about access to her son\u2019s OT. I have emailed the Department and all the stakeholders involved. Her point is very straightforward. Families continually hear about increased budgets, new posts and additional investment but this means very little when their child is still waiting for an appointment. There is a huge issue with OTs in Dublin Central. I would love the Department to investigate this and see what can be done. Dublin Central is not my constituency and this is not something I would generally raise, but the woman in question is a very passionate and solution-focused mother and I wanted to raise her case.  There are other things we need to look at. I have raised this with Deputy Carrigy when the Oireachtas committee was focusing on autism with in relation to CORU and the recognition of foreign-qualified practitioners who can help with our waiting lists. The Department responded to some of my parliamentary questions by saying that it will investigate the possibilities in this regard. I am looking for an update on speech and language therapists and OTs who qualified in other EU countries. Sometimes they are missing one qualification that does not allow them to practise here but if they went to the US, Australia or Canada, they could practise. I do not understand when we are in an acute crisis that this is the case.  It is not just a case of how many posts there are. We also really need to look at the regulatory bottlenecks. Another point that coincides with this is one that is not specific to disabilities. I was speaking to people in Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland, ARTI, about waiting lists for AT. They raised a very reasonable question which underlines my point. If appropriately qualified professionals could assist in reducing pressure on services but the barrier to doing so is regulation and policy, why can we not speed that up? I ask the Minister of State to examine not only ARTI\u2019s position but the wider CORU recognition and regulatory process so as to speed up qualification recognition and so reduce waiting lists. The disconnect between the unidentified needs does exist and needs to be addressed.  Going back to my constituency, there is a documentary by Eric Roberts relating to Stapolin Educate Together National School. I have raised this multiple times in the House. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, visited the school and was brilliant on site. He has constantly engaged with my office, and I welcome that. I would love for the Minister of State or any of her staff to address this matter too. The school has already been awarded three special classes. It has applied for two additional special needs modular rooms. I was informed by the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, on Friday that the application is currently under consideration. If anything can be done on that, I would really welcome it. This goes back to the point that if we granting assessments, we have the data that the children are there. The school in question is saying it will provide the places. We need to be able to respond quicker to that and to CORU regulations. It is another part of the conversation we cannot ignore. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  I welcome the Disability (Amendment) Bill and any improvements it will make to the assessment of needs process relating to children. We have spoken at length here about children with disabilities and adult children with disabilities. In Kerry, their lot has not improved much. I am asking again for the Government to be more meaningful and to mean what it says. There are far too many families with additional needs and disabilities who are waiting far too long for their assessments of needs as well as other appointments of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or physiotherapists and SNAs. We have been waiting, and there is a serious lack of all those people.  Early intervention is crucial for a child with additional needs. It is shameful to see the length of time children have to wait for an assessment. Many are obliged to wait years. When a baby is born and grows up a little, the parents sometimes find that something is lacking or wrong. They want the best for their child, which is only natural. The cost that they have to bear could be for all their lives as they want to improve the lot of that child. There is a shortage of staff in all these areas, and positions do not seem to be filled when someone is transferred or goes out on leave. It is not fair on these families that they have to wait so long and fight for their children to receive the treatments they need. Many families have no option but to pay out for private assessments or therapies even if they cannot afford it. Many cannot afford it and have to go short on something else. They dearly love their children and they want them to have the best so they will do anything or go short themselves to ensure that they get those things. It is not fair that in many instances the State is leaving these families behind.  Then there are adult children. I have a serious concern about elderly parents caring for elderly adult children who have disabilities and special needs. These parents contact me. Their main concern is what will happen to their adult child should something happen to either one or both of them. That is a serious concern for these people. I worry when I see what these adult parents have gone through all their lives and what they continue to do on a daily basis. They have to bring their children into Killarney to attend day centres.  It is unfair that these elderly parents are not provided with the necessary respite care or options for respite to give family members a well-earned rest. There is a huge shortage of residential care for adults with disabilities.  I again ask that the Government consider St. Mary of the Angels, which has been and continues to be closed by stealth. It is an ideal location that should be considered to provide respite, as it is badly needed. St. Mary of the Angels is in the heart of mid-Kerry, in Beaufort. It was a farm given free to the health services by the Doyle family, going back in time. It is an ideal place to improve and to have more respite there rather than sending adult children who need respite up the country to Tipperary and, in one case, to County Meath. That is not fair on the people in Kerry who are trying to see after and to mind adult children and to get a break in sending them to respite services. I appeal to the Government. There is a Fianna F\u00e1il Minister in Kerry, and I ask her to do her utmost to ensure that St. Mary of the Angels is opened up properly and developed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Carol Nolan  The starting point for any discussion on this Bill must be the reality facing families in Offaly. Last year, I revealed that 525 children across the children's disability networks serving County Offaly were waiting for an assessment of need. Families are entitled to ask why, after years of reviews, strategies and reform programmes, waiting lists remain unacceptably high and legal timelines continue to be breached. The State's first duty must be to ensure that children receive assessments and supports when they need them and not years later. The experience of families across Offaly demonstrates that disability services remain under immense pressure. While the Bill focuses heavily on assessment processes, legislators must be honest about the real issue. The greatest challenge is not paperwork or procedure but the chronic shortage of qualified professionals available to deliver the services that are so badly needed.  Recent information I received from the HSE highlights clearly just how severe the staffing crisis has become. The sole speech and language therapist post serving adults with intellectual disabilities across Laois and Offaly has remained vacant since May 2023, with repeated recruitment efforts unsuccessful and no clear timelines for filling the position. I was appalled to learn that the same strategy - the same recruitment procedure - that had clearly failed was still in place after three years, it appears that this issue was not escalated to senior management of the HSE, and people were expected to wait. I am appalled by this because it is nothing short of neglect. I feel there are solutions. I have mentioned lots of times in this Chamber that therapists need to be redeployed into Offaly from regions where it is not as bad as this. Laois and Offaly are definitely the worst in the State when it comes to the lack of therapists. Of course, I commend the therapists we have, who are trying to hold a broken system together, but they need help. I cannot understand why therapists from the other CHO areas, where there is not a backlog, cannot be brought in in addition to private therapists. People are really being failed, and it is appalling and unfair to continue with such an approach. The fact that a key disability service can remain without a specialist provision for more than three years should be a wake-up call as to how urgent the situation is in County Offaly and County Laois. It raises profound questions about workforce planning, staff retention and the ability of the State to meet even basic standards of care.  Any reform of the assessment of need process will fail if the Government does not address recruitment and retention. Assessments alone do not help children and adults unless the therapists, psychologists and specialists needed to provide services are actually in place and available. Front-line staff continue to work under immense pressure and deserve the recognition for their commitment, as I have previously stated. The failures within disability services stem from systemic workforce shortages, not from the dedication of professionals on the ground.  I ask that Offaly be made a priority because we have too many failures. We have struggled for many years with the lack of speech and language therapists and the lack of occupational therapists. I had a case earlier this year where an elderly gentleman who had worked all his life and paid his taxes was waiting and waiting for a basic assessment to be carried out. Nine medical referrals were sent on his behalf. That is shocking. We need to collaborate and we need to put solutions in place urgently. I call for my county of Offaly to be prioritised with therapists. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Darren O'Rourke)  Before we go to the Minister of State, I want to welcome to the Public Gallery a delegation from the European Committee of the Regions. T\u00e1 f\u00e1ilte mh\u00f3r romhaibh. I hope your visit is an interesting and a fruitful one. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Higgins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (Deputy Emer Higgins)  T\u00e1 f\u00e1ilte rompu.  As Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I am pleased to conclude this Second Stage debate on the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026. I thank all Deputies for their contributions and their insights, which the Minister, Norma Foley, and I will reflect on as this legislation moves through the next Stage. I also want to take this opportunity to respond to some of the points that have been raised during the debate.  As the Minister outlined, the Bill makes very specific and targeted changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which sets out the assessment of need process. Since the principle Act was commenced over 20 years ago, demand for assessments of need has continued to grow, particularly in recent years. There are a number of reasons for this. Our population has grown. There is greater awareness of disability and developmental needs and greater awareness among families of the assessment of need process and the supports available to help children reach their full potential. That is positive but it has also placed very significant additional pressure on a system that was not designed to deal with the level of demand we now see.  The scale of this increase has been significant. Between 2022 and 2025, applications for assessments of need doubled. In the first six months of this year alone, 7,100 applications were made to the HSE. The simple reality is that demand has grown beyond the capacity of the current system to process applications in a timely way, and that has contributed to an unacceptable backlog of overdue applications. When we talk about a backlog, it is really important that we not lose sight of what that means. It means that behind every application is a child or a young person and their family, who have a very reasonable expectation that their application will be processed within the statutory timeframe. Unfortunately, however, that is not the reality for many families today, so there is a clear need to improve how the current system operates.  That is the context in which we bring forward this Bill. It is intended to modernise and strengthen the assessment of need process in order that it can operate more effectively and consistently in the face of growing demand. The changes are specific but important.  The first is to support a more needs-based approach to assessment. The Bill updates a number of terms used within the legislation to place greater emphasis on the restrictions a person experiences in their daily life and the needs arising from those restrictions, rather than focusing solely on disability as a diagnosis. That is an important shift because it brings our legislation more closely into line with Ireland's commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD. It also reflects the wider direction in which we are moving across disability, health and education services. Increasingly, the focus is on the individual and on what the person needs in order to participate fully in everyday life.  As this next part was queried by a number of Deputies earlier, I want to be very clear in saying that these changes do not alter a person's rights or entitlements under the Disability Act. What they do is better reflect the broader move towards understanding and responding to a person's individual needs. This change is only one part of improving the process. We also need to look at how the assessment of need process operates in practice and at the people responsible for delivering it.  In that regard, I acknowledge the important work carried out every day by HSE assessment officers and liaison officers. They play a vital role supporting children and families through what can be a complex process. They do that work against a backdrop of significant demand and pressure on the system. Given the scale of that demand, it is important that there are greater clarity and consistency about how the assessment of need process operates in practice for staff delivering it and for families engaging with it. That is why a key element of this Bill is the introduction of statutory guidelines for assessment officers. These guidelines will provide a clear framework for the assessment of need process and support a more consistent approach across the country. They will standardise key aspects of the process across all six health regions and provide greater clarity for assessment officers in carrying out their responsibilities. That consistency also matters for families and children. The experience of applying for assessment of need should not vary significantly depending on where a family needs or where an application is being processed. By providing for the publication of these guidelines by the HSE, the Bill will also give families a clearer understanding of the process, what they can expect from it and how their application will progress.  The Bill also deals with an issue that has become increasingly relevant as the number of applications has grown. Those are applications that are no longer being actively processed. This was raised by a number of Deputies in today's debate so I will elaborate. There can be many reasons that an application is no longer actively progressed. Family circumstances may have changed. They may decide they do not wish to continue with the process. They may simply just not be in a position to engage with it at that particular time. In many cases families may have relocated abroad or returned to their country of origin and are no longer in a position to continue with an assessment of need application in Ireland. The Bill therefore provides a clear basis for the withdrawal and closure of applications but importantly, as Deputy Toole referenced, it allows an application to be reinstated within 12 months. That is important because it is providing flexibility for families. I agree with Deputies who said that a decision to not continue with an assessment at one point in time should not create an unnecessary barrier if circumstances subsequently change. That is why the reinstatement provision is there. It provides a straightforward way back into the process and that is particularly relevant. At the same time, where an application is no longer active, such as where a family has moved abroad, the HSE needs to be able to reflect that accurately in the management of the overall caseload. That is important given the scale of the backlog we are dealing with. I appreciate that a number of Deputies raised concerns about provisions on deemed withdrawal, and I hope that explains the safeguards in place. As the Minister, Deputy Foley, outlined, the related regulations will set out the conditions that must be met before an application can be deemed to be withdrawn, and they provide for a clear and accessible process for reinstating an application if it is required.  I also want to be clear about what these provisions do not do. They do not remove the right to apply for an assessment of need. They do not remove the statutory timeframe. They do not change the underlying rights provided for in the principal Act. It is really important in understanding the scope of the Bill that we are clear on that. We are making targeted changes to improve the operation of the existing process. We are not suggesting that those changes on their own will address every issue within the Act or the Act more broadly. There are wider questions about the legislation that need to be considered and that work is under way through the broader review of the Disability Act 2005. That review gives us the opportunity to look at the Act as a whole more than 20 years after it was introduced to consider what further changes are required. A great deal has changed in that time and in Ireland's obligations following the ratification of the UNCRPD. This review will allow us to consider those issues properly and to ensure that our legislative framework reflects where we need to go next. Phase 1 of that consultation is open, and it will remain open until 9 October. I encourage people to take the opportunity to contribute. We are particularly interested in hearing from disabled people themselves, families, carers, representative organisations and DPOs.  A further point is important in the context of today's debate. We can improve the legislation around assessment of need, and we can improve the process. We need to do both. Neither of those things on their own answers the wider issue facing families, which is access to supports and services. That was raised by so many Deputies. An assessment of need has an important role but you do not need an assessment of need to access services. Many children are already receiving supports through primary care services, CDNTs or CAMHS while awaiting assessment of need. It is important to state that. It is also equally important that we do not underestimate what an assessment of need means to families. For many parents, it is about much more than completing a statutory process. It can provide clarity about their child's needs. It can provide formal recognition of those needs. After what can sometimes seem like a long period of uncertainty, that recognition matters. When families are waiting beyond the statutory timeframe, of course there is frustration and anxiety. That is why our response has to go further than addressing the assessment of need process alone. The real objective has to be a system where identifying a child's need leads to the right support being available at the right time. That requires progress across disability and health services, and across education. That is what we are committed to doing.  We are continuing to recruit additional staff to our CDNTs. Many Deputies have asked about that. The HSE single point of access model will be rolled out to make the route into services clearer for families, and the autism assessment and intervention pathway protocol will be implemented to support a more consistent and timely approach to autism assessment. There is also a really important piece of work happening in education. We are working with colleagues in the Department of education on a more needs-led approach to educational provision. This is where all the different strands of work come together. The assessment of need process needs to work better. The wider legislative framework needs to be reviewed. Ultimately, families will judge processes by their experience of the system and whether their child can get the support they need. That is the wider programme of reform of which this Bill is a part. I do not want to overstate what this legislation will achieve but I point out that this wider programme of reform is so important to ensure that we progress this issue for families and their children. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_17","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/88","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/88\/dail\/motion\/referral","houseCode":"dail","stage":"motion","isBillStage":false,"showAs":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_17","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Higgins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Emer Higgins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Emer-Higgins.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (Deputy Emer Higgins)  I move:  That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Disability Matters pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)( b ) and 188(1). "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_18","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026: Motion","counts":{"speechCount":20,"speakerCount":14},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Browne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin \u00d3 Broin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-\u00d3-Broin.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Eoin-\u00d3-Broin.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Charles Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Charles-Ward.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Charles-Ward.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pat the Cope Gallagher","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pat-the-Cope-Gallagher.D.1981-06-30","memberCode":"Pat-the-Cope-Gallagher.D.1981-06-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathal Crowe","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathal-Crowe.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cathal-Crowe.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Browne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy James Browne)  I move:  That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann approves the following scheme in draft:  Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026,  a copy of which has been laid in draft form before D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann on 7th August, 2026.  I welcome the opportunity to speak this afternoon on what is an important matter. As Deputies are aware, a defective concrete blocks grant scheme was put in place in 2020 to financially support affected homeowners in counties Donegal and Mayo, whose homes were impacted by defective concrete blocks. A number of improvements were brought forward under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 and that commenced on 22 June 2023. I brought forward a number of additional significant improvements in 2025 via the amendment Act of 2025, and these included significant changes such as providing an opportunity for certain homeowners to apply for increased grants and the construction of adjacent dwellings in specific circumstances. Measures such as these are having an impact and real progress is being made. As of the end of August this year 604 homes had been remediated with a further 794 homes notifying their relevant designated local authority of the date of commencement of work to remediate their homes. Upon commencement in 2023, the current scheme was open to four local authority areas. As it stands today a further five local authority areas have been designated under the grant scheme, bringing the total number to nine counties, which are Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Sligo and parts of the administrative areas of Wexford, Fingal and Meath county councils.  Another particularly important aspect of the 2022 Act is that it allows a scheme to be put in place by the Government to remediate social homes owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies where these homes are located in designated local authority areas. Upon making the scheme designated local authorities and approved housing bodies will be able to commence work to remediate damage caused to dwellings where the damage has been caused by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.  Section 36 of the 2022 Act provides that social homes will receive the same remediation options as those covered under the current defective concrete blocks grant scheme for private housing, and the same grant cap, grant rates and damage threshold requirements, thus any legislative changes to the 2022 Act will apply equally, where appropriate, to social homes affected by defective concrete blocks, as they do to private housing.  Prior to the drafting of the social homes scheme, my Department engaged in extensive consultation with designated local authorities, the Irish Council for Social Housing and a number of approved housing bodies, AHBs. The feedback received through this process helped to inform and shape the development of the draft scheme. Following the drafting of the scheme, my Department continues to have regular engagement with these bodies.  The draft social homes scheme replicates most of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme in its provisions. The scheme, in terms of content, is based on the current scheme for private homeowners, with appropriate amendments where necessary to reflect the slightly different nature of social housing.  There are some areas that differ from the private scheme, and the way the scheme would be operationalised in practice by local authorities has been the subject of careful consideration. The Housing Agency conducts all of the technical work under the current private scheme, but the agency will have no such role in the social scheme. Instead, the designated local authority or approved housing body will arrange the preparation of a building condition assessment report and engage a competent engineer to undertake a report in line with IS 465:2026. Furthermore, the designated local authority or approved housing body will engage a contractor to undertake the remediation works required. The designated local authority or approved housing body will seek recoupment of moneys it expends in remediating a dwelling directly from my Department.  Finally, the designated local authority or approved housing body will be obliged to rehouse tenants where necessary while an affected home is being remediated. This will be funded under the ancillary grant element of the scheme to a maximum amount of \u20ac16,500, exactly as per the current scheme. As Members are aware, on 2 June 2026 the new standard, IS 465:2026, was published. This standard replaced the previous standard, IS 465:2018. This publication requires a review of the operation of the Act, which has now been commenced. It is being carried out by my Department with the assistance of external expertise as necessary. Findings from this review may require changes to the current private scheme and any changes may also be brought to the social homes scheme in the future.  In February 2026, the County and City Management Association produced a revised estimate of the number of affected dwellings for private and social homes, and the Irish Council for Social Housing has also provided an estimate for approved housing bodies' dwellings. Using these estimates for the number of potentially impacted dwellings indicates a revised and social homes scheme cost of \u20ac3.1 billion, excluding inflation. It is estimated that there are just over 2,400 social housing units likely to be impacted by defective concrete blocks. Based on an average estimated remediation cost per unit of \u20ac300,000, the overall cost of the social scheme would be approximately \u20ac728 million, excluding inflation.  As Members are aware, a draft scheme was approved by the Government on 22 July 2026 and has since been laid before each House of the Oireachtas. In accordance with the legislative requirements, the scheme cannot be formally approved until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by both Houses. Subject to the approval of the Oireachtas, I intend to bring a memorandum to the Government seeking approval for making of the defective concrete blocks social homes scheme 2026. This will enable the scheme to be formally established and pave the way for the commencement of remediation works on affected social homes. I know that the local authorities have been preparing for some time with the assistance of my Department for what will mark the beginning of an important new phase in the defective concrete blocks remediation scheme. These preparatory works should ensure that works can begin in the coming months. I understand that some of the affected local authorities have already identified a number of specific homes in their housing stock where remediation can begin once the scheme is signed by the Government, allowing procurement to move ahead at pace. This initial batch of homes will then be in progress in 2027 and will allow the sector to learn from experience the optimum way to manage the process in a manner that, first and foremost, benefits their tenants.  The level of commitment shown by this Government to homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks is evident in the significant measures and supports that have been introduced in recent years. In principle, these relate to the funding that we have provided and the way we have extended the scope of the scheme as and when needed. More than \u20ac405 million has been spent on the scheme to date. Government funding for this work continues to be provided as and when required on an annual basis, with a record \u20ac175 million allocated to fund the scheme in 2026. That is more than double the amount allocated to the scheme last year and reflects an increase in the uptake in this grant scheme. This scheme represents a significant step forward, enabling the remediation of social housing stock impacted by defective concrete blocks, DCB, and allowing these essential works to begin in the near future.  I am anxious to move this programme forward and to see works commence on these homes at the earliest opportunity. I encourage each designated local authority to make full use of the resources available to them to ensure that affected homes are remediated promptly and to the highest possible standards. I would also encourage designated local authorities to co-ordinate their efforts to access other schemes and funding streams that are available and that can support the remediation of social homes. In particular, I urge them to adopt a co-ordinated approach with the Department's energy efficiency retrofit programme for social homes. This approach will help to deliver not only safe and sustainable homes but also long-term benefits for tenants through improved comfort, reduced energy consumption and lower household energy costs. It is now more important than ever that we further invest in a remediation of social housing stock.  I will conclude by thanking the local authorities and the Irish Council for Social Housing for working with officials in my Department in developing this important scheme. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin \u00d3 Broin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-\u00d3-Broin.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Eoin-\u00d3-Broin.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin \u00d3 Broin  The tenants in local authority and approved housing bodies social housing stock impacted by defective concrete blocks have been waiting a very long time for this scheme. I have to say that, like its parent scheme, the Minister is making an absolute mess of it. The defective concrete blocks scheme is itself defective. The Minister should talk to homeowners in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Fingal. They will tell him it is not 100% redress. They will also tell him that they are spending tens upon thousands of euro to fill the gap. In fact, many people are not applying at all. The latest figures from the Minister's own Department show very clearly that only 604 applicants of the tens of thousands of impacted homeowners have completed remediation works. The idea that he can just incorporate social housing into this defective scheme really shows he does not understand the scale of the problems.  What is worse is that local authorities and approved housing bodies have told the Minister and his officials that they have real concerns about what is in front of us. They are not at all clear about what costs are going to be covered. Will costs incurred to date be covered? Will preventative costs be covered? Will ancillary costs, non-construction costs and disposal costs be covered? The basic principle here is that local authorities should not have to come up with a single cent of money from their own resources to remediate these homes.  What about conjoined buildings? AHBs and local authorities, particularly in Donegal and Mayo, have many buildings attached that are not eligible under the DCB scheme, and there is no certainty here. It is the same with foundations. Again, this matter has not been resolved. Probably the worst element of this scheme is that the Minister is saying to the local authorities that they should rebuild the homes to the old standards. The reason that makes even less sense in a State scheme is because the State will ultimately have to pay additional money to bring those homes up to new standards, including of energy efficiency. If the Minister is going to do this right, and homes have to be demolished and rebuilt, he should build them to modern standards, because the State has to fund this cost anyway. I do not understand why the Minister did not just fund this through the normal social housing capital programme. Incorporating them into a grant scheme is simply ludicrous.  At a minimum, there is a very clear request from the local authorities and the AHBs for a working group comprising departmental officials, local authority officials and elected members from the affected counties. I would add tenants' representative bodies as well. It needs to be set up immediately to manage the scheme's implementation.  The local authorities and AHBs are not satisfied with this. We also need to have more Oireachtas scrutiny. We do not know the full details of what we are being asked to vote on here today, and meanwhile the overall scheme has to be fixed. I welcome the fact that a review has now started but there is no indication of whether there will be a public element to it. Will the public be invited to make submissions? Will there be some transparency around that? I urge the Minister to do that.  While we are not going to stand in the way of this motion today, could the Minister please not take that as endorsing what he is doing? He is making a terrible mess. We are asking him to reconsider and ensure that every local authority and AHB and, crucially, the tenants who live in their homes, have those homes remediated as a matter of urgency without the local authorities having to foot any portion of the bill. If the Minister does not do that, it will disincentivise remediation and homes will be left behind. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn  The issue is that the Minister has been listening to the wrong people. He has been to Donegal and he has listened to some of the homeowners but he has been listening to the wrong people. I am genuine about this and I ask him to go back and engage with some of the affected homeowner groups and speak to more than just his own party colleagues in the county. The scheme is leaving huge numbers of people behind. The Minister and I know the reason he has not introduced a fully funded scheme, as he would have with any other local authority or approved housing body project, is because of the failings of the original scheme. The Minister knows that if he publicly announced a fully funded scheme for the local authorities he would expose that the primary scheme does not involve 100% redress.  If we took it as read that Donegal County Council, for example, would have to go ahead with this, the matched funding could potentially be \u20ac100 million. This is the reality because of the gap multiplied by the number of houses. The Minister is doing this at a time when we have a new standard. He is telling the local authorities not to test the concrete foundations even though the new standard says they should. He is telling them they could replace the outer leaf when the new standard says they cannot. It is actually in defiance of the science to go ahead with a new scheme based on what looks like the previous standard, which has been discredited.  The Minister has not consulted with the local authorities and approved housing bodies. This does not have their fingerprints on it. It is the Minister trying to match up with the existing scheme. He is making a huge mistake, as my colleague, Deputy \u00d3 Broin, has said. We cannot block this motion going through today as we are not going to stop money going to local authorities to move on with this but it is just wrong. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  We have waited so long for this scheme and people in Mayo who are living in local authority houses desperately need it. They have waited for years for this scheme. This reminds me of when the original scheme came out and the action group sat in Erris and presented 20 things that would make that scheme right, affordable and fit for purpose and would provide 100% for people but the Government did not listen. It is absolutely critical that the Minister listens at this point to get this scheme right. As my colleagues have said, the Minister is speaking to the wrong people, or he certainly has not spoken to the people he needs to in relation to how this can be done and how it needs to be done.  There are issues such as resources. The Minister cannot leave local authorities with big gaps and no funding. There are issues such as how the testing will be done. At present, the testing is taking more than a year. Show us how this can be done in a short period of time. Show us how the builds can be completed to current standards and how they can be energy efficient. Otherwise we are on a hiding to nowhere. We desperately need this scheme but we desperately need to get it right and we need it to be fit for purpose.  We need to have proper accommodation for the tenants who have to move out of their homes. I am asking the Minister to work with us as a party, given all of the years of experience we have with the defective concrete blocks schemes, to at least get this one right. The other one is not 100% and people are being left with huge gaps or are locked out of it because they cannot afford to get into it. Do not keep making the same mistakes. Please do not keep making the same mistakes. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  I support what has been said, and the Social Democrats will not be opposing the motion. We will support what has been put forward on the basis that funding is going to local authorities and AHBs but not with regard to the way in which it has been done. There are serious gaps in what has been proposed and this is a pity because there really was an opportunity here to address the significant issues with defective buildings and social housing.  There are also particular issues here. Social housing tenants are particularly vulnerable and we are dealing with a situation whereby local authorities have been absolutely and completely underfunded. Look at the basic maintenance that is not being done in local authority housing. There is a disgraceful situation with Dublin City Council and other councils whereby tenants who are in poverty, living in mould and damp, have been forced to pay ever-higher rents because the Minister has failed to fund local authorities sufficiently to undertake the maintenance that is required. This cannot be an additional cost for local authorities and AHBs. They cannot be left out of pocket in addressing this issue.  Another issue that still has not been addressed is that those who are responsible for this have not been held to account. We still do not have this and it is absolutely incredible that the cost is to the taxpayer and to those people who live in the homes and the State has not actively sought out those responsible and penalised them appropriately. There is this issue of accountability and people being left off the hook. We know that in some situations the same developers are building new homes or engaging in some of the refurbishment that is required because of what happened in the first place. Of course a lack of accountability is a fundamental problem we have in the State when issues happen and the Government does not want to interfere with the market.  The scale of this is quite significant. There could be tens of thousands of social homes affected and local authorities and AHBs will be responsible for undertaking assessments, appointing engineers and rehousing tenants. These are significant tasks that local authorities will have to take on and they will need to be resourced properly. This cannot be taken from existing maintenance budgets. We want this commitment for the scheme.  Earlier the Minister mentioned the scheme being developed in negotiation with the various stakeholders. It is very clear that while he might have met them and spoken with them, he did not listen to them, similar to the rental legislation. The Irish Council for Social Housing, which represents AHBs, sets out clearly that it is very concerned that, for example, group homes are not included. Perhaps the Minister will give clarity on this. Will there be a full and retrospective grants process? Local authorities and AHBs cannot fund any shortfall in the defects remediation, particularly preventative works. What about rehousing tenants? The local authorities and AHBs also point out the need to bring together and co-ordinate the retrofitting programmes, what is being done and, where necessary, the need to rebuild homes. The necessary funding should be provided for this. They are also concerned, as has been raised, about the revised IS 465 standard and, in particular, the issue of addressing the building as a whole rather than simply assessing the above-ground block work. Will the Minister comment on whether this is going to be addressed? There is an issue with remediation being needed in the foundations and not only in the above-ground building itself.  I echo the call for, and ask the Minister to take on, the establishment of a working group comprising full stakeholder representation, including the Department, AHBs and local authorities, as well as engineers, surveyors and architects. This highlights why we should have a State construction company. If the Minister had the vision and courage to set up a State construction company, it could be working to address some of these issues rather than having to go out again to the private sector, which is supposed to be building new homes and will now also have to do this work. We have an issue with capacity and ensuring things are done right and done to a standard whereby we will not repeat these problems. It comes back to the point that the State has to have a role in directly building homes across this country, particularly social homes, so it can ensure that high-quality homes are delivered and that we can address issues such as retrofitting and defective blocks. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  The Labour Party will not stand in the Minister's way with regard to what he is doing here. The basic principle of what he is trying to do is welcome, in terms of extending this to social homes. The issue I have, as has been alluded to throughout the debate, is with the actual scheme itself. We know that more than 2,400 social homes are estimated to have been affected by defective concrete blocks.  This is an important step, but the issue I have is with the scheme itself, because it is fundamentally defective. It is a yellow-pack scheme. It is slow, bureaucratic and not 100% redress. My concern here is that we are going to have a situation where AHBs and councils are going to be left with significant funding gaps. That is something the Minister is going to have to address.  We have the issue, again, of foundations and foundation costs. The whole idea of potentially forcing a local authority to rebuild or repair a social home on top of a potentially defective, cracked foundation and transferring all that risk onto public infrastructure makes absolutely no sense. In the long term, that represents poor value and something that could potentially come back to haunt the State. I was reading the other day that Donegal County Council was saying it could cost up to \u20ac100 million to test, repair and replace the cracked or compromised foundations of 2,400 social homes.  We also have the issue of construction costs and the fact that these are based on information that is now a number of years out of date. We know we have since had inflation, instability and war in the Middle East. The issue I have here, and it goes back to what I was saying about the specifics of the scheme, is that the Minister's Department needs to find a way to guarantee that rent-paying council and AHB tenants will not be trapped for the medium to longer term in crumbling, unsafe housing schemes.  Additionally, when we are talking about this motion here tonight, we need to be aware and cognisant of the lessons learned from the experience of the private scheme. We are all, I think, aware of the problems we have seen there. I am concerned that we could be just transferring those problems onto social tenants.  Why has this taken so long? I ask this because since the initial scheme was introduced three years ago, we have seen a piecemeal approach to tweaking, plugging gaps and addressing issues, and progress has been slow and painful. While, in many ways, the Government is inching in the right direction, it is not moving anywhere near what is actually needed, which is an end-to-end scheme based on the model of the Fingal pyrite scheme. The Government can inch towards it and chip away at this and that, but we will be here twice a year, every year, for eternity, although, please God, I will not be here that long, and we still will not have a scheme that will be fit for purpose. If we look at the figures at the end of August for the private scheme, 604 homes had completed remediation. That is a fraction of the true level of need, and it is an indictment of where the scheme is going wrong.  I also have concerns about whether councils and approved housing bodies will have the funding and the staffing required, as well as the capacity and expertise to administer the workload that they will be required to carry out under this scheme. If we are talking about 2,400 homes, it is really incumbent on the Government and the Department to make sure that local authorities have the resources to do it properly. The fundamental issue remains with the scheme. The fact of the matter is that the scheme leaves families, and in this case, local authorities as well, carrying the can for the financial and structural risk incurred because homes were built using defective concrete through failures in regulation and failures in oversight.  Local authorities and AHBs are worried that this scheme will leave them to try to carry the can for another mess, one they did not make, and that they will be underfunded in trying to clear the mess up. If that happens, we are going to have social home tenants left in unsafe housing that they fear will fall down around them. It is not acceptable that anyone in a defective home, built using material that they were conned into believing was of an appropriate, safe standard, should be left with their home falling down around them.  The fundamental issue with both the private and the social schemes is that a fully funded way of rebuilding unsafe homes in a timely and effective manner is not provided. I am not going to vote against what the Government is doing tonight because I believe it is better than what it is not doing at the moment. However, I have a number of concerns, as I have outlined, and I am very reluctant to stand here and endorse what is being done because I believe that the scheme, as it stands, is fundamentally defective.  We need a system that guarantees genuine end-to-end redress, gives tenants and homeowners confidence that their homes are safe and does not force traumatised families and communities to keep coming up here, banging on the door and campaigning for their homes to be made safe. We have been here before and we will be here again. We need assurances that the resources, safeguards and ambition required to deliver on this scheme will be put in place. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Charles Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Charles-Ward.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Charles-Ward.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Charles Ward  I will be voting for this motion tonight, but I am disappointed with it because there was a chance to get this right. There is a standard currently under review. We could have waited, got everything tied up and got everything out. I know we have it now and we have to go on.  As of April, 3,150 households in Donegal were waiting for social housing. Given the ongoing housing crisis and sustained demand, that number will almost certainly rise in the coming months. At the same time, potentially, 2,400 social homes are affected by defective concrete. I say potentially because I suspect there are a lot more. Thousands are waiting for a home while existing homes are at risk of being lost. This is a contradiction because social housing supply is an issue, and we cannot afford to get this wrong like we have done in the past with the two schemes that have failed.  At a meeting my Oireachtas colleagues and I had with Donegal County Council on Monday, we were told that 174 homes have been completed this year and approximately 260 were completed last year. If we look at those figures, we would be talking about 200 or 300 years to get through this scheme. We need to ramp it up. Otherwise, we are risking creating a second waiting list for people who already have homes and who are watching them crumble and waiting to get out to get them remediated.  Governance is another issue. Who checks those who are fixing the problem? The National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office audited construction products and Donegal quarries, working with Donegal County Council and Geological Survey Ireland, GSI. In this day and age, the audit identified non-compliance with three quarries. This is a governance issue. Donegal County Council will have to deliver remediation. The Housing Agency has a central technical role to play in this and then the Department sets up the framework. The State cannot mark its own homework here. There must be independent oversight and engineering standards so that conflicts of interest will show up. Quality has to be checked, and that is what the issue will be going forward.  The most important person in this is the tenant. The tenant is central to this. A social tenant may depend on an engineer to engage with this scheme but neither should be expected to second-guess professional advice. A social tenant does not own the property or control what happens but if it is to be vacated, remediated or replaced, they are going to be uprooted, and this is something that they did not cause.  This means there will be an impact on schools, neighbours, family supports and communities built over years. They may not own the house but they own the life that is inside that house. Every affected tenant deserves clear information, a named contact about what is going to happen next and an independent route to raise his or her concerns.  A council house is not as asset for a spreadsheet; it is somebody's home.  Engineering must remain engineering. The draft provides that the Minister will be notified of option one engineering recommendations and may request supporting evidence. If engineering advice supports option one, the engineer must be free to recommend it. There is oversight of the engineer, with someone looking over his or shoulder to make sure he or she does the right thing and gives the right option. In fact, there is only one option: if the house is affected, it should be pulled down. It should be option one all the way. Any review should be clear, with well-defined criteria, a timeframe and recognition of technical bias. Where disputes arise, independent technical reviews should be available. The engineer decides what the building requires, and the funding and framework must be part of that decision. The same principle applies to foundations.  IS 465:2026 has now been published. The Housing Agency has said the revised standard provides a more comprehensive understanding of the affected homes. The Minister has commented on statutory reviews of the standard, yet this is excluded in the social homes scheme. All of this should have been tied up together, as I said, but, instead, we are still waiting. Donegal County Council cannot go ahead with the 80 homes it has because the money is not there to do the foundations. If this were done correctly, the council would be able to proceed.  If an investigation is needed, we must investigate. If remediation is required, the scheme must fund it. The funding rules must focus on the engineer's solution. That is a priority. Concrete does not know who owns a house. The same concrete means the same science, and the response must follow the science.  There is also a professional integrity issue. Ethics concerns have been raised regarding engineers and firms operating in this area. Where an engineering determination affects whether someone remains in his or her home, due diligence must apply. Conflict of interest safeguards, professional accountability and an independent route to challenge determinations are vital as we go forward. Public confidence requires confidence in the system behind an engineering report to ensure that report stands up to scrutiny.  I am asking the Minister for three things. First, there must be independent governance of the social homes scheme, with clear responsibility across the Department, the Housing Agency and local authorities, along with independent scrutiny. The second requirement is protection of engineers' independence. Rules governing option one review must be clear and must not discharge the evidence based on engineers' determinations. Where a determination is disputed, an independent technical review must be available. Third, we need a review of the inclusion of foundations in IS 465:2026. If engineering evidence says foundations associated with ground works are necessary, then a scheme must deliver them.  The thought always must be with the tenant. That is vital into the future. We have 3,150 households waiting on social homes. We have existing tenants waiting to know whether their homes can be made safe. We cannot fail either of those groups, which amount to more than 5,000 households in Donegal. The State owns the building but the tenants own the life that exists inside that building.  We must let the engineer determine what is required and let the funding follow. The engineers should be allowed to get on with their jobs. The process must be overseen by independent governance. When the State tells tenants their home is safe, that assurance must be properly tested. We do not need another waiting list and another waiting game. We have waited long enough. We need the promise of a safe home for people.  More than 50,000 homes will have to be built in Donegal in the next 20 to 30 years. Right now, we are proceeding at less than 2% capacity. We need to look at an OPW model for building homes in Donegal. It would be revolutionary. It can be done but the Government must have belief in it, which it does not right now. It is leaving it to the market, and the market is not doing any favours for homeowners in Donegal. There are contractors doing it right but there also are contractors doing it wrong. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  I very much welcome the extension of this support to affected tenants of social housing. I have spoken to constituents in Mayo whose houses are in a shockingly bad state. Having engaged with the council, there really was nothing that could be done because they fell outside the previous scheme. The change is very welcome. There should be no difference in treatment between tenants in social homes and tenants in the private rental sector and, indeed, people who own their home, but it is fair to say there was a difference in treatment for a number of years. I certainly welcome the Minister's proposal but I urge him to prioritise the rehousing of tenants and ensuring they are looked after during this time.  I understand the Housing Agency will not be involved in the scheme. There may be some advantages to that in terms of efficiencies and so on but I have no doubt that will come with some additional burdens for local authorities. Therefore, it is very important that councils' resources are sufficient to deal with the scheme. There are some very good officials in Mayo County Council working very diligently on this, including Ms Clodagh Gleeson in the Swinford office, whose team has done Trojan work. I urge the Minister to make sure the resources are there at local authority level to engage in all the work that has to be done. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty  I join other speakers in welcoming that 2,400 social housing units are being brought into the scheme. It is an entirely necessary, if somewhat delayed, move. However, as colleagues also mentioned, the proposal, in its current form, basically creates a two-tier system that again treats social housing tenants as second-class citizens. We saw that in the quality of construction of some social homes, with levels of insulation being historically of inferior construction and design, although that has improved in more recent times. While private homeowners are still not getting the 100% redress they want, they will be able to avail of the independent technical review mechanisms.  However, local authority tenants will not have the same safeguard. Private owners who dispute an engineering assessment have some way of appealing it and challenging decisions. Unfortunately, the poor social housing tenants do not have that ability. While I can see why this would be organised by approved housing body or on an estate-by-estate basis, rather than by individual tenants, the latter should still be able to have a voice. They are living in, or are unable to live in, conditions that are absolutely substandard. If they want to challenge some sort of remediation works that have been outlined, they cannot do so individually. They are supposed to accept whatever the council decides. As I have seen, when planning and rezoning proposals are foisted on people with no infrastructure provision guaranteed, council officials are often inclined not necessarily to do the bidding of the Government but certainly not to be seen to fight back against it, at least not in the public eye. In that context, we need the same type of guaranteed technical oversight for social housing tenants as is proposed for private homeowners. There are only 2,400 social housing units involved at the outset but perhaps there should be a representative expert people can call upon or some other means of giving them a stake in this. The people living in social houses are stakeholders even if they do not have legal ownership rights.  In introducing this scheme, the Government is trying to move towards parity between private owners and social housing tenants. However, as Deputy Charles Ward has said time and again, there is no point in giving redress unless it is 100% redress. Private homeowners are not getting what they absolutely need and people in public sector housing are getting even less.  It is not parity. The situation is that those in private households can possibly better afford top-up loans, whereas people who live in AHB or council homes cannot do that in order to get the final bits done. Will the likes of the county councils in Donegal, Mayo or the other counties where issues have been identified find the requisite additional funding to bridge gaps? That is, of course, if they are in a position to identify those gaps in the first place. This needs to be revisited to make sure that any queries that are genuinely raised by people can and are seen to be addressed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pat the Cope Gallagher","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pat-the-Cope-Gallagher.D.1981-06-30","memberCode":"Pat-the-Cope-Gallagher.D.1981-06-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher  I welcome the defective concrete blocks social scheme 2026. This is the first opportunity for those who have been living in affected council houses in recent years. They did not have an opportunity to have remedial works carried out to their houses, so it is a welcome development.  Officials from my county and other counties met the Minister's officials and members of the council in recent months. It is obvious that the views of local authority members and officials were taken into consideration when the scheme was formulated. I have to make it clear that it is my view that these works should be fully funded. Under no circumstances could I accept Donegal County Council having to part- or fully fund these schemes because if they did, it would an imposition on the ratepayers and the council and other capital schemes that require co-funding would be affected. In short, it is my strongly held view that the works must be fully funded.  There are approximately 1,900 council houses in Donegal and 80 are shovel ready. I hope work on them will start quickly.  The difference between the other scheme and this one is that the Housing Agency carries out all the technical works under the current private scheme, whereas on this occasion the designated local authority or approved housing body will engage a competent engineer to produce a building condition assessment report. It will be more streamlined.  Unfortunately, time does not permit me to say any more. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I appreciate that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cormac Devlin  I welcome the motion. For families in Donegal, Mayo and seven other council areas, defective blocks have meant cracked walls, crumbling homes and years of uncertainty. Until now, social housing sat outside the scheme. Council and housing body tenants will now get the same remediation options, the same grant cap and the same grant rates as private owners. That is fair and it is overdue.  As winter approaches, there is a need to highlight the issue of council tenants living in cold homes that need retrofitting. Under the energy efficiency retrofitting programme works, more than 11,000 council homes have been deep retrofitted since 2021, which is welcome. This year, the Minister secured \u20ac140 million for 3,500 more, which I welcome. However, it must be noted that the pace is too slow. The target is 36,500 homes by 2030. At this year's rate, we will not reach that target until 2033. In my constituency of D\u00fan Laoghaire-Rathdown, the gap is stark. Much of the council stock was built between the 1930s and the 1980s before the State had national building regulations. As a result, many of those homes were built with no insulation at all. The council got \u20ac4.2 million to retrofit 100 homes, but tenants in Sallynoggin, Mounttown, Ballybrack, Loughlinstown and Shankill are told year after year that their homes are not on the list. The council says it depends on central funding. My request of the Minister is that in budget 2027 he increase the allocation to deliver around 5,500 homes per year, which is the pace the 2030 target demands and give councils multi-annual allocations, in order that they can plan to do estates and not operate year by year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cathal Crowe","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cathal-Crowe.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cathal-Crowe.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cathal Crowe  Many homeowners in County Clare who are affected by defective concrete blocks are looking at us to deliver fairness, clarity and a scheme that fully works for them. While I absolutely welcome the progress made with the new IS 465 standard, which finally allows for the scientific testing of foundations - that was a crucial step - the reality is that testing alone cannot fix a home. Families are currently left in a difficult limbo where science acknowledges that the foundations of their homes are compromised, but the funding legislation has not yet caught up. As the statutory review progresses, we must ensure foundation remediation is fully funded so people are not asked to rebuild on unsafe ground.  I wish to bring to the Minister's attention a frustrating bureaucratic anomaly that is causing genuine distress for families trying to navigate all this process. One arm of the State requires homeowners to provide a full, detailed valuation of their property for the purpose of calculating local property tax; yet when it comes to the remediation scheme, the parameters are not always factored in for the whole house or the true, comprehensive cost of returning a family to a complete home. We need a joined up approach. If the State looks at the whole value of the house for calculating tax, the remediation scheme should protect the integrity of the whole house as well.  We must look at ultimate financial accountability. In many D\u00e1il debates in the past, it was said the State would take a landmark legal action against the people who manufactured and sold these concrete blocks. We would like to know where that is because this scheme is funded by the taxpayers of Ireland and, ultimately, we need to be going after and penalising those who sold defective blocks.  I am aware of the Minister's commitment to resolving this crisis. He has been forthright about that, which is appreciated. I urge him to use the current review to iron out the anomalies I outlined, including in respect of foundations, and to deliver the comprehensive solution the people in my county, Clare, deserve. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  I am glad to have the opportunity to talk about this matter, as I have done many times in the past. I welcome that the social houses in Donegal that are damaged will have a scheme to replace them. I cannot understand why it has taken so long and why we are only at this now. Clearly, this must have happened at the same time as the private houses.  Like Deputy Gallagher, I insist that the Department of housing cover the cost in full. It cannot be left to the local authorities to do so. As has been pointed out, they do not have the wherewithal to raise funding to make up any matching difference. There is no question about that. The Government must fund the replacement of these houses in full. I ask the Government to do so in the most expedient way possible to ensure that people will not be upset or disenfranchised in the tumble-down houses they are living in at present. We all remember Bridie Gallagher singing \"The Homes of Donegal\". It is clear that many people in their homes in Donegal are not happy. We hope that they will be and that it will not take long to address the problem.  Certainly, we are doing a lot of talking here about the defective concrete blocks in Donegal, Mayo and different places. It is time the Government got a handle on and dealt with the matter. The country is awash with money. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Deputy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  We were able to give \u20ac2 billion - to borrow it, in fact - to keep the war between Ukraine and Russia going. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  The Minister to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Danny Healy-Rae","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Danny-Healy-Rae.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Danny Healy-Rae  We borrowed \u20ac2 billion for that but we cannot look after the homes in Donegal. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Deputy. Minister, please. You might sing the song. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Browne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"James-Browne.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy James Browne)  I thank Deputies across the House for their contributions to this important debate. The motion before the House seeks approval for the social homes scheme for designated local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. To be clear, I acknowledge the pressures Donegal County Council in particular is under regarding this matter. I have committed my Department to working hand in glove with Donegal County Council on it. The Department acknowledges the financial challenges at play, but we will ensure the council is supported as necessary on this matter and will continue to actively engage with it.  This scheme represents a significant investment in supporting the remediation of social homes owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. It is an important step in protecting our social housing stock, supporting tenants and ensuring communities can continue to grow and develop in the future. I understand and appreciate the impact that defective concrete blocks have had on those directly affected. I have heard the very real stories from homeowners, tenants and families living with the challenges caused by this issue. I have been to Donegal, the county most affected, on a number of occasions.  These experiences highlighted the importance of putting in place effective measures to address this issue and to provide the support that is required. As I noted in my opening remarks, the Government remains firmly committed to supporting those affected by defective concrete blocks. We have already provided significant funding through the private housing scheme, demonstrating our determination to assist homeowners. The issue of defective concrete blocks is a complex one that the Government is actively addressing. Through this social homes scheme, we are now building on our commitments to ensure that designated local authorities and approved housing body homes affected by defective concrete blocks can also be remediated and restored. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure that the affected social homes are remediated and that tenants are supported throughout the process. As I mentioned at the outset, it is estimated that just over 2,400 social housing units are likely to be impacted by defective concrete blocks. Each designated local authority will be encouraged to take every appropriate step using all available resources to ensure that affected homes are remediated effectively.  Today, we have an opportunity to take a practical and positive step forward. By supporting this motion, the House can send a clear message that we are committed to introducing a scheme to support the remediation of these homes. I therefore commend the motion to the House and ask Members to support its approval. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026: Motion"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_19","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Council of the European Union Decision: Motions","counts":{"speechCount":10,"speakerCount":5},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_19","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jim O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Before I call on the Minister to open the debate, I remind Members that there are two separate motions being debated in this slot: the motion regarding the proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann for a Council decision on the signing of the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea; and the motion regarding the proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann for a Council decision on the conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on passenger name record data. The motions will be moved separately but will be debated together. They will be decided by separate questions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jim O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Jim O'Callaghan)  I move:  That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure:  Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime,  a copy of which was laid before D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann on 24th August, 2026.  As the Ceann Comhairle indicated, I am seeking the approval of D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann to opt into two proposals for Council decisions to sign and conclude an agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea, also known as South Korea, on the transfer of passenger name record, PNR, data.  The proposals have two main aims. The first relates to the necessity of ensuring public security by means of exchanging PNR data between the EU and the Republic of Korea. The second relates to the protection of privacy and other fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals. The proposed Council decisions have a Title V legal basis in the area of police co-operation. Their publication on 24 July 2026 started the three-month window for Ireland to exercise an Article 3 opt-in under Protocol 21 annexed to the Lisbon Treaty. This window ends on 24 October 2026.  The collection and analysis of PNR data is a widely used law enforcement tool in the EU and in other countries for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime. PNR data is the booking information provided by passengers and collected by air carriers for their own commercial purposes, including names, dates of travel or travel itineraries. The collection and analysis of PNR data can provide the authorities with important elements, allowing them to detect suspicious travel patterns and identify associates of criminals and terrorists, particularly those previously unknown to law enforcement authorities.  The use of PNR data is governed by the EU PNR directive, which was transposed into national law via the European Union (Passenger Name Record) Regulations 2018. The Irish passenger information unit within my Department is the body responsible for processing PNR data in Ireland. No legal or practical impediment precluding Ireland from opting in to these proposals has been identified by the Attorney General's office.  Deputies will recall that the Oireachtas gave approval to an Article 3 opt-in to the negotiation of this agreement in November of last year. Today, I am simply asking them to approve Ireland's participation in the final negotiated agreement once it enters into operation. Deputies will recall that we have already opted into similar EU PNR agreements with other third countries such as Canada, Australia, the United States and, indeed, the United Kingdom. We have also entered into agreements with Schengen associated countries such as Norway, Iceland and, most recently, Switzerland. In operational and policy terms, it is considered desirable that Ireland exercise an Article 3 opt-in to these proposals, so I commend these proposals to the House to consider the exercise of Ireland's right to opt in under Article 3 of Protocol 21 and seek the approval of the motion to participate in these Council decisions to sign and conclude the agreement. I will conclude by stating that I moved these motions in Seanad \u00c9ireann last night, where all parties agreed to support this opt-in. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  Cuirim f\u00e1ilte roimh an deis labhairt ar an tairiscint seo. Ard\u00f3idh m\u00e9 roinnt nithe gaolmhara leis an Aire. As I have stated repeatedly in this House, proposals to opt into measures under Protocol 21 should always be subject to careful consideration. While Sinn F\u00e9in is not opposed to this proposal and believes it is appropriate to opt in on this occasion, it is important to recognise that Ireland's national interests must always take precedence over wider EU considerations. In relation to matters governing the areas of freedom, security and justice, Protocol 21 provides Ireland with the important flexibility to opt in or to opt out on the basis of our national interests and the necessity of protecting Irish sovereignty. There should be no dilution of what the protocol represents and there should be no drift towards a position where opting in becomes almost automatic. If that were to happen, it would undermine an important protection that was secured as part of the Lisbon treaty.  Sinn F\u00e9in has previously supported motions for Ireland to participate in the adoption and application of passenger name record agreements between the EU and a number of third countries. We also supported Ireland's decisions to opt into negotiations on this agreement with Korea. The sharing of PNR data is an important tool in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of serious crime and terrorist offences, including drug trafficking and human trafficking. It forms part of the broader framework for managing borders. International co-operation in tackling organised crime is essential and the sharing of this information is an important component of that effort.  It would be appropriate and helpful if the Minister could provide an update on whether consideration has been given to extending the PNR requirements to ferry travel, as I have asked for on a number of occasions. Given that the purpose of PNR data sharing is to assist in preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting serious crimes and offences, it makes little sense that equivalent requirements do not apply to ferry passengers. It arguably creates a potential gap that may actually encourage those seeking to evade PNR monitoring to opt for ferry travel instead.  I will also take the opportunity afforded by this debate on passenger name recognition data to raise a number of related issues with the Minister. While PNR data is collected, there are significant gaps relevant to the management of migration in terms of entry and exit. Even though PNR data is considered part of the framework of managing borders, particularly in terms of serious crime, the data is not actually used for migration purposes. The reality is that there are huge gaps in terms of publicly available information regarding the information collected. In some cases, data is not collected. In other cases, it is not collated in a way that allows for proper scrutiny. This includes information on those who overstay legal permissions and accurate data on individuals subject to deportation orders, where assumptions are often made that people have left the State despite no verification whatsoever that this is, in fact, the case.  I have asked the Minister a number of times about how many of those who entered the State legally, whether it be on education, work or tourist permits, subsequently went on to overstay their visas or to make international protection applications. To date, he has not been in a position to provide any information in that regard. Such information is crucial to our understanding of how people who seek international protection enter the State. Equally, we have no way of knowing whether the percentages often cited by Ministers regarding the proportion of international protection applicants who entered the State from Britain via the North are accurate, given that we do not have the detail on those who entered legally and who go on to make applications for international protection. It is clear that the most effective way to manage migration and accurately track entry and exit movements would be on an all-Ireland basis. That is how we can protect our national interests, protect our sovereignty and safeguard the common travel area. This approach would be far more effective than the decision, for example, to sign up to the EU migration and asylum pact in its entirety that takes no account of the fact that the common travel area exists at all or that we have a unique circumstance as an EU member state on an island that is partitioned or that part of the island is operating outside of the EU against the democratic wishes of its people.  As an island, Ireland has unique advantages when it comes to managing migration on a fair and an understandable basis that can build public confidence. However, we are not capitalising on those advantages. I again ask the Minister whether he and his Department have given consideration to moving towards a system of migration management based on monitoring entry and exit to the island of Ireland as a whole, whether his Department has examined the establishment of an island-wide entry and exit system and whether there have been any discussions with the British authorities on this. The logic of that type of approach will make sense to most people. In fact, investment in such a system would make absolute sense in the longer term because an all-Ireland exit and entry registration system modelled on the EU Schengen system to allow for checks on individuals entering and leaving the island at ports and airports would allow for a much better streamlined migration management system. It would ensure that we have improved data collection, as well as allowing both administrations, North and South, and Ireland and Britain to cater for those who are in genuine need of international protection. Does the Minister accept the logic of this approach? It is important that we recognise the potential benefits that it could bring in ensuring that we have an accurate picture at all times as to who is entering and leaving and who is on the island of Ireland.  If the Minister has time, I ask him to provide an update on the progress that has been made regarding a bilateral returns agreement with Britain. I have raised this on a number of occasions. It would be helpful if he could provide an update on any discussions that he has had with his British counterparts. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gary Gannon  Our party will support Ireland opting into the Council decision on signing the conclusion of the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on the transfer of passenger name record data. Co-operation in the fight against serious crime and terrorism is clearly necessary, and we realise the important role that data plays in supporting investigations into serious crime and terrorism. Ireland already participates in similar PNR agreements with the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. South Korea has also had an EU data protection adequacy decision since 2021, which is an important consideration when assessing the protections that will apply to European citizens' data. As I have said ad nauseam when discussing the PNR arrangements in this House, support for the agreement should not mean that we should not mean that we stop scrutinising how these systems operate. The Government's briefing acknowledges that the transfer and use of PNR data by a third country constitutes an interference with the fundamental rights of EU citizens. That is important to note. We are talking about the large-scale processing and transfer of personal information overwhelmingly to ordinary people who are suspected of absolutely nothing. European courts have repeatedly made clear that systems of this nature must be accompanied by meaningful and enforceable safeguards that should mean limitations around the purposes for which information can be used, proper limits on retention and independent oversight.  I ask the Minister to ensure that Ireland continues to monitor the operation of this agreement and that as these arrangements develop, fundamental rights and data protection remain central to our participation. There is a broader principle here, which brings me to something that relates to the Minister. Safeguards are only meaningful if the institutions responsible for enforcing them can be trusted to do so. In that regard, it has been over a week since the \"RT\u00c9 Investigates\" programme concerning the treatment of protected disclosures within An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na. The Minister spoke on RT\u00c9 1 earlier. He has not yet addressed the D\u00e1il on the many questions that Members have. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I am afraid that it is not relevant to the motions. I am sorry. It is not appropriate for the Minister to comment at this time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gary Gannon  I can explain the relevance. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I appreciate that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gary Gannon  I will explain it. In Ireland, PNR data is collected and analysed by the passenger information unit within the Department of justice. This House has been asked to place confidence in systems for handling sensitive information in the interest of policing and public safety and questions about the integrity of those systems, the protection of confidential information and the accountability when safeguards fail are entirely relevant. Within that, safeguards in the Garda protected disclosure unit have clearly failed. I ask the Minister to come before the House and address the various questions that are outstanding. If the Minister could confirm that he is prepared to do that, I would be grateful. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cormac Devlin  I support the motions. This agreement lets airlines share booking data with the Republic of Korea in order to fight terrorism and serious crime. Korea is the first Asian country to agree such a deal with the European Union. The safeguards are strong. PNR data, as the Minister outlined, is depersonalised after six months, held for five years at most and passed on only with independent approval. Opting in also lets Korea share its findings with our passenger information unit and with Europol. These motions form one part of a wider effort to secure our borders, and the Minister deserves credit for this. He is extending our own passenger data checks to flights within the EU.  Since 12 June, every new applicant for protection is being screened with identity, security and biometric checks and the law is being enforced. Last year, 4,700 deportation orders were signed - almost double the year before. This year, 3,381 have been signed up to 18 September. The progress on processing has also been sped up. Early last year, a standard case waited a median of 18 months for a first decision. In 2025, the International Protection Office issued more than 20,000 first decisions, up from 13,000 the year before. The new International Protection Act sets six months for a standard case, and three months for accelerated and border cases. Since the pact began, average daily applications have fallen from 53 to 32. Irish people are generous. They want a system that is fair, fast and firm. I welcome the Minister\u2019s efforts to deliver progress and, indeed, to reform the system. I also welcome the motions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jim O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Jim O'Callaghan)  I thank the three Deputies for their contributions. I welcome that all parties in the House are supporting the opt-in to the proposal in terms of the signing and execution of the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. It is clearly the case that PNR data is extremely important in combating serious crime. When we look at the agreements with third countries that have been opted into by Ireland, we can see that it is effective for us to ensure that we are at the forefront of combating such crime.  Deputy Carthy referred to how what is proposed will apply to ferries. He is correct in stating that it only applies to air travel passengers at present. Obviously, neither I nor Ireland can, of our own accord, decide that we are going to extend it to boats or maritime travel. That requires an agreement by the European Union and a measure being put in place by the European Union. The European Commission has published feasibility studies that examine the possible use of advanced passenger information from land and maritime travel operators. Ireland does not have the applicable long-distance rail or road routes. We will continue to monitor developments on maritime travel arising from these studies. The Commission may make proposals in the future following the evaluation of the current PNR directive. It would be appropriate that we extend it to maritime travel.  Deputy Carthy also spoke about a PNR not being available for migration. That is correct; it is only available for the investigation of serious offences, terrorist offences. If I was here saying that PNR data was going to be used for the purpose of migration, I suspect it would not have the level of agreement that we have in the House in respect of the PNR data.  I agree with the Deputy that it would be much easier for me, as Minister for justice, to manage migration and immigration into Ireland if we had a united island. The practicality of it is we do not. Because there are two jurisdictions on the island and because we all want there to be an open border between those two jurisdictions, it means that people can come and go freely. That is the way it is and there is nothing that can be done in respect of that. I agree with him that if we had a reunified Ireland, it would be easier for everyone North and South to be able to manage migration in the way that other countries such as Australia are able to manage it.  The Deputy referred to the returns agreement. I will be meeting the British Home Secretary on Saturday. I have spoken to her on many occasions. The issue of returns is an item that will be on the agenda. However, when we look at the statistics that have arisen since we signed up to the International Protection Act which commenced on 12 June, there has been a significant reduction in the number of people claiming asylum in Ireland. I will give the Deputy the statistics. For the first six months of this year, over 1,000 people applied for international protection in Ireland in each month with the exception of March when it was 920. For the other five months it was over 1,000. In July it was 722, in August it was 756 and for this month up to 20 September it is 496. Since the International Protection Act, or the migration pact as the Deputy calls it, commenced on 12 June, the numbers coming in have reduced. It shows that the only way to effectively respond to illegal or irregular migration is through international co-operation.  I also thank Deputy Gannon for his support. I have no difficulty coming into the D\u00e1il to talk about protected disclosures. This has been said. There is Government time and there is Opposition time. If he wants to use Social Democrats time to discuss it, I will be here. I do not know if I will be here on Wednesday and Thursday of next week because I have European commitments. However, if he tables it on Tuesday, I will be here. Part of the issue with projected disclosures is - this is not a makey-uppy issue - section 16 of the Act states that it is a criminal offence for a person to whom a protected disclosure is made to reveal the identity of the person making it. That applies even if the person has decided to reveal their own identity. The only exception is if I have the explicit consent of the individual concerned. That is something I am looking at in light of an interview that took place yesterday. I am seeking legal advice in respect of it. I am happy to give as much information as I can. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Council of the European Union Decision: Motions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_20","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on Passenger Name Record Data: Motion","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_20","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jim O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jim O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jim-O'Callaghan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Jim O'Callaghan)  I move:  That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure:  Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime,  a copy of which was laid before D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann on 24th August, 2026. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on Passenger Name Record Data: Motion"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_21","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/14","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/14\/dail\/2","houseCode":"dail","stage":"2","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_21","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I must now deal with a postponed division relating to Second Stage of the Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026, taken on 16 July 2026. On the question, \"That the Bill be now read a Second Time\", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Waste Management (Single Household Waste Collection Service) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_26","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Neutrality and Triple Lock: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_26","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The following motion was moved by Deputy Donnchadh \u00d3 Laoghaire on Wednesday, 16 September 2026:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland's proud tradition of military neutrality, and affirms the State's neutrality and non-alignment with military blocs to be a cornerstone of an independent Irish foreign policy;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 our neutrality, the \"Triple Lock\" neutrality protection system, have served us well, allowing Ireland to play a constructive role in international affairs, contributing to nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, humanitarianism and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the distinguished service of Irish peacekeepers deployed around the world, and the contribution of every Irish man and woman who has served on such missions throughout the decades; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 nothing in the \"Triple Lock\" prevents us from investing properly in our Defence Forces and that it is the decisions of successive Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael Government that has led to the neglect of our Defence Forces;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"notes that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the destabilising effect of conflicts that are contributing to global and regional instability, including, but not limited to, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the continued Israeli occupation of Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank, the US and Israeli war with Iran, the Sudanese war, and urges an end to acts of aggression in all conflicts, and for the primacy of international law to be respected by all nations;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland's neutrality is an asset in an unpredictable international environment where major powers have undermined and disregarded international law;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 no provision of Ireland's current \"Triple Lock\" system prevents the evacuation of Irish citizens from conflict-torn regions, participation in appropriate training, and nor does it prevent Ireland's participation in humanitarian missions;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the failure by successive governments to adequately invest in Ireland's Defence Forces and in our defence capabilities, leaving the State exposed to numerous threats;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 this Government has chosen to make Ireland reliant, and dependent, on foreign militaries to shore up Irish defence vulnerabilities, as seen by recent arrangements relating to security for engagements held as part of Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union, including the presence of British ships off the Irish coast;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 concerning reports that the Minister for Defence has directed officials to progress Irish participation in the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force Plus (JEF+), which will mean deeper military alignment with Britain and other NATO states; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 concerning comments by the Minister for Defence which indicate that Ireland could participate in overseas deployments that do not support a UN resolution, and that she is potentially making arrangements for same; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"agrees that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 our \"Triple Lock\" neutrality protection is a core component of Ireland's foreign policy and is underpinned by assurances provided to the Irish people by successive Irish Governments in advance of multiple European referendums, such as the Nice and Lisbon referendums;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland should be strong on defence and strong on neutrality and that this must be achieved by properly resourcing our Defence Forces, rebuilding our Naval Service, strengthen air and maritime surveillance, and developing radar capabilities;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 participation in the JEF+ would be a departure from the position of military non-alignment and the Government must come clean on what discussions have taken place with the British Government in relation to this;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland should be open to international co-operation to meet genuine security threats, but that co-operation is not the same thing as military alignment, and that participation in any military alliance, including any British-led military framework, would end our neutrality as we know it;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland should engage with partners as a militarily neutral state, while investing seriously in our own capacity to defend our airspace, territorial waters and critical infrastructure; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 any move to alter the \"Triple Lock\" represents a step towards the complete abandonment of Ireland's policy of military neutrality, and participation in military alliances, as evidenced by the Government's intention to participate in the JEF+; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"calls on the Government:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 not to become a party to the British-led JEF+ military partnership;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 to call a referendum on its proposals to scrap the \"Triple Lock\"; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 to accept that the \"Triple Lock\" is a core component of Ireland's independent foreign policy and is underpinned by assurances provided to the Irish people by successive Irish Governments in advance of multiple European referendums, such as the Nice and Lisbon referendums."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Debates resumed on amendment No. 1:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"To delete all words after \"That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann\" and substitute the following:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"notes that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government reiterates Ireland's longstanding policy of military neutrality;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland's policy of military neutrality is characterised by non-membership of military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements, and this policy choice has been practised by successive Governments since the Second World War;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government reaffirms its commitment to this policy and reiterates that it has no plans to either join a military alliance or enter into a mutual defence arrangement;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in light of the above commitment, the Government does not believe a national referendum on enshrining neutrality into the Constitution is necessary; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 amending the Triple Lock legislation in relation to the deployment of our Defence Forces to peacekeeping missions will have no impact on this policy of military neutrality, and that no other European Union (EU) Member State, including other neutral Member States, allow permanent Security Council members to bind their hands in the way that the Triple Lock effectively does for Ireland;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland's long-standing policy of military neutrality, and our strong tradition of participation in international peace support and crisis management operations over many decades;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 members of Ireland's Defence Forces continue to contribute bravely to peacekeeping and crisis management efforts, particularly in the Middle East, as well as elsewhere in the world;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the multilateral system remains our strongest protection and the State's most important security asset;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland's contributions to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and work for human rights and development, and our efforts to promote disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, are internationally renowned;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 nevertheless, as a highly globalised country, Ireland cannot rely on our geographic isolation for our security, nor isolate ourselves from world events and should co-operate with neighbours on matters of security including in the maritime domain;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the importance of parliamentary safeguards and national oversight in ensuring Irish military deployments are in line with our policy of military neutrality, and that they are decided solely by the elected representatives of the people of Ireland; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government is committed to continued increased investment in defence, with a view to achieving a significantly enhanced capability by 2028, and that the Government has already significantly increased our national defence spending in the past few years, by 43 per cent since 2020, marking the largest increase in Defence funding in the history of the Irish State;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"acknowledges that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government is committed to supporting the global multilateral system, to vocally defending international law, particularly international humanitarian law, and human rights;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in common with other partners in Europe, Ireland finds itself in an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment, marked by violence and conflict in our immediate neighbourhood, including Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland needs to be agile in how we respond to the new geopolitical environment that we find ourselves in;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland should be open to international co-operation to meet genuine security threats and learning from other countries to counter these threats;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Ireland, therefore, should not find itself unable to respond to Peace Support and Crisis Management Operations that align with the United Nations (UN) Charter and International Law, due to a veto by permanent member(s) of the UN Security Council; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 this legislation will remove the power of UN Security Council permanent members to veto our national sovereign decisions regarding our participation in peace keeping missions organised by reputable organisations such as the EU and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) which will also allow for the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas in other overseas roles such as the crisis management evacuation of Irish citizens."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"- (Minister for Defence)"},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding neutrality and triple lock. On Wednesday, 16 September 2026, on the question, \"That the amendment to the motion be agreed to\", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Neutrality and Triple Lock: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_35","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Energy Policy: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_35","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The following motion was moved by Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett on Thursday, 17 September 2026:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann notes:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in 2025, data centres consumed 23 per cent of electricity and this is projected to increase to 30 per cent by 2030, far in excess of the three per cent of electricity consumed by data centres in Europe;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centres account for 88 per cent of increased demand for electricity since 2015 and now consume almost as much electricity as every home in the state;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 over 120 data centres are operating in the state, a concentration that is at least 10 times higher than the European per capita average;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 a United Nations report published in June stated \"Ireland offers a cautionary example of local grid stress from concentrated digital infrastructure\";"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centres also consume large quantities of water and their water consumption increased during the recent period of hot weather while households faced restrictions on water use as supplies ran low;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centre development globally is producing massive increases in greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating global temperature rise towards imminent breach of the dangerous 1.5 degrees celsius above preindustrial level;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 an immediate ban on new data centres is essential, in Ireland and globally to stop further increases in their consumption of our energy, their greenhouse gas emissions and their other extremely damaging environmental impacts;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 one in seven households could not afford adequate warmth or pay their energy bills in full in 2024, and over 322,000 households were in electricity arrears in July this year, with average arrears of \u20ac509;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Friends of the Earth estimate that the average household paid an estimated additional \u20ac263 for their electricity in the 2021 to 2023 period \"due to the intensity of data centre presence on the Irish Single Electricity Market (ISEM) grid putting upward pressure on prices\", and during the height of the 2022 energy crisis, the \"data centre price cost effect\" accounted for the equivalent of about 8.5 per cent of average household electricity bills;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Budget 2025 provided a \u20ac250 energy credit to households, paid between November 2024 and February 2025, but this was not renewed in Budget 2026;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 up to the end of the 1990s, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) was a world class energy company, delivering low-cost energy, governed by a not-for-profit mandate, but that mandate was replaced with a commercial mandate in 2001;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 households in Ireland now pay the highest electricity prices in the European Union (EU), 38 per cent higher than the EU average;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 returning the ESB to a not-for-profit state company, with sole responsibility for power generation and distribution, and coupled with energy price caps, can deliver affordable electricity for all and be central to the achievement of a fossil fuel-free economy and society;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 People Before Profit-Solidarity\u2019s Emergency Price Controls Bill 2024, introduced in the D\u00e1il at First Stage in May 2024, calls for electricity prices to be capped for households at \u20ac0.25 per kilowatt hour (KWh);"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 a \u20ac500 annual electricity credit for every household would cost an estimated \u20ac1 billion per year;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 an additional \u20ac500 electricity credit for households with people in receipt of Illness Benefit, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or carer\u2019s payments would cost an estimated \u20ac250 million per year;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centres pay approximately \u20ac0.20 per KWh for electricity, half the \u20ac0.40 average price paid by households; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 an electricity consumption levy of \u20ac0.20 per KWh on data centres would equalise their electricity unit costs with those paid by households and would raise approximately \u20ac1.5 billion per year;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"calls on the Government to:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 include an annual \u20ac500 electricity credit for every household in Budget 2027;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 include a budget provision for an annual additional \u20ac500 electricity credit for households with a person(s) in receipt of Illness Benefit, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or carer\u2019s payments; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 introduce an electricity consumption levy on data centres of \u20ac0.20 per KWh, to equalise their electricity unit costs with those paid by households and thereby raise \u20ac1.5 billion to fund \u20ac500 energy credits for households."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"To delete all words after \"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann\" and substitute the following:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\"the Government:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 remains deeply concerned about the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on energy prices;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 is acutely aware of the impact on households and businesses of the recent increases in the cost of energy, and is actively monitoring the current geopolitical situation and its impact on costs;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 has taken action to help households and businesses with the cost of fuel and energy by introducing one of the most comprehensive support packages in the European Union (EU); and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 affirms that energy affordability is a priority for this Government with the Energy Affordability Action Plan to be submitted to Government in the coming weeks and consideration ongoing of supports for household;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"notes that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has caused international wholesale gas prices to increase which has a significant knock-on impact on retail electricity prices;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 supplier hedging strategies have and are continuing to help cushion households from the full volatility in international wholesale energy markets;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 price setting by electricity suppliers, including standing charges is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned and each such company has its own different approach to pricing decisions over time, in accordance with factors such as their overall company strategic direction and costs such as staffing, tax, infrastructure;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Government understands that any price increase can be a challenge for households and businesses;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 for that reason, the Government has taken action to help households and businesses with the cost of fuel and energy;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 extensions to the package of temporary fuel supports have brought the total cost of these measures to over \u20ac1.4 billion and are helping to reduce the cost burden at the petrol pump;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 successive Budgets have provided targeted support to help households with energy costs;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in Budget 2026, key measures included an extension until 2030 of the nine per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) rate currently applied to gas and electricity bills, enhanced social protection payments, including an increase to the Fuel Allowance weekly rate and an expansion in the eligibility rules, and a record allocation of \u20ac640 million for SEAI retrofit schemes;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 at the same time, additional retrofitting supports have been rolled out to further help households, capital expenditure of over \u20ac2 billion has delivered over 287,000 home energy upgrades from 2019 to the end of August 2026, including over 39,500 fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in January this year we expanded and reformed retrofitting schemes to ensure more homeowners can receive grants, the new measures included increased attic and wall insulation supports, an increased grant of \u20ac12,500 for heat pump installation, and new grants for windows and doors;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 almost 89,000 applications have been processed to the end of August 2026, an increase of 116 per cent on the same period last year;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 this year to the end of August 2026, almost 42,000 homes have been upgraded through SEAI schemes, including over 6,800 homes at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the latest Eurostat report (comparing electricity prices across the EU) outlines that Ireland had the fifth highest household electricity prices in the second half of 2025 when adjusted to take account of the \"Purchasing Power Standard\" (i.e. practical affordability, taking account of household income);"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the four biggest energy retailers have confirmed that hardship funds and focused measures are in place for any customers in difficulty;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 switching energy supplier or plan could save the average electricity and gas customers up to \u20ac700 and \u20ac400 (respectively) annually;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 protections are in place for customers experiencing difficulties in paying their bills and households struggling with their bill are strongly encouraged to engage with their supplier;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Department of Social Protection can also provide support through the Additional Needs Payment to help households meet expenses, including difficulties with fuel bills;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Government has also established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce (NEAT) to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the NEAT continues to work intensively on an Energy Affordability Action Plan to be submitted to Government in the coming weeks;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the range of supports that were included in Budget 2026 are in line with the movement away from one-off measures, towards permanent supports with funding also provided to address structural issues such as retrofit and infrastructure;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government will continue to monitor and assess the situation in relation to energy costs; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government will also make a range of relevant decisions as part of Budget 2027;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"further notes that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centres represent critical digital infrastructure that are central to Ireland's modern economy;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 they strengthen Ireland's position as a strategic knowledge intensive regional hub for the Information and Communications Technology sector and also support broader retention and expansion of existing investment that support billions in annual economic value for Ireland via high-wage employment, tax receipts and supplier ecosystems;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 when considering the impact of data centres, we must also weigh wider economic benefits \u2014 tax revenues, employment, broader digital infrastructure value and significant support and linkages provided to other high value sectors of the economy;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 currently the industry employs 19,500 directly, in addition, Ireland's technology sector, underpinned by digital infrastructure in data centres, accounted for employment of 182,900 people in Q4 2024, equivalent to seven per cent of Ireland's total workforce;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 while data centres are large energy users, unlike other European countries that have heavy-industry bases, Ireland's industrial electricity demand is primarily concentrated in our digital economy, this is our core energy-intensive industry;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 comparing total non-residential electricity consumption, which includes industry and data centres, Ireland's consumption is in line with Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin, (FLAP-D) and other European markets, which represent the tier-one, foundational hubs of Europe's digital infrastructure;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government has for a long time recognised that data centres and their energy consumption need to be managed and planned appropriately and we are taking the regulatory, policy and investment measures to deliver on this;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government is committed to delivering a balanced approach to facilitate sustainable data centre demand while also ensuring overall energy security and affordability for consumers and businesses;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government's Large Energy User (LEU) Action Plan, published in January 2026, sets out a 'plan-led' approach for very large and energy intensive investments, which due to their scale and energy consumption benefit from co-ordinated national infrastructure planning;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) LEU connection policy, published in December 2025, establishes a pathway for new data centres to seek connection to the electricity system, that addresses security of electricity supply risks, system constraints and promotes renewable energy targets;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the CRU is responsible for electricity connection policy and the economic regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks and EirGrid;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 Electricity Network Tariffs Structure Review, are set every year by the CRU to recover the costs of developing, operating, and maintaining the electricity grid, they fund a grid that is more resilient to storms and supplies electricity to a growing population, new housing and expanding businesses;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 extra-large energy users, like data centres, have in recent years seen large increases in network costs, with average increase of 175 per cent compared with a 45 per cent increase for domestic customers during 2020-2026;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the United Nations (UN) university report referenced Ireland as 'a cautionary example of local grid stress from concentrated digital infrastructure', however, it should be noted that though referenced, Ireland was not a central tenet to the study but rather a brief paragraph in a much wider report;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 data centres are not a major driver of demand on the public water supply network, accounting for less than 0.3 per cent of the water supplied by Uisce Eireann;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 in addition, not all data centres use water from the Uisce Eireann network, with a number of them having their own wells or utilising rainwater harvesting and on-site storage;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the CRU's LEU connection policy supports Government renewable energy targets, as data centres above certain thresholds will be required to meet at least 80 per cent of their annual demand with new additional renewable electricity generated in the Republic of Ireland; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 according to the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions data for 2025, Ireland now has the lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions in 36 years, including a 7.1 per cent reduction in energy industries, to an all-time low, this demonstrates that economic growth has been definitively decoupled from greenhouse gas emissions;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Friends of the Earth report referenced makes particular assumptions about how the electricity market works and the authors acknowledge that the modelling used in the report has limitations;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 consistent with the Government's position, a recent Friends of the Earth report underlines the importance of deploying even more renewable electricity to remove gas related cost effect driving energy prices\u2019, both Government LEAP policy and CRU LEU Connection Decision recognise and support sustainable LEU development ensuring renewables are a key component in any development going forward;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government is committed to delivering a balanced approach to facilitate sustainable data centre developments, which operate within the boundaries of our climate legislation and targets and are associated with strong economic activity and employment, support our society, and make efficient use of our electricity grid.\"."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"- (Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment)"},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding energy policy. On Thursday, 17 September 2026, , on the question, \"That the amendment to the motion be agreed to\", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Energy Policy: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_44","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/87","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/87\/dail\/2","houseCode":"dail","stage":"2","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_44","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I must now deal with a postponed division relating to Second Stage of the Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026, taken on 22 September 2026. On the question, \"That the amendment to the motion now be agreed to\" , a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-23\/debate\/dbsect_53","debateType":"motion","bill":null,"showAs":"Fuel, Energy and Carbon Tax Relief: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_53","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The following motion was moved by Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice on Wednesday, 23 September 2026:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, tradespeople and businesses are facing renewed and significant increases in the cost of fuel and energy, adding further pressure to an already severe cost-of-living crisis;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0petrol and diesel are essential rather than discretionary expenses for hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in rural Ireland where access to adequate public transport and viable alternatives to private vehicles remains limited or non-existent;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0farmers and agricultural contractors have no practical alternative to diesel for the operation of tractors, harvesters and other essential agricultural machinery, and that rapidly increasing marked gas oil, or green diesel, prices represent a direct threat to the viability of primary production and agricultural contracting;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0increasing fuel costs have consequences extending far beyond the individual fuel user, increasing the cost of producing and transporting food, construction materials and other goods and ultimately increasing prices for consumers;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0households dependent on kerosene and other home-heating fuels, particularly throughout rural Ireland, face significant additional costs as the winter period approaches and frequently have no immediately available or affordable alternative heating source;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0businesses which manufacture, produce or supply goods and transport those goods using their own vehicles make an important contribution to employment and economic activity but can be excluded from existing fuel rebate arrangements because of requirements relating to haulage licensing;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0the Government has made approximately \u20ac85 million available for fuel support for farmers and agricultural contractors, but only approximately \u20ac26 million of this allocation has been claimed to date, leaving substantial funding available which should continue to be used for the purpose for which it was allocated;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0approximately \u20ac15 million in European Union (EU) assistance towards increased agricultural input and fertiliser costs is insufficient to meet the scale of the additional costs currently being experienced by Irish farmers;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0carbon taxation has a disproportionate impact on people who have no realistic ability to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, including rural commuters, farmers, contractors, hauliers and households dependent on oil heating;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0further increases in carbon tax are already provided for under existing legislation and will further increase the cost of transport and home heating unless those increases are abolished;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann was recently recalled to prevent increases in fuel taxation from taking effect, demonstrating that Government can intervene where taxation would otherwise add further to exceptional fuel costs; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0comments suggesting that diesel prices in excess of \u20ac2 per litre could become a \"new normal\" are deeply concerning and that the role of Government must instead be to use the measures available to it to protect households and businesses from exceptional energy costs;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"further recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0international conflict, geopolitical instability and volatility in global energy markets are outside the direct control of the State, but decisions relating to domestic taxation, expenditure and targeted supports remain within the control of the Government;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0taxation intended to encourage behavioural change cannot achieve that objective where reasonable and affordable alternatives are not available;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0rural communities should not be disproportionately penalised because successive Governments have failed to provide adequate public transport, alternative heating systems and other infrastructure necessary to reduce dependence on fossil fuels;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0maintaining the viability of farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers and other businesses is essential to Ireland's food security, employment, rural economy and national supply chains; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0exceptional additional Exchequer revenues arising during periods of elevated prices should, where appropriate, be used to protect households and productive sectors of the economy from exceptional cost increases; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"calls on the Government to:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0abolish all further scheduled increases in the carbon tax, rather than merely postponing those increases, and ensure that households, motorists, farmers and businesses are not subjected to further automatic increases in carbon taxation;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0maintain appropriate reductions and reliefs in excise duties applying to petrol and diesel for as long as exceptional fuel-price pressures persist, and use the taxation measures available to the State to ensure that increases in international oil prices are not unnecessarily compounded by domestic taxation;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0explicitly reject the proposition that diesel prices in excess of \u20ac2 per litre should be accepted as a \"new normal\", and commit to using all reasonable taxation, expenditure and policy measures available to Government to reduce the impact of exceptional fuel prices on families and businesses;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0ring-fence the full \u20ac85 million allocated for agricultural fuel support, ensure that any portion not initially claimed is not surrendered to the Exchequer or redirected away from fuel assistance, and use the remaining allocation to extend fuel support for farmers and agricultural contractors for a further five months;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0recognise the exceptional impact of marked gas oil prices approaching \u20ac1.50 per litre on farmers and agricultural contractors and ensure that future agricultural fuel supports properly reflect the actual additional costs being incurred by those sectors;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0provide additional Exchequer funding in Budget 2027 for farmers facing exceptional fertiliser and agricultural input costs, over and above the approximately \u20ac15 million being provided through EU support, and ensure that this constitutes additional funding rather than the reallocation of existing agricultural programmes;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0introduce targeted measures, in advance of the winter period, to protect households from exceptional increases in the cost of kerosene and other home-heating fuels, with particular regard to older people, low-income households and households in rural areas with limited alternative heating options;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0urgently review the eligibility criteria applying to fuel rebate and support schemes for the haulage and commercial transport sectors, with a view to ensuring that legitimate businesses which transport their own goods as an integral part of their business are not unfairly excluded from support solely because they do not hold a particular category of haulage licence;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0require a rural impact assessment to be carried out before any future increase in taxation on transport fuels or household energy, including an assessment of the availability, affordability and practicality of alternative transport and heating options;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0publish, on an annual basis, a clear account of the total revenue raised through carbon taxation, the amounts allocated to individual programmes, the amounts actually expended, and any unspent, surrendered or carried-forward balances;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0ensure that future energy and taxation policy gives appropriate and balanced consideration to affordability, energy security, food security, economic competitiveness and the particular circumstances of rural Ireland, alongside the State's environmental and emissions-reduction objectives; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014\u00a0commit that the State's response to exceptional international energy-price increases will be based on actively protecting households, farmers, contractors and businesses from costs beyond their control, rather than accepting permanently higher fuel prices as inevitable or as a \"new normal\"."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The following amendment No. 1 was moved by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Niall Collins:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"To delete all words after \"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann\" and substitute the following:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\"notes that the Government:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 recognises and understands the pressures that have arisen due to rising fuel costs as a result of the conflict in the Middle East for all families and businesses, in particular for sectors most reliant on fossil fuels;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 highlights that successive Budgets have provided targeted support to help households with cost-of-living pressures and re-affirms that energy affordability is a priority for this Government; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 remains committed to decarbonising our society, increasing investment in renewable energy sources and recycling carbon tax revenues to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty through targeted welfare interventions;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 this Government has delivered one of the largest support packages in the European Union (EU) per head capita which has included:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 excise duty reductions on diesel, petrol and 'green diesel';"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 an enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme for the entirety of 2026;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the deferral of the 1st May Carbon Tax increase;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the extension of the fuel allowance for one month;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 funds made available for payments to road transport operators under the Road Transporters Support Scheme;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 funds made available for payments to farmers, farm contractors and fishers under the Fuel Income Support Scheme; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 a reduction in the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) Levy;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 it is not possible to offset all of the increases in energy prices, which are driven by market factors, using the tax system;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"further recognises that, in the long run the best way to protect Ireland from the impact of international fossil fuel prices is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel imports, which we will achieve through the progressive decarbonisation of the Irish economy and society and through the steps that will be taken to meet the Government's commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"further notes that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 current support measures instigated by this Government are estimated to cost over \u20ac1.3 billion from March 2026 to the end of February 2027 and have provided significant relief for households and businesses across the country;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government has responded and will continue to respond in a way that protects those most vulnerable to fuel poverty; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"highlights that, the Government remains cognisant of the pressures faced by households and businesses as a result of increased fuel prices owing to the conflict in the Middle East and will seek to address this as part of Budget 2027.\"."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Debate resumed on amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"To delete all words from \"notes that the Government:\" to \"will seek to address this as part of Budget 2027\" and substitute the following:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\"recognises that:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 working people, families, students, households and pensioners are facing renewed and significant increases in the cost of fuel and energy, as well as increases in public transport fares, adding further pressure to an already severe cost-of-living crisis; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 the Government is directly contributing to this cost-of-living crisis by refusing to introduce price controls on fuel, energy or groceries, abolishing energy credits, enabling data centres to push up energy prices, gutting rent controls, underfunding retrofitting and solar panels for low- and middle-income households and imposing a regressive carbon tax;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"calls on the Government to:"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 impose strict price controls on fuel, energy and groceries and abolish standing charges for electricity and gas;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 stop the planned increases in public transport fares and introduce free public transport to incentivise public transport use;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 introduce a \u20ac500 energy credit in the Budget, to be funded by an energy levy on data centres;"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 abolish the carbon tax and replace it with higher taxes on big business and the wealthy, including a new multimillionaire's tax on wealth, that will also fund a massive expansion of retrofitting grants and free, frequent and expanded public transport; and"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"\u2014 freeze and cut rents.\"."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"- (Deputy Paul Murphy)"},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Cuireadh an D\u00e1il ar athl\u00f3 ar 8.12 p.m. go dt\u00ed 8.47 a.m., D\u00e9ardaoin, an 24 Me\u00e1n F\u00f3mhair 2026."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The D\u00e1il adjourned at 8.12 p.m. until 8.47 a.m. on Thursday, 24 September 2026."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Fuel, Energy and Carbon Tax Relief: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]"}]}}]},"contextDate":"2026-09-23"},{"debateRecord":{"house":{"showAs":"34th D\u00e1il","committeeCode":"","houseCode":"dail","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/house\/dail\/34","chamberType":"house","houseNo":"34"},"chamber":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/def\/house\/dail","showAs":"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann"},"lastUpdated":"2026-09-24T16:04:35+00:00","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/main","formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/main.xml"},"pdf":null},"date":"2026-09-22","counts":{"contributorCount":169,"divisionCount":1,"debateSectionCount":33,"questionCount":13,"billCount":5},"debateType":"debate","debateSections":[{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_2","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Visit of US Delegation","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_2","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Before I commence Leaders' Questions, I ask colleagues to join me in offering a warm c\u00e9ad m\u00edle f\u00e1ilte to our guests in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery from the Arizona Legislature. They are led by Senator Frank Carroll, whom I had the great honour of meeting earlier this year on St. Patrick's Day when I visited Phoenix as part of our St. Patrick's Day celebrations. I welcome all of the rest of the delegation who are in the Gallery. I thank them for being here and they are most welcome. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Visit of US Delegation"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_3","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 Cheannair\u00ed - Leaders' Questions","counts":{"speechCount":67,"speakerCount":12},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_3","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor D. McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  T\u00e1 br\u00fa ollmh\u00f3r ar dhaoine mar gheall ar na harduithe m\u00f3ra i bpraghsanna ola t\u00ed, peitreal agus d\u00edosal. T\u00e1 Sinn F\u00e9in ag moladh r\u00e9itithe le dul i ngleic leis seo agus praghsanna a laghd\u00fa. Caithfidh an Rialtas iad a chur i bhfeidhm l\u00e1ithreach. Workers, families and businesses are under enormous unsustainable pressure from soaring fuel prices. The price of home heating oil, petrol and diesel has skyrocketed. People simply cannot afford the Government paying lip service to this situation. They need the Government to do its job; they need action and they need it to implement solutions.  Tonight, Sinn F\u00e9in has legislation before the D\u00e1il to bring down fuel costs by removing carbon tax. This is the eighth time that we have brought forward this measure and the Government has voted against it on every single occasion. The cost of home heating oil has shot up by hundreds of euro in just the past three weeks. Families are exhausted. They are sick to their back teeth of being fleeced just to heat their homes. A full fill of oil now costs \u20ac1,600. How on earth can people be expected to pay those prices? Why on earth would people be expected to pay these prices?  The Government needs to recognise the intense pressure households are under and back our proposal tonight. The Government needs to act to ease the burden of soaring petrol and diesel prices because prices have now topped \u20ac2 per litre in many places. In some parts of the country, motorists are forced to fork out \u20ac2.20 for a litre of diesel. Instead of doing its job and moving quickly to get fuel prices down, the Government dithers, delays and drags its heels once again. It tells people to wait. There is no action - there is plenty of kite-flying, mind you, as regards what the Government might do in the budget. As a matter of fact, the Government must have leaked half of the budget already. The one thing it has not done is provide workers, families and businesses with clarity on the relief the Government will bring forward in respect of fuel.  Public frustration is again building. The Government is rerunning the same out-of-touch, go-slow approach that brought so much anger, so much stress and discontent back in the springtime - anger, the Minister will remember, that boiled over into mass protest. The public had to force the Government to listen and act. People should not have to take to the streets again for the Government to do something to get surging fuel prices down. That is the Government's job.  It is time to stop talking about all the things it cannot control and time to act on the things that it can. That means cutting taxes to bring down fuel prices. What we need now is decisive action that puts workers and families first. I am asking the Government to immediately introduce solutions - now, today - that will make a real difference for people. That means implementing our legislation, removing carbon tax from home heating oil and giving households some desperately needed relief. It means providing a further immediate excise cut on petrol and diesel to get their prices down. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Jack Chambers)  I thank Deputy McDonald for her remarks. As she knows, budget 2027 is being designed and delivered against a significant international backdrop and risk to the Irish economy. In the context of geopolitical uncertainty, we have gone through a significant series of shocks over the last number of months and years. The Government is cognisant of the serious pressures families face when it comes to day-to-day issues when filling their cars with diesel or petrol or buying home heating oil. The budget is taking place in two weeks' time, and this is just political opportunism from the Deputy and her party trying to bring that forward on a two-week basis when she knows negotiations are ongoing.  The central priority for the Government is to help with the cost of living. That will happen through a significant income tax package to reward work, support workers across the economy and give people a break. It will drive affordability across different areas of service provision, including childcare and the cost of disability, and using the social protection package to help those most in need and most pressurised by the increased cost of energy across our economy. Areas like the fuel allowance are under consideration. We have constantly said publicly and in our negotiations that we are keeping the wider taxation of fuel and energy under review so that we are agile and responsive to the needs across our economy.  Let us consider the measures that we have taken thus far. We have taken measures costing in excess of \u20ac1 billion in response to the energy shock in 2026, with reductions in excise on a litre of petrol of 27 cent and a litre of diesel of 32 cent. We have extended the fuel allowance. These are all matters for further consideration for the budget in two weeks' time. We are also cognisant of the current price pressure on home heating oil, which is why that is receiving specific consideration in the context of the budget.  It would be better if the Deputy just came forward with constructive and helpful input----- "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----rather than seeking to politicise everything. How Sinn F\u00e9in can gain is the constant direction from the Deputy's party, and how it can exploit different areas and different people across our economy. I look forward to reading Sinn F\u00e9in's pre-budget submission, because we know that, while it has a loose attachment to many in the Russian economy, it plays Russian roulette with the Irish economy when it comes to all its pre-budget submissions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  Making a speech and coming up with nothing. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  Sinn F\u00e9in wants to cut taxes, massively ramp up expenditure and undermine our economic future. In this budget, we will prioritise, we will target towards those most in need, but we will also protect growth, prosperity and jobs for the Irish economy into the 2030s, ensuring that we continue to build enterprise, strengthen our labour market and give people that hopeful future. That is about protecting investment in infrastructure and housing as well, which is a critical part of budget 2027.  The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is also working on a broad range of supports when it comes to trying to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels in our economy and there will be additional measures there, too. This will be a budget that is centrally focused on the cost of living, improving public services and alleviating the tax burden on work. It will make a difference and will seek to mitigate the harm for those most in need over the winter period. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  Jesus, that is woeful spoofing. The Minister does not have to speculate on anything because we have been very clear for months on end that the Government has to give assistance to the 700,000 households that heat their homes with heating oil. The Government has done nothing except give this kind of guff and try to act to distract, but it will not distract people from the realities of their lives.  Now, as we meet and as we speak, they are being ripped off for home heating oil and fuel prices are soaring again, just as we told the Government they would. All the Government has ever done is the minimum and it has to be brought kicking and screaming to even do that. Let me just repeat, for the avoidance of doubt: this evening, we are bringing forward a concrete measure to address the removal of carbon taxes from home heating oil. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Deputy. Your time is up. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  We are simply asking that the Government do that now because families, households and businesses are struggling. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Deputy's party continues to vote against all of the measures that we took, which made significant interventions that helped people when it came to the reductions of excise. Hers is the party of guff, day in, day out. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  It is full of waffle, full of no solutions and its economic policies are a road to ruination. That is Sinn F\u00e9in, day in, day out. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  Is that all the Minister has? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" A Deputy","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" A Deputy  What about the children in poverty? "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The reason I say that is economic management and protecting the economy can never be described as \"guff\". Of course there are trade-offs and choices for the Government about how we want to prioritise resources and how we want to moderate day-to-day spending to protect Ireland's long-term future. Sinn F\u00e9in just produces double-digit levels of growth and expenditure and ramps up taxes on work and enterprise, on the very backbone of the Irish economy and prosperity, on the wealth creators who are giving us the opportunity through increased corporation tax to distribute that to help people across our economy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  Developers. Banks. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor D. McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor D. McGuinness  Developers. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  It just shows that Sinn F\u00e9in cannot be trusted with the economy and with protecting Ireland when it comes to our future. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"(Interruptions)."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan. The Deputy is on his feet. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  From the party that crashed the economy and brought the IMF here? Jesus Christ, we do not all have amnesia here. Come on. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Please proceed, Deputy O'Callaghan. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  That is some nerve of Fianna F\u00e1il to give lectures about sound economic management. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":" Deputies","uri":null,"memberCode":null,"role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputies  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  Seventy-seven percent is how much wholesale electricity prices have surged in the past year. That will not come as a surprise to the over 300,000 households currently in arrears, and it is not news to the people lying awake at night worrying about how they will keep the lights on.  We have to get off this endless merry-go-round of price shocks and soaring bills. The Minister knows, I know, we all know that we are particularly vulnerable to these price shocks because we are so dependent on fossil fuels. Trump is to blame for a lot of things, but he is not to blame for that. We are hooked on fossil fuels, and that is a direct result of this Government's incompetence and negligence, which has left hundreds of thousands of households hopelessly exposed. Where are people supposed to find the money for all these price increases? They are already trying to cobble together the cash to meet rising rents, mortgage payments, groceries and childcare costs. If they are relying on home heating oil, they will have seen the cost to fill soar by \u20ac700.  The pressure on individuals and families is now immense and never-ending, and the cracks are beginning to show. More than half a million households are behind on their electricity and gas bills. Unless the Government acts, it will get worse. That is why we must see a targeted energy credit of \u20ac400 in the budget. This would help those low- and middle-income families who desperately need it. It is a vital measure to provide them with some breathing room. However, the budget needs to go much further than that.  The harsh reality is that the Government has utterly failed to invest in solar and renewable energy, and it is families the length and breadth of this country who are now reaping the consequences of its failure. A no-brainer for the budget would be a massive investment in solar to bring people's energy bills down by at least \u20ac450 a year - this year, next year and every year. The Social Democrats have a solar-for-all plan that the Minister could implement. It would double the grants for solar panels, introduce a grant for battery storage and make solar panels free for households at risk of fuel poverty. Crucially, it would roll out plug-in solar. That is what we need to see - some real ambition from the Government.  These are measures that the Government could introduce in two weeks' time. They are sustainable and we have the money to pay for them. Will the Government introduce them or will it just keep making excuses? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I reiterate that Government is cognisant of the serious pressure that many families and households face into the winter. That is taking centre stage in our Estimates discussions and how we examine different and further interventions on how we tax energy in the economy.  To give workers a break, there will be an income tax package, which will give some workers some respite through the winter period. In the social protection system, we want to target the fuel allowance allocation and other changes that will be under consideration to help those most in need and those facing the significant price rises over the winter period. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is working on some areas, which I will not comment on the detail of, relating to our grant support system and how we better calibrate it to promote renewable energy options, to get people off fossil fuels and to drive greater affordability. He is examining a range of options in that context in advance of budget 2027.  We are also looking at how we can drive affordability in the provision of different services, including childcare, the cost of disability and other mechanisms through our social protection system to help those most in need. It is unfair to say that the Government has done nothing. We have taken some of the biggest interventions per capita in Europe to mitigate the price rises. A total of \u20ac1 billion has been expended already on reductions in petrol and diesel. We are considering further options for home heating oil. Many households, in particular in rural Ireland, are impacted by that price rise, which is likely to continue and be sustained over the winter. That is why that range of options for tax and expenditure is under consideration by Government, all centred on helping people, targeting the most vulnerable and protecting people through the winter.  The Government is also prioritising sustainability. That is why the grant support systems that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is evaluating will be changed to help incentivise greater uptake of grants for energy sustainability. He will set that out in or around budget day. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  Is the Minister's Government not ashamed that the one offshore wind farm we have is currently being dismantled? That is the Government's level of delivery of offshore renewables. In other countries that have invested, it has brought down people's energy bills. What is the Minister doing about it? We have over half a million households in electricity and gas arrears. I asked the Minister about a targeted energy credit and he had nothing to say about it. He has the resources to do it. All the advice is that he needs to target resources to help people who need it most. Has the Minister nothing to say about that? Will there be a targeted energy credit to lift those households out of energy arrears? What is he going to do for the households who are behind on their bills, are afraid to put the heat on, and are worried sick at night about what they are going to do? Will he adopt our proposal for a targeted energy credit? Will the Minister use the resources at his disposal to do something useful for those households? What does the Minister have to say about our constructive proposals for a targeted energy credit? Please answer that question. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  On the Deputy's first point, he has clearly not read the facts about electricity generation from renewables. It has increased five-fold since 2005. Regularly throughout the first half of 2026, almost half of Ireland's electricity came from renewable sources. Ireland has now reached a record of over 8 GW of renewable generation capacity, up from 4.8 GW in 2020. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cian O'Callaghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cian-O'Callaghan.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cian O'Callaghan  It is not bringing down bills. It is going into data centres. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  Significant progress is being made on renewable energy. The Deputy needs to correct the record on that. He is dismissing progress. We have been clear that the broadened eligibility for fuel allowance last year has brought over 400,000 households into the social protection system. That is under consideration as a direct payment that is targeted at people in the lowest four income deciles in budget 2027. We want to use fuel allowance and other measures in our social protection system to help those most in need. That is the impulse of this Government, protecting the most vulnerable, supporting affordability and making sure we give workers and families a break when it comes to income tax. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  Two weeks from today, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will deliver his budget and, across the country, people want to know if it will bring down their household bills. They are being subjected to daily budget leaks now. The Minister for Finance cannot help himself, flying kites and doling out goodies, with a morsel here and a soundbite there.  It is like \"The Late Late Show\" of old; one for everyone in the audience but only if you happen to be in today\u2019s target interest group. So, what will it all add up to? Will it add up? Last year's certainly did not. Will the Minister learn from his mistakes of last year? In last year\u2019s budget, the Government ignored PAYE workers. Now we see union after union voting for strike action. It is extraordinary that the Minister has not yet had any meaningful engagement on public sector pay. Workers urgently need to know how he is going to address this and what he plans to do for PAYE workers this year.  Second, in last year\u2019s budget, the Minister pursued reckless and unsustainable spending policies. He gave an ineffective and expensive VAT cut to big burger chains, which we in the Labour Party strongly opposed. He left a shortfall of \u20ac600 million in the education budget. Unfortunately, it seems that this year we are seeing more of the same. The Defence Forces are now cutting student officer rations in a miserly and desperate effort to save \u20ac12 million. His flagship policy this year seems to be chasing global oil prices as Trump\u2019s war rages in Iran and the Middle East. Workers are watching as the Government spends more than a billion on untargeted fossil fuel subsidies, with hundreds of millions more to come.  Fine Gael is now spit-balling the idea of special investment accounts for those who already have money in the bank but, meanwhile, families cannot afford childcare costs or to put food on the table. Almost 70% of young people are looking beyond our shores for a better life, as the youth council reports today.  Will the Minister learn from last year\u2019s mistakes? Will he look to spend money where it can make a difference to communities, to help the hundreds of thousands now in arrears on their energy bills and the commuters facing enormous and outrageous public transport fare increases? The Minister needs to invest in alternatives. He needs to make it easier to switch to solar power, heat pumps, electric vehicles, bicycles and affordable public transport. We need a massive street-by-street retrofitting programme, as the Labour Party has called for, and the roll-out of a new urban and rural re-electrification programme, based on renewables, across the country. That is the best way to bring down household bills in a sustainable manner and tackle climate change. Instead, all the Minister offers are temporary, half measures, namely, untargeted fossil fuel subsidies.  Here are three choices the Labour Party is asking the Minister to make in this budget. First, will he meaningfully engage with public sector workers and deliver for PAYE workers? Second, will he properly fund public services like education, rather than narrowing the tax base further? Third, will he invest seriously in the climate transition, instead of continuing with unsustainable and untargeted fossil fuel subsidies? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I am really surprised to see the Deputy label something like the fuel allowance as a fossil fuel subsidy. What would low-income workers and----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  The Minister knows that is not what I am talking about. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  ----- the most vulnerable in our society say about that? It was an important measure taken by this Government. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  Jesus. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I heard the Deputy on \"Morning Ireland\" in the past couple of weeks. She was asked a direct question. She was very much a leader on a hedge. She was not sure what way to go when it came to questions on the carbon tax and other matters. The Deputy should make up her own mind about what her policy direction is. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  We are very clear what it is. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We are very clear, as a Government, when it comes to supporting people and families around the cost of living. We will have targeted measures using our social protection system, as I have said. Second, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will bring forward changes to grants to incentivise and help families build sustainability in their own homes and ensure that there are more accessible grants for people who currently cannot afford them. There might be different views on how we should do that but that is something he wants to make positive progress on in the budgetary context as well. Everyone across this House would support that.  Third, when it comes to last year's budget, we obviously made decisions with respect to housing and taxation around housing to support greater supply in the economy, which has to be welcomed. Anything we can do to support increased housing supply has to be supported. We are correct to make that decision. Similarly, when it came to protecting jobs in the adjustment, particularly in regions and rural Ireland, VAT changes were made.  The Deputy's question related to public sector pay talks. We have obviously had a decision by trade unions to move to industrial action rather than engaging in substantive talks. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  That is not the case. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  That is not true. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  It is deeply unfair on the public that there will be significant disruption to their daily lives because unions are unwilling to sit down----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  Not true. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  -----and engage constructively on a new agreement, which we want to have. This Government wants to have a fair, equitable deal for public sector workers. Our record on that is clear. If you take the lowest paid in the public service, their wage increases have far exceeded inflation over the past number of years. A clerical officer, teacher or nurse will have received in excess of 30%, when inflation is about 23%. We have targeted and supported the lowest income cohorts in terms of public sector workers.  We are clear that the only way to get a deal is for there to be intensive engagement. What we have had over the last two months is a process of balloting rather than substantive engagement. My officials remain open and willing to do that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor Sheehan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-Sheehan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor Sheehan  Why are they going on strike? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  Again, the Deputy just makes this generic point about funding public services. We have funded significant increases in public services over the last number of years. There has been nearly \u20ac10 billion more in our health system over a series of years. There have been significant increases in investment in our education system, particularly in special education, and rightly so, but no area of the public service or, indeed, public expenditure should be immune from greater reform, efficiencies and improved productivity. What we are doing in this budget as well is trying to drive greater outputs from the level of spend which has significantly increased in the last number of years. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you, Minister. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  That is to make sure we get greater value for taxpayers and improved public services rather than it just being a binary discussion. which is what we get from the Opposition benches, about allocating more. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy Bacik to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  That is not sustainable. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  I would agree with one thing. When the Minister says Fianna F\u00e1il has a clear record, it certainly does: it has a clear record on abandoning public sector workers. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ged Nash  Hear, hear. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  The last time public sector unions went on strike was when Fianna F\u00e1il was in government. We are seeing the neglect and abandonment of the public sector PAYE workers again with Fianna F\u00e1il now in government. The Labour Party has put forward clear, costed proposals. We are the only party that did not support the narrowing of the tax base and stood against that reckless VAT cut for hospitality last year. We put forward very clear proposals for helping struggling households this summer just gone in our May mini-budget proposals which the Minister voted against. We have clearly put forward the need for targeted energy credits as a way of helping households who are now in arrears on energy bills but we also recognise, as the Minister does not seem to be able to do, that we need a more sustainable, long-term way of addressing spiralling energy bills and spiralling housing and childcare and grocery costs too. That is where our costed alternative budget that we will be launching next week will be putting forward constructive measures that are taking climate seriously----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  The Minister to respond. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  -----and taking public sector workers seriously in a way that Fianna F\u00e1il does not seem capable of doing. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  The Deputy needs to study the facts. If you take the last five to six years, public pay has increased by in excess of \u20ac12 billion per year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  Where is the agreement? Where is the deal? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  That has resulted in a massive expansion of public services, more than 70,000 more people working across public services - in our education system and our health system and with the number of front-line garda\u00ed increasing year on year, and rightly so. We want to invest in better public services and ensure public sector workers are given a fair, equitable pay agreement. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  The agreement ran out. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  That is why in the last pay deal we allowed for increases of 9.5% when inflation over the same period was about 6.5%, again, supporting a fair and equitable deal. That remains the case. We are a Government that will make provision for a public sector pay deal so people are paid fairly. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  When? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We are open an willing to engage with unions. Instead they are balloting their members. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  They are waiting. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  That has been their prerogative. Over the last two months they have taken a course of balloting members rather than engaging in substantive discussions to give their members a pay deal. We are willing and open to do that and we will make provision for it as well. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The State is failing persons with disabilities and their carers. The disability services are in crisis on all levels. From the minute a parent or a guardian notices a difficulty with a child, they must fight for everything: for an assessment of needs, with over 22,000 children now waiting; for an appropriate cr\u00e8che place; for an appropriate school place; for access to therapy services; for respite places; and, indeed, for residential places. Today I want to focus on respite and residential services for adults with intellectual disabilities, that is, children transitioning to adulthood at 18 years and older adults.  Respite services for young adults are almost non-existent. They finish in school, special school usually, and effectively fall off a cliff. If they are lucky, they may get a weekend of respite every six months or maybe not at all. This puts huge pressure on family carers, who often become ill themselves. This leads to the question posed by the Before We Die campaign. That question is: \u201cWho will care for my son or daughter\u2019s needs when I am no longer able to do that or when I die?\u201d It is not uncommon to hear a parent say, \u201cI hope they go before me.\u201d  Some 92% of adults with an intellectual disability rely on a parent as their primary carer but only 2% of those have a plan in place for their future. Some 2,000 persons with an intellectual disability live with parents aged 70 years or over. Five hundred of those are with parents of 80 years of age or over. This means that, typically, residential places are provided only when an emergency arises or a carer becomes ill or passes away. This model of crisis management is cruel and heartless and more often than not means that the adult with the disability has to leave their community. Statistics show that over 600 reside in counties outside their own and over 200 reside more than 100 km from their previous home. This is also the most expensive way to provide services as they are provided by private, for-profit companies.  The services are in crisis and we need a new statutory agency, including the HSE, local authorities, section 38 and section 39 organisations and families, to plan and provide disability services. We need an emergency funded plan immediately. We need a statutory register of needs and a personal plan at age 18 for all adults as they go into adulthood. We need that urgently. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Healy for raising this really important issue. I acknowledge the Before We Die campaign and the dedication of the parents, the carers and the families behind it. We all know they speak from a place of deep concern about what will happen to their sons and daughters when they are no longer able to provide care themselves. That fear is real and deserves to be heard. The Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, have engaged directly with the group to hear their lived experience and to ensure that it informs the wider approach and direction of the Government on this issue. My colleagues, Deputies McAuliffe and Crowe, have also engaged extensively with the group. I am conscious of the profound impact this has on people with disabilities and their families, particularly ageing parents. We want to continue to support people to remain in their family homes for as long as they and their families wish. There is also the need, as Deputy Healy said, to significantly expand residential capacity. That is a clear priority for the Government. Some progress has been made, and that is reflected in the wider commitment we made as part of budget 2026 last year when it came to specialist disability services, which was a \u20ac3.8 billion allocation, almost 20% more than the year before. Of that, there has been a significant amount of funding to deliver residential services to support people to live independently in their communities.  Specifically on respite services, there has been particular investment. The amount of funding has doubled between 2021 and 2026, reaching \u20ac150 million in 2026. That funding supports the expansion of residential and respite services, day services, home support and personal support hours. That was complemented by \u20ac25 million in new development funding for respite in last year's budget. This is supporting an initiative expected to deliver 10,000 additional overnight sessions and 25,000 additional day sessions this year. The HSE's 2026 national service plan targets 175,000 respite sessions and 91,000 day-only sessions for the year.  I am conscious that just setting out some of the changes does not cut it for a lot of families who have not seen the benefits of this increased investment. We need not only to continue to prioritise this next year but also to ensure that the level of investment, which has increased exponentially in recent years, is prioritised around respite, particularly on some of the specific requests coming from this campaign, which is in all our communities. This is of growing concern to many parents, and that certainly will form the basis of my budget discussions with the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and the Minister, Deputy Foley. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The modest improvements the Minister has outlined are at best from a very low base, if not an almost non-existent base, but all individuals with disabilities have accessed services since childhood. It beggars belief that there is not a comprehensive national database and register of needs for those individuals.  These must be put in place as a matter of urgency. As the Minister knows, every adult with a disability has a right to live as independently as possible within their own community, with the supports they need and with dignity, autonomy and security. Urgent action needs to be taken to provide respite as residential care. An emergency funded plan is needed in the forthcoming budget for adults with intellectual disability living with parents who are aged 70 years or over. These parents cannot wait for systemic change. They need action now. Will the Minister include emergency funding in the budget he is due to introduce in two weeks' time? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I share the view that we need to see continued expansion of the availability, frequency and range of respite options in order that people with disabilities, their families and carers have the support they need now and into the future. We need to use each budget to deliver progress in that area.  In 2025, the HSE delivered 164,000 respite nights to 7,500 people, alongside more than 65,000 day-only respite sessions. That was an 82% increase in day sessions and a 24% increase in respite nights compared with pre-pandemic levels. There has been significant progress over the past number of years. I am not going to argue with the Deputy about those who have not seen the benefits. The Government needs to ensure that in each budget and in how we organise disability services and respite care, that there is continued momentum and progress, particularly where we know that demand is continuing to grow. That has been reflected by the Before We Die campaign group. It is something we want to continue to prioritise in 2027. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna \u00f3 Cheannair\u00ed - Leaders' Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_4","debateType":"orderofBusiness","bill":null,"showAs":"An tOrd Gn\u00f3 - Order of Business","counts":{"speechCount":54,"speakerCount":22},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_4","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Duncan Smith","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Willie O'Dea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Willie-O'Dea.D.1982-03-09","memberCode":"Willie-O'Dea.D.1982-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Brennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Brennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Brian-Brennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Claire Kerrane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Robert O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Robert-O'Donoghue.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Robert-O'Donoghue.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Cear\u00fail","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Cear\u00fail.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Cear\u00fail.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter 'Chap' Cleere","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-'Chap'-Cleere.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Peter-'Chap'-Cleere.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"William Aird","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/William-Aird.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"William-Aird.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  In accordance with Standing Order 35, I call on the Chief Whip, Deputy Butler, to move the arrangements for this week's business. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  I move:  Tuesday's business shall be:  - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (1) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)  - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (2) (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)  - Motion re Fifteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)  - Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes)  Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Second Stage of the Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026, selected by Sinn F\u00e9in.  Wednesday's business shall be:  - Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes)  - Motion re Proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann of the Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026 (to conclude within 60 minutes and any division claimed to be taken immediately)  - Motion re Proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on Passenger Name Record data*  - Motion re Proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann for a Council Decision on the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on Passenger Name Record data*  *Two separate motions to be debated together and brought to a conclusion within 60 minutes, with questions to be put on each motion separately; and any divisions claimed to be taken immediately Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Fuel, Energy and Carbon Tax Relief, selected by Independent Technical Group.  Thursday's business shall be:  - Statements on World Pharmacists Week (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)  Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Electricity Regulation (Climate Action and Connection to Distribution and Transmission Systems) Bill 2025, sponsored by Deputy Ciar\u00e1n Ahern.  Proposed Arrangements for this week\u2019s business:  In relation to Tuesday\u2019s business, it is proposed that:  1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders:  (a) the only Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) which may be answered shall be those under the aegis of the Government Chief Whip, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business;  (b) the time allocated to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business and the D\u00e1il may sit later than 10.48 p.m.; and  (c) private members\u2019 business shall be taken following proceedings on the Second Stage of the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026 with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business;  2. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (1) shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;  3. the proceedings on the Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (2) shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;  4. the proceedings on the Motion re Fifteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;  5. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:  (a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);  (b) on conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and  (c) members may share time; and         Gov    SF    SD    Gov    SF      Mins    20    20    20    12    4          Lab    Gov    SF    IPTG    Gov      Mins    20    12    4    20    12          SF    ITG    Gov    SF    OM      Mins    4    20    12    4    20      Total: 3 hours 24 mins                          6. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours.  In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:  1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the weekly division time may be taken earlier than 8.45 p.m. and shall, in any event, be taken on the conclusion of Government Business;  2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply:  (a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across);  (b) on conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and  (c) members may share time;         Gov    SF    SD    Gov    SF      Mins    20    20    20    12    4          Lab    Gov    SF    IPTG    Gov      Mins    20    12    4    20    12          SF    ITG    Gov    SF    OM      Mins    4    20    12    4    20      Total: hours 24 mins                          3. the proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann of the Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:  (a) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:-  \u2014 opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State \u2013 10 minutes;  \u2014 speeches by representatives of Sinn F\u00e9in, Social Democrats, the Labour Party, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group \u2013 7.5 minutes per party or group;  \u2014 speeches by non-party\/group members \u2013 7.5 minutes in total; and  \u2014 a speech in response by the Minister \u2013 5 minutes;  (b) members may share time; and  (c) any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and  4. the proceedings on the Motions on Proposals for Council Decisions on the signing of, and the conclusion of, the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea on the transfer of Passenger Name Record data shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:  (a) the two motions shall be debated together, with separate questions put on all proceedings thereon;  (b) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:-  \u2014 opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State \u2013 10 minutes;  \u2014 speeches by representatives of Sinn F\u00e9in, Social Democrats, the Labour Party, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group \u2013 7.5 minutes per party or group;  \u2014 speeches by non-party\/group members \u2013 7.5 minutes in total; and  \u2014 a speech in response by the Minister \u2013 5 minutes;  (c) members may share time; and  (d) any divisions claimed thereon shall be taken immediately.  In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:  1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Electricity Regulation (Climate Action and Connection to Distribution and Transmission Systems) Bill 2025, and on the time for the adjournment of the D\u00e1il; and  2. the Statements on World Pharmacists Week shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply:  (a) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across);  (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and  (c) members may share time.         Gov    SF    SD    Gov    SF      Mins    25    15    10    10    3          Lab    Gov    SF    IPTG    Gov      Mins    10    10    3    9    10          SF    ITG    Gov    SF    OM      Mins    3    9    10    3    5      Total: 2 hours 15 mins                           "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Are the proposed arrangements agreed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  Not agreed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn  The testimony of the four Garda whistleblowers on the \"RT\u00c9 Investigates\" programme has caused serious concern. Requests have been made for the Minister at that time, Helen McEntee, to come before the D\u00e1il in order to take statements and engage in a question-and-answers session. Such is the seriousness of what is emerging, the Taoiseach also needs to come before the House. Can we get a commitment from the Government that this will happen as soon as those involved return from the United Nations Assembly? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gary Gannon  Given the state of the revelations in last week's \"RT\u00c9 Investigates\" programme, how long does this Government believe it is tenable not to allow either the current justice Minister and the previous one to come into the Chamber to answer questions regarding the architecture of the protected disclosures office? Garda confidence has been massively undermined, as testified to by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors and the Garda Representative Association calling for an external inquiry. Before then, we need answers from the Government. We cannot continue with this ducking. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Duncan Smith","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Duncan-Smith.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Duncan Smith  I find it incredible that we do not have a commitment for a debate with both the former and current Ministers for justice about the ramifications of the whistleblower documentary last week. The budget will not distract us from seeking this debate. We are objecting this week. We will object next week. We will object every week until the debate happens. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  We need an urgent debate this week on the threat of an armed march going through the Garvaghy Road to Drumcree Church at the weekend. I met with the Garvaghy Road residents yesterday. That mostly Catholic area is gripped with fear and anxiety that after 28 years of not having to face these triumphalist sectarian marches that have incited loyalist killings and led to sectarian violence, what is due to happen at the weekend will drag their area and the North back into sectarian conflict. This matter needs to be debated as a matter of urgency. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  Further to the revelations in today's newspapers to the effect that doctors are looking for an outright ban on scrambler bikes, despite the fact that we have new laws coming in, it has emerged that 1,100 children have attended hospital on foot of e-scooter injuries in the past five years. There have been 59 serious injuries, some involving organ displacement, have been reported. This House needs to have a debate on that matter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  I have heard from all the whips about the changes they would like on the Order of Business this week. We have important business on the schedule that we need to get through. As everybody watching knows, there is Government time and Opposition time. The Opposition can use its time for anything it wishes to discuss. The Order of Business stands. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Are the arrangements for the business agreed to? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn  With respect to the Government Chief Whip, she knows what we asked for, namely statements. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Deputy Mac Lochlainn has had his time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"P\u00e1draig-MacLochlainn.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn  This needs statements and accountability from the Minister. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Could he please resume his seat? Are the proposed arrangements agreed to? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Gary Gannon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Gary-Gannon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Gary Gannon  They are not agreed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Lou McDonald","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Mary-Lou-McDonald.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Lou McDonald  I want to raise again the urgent situation on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. As the Minister will be aware, the Parades Commission is about to consider an Orange Order application to march down the Garvaghy Road this Sunday. For 28 years, this community has lived with relative peace. The dispute, which was long-running and carried a high human cost, was resolved. It is just incredible that anybody would seek to reopen that matter and bring the anxiety, stress and instability that all of that would mean. This is a very serious political and, potentially, community crisis and the Irish Government cannot be a passive observer. I wrote to the Taoiseach, as did the residents, I understand, looking for a meeting. We have sought for some level within government to engage directly with residents. Will this happen, when will it happen, and who will lead that effort? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy McDonald. I appreciate the Deputy raising this important matter. As the Taoiseach said last week, his officials have been engaged on this. I have not got a specific update with respect to the Deputy's request for a meeting. As the Taoiseach said, there is a process that is being kept under review. However, I will raise the matter with the Taoiseach and the Minister for foreign affairs and ask them to respond directly to the Deputy. I appreciate the concerns that the Deputy has raised here. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sin\u00e9ad Gibney  The Taoiseach and the T\u00e1naiste have recognised that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide but the Department of justice does not seem to think it has ever happened because it is asking people to access documents when most of the buildings in Gaza have been razed to the ground and more than 70,000 people are now dead. What the Department is asking of these students who are trying to study here is the impossible when they have already overcome impossible barriers. It was impossible to continue in education when you were being rained down on by bullets and bombs in a tent, impossible to raise the funds to access these courses, and impossible to place these courses themselves. Might I add that the institutions are opening their arms and their doors to welcome these students in. When will the Government read the room and reverse its decision to block these students from studying here in Ireland? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  We all accept that the level of suffering inflicted on the civilian population who are not responsible for the actions of Hamas is wrong - it is an affront to human decency - and we have repeatedly opposed and strongly condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, the blatant disregard for international law and the ongoing expansion of settlements. Certainly, my colleagues at the UN will be reflecting that during the week. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sin\u00e9ad Gibney  Student visas. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  On the issue of visas, and as the Deputy will be aware, there is a well-established process in the Department of justice that assesses every visa application. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sin\u00e9ad Gibney  But the Government changed the goalposts this year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  No, Deputy. It does not work like that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I understand that some may have been granted and that others are still being assessed, but there is a well-established process that is progressed and through which an assessment is made of each individual case. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sin\u00e9ad Gibney","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sin\u00e9ad-Gibney.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sin\u00e9ad Gibney  The Government is moving the goalposts. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ivana Bacik","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Ivana-Bacik.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ivana Bacik  Today, the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has announced that women employees will be provided with two weeks' leave to grieve and recover following a miscarriage before 24 weeks. It is now five years since I first introduced legislation in the Seanad to provide for workplace leave along the same lines here. I refer to leave when it matters most - compassionate leave. My Bill received unanimous support from Senators then, including Government Senators, but progress since then has been glacially slow, held up by Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael. Tomorrow, my Labour colleague, Deputy Marie Sherlock, will bring the Bill to the enterprise committee on the next Stage. This is our latest attempt to move the dial to support women through pregnancy loss and couples through fertility treatment and to make our workplaces more compassionate. Will the Government listen to the thousands of people, mainly women, who have contacted all of our offices over the years, take the proposal on and, crucially, make it law this year that employees can receive recognition in the workplace where they endure an early miscarriage? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this important issue. As she will know, the Government approved the general scheme of the pregnancy loss leave Bill in July of this year, the aim of which is to introduce for the first time in Irish law statutory leave for pregnancy loss prior to 23 weeks' gestation.  I acknowledge the work of Deputies Bacik and Sherlock on the matter.  The Minister for enterprise is now working on drafting this legislation as a matter of priority and I hope all parties in the House will be able to progress the policy outcome on this through legislation as quickly as possible when it concludes. I appreciate the Deputy raising it today. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruth Coppinger  There was a report in the Irish Independent at the weekend that a young woman who suspected she had been raped in Dublin city while intoxicated is now facing criminal charges, potentially, for false reporting. Not only that but it has been decided that all the resources of the Irish State should go into dragging this woman back from France where she lives, via extradition. As we know, it is not unusual for intoxicated people to be attacked violently and not to recall all the details. The implications of this decision are huge. The number of sexual offences that are reported could not fall any lower and the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, routinely does not prosecute 67% of all sexual offences. For some incredible reason, the DPP and garda\u00ed have decided to prosecute this woman. The message this would send to survivors who may have been drugged or intoxicated when they were attacked and might not remember all the details is incredible. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Thank you. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruth Coppinger","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","memberCode":"Ruth-Coppinger.D.2014-05-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruth Coppinger  I hasten to add that nobody has been falsely accused or charged, so I do not see why this is happening. There will be a protest at the DPP's office at 1 p.m. on Friday against this. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I have not read the newspaper article she referred to or about the case she referenced so I do not want to make any inappropriate comment. As a Government, we seek to support any victim of sexual assault properly through policies and through the resourcing of our agencies and An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na. I have not seen or read the detail the Deputy referenced, so I will not comment on it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  There is a growing call for a public inquiry into the handling of protected disclosures in An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na and I support that. However, I believe it must go much further. The concerns around protected disclosures seem to extend to the public service, An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, the Prison Service, the HSE, financial services and beyond. I raised this matter previously in the D\u00e1il, and my party raised it in a Private Members' Bill, to strengthen protected disclosure protections for whistleblowers, which was rejected by the Government.  The Minister will be aware, as it was mentioned on the floor of the House previously, Mr. Ciar\u00e1n Kenneally, a former Tusla employee submitted a second protected disclosure in November 2025, following on from confirmation by the Data Protection Commission that Tusla had unlawfully processed his personal data. While the disclosure was acknowledged, he is still waiting for the investigation to be commenced more than a year after making that protected disclosure. Will the Government now commit to the holding of a comprehensive public inquiry into the operation of protected disclosures? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy. As my colleagues said last week and at the weekend, it is not appropriate to comment on any specific cases that are ongoing and I will not be doing so today.  The Government will be commencing a review of the Protected Disclosures Act this year, which will begin with a public consultation and an opportunity for all stakeholders to participate in that review to ensure the legislative framework we have is fit for purpose and meets all the respective inputs of stakeholders and everyone involved, including those who have made protected disclosures. However, I cannot comment on the specific case the Deputy referenced. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Willie O'Dea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Willie-O'Dea.D.1982-03-09","memberCode":"Willie-O'Dea.D.1982-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Willie O'Dea  The CCTV monitoring system for Limerick city and county, currently located in Moyross, oversees 360 community cameras spread throughout Limerick city and county. Unfortunately, within the next ten days it is due to close with the loss of 11 jobs and dire consequences for crime prevention and detection in Limerick city and surrounding areas. This is due to the loss of funding from the social inclusion fund, which, as the Minister knows, is being gradually wound down. It has left a deficit of approximately \u20ac660,000, which is needed to enable this service to continue for the next 12 months.  I cannot overstate the amount of anxiety in the community, particularly among members of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, about the loss of these cameras and the effect it will have on crime detection in the Limerick area. People are pleading with me to ask the Government to intervene to save the service and put it on a sustainable basis. Is it proposed to do so? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. It is clear that the service should be sustained, particularly if investment has happened and the service is of such importance to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na and to the local community in Limerick. I will speak to the Minister for justice to ensure that it is examined and that the service can continue. I appreciate the Deputy's advocacy on this matter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Brennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Brennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Brian-Brennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Brennan  I again raise the matter of public transport in the south east, particularly rail and bus links for our commuters. Gorey is one of the fastest -growing towns in Ireland. Arklow is on the verge of huge expansion. Rathdrum is ideally placed for easy access to Dublin. Rosslare port continues to grow. However, these towns and their rural hinterlands are woefully underserved by a rail service that is inconvenient, infrequent and low-capacity. There are no imminent plans for improvement. Commuters also struggle with the reliability of the current bus links. Local Link has been transformative for our rural communities but there is demand for significant increases in services and frequency. Quite simply, the current rail and bus services cannot cope with the demand as the populations of Wexford and Wicklow continue to grow. We need a coherent plan for transport infrastructure in the south east. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Brennan. To be clear, the significant increase in transport infrastructure investment over the next four years will be seen in the south east. This investment is twofold. First, we want to see significant capacity improvements. That will obviously involve upgrades to existing infrastructure. In addition, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is doing work on the public service obligation to ensure that the demands of an increased population are met by an improved service experience in some of the towns and villages in the south east the Deputy has mentioned. The work the Minister is doing as part of budget 2027 is to significantly enhance the capacity of public transport more widely in 2027 and in the years to come. This is to match the significant uplift in infrastructure investment whose positive benefits will be seen by citizens across the country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Claire Kerrane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Claire-Kerrane.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Claire Kerrane  I hope the Minister will consider the Sinn F\u00e9in legislation being debated here this evening to reduce the cost of home heating oil. The households of the vast majority of the people I represent, the people of Roscommon and Galway, use home heating oil. As we approach the budget, there will be a lot of focus on the fuel allowance. The fuel allowance is well and good for those who receive it. It is a help to them. However, the vast majority of working people do not receive the fuel allowance. The evenings are getting darker and there will be pressure in terms of electricity and heating. I ask for a major focus, to include advertising, to be put on the additional needs payment as quickly as possible so that working people will know there is some support for them. No families should be in the dark or cold in their homes as we approach the winter. I ask for the ramping-up of as wide a campaign as possible with regard to the additional needs payments so that workers will know that it is there and that it is not just available to people who are in receipt of social welfare payments. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this issue. I will reflect her requests to the Minister, Deputy Calleary. To echo what I said earlier on, we want to ensure that, through the decisions we make, we prioritise concerns about the cost of living in the budget. I refer particularly to issues relating to home heating oil. Using the social protection system will be critical in mitigating the issues facing those most in need, the 400,000 households who currently benefit from it. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Calleary, to consider what the Deputy has said so that people understand the possibilities of making an application through that process. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Robert O'Donoghue","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Robert-O'Donoghue.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Robert-O'Donoghue.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Robert O'Donoghue  I will address the rise in antisocial behaviour in Dublin Fingal West. I do not do so lightly. It is a fantastic part of the country with a great sense of community spirit, which we are all rightly proud of. However, we cannot ignore what is happening. A lack of visible Garda resources is allowing some people to take advantage. We all saw the serious incident at Skerries Harbour during the summer. There is open drug dealing in our towns and some teenagers are recording vicious attacks and putting the videos on social media. Our garda\u00ed are doing their very best but they need resources and a local presence to do their jobs effectively. The local Garda stations in Rush, Lusk and Skerries, which are now towns of over 10,000 people, are open for two hours a week, which is not enough. I ask the Minister to tackle this head-on and to start putting garda\u00ed back where they belong: in our communities, on our streets and back in the police stations of north County Dublin. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I appreciate the concern he has referenced in the growing communities of Dublin Fingal West, which have seen increased antisocial behaviour over recent months. As a Government, we have sought to significantly expand the numbers in An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na.  By the end of this year or early next year, we should exceed 15,000 garda\u00ed. Combined with the civilianisation we have seen in recent years, that allows for significant enhancement and redeployment of garda\u00ed onto the front line. I will try to come back to the Deputy with information from the Minister for justice on the specific allocation. I know a lot of the newer probationary garda\u00ed have gone to some of the suburban parts of Dublin in the past 12 months, reflecting some of the demographic changes we are seeing but also the need for increased policing and visibility. I will reflect the concerns raised by the Deputy to the Minister , who can relay that to the Garda. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Liam Quaide","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Liam-Quaide.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Liam Quaide  Overcrowding on the Midleton-Cork rail line is reaching farcical levels. For a prolonged period, peak-time services have been left operating with just two carriages. This morning, a constituent told me the train was again dangerously overcrowded, with the driver on one journey having to get out to stop commuters boarding at Glounthaune and Little Island. My colleague, Councillor Eamonn Horgan, has been raising this issue over the past year. Irish Rail accepts that peak-time services are overcrowded but says there are no spare carriages available.  The Minister's own figures show Ireland collected \u20ac32.9 billion in corporation tax last year. Why is his Department so tight-fisted with the basics while revenues of that scale are coming in? How can we have so little to show for such extraordinary resources that these Cork commuters are still being packed into two-carriage trains just to get to work and college? People in Youghal are in a much worse predicament, with no rail and a shambles of a bus services that would drive you to despair. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  As I said to Deputy Brennan, the capital investment in transport is due to significantly increase in the next number of years. If one takes the Cork area commuter rail programme, which the Deputy did not mention, for example, there will be significant progress in the wider Cork area over the next number of months and, indeed, the next number of years, where people will see improvements in public transport, in particular. The work we are doing with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is to ensure the bus service complements the significant enhancement of the commuter rail programme.  We are absolutely clear that, through our fiscal plan, we want to prioritise infrastructure investment in public transport and our wider transport system to ensure we reduce congestion and improve the commuter experience for many people who use public transport. With the progress being made by Irish Rail, such as the double tracking between Glounthaune and Midleton and other progress across the Cork area commuter rail plan, people will see the improvements over the period ahead. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Naoise \u00d3 Cear\u00fail","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Naoise-\u00d3-Cear\u00fail.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Naoise-\u00d3-Cear\u00fail.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Naoise \u00d3 Cear\u00fail  Annual antisocial behaviour on Aghards green in Celbridge in County Kildare has now become criminal activity leading up to Halloween. It is becoming a longer process. We previously had bonfires. Now, we have cars driving over greens and scramblers. This is right beside the national school, Scoil Mochua, and also beside the playground. Residents' houses are being smashed. Front windows are being smashed and there are Garda investigations under way there. The Garda is doing its very best in increasing patrols and trying to help the residents of this area but what we need in Celbridge and Kildare, because we have the lowest ratio of garda\u00ed per capita in the country, is increased numbers of garda\u00ed and Garda resources. I ask the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, for the Leixlip district and Celbridge Garda station to be afforded additional resources to tackle this issue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy. I regret that the local residents are experiencing such challenges with antisocial behaviour. As the Deputy said, that is worsening and exacerbated by the darker evenings. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to respond. Similar issues were raised by others earlier in the engagement. I will ask the Minister to reflect on the particular need for growing commuter areas to see the benefits of increased police numbers. That should exceed 15,000 in the next number of months. That will provide additional opportunities to the Commissioner to deploy extra garda\u00ed in those areas that are most in need. The Deputy is right; we need to see improved visibility in that context. I will reflect that to the Minister for justice and I appreciate the Deputy raising it today. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter 'Chap' Cleere","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-'Chap'-Cleere.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Peter-'Chap'-Cleere.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere  Kilkenny City Vocational School and Col\u00e1iste Pobail Osra\u00ed are both excellent schools that do hugely important work for young people and the wider Kilkenny community. However, their new school campus project has been stuck at stage 2B for quite some time. The school community and I are eager to see it progressed to the next stage as a matter of urgency. I spoke with both schools and school leaderships last week. Certainty around capital funding is needed. This project would provide modern, fit for purpose facilities and would be a vital investment in both schools and the wider school community and be a positive boost for the whole of Kilkenny city. I ask that capital funding be made available as soon as possible so that the project can move to tender stage. After all of the work and commitment in getting the project to this stage, the school communities deserve certainty and a clear pathway to delivery. God knows they have waited long enough. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I know he has raised it a number of times with the Taoiseach and others. In terms of education funding more generally, there was a \u20ac5 billion allocation in the previous five-year cycle in the national development plan. We prioritised educational resourcing of a 50% increase in the 2025-2030 plan to \u20ac7.5 billion. The Minister for education has published the sectoral investment plan for education. I appreciate the wider uncertainty, the lack of clarity that is reflected in the school community and the importance of progress in terms of it being stuck at 2B. I will ask the Minister for education to engage with the school on this matter. The level of funding should provide for the significant enhancement of existing school buildings but also for new schools right across the country. We sought to prioritise it in the national development plan and I will ask for the school to be provided with more certainty on the matter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"William Aird","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/William-Aird.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"William-Aird.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy William Aird  I raise the issue of school transport. I have been inundated with contacts from parents whose children do not have a school bus ticket this year. Many of them had tickets for several years but, this year, they have none. These include children going into sixth class in primary school and sixth year in post-primary school. There is confusion regarding the difference between eligible and concessionary tickets. There is a lack of clarity about how distances are measured. Some children have no seat just because the bus is too small. We cannot expect children to move school because transport has changed. As one parent put it simply to me, the children get their books and their school meals but what good is any of that if they cannot get to school? I ask the Minister to ensure the shortcomings in the school transport scheme are urgently addressed so that children are not left behind before the school day even begins. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I regret that some students in Laois have had that direct experience. As a Government, we have all supported a significant expansion in this over the last number of years. There were around 120,000 children using the service in 2019. That figure is now 181,000 in 2026. Matched with that has been an unprecedented level of funding to support the service. There was \u20ac219 million allocated in 2019 and that is due to exceed \u20ac600 million this year. As a Government, we have prioritised supporting rural school transport right across the country. This is managed on behalf of the State and Government by Bus \u00c9ireann, which co-ordinates the wider day-to-day operation of the service.  I will ask my colleagues in the Department of education to engage with the Deputy to try to resolve some of the issues that are there for some students. In the wider complexity and organisation of this, I accept there are particular issues in certain areas which raise their head every year. I will ask the Department to engage with the Deputy on it and I regret that students have had that experience. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh  We are here again. There are so many children in my constituency in south Kildare who do not have an appropriate school place - or any school place - yet this year. I raise the case of two particular families. They are families who have done everything right. They engaged with the NCSE and applied to schools across their area and well beyond and yet their children remain at home while their peers and siblings are in classrooms. It is having a devastating impact on their development. One child, Kayden from Monasterevin, is autistic and has already spent a year being home schooled. His parents have applied to 20 schools over the past two years and homeschooling just is not meeting his needs. Another child, Jack from the Curragh, finished primary school in June. Jack is autistic and has a moderate intellectual disability. He has been refused by all of his local special schools. These families are heartbroken. More importantly, two vulnerable children are being denied their right to education. What immediate action will the Government take to secure appropriate school places for these children don scoilbhliain seo? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge the particular instances of the children she has raised. We have sought to prioritise special education funding in the past successive series of years. In 2026, there is a \u20ac3 billion allocation for special education - the highest annual provision in the history of the State and a 58% increase since 2020.  That has allowed for a significant expansion of special classes, supporting increased numbers of SNAs and teachers in special education right across the country, as well as 16 new special schools. I do not have a specific localised brief on the case the Deputy raised but I will ask that the Department of education and particularly NCSE, which is tasked with this matter, engage with the parents to provide some certainty on when an appropriate school place will be provided. That is what we are seeking to do in how we prioritise funding in this area. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Carol Nolan  Last week, I met the Offaly IFA branch at the Ploughing Championships in Tullamore. It was emphasised to me and many other politicians, including our MEPs, that it is vital that a CAP budget of at least \u20ac500 billion is secured in the upcoming negotiations. If that is not secured and, for instance, if there is a 42% change to the CAP budget, in my county of Offaly, it would lead to a loss of \u20ac9.1 million every year from 2028 to 2034 and a loss of 100 jobs every year for that period also. It is extremely concerning. It is important to note that CAP is not a bonus for our Irish farmers. It is the foundation that supports family farming, food production, rural communities and, of course, our economy. Any weakening of the CAP budget would be a direct threat to our economy, to rural Ireland and to the family farm. We need urgent intervention. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jack Chambers","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Jack-Chambers.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Jack Chambers  I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this important issue. Like her, I met with the IFA last week at the Ploughing Championship and I acknowledged its concerns based on the current draft proposals for the multi-annual financial framework in Europe on which negotiation is continuing. The Taoiseach, the T\u00e1naiste as Minister of Finance, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, are all co-ordinating Ireland's position on that but also reflecting our position in the context of the European Presidency at the moment. CAP represents a long-standing strategic investment not only in Ireland's position in terms of agrifood production but also supporting farmers in the context of the importance of the European Union's food security. There is a long way to go in this negotiation. Clearly, we want to see protection of farmers but also continued enhancement of agrifood production in this country. We need to support farm incomes and also support generational renewal which is another priority that the IFA and others have referenced. We will continue to work on that over the months ahead. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"An tOrd Gn\u00f3 - Order of Business"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_9","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/89","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/89\/dail\/1","houseCode":"dail","stage":"1","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) (Smokefree Generation) Bill 2026: First Stage (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) (Smokefree Generation) Bill 2026: First Stage","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_9","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Malcolm Byrne  I move:  That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2024 to prohibit the sale and supply of tobacco products, nicotine products and nicotine inhalation products to persons born on or after 1 January 2009; to provide for related offences, enforcement and penalties; and to provide for related matters.  I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this. The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2024 to introduce smoke-free generation measures, whereby the sale and supply of tobacco products, nicotine products and nicotine inhalation products will be prohibited to persons born on or after the 1 January 2019, those who turn 18 on or after 1 January 2027. The idea behind this measure is that it will provide a rolling age restriction, ensuring that the specified cohort will never be legally permitted to purchase some of these products over their lifetime. We know that about 100 people in Ireland die every week from nicotine-related illnesses and about 1,000 people are hospitalised every week.  The major causes, as we know, are cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, and heart disease. The RCSI in estimating the costs of smoking has calculated that in Ireland there are about 5 million years in shorter lives as a result of smoking, 2.5 million years in productivity lost and the net cost to our healthcare system is \u20ac20.2 billion. Even in pure economic terms, being able to address this issue is critical.  This legislation has strong support from organisations such as the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation and many medics operating in this area. I am very grateful for their support and for the engagement that I have had with them over the past number of months in the preparation of this legislation. I also know that many youth groups and organisations support this. FDYS in Wexford raised a lot of awareness about the dangers of vapes to young people. Comhairle na n\u00d3g right around the country, including in Wexford, Donegal, Mayo and Kerry, as well as at a national level have expressed continued concern that in many ways we are losing the battle against nicotine. As the Taoiseach rightly pointed out recently, a lot of these nicotine and tobacco companies are now using vaping as their way to create a new generation of addicts.  We should be rightly proud in this country of the leadership shown by the Taoiseach when he was Minister for health when he led the ban on smoking in the workplace over a quarter of a century ago. Recently the Minister of State, Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, has made some very positive moves in restricting flavoured vapes and the fancy packaging which are very deliberately targeted at young people. However, we need to go further.  As Members will know, similar legislation is being considered in New Zealand in the UK. I have yet to meet an older person who is a smoker who has ever said that they were glad that they took it up. They regret having started. I am not saying this will be the silver bullet that will solve all the problems that are there. There will still be the challenge with the black market and the challenge of big tobacco seeking every way to find to find loopholes. However, I believe it sends a very clear message that we want to encourage a smoke-free generation. We want to ensure that more people will not suffer from cancer, COPD, and heart and lung diseases. We want to keep people out of hospitals as a result of nicotine and tobacco.  The Bill is a relatively simple Bill. I am glad the Taoiseach has said that he will be considering matters in this regard. I hope that Ireland can once again provide leadership in this space and that the Government will take on board the proposals in this smoke-free generation Bill and that we would move to a situation whereby the sale or supply of tobacco, nicotine, nicotine-inhaling products or any nicotine product intended for consumption, including nicotine patches, will be prohibited so that anybody who is born on or after 1 January 2009 will be free from those products. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Is the Bill opposed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  No. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Malcolm Byrne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Malcolm-Byrne.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Malcolm Byrne  I move: \"That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time.\" "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) (Smokefree Generation) Bill 2026: First Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_10","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/90","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/90\/dail\/1","houseCode":"dail","stage":"1","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Dublin Local Authorities (Visitor Accommodation Levy) Bill 2026: First Stage (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Dublin Local Authorities (Visitor Accommodation Levy) Bill 2026: First Stage","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_10","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul McAuliffe","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul McAuliffe","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul McAuliffe  I move:  That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to enable each Dublin local authority to adopt a scheme imposing a visitor accommodation levy on overnight stays in tourist accommodation within its functional area; to provide for the rate, collection, remittance and ring-fencing of revenue from such a levy; to provide for public consultation prior to the adoption of any such scheme; to provide for a register of accommodation providers, for the appointment of authorised officers and for compliance and enforcement; to provide for co-operation between Dublin local authorities and with digital accommodation platforms; to amend the Local Government Act 2001; and to provide for related matters.  In my time in this House, I have noticed two things. First, those of us who are not Ministers are often slower to identify how we raise revenue but perhaps quicker to identify how we might spend it and I include myself in that category. Second, in this House when we are trying to solve a local or regional issue, we often do so with a centralised or national solution. I believe this legislation challenges both of those conventions.  Today I am introducing the Dublin Local Authorities (Visitor Accommodation Levy) Bill 2026, which will provide a legal framework for Dublin's four local authorities to decide whether to introduce a levy on paid overnight accommodation in their local authority area. The legislation will not automatically introduce the levy; instead it will give local elected councils the power to decide whether such a levy should apply in their council area and what the rate should be set at. This is about giving local government the option that it simply does not have at present.  I should say I love my city and I love welcoming people to this city. Tourism is a really important part of our local economy but it also comes at a cost. In proposing this legislation, I am providing the four Dublin local authorities a sustainable way to invest in their tourism offering. They do so very successfully at the moment, supporting events that we see year in, year out, events like the St. Patrick's Festival, college football events, international sporting events, high-profile concerts and, importantly, local culture and historic festivals.  By maintaining and improving the public realm, tourism infrastructure and the services that make Dublin attractive, we can continue to make it a great place to visit. There is a strong case for allowing our local authorities to consider introducing a visitor levy. Importantly, this Bill would leave that decision with the elected councillors in each of the local authorities.  Under the Bill, a council would choose to introduce a levy whereby it could charge either a fixed amount per person per night or a percentage or a nightly rate accommodation charge. A maximum percentage rate would be set by the Minister through regulations, and other regulations would apply. Before any scheme would be adopted, a local authority would be required to publish its proposed scheme at least 60 days in advance and invite submissions from members of the public and relevant stakeholders. A report on that consultation process would have to be published before elected members voted on the proposal. Any money raised through the levy would be ring-fenced in a separate account and could not be used for general expenditure by a council. Instead, revenue could be used for tourism infrastructure and services, improvements to the public realm, culture, sporting or heritage events, sustainable tourism initiatives and other purposes connected with the impact of tourism.  If the councils choose to introduce a levy, Dubliners should be able to see clearly where that money goes and how it is improving the city and county. That is why transparency and ring-fencing of the funding are important parts of the Bill. The introduction of the Bill follows months of work by my party and other parties. In fact, this conversation has been taking place for many years. When I first served on the council, people like Mary Friel and Dermot Lacey of the Labour Party, Deputy Geoghegan, my coalition colleague, and Green Party, Sinn F\u00e9in and other councillors discussed it and the additional revenue streams that could be generated. I am of the view that there is a great deal of consensus around this issue.  We have moved from discussing the idea to developing the research to now putting legislation before the D\u00e1il. I want to see the Bill progress now through the Oireachtas in order that local authorities in Dublin will have the option to avail of it. There appears to be widespread support at Government level. I have heard comments from Ministers and the Taoiseach on the matter. In putting the legislation forward, I am challenging the Government to move now from support to implementation. I am assisting it with legislation that will allow it to prioritise the issue.  There are more than 17 sections in the Bill. Section 3 explains how the levy would be calculated and section 12 would permit local authorities in Dublin to share administrative services and enter into co-operation agreements with online booking platforms for easier collection. Many of the sections deal with the pragmatic and practical steps that would need to be taken to facilitate the implementation of the Bill.  I commend the Bill to the House. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Is the Bill opposed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  No. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul McAuliffe","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Paul-McAuliffe.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul McAuliffe  I move: \"That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time.\" "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Dublin Local Authorities (Visitor Accommodation Levy) Bill 2026: First Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_11","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_11","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  I move:  That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the D\u00e1il of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the D\u00e1il of 16th June, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those next set down to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence, without any change to the allocation of Priority Questions:  Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade  Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage  Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration  Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine  Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science  Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht  Minister for Health  whereupon the sequence established by the Order of 5th February, 2025, shall continue with Questions to the T\u00e1naiste and Minister for Finance. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_12","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_12","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  I move:  That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the D\u00e1il of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the D\u00e1il of 16th June, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those next set down to the Minister for Transport shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence, without any change to the allocation of Priority Questions:  T\u00e1naiste and Minister for Finance  Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade  Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage  Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration  Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine  Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science  Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht  Minister for Health  Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport  whereupon the sequence established by the Order of 5th February, 2025, shall continue with Questions to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions: Motion"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_13","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Fifteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection: Motion","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_13","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  I move:  That D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 23rd September, 2026, approves the Fifteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann on 18th September, 2026. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Fifteenth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection: Motion"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_14","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna - Questions","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_14","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  Questions to the Taoiseach are being taken by the Government Chief Whip. The Deputy who tabled the question is not present. We are slightly ahead of time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Mary Butler)  If the Deputy is not present, there is nobody to ask the question. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  That is correct. There is nothing we can do in that regard. I thank the Chief Whip. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mary Butler","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Mary-Butler.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mary Butler  I thank the Ceann Comhairle. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna - Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_15","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/84","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/84\/dail\/2","houseCode":"dail","stage":"2","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage","counts":{"speechCount":9,"speakerCount":8},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_15","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Dara Calleary)  Tairgim: \u201cGo l\u00e9ifear an Bille an Dara hUair anois.\"  I move: \"That the Bill be now read a Second Time.\"  I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026 go dt\u00ed an D\u00e1il. The Bill contains measures to amend the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, the Civil Registration Act 2004 and the Charities Act 2009. This reflects the wide range of areas under the remit of the Departments of Social Protection and Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. I thank all the civil servants involved in the preparation of the Bill.  On the social welfare side, a key provision in the Bill is to provide the legislative basis for public service cardholders to be able to use their cards, of their own volition and on a purely voluntary basis, as a form of identity. Currently, only public sector bodies specified in law can request and accept the public services card as a form of identity. If any other institution does so, for example, a bank, credit union or utility company, it is guilty of an offence. The amendment provided in the Bill will facilitate people to offer their public services card as a form of identity if they wish to do so. It will not enable institutions to request it, but they will no longer be guilty of an offence if they accept it as proof of identity.  The Bill also provides the legislative basis for a person to be able to request that their date of birth be inscribed on their public services card. Again, this will only be included if the cardholder requests it. The intention is to facilitate people who may wish to use their card as a form of age verification. The Bill also provides for a range of amendments to improve the functioning of the social welfare appeals office and a number of technical amendments to keep the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 up do date as part of an ongoing programme of legislative modernisation.  On the civil registration side, there are two main types of provisions included in the Bill. One set will make improvements to the functioning of the General Register Office. I will outline the specific amendments when I go through the Bill section by section. The second set of amendments includes a range of proposals from my colleague the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. While the Civil Registration Act 2004 falls under my remit, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality has responsibility for birth information and tracing and for the State\u2019s response to illegal birth registrations.  The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 contains a range of measures to address issues arising for people affected by illegal birth registration, as well as amendments to the Civil Registration Act 2004. In the course of engagements with officials in the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality, persons affected by illegal birth registrations requested improvements to the terminology used. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has worked closely with officials from my Department and the special advocate for survivors to develop the amendments, including changing the title of the register, created by Part 9 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, from the \"Register under Part 3B\u201d to the \u201cRegister of Lived Identity\u201d, and changing the term used to \"withdrawal\" of an entry in the register of births rather than \"cancellation\".  In order to ensure, as far as possible, that all affected people\u2019s views were heard and taken into account, the proposed changes were the subject of a public consultation which ran from 13 March to 10 April of this year. Some 166 responses were received from affected persons, others who were adopted or boarded out and their families and friends. There was overwhelming support for the proposed changes. The Bill also amends access to the register of lived identity to make it more open, where an affected person so wishes. Importantly, these proposed amendments will not affect the rights of people who wish for their entry to remain private.  The third Act amended by this Bill is the Charities Act of 2009. Members of the Charity Appeals Tribunal provide an essential service to the charities sector in Ireland. I thank the chairman and members of the tribunal for their ongoing expertise, commitment and careful consideration of each case that comes before them. The amendments to the Act are wholly technical and operational in nature. However, they are essential in supporting the ongoing efficient operation of the tribunal and ensuring that it can deliver on the statutory requirements relating to it.  Members will be aware that the general scheme of the Bill was the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny in April and May this year. I thank the Chair, Deputy John Paul O'Shea, and all members of the committee for their work in this process. I welcome the support of the committee in progressing the amendments to the Civil Registration Act and the Charities Act. The joint committee's pre-legislative report contained a number of recommendations about the digitalisation of services. It wanted to make sure that offline application options remain possible, that digital systems are accessible and inclusive, that the impact on take-up is monitored and that there is engagement with the representative groups. I could not agree more. I am strongly committed to this. My Department and its officials will deliver.  My Department's strategy is to encourage the take-up of online services on a digital-by-desire basis, rather than to require or compel customers to use the online options. In designing and in delivering digital services, accessibility is always a key focus in the Department, with accessibility testing completed on all services being developed on our digital platforms before they go live. Customers are routinely advised of the various channels available to access Department services, enabling them to choose the option that is most appropriate to their circumstances. Officials regularly engage with advocacy groups, representative organisations and customers to inform continuous service improvement across all of our delivery channels.  The report also made a number of recommendations about the processing of personal data. I put on record that the processing of personal data, including very sensitive personal data, is subject to clearly specified safeguards under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. It is also done in accordance with GDPR requirements. My Department actively implements its range of oversight arrangements for all of its processing of personal data. I have taken particular note of the recommendations relating to informing individuals that the use of a public services card is voluntary, either by legislation or by a public awareness campaign. I support the underlying objective of these recommendations. I have asked officials to examine them further in advance of Committee Stage.  I will go through the Bill section by section. The Bill contains 26 sections in four Parts. In Part 1, sections 1 and 2 contain standard provisions of the Short Title, construction, collective citation, definitions and commencement. Section 3 provides for the repeal of section 14 of the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Act 2024. This is a consequential amendment. This section shall come into effect following the commencement of section 21 of this Bill.  Part 2 amends the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. Section 4 provides for the repeal of pre-retirement allowance and removes references to the scheme in the principal Act. This scheme has been closed to new applicants since 2007. There are no customers in receipt of this payment. Section 5 is part of the legislation modernisation programme. It provides for an update of references to tax regulations in the principal Act. Section 6 provides for the abolition of the provision whereby a person may be disqualified from receipt of jobseeker's benefit for a certain period and in certain circumstances when he or she receives a redundancy payment. This provision is no longer a requirement since the introduction of a pay-related jobseeker's benefit scheme. Section 7 provides for a number of technical amendments to the name of schemes consequent to the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2025.  Section 8 provides for amendments to section 263 to allow a public services cardholder, at his or her request, to inscribe his or her date of birth on the public services card to enable the public services card to be used as a means of verifying age. The cardholder may also request the removal of the date of birth from the public services card. In addition, it allows the cardholder to offer the public services card at his or her own discretion as a form of identity for a purpose that is not a transaction with a specified body, that is not a public sector body that is specified in Schedule 5 of the Act. It clarifies that the public services card remains the property of the Minister for Social Protection at all times, and that the card is non-transferable. Section 9 amends section 300A of the principal Act, which provides the statutory basis for deciding officers to seek a medical assessor's opinion in determining entitlement to certain benefits. This amendment further provides that appeals officers and the chief appeal officer may seek the opinion of a medical assessor when deciding questions related to the relevant statutory duties.  Section 10 provides that the chief appeals officer may remit a decision back to an appeals officer for his or her consideration in circumstances where remittal will resolve the matter faster overall. Section 11 provides for the allowance of an appeal to the High Court on a point of law from any decision of the chief appeals officer, whether revised or unrevised.  Part 3 amends the Civil Registration Act 2004. Section 12 provides for the definitions used in Part 3. Sections 13, 16, 18 and 22 substitute \"register\" or \"register under 3B\" with \"register of lived identity\" in various sections. Section 14 provides that the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, can register the birth of a child with the father's details on foot of a court order, naming him as the father of the child. Section 15 provides for the re-registration of a birth, to correct the name of a father where the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the qualified informant and where that agency has been granted a court order, naming the father of a child under section 35 of the Status of Children Act 1987. Section 17 provides for the substitution of section 30H, \"Correction, cancellation or registration of entries in register of births\", with a new section, \"Error in relevant entry\". Section 19 amends section 30J, which provides that an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir maintains an index to the register of lived identity and sets out who may apply for a search of the register and the index. This amendment allows a person who has been nominated by the affected person or a member of the public to make an application to an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir where the person affected by the illegal birth registration gives his or her permission in writing.  Section 20 provides for the public inspection of information on the index linking the register of births and the register of lived identity where the affected person to whom the information pertains has given his or her consent to an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir to make his or her entry publicly available. Section 21 provides that a medical practitioner who attended to a deceased person outside of a hospital or other institution may authorise a person to perform the medical practitioner's duty to notify the particulars of a death to an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir. Section 23 allows an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir to correct a factual or clerical error in an online registration where that error has been notified to an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir by any person, including the staff of an tArd-Chl\u00e1raitheoir.  Section 24 updates the provisions for vital statistics in section 73 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 to align with the current practices on the compilation, abstraction and publication of vital statistics, which is now primarily conducted by the Central Statistics Office. However, I bring to the attention of Deputies that following further consultation with the Central Statistics Office, I am of a view that a more extensive review of the vital statistics provisions in the Civil Registration Act 2004 and its relationship with provisions in the Statistics Act 1993 would put the processing of vital statistics on a more robust legal footing. For that reason, I intend to introduce a Committee Stage amendment to remove section 24 from the Bill to allow sufficient time for my officials to liaise with the General Register Office, the Central Statistics Office and the Office of the Attorney General on this matter. Section 25 amends the particulars required when registering a birth or stillbirth so that signatures are only required where applicable, given the option of online registration.  Part 4 of this Bill amends the Charities Act 2009. Section 26 amends section 33 of the 2009 Act with revised definitions for the relevant Minister, the relevant body and the relevant regulator.  In addition, it amends section 77 of the 2009 Act, setting the quorum of the Charity Appeals Tribunal at three members, including the chairperson. These amendments also provide for the nomination of a deputy chairperson to chair a hearing of a tribunal in the absence of the appointed chairperson. Finally, it provides that witnesses before the tribunal will have an immunity from disclosing information or providing evidence about a certain subject.  This is mainly a technical Bill. I thank the Deputies who were involved in pre-legislative scrutiny. I commend the Bill to the House. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Louise O'Reilly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Louise-O'Reilly.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Louise O'Reilly  The Minister will know my views on this because we have had a discussion about it. For the purpose of putting them on the record, however, I cannot emphasise how foolish I believe it will be to allow this Bill to pass in its current form, owing to the provisions specifically in section 8, which seek to expand further the functions of the public services card, PSC. This is being done at a time when that very card and the legal underpinning are being called into question in court. The Minister will know that his colleague, the former Minister, Regina Doherty, famously said in 2018 that the PSC was \"mandatory\" but \"not compulsory\". We have been asking ourselves at the committee - the Minister might not say in this House, but he might have scratched his head and asked - what, in the name of God, does that actually mean? In her confused statement, I believe she gave away what the Government's intentions are, which is to keep expanding this card and its use and to make it into a de facto national ID card without the proper security features that any such card should have.  Though the Government has consistently tried to row back on the former Minister, Regina Doherty's statements, insisting that the card is voluntary in practice, it risks becoming effectively mandatory because when a single ID card becomes widely accepted across the public and private sectors, people will feel a pressure to use it. This is a fact and there are multiple international examples of this. I scratch my head about this all the time. In the same breath as the Minister says that it is voluntary, I also know that the free travel pass cannot be accessed without it. That is not voluntary. A person can volunteer to not have the free travel pass. That is not fair. Most of these people have worked all their lives. People look forward to getting the free travel pass. Of course they do. Now they have to have the PSC. That is not fair nor voluntary. The only thing a person can volunteer to do is not get the travel pass to which they are entitled.  I am concerned, as are others, that this centralised use could also weaken the security of the PSC. The Government has consistently dismissed the concerns in its response to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, Digital Rights Ireland and my own contribution during pre-legislative scrutiny. National ID cards are tough and difficult to make. They should be, and for a reason. Biometric data is ever-more sensitive in our changing world and the absolute bare minimum provisions needed, I believe, are at least that the card be protected by an up-to-date, state-of-the-art security feature, so that a person may use a virtual PPSN rather than revealing their PPSN; that the public service identity dataset is not used in any way, shape or form for biometric matching; and that the PSC must allow cryptographic authentication. This is not the case with this card as it stands. I am baffled as to what the rush is. A legal case is under way. The Minister is well aware of that. It is entirely possible to wait for the outcome of that. If the Minister is so set on putting this card into use, he should wait until it has proper legislative underpinning. I believe the current underpinning is quite shaky. MyGovID and SAFE Registration still do not have a proper statutory basis.  I am conscious that there is a lot more in this legislation than just the public services card but it is the one that took up some time when we considered the Bill in the committee. It is the one around which I have most concerns. As the Minister has said, the rest of the Bill is technical in nature. This is really important. People in Digital Rights Ireland and the ICCL, serious people who have given over time to study this, are sounding alarm bells. The Government is still parroting that mortifying line from the former Minister that it is mandatory but not compulsory. It is compulsory if a person wants to have the free travel pass. It is becoming more and more embedded. We are heading down a road without proper discussion and consultation. We are heading in the direction of a national ID card and I do not believe that this is what people want. In the absence of a discussion, it is said of the public services card that a person might like it but they do not have to have it. The Government will then add little bits to it until, eventually, we find ourselves in a situation where people cannot access the travel pass or public services without it. It is becoming increasingly more difficult. The Minister said in his opening remarks that he wants to make sure that offline application options remain possible, and that the digital systems are accessible and inclusive. They have to be accessible and inclusive to people who have legitimate concerns in relation to the storing of their biometric and other data. They are not. For as long as they are not, we have no option but to oppose this.  The Minister said that the Department's strategy is to encourage the take-up of online services on a digital-by-desire basis but that is not the case with at least one aspect. We know that this is going to grow. He told us that he took particular note of the recommendations relating to informing individuals that the use of the PSC is voluntary, either by legislation or by a public awareness campaign, and that he supports the underlying objective of the recommendations and that he has asked his officials to examine them further. We will have this discussion on Committee Stage and I look forward to it. I hope the Minister looks forward to receiving the amendments that I will be putting down and having that engagement, because it is important. We would be foolish, as would the Minister, to stand in this Chamber and pretend that there are not legitimate concerns. People are concerned. They are concerned about the processing of their data, about giving over information without necessarily knowing that the information is needed and that the information will be handled correctly. There is an ongoing legal case, which I will not refer to. In that atmosphere and given that fact, it is incumbent on us to go slowly on this, to have that consultation and to listen to those experts. There was no meaningful consultation, no quantifiable way of establishing whether or not people actually want this card. I note that representatives from the Department say that people want the card but it is not asking if people want the card. They are applying for it in many instances because they do not have a choice but that is not the same thing as saying that they want the card.  I look forward to engaging with this legislation on Committee Stage. I look forward to debating amendments that will be brought forward by myself and others. I assure the Minister of our co-operation in getting business done as quickly as we possibly can but he can also be on notice that we will not rush to a timetable that may or may not suit other people. We will be putting those concerns to the fore. People value their data. More and more, people are talking about concerns in relation to their own data protection and GDPR. This legislation does not do anything to allay the cautions that are necessary in relation to those concerns. For that reason, we will be putting forward amendments. In his remarks, the Minister has signalled a willingness to bring amendments on Committee Stage for certain aspects. I ask him to have a look at the points made by the ICCL and Digital Rights Ireland, to take them on board and to bring forward consequent amendments that will reflect the concerns that are out there. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","memberCode":"Mark-Ward.D.2019-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Ward  The majority of the provisions in this Bill are procedural, and, as Deputy O'Reilly said already, we will not oppose them. However, section 8 of this Bill must be removed. It must be made explicitly clear that a person should have access to any service available without using a public services card other than the Department of Social Protection. This must reflect the current legal position arising from the agreement between the Data Protection Commission and the Department of Social Protection. If enacted, section 8 would lead to the public services card becoming a de facto general-purpose ID card. The Government is making the public services card mandatory by stealth. I will give the Minister a personal example. My driver's licence was up for renewal. I applied to have it renewed but I could not without a public services card because I had changed address recently.  I had not got a public services card, I never had a need for a public services card and I never had any interest in obtaining one but because you cannot renew your licence or learner permit online without a public services card, and because I needed a change of address, I had no choice but to apply for a public services card. I have one in my wallet as we speak. There was no other way to resolve this issue without my getting a public services card, so in this instance it was mandatory. As I said, the only voluntary part of this was for me to not drive any more. I need a licence. There are other cases, as has been raised already. If you are over 65 years of age, you cannot access free travel without a public services card. The Minister said in his opening remarks that the use of the public services card was voluntary but that is not voluntary to my mind. If over-65s want to access free travel, they have to have public services cards, and I just spoke about how I needed it to renew my driver licence. For me, that was mandatory.  Turning to section 10, I tabled a number of questions to the Minister for oral answer. They were not chosen, so I will bring them up here instead, as they are loosely related to section 10, which relates to the Chief Appeals Officer. I hope that will lead to quicker decisions being made. That needs to be done.  I want to raise the issue of appeals when things fall through the cracks. The Department of Social Protection is using GoFundMe-type fundraisers to deny people exceptional needs payments. I had a case recently when a single mother passed away, leaving a young family. Most of them are under the age of 18 and it will mostly be left to the oldest daughter to take over their guardianship. The community has rallied around this young family in these tragic circumstances, which is welcome, and it did a GoFundMe to deal with costs that might occur down the line. It raised a moderate amount, not a huge amount. One of the children, who at the time was a young adult, applied for an exceptional needs payment to cover funeral expenses but that was denied because of the GoFundMe. The applicant was never asked to disclose this, which leads me to believe that somewhere in the Department there is someone who, when they see a tragic death in a community, goes online to look to see if a GoFundMe was set up. That is immoral to me and does not sit right. Furthermore, when someone applies for an exceptional needs payment, they are asked to disclose the means they have at the moment. They are not asked to disclose any future means they may have. At the time of the application, the family had not received any benefit from the GoFundMe - there is not even any guarantee this family will receive the money from it - yet it was assessed on it anyway. I submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister on this recently to see how widespread the practice was because I do not believe it is an isolated incident.  Another issue related to appeals that is coming up with us regularly has to do with how fuel allowance is awarded. If you are on an invalidity pension and you are able to move onto a CE scheme \u2013 and it is welcome when someone is looking to come off invalidity payments and come back to the workspace \u2013 you are not allowed to apply for fuel allowance. I am asking that this be examined. Also, if an adult is working and still living at home with their parents, the parents are not allowed to apply for the fuel allowance. I have raised how this scenario of working adults living at home is happening more often because of the housing crisis and I would like the Minister to look at it.  I wish to raise a final matter that I have raised before. I have noticed a pattern with people coming to me with the same problem around the domiciliary carers allowance. A very high percentage of applicants seem to be turned down on their first application only to get it on appeal. Figures I received last year told me that 33% of all first-time applicants for the domiciliary care allowance were refused. Fifty percent of those appealed and of the 2,146 appeals, over 1,300 were successful. On that evidence, I would recommend to any parent out there who was denied domiciliary carers allowance to appeal it because on the evidence I have from the Minister\u2019s Department, they are likely to win. As one parent said to me, you would think the Government just wants people to go away after the first application is denied. To be honest, looking at these figures, it is hard not to agree with that sentiment. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa  As I follow my two colleagues, the Minister will have got the idea that we have a particular problem with section 8, and why would we not? Anyone who had needed State services in the last while knows that, in order to access them, particularly online, a public services card is required. We need to just knock the idea that it is voluntary on its head straight away. We know there are huge issues. For want of a better term, how the State came upon something like 70% of the biometric information and data was illegal. I would like that point answered.  There is a real issue. Deputy Ward spoke about his driver licence. I can speak about my own young fellow and his permit. He is not driving at the moment, which can be a nuisance to me. Some of that delay is down to him but there is also the fact that there was a requirement for a public services card. There has to be a greater element of truth around the fact that this is becoming a requirement, an almost requirement or something where the State has made things so hard that it may as well be a requirement for State services. With many of the people who come into our constituency offices, we tell them that is the easiest way to do it. If what the Department is looking for is a State or national ID, then it should be clear about that.  There is an issue about the information and how it is contained. Deputy O\u2019Reilly spoke about how we had no level of security over what is required. We have all spoken about our own information and the data analytics being carried out by firms that are interested in making money. There is a better knowledge of GDPR and data privacy. When the State has this information, we need to ensure that it has been obtained legally, is operated correctly and is protected with a sufficient level of security, which I do not think is currently the case.  Similar to the point raised by Deputy Ward, I have a very specific ask around additional needs payments. I have dealt with an issue for a number of constituents, some who have got over the line and others who have not, who have had boilers that went kaput and they did not have the money or time to undergo a full Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, warmer homes retrofit or whatever. Previously, they would have been able to apply for housing for older people supports from the local authority but now the only thing you can get if you want an oil or gas boiler is a refurbished boiler. I challenge anyone to go out and try to find one of those. I would say it would be very difficult. I would even guess it was impossible. The service was provided in particular for those who were older and who would not have had the money to pay for this or to do the full retrofit required. We all know the best thing that can be done for a lot of older houses is to ensure they are proofed from the point of view of decent windows, doors and insulation. It does not always make great sense to introduce things like air-to-water pumps or renewable forms of energy. We know the necessity of ensuring that the house is airtight. My office is wasting time making multiple applications that fail just so people can look to apply for an additional needs payment.  I have a parliamentary question in to the Minister. I also have a parliamentary question in to the Minister for housing on the reverse. It is an issue that needs to be addressed. We get that in a perfect scenario we would be dealing with brand-new builds that are airtight and looking at air-to-air-type heating systems that work perfectly in those sets of circumstances, although that is very difficult to do from a retrofit point of view. The fact is that a huge number of people do not have the resources to outlay that money, and at this point in time a resource that was available to them previously is not available, whether that is through an additional needs payment or, as I said, through some of the supports that were available through the local authority. Between the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister for housing, it is something that needs to be addressed. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoin Hayes","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoin-Hayes.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoin Hayes  I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing forward this Bill, much of which contains, as he said, technical and administrative rationalisations. That is the unseen and unglamorous work in legislation and Departments but it is important, and I sincerely thank the officials for doing it. Improvements to the operations of the Charities Regulator are very welcome to ensure public confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of its governance. Charities do incredible work across this State in aiding our most vulnerable, and proper administration, enabled by legislation and the regulator, is critical to proper oversight. I also welcome the adjustments to the Civil Registration Act to make it more inclusive for the modern era. It is not very often that we do this continuously in Government Departments, and when it does happen it should be applauded. Progress sometimes means reform, and this is a very good example of it. I also thank the Minister and his officials for the meaningful engagement with those adopted or boarded out. I hope that is progress that continues hereafter. Lastly, I acknowledge the changes to the eligibility requirements for jobseeker's benefit to include those who have received redundancy payments. Losses of income and livelihoods should not be compounded by a State that does not do all it can to help people in that moment. The change here to include people who have recently been made redundant is very welcome, especially in the context of cascading layoffs in many companies in my constituency.  I encourage the Minister, however, to explore how people who are in self-employment and who may have catastrophic collapses in their income are supported. Many contractors in these companies in my constituency employ people who are dependent on occasional gig-like work, who earn on average much less than PAYE workers do and who need to be similarly supported so they are not put into incredible precarity. There is work to be done there, and if the principle of this change in the Bill is to support people who have lost their income regardless of redundancy payments or other means, that should be a universal principle applied equally.  There is, however, a core issue in this Bill that featured prominently in the pre-legislative scrutiny at committee, which I will now turn to, namely section 8 of the Bill, which seeks to amend legislation for an operation of the public services card. I want to be very clear in acknowledging the good parts of the public services card. It is a free card, unlike other forms of identification, like a driver's licence or a passport. That is of particular importance to people in low-income populations. I support the provisions of the Bill in ensuring that individuals are in control of who or what entity they give their public services card information to and can do so only with the cardholder's consent. That is a good principle. The existing use of the public services card in engagement with public services is primarily for social protection payments. Public use has increased drastically since its introduction, and many entities, like credit unions and NGOs, have voiced support for more widespread allowance of the use of the card to facilitate ordinary transactions, particularly for populations without a driver's licence or a passport.  There is no denying, however, that the public services card as an identity card has had a controversial past in this Chamber and outside of it since its introduction as a pilot by then Labour Minister Joan Burton in 2011. Today, 15 years later, there are 3.25 million cards in circulation, and 4.5 million in the population are SAFE registered, or have registered their information with the data system governing the card, including supplying biometric data that can be used by facial recognition software. Core to the criticism of the public services card in the past, including by the Data Protection Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General, is that there has been no primary legislation, business case or meaningful public debate on the issue of a broader digital identity infrastructure for citizens of this State. In effect, the card has introduced a State identity infrastructure through the back door. In 2012 the Department started using the card's biometric facial data with facial recognition technology, and in 2025 the Data Protection Commissioner found that this use was \"unlawful\" and levied a fine of \u20ac550,000 against the Department of Social Protection, a decision later appealed by the Department and currently before the courts. It is notable that the use of facial recognition technology on this data means that the Department and, by extension, others, including the Garda, can facially detect up to 70% of the population. This leaves some significant cause for concern. Notably, the DPC has said in committee that if it wins the case, it may use its full enforcement powers against the Department, namely:  Where we make a finding of unlawful processing of personal data, we can require the processing to cease, ban the processing from recommencing and require the data to be deleted. If our decision in this case is upheld, what we will be looking for is for those types of corrective measures to be implemented ...  This would effectively mean that all facial images may have to be purged from the Department's databases and the practice of collecting them and using them in facial recognition by the Department would have to halt. To date, no High Court or Supreme Court judgment has determined whether the PSC scheme is lawful or unlawful.  The governance, legislative basis and operations of the data associated with citizens through the PSC have been challenged repeatedly by other NGOs, including the ICCL, UCD's centre for digital policy and other concerned citizens. Some have gone so far as to call it \"unlawful\". The central controversy surrounding the card in Ireland historically has been its use, or potential use, as an identity card without being called one, or such use being legislated for, or this being the subject of sufficient public debate about the need, business case, purpose or risks associated with such use. I am reminded here, as were other speakers, of the radio interview in which then Fine Gael Minister Regina Doherty declared it was \"mandatory\" but \"not compulsory\". Today many social protection services and, reportedly, many other public services are in effect not easily accessible without a public services card. One witness at committee, Dr. Elizabeth Farries of the UCD centre for digital policy, said it was \"becoming effectively mandatory\". Notwithstanding the concerns about the PSC and identity infrastructure as they currently exist, much of my core concern during our pre-legislative scrutiny focused on how the scheme may be applied in the future. As Dr. Ferries described, the PSC enables a \"broad interoperable identity infrastructure in which data sets become linkable, profiling becomes easier and information collection for one purpose migrates into others\". On the question of function creep, or the data that would be used for things that it was not originally intended to be used for, there is precedent, as was reported to the committee. Given recent pronouncements by the Minister for culture and the President of the European Commission with regard to digital ID and integration of such IDs to authorise access to social media, there is some cause for concern that such identity infrastructure would extend use into the digital sphere and, in particular, social media. Dr. T.J. McIntyre of the ICCL said at committee that he suspected the effort from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of public expenditure and reform:  ... was to become an all-in-one public identification database, ... all of which is viewable by everybody and every government department. ... The problem is that, as things stand, the underlying database of the public services card ... is essentially a 360 degree view of the individual which contains all this information and does not have these more granular access controls in place regarding who can see what and which, if it is expanded for identity verification or age verification in other contexts, will unnecessarily leak information in those other contacts as well. There are fraud risks associated with giving out too much of this data.  If the future of the SAFE data, or PSC data, in particular facial recognition data, is the starting point of a more comprehensive database of activity of people on this island, the further contention is that this could lead to a kind of Big Brother or surveillance state infrastructure, including the use of such technology to profile the population. This was the most significant warning from witnesses - that the use of this data and the associated technologies could underpin a surveillance architecture through facial recognition. Dr. Ferries highlighted this repeatedly as a future risk. There are, she said, risks in surveillance associated with \"proportionality, democratic oversight, discrimination risks and the protection of fundamental rights showing up time and again\".  It is clear that there should have been a more comprehensive national debate on the question of national identity infrastructure. Primary legislation should have been moved, and the question of the primary uses of such infrastructure, the business case for its costs, the benefits, advantages or disadvantages and the oversight of such a system should have been part of that debate. We have still not had that. However, I acknowledge the public desire that the State facilitate the use of public services through more modern technologies. Many would argue that the State needs to modernise even more, and that public service cards yield usability benefits to the general public.  Since independence the Republic has had no major crisis of civil liberties. We live in a liberal society where privacy is respected in virtually all aspects of the law. Ireland also enjoys a fairly high level of trust among the public and the organs of the State. There is an expectation that they will interact with them in a fair way. This is internationally unusual. There are countless examples of other countries' police or military infrastructure being used against the populace in a systematic way. This has led, in other jurisdictions, to an inherent distrust of the state holding data on the person, restrictions on the use of that data and stronger legal and constitutional protections for privacy, confidentiality and proper oversight and governance. In the age of information technology, the ability of any state to use personal information for nefarious purposes has extended. The linking of data sets has become a much easier proposition than it was in the past, leading to a higher functionality for state systems in a variety of use cases. In the case of domestic surveillance of the population, new frontiers have opened and been pursued by governments internationally. That must be opposed and condemned, and I join anyone in that mission.  Notwithstanding Ireland's unique peaceful and lawful experience in these areas, there is always a risk that a future government or administration could use the infrastructure of the State to encroach on civil liberties, to target minority populations, for instance, or suppress political dissent. Furthermore, should the data be accessed by unscrupulous actors like hackers, compromised individuals within State bodies or foreign state actors, especially in the age of supercharged invasive AI, individuals could be targeted using the information held by the State without proper protection. There is a real risk that the infrastructure we build today could be misused.  From the perspective of the Oireachtas it is difficult to make an assessment of the proper governance of this data, or its future uses without more information on how the Department is using it, so I sought to do just that. I recently corresponded with the Minister for Social Protection on issues that have been raised in pre-legislative scrutiny, namely the uses, governance and future plans for public services card infrastructure. The information he provided was helpful and I sincerely thank him and his officials for being transparent, clear and comprehensive on these matters. I have some follow-up questions that I will return to him in due course. One part of the correspondence did cause me some concern, however. Under section 41(b) of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Department of Social Protection can supply any public services card data to An Garda if deemed, \"necessary and proportionate for the purposes [of] (a) of preventing a threat to national security, defence or public security [or] (b) of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting criminal offences.\" That does create a wide applicability without oversight, judicial or otherwise, and may be used as a pretext for law enforcement powers to use the data for means beyond what we might reasonably expect for social protection purposes. International experience would suggest this can be misused. While I have every faith, as I believe most people in this country do, that An Garda acts with probity in its role, that unfortunately may not always be the case in the future.  In summary, I welcome most of the provisions in this Bill. I still have some outstanding concerns on the identity infrastructure in Ireland, in particular how it might be misused in the future. I encourage the Minister to engage with the Data Protection Commissioner and other concerned citizens on their concerns about civil liberties and privacy, and on how we build a modern state that works for all of us and protects us all. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Cormac Devlin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Cormac-Devlin.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Cormac Devlin  I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026. While the Bill is largely technical in nature, it really matters to the people it impacts. The changes to the civil registration are straightforward and welcome. Tusla will be able to re-register a father's details for a child in its care on foot of a court declaration or order. The notification of deaths is modernised so a hospital or doctor can authorise another person to notify the General Register Office within five working days. These are sensible and practical reforms, and I support them. The most important changes in this part of the Bill are for people whose births were illegally registered. For decades babies were placed with couples and registered as if they had been born to them. There was no adoption order. There was no record they could find. For many, there was no knowledge at all. In 2018, Tusla identified 126 illegal registrations in the records of St. Patrick\u2019s Guild, covering the years 1946 to 1969. That number has since risen to 151 confirmed cases. The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 gave those affected the right to an accurate birth registration and legal recognition of the identity they have lived. That was real progress, and I acknowledge the work of successive Ministers, Tusla and the General Register Office in getting there.  This Bill builds on that. Under the current law an incorrect entry on the register of births is cancelled. For people who have lived their whole lives under the name, that word was deeply hurtful to them and to their families. It suggested that their identity had simply been struck out. This Bill removes that, and I welcome it. Instead, the entry will be noted, kept on the record, but no longer issued as a certificate. A certificate from the new registration of lived identity will serve wherever a birth certificate is required. The Bill also lets people choose who can see their record, namely family members, or the public if they wish. That is their direction and decision, and it is right that the law now respects it. I welcome that the Department consulted survivors on these changes earlier in the year. That should be standard and not the exception. It would be helpful if survivor groups were consulted at every stage of this legislation, and I hope Committee Stage will assist in that regard.  There is one gap I ask the Minister to look at. Only the affected person can nominate someone or open their record. Where that person has passed away, their children and grandchildren have no way to make that choice. A provision allowing a personal representative or next of kin to exercise it would be a reasonable amendment, and a helpful one. I ask the Minister to consider it for Committee Stage. Survivors and their families want to see the outstanding issues resolved. The youngest of those in the St. Patrick\u2019s Guild records are now in their 50s and the eldest are approaching 80 and time is ticking. I have raised the case of Susan Kiernan in this House before. Sadly, Susan has passed away. I know the Minister is aware of the case, as are many who have been in his position. These provisions also need a commencement order, and I urge the Minister to make it as soon as possible when the Bill is enacted.  I turn to the social protection appeals. The Bill sets a two-year window for requesting a review of a decision by an appeals officer or the chief appeals officer. That is sensible and it is in line with the approach to reviews elsewhere in the system. This Bill also gives the chief appeals officer a new power to annul a flawed decision and send it back to an appeals officer for fresh consideration. However, the bigger issue for most people is how long an appeal itself takes in the first place. I will return to that, and I know the Minister is prioritising it.  I turn to the public services card. Its establishment was messy. As an old Irish saying goes, \"If I were going there, I would not start from here.\" I have always said that the Government should have introduced comprehensive and clear legislation at the outset. That said, I welcome the provisions allowing the card to be used as proof of identity, and as proof of age where the holder asks for their date of birth to be added. Passports and driving licences cost money and many young people have neither. This will help them to prove who they are, to open a bank account and join a credit union, etc. It must remain the cardholder\u2019s choice, and the Bill keeps it an offence for anyone outside the public services to demand it.  A card is only useful if you can get one, however. Anyone without a current Irish passport cannot register through the MyGovID app, so they need an appointment in person. The most common public services card issue raised with me in my office is simply getting that appointment. The Minister will know that I have raised this on many occasions and in parliamentary questions. A proper online booking system available at every public services centre is necessary. My constituents in D\u00fan Laoghaire and those around the country should be able to book a slot online, at a time that suits them, as they already can for driver\u2019s licences. I would welcome progress on this.  Equally, I would welcome progress on the time taken to process appeals. Behind every average is a person waiting. I have constituents who have waited significant periods for a final answer with no income in the meantime. Many of those appealing are people with disabilities, carers and families on low incomes. For them, every week of delay costs money that they do not have. Better first decisions would mean fewer appeals. Clearer information on how long an appeal would take would ease a great deal of worry. The appeals office should have the resources in it to clear the caseload.  Finally, as I have the Minister here and budget 2027 is approaching, I would like to highlight a number of points. It is clear households are going to face a very challenging winter. The war in the Gulf has doubled wholesale gas prices compared with last year. Electric Ireland raised its prices in July. SSE Airtricity's increase adds an average of \u20ac310 a year for 296,000 customers, and Bord G\u00e1is Energy's increase will add an estimated \u20ac317 to the average household bill from 9 October. Gas prices are already around 90% higher than they were four or five years ago and electricity is around 70% higher. The situation has further deteriorated recently and a general energy credit needs to be examined to shield householders from the worst of the increases. We also need to see generous increases in pensions, social welfare payments and child benefit, so that income keeps pace with the cost of heating a home and feeding and clothing a family.  I ask the Minister to build on last year's progress in the budget, in particular on the fuel allowance, which rose to \u20ac38 a week in January, and families on the working family payment now qualify. That was the right decision. This year the rate should rise again and the income thresholds should be extended so that more households on modest incomes are brought in.  In the last few minutes remaining to me I wish to raise the amendment to the Charities Act 2009. I am aware of a recent case where a charity with no assets at all went through a huge rigmarole to try to merge with another charity. That needs to be streamlined. It might not be addressed in this particular amendment, but it is something that we need to be cognisant of. I accept there need to be safeguards around charities and a whole system around it but there needs to be a varying degree of charities, some of which can easily either cease to trade or merge with others because that is going to come more to the fore as time goes on.  I thank the Minister and his officials for their work on this Bill and in modernising services in the Department. I look forward to continuing to engage with him as this Bill progresses during and before the budget preparations. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mark Wall","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Mark-Wall.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mark Wall  I welcome the Minister to the House today. I also welcome the opportunity to speak on the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026. The Minister will be very much aware that in July of this year, I and other members of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development published our pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of this Bill. I want to address those key considerations that were brought forward from those who appeared before the committee. I note that the Department is taking into consideration the recommendations brought forward by the committee ahead of Committee Stage of the Bill. A change to the public services card is an important part of this Bill and has been subject of a lot of debate in the past. Witnesses before the committee raised concerns about the use of the public services card as a form of age verification. Will the Government give due consideration to these concerns? This is particularly important given the revelation that the Data Protection Commission found the Department of Social Protection unlawfully processed facial biometric data of approximately 70% of people over 15 years of age.  The second point made by members in the recommendations made by the committee was that:  \"the scope, limits to the scope and intended use of the Public Service Card be clearly set out in legislation.  - Any proposals to extend the use of the Public Services Card to additional services be subject to appropriate legislative processes and oversight.  - the use of the Public Services Card be supported by clear safeguards and transparency measures, including clear rules on [the use of] data  - the voluntary nature of the Public Services Card be maintained in practice and monitored on [an] ongoing basis, to review that individuals are not disadvantaged where they choose not to use the card as a form of identification.  Given these, I seriously question whether this is necessary. The public services card had a clear rationale: it was for accessing social protection payments and services, and then it was broadened to Government services. Now, the Government is going further and extending this to the private sector, in effect, becoming a de facto national identity card. As a national Parliament, we cannot allow this debate to go on without the Government addressing this fact. Is this in any way linked to the Government's so-called digital wallet and any forthcoming online safety measures? I seriously question whether this is necessary and if it is, the Government should outline its point and not bypass a debate on what is, for all intents and purposes, a national identity card. The Government must outline its intention now, and as quickly as possible.  I note that a key part of the Bill deals with digitalisation. That being said, it is important to consider the impact this could have on a number of different cohorts, particularly older people and those in rural Ireland. According to the CSO, in 2025 34% of people aged 75 and over had never used the internet, while 17% of households said they did not have access to the internet because of a lack of digital skills. Furthermore, Age Action has also said that 62% of people aged 65 and over face digital exclusion.  Equally, many parts of rural Ireland have poor internet connectivity, if they have any at all. The CSO reported that in 2025 only 84% of households in the midlands, which includes my county of Kildare, had access to fixed broadband. This is below the national average of 87%. Also, the percentage of those without internet access because it is unavailable in their area has only decreased by 1%, from 5% in 2024 to 4% in 2025. While I welcome the aims of the Bill regarding digitalisation, as TDs we cannot allow digitalisation to become an additional barrier for older people and those who live in rural Ireland. Digitalisation can only be done with inclusiveness at its centre, and alongside further improvements in internet connections and digital literacy skills. An example of this challenge is with the roll-out of the MyWelfare online service. This is, again, a very welcome modernisation of access to social protection, but it has become a barrier for many older people who are trying to apply for critical payments but find it difficult to print forms and fill them in. Any further development and expansion of digital services must only be done in a way that is inclusive of all people accessing services, in particular older people. This was one of the recommendations brought forward by the committee, and to ensure that the design and delivery of online services takes these barriers into consideration, while also allowing for opportunities to upskill older people in their digital skills.  Are the provisions of head 8 of the general scheme now gone? That head would have allowed the Minister to put the existing code of practice for determining employment status on a statutory footing. I note that this is a follow-on from the Supreme Court's Karshan ruling, which has tightened the legal definition of self-employment. Putting the code on a statutory footing would fall short of what is needed to be done to tackle bogus self-employment and to protect workers in the gig economy. My Labour Party colleague, Deputy Marie Sherlock, previously introduced a Bill to address this in 2021. Could the Government clarify whether head 8 is gone from the Bill, or if it intends to use a different legislative mechanism?  Like other colleagues, I welcome the aim of the Bill to make technical amendments to improve the work of the appeals office. This is something I have spoken to the Minister about for a long period. I have raised the long waiting time for processing appeals, which is having a detrimental impact on family carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and older people who are waiting to access vital payments. I am aware the Minister has carried out some work on this but could he continue to work on the length of time people are waiting for a decision on their appeals? I note that according to the most recent reply we have received from the Department of Social Protection the average waiting time is around 13 weeks. However, my office has been supporting people who have been waiting for up to a year to hear about their appeals. That is simply not good enough. In the past the Minister has agreed with me about this. I sincerely hope the proposed changes will go some way towards bringing down the waiting time for appeals, especially for those people who need the payments most.  This is a very small piece of legislation but, as has been said by other colleagues in the Chamber tonight, there are much more urgent issues facing many low-income, vulnerable households.  I am particularly concerned about the Taoiseach\u2019s recent comments regarding child poverty and the statistics. Ireland is a rich country, so when we hear that the rate of child poverty is increasing it should be of concern to us all in the House. The Government should not be scraping the bottom of the barrel by talking about definitions of poverty when we know so many children are suffering. If this Government is serious about tackling child poverty and supporting low-income households, then budget 2027 should be a children's budget.  We need fundamental reforms that support households with the rising cost of living. The Government needs to bring forward a second tier of child benefit payment to support those on lower incomes. That cannot be done alone because many working families are also struggling. They are struggling to pay bills and to put food on the table. These are the people who are keeping this country going and they are the people that we and the Government need to support.  We need to see progress on reforming parental leave entitlements for working families. Ireland is very much out of step with the rest of Europe when we look at the duration of leave on offer and the rate of payment that obtains. This is a big issue for new dads in particular. Unfortunately, new dads are only entitled to two weeks' paid paternity leave, for which the rate is \u20ac299. The latter is not enough to support a family. That is why dads cannot spend time supporting their partners in those key early weeks and months. I raised this issue recently with the Minister for children regarding a mother who could not cope due to having a Caesarean section and needing extra support at home. The Government must take the first step in reforming parental leave entitlements by extending paid paternity leave for new dads and work towards introducing a pay-related payment that actually supports workers to spend more time with their child. Recently in the House, the Minister for children indicated the Department of Social Protection is working on this. These reforms must also include supporting lone parents who cannot access the same amount of leave as two-parent families. Lone parents should be entitled to the same leave because the care needs of a child do not change regardless of whether there is one parent or two in the home.  I cannot let this opportunity go without raising with the Minister the need to increase the age threshold for domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 years of age. The Minister is very familiar with the number of times I have raised this with him. I know it is something he has committed to consider. I hope he will consider it in the context of the upcoming budget.  I am also concerned about the number of older people who have been in contact with my office and who are struggling with their energy bills. This issue has been raised a number of times already. I refer in particular to older people who live alone. This is a massive issue for my office. The Government must look at increasing welfare payments for older people, starting with increasing the fuel allowance, extending the season and increasing the household benefits package.  I look forward to continuing the debate on the merits of the Bill as it progresses through the House. As already flagged, there are a number of critical issues that must be clarified by the Government. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Paul O'Shea","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"John-Paul-O'Shea.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Paul O'Shea  I rise to support the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026. As the Chair of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, I had the opportunity to see at first hand the detailed work that went into the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. The committee considered the general scheme of the Bill on three separate occasions. We heard from officials in the relevant Departments and, importantly, we also heard from a wide range of stakeholders and experts, including the Data Protection Commission, the UCD Centre for Digital Policy, Age Action, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Digital Rights Ireland. This engagement was extremely valuable. The committee submitted its pre-legislative scrutiny report to the Minister for Social Protection on 2 July. The report contains 24 recommendations covering areas such as digital public services, the public services card and the operation of the social welfare appeals office. I acknowledge the work of committee members in producing the report and I welcome the fact that the recommendations will be considered on Committee Stage.  At its heart, the Bill seeks to modernise and improve a number of important areas of public administration. There are a number of technical amendments to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, including with regard to outdated references and formally repealing the pre-retirement allowance scheme, which closed to new entrants almost 20 years ago.  There are also important changes proposed in relation to the public services card. I particularly welcome the proposal that a person can, at their own discretion, use their public services card as a form of identification with a non-specified body such as a credit union, a bank or a utility provider. There is also provision for a person's date of birth to be included on their public services card where they request this, allowing the card to be used as a means of verifying their age. However, these changes also underline the importance of getting privacy, data protection and individual choice right. The committee's engagement with the Data Protection Commission, digital policy experts and civil liberty organisations was particularly important in this regard. Digitalisation can make public services easier and more accessible but it must always be accompanied by strong safeguards. People should have confidence that their personal information is being handled properly and that they retain appropriate control over how their identification is used.  I also welcome the amendments designed to improve the operation of the social welfare appeals office. For people who are depending on a social welfare payment an appeal is not simply an administrative matter. It can have a very real impact on their ability to meet everyday household costs. An appeals system must, therefore, be fair, accessible and efficient. I welcome the efforts made to improve its operation.  The amendments to the Civil Registration Act are important. The Bill will make a number of practical changes to improve the functionality of the General Register Office, including provisions relating to the registration and reregistration of births, notification of deaths and the information required when registering a birth online. I particularly welcome the provision enabling Tusla to register or reregister the birth of a child with the father's details on foot of a court order. There are also important provisions for people who have been affected by incorrect or illegal birth registration, including changes in terminology in the legislation. These are very sensitive issues that affect people's identity, family history and personal lives. It is important that our legislation reflects this reality and provides an appropriate framework for dealing with these cases.  I welcome the amendments to the Charities Act 2009. The charitable and community sector plays an enormous role in our communities across Ireland. From large national organisations to small local community groups, charities provide services, supports and opportunities that make a real difference to people's lives. The proposed changes relating to the Charities Appeal Tribunal, including the provision for a quorum, the nomination of a deputy chairperson and the protections relating to witnesses, are important in ensuring this tribunal can operate effectively. A properly functioning regulatory appeals framework is essential to maintaining confidence in the charity sector.  This Bill does not make one major change. Rather, it makes a collection of important amendments across social welfare, civil registration and the charities sector. That does not make it any less important. Good legislation also means keeping our existing laws up to date, removing provisions that are no longer relevant, improving administration processes and ensuring our public bodies can operate effectively. I believe the Bill makes progress on all of these fronts.  I reiterate that the work undertaken by the joint committee has provided an important opportunity to examine these proposals in detail. The 24 recommendations contained in our report should continue to be considered carefully as the Bill progresses. Where improvements can be made, we should make them. Where stronger safeguards are required, we should put them in place. Where legislation can make people's interaction with the State simpler, fairer and more efficient, we should try to facilitate that. For the reasons outlined, I am happy to support the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026. I look forward to its further consideration. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Dara Calleary)  I thank all of the Deputies for their contributions, particularly those who serve on the joint committee. I thank Deputy O'Shea for chairing it and I thank the clerk and the team. I will respond to a number of the issues raised; a number of specific issues were also raised, about which I will engage with Deputies also.  Over the years the Department has been asked why the PSC, which is State issued, cannot be used by a cardholder to prove identity if they wish to do so. Other Government documents, such as a passport or a driving licence, can be issued in this manner. This is why we are introducing the Bill; it is to give people the choice, if they wish, to use the PSC for this purpose. The public services card is a token that is issued on the completion of a safe registration process. It is the evidence of a substantial level of assurance of a person's identity. One of the benefits of the public services card is that it is available free of charge. There is no fee associated with getting or renewing a PSC.  I am very mindful of the cost a person incurs when they need a passport or driving licence or need to renew either. We receive queries from cardholders and voluntary bodies, as well as from many people in this House, asking why it is not possible to use a PSC to verify a person's identity if that person chooses to do so. We get about 100 queries a month over the phone from individuals and various bodies asking if the PSC can be used as proof of identity. This does not include the informal queries that come through the Department's network. Cardholders who have expressed a wish to use their PSC to verify their identity for purposes such as opening a bank or credit union account or for utility contract purposes, often cannot afford another form of identity. To date, it has been an offence for those bodies to accept a PSC. These changes are to deal totally and purely with those situations where people want to use their PSC for identity purposes in the circumstances referred to. Clearly, it is for those individuals themselves to use it for themselves.  The processing of personal data, including sensitive personal data, is already subject to clearly specified safeguards under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, and in accordance with the GDPR. Additionally, my Department actively implements a range of oversight arrangements for the processing of all personal data held by the Department. The Department provides very clear information, including through our privacy statement, which is across publicly available information materials, and in communication to PSC cardholders. The proposed amendments do not alter these safeguards. They simply enable an individual to voluntarily use their PSC as proof of identity or age with non-specified bodies if they choose to do so. It remains the case that in law only specified bodies may request a PSC and non-specified bodies cannot request a PSC.  In relation to the Data Protection Commission there are two inquiries into the processing of personal data in relation to the PSC. One has been completed and the other is before the courts, so I will not refer to it at this point. In its August 2019 decision, the Data Protection Commission found that the Department could only authenticate the identity of and issue a PSC to its own customers and not to anyone who wanted a PSC to transact with other public bodies. Subsequently, the commission accepted in December 2021 that the Department could continue to process personal data to authenticate the identity of and issue a PSC to any person who requested one and not just the customers of the Department of Social Protection. It remains the case, therefore, that we await the outcome of the other court case. I have listened carefully to the concerns raised today in relation to the PSC, but I again emphasise that today's amendment is a voluntary one that relates with giving people the capacity to use this card in respect of bodies currently not allowed to accept it.  A couple of issues came up in relation to some specific things. Deputy Hayes raised the issue of data repositories and making them interoperable with other Departments. There are no proposals under this Bill to create any new interoperability arrangements beyond those that already exist in legislation. Again, as per the existing arrangements, the sharing and verification of PSC data are governed by the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended. There are no plans to provide access to PSC data to non-public entities. Any sharing of PSC data is governed by legislation and is restricted to the bodies authorised in law.  Turning to the other provisions of the Bill, in relation to social welfare appeals I acknowledge the three Deputies here in the House. I am sure other Deputies raised queries as well, but the three social protection spokespersons, Deputies O'Reilly, Wall and O'Shea have constantly raised the issue of appeals with me. We are very focused on appeals. In relation to Deputy Ward's remarks on domiciliary care allowance appeals, we are very focused on that and we are dealing with it. It is often the case, however, that the appeal is not the same and extra information is provided. I want to get to a situation where we get clarity on what information is needed in the first place. We have put a particular focus on domiciliary care allowance appeals, and I thank the appeals officers.  Turning to Deputy Wall's question, at the end of June 2026, the average processing time for social welfare appeals was 12 weeks. The average processing time for social welfare appeals in 2025 was 21.2 weeks. We will be dealing with a parliamentary question on this issue from Deputy O'Reilly on Thursday. Ahead of that, I will seek to get the breakdown of the schemes in order that we can identify any particular challenges. There should not be a situation where it takes a year. I am happy to engage with the Deputy around that issue. I thank the chief appeals officer and her team. They are continuing to monitor processing times, and we are making every effort to reduce the time taken to process an appeal. We will be able to engage on this issue more during parliamentary questions on Thursday.  In relation to the issues around the charities legislation, no change in policy proposed as part of these amendments. Deputy Devlin raised this issue. The Charities (Amendment) Act 2024 revised and updated the existing charity legislation. When it is fully commenced, it will improve the ability of the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions and to provide greater transparency, clarity and fairness in terms of the regulation of charities. This is something that the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, as the line Minister of State with responsibility in this area, has engaged on in the context of the delays involving charitable bodies and the Charities Regulator. We are focused on that.  I assure Deputy Wall and all other Deputies that in the midst of the budget negotiations, we are very focused on child poverty. I secured a specific \u20ac320 million child poverty package for budget 2026. We are working on budget 2027. We worked yesterday on the school meals programme, which is a major initiative on the child poverty side. The Department of Social Protection is involved in the school meals programme in order to bring that element to people.  I have tried to deal with as many of the issues as possible. I look forward to the engagement on Committee Stage. I thank the officials from the three Departments who worked on the Bill. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Second Stage"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_16","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/84","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/84\/dail\/motion\/referral","houseCode":"dail","stage":"motion","isBillStage":false,"showAs":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee","counts":{"speechCount":2,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_16","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  It is proposed to refer this Bill to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Dara Calleary)  I move:  That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Question put and agreed to."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026: Referral to Select Committee"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_17","debateType":"debate","bill":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/87","event":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/bill\/2026\/87\/dail\/2","houseCode":"dail","stage":"2","isBillStage":true,"showAs":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage [Private Members] (D\u00e1il)"}},"showAs":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage [Private Members]","counts":{"speechCount":43,"speakerCount":32},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_17","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor D. McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mair\u00e9ad Farrell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Mythen","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Mythen.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Mythen.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ann Graves","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ann-Graves.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ann-Graves.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Guirke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoghan Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoghan-Kenny.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoghan-Kenny.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Fionnt\u00e1n \u00d3 S\u00failleabh\u00e1in","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Fionnt\u00e1n-\u00d3-S\u00failleabh\u00e1in.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Fionnt\u00e1n-\u00d3-S\u00failleabh\u00e1in.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  I move: \"That the Bill be now read a Second Time\".  Families and workers across the State are being ripped off by the cost of home heating oil. Prices are going up and up and for months, the Government has refused to act. This is not happening in isolation. At the same time, petrol and diesel prices are rising. Energy companies are hiking their bills and groceries are getting dearer day by day, stretching household budgets.  A fill of home heating oil is now approximately \u20ac700 more expensive than it was at the start of the year. The cost of home heating oil has jumped up a number of hundreds of euro in the last three weeks alone. This is money that many families simply do not have. That is why my legislation is so important tonight. It is why every TD should support this legislation and give relief to families and workers out there. It is a straightforward piece of emergency legislation. It is a measure that removes all excise duty and all carbon tax from home heating oil and provides immediate relief to people who desperately need it.  This is not a new argument. This is the eighth time that I have brought legislation before this House demanding that the Government act and reduce the cost of home heating oil. Eight times I have called on the Government to put workers and families first. Eight times I have called on the Government to cut the taxes on home heating oil - something that could be done with the stroke of a pen - and on every occasion, this Government has voted \"No\". Again and again, Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents who prop them up have voted against the interests of the Irish people.  I will not stop bringing this issue up here on the floor of the D\u00e1il because too many families are struggling out there, too many families are stretched to the limit, and too many people are wondering how they will afford their next delivery of oil and are, right now, sitting in homes with empty tanks. When I met those families in different parts across the State, I made them a promise. I said that I would keep fighting for them. I told them that I would be their voice here in the D\u00e1il, and that is a promise I intend to keep. That is why my legislation is before us today. That is why this is the eighth attempt to try to get the Government to see sense.  The Government needs to wake up. It needs to understand the needs of the Irish people out there. This is not a radical proposal, folks. This is common sense. It is not extreme. It is the bare minimum that people should be able to expect from a government at a time like this.  Simon Harris has the neck to go out in the media and say that the Government cannot fully insulate households from energy prices. This is the same Minister for Finance who has not reduced a single cent of tax on home heating oil. How dare he, while people are telling me that they have to buy home heating oil to keep their homes warm in 5-gallon drums because they can no longer fill their tanks? They can no longer afford a half-fill, never mind a fill. It is astonishing, after months of warning and after all the pressure, that the Government still does not recognise that it needs to act.  Let me tell the Minister of State that the people cannot wait any longer. They need relief now. By God, if the Government does not act on the pressure that people are under, I have no doubt that the people will rise and give the Government their message when they take to the streets.  In the past three weeks alone, the price of home heating oil has gone up by \u20ac300. That comes on top of an increase of \u20ac500 since the start of the year. People are not blind to what is happening out there. People have heard enough talk. They do not want more promises; they want action. They do not want excuses; they want lower bills. They want relief. They want my legislation enacted.  The Government could do this immediately. The Government could do this with the stroke of a pen. Tonight, the Government could vote to pass all Stages of this legislation and reduce the cost of home heating oil for 700,000 families across the State. A Government that was serious about putting workers and families first would do exactly that.  Let us be clear. This issue goes way beyond home heating oil. The Government also needs to get its act together on petrol and diesel. Let me say it again, and I will not stop: the Government needs to cut taxes on diesel and petrol further. It needs to get the price of green diesel, to support our farmers and contractors, down. The Government needs to cut the taxes further and it needs to take away carbon tax from home heating oil. We will not give up until the Irish people get what they deserve, namely, the implementation of this legislation. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pa Daly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Pa-Daly.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pa Daly  There is a sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu around at the moment. There was some excuse, in March and April of this year, when the Government was off around the world and left nobody in charge and ignored the calls of the people to reduce the cost of home heating oil. Families in every corner of the country have continued to be squeezed since that time while the Government has sat on its hands and done nothing. Our proposal will remove carbon tax from home heating oil and cut the cost of a 1,000-litre fill by \u20ac183. It is a simple measure. At a time when oil prices have soared by over \u20ac700 and household budgets are under unbearable pressure, that is not only justified, but essential.  We have brought forward, as Deputy Doherty said, this proposal eight times and each of the eight times, it has been rejected and ignored by the Government. The Government keeps repeating ad nauseam it wants to help the people in the here and now, but again, it is sitting on its hands. This is the Government's chance. If the Minister of State has the courage of his convictions and if every TD who supports the Government has the courage of their convictions, they can stand with ordinary workers and families, or is the Government to turn its back on them yet again?  For seven months, this issue has been staring Government in the face. For seven months, workers, families, pensioners and people living in rural Ireland, in particular, have shouldered the burden alone, but for seven months, Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the supporting Independent Ministers of State have refused to take meaningful action and reduce the costs. Older people are still worrying about when they can afford to turn on the heating. They are reducing the oil that they are buying, even only filling 5-gallon or 10-gallon drums to keep them going from day to day and from week to week. Families are cutting back on groceries to save for the delivery of oil. People are already struggling with rents, mortgages, childcare and rising energy bills, but look around for help from the Government, which has a record surplus, and there is nothing.  The cost of 1,000 litres of heating oil has risen from approximately \u20ac900 to over \u20ac1,600 in the space of a year, an increase of almost 75%. People are in crisis. What makes it even more outrageous is that, as the prices rise, the State is taking in record amounts of revenue through taxes such as VAT.  Families are paying more and the Government is collecting more while refusing to provide the relief people desperately need. Is the Government going to act? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Conor D. McGuinness","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Conor-D-McGuinness.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Conor D. McGuinness  We are seven months into this particular crisis with the increase in the price of oil and families are dealing with almost a doubling of the cost of home heating oil. I am dealing with families who are deciding whether to restrict spending on other essential parts of life, for example, whether they will cut down on the grocery shop, whether they will do a grocery shop this week, or how they will feed their children, so that they can put oil in the tank because prices have gone from approximately \u20ac900 for a fill last year to an average price of \u20ac1,600 for a fill this year and the Government has done absolutely nothing to reduce the pressure on families or reduce the cost. It has not removed one cent of excise duty from home heating oil, despite Sinn F\u00e9in having brought forward a proposal eight times. This is the eighth time we have brought forward a proposal while the Government has sat on its hands and made out it is not a problem.  The Government talks around the subject, flies kites and says it might do something, but that is of no use to new parents with a newborn baby who need hot water and a home. It is of no use to older people who are living the twilight years of their lives in one room because they cannot afford to heat the rest of the house. It is no good to the people who are already in arrears on their electricity bills, cannot afford oil and are wondering how they will stay warm this winter. That is the reality facing people on the Minister of State's watch and that of Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents propping them up. It is simply not good enough.  It is a disgrace that not one solitary Fianna F\u00e1il or Fine Gael backbencher or Independent Member is in the House as we discuss this modicum of respite for hard-pressed families across the State - rural and urban - when it comes to the cost of heating their homes. It is an absolute disgrace. They might come down and do the right thing by supporting this legislation. It is not too late. We are here. We are putting it forward and they have a choice to make. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  Is iad costais fuinnimh an t-\u00e1bhar imn\u00ed is m\u00f3 at\u00e1 roimh theaghlaigh agus gn\u00f3lachta\u00ed faoi l\u00e1thair. Energy costs are the biggest worry facing families and businesses at the moment. Seven months into this energy crisis, the Government has not removed a single cent of carbon tax from home heating oil. For rural households, particularly in my and the Minister of State's constituency of Mayo, this is devastating and unsustainable. Does the Minister of State know how many women have done themselves injury by trying to carry 5-gallon drums of oil to last them a few days until they are paid? We have no access to the gas network. We have no alternative to filling the oil tank and people are now facing bills of more \u20ac1,600 for 1,000 litres of oil. That is \u20ac700 more expensive than it was this time last year. It is simply unaffordable for the people we represent.  It is not just households. Small businesses are being crippled by energy costs. Many are barely able to keep their doors open. One bad winter could finish them off altogether. All of this comes in the context of today's report that wholesale electricity prices are 77% higher than they were this time last year. The pressure is coming from every direction. A record number of households are in energy arrears.  This is the eighth time my Sinn F\u00e9in colleague has brought forward legislation to cut the cost of home heating oil and on every occasion the Government has voted \"No\". The Government has voted against the people of Mayo and the wider country. Our legislation would remove all excise duty on home heating oil. People cannot heat their homes with Government promises about what might happen in the budget and they certainly cannot afford another round of half measures. The Government has had its opportunity. It has an opportunity to act tonight. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Sh\u00f3nagh-N\u00ed-Raghallaigh.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sh\u00f3nagh N\u00ed Raghallaigh  T\u00e1 teaghlaigh ar fud Chill Dara Theas ag streachailt le bill\u00ed fuinnimh, go h\u00e1irithe iad si\u00fad at\u00e1 ag brath ar cheiris\u00edn agus gan an dara rogha acu foinse eile a \u00fas\u00e1id. T\u00e1 praghas ceiris\u00edn tar \u00e9is ard\u00fa suas le 75% gan faic d\u00e9anta ag an Rialtas chun na teaghlaigh seo a chosaint \u00f3 na hathruithe ar phraghsanna. Caithfidh an Rialtas \u00e9isteacht le cosmhuintir na t\u00edre agus tac\u00fa le r\u00e9iteach Shinn F\u00e9in ar an bhfadhb. Families in south Kildare are struggling with their energy bills. We are heading into another difficult winter and families desperately need support. Home heating oil prices have skyrocketed in the past 12 months, rising by as much as 75% in some cases. A fill of 1,000 litres of oil will now set families back more than \u20ac1,600 compared with \u20ac900 for the same amount of oil one year ago. The latest price spike at the end of summer has once again caused huge anxiety for households who rely on kerosene to heat their homes.  Rural families across south Kildare are disproportionately affected by these increases and in many cases have no alternative heating source available. Constituents have contacted me to say they simply will not be able to afford to fill their tanks this winter if current circumstances continue. Incredibly, we are seven months into this crisis and the Government has done nothing to help these vulnerable households. Not a single cent has been lifted off excise duty or carbon tax.  I appreciate that the fuel allowance is intended to support those most in need. However, I have received correspondence from many working families who do not qualify for the support, but are still struggling to pay their bills. This comes against the wider backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis with electricity, housing and insurance costs all continuing to rise. Sinn F\u00e9in is bringing forward a simple proposal to ease the pressure on these hard-working families by temporarily removing all excise duty on home heating oil. The price of 1,000 litres of oil could be reduced by \u20ac183. This is the eighth time Sinn F\u00e9in has brought forward proposals on home heating oil this year, yet the Government continues to bury its head in the sand. It is time for the Government to listen and put workers and families first. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"David Cullinane","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","memberCode":"David-Cullinane.S.2011-05-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy David Cullinane  The Minister of State and the Government have had their heads in the sand about the cost-of-living crisis and squeeze for far too long. In recent years, Sinn F\u00e9in has used every opportunity we could to point out the challenges facing workers and families, with groceries, insurance costs, rents, mortgage costs, and petrol, diesel and home heating oil going up. Every time we raise these issues, the Government has to be dragged kicking and screaming to react. Even when it does react, it is a crisis response. It is temporary and does not deal with the problem. Then it comes back with its tail between its legs having to correct to what it should have done in the first place.  We warned the Government last year and this year that this was reaching a tipping point, that it would spill onto the streets and there would be protests. It ignored us. What happened? There were protests. Then it blamed the protesters and took no responsibility for the fact it had failed. We have been saying to the Government for years now that the cost of home heating oil is extreme. It is far too high. For the 700,000 homes that depend on home heating oil, it is unbearable at the moment, with all the other costs, yet the Government is doing nothing. In fact, it fought Sinn F\u00e9in tooth and nail saying carbon tax could not be touched, and now we are hearing that the Government might do something on carbon tax.  What it could do tonight is accept an Teachta Doherty's Bill and give people certainty by moving on this issue. All people have seen from the Government is delay and delay. I have made this point over and over again. Fine Gael in particular does not like it. The Minister of State's party represents a cosseted, privileged class. It always has and always will. That is why I work tooth and nail so that, one day, we will have a Government that will do the right thing and support people in a cost-of-living crisis and not continue to keep its head in the sand. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sorca Clarke  I want the Minister of State to come to Longford-Westmeath and meet the families who have been looking at empty oil tanks for months, hoping against hope the Government would move as prices got higher and higher. The Minister of State has the gall to ask them to hope a little more and to hold on a little longer so that the Government might just get a notion of doing something in the budget. That is not good enough. For seven months, the price of home heating oil has been in crisis.  I remember banging on doors in the run-up to the last general election when it was -4 degrees Celsius, and when people opened them, no heat came out. This has not just been going on for that length of time. The price might have been lower, but it was still biting. For all those seven months, the Government has failed to act each time Sinn F\u00e9in has put proposals in front of it. It has failed to recognise the pressure families are under or to comprehend what its actions are doing to families the length and breadth of the country.  In my area, 1,000 litres of oil will set you back \u20ac1,600 today. That is not another household bill; that is a second mortgage. Many people simply do not have it. It hits rural areas like mine so much harder than urban areas because we do not have a choice. In my area, you cannot simply connect to the gas network because it does not exist. You cannot simply magic solar panels onto the roof because the waiting lists are eight, nine or ten months long. No responsible government would tell a family who is sitting in a cold home tonight that it might help, hinting that there will be something in the budget when that family needs heat and needs oil today. Tonight, the Government has a very simple choice. It can tell those families, including those families in my area, to keep paying or it can actually stand up, do something constructive and take action today. Winter will not wait and neither should the people of Longford-Westmeath. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mair\u00e9ad Farrell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mair\u00e9ad Farrell  Tonight's motion is about the here and now. This D\u00e1il has an opportunity to cut the price of oil tonight. The facts are very clear. People cannot pay their bills. They cannot afford to put fuel in their cars. They cannot afford to put oil in their tanks. That has happened on the Minister of State's watch. He is from the west of Ireland just like I am. He understands the impact that storms and sudden changes in the weather can have. The Government is telling people that it might do something in a number of weeks, although it has voted this measure down several times. My colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, has brought it before this House eight times. The Government says it might do something at some point. The people cannot wait because the people cannot pay. They cannot wait because there might be a sudden change in the weather. What will the Government say to people then? Will it tell them they can freeze in their homes?  Pensioners cannot afford this. Every single year, we have a discussion in here about pensioners who are struggling to heat their homes. That started before this crisis. The numbers of pensioners in poverty, in insecure housing and in homelessness are all increasing. There is certainly going to be a serious rise in the number of pensioners who cannot afford to put oil in their tanks to keep their houses warm. That is most certainly going to be on the Minister of State. He needs to listen to what the people are saying. He needs to listen to what we on this side of the House are saying. He needs to do right by the people. The people cannot wait any longer for the Government to decide whether it is going to act on oil. This disproportionately affects the people in the west of Ireland. The people in the west of Ireland have had enough. They should be allowed to heat their homes. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (Deputy Alan Dillon)  I move amendment No. 1:  To delete all words after \"That\" and substitute the following:  \"D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann declines to give the Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026 a second reading on the grounds that related matters are being considered as part of Budget 2027 on 6th October 2026\".\"  Ireland has a strong economy. The job of Government is now to make sure that people feel that strength in their everyday lives. We fully recognise the pressures high energy and fuel costs are placing on households, on farmers and on businesses. These pressures are real. They are being felt at the pumps, in home heating bills and in the cost of running farms and businesses. The conflict in the Middle East has created economic pressures far beyond the region itself. De-escalation would have the single biggest impact on international energy prices. No Irish government can fully insulate people from a global energy shock. Anyone who claims otherwise is not being honest. However, Government can take action to protect households and key sectors and it has done so.  Budget 2027 is now only 14 days away. When Deputy Farrell talks about the here and now, it is just political theatre. By the time this Bill could take effect, budget 2027 would already have been announced----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mair\u00e9ad Farrell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mair\u00e9ad Farrell  The budget is for next year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  -----and the winter heating season would already be under way. I think Sinn F\u00e9in knows that. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Mair\u00e9ad Farrell","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Mair\u00e9ad-Farrell.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Mair\u00e9ad Farrell  The Minister of State is talking about budget 2027. It is 2026. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  This is the appropriate mechanism through which the Government can examine these pressures comprehensively and decide what further assistance is warranted. The budget allows us to take a full view across a range of energy costs and across all affected households and sectors rather than dealing with one fuel or one tax measure in isolation. We should not pre-empt discussions that properly belong in the budgetary process, the product of which is only days away. The T\u00e1naiste has been clear that Government is examining the best way to assist people whose home heating oil costs have already risen considerably. These include possible taxation measures and targeted supports such as the fuel allowance. The Department of Finance has also published options on how the carbon tax framework might be modified for particular products, including home heating oil. These are decisions for budget day.  In the budget, this Government will use the resources available to help people who work hard and who want to get ahead and not simply get by. We want people to feel the benefits of hard work in their own pay packets. Our priority is to reward work and to reduce everyday costs facing families, including energy and childcare costs. We are also very much focused on supporting older people, carers and people with disabilities, recognising their contribution and the security they deserve. We will build more homes and deliver infrastructure and public services to continue meeting this country's needs with faster delivery, less bureaucracy and better value for every euro. We will do so responsibly, protecting the public finances for the long term.  This is not a government that has stood back. Since the beginning of the crisis seven months ago, we have provided approximately \u20ac1.4 billion in supports and delivered one of the largest packages across the European Union on a per capita basis. We deferred the 1 May carbon tax increase on home heating fuels. We have reduced excise duty on petrol, diesel and green diesel. We have enhanced the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and passenger transport operators. We have supported road transport operators, farmers, farm contractors and fishers. We have reduced the NORA levy. We extended the fuel allowance season by four weeks from 28 to 32 weeks, with the weekly rate increased from \u20ac33 to \u20ac38. Eligible households now receive \u20ac1,216 over the extended season. Eligibility was widened to almost 50,000 additional households, including families receiving the working family payment, with approximately 470,000 households now benefiting. That is close to one in every four households across the State. The T\u00e1naiste has also made clear that the planned phased restoration of excise duty due to begin in November must be considered in light of the current prices. If elevated prices persist, proceeding as originally planned may not be prudent. Again, the judgment should be made in the round, through the budget.  Turning to the Bill itself, Sinn F\u00e9in promises an emergency period during which the mineral oil tax on kerosene used for home heating would be set to zero. The Minister for Finance would, therefore, have no discretion over that rate. This would reduce the Government's flexibility to target limited resources where they can make the greatest practical difference. The Bill also raises serious legal and policy questions. Heating fuels such as kerosene and natural gas fall within the scope of the European Union's emissions trading system for buildings and road transport, ETS2. Ireland's arrangements are designed to avoid double taxation, provided our national carbon price meets the relevant European conditions. Those calling for the outright abolishment of the carbon tax must, therefore, be conscious of these consequences. A blanket removal could mean carbon revenue being collected and controlled through the European system rather than retained and spent nationally. Nobody in this House should lightly support transferring control of those revenues away from the Oireachtas.  There are also further practical flaws. One is that the increase in the price of home heating oil is principally driven by the international wholesale price of oil and not by new Government tax. The carbon tax accounts for only a limited share of the current average price while the non-carbon element of mineral oil tax on kerosene is already set at zero. The Bill cannot offset a global market shock and it does not offer the same approach to households that heat their homes using natural gas or other fuels. The proposal suggests that one tax measure provides a complete answer when the responsible course is to assess home heating, electricity, transport, income tax and targeted welfare supports together. Carbon tax should not be viewed in isolation. Its revenues are recycled into measures that continue to protect people from energy poverty and reduce our dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels.  These revenues support the fuel allowance, fully funded home energy upgrades, the wider retrofitting scheme, investment in our electricity grid and measures to help farmers transition to lower carbon practices. Since 2020, more than \u20ac4.2 billion in carbon tax revenue has been allocated to the just transition and decarbonisation measures. Demand proves these programmes matter. Last year alone, 58,000 homes were retrofitted. Since 2019, more than 287,000 home energy upgrades have been delivered, including over 39,500 fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty. Solar PV applications, heat pump applications and insulation upgrades are all rising strongly. This is the contradiction at the heart of Sinn F\u00e9in's position; it consistently opposes the carbon tax but its alternative budgets have repeatedly relied on the revenue it generates. It cannot credibly promise to abolish the source of funding while continuing to count the same money to pay for social protection and retrofitting.  People need practical help, not a false promise that one Bill can control international oil prices. The Government has acted to reduce costs and protect vulnerable households. We are examining further supports for home heating oil, energy costs and the wider cost of living. We will be making those decisions in budget 2027 in a comprehensive, targeted and responsible way. The long-term answer is also clear: Ireland must reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, strengthen our energy security and invest in warmer homes, renewable electricity and a stronger grid. This is how we protect households from future price shocks. For those reasons, I again press the Government amendment that D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann declines to give the home heating oil Bill a Second Reading. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Darren O'Rourke  We are now many months into this crisis and Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents have still not removed a single cent of excise or carbon tax from home heating oil. That is the reality facing workers, families and pensioners right across this State. The facts speak for themselves. The cost of home heating oil has soared by as much as 75% in the past year. A household ordering a 1,000 litre fill today is paying more than \u20ac1,600, compared with around \u20ac900 for the same amount a year ago. We are heading into winter and a record number of people cannot pay their energy bills. A total of 320,000 people cannot afford electricity, one in four cannot afford to pay their gas bill and hundreds of thousands more are racing every day just to keep up.  People have to be able to heat their homes and that means cutting prices. The emergency legislation we are debating this evening would remove all excise duty on home heating oil, removing the carbon tax entirely. This is the eighth time Sinn F\u00e9in has brought forward proposals to cut the price of home heating oil this year. At every opportunity, the Government has voted against them; six times against these very measures. The Government now indicates it may move on this in the budget. That U-turn is the direct result of sustained political pressure from Sinn F\u00e9in and others and growing public anger. However, we know what is likely to follow - there will be more half measures and tinkering around the edges. It is far too late for that. People cannot afford for the Government to wait any longer. Days and hours matter in these instances. The Government needs to put workers and families first and support the Sinn F\u00e9in legislation this evening. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Mythen","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Mythen.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Mythen.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Johnny Mythen  I thank my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, for bringing this Bill forward at such a crucial period in ordinary people's lives. It is a time when people are facing into a winter dominated by the cost of living crisis. Inflation is running at 3.7%. Petrol and diesel prices have increased day by day, with forecourts displaying prices of \u20ac2.14 per litre and upwards. Electricity, gas and other fuels are up 8.5% while rents increased 9.1% alone in the past year. Public transport fares are being increased by 15%. Carbon taxes are being increased again on 1 November. Over 1.5 million people rely on home heating oil, with approximately 53% of them living in rural areas. The cost of home heating oil has risen by 50%. These are the facts. Clearly, something needs to change and change rapidly. The wait and see brigade are not cutting it any more. The present economic conditions need to be addressed now. People must be given hope, certainty and assurance that someone has their back. To be blunt and honest, that was far from the form of the last budget.  It is in the power of this Government to cut the cost of home heating oil by accepting the emergency legislation put before it by an Teachta Doherty. This gives the Government a direct line of action on a six-month basis, with the option of an extension should the high prices of home heating oil continue. I will finish up on a sentiment from one of my constituents in Wexford, George, who is an OAP. George told me that, as an OAP, filling a standard domestic oil tank now places an immense financial burden on his household. With the current average of 1000 litres sitting well over \u20ac1,600, heating his home has become a major financial strain rather than a basic necessity. By rejecting this Bill, the Minister of State has once again demonstrated the mentality of live, horse and you will get grass. This is disgraceful. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ann Graves","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ann-Graves.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ann-Graves.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ann Graves  Eight of the largest oil companies have made war profits of more than \u20ac79 billion in less than three months. This is at a time when workers and families are struggling with fuel prices. In 2008, the price of crude oil reached record levels of $145 per barrel. The price today is $101 per barrel, almost one third cheaper, yet consumers are paying exorbitant rates for their fuel. The biggest driver of cost is tax. Ordinary workers are being forced to dig deeper and deeper into their pockets to pay for these profits. I understand the Government cannot control global conflicts but it must protect Irish workers and families from the effects of those conflicts. This is the eighth time Sinn F\u00e9in has brought forward legislation to reduce the cost of home heating oil. At every opportunity, the Government has voted against it. I hope, for the sake of the people I represent in Fingal East, that the Government votes in favour of struggling families.  From media leaks, it appears that the Government will make some sort of move in the forthcoming budget but this is only as a direct result of sustained pressure from Sinn F\u00e9in and the growing public anger in our communities. Voices demand action. People's voices are growing louder and people are growing more impatient with Government inaction. The cost of home heating oil has soared by as much as 75% in the past year. Last Saturday, people took to the streets of Dublin to demand an Ireland where we can all afford to live. It was a coalition of political parties, trade unions, disability organisations and community groups, all demanding that the Government respond to the cost of living crisis. This Bill will have an immediate effect on the cost of oil for the public. It would reduce the cost of a 1,000 litre fill by \u20ac183. I urge the Government and all TDs to listen to the voices of ordinary workers and families and vote in favour of this Bill. People are struggling now and the Government needs to act now. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  I was speaking to a taxi driver today in Cork. He said that it recently cost him \u20ac74 to fill his taxi. This morning, it cost him \u20ac110. He asked me how they can survive. They cannot keep putting up the prices of taxis because it will price them out of the market but what will they do if they do not get help from this Government? Our Bill is here. We are trying to be constructive and help ordinary, hard-working people and families. I was down in Little Island recently and I met a man who was so angry. He has a couple of vans on the road and a couple of fellas working for him, making deliveries. He said he is working seven days a week. Do you know what he told me? He said he has four children between the ages of 11 and 23 and he has told them that the minute they are finished college or their apprenticeship they should get out of this country because there is no future here. That is not what I am saying; it is what people are saying on the streets. The Minister of State is shaking his head. I am telling him what these parents are telling me because they do not see a future here in this country with the cost of living, petrol, diesel, home heating oil, the highest electricity costs in Europe and the cost of gas and food. Everything has gone up. We are trying to provide solutions. We are trying to provide help. The Government comes in and blocks us every time. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  The budget is in 14 days. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Thomas Gould","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Thomas-Gould.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Thomas Gould  The budget is the budget. That is no good if you do not have the money in your budget to put food on the table, pay the gas bill or pay the electricity bill. The Government has its budget but what about ordinary working families? What about their budget? What do they do next?  People are looking for hope. That man down in Little Island said to me that he would be better off on the dole. He is working seven days a week. He has his own vans and his own workers but he said every time he breaks his melt he has nothing left. What is the Government's answer? It is to wait for the budget and forget about what Sinn F\u00e9in is trying to do. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Johnny Guirke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Johnny-Guirke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Johnny Guirke  Home-heating oil in Meath was an average \u20ac480 for 1,000 litres back in 2020. The average price this year is \u20ac1,330 for 1,000 litres with that price for 1,000 litres currently today at \u20ac1,649. Families across Meath are being hammered by massive increases week on week. People across Meath have been contacting me each week in shock at the huge jump in the price of home-heating oil and fuel for their vehicles. Seven months into the crisis and, Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents have still not removed a single cent of excise or carbon tax from home-heating oil. Sinn F\u00e9in's proposal would save homeowners \u20ac183 on a fill of home-heating oil. People need to be able to heat their homes and this Government is removing any alternative to oil such as turf, another tradition taken away by this Government.  Energy prices continue to rise with no action being taken once again by Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents. Energy companies make massive profits while households suffer. They dread to see their electricity bill come through the door. The cost-of-living crisis has hit many people in Ireland. People with disabilities and the elderly must choose between eating and heating. These people need heat in their homes all year round.  Workers in Ireland have never worked so hard but had so little. Inflation has eaten away at any wage increases they may have got. Workers are worse-off now than they ever were before. The Government must take direct action to protect households. It has the chance to intervene and support Sinn F\u00e9in's Bill to reduce costs for people and families who are struggling. People in Meath need a government that has their back. Right now, it does not and it is not supporting workers, families and the people of Ireland. This is the eighth time Sinn F\u00e9in has brought forward proposals to cut the price of home-heating oil this year. At every opportunity the Government has voted against our proposals. People cannot afford to wait any longer. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  I thank Sinn F\u00e9in for bringing forward this Bill. It is absolutely true that people across this country really are struggling. This Government appears to be completely out of touch with the scale of their struggling. Barnardos recently released figures from a survey it did on families and children. It was very sad to see the lack of coverage it got and particularly from the Government. That survey found that in one in five families the parents are skipping meals so that their children can eat. This is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and we have tens of thousands of families where children are going hungry. There is something deeply wrong.  One of the reasons it is so bad is because this Government is completely out of touch with what people are going through. It has completely failed to do a number of things. First, it needs to tackle the issue of price gouging and massive profiteering that is going on. The Taoiseach, the T\u00e1naiste and Ministers stand up here and say, \"What can we do about the cost of living? Energy costs are going up. It is because of the war in the Middle East. It is because of rising fuel costs.\" However, it is not rising fuel costs that are causing rents to rise by 10% a year. That was the Government's decision to allow the rents to rise at local authority level but also by removing the rent cap for the vulture funds.  How much profit would the Minister of State say AIB made last year? AIB made \u20ac2 billion in profit last year, which is utterly scandalous. That is not including the other banks. How much profit was made by the big investor landlords? They made hundreds of millions of euro. How much profit was made by the ESB? It made \u20ac500 million. Literally billions are being taken in profit and the people are paying for it. They are paying through higher energy bills, rents, bank fees, insurance premiums and food costs. During the cost-of-living crisis, profiteering and price gouging are going on and we have seen an absolute failure of the Government to tackle that.  There are other things the Government could be doing to tackle the cost of living, particularly its promise around childcare. Where are the reduced childcare fees? Where is the real delivery of affordable childcare? We in the Social Democrats have put forward a public childcare model that would actually deliver affordable childcare. Simon Harris has now been in government for 12 or 14 years. Where is his promise to reduce the cost of GP care for children? Someone with a child who is eight now has to pay the full cost of GP care. Where is the most basic promise of children and families being able to go to the doctor without having to be worried about the cost of it? It is scandalous. Families are choosing between paying the rent or paying electricity and gas bills, and bringing their child to the doctor. It is absolutely unacceptable in a so-called wealthy country that families are deciding whether to pay to eat or to pay for GP care. The Government could be doing so much more.  The other area is the issue of energy costs. We in the Social Democrats believe there should be a targeted \u20ac400 energy credit. We could pay for that by a windfall tax on the energy companies. It is extremely frustrating that European leaders wrote to Simon Harris, the T\u00e1naiste, to put this on the table for discussion at the recent meeting but he did not want to know about it. Why does he not want to put a windfall tax on the energy companies? Who is the Government afraid of? Everyone would back the Government if it put a windfall tax in the energy companies. Why is it not doing this? I believe it is still captured by an ideology about not interfering with the market. Not only does it not interfere but it actually helps the market when it comes to housing and rents. It subsidised the big investor funds. It is the same thing with the energy companies. It believes it cannot interfere and will not interfere. It is the same thing with the banks. The Government will not increase the levy on them and will allow them to screw people. The people have to pay for all this profiteering and the Government is not standing up for ordinary people who are really struggling.  It is an absolute scandal and a shame that seven in ten young people say they see no future in this country. They say they just want to leave because it is the only way they would get a better quality of life. A nation has failed. We are a failed nation when the majority of young people say they see no hope and no future in this country. The Minister of State can shake head but that is the truth. Young people see no future in the country of Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael because they have taken their hope from them and taken their future. They gave it to the vulture funds. They hammered young people during the austerity years and they continue to do so. Some 90% of them say they are negatively affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Every single young person is country is struggling and what is the Government doing for them? It is absolutely failing to give them a sense of a future to give them hope.  Despite all the GDP growth and all the budget surpluses our young people say it clearly. What is the outcome of decades of Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael in government? It is that they see no future here. It is very sad. I hope those young people stay and fight to change this country. I hope they demand it to be different and join with those of us who are trying to push for a very different type of Ireland. The Government has failed them and we need to see substantial transformative change in this budget that reduces rents, provides genuinely affordable homes, provides targeted energy supports and really tackles those fundamental issues of the profiteering and price gouging that is going on in this country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ged Nash","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Gerald-Nash.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ged Nash  I will be sharing time with my colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny. I thank Sinn F\u00e9in for tabling this Bill this evening. I know it is very much anchored in Sinn F\u00e9in's position that it has opposed the imposition of carbon taxes over a number of years.  It is also very much anchored in the consistent position it has enunciated over many years in relation to local property tax, USC and so on. We in the Labour Party take a different view. Our view is based on how we can best provide the supports required for people who will need them the most through what will be a very difficult winter. I recall very well debates in the convention centre - God help us - several years ago, when we were setting out the ten-year agenda for incremental and predictable increases to the carbon tax as a means of reducing reliance on fossil fuels at that time and out to 2030. I remember the view being expressed by Ministers at the time that this was a means by which we could broaden the tax base. This was very much bedded in the principle of ensuring the polluter pays - an important principle - but also that by the time we got to the end of this process in 2030, we would all be rolling in renewable energy. We would have cheap energy shipped in from out at sea, connected into the grid and we would be supplying half of Europe with cheap energy because of the investment we were going to make into offshore wind.  This Government and the previous Government have missed two, if not three, targets for offshore wind at this point and will not generate a single kilowatt of offshore wind until the early 2030s. That is the position we are in, yet energy bills climb continuously without any respite. We were also told we could expect a retrofitting revolution, that homes would be warmer and cheaper to heat and those who needed the most help for a genuinely just transition - because we do not have a genuinely just transition - would get it through this system and Exchequer revenue-supported schemes.  I accept that the past two energy shocks had nothing to do with this Government but what has been its response? We saw reports today of a 77% surge in electricity wholesale prices. That is only going to - excuse the term - add fuel to the fire over the next few months. We will not see the impact of that until early next year - an early new year present from the energy companies which, at this present time, are popping the champagne corks and celebrating excess profits that are being generated not because of the genius of their engineers and business managers but because of the volatility of international energy markets and our reliance in this country on gas and oil. Almost half of our electricity is generated by gas. This is absolute madness. From an economic, social and climate point of view, it is absolutely crazy. We have not moved the dial on that. We cannot control in any way the price of the commodities we import, but we can do what we can as a state that has the resources to support those who need support the most. The jury is out as to whether or not, for example, carbon tax increases - blunt instruments used across the board - are the best way of addressing the needs of those on low and middle incomes.  I have just come from a meeting of the budgetary oversight committee where Professor Alan Barrett of the ESRI said the worst way one could possibly help struggling families and businesses at the moment with their fuel costs at the pump is excise cuts. He more or less said it is bananas. There are other ways of doing it. An ESRI report last week said very clearly, and I am paraphrasing here, that there are of course impacts on the imposition of carbon tax, but the best way to mitigate that, to deal with the issue lower and middle income workers are experiencing and to keep those resources to ensure they are used for retrofitting, fuel allowances and so on, is through the tax and social welfare systems.  We have to also ask ourselves what we have got. We have 700,000 homes dependent on kerosene across the country. It is not just a rural issue either. It is an issue in my home town of Drogheda and Deputy \u00d3 Murch\u00fa's home town of Dundalk. The reliance on kerosene is also an issue in urban Ireland. What are we going to do about that? We all want to provide people who are reliant on home heating oil with some breathing space this autumn and winter. This is going to be an extremely difficult winter. The question is how we do that and do it efficiently, sustainably and effectively. The second question is how we deal with that structural problem of moving people away from kerosene and innovating to ensure we can get to a sustainable alternative.  I will return to those questions in a moment but the crystal ball tells us two things. We have seen the media briefings today. The first is that Government will no doubt push the planned excise restorations on petrol and diesel out to next year. This is the Realpolitik of the situation. That is what is going to happen and I will be more than surprised if it does not. The second is that it will do something on carbon tax in terms of home heating oil in the budget. Can we stop the shadow boxing going on at the moment and get real about this? We need to stop pretending and stop spoofing. People understand the direction of travel of this and where it is going. Let us have a bit of honesty about this debate. We cannot simply continue to subsidise fossil fuels in the way we have. People are looking for alternatives; they want the safe and sustainable alternative. We cannot continue, in all reality, to chase the price of petrol and diesel over the next few years. In many ways, that will leave people less well-off. Why do I say that? We are going to see people dependent on social welfare in the next few years. With the funds available through carbon taxation and excise, we are going to see retrofitting, the fuel allowance and so on competing with other Exchequer revenue resources that are ordinarily used for other social welfare systems, such as the pension and so on and also through the PRSI system. There are going to be those kinds of trade-offs and we need to be honest about this debate in the coming period.  From our point of view, there needs to be an increase of at least \u20ac7.50 on the fuel allowance this year and an extension of it out by another four weeks. That will add another \u20ac400 to the fuel allowance for families who need it in the coming period. That would address the issue of the proposed rises to the carbon tax - which I do not believe will happen, by the way - over the next while. We need those energy credits paid for by the imposition of a levy on the excess profits of the energy companies. This is an issue we will be returning to. It is the issue du jour , as it were, and I look forward to engaging with Government on the budget in this respect in the next period. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Eoghan Kenny","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Eoghan-Kenny.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Eoghan-Kenny.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Eoghan Kenny  As my colleague Deputy Nash has outlined, the Labour Party has provided significant costed budgetary proposals that would help people in the here and now. I do not think any of us in this House can justify raising taxes or increasing the price of petrol, diesel or home heating oil on ordinary working people any further in the midst of a years-long cost of living crisis.  For families across Ireland, the cost of living, the cost of the very basics, is continuing to spiral. The costs of simply getting to work, getting children to school, attending appointments, doing the weekly shop and keeping daily life moving are keeping many people in poverty and dragging people into energy arrears, bringing them to a paycheck-to-paycheck battle. There is deep frustration among the public and it is hardworking ordinary families who are being put to the pin of their collars, trying to make ends meet. Ordinary people are being squeezed from every direction. For many, there is no easy alternative to using a car. They have to drive to work and they have to bring their children to school or childcare. They have to travel to access healthcare, shops and essential services, yet they are being asked to absorb additional costs that many simply cannot afford. Families across this country are at absolute breaking point. People are doing everything right. They are working, paying their taxes and trying to provide for their families, but they are still falling behind as costs of fuel, groceries, energy and housing continue to put pressure on household budgets. That is where our focus must be.  We also need to consider what these policies mean for younger people. According to a survey by the National Youth Council of Ireland, 68% of those aged between 18 and 24 years surveyed said they were considering moving abroad, while 71% said they believed they would have a better quality of life outside of Ireland. I have been receiving more and more texts and emails from young people in Cork who are around my own age about the state of living and working here. They are asking a very basic question: how are they expected to build a future here in Ireland? Young people are facing enormous pressures from the cost of housing, energy, transport and everyday life. Many of them are working hard, paying their taxes and contributing to their communities and society, yet they do not feel they are getting on. Costs keep going up while too many public services continue to struggle. A basic necessity such as getting to a GP appointment or being seen in a hospital is a wait.  Schools are struggling to meet even their most basic running costs, with principals being forced to make difficult decisions about how limited resources are spent. Roughly 30% of households are experiencing fuel poverty. Many Irish homes are older, poorly insulated, and have low building energy ratings. Those homes require significantly more energy to heat.  The people most vulnerable to increases in fuel and energy costs are often those least able to pay for them. They include older people living alone, lone-parent families, unemployed people, people with disabilities or chronic health conditions who may have higher baseline heating needs, and private renters who can face particular difficulties because they cannot make decisions about retrofitting or improving the energy efficiency of the homes that they live in. These are the people we need to think about when we are discussing the likes of increasing carbon taxes on home heating oil.  Of course, we must take climate change seriously. Ireland needs to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency but we cannot simply continue adding costs to households and telling people to absorb them when alternatives are lagging far behind. This is a perfect storm that the Government has a heavy responsibility for. The Government cannot control geopolitics but it can control how rapidly it invests in renewables and implements their usage broadly. The Government should focus on practical measures to help people change their behaviour without making it harder for them to make ends meet, including properly funded home retrofits, better public transport, affordable alternatives to car dependency, support for rural communities and targeted assistance for households facing energy poverty.  We need policies that protect families, support workers, help young people build a future here and deliver genuine reductions in emissions. People are already paying are paying enough. That is why I cannot simply support further increases in carbon tax when so many households are already struggling with the cost of living. They deserve a good government that recognises the pressure that they are under and focuses on solutions that are fair, affordable and practical, just like the solutions that the Labour Party has presented. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Seamus Healy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","memberCode":"Seamus-Healy.D.2000-06-22","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Seamus Healy  The cost-of-living crisis has been building in this country since Covid. It is now at gale-force strength, battering families right across the country. The Government made the crisis even worse by withdrawing the cost-of-living supports in the last budget, costing families up to \u20ac1,400. This year, 2026, has seen more huge increases in the costs of all essentials and families are under increasing pressure, trying to make ends meet. They are put to the pin of their collar. The position is so bad that half a million families are in arrears with their electricity and gas bills and seven out of ten young people see their future abroad.  The price of home heating oil has increased by 15% in the past two weeks, and it is up 70% on this time 12 months ago. A total of 500 litres of home heating oil is \u20ac100 more costly today than it was two weeks ago. A total of 700,000 houses, mainly in rural Ireland, are affected by this. It is another indication of the discrimination against rural Ireland. Carbon tax must be removed from home heating oil and VAT should be reduced from 13.5% to 9%. Oil companies are making obscene windfall profits and they must be subject to a windfall profit tax. The eight largest oil companies have made $93 billion in profit in three months. It is immoral.  Electricity credits are essential for the coming winter and I believe a \u20ac500 electricity credit must be introduced. Data centres are paying electricity charges at half the household rates and they must be made to pay at least the same as householders. Groceries are also up significantly, costing a family an additional \u20ac2,500 over the past few years. We need price caps on energy and groceries.  The budget in two weeks' time must protect families. We have the money. The Government found over \u20ac2.5 billion down the back of a sofa in October 2024 to buy the November 2024 general election. This is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The budget in two weeks' time must, as a minimum, reduce the cost of home heating oil by removing the carbon tax and reducing the VAT rate, introduce a windfall profits tax, make data centres pay the same electricity rates as households, pay a \u20ac500 energy credit to households, introduce a second tier of child benefit for poorer families, increase the fuel allowance, implement the living wage and increase social welfare rates by \u20ac15. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  Families need help with their energy bills this winter but deferring the carbon tax is the very worst way of going about that. Irish households are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis that, at its heart, is driven by our country's dependence on fossil fuels. The carbon tax remains the only part of our entire taxation system which is designed to help the country and help individual families break that dependence on fossil fuels. To defer the carbon tax at this point would fundamentally undermine this goal. Some 26% of Irish households are dependent on home heating oil, and the price of kerosene has risen by 59% in the past year. That is not driven by the carbon tax. It is driven by international events. Even if the government was to defer the carbon tax, this fuel continues to be subject to volatility, with Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, or Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.  Neither the Bill proposed by Sinn F\u00e9in today nor the motion from Independent Ireland tomorrow have set out how the revenue lost through carbon tax deferrals will be made up. Without this, the Sinn F\u00e9in Bill will mean that in 2027 fewer homes will get new renewable energy systems and fewer low-cost solar panels will be installed. Reducing funding for these measures is the worst thing that could be done in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and the Green Party will not support any legislation that has the effect of doing this.  There are alternative ways in which we can help Irish households this winter and in the future. The Green Party has proposed a fossil fuel inflation fund of \u20ac2.5 billion in 2027 from the surplus. This would fund targeted energy credits through 2027 for households with the lowest 70% of incomes, ensuring support goes to those who need that support the most. The fossil fuel inflation fund would also be deployed to support extra long-term measures to increase the retrofit of homes, increase the installation of low-cost solar panels, and see more replacement of oil heating systems with renewable systems. Those are the sort of long-term measures that, to date, have been completely missing from the Government's response.  The budgetary surplus that the country enjoys right now provides us with an incredible opportunity to ensure energy security for tens of thousands of Irish households and take major steps to reduce our carbon emissions. We need a Government that will go beyond the short-termism that we have seen since the Iran war started in February and a Government that will actually use budget 2027 to dramatically increase the level of funding for home energy measures. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Brian Stanley","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Brian-Stanley.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Brian Stanley  Households were never under pressure like this before. Middle and low-income households that coped in the past are under increasing pressure. Domestic home heating oil's sky-high cost is a huge contributory factor. In Laois, 41% of households are totally dependent on kerosene home heating oil and do not have an option. We have tracked prices, which have skyrocketed by 79% or more since last autumn. One political party claims that they went up 50%. I am not too sure where the data is coming from but the hard facts and the prices that are advertised and people are paying contradict that.  Before the energy crisis, kerosene was approximately 95 cent per litre. This week in Laois, the cost is \u20ac1.68 per litre. For households which are under pressure and cannot afford to buy 1,000 litres or 500 litres at a time, which are instead buying 200 litres at a time, the cost is between \u20ac1.75 and \u20ac1.82 per litre. The poorest hard-pressed households are paying up to \u20ac1.82 per litre. People are afraid to turn on their heating. I acknowledge that fuel allowance and the thresholds for eligibility have been increased. The Government can go further with that in the budget. I accept that. All those workers and middle-income people who do not get fuel allowance are caught with increased rents, mortgages, college fees, insurance, childcare, grocery, and public transport costs, at the very time when we are trying to reduce carbon emissions and to get people onto public transport.  We need solutions. We need to impose a levy on the big energy companies. We are talking about it and the Government is talking about it, but we need to act. The Government could reduce or stop the carbon tax on home heating oil under EU law. That is one of the things it can do. It should certainly reduce it or put the brakes on. The Government could reduce the VAT on home heating oil from 13.5% to 9%, as some in the industry are calling for. This would give immediate relief to hard-pressed families and households. The Government's take from the carbon tax on home heating oil has doubled in six years. That is some of the extra revenue that is coming in. A targeted energy credit is needed for those households that do not get the fuel allowance but whose incomes are below \u20ac75,000. I am not in favour of a blanket energy credit across the board, which would include well-off households. Some parties are. I would not support that. I do not think it is a good idea. It needs to be targeted.  On renewable energy, the quickest and most efficient gains can be obtained by installing solar panels. Improved grants are needed for those households caught in the middle or at the lower end. They are the ones who do not qualify for the fuel scheme, etc. We need to take on plug-in solar energy in a serious manner. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  I thank Sinn F\u00e9in for bringing forward this Bill. People Before Profit is happy to support it. We would go further. We think price caps - and we have said this for some time - need to be imposed on home heating oil, petrol, diesel, electricity and gas. Our proposal is to bring the price of kerosene back to \u20ac1 per litre by imposing price controls that would eliminate the nearly 70% increase that 700,000 households in this country have had to endure as a result of Donald Trump's actions. Shame on people in this House who celebrated and supported Trump and who have refused to apologise - I am not talking about Sinn F\u00e9in in this regard - for doing so. People in this House have supported the policies of this man. Those policies will result in every household in this country having to endure higher fuel and energy bills this winter, as they have done for the past year.  The supposed friend of the small person turned out to be the friend of the oil magnates, billionaires and oligarchs. While other people were concentrating on what he was saying about whiskey when he was here last weekend, they should have heard what he said about oil and about going to war against Venezuela in order to get its oil. He also encouraged us to buy the American weapons that were so successfully deployed in taking out the President of Venezuela in order that America could grab that country's oil and profiteer from it. The Americans are profiteering while ordinary people are suffering because they cannot pay their bills or, in the case of those who rely on home heating oil, experienced a 70% increase in the cost of heating their homes thanks to Donald Trump and the Israeli regime. The Government should not unload that cost on the people who can least afford it.  Carbon tax is a regressive tax. The ESRI said a few things today. The one thing it categorically stated is that the tax is regressive. There is no getting away from that. The people who hurt most as a result of carbon tax are those least responsible for the cost-of-living crisis and least able to bear the increases that are happening. The Government should tax the profiteers. DCC Energy made \u20ac740 million in profits last year. It is a major supplier of kerosene in this country. It can afford to take a bit of a hit. Let us make it and the other energy companies, the electricity companies, the oil companies and the data centres pay a little more tax. We should make them pay some tax, and we could give a break and put price controls on energy and home heating oil. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ken O'Flynn","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Ken-O'Flynn.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Ken O'Flynn  I welcome the Bill. We have to talk about carbon tax. It punishes those who have the fewest choices in society. It punishes the families living in rural parts of Cork whom I represent. It punishes families at the lower end who cannot afford retrofitting. There is not much comfort in retrofitting when a person has to pay \u20ac18,000 for panels and gets \u20ac1,800 back from the Government. Some people in this House say that retrofitting is fantastic, but many people in the constituency I represent, which stretches from Ballincollig to Glanmire and Ballyvolane to Mayfield, cannot afford to get involved in retrofitting.  The price of home heating oil which increased by 44.6% in one year. A total of \u20ac160 in tax is taken on a fill of 1,000 litres of home heating kerosene. That is not sustainable. What the Government does not say out loud is that despite every excise reduction that it has made during this crisis, namely the 15 cent and 12 cent in respect of petrol and diesel and the 3 cent and 2.4 cent in respect of green diesel, not one cent was taken off the price of kerosene. There is a simple reason for that. It is because there is a non-carbon tax on the mineral oil and kerosene, the rate of which is zero. The Government decided that it was going to skip over home heating oil, knowing that the winter was coming, knowing how difficult it is for people to heat their homes and knowing about Members using the phrase - perhaps it is overused - about choosing between heating and eating. Many of my constituents in Cork are choosing just that, namely heating or eating.  Ministers House tell us that we have a surplus of \u20ac9 billion and that we have never been as wealthy. My constituents and the people I meet on the streets of Dublin, Sligo, Limerick and Wexford tell me a different story. They say that they are struggling at the till, at the pump and day to day. Some 500,000 people are in arrears with their gas and electricity bills, yet the Minister for Finance cannot pass a microphone without making some sarcastic comment and telling us how well off we are and that we should start saving. There is nothing to save. There is no money for a lot of people. There is very little in the back pocket. People are choosing poorer types of ingredients and products of a lesser quality because they cannot afford to do it any more. It has crept in, and not just in the social welfare class that some people like to talk about. It has crept into every part of society. It has crept into people who are continuously obliged to choose whether they will feed their kids or not. People are choosing what they can feed their kids. People are choosing whether to go to bed an hour earlier because of the cost of heating their homes. That is the reality of life. I sometimes feel that those who operate with in the bubble of this House do not understand what people are going through. We talk about free school meals, the books system and all the rest of it, yet the Government has dictated that most schools will now have to pay, on average, \u20ac600 per student for laptops and iPads. They have to sign up to packages. People are struggling continuously, and the Government has done nothing when it comes to kerosene and home heating oil.  This is a short Bill. It sets out provisions for six months in respect of mineral oil tax and a zero obligation in respect of home heating kerosene. The one fault I can see is that it states that the Minister must make a decision and sign it. If it is voted through this week, it is up to the Minister to bring the Bill forward. Truly, I do not trust the Minister to do that. That is the reality of it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  Carbon tax is regressive taxation. It punishes the poorest people in society. The people who are paying the most carbon tax and most fuel taxation are those in diesel and petrol cars, many of whom will never be able to afford solar panels or electric vehicles. Many are renters who will never have the opportunity to retrofit their homes. That is the truth. Carbon tax punishes the poorest people in society. I want to be clear. Five years ago, every party in this Chamber, with the exception of Aont\u00fa and a few good Independent TDs, voted in favour of the climate action legislation. Everyone with a bit of cop-on knew that this would lead to an aggressive carbon taxation policy. I welcome the U-turn and rhetoric change across this side of the House, but the level of groupthink in----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Richard Boyd Barrett","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","memberCode":"Richard-Boyd-Barrett.D.2011-03-09","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett  There has been no change. We have always been against carbon tax. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  ----- this Chamber must be addressed.  Introducing climate action legislation that contained legally binding targets was wrong and must be called out. The U-turn and the change in rhetoric are welcome.  Over the past few weeks, I have done quite a bit of research on taxation on fuel that I want to put on the record of the House. I want to be honest and transparent with the people of Ireland in the weeks ahead because I have no doubt that the Government will make every effort to outline to sectors that it cannot afford this or that because of the changes in fuel taxation. This Government is on track to take in more in carbon taxes this year than it did last year, even if the planned increase in carbon tax goes ahead in October. This Government is projected to take in more on VAT on fuel this year than it did last year. Figures released to me in recent days show that the Climate Action Fund, the fund into which moneys from the NORA levy are paid, is in surplus by \u20ac250 million, even though it has effectively been reduced significantly since April. The Government wants to reintroduce the NORA levy in six weeks, even though, despite it having had a significant reduction over the last five months, that fund is in surplus by over \u20ac250 million.  It is time that the spin and the rhetoric end. The Government is not in danger of running the accounts dry if current excise rates remain in place and the pause in carbon taxation continues. Carbon tax is not a means of redistributing wealth. It is a stick that the Government is using to beat the poorest commuters and the country's poorest citizens. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Nicholas Gogarty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Paul-Nicholas-Gogarty.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty  The Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026 targets the specific burden of the carbon tax on kerosene. Others have provided figures. I looked at a 500 litre fill, which is about 80.41 cent in carbon tax alone. When you add VAT of nearly 23%, you can see that the entire bill is made up of Government-mandated levies. In principle, I support the Bill in terms of the attempt to try to give hard-pressed people who have no other option a dig out. Whether it is a temporary reduction in carbon tax or a retention of the tax and some form of rebate, I do not think it necessarily matters once the money ends up helping people.  Carbon tax is an easy target for some sectors. It is the devil incarnate for some political groupings. Carbon tax, if done properly, represents an attempt to encourage those who can afford to do so to spend their money on cleaner, greener ways of living, thereby reducing the country's carbon emissions, which would have a knock-on effect for everyone. A just transition means that when you bring in money from carbon tax, you help the poorest in society. That has not always happened. For example, there are people in local authority houses who are waiting for them to be insulated. The roll-out of insulation works for such housing is absolutely abysmal. Some people are benefiting more from the way the carbon tax has been rolled out.  We have to have measures in terms of our EU and global climate obligations and in the context of they way climate change is manifesting, but we also have to look at the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Both have a lot to do with Trump, whether it is directly in terms of putting pressure on the Russians or specifically in relation to assisting Israel in targeting Iran but not getting anything out of it. I have said before that I have no gr\u00e1 for the regime in Iran, but Trump\u2019s policies have caused mayhem everywhere and are hitting Irish people left, right and centre.  It is very hard for people to get by. That is why, one way or another, I hope the Minister of State will take on the spirit of the Bill and look at people, particularly those in rural areas. I live in an urban constituency, but I know that rural areas have a higher level of oil usage. People in such areas do not have access to natural gas and it is harder for them to get a one-stop shop in a semi-detached kind of setting. As a result, their bills tend to be higher and they do not necessarily get supports. It can cost \u20ac15,000 to \u20ac18,000 for a very basic retrofit, up to \u20ac80,000 if you are doing it properly and more if you are getting the whole house refurbished. It is not something you can just do and say, \u201cMy bills have gone up by an extra \u20ac2,000 that I do not have this year, so therefore I am going to get the house wrapped or put in solar\u201d. It does not work that way. There is a middle ground in terms of rolling out loans that pay back. In other words, your energy bill stays the same and whereby, over ten to 15 years, you start to make a saving. We need more of that type of model as well as direct interventions in respect of local authority housing. Given the way Trump is going on and in view of the uncertainty globally, over the next six months we have to help people who are suffering. Reducing their cost of home heating oil is one way of doing so. That is why I support the thrust of this Bill. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on home heating oil and the very real pressure energy costs are placing on households across Ireland. This is an issue that I hear about every day from constituents in County Kerry. For many families in rural Ireland, home heating oil is not something that can be simply replaced overnight. It is the main source of heating in their home and when the tank needs to be filled that can mean finding a significant amount of money at one time. This is a very real cost-of-living crisis. We all know that household finances remain under enormous pressure. The latest CSO figures show that 8.3% of households with utility bills had fallen into arrears in 2025 while of households experiencing enforced deprivation, 38.6% had failed to pay a utility bill on time because of financial difficulties. I do not think anyone in the House should underestimate the pressure families are facing.  We also have to recognise the circumstances in which the increase energy prices is being driven. The current energy shock has been significantly influenced by international events and volatility in global energy markets. The Government cannot control the price of oil on the international market but it can decide how best to support households through periods of exceptional pressure. There has already been a substantial Government response. In budget 2026, the weekly rate of the fuel allowance was increased and the qualifying criteria were extended. There has also been record investment in home energy upgrades and retrofitting, with \u20ac558 million for residential and community energy upgrades provided in budget 2026. These measures matter because, ultimately, the best way to protect households from high energy prices is not just to respond when those prices rise but also to make homes warmer and more energy efficient and reduce the amount of energy families need to purchase.  Budget 2027 is just two weeks away. The Government has already indicated that the measures relating to cost of living and home heating oil and further energy supports will be central to the budget. Changes to mineral oil tax can be dealt with through the budget and the financial resolution process. The responsible approach is to recognise the genuine hardship being experienced while allowing the Government to consider the full range of measures in the forthcoming budget for families in Kerry and right across rural Ireland who depend on home heating oil. I will be looking very closely at what budget 2027 delivers. We need to make sure that those who are under the greatest pressure get meaningful support while continuing the investment that will make our homes more energy efficient and that will reduce the pressure on people in the longer term. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Carol Nolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Carol-Nolan.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Carol Nolan  T\u00e1 \u00e1thas orm deis a fh\u00e1il labhairt ar an mBille seo anocht. Tos\u00f3idh m\u00e9 ar na ruda\u00ed at\u00e1 sa Bhille. Before addressing the substance of the Bill, I want to make a simple point to the Government. If Ministers are unwilling to support this Bill because of the potential cost to the Exchequer, why are they equally unwilling to embrace measures which would cost the State absolutely nothing?  Why, for example, does the Government continue to maintain the ban on the commercial sale of turf? There would be no significant Exchequer cost involved in reversing that policy. In my county people were criminalised for cutting turf, as they were in surrounding counties, like Galway and Tipperary. It is simply wrong. Those of us who are practical suggested at the time - it was common sense - allowing people to continue to cut turf because many homes still depend on fossil fuels. That is fact and that is reality. This needs to be lifted and that policy needs to be reversed. It is disappointing to see that, despite continued and repeated concerns from rural communities, older people and those who still rely on traditional fuel sources such as turf, the Government has remained determined to restrict another means by which people heat their homes. This needs to be looked at and common sense needs to prevail here.  That speaks to a deeper issue as well. For many years now, successive Governments have pursued policies that have consistently made household energy more expensive, more regulated and more difficult to access. Whether it is carbon tax increases, restrictions on traditional fuels, rising energy levies, increasing network charges or new obligations that ultimately feed through into consumer bills, the direction of travel has always been the same. Ordinary households are expected to carry the burden at all times, which is simply wrong, as are working people, who are being taxed out of existence. Whether it be, as I said, the carbon tax increases or rising energy levies, it is unfair. It is tax after tax. It is difficult, therefore, to avoid the conclusion that this is not simply about revenue; it is about a long-running policy approach that regards higher energy costs as a legitimate tool for influencing household behaviour, regardless of the hardship that approach creates.  That is why today's debate really matters. At its core, this legislation recognises a reality that every Deputy here understands: hundreds of thousands of households continue to depend on home heating oil, particularly in rural Ireland. As I said, for those families home heating oil is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Then we have the reliance on fossil fuels, which is also a necessity. Many of these households have no realistic alternative available to them and they simply cannot replace an existing heating system overnight. They cannot undertake costly retrofit works at the drop of a hat and they cannot continue absorbing endless increases in energy costs without consequences for their household finances.  I am particularly concerned about the waiting lists for the warmer homes scheme, which is run by SEAI. Most elderly people are waiting two years. Something needs to be done about that to speed up that waiting list for anyone who is waiting to have their home insulated or wrapped.  The objective of reducing the tax burden on home heating oil deserves serious consideration here tonight. I have consistently argued that the Government must use every available lever to reduce energy costs. Following recent international instability and the impact on fuel markets, I called on the Government to implement mineral oil tax reductions similar to those introduced during the 2022 energy crisis. There exists a precedent here. I recently remarked that if Ministers were to fight energy suppliers with the same determination and vigour they display when confronting social media companies, families would be considerably better off. Unfortunately, many consumers feel they have been left largely at the mercy of rising energy costs while the Government continues to take a soft-touch approach.  I also have concerns about the proposed renewable heat obligation scheme. If compliance costs associated with that scheme ultimately end up on household bills, consumers will once again pay more without any certainty that meaningful additional benefits are being delivered. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Heneghan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Barry-Heneghan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Heneghan  Agus m\u00e9 i m'oifig, bh\u00ed m\u00e9 ag \u00e9isteacht le go leor daoine ag caint faoin \u00e1bhar seo. Mar is gn\u00e1th, t\u00e1im an-bhu\u00edoch de dhaoine a thagann isteach anseo le solutions. N\u00edl na daoine at\u00e1 ag tabhairt amach ag r\u00e1 aon rud a bhfuil muid in ann a dh\u00e9anamh faoi l\u00e1thair. T\u00e1imidne sa Teach seo anseo ar son daoine na h\u00c9ireann chun a saol a fheabhs\u00fa. T\u00e1 daoine \u00e1irithe sa Teach seo ag d\u00edri\u00fa isteach ar political point scoring seachas ar solutions.  I think everyone in this Chamber knows that the current price of oil and fuel is being driven by what is happening across the conflicts of the world, be it Ukraine and Russia or the Middle East. All we can do in this Chamber is give as much of a cushion and as much protection to the Irish people as possible. It is the reason I continue to offer solutions to the Government. I am very grateful for the work the Independents have been doing on plug-in solar. I love hearing Members on all sides of the House speak about the benefits of plug-in solar and how it will help those who are struggling with bills in apartment blocks and those who cannot afford a couple of thousand euro for a solar system but who want to spend \u20ac400 or \u20ac500 on a kit that will have a payback period of two years rather than one of six to ten years. It makes sense. The UK did it on 27 August and I look forward to seeing it brought into Ireland.  In relation to the budget and home heating oil, one thing I urge the Government to prioritise - and I have been doing this in my work on the committee and in my emails and parliamentary questions - is the living alone allowance. It costs the same to heat a home whether someone is on their own or whether there are two people living in it. The tank is the same size, the rooms are the same size, and the winter will be just as cold. If we could bring in one thing that would really help, it would be to help those older people, the widowed, those with disabilities who are living alone and those with disabilities who are struggling with the cost of living at the moment. If we could put pressure on bringing in a higher income limit for a single person, I think that would really benefit the pensioner living alone whose pension has just put them above the threshold which then makes them lose the fuel allowance. They then lose access to the free warmer homes scheme. That is why I ask for a fairer income assessment. In a parliamentary question I submitted I asked how much it would cost if the Department increased the threshold by \u20ac4. The Minister responded that it would cost the State \u20ac52 million for the full year. That is targeted and affordable and will help those elderly and those living alone to get through these harsh months. When older people are warm they are comfortable, they stay at home, they stay in the community they have lived in and they stay around their neighbours. It helps their mental health and their routine and it is very good for their longevity.  I urge this Government to address targeted help. That is why I will keep plugging plug-in solar with the Independents. I will keep using my influence as an Independent for solutions. I really welcome the work of the regional Independents on the programme for Government commitments and on the programme for Government we negotiated. I look forward to seeing it deliver for the Irish people. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Deputy Marian Harkin)  I welcome the opportunity to respond to some of the issues raised in the debate on the Bill put forward by Sinn F\u00e9in regarding the taxation of home heating oil. As this House understands, Ireland, as a small, open, successful economy with a reliance on fossil fuels, is especially vulnerable to global energy price shocks. No government anywhere in the world can fully insulate its people from price shocks of the magnitude we have seen over the past seven months. However, as a Government, we have moved to support households, to support the most vulnerable with regard to these price shocks and to support key sectors such as our farmers, our hauliers and our fishers. Our actions so far have clearly shown that we have listened to our citizens and have been responsive to their needs.  In fact, we have provided one of the largest packages per head of population in the entire EU, with supports of more than \u20ac1.3 billion. Every man, woman and child in Ireland has received one of the largest packages of support in the EU. That is action. That is not talk. That is not an empty promise. That package has assisted many people in Ireland and, crucially, has included targeted measures to support the most vulnerable. That is why, in budget 2026, the Government acted to broaden eligibility for the fuel allowance. An extra 50,000 households have benefited. We now have more than 470,000 households benefiting from the fuel allowance and an additional four weeks\u2019 payment of \u20ac38 per week was also given to each one of those households. That is targeted action for those who need it most. That is why, in budget 2027, this Government is committed to supporting those most vulnerable to energy poverty while recognising that the tax system can only do so much.  I have noted the discussion this evening and want to respond by re-emphasising once again that the factors behind the increasing cost of energy are global in nature. It is not just the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the Houthi attacks and the war in Ukraine. All of these ongoing conflicts are pushing up the price of oil. However, this Government accepts its responsibilities and fully acknowledges the challenging and uncertain times in which we are living. We also recognise that people look to the Government to manage the impact of this global price disruption in a fair and equitable way. Therefore, on 6 October, this Government will deliver budget 2027 with the aim of making every person's life that bit easier. That is where the changes will come about - not tonight, not tomorrow, but on budget day. That is where the decisions will be made.  Today, during Leaders' Questions, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, outlined some of the broad brush-strokes of the budget. Of course, nothing is definite until budget day, but the Minister already listed an income tax package to reward workers and a Government response on the cost of disability and the cost of childcare. He also said that the wider issue of taxation on fuel and energy was under review, and that the Government was giving specific consideration to the cost of home heating oil. Decisions on the cost of home heating oil will be voted on, not tonight, but in the context of budget 2027.  Just as important as helping to alleviate some of the increased costs people are facing is the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels where possible. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, also spoke today of the need for a greater uptake of grants to improve energy sustainability. He said the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, would act on this. We cannot approach this issue from one side only. We must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and progress will be made on this issue in the forthcoming budget. I was pleased to hear my colleague, Deputy Heneghan, once again call for the introduction of plug-in solar. In my opinion, the sooner the better. His idea, supported by the Independents from day one, can make a real difference and I hope to see it as soon as possible.  Despite all of the accusations we have heard from the Opposition tonight, the facts do not lie. Once again, I reiterate that this Government has delivered one of the largest support packages in the EU, per head of population, with a total of \u20ac1.3 billion available. That is the reality. Since the beginning of this crisis, the Government has deferred the 1 May carbon tax increase on home heating fuels. It has not reduced it but has deferred it. It has reduced excise duty on diesel, petrol and marked gas oil. It has enhanced the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and passenger transport operators. It has funded payments to road transport operators under the road transport support scheme. It has funded payments to farmers, farm contractors and to fishers under the fuel income support scheme. It has also reduced the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, levy. However, nobody should forget that the work of that agency is to ensure that Ireland has adequate oil reserves. In these uncertain times, to continue funding that agency is prudent. Before this crisis, the Government was already acting to protect households with changes that were made in budget 2026, such as an extension until 2030 of the 9% VAT rate currently applied to gas and electricity bills, enhanced social protection payments and an increase in the fuel allowance.  I will make a comment about carbon tax. Carbon tax is based on the \u201cpolluter pays\u201d principle. That is something I am sure everyone in this House agrees with. It is an important part of Ireland's overall commitment to tackling climate change and lowering our dependence on fossil fuels. As of budget 2026, the Government has allocated more than \u20ac4.2 billion in carbon tax revenue for those kinds of scheme since 2020. The ESRI analysis consistently shows that the lower income deciles are better off as a result of the social protection measures funded by increased carbon tax. Why would we want to get rid of a tax measure that benefits the lower income deciles, which is what the ESRI tells us, as a result of the social protection measures funded by this tax? In budget 2026, more than \u20ac1.1 billion was allocated to climate action measures. For example, there was \u20ac566 million for retrofitting, \u20ac350 million for targeted social welfare interventions such as the fuel allowance and \u20ac173 million for green and sustainable farming measures such as the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES. These funding programmes show that the Government has a proven track record of supporting the most vulnerable, and on budget day, it will be no different.  I once again say that the appropriate time to deal with the cost of fuels and home heating oil is in the context of budget 2027 in two weeks' time. It is on the basis that budget 2027 is two weeks away that the Government does not support the Opposition's Bill and again presses that the House decline to give this Bill a Second Reading. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  For the benefit of bringing the Minister of State down from her ivory tower and into the real world, I will read into the record an abridged email I received from a constituent:  Hi Matt,  From a worried working family mother of three children, one just did his Leaving Cert ... a fifth year student and a first year student, I'm self employed and my husband is a full time joiner, we are scraping the barrel to stay above paying our bills, keeping food on the table and running a car, we are truly grateful that we have work but honestly hand on heart we haven't the price of a meal out when we have our bills paid. Winter is upon us and we have oil heating, it isn't going on we have an open fire but that just purposes the living room, but at least we have it definitely no coal been bought just plenty of sticks ...  We are in 2026 and where we should be getting by nicely but we are crippled and that is down to Government.  What about us working class; my husband leaves the house at 4.45 a.m. each morning for work to keep us afloat but out of his wages he pays almost half of it in taxes.  I suppose I\u2019m making contact for you as part of the opposition to fight our corner in the Dail, we are at knife edge and I\u2019m so afraid with stress and worry some of our health will deteriorate, we need help.  When the Minister of State and her colleagues pontificate about political manoeuvres, this woman's story and the hundreds of thousands like it are the reason Sinn F\u00e9in has brought this motion tonight. We will make no apologies for demanding that workers and families get the break they deserve because, as the Minister of State said, the facts do not lie. The facts are that last year the Government introduced and supported a budget that included \u20ac9 billion of additional spending and families like this were left worse off. They are the absolute facts, so we will do everything we can to force the Government to abolish carbon tax on home heating oil; to reduce the cost of petrol and diesel; abolish the USC on the first \u20ac40,000; to tackle the soaring cost of energy, insurance and groceries; and to finally begin easing the pressure on families like this. It is the least they deserve from the Government. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Natasha Newsome Drennan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Natasha-Newsome-Drennan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan  Yesterday, when I was in Kilkenny city the price of diesel was a staggering \u20ac2.16 a litre. These prices are crippling ordinary people right across the State. The rising cost of fuel has a knock-on effect on nearly every aspect of our lives, be it getting to work, taking the kids to school, driving them to training or simply doing the weekly shopping. Ordinary people are being squeezed tighter and tighter. We need to call out the double standards at play by Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael. When the bankers wanted a break, they got a sweetheart deal to pay just 1% tax. When the big property developers looked for a break, they got mega tax cuts. The Government did the same for the likes of Starbucks and McDonald's, but when ordinary working people or the elderly look for help, they are told it is just not possible. It is time the Government started to stand with ordinary people, not with the elites. A fill of home heating oil is up over \u20ac250 in the past two weeks. No one can afford to fully refill a tank any more. Every week I hear from people across Carlow and Kilkenny who are struggling, especially the elderly and those living with a disability - people with little to no alternative to heating their home with home heating oil. They are the people who do not have the thousands of euro they would need to carry out a retrofit. The motion we have brought before the D\u00e1il to remove the carbon tax from home heating oil will help those people. It would make a real noticeable difference. It is time to give people certainty and hope as we head into what without doubt will be a very tough winter for so many people.  The Minister of State said the Government has helped people. I can tell her that people are just not feeling it. If the Government is to get a clap on the back, the only thing it could be for would be putting record numbers in arrears and record numbers in homelessness. That is nothing to be looked up to. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Fionnt\u00e1n \u00d3 S\u00failleabh\u00e1in","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Fionnt\u00e1n-\u00d3-S\u00failleabh\u00e1in.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Fionnt\u00e1n-\u00d3-S\u00failleabh\u00e1in.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Fionnt\u00e1n \u00d3 S\u00failleabh\u00e1in  The home heating oil Bill seeks to remove the carbon tax from home heating oil to help households struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael have not removed a single cent off home heating oil and they and Independent TDs have voted Sinn F\u00e9in down eight times this year as we sought to bring down the price of fuel.  Every week people are faced with rising grocery bills, higher insurance costs, increased household expenses and energy prices far above what families can afford. For those relying on home heating oil, filling the tank has become a huge financial burden. This is particularly true in rural communities in my constituency. I regularly meet people across south Wicklow - from Arklow across to Aughrim and from Redcross down to Carnew. It is the same in north Wexford, from Ballyfad down to Ballindaggan and Killinierin down to Kilmuckridge and everywhere in between. Thousands of households are dependent on home heating oil as the primary source of heating and they do not have the option of switching to a gas network. When oil prices rise, they simply have to pay more or go without. Many families are already making impossible choices \u2013 basically a choice between heating or eating. They must decide between topping up the oil tank, paying for school costs, childcare expenses and weekly grocery bills. Older people living alone, working families on modest incomes and those depending on social welfare are all exposed to the increases. Many pensioners are afraid to turn on the heating as winter approaches.  The purpose of the Bill is very simple. It is to remove the carbon tax element from home heating oil and give families a breathing space. It is a practical targeted measure to protect people from excessive costs and it recognises the reality of rural Ireland. The Government has shot us down eight times this year. Maybe this time it will do the right thing and back our Bill instead of opposing us for the sake of opposing us. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  I listened to the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and I listened to the other Minister of State who came in here. Nobody else from the Government benches had the brass neck to come in and face us down on this issue. Listening to the Minister of State, I wondered what planet she is living on. She said the facts do not lie. Here are some facts for her. The price of a fill of home heating oil has increased by \u20ac700 since the start of this year. Here is another fact. The Government has not reduced the tax by 1 cent to help any one of those families that are pushed to the pin of their collar with the rising costs.  Another fact is that there are hundreds of thousands of families right across this State, from Donegal right down to Cork, and everywhere in between, that are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. It is not just fuel or home heating oil; it is the price of groceries, rent, insurance and electricity. Life is just bearing down on them and they are finding it really difficult.  I have been in so many homes where people have told me their facts. They have showed me their tanks that are running dry. They have showed me the 5 gallon drums, because that is now how they have to heat their home. They are looking at a Government that has billions of euro of surplus yet it will still not reduce the taxes on home heating oil to help families keep their homes warm this winter. It is a shame on it. The Government is completely detached from where ordinary people are at. The next time they sit around the Cabinet table, every single one of the Ministers, all of whom are in public jobs that are paid by the public purse and all of whom are earning in excess of \u20ac200,000, should think of what it is like to be that mother who cannot fill her oil tank. They should think of what it is like to be that father who cannot afford to put diesel in his car to drive to work without making other sacrifices in his life. That is the Ireland that we are living in today.  This is the eighth time I have brought this legislation before the D\u00e1il since March of this year, because those prices have gone up and up. People need a voice and we in Sinn F\u00e9in will be their voice. We will fight their corner. We will have their back. We are not going to give up until they get what they deserve. What they deserve is a Government that understands the pressure they are under, one that understands they are being ripped off left, right and centre, including by the Government. It was not lost on the woman whose home I went to, whose tank is running dry, that as the price of home heating oil, diesel and petrol goes up the Government takes in more money in tax.  It is shameful that Fianna F\u00e1il, Fine Gael and the Independents will line up again for the eighth time to vote against reducing the cost in order to help people heat their home. The Government has lost touch with the Irish people. The people will rise if the Government does not act, if it does not get this right and understand the pressure people are under. I have no doubt about it. They are at the pin of their collar, at breaking point, and they will rise, just like they did before. I remember the T\u00e1naiste, Deputy Harris, standing over there telling me that we were isolated; that we took the wrong decision; that not one party or Independent voted the same way as Sinn F\u00e9in on the fuel issues. By God we were far from isolated when my colleagues and I were standing with protestors right across this State, who rose up and said they were taking nothing more. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  I thank the Deputy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Pearse Doherty","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","memberCode":"Pearse-Doherty.S.2007-07-23","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Pearse Doherty  There is a saying in Irish which I will finish on \u2013 is maith an rud \u00e9 an eagla. Fear is a great thing. I know the Government fears the risen people. By God if it does not get this right the people will rise again. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Amendment put."},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Home Heating Oil (Emergency Mineral Oil Tax Reduction) Bill 2026: Second Stage [Private Members]"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_18","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":false,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_19","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Data Centres","counts":{"speechCount":9,"speakerCount":4},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_19","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_19.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  Over the summer the Department published a report prepared by KPMG that set out the economic case for data centres in Ireland. Freedom of information requests made by Lynn Boylan of Sinn F\u00e9in, and I acknowledge all her work in this area, revealed that officials from the Department sought to make amendments to the draft prepared by KPMG in order to cut concerns about the impact of data centre expansion on housing, utilities and farmland. In the interests of transparency will the Minister release the full draft report prepared by KPMG where these concerns have not been removed? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Deputy Peter Burke)  I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.  I thank the Deputies for their questions. I propose to take these two priority questions together as they concern the recently published report, The Value of Data Centres to Ireland, which was prepared independently by KPMG for my Department.  The first issue raised is regarding the publication of draft versions of the report. Officials from my Department and members of the steering group provided comments and feedback on draft versions in line with standard practice for commissioned research. Draft reports are subject to review and refinement to test assumptions, challenge analysis, seek clarification where required and ensure that findings are robustly supported by evidence and clearly presented. In line with standard practice, this is the approach that my Department takes in delivering independent research studies, including, for example, The Sectoral Analysis of Future Hydrogen Demand and End Use in Ireland, An Evaluation of Deadweight in the DETE Economic Appraisal Model (EAM) and An Economic Assessment of Green Energy Park Concepts.  Assertions that the KPMG study on data centres was designed to reach a predetermined conclusion are incorrect. Responsibility for the methodology, analysis and findings contained in the final report rests with KPMG, following its evidence gathering, stakeholder engagement, expert challenge and quality assurance processes. I do not intend to instruct my Department to publish draft versions of the report. Drafts are working documents that form part of an iterative research process and do not represent the considered final views of the authors. Publication of drafts without the context of the review and quality assurance process could create confusion regarding the final conclusions of the study.  I will now turn to the issue raised regarding the economic impact of data centres, the associated energy costs and the scope of the study. The report was commissioned to address a knowledge gap regarding the economic contribution of data centres to Ireland, including their impact on employment, gross value added, tax revenues and wider economic activity. It found that data centres supported an additional 7,636 operational jobs between 2010 and 2024 and are enabling infrastructure supporting significant economic activity in Ireland.  The terms of reference for the study were to determine the economic impact and wider societal benefits arising from existing and planned data centres in Ireland up to 2030 and explore options for the evolution of the data centre landscape beyond 2030 with a view to optimising future economic and societal benefits. While the report was required to consider trade-offs and opportunity costs associated with future data-centre development, it was not commissioned as a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis comparing the economic benefits of data centres with electricity costs, nor was it designed to assess the net economic benefits of data centres against alternative uses of electricity, land, water or infrastructure capacity. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Verona Murphy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Verona-Murphy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Ceann Comhairle  This is a 12-and-a-half minute slot for two questions and each Deputy will have two minutes to speak. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  People need transparency because they are researching how many data centres are enough and how do we get a sustainable balance. In 2025 data centres consumed 23% of all metered electricity, which was up from a figure of just 5% ten years ago in 2015. This is more than the total metered electricity used by all urban dwellings in 2025, which accounted for just over 18%. All rural dwellings accounted for 9%. At this rate, the electricity usage of data centres will surpass the total used by all homes within a few years. I do not think this is sustainable.  The pressures these data centres are placing on grid capacity cannot be understated. I am sure the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment can recognise that where grid capacity is unavailable it jeopardises potential investment and job creation in smaller businesses. Delays in securing electricity or water connections mean investment will go elsewhere to competing economies. Businesses need places for their workers to live. If we cannot match this housing demand due to grid constraints we will lose out.  It is vital that decisions on new data centre connections take account of the electricity requirements of housing, businesses, public services and future industrial development in that area. This is why last week my colleague, Deputy Pa Daly, brought forward a Bill that does just this. It prioritises homes and businesses over these energy and water consuming data centres. More data centres mean higher energy bills for households. Earlier this afternoon Lynn Boylan, MEP, and Eve Ryan from Trinity College presented the findings of their research on how data centres impact on the cost of electricity. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  When the KPMG report on data centres was initially published it raised serious questions around whether a meaningful cost-benefit analysis was being undertaken in relation to the economic impact of data centres, particularly when it coincided so closely with the publication of academic analysis that showed households have seen their energy bills increase by hundreds of euro due to data centre demand driving up wholesale prices. Now it appears, through freedom of information requests, that the conclusions of the report were determined from the beginning and that the rougher edges were shaved off to present a more palatable picture.  The tender document that set out the specifications of the report asked KPMG to assess the challenges and potential disadvantages of further data centre development. The same terms of reference specifically provided the example of rising electricity prices as one such potential challenge, stating there is a potential for increase in electricity prices related to any grid infrastructure developments required to support further data centre development. Why, then, was this analysis absent from the final report? Were the consultants not asked to conduct a full net economic analysis, including the costs as well as the benefits of data centre expansion? Did the Department specifically instruct the consultants not to assess impacts on electricity prices for households and businesses?  Was any assessment carried out by the Department of the opportunity costs of dedicating grid capacity and public infrastructure to data centres rather than housing, transport or industrial development? Why were sustainability targets, which include measurements relating to energy use, water consumption and emissions, not included as core metrics within this report? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I thank both Deputies for their responses. Critically, as I pointed out in my earlier contribution, our report was not a cost-benefit analysis. It was principally about the added economic value that data centres would bring to the economy, or not. We had a gap in evidence in relation to their economic value. We have a body of evidence from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the CRU, EirGrid and the Environmental Protection Authority, EPA, in relation to grid capacity, electricity demand, emissions and all those areas, and it is intended to offer a view on the economic analysis. There is a gap in this regard, and it is an area where the Government should have impartial evidence to make a determination. It was not, therefore, a cost-benefit analysis.  As I outlined in my opening contribution, in the context of reports that come from the Department, there are steering committees, terms of reference and a responsibility to ensure that reports meet the terms of reference as required by the Department. All the methodology, assumptions and quality assurance have to be stood over by KPMG. That is key.  In relation to demand and competing interests, I am very much aware that there are huge challenges with data centres, particularly in the context of grid capacity. That is why I changed the rules. In the context of our large energy user plan, I said very clearly that any new data centres will need to use 80% renewable energy. That is going to drive forward our renewable energy transition. If we are going to breathe life into the five projects on the east coast, which will produce a total of 5 GW, we are going to need large energy users. Critically, to finance the projects, we are going to need the money and the opportunities that present in this regard, both of which are key. We are also very clear that for the security of the grid, data centres must have 100% of their demand in dispatchable energy generation on site. Again, this builds up resilience in the system. As I have pointed out previously, we have an opportunity to book value for our citizens in energy that is utilised through data centres and to build resilience in the digital economy. I know that there are challenges. We are mitigating those challenges by having a strong policy response. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  Has a cost-benefit analysis been done in respect of data centres? Perhaps the Minister can answer this question. We need a thorough cost-benefit analysis. It may be that the information is there and I have not seen it. I ask this question because households are footing the bill for network upgrades to increase capacity for the expansion in the number of data centres, effectively subsidising the power supply for some of the most profitable companies in the world. Network charges currently represent 30% of household bills and are set to rise by an average of \u20ac41.25 annually from October. That is not fair. The Government's laissez faire approach cannot continue. Housing, energy security and infrastructure serving the public must be prioritised over the endless number of data centres. How many data centres do we need? How many are we going to have and where are they going to be located? The current arrangement of socialised costs for privatised profits cannot continue. I really think that we need to look at this whole area of data centres, where they are, how many are needed and what the cost-benefit analysis is. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  Good policy requires that we assess benefits and costs. If the Government is confident in its approach towards data centre expansion, then it should have no need to place its thumb on the scales, as was done in the case of this report. The Minister may disagree with some criticisms of the approach, but many people will think it is reasonable to ask whether a report that was intended to inform public policy should have examined the benefits and the trade-offs associated with further data centre growth.  It is very clear from the terms of reference released that the report had been intended to address these issues. Why, then, were they removed? Given that data centres account for such a huge share of national electricity demand and are already increasing electricity bills, this is not an abstract question. We have had one useful admission from the Minister, who stated that the KPMG report was not commissioned as a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. Is it not time that the Government commission a comprehensive report on the benefits and costs of data centres? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  That is not an admission; it is a statement of fact, and I am on record as saying that. It is in the programme for Government. There is a comprehensive piece on the economic value of data centres. That is what the research and the report were about.  On increased energy prices, various Deputies quoted reports which state that data centres are responsible for increased energy prices. We saw the report from Friends of the Earth. Notwithstanding that, from 2015 to 2023, we had a war in Ukraine and a huge energy shock, but the report in question blames data centres. We have to ask ourselves whether that is credible. This is the key thing on which people are being misled. Let us look at the contribution to the grid that data centres bring in the context of capital infrastructure and at grid capacity, the temporary emergency generation scheme and the amount that data centres have to pay. If a family is building a new house, there is a charge to be paid to put in an electricity connection. The charges for data centres are multiples of that amount. So they should be, because their infrastructural and capital costs are huge.  Obviously, data centres are buying energy on the wholesale market, which is like comparing apples and oranges. An amount is certainly asked for from them, and that money can drive forward our offshore renewables. This is a question that a lot of people advocating for our offshore renewables are not answering. How are we going to finance them? Are we going to say, for the five projects I mentioned, that we are not going to use that demand here? What about the 9 GW of onshore energy we are looking to bring in and the 8 GW of solar energy? Where are we going to have that energy demand? Are we going to rely on exporting energy to other countries that are increasing their renewables and their own energy independence or are we going to look at the potential of booking that value for Irish citizens?  There will be challenges along the road, and we have to be very careful that we do not get into a situation where there is a trade-off with housing or industry. The Government's new policy manages that quite well because we are driving renewables. We know it is set out in the report that there is a challenge with emissions, about 4%, from data centres right now, but the opportunity costs in bringing fully renewable energy onto the grid are very significant and no one wants to mention that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Data Centres"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_20","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Aer Lingus","counts":{"speechCount":7,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_20","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_20.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  The Minister of State will recall that Aer Lingus announced substantial job cuts in July affecting hundreds of workers across the country. My office has been contacted by some of those affected workers facing redundancy. They are extremely concerned regarding the transparency of the restructuring at the airline, while others face significant changes to their current working arrangements. Can the Minister of State provide an update on his engagements with Aer Lingus since July concerning these job cuts? Will he outline what steps he is taking to protect jobs and ensure meaningful consultation with workers and their representatives? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Deputy Alan Dillon)  I thank the Deputy for her question. My thoughts are with all workers facing potential redundancy. I understand this is a very difficult time for those involved.  Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation in place to protect workers impacted by redundancy. The Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, requires employers to pay a statutory redundancy payment to eligible employees who are being made redundant and have more than two years\u2019 service. The rules governing collective redundancies are set out in the Protection of Employment Act 1977, as amended. The 1977 Act imposes a number of obligations on an employer that proposes a collective redundancy, which arise when certain thresholds are met. These include undertaking a 30-day information and consultation process with the employees\u2019 representatives and notifying the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of the proposed redundancies at least 30 days before they take effect. My Department received a notification of proposed collective redundancies from the company concerned on 16 July 2026.  The Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, is the organisation which is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Employees have the right to refer complaints to the WRC on a wide range of employment law breaches for adjudication and compensation where appropriate. This includes the right to make a complaint where they believe their employer has failed to fulfil its obligations under the Protection of Employment Act 1977. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  I do not think that a hands-off approach is going to work in this case. Aer Lingus announced in July, as the Minister of State rightly said, that 500 jobs would be lost at the airline. That would impact pilots, cabin crew and ground staff. The company said this was due to the \u20ac34 million loss reported for the first six months of 2026. Aer Lingus, though, is a very successful company, having recorded operating profits of \u20ac282 million last year.  The company is also expected to make an overall profit in 2026. Its parent company, IAG, enjoyed operating profits of over \u20ac5 billion in 2025. The workers in Dublin, Cork, Shannon and around the country who have contributed to that success deserve every effort to be made to secure their jobs or to protect their livelihoods. I understand that Aer Lingus is a commercial company, but that cannot be the end of the Government's responsibility. The T\u00e1naiste told me on 16 July that he would ask the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, to come back to me on the Government's engagement with Aer Lingus. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  As already stated, Ireland has a robust suite of employment law to protect workers who are impacted by this redundancy programme. That includes the right to statutory redundancy payments for eligible employees with more than two years' service. It also includes the right to a 30-day information and consultation process during the collective redundancy process and, indeed, a certain level of minimum notice prior to dismissal. These protections are in place. They are really important. Given the independence of those who manage these through the WRC, they are exercising their statutory function. If there are any issues, they have the right to refer complaints to the WRC on a wide range of employment law breaches. That is the first port of call. We have robust industrial relations mechanisms and it would not be appropriate for me, as Minister of State, to intervene in that process in light of the independence of the entities involved. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  The Taoiseach told me that the Minister of State would follow up on this. Will the Minister of State confirm that he did so? What engagement has he had since the announcements were made and what concrete commitments have been secured from management? The Minister of State also needs to confirm that he will meet directly with the affected workers and representatives and ensure that Aer Lingus management engages in genuine consultation.  The proposed redundancies at Aer Lingus are causing enormous uncertainty for workers and their families. These are skilled individuals who have contributed enormously to the airline over the years. They deserve transparency, fair treatment and a genuine opportunity to influence decisions affecting their livelihoods. Workers need more than assurances that this is a commercial matter. They need to know what concrete action the Government is taking to protect their jobs and rights. Will the Minister of State meet with the workers, see what the situation is and find out what can be done to protect them and their livelihoods? The Government has a responsibility here, notwithstanding what the Minister of State said about the mechanisms that are in place. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I answered that question previously. The legislation sets out clearly the requirements of what the consultation involves. The consultation process includes discussions around avoiding redundancies where possible, reducing the number of redundancies and mitigating the consequences for those affected. Employers are also required to provide employees' representatives with specific information relating to the process of redundancies and to facilitate meaningful engagement and transparency.  Nothing has been communicated to me in regard to intervening. Ultimately, the obligation is that they fulfil their requirements in respect of certain matters. It should not be up to the political system to intervene. Indeed, it is a matter for the independent WRC to conduct its work professionally. That is appropriate in the here and now. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  I am very disappointed with that answer. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Aer Lingus"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_21","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Cross-Border Co-operation","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_21","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_21.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  The recent IBEC-CBI report identifies serious barriers to all-island labour mobility, including complex tax arrangements, restrictions, hybrid working, incompatible work permit systems and a lack of clear guidance for employers. I thank my colleague the Minister, Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, in Stormont, who has already written to the British Treasury about this and who has discovered that significant progress has been made on the new double taxation convention between the UK and Ireland. I am interested to hear an update from the Minister on these talks. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  IBEC and CBI Northern Ireland's Joint Business Council published the All Island Labour Mobility - Obstacles and Opportunities report in July. The report calls for the establishment of a joint forum to develop a bilateral approach to all-island labour mobility and discusses a range of issues such as taxation arrangements, social security, and mobility for non-Irish or British workers. The Government's Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, is considering this report. This forum, which is attended by all relevant Departments, including the Departments of foreign affairs, Social Protection and Finance, has a shared island working group dedicated to examining issues relevant to economic and labour market policy across the island of Ireland. The LEEF shared island working group commissioned an all-island labour market study in 2024 to examine the condition of the labour market across the island of Ireland. Officials in my Department have been engaging with the State enterprise agencies, the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance on the issues highlighted.  My Department has responsibility for economic migration policy and the employment permits legislation, protection of workers' rights in the State, and achieving fair labour standards and freedom of movement across borders for workers are key priorities. Ireland engages with the European Commission, the European Labour Authority and member states with regard to ensuring fair, simple, and effective enforcement of EU rules on labour mobility and social security co-ordination. The Government also engages regularly with its relevant counterparts in Northern Ireland and the UK in order to foster a unified and cohesive response to labour mobility and cross-Border issues. My Department and other Departments will continue to engage on this matter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  I am asking the Minister for a timeline for when the recommendations in the report will be implemented. The report rightly addresses the barriers preventing workers and employers from taking full advantage of the all-island labour market. Both organisations involved called for urgent action on hybrid working and taxation and immigration arrangements, including the establishment of the forum, as the Minister said, to develop solutions.  Brexit has led to significant issues for workers in the Six Counties and the wider Border region. The North voted to remain in the EU in 2016, yet, ten years on, we are still dealing with the consequences of that disastrous vote. Eighteen thousand workers face significant obstacles navigating the Border on a daily basis. Cross-Border trade amounts to \u20ac17 billion annually, but the potential for growth is restricted by the availability of labour. Forty-two per cent of IBEC-CBI members sampled said that mobility barriers are making it harder to fill those skill gaps. We need urgency on this. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I do not have a timeline because LEEF has not yet considered fully the contents of the report and formulated a response. However, I concur with what the Deputy said regarding the all-island economy and the growth in the value of cross-Border trade to \u20ac17 billion. I sense that an opportunity in this regard is being left behind. As a member of LEEF, I know it has been stated previously that taxation issues are causing difficulty in the context of cross-Border work. However, I would point out that LEEF has all the relevant people present to consider this. Obviously, the taxation issue has been highlighted as a fairly significant concern.  As soon as LEEF comes forward with a resolution or a response to the report and a set of actions, which we need, it will help us in developing a bilateral approach to all-island labour mobility. This will be key, particularly in resolving the taxation arrangements as well as those relating to social security, which will be key to help the Department of Social Protection as well. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rose Conway-Walsh","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","memberCode":"Rose-Conway-Walsh.S.2016-04-25","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh  I thank the Minister for that and for the work that is being done. I just think there needs to be an urgency in respect of this matter. I accept that the double taxation convention is primarily a matter for the Department of Finance and the British Treasury. However, the consequences of the barriers extend directly into enterprise and employment policy, recruitment skills shortages and the ability of businesses to operate across the island.  The IBEC-CBI report is not simply a taxation report. It identifies wider barriers affecting the operation of the all-island labour market. I ask that the Minister urgently address the recommendations made within this report. I acknowledge the work that has been done to date, but there is an opportunity cost around all of the delays with regard to sorting this out ten years after Brexit. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  LEEF has a shared island working group dedicated to resolving some of these significant challenges and putting significant capital funding in. However, I concur with the Deputy that we need to make it easier for enterprises to flourish on both sides of the Border and workers will be key. This has been discussed at the LEEF and we are working collectively to formulate a response to the IBEC and Confederation of British Industry, CBI report at the joint business council. I am doing absolutely everything I can to further North-South relations, particularly with the Deputy's colleague, Caoimhe Archibald. The cross-Border work we have been doing in tourism and other areas is quite striking, particularly investing in significant projects that will bring mutual benefit, such as bringing the lakelands of Fermanagh into Ireland's Ancient East, the work on extending the causeway coastal path and the Wild Atlantic Way. There is a huge amount of opportunity in that area. Equally, we have challenges in business which we have to make progress on. I am up for doing so and will raise the Deputy's concerns at the LEEF. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Cross-Border Co-operation"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_22","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Departmental Programmes","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_18","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_18","showAs":"Ceisteanna ar Sonra\u00edodh Uain D\u00f3ibh - Priority Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_22","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_22.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  The western regional enterprise plan has been a successful endeavour. Regional enterprise in the west has continued to go from strength to strength. However, the plan ended in 2024. I accept that it was extended to 2025 for an independent review. However, we are now in September 2026. When will we see a revised, updated and ambitious western regional enterprise plan? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his question. Balanced regional development is a Government priority. The Department and its agencies contribute to this agenda in several ways, including through the regional enterprise plans, REPs. The REPs are bottom-up plans, developed and led by regional stakeholders, which focus on collaborative initiatives to strengthen the enterprise environment. Each of the nine REPs was tailored to reflect regional strengths and opportunities and aligned to national enterprise policy priorities such as decarbonisation and digitalisation. The most recent REPs ran from 2022 to the end of 2025, following agreement to extend them by one year to support implementation and to enable consideration of the future of the REPs. The western REP covers the counties of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon and was overseen by a steering committee that included the enterprise agencies, local enterprise offices, LEOs, local authorities, education and training institutions and private industry.  The Department commissioned an independent review of the REP initiative last year. The review included significant engagement with regional stakeholders, analysis of the plans and implementation reports, and consideration of international approaches. It also provided recommendations and options for the future of the REPs. The final progress reports for the latest REPs will be published in the coming weeks and my consideration of these, along with the review\u2019s findings, have informed my decision on the future approach to regional enterprise development.  The approach will align regional enterprise priorities more closely with the regional spatial and economic strategies, RSESs, of the regional assemblies. This will strengthen the links between enterprise development, skills, infrastructure and wider regional planning, supporting a more integrated approach to regional enterprise development. A memorandum on the overall approach was submitted for the information of the Government in June of last year.  My officials are currently working with Departments, agencies and authorities to develop a framework statement to give effect to this approach, whereby any future regional enterprise actions will operate as focused implementation programmes aligned with the RSESs. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  I welcome the report and that the plan will be published in the coming weeks. That is a huge step forward and will allow us to take things to the next level in east Galway, the rest of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Let us consider the reality of what has been achieved in just the past two years with the Dexcom facility in Athenry. There are more IDA Ireland lands in east Galway from Athenry to Tuam and Loughrea. We want them to be unlocked and brought into use. The one request I have for the Minister of State is that, in advance of publishing the plan, when he reviews the western REP, he pleases ensure he does not hold back on ambition for what could be achieved in the west over the lifetime of the next plan.  With that plan, what will be proposed in terms of new ideas, AI and climate and environment? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his support and his ambition for the delivery of enterprise and business solutions to the west, especially Galway. Galway has been one of the major drivers of the success of the regional enterprise plans and the county has benefited significantly from closer collaboration across enterprise, education and innovation sectors. One only needs to look at the likes of the PorterShed, the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, and Platform 94 to see that. The ambition is to continue to support the life sciences sector, medical technology and engineering and for closer alignment between agencies and third level institutions.  We are not standing still. We are currently working on getting the framework right, not simply on replacing the old enterprise plan. Project managers are located in each of the regions. They are now in situ in each of the local authorities are working with the private sector and State agencies to drive the regional enterprise framework statement and continue to deliver across the nine regions. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  I welcome that commitment. It is important to say that we in Galway have an ability to deliver life sciences like no other area of the country. It has become what we are known for. Galway is seen as a medical devices and medical technology hub and we should pursue that by continuing to attract more talent from across the globe to that region.  I do not need to explain this to the Minister of State, but none of that can be achieved without the adequate infrastructure. It would be remiss of me not to raise with the Minister of State that he should reach out to Galway County Council and Galway City Council to ensure they try to improve the traffic situation in Galway so all the employers there see the benefit of Government investment in common sense infrastructure that leads to a better quality of life for the people working in those factories. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  That is a fair point. The new Planning and Development (Amendment) Act, along with the Critical Infrastructure Act will certainly unlock key large-scale infrastructure. There is no better example than the Galway ring road and other key infrastructure that will support the expansion of, not just County Galway, but the west as a whole. That includes the western rail corridor and many other significant strategic projects. Galway has a strong ecosystem, like Mayo, in medical technology and pharmaceuticals and in working with the likes of the enterprise agencies, including IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs, we can continue to harness new start-ups. There has been a huge uptake in participants in the new frontiers programme and that has been of huge benefit in collaboration with the University of Galway and ATU. We need to continue to support that pipeline in the various accelerated programmes, which are delivering real jobs in Galway. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Departmental Programmes"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","debateType":"questions","bill":null,"showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Jen Cummins)  Question No. 7 is in the name of Deputy O'Dea, but Deputy Dolan is taking it. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_24","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Economic Policy","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_24","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_24.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  Last week in Galway, a meeting was held by IBEC with all the Oireachtas representatives from right across the political spectrum with the site leads in Galway and some of the CEOs of the organisations. It was a fruitful meeting. Competitiveness was the lead item on the agenda so I would appreciate an update on the implementation of the action plan. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his question. The Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, an item in the programme for Government, was published on 10 September 2025. The action plan reflects a whole-of-government approach to the domestic drivers of competitiveness and focuses on areas that are firmly within national control. Its development was informed by extensive consultation across Departments and with external stakeholders.  Accountability, monitoring and oversight are key to the successful delivery of the actions set out in the action plan. Each of the 85 actions is assigned a specific owner and has a timeline for implementation. Just under half of the actions are due for delivery in 2026. The remaining actions were delivered in 2025 or are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030. The project team is in the process of drafting an update report, which should be published before the end of the year.  Broadly speaking, of the total of 85 actions, 24 actions have been completed, 24 actions are on track for completion within their original timelines and 35 actions are in progress and expected to be delivered as scheduled. The remaining actions are at various stages of development, given differences in the implementation timeline. The most recent updates received demonstrate that the implementation of the plan is progressing as scheduled.  It should also be noted that strong progress has been made in the implementation of the 26 priority actions, with 19 either implemented or on track to be implemented and the remainder being in progress and expected to be delivered on schedule. Key examples include an action to implement the outstanding recommendations from the civil justice review group report, with the general scheme of the civil reform Bill being published in January of this year. The research and development and innovation compass was also published in February of this year as part of an action to encourage the adoption of innovative technologies by the SME sector. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  I welcome that the actions are being implemented. I believe the Minister of State said that 24 have been completed to date. That is welcome, but there are 85 actions included in that implementation programme so there is work to be done. I know it is a body of work that will be worth doing.  The companies we met with outlined something to us. From small and medium enterprises right up to the largest of enterprises, when talking about competitiveness, they spoke of a fear about the speed at which Government has brought in changes over the last few years. They said it felt like there was a compounding of costs arising from that. If you speak to those involved in businesses, you hear that revenues remain strong and businesses are performing well but that the margins have gotten tighter. That is where the concern is coming from. Many cost burdens have been placed on businesses over the last few years. Is that going to accelerate or decelerate? Does the Minister of State have a comment on that? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his response. It is a priority within our Department to focus on enterprise and the small business sector. That is why we established the cost of doing business advisory forum. We published that report last month. It had huge input from regulators, representative bodies, businesses and the private sector. It was broadly well received. It looked at the structural costs within businesses. We need a whole-of-government approach to drive the implementation of those recommendations. Some 63 recommendations were made. The Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, are very anxious to drive that agenda and we will. That is alongside the action plan on competitiveness. It is not just about identifying the competitiveness challenges; it is about actively implementing practical measures that will be felt to address them and ensure that Ireland is the best place in the world to do business, to invest and to create jobs. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Albert Dolan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Albert-Dolan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Albert Dolan  One other thing that the Minister of State and all of the Ministers in the Department of enterprise will be aware of is that multinationals and Irish companies that are competing on a global scale are also competing internally. They are competing with sites in the US, sites in Asia and other European sites. We have to be conscious of that internal competition that is taking place. Part of the success story of the med tech and life sciences sector in Galway is the fact that we do research and development really well. If possible, I ask that the research and development tax credit be extended to related costs as part of the budget. It is not just the research and development costs that arise in Galway or in the west that count; it is also all of the related costs that go into making that research and development viable and allowing it to happen. I ask the Minister of State to give consideration to enhancing that tax credit in the budget. I would appreciate any comments he can make without giving away the budget. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I take the points the Deputy has raised. In the last budget, we made a decision within our Department and the Minister, Deputy Burke, brought forward an increase in the research and development tax credit, bringing it to 35%. That was broadly welcomed. The industry had campaigned for it. The Minister will bring forward a new life sciences strategy in the coming months. This will focus on our strengths but also try to implement practical measures to continue to make Ireland an attractive place not just for indigenous Irish companies within the life sciences sector but also for continued foreign direct investment, allowing many established companies that have embedded themselves within communities across the country to continue to expand, innovate and create jobs. That is where we are at our best. With the talent we have within our universities and the investment going into skills development, we can continue to support that very important sector. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Economic Policy"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_25","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Enterprise Support Services","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_25","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Grace Boland","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_25.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Grace Boland","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Grace Boland  I am very supportive of this Government's ambition to grow our indigenous enterprise base. The programme for Government places a very strong emphasis on backing small businesses, scaling indigenous firms and increasing Ireland's export capacity. Will the Minister of State update us as to progress on expanding the mandate of Enterprise Ireland to better support our small businesses? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Deputy Niamh Smyth)  I thank Deputy Boland for her very important question. Supporting the growth and internationalisation of small indigenous exporters is a key priority for my Department. Through Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise office network, whose mandate includes supporting small businesses to develop and grow, our Department provides a continuum of supports to assist businesses at every stage of their export journey.  Our Department's White Paper on enterprise to 2030 sets out a target of 2,000 new exporters by 2030. To help to achieve this objective, Enterprise Ireland established Get Exporting, a new national export accelerator programme, to build ambition, capability and market-entry readiness among potential first-time exporters. Get Exporting provides expert-led workshops, digital resources and one-to-one guidance to develop an actionable export plan for small indigenous companies with little or no export experience or sales. Get Exporting is delivered in partnership with the local enterprise offices, \u00dadar\u00e1s na Gaeltachta and InterTradeIreland, ensuring that companies with export ambitions can avail of consistent and clear support to simplify their export journey regardless of their existing agency relationship.  Enterprise Ireland also offers a range of market access grants to assist companies that are starting out on their export journey. These supports include the digital marketing capability grant, the evolve strategic planning grant, the market discovery fund and the strategic marketing review. Enterprise Ireland works with more than 4,500 Irish companies that are exporting or are in the early stages of their exporting journey. Of these EI client companies, some 3,000 are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. These companies can benefit from EI's international trade missions, trade event programmes and buyer visits, which are instrumental when growing and scaling internationally. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Grace Boland","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Grace Boland  I very much welcome the target of 2,000 new exporters. The Minister of State might update us on how much of that might be made up of SMEs or even microbusinesses. I have worked as an SME and I supported SMEs in my own business. Many report a gap between the supports provided by the LEOs and Enterprise Ireland. They are often seen as too small for Enterprise Ireland. We really need to make sure we are supporting all of our businesses right across the sector. For example, an agrifood business in Fingal needs to get supports not only from the LEO or Enterprise Ireland but also from Bord Bia. We need to make sure that these supports are joined up and that we are not asking businesses to complete three different sets of application forms or go through three different channels. We need to help them. They do not have extra capacity to deal with the administrative burden. We need to do everything we can to make it easy for them to access supports and new markets. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  I concur with those sentiments. From dealing with businesses, I know that the jump when you go from an LEO to Enterprise Ireland can be a challenge because a business may not meet the criteria. We are looking at all of that within the upcoming budget to see what we can do to make sure our agencies do not allow anyone to fall through the cracks as a result of the criteria businesses must meet when moving from the local enterprise office to Enterprise Ireland.  Enterprise Ireland market advisers provide client companies with access to local market expertise, market intelligence and business connections to support export growth and international expansion. Through this network, companies can receive practical advice on market entry strategies and introductions to potential customers, partners and other key stakeholders in overseas markets. In a similar way, our LEOs, which operate in each of the 31 local authority areas, provide advice, mentoring and financial supports to early-stage exporters through initiatives such as the export business advisers network and the market explorer grant.  The export business advisers assist companies in researching, planning and commencing exports while the market explorer grant supports businesses to investigate and enter new international markets by covering up to 50% of the eligible costs, to a maximum of \u20ac10,000 over an 18-month period. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Grace Boland","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Grace-Boland.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Grace Boland  I thank the Minister of State. I have two quick questions. Are there any plans to develop tailored, specific supports for certain sectors? I think of sectors like food innovation, new methods of construction technology or even medical devices, as we have many medical device companies in Ireland and it is a growing area. In terms of market diversification, with global uncertainty, it is really important that we support our businesses and in particular our SMEs to diversify. What is the plan for diversifying in Europe and outside of Europe? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  The point the Deputy raised about supporting businesses so they are not going to three different agencies for the same type of support, and having that co-ordination, goes right back to the ethos of what the Minister, Deputy Burke, has been trying to do on diversification and simplification. For a long time, we know businesses have felt burdened by the bureaucracy that can be involved in going after these grant applications but also who they go to for what. There is a concerted effort being driven by the Minister, Deputy Burke, and through our Department to ensure there is simplification, which is not just an Irish objective. The EU Presidency this year gives us a great platform to drive that right across our 27 member states. That is certainly one of our ambitions as well.  Over the past decade, exports by EI-supported indigenous companies have increased by 94%, reaching a record \u20ac38.86 billion in 2026, an increase of 8% on the previous year. This demonstrates the significant progress being made in developing a resilient and internationally competitive cohort of indigenous exporters, well-positioned to seize new opportunities and navigate an increasingly complex global trading environment. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Enterprise Support Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_26","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Tourist Accommodation","counts":{"speechCount":7,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_26","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Geoghegan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_26.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Geoghegan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy James Geoghegan  I ask the Minister for an update on any engagement he has had with stakeholders, including hospitality and the local government sector, on the introduction of an accommodation tax or levy. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I thank the Deputy for the question. The introduction of a visitor accommodation levy was proposed in Foundations for the Future, the report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare, published in September 2022 and more recently in Capital City, the report of the Dublin City Taskforce, published in October 2024, specifically for Dublin city centre. In the case of the latter, the proposed levy was presented as part of the funding mechanism to support implementation of the actions in the Dublin City Taskforce report. The programme for Government commits to implementing the Dublin City Taskforce recommendations and to apply the task-force model to other cities, towns and regions in need of revitalisation.  The interdepartmental group on the Dublin City Taskforce report, which is led by the Department of the Taoiseach, published its report and accompanying roadmap in June 2025 and these provide a course of action to implement the task force\u2019s recommendations. An oversight board led by the Department of the Taoiseach, with broad representation from across Government, was established to oversee the implementation of the roadmap and associated actions. The board established a financing subgroup to consider and report back on a number of funding mechanisms, including a visitor accommodation levy, to support the implementation of the actions from the Dublin City Taskforce report. I understand that both the oversight board and the financing subgroup have met on a number of occasions throughout 2025 and 2026. To date, a proposal for an accommodation levy has not been submitted to Government for consideration.  Through my regular engagement with industry representatives, the issue of an accommodation tax or levy has arisen periodically. The principal concerns highlighted by stakeholders have centred on its potential impact on visitor numbers and the additional administrative burden that such a measure could place on accommodation providers. Given the significant contribution of inbound tourism to Ireland's economy supporting employment, regional employment and economic activity across both urban and rural communities, any proposal to introduce an accommodation levy would require careful and balanced consideration. This would need to include a comprehensive assessment of its potential implications for Ireland's tourism competitiveness, visitor demand and the long-term sustainability and resilience of the sector. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Geoghegan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy James Geoghegan  I thank the Minister. I agree with his last point. Clearly, it is the case that if we were to ever introduce an accommodation levy, there would have to be a proper examination of the impact on competitiveness. Understandably, on the local authority side and the Dublin side, they are more focused on what the revenue could bring for the city. Perhaps there has not been enough focus on what the impact would be on the sector itself. At any of the engagements I have had with the hotel sector when it hosts its events in Buswells, it is about making clear that any levy would be beneficial to the hotel sector, particularly in Dublin city, which is absolutely booming. There are record levels of investment in the hotel sector. It would have to be beneficial to the visitors who stay in their hotels but generally beneficial to the city.  There are ways to address the administrative issue. In Edinburgh, there was a refund on the percentage of revenue that was being generated that went right back to industry so that the cost was not borne by business. That would be exceptionally important were we to introduce this. The benefits for the city could be quite significant were a tax like this to be introduced. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I thank the Deputy for his response. I will point out one or two things. From my 13 years of experience in private practice as an accountant and from studying tax, one of the key things I always have in my mind is that I would never introduce a tax when a sector is reducing in numbers. That was the case in 2025. If we remember back to before we brought in our tourism strategy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, visitor numbers and visitor spend were going down and, by default, I would never introduce a tax against that backdrop. In 2026, we have seen a significant increase. Numbers are going up well. We saw 626,000 visitors from foreign countries in July alone. It is up 5% on 2025 and about 3% on 2024. Critically, we will be considering this right across Government but I want to be very clear that at this point in time, we have about 38,000 hotels in planning. For the viability of those to work out and for them to be delivered, we have to be careful about what new taxation measures we bring in. We have to get the backdrop right and, hopefully, with the tourism policy we will keep increasing our numbers at the moment. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Jen Cummins)  All Ministers and Ministers of States should finish within their time because we have to get to as many questions as possible. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"James Geoghegan","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"James-Geoghegan.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy James Geoghegan  I thank the Minister. I take every point he is saying. I am heartened that the strategy the Minister is implementing is working. More visitors are coming to this country. This has to be looked at from a Dublin-centric view, to put it simply. There is a different market in terms of the investment horizon for hotels in Dublin compared to other parts of the country. Obviously, any law made in these Houses that would permit a local authority to introduce an accommodation levy would have to be mindful of every region in the country and ensure there is balance. We would have to ensure that for any local authority that introduces the levy, it would be in an area where tourism is thriving and would not act as a disincentive for the tourism industry. On the revenue side, and what we could do for Dublin city with that level of investment, the implementation of some of those recommendations of the task force would be quite significant. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I thank the Deputy for his important contribution. I know he was central to the Capital City report and he wants to see investment. I share that vision with him. Local authorities also need to demonstrate responsibility. Many local authorities have revenue raising powers they do not use. Some actually cut funding and shirk their responsibility. The one key thing is I do not want to see a mechanism of taxation being seen as a soft touch to bring forward a funding stream that can be lost. We have to bring forward a body of evidence.  I absolutely share the Deputy's ambition through the report. I am happy that tourism is in a better place so we can consider options like this whereas in 2025, I would have had a very different view on considering them. At least we can move forward and try to achieve the aspirations in the report to have a strong capital city, which is in all our interests. I know the Deputy does so much on driving forward support for the Dublin City Taskforce. Hopefully, we can together ensure it has a viable funding mechanism to grow and breathe life into the recommendations of it. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 10 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Tourist Accommodation"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_27","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Tourism Industry","counts":{"speechCount":8,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_27","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_27.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  I welcome the opportunity to raise the very real challenges facing our hospitality and tourism sector. I acknowledge the Government's decision to reinstate a 9% VAT rate. I have spoken to businesses in Killarney, Cahersiveen, Killorglin, Dingle, Castleisland and elsewhere in Kerry and I have been told very clearly that the return to 9% has made a considerable difference. It is giving businesses some breathing space. It is helping them manage their costs and plan with greater certainty. However, the 9% VAT rate does not exist in isolation. Businesses are facing an ever-spiralling circle of increasing costs. We have seen increases in labour costs, insurance, energy, fuel and other inputs. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Jen Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Jen-Cummins.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Jen Cummins)  The Deputy can come back in. He should allow the Minister of State to reply. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  The latest research shows hospitality electricity costs increased by 61.7% between July 2023 and July 2026 while labour costs increased by 15% and insurance by 26.6%. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  I thank Deputy Cahill for his really important question on the hospitality sector. As set out in A New Era for Irish Tourism: National Tourism Policy Statement, the Government will continue to take all feasible steps to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs and the costs of compliance. This recognises that many small businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector can face productivity challenges arising from administrative complexity and regulatory requirements that may be time-consuming and costly.  In support of this objective, F\u00e1ilte Ireland will embed better regulation principles and streamline its working practices by reviewing the administrative requirements placed on businesses, employees and consumers. F\u00e1ilte Ireland will also work with other agencies and bodies to advance the simplification agenda across the tourism sector.  Better regulation and simplification are a priority for this Government and one which we have made progress on. Actions taken by our Department include grant simplification, faster approvals, progressing EU regulatory relief, which exempts 80% of small business from the scope of the EU corporate sustainability reporting directive and the expansion of the SME test. We also continue to strongly engage with business on streamlining regulation.  Our national regulatory framework needs to be a focus for the Government as we strive to support competitiveness at a time of international economic uncertainty. The regulatory burden on business was highlighted by the chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council at the annual competitiveness summit on 13 July 2026. The cost of business advisory forum report, published just last month, also highlighted excessive and overly complex reporting and compliance obligations, while analysis from the OECD shows that Ireland scores below average in its ex-post evaluation of primary laws and secondary regulations. My Department will shortly follow up with relevant Departments on progressing implementation of the forum\u2019s recommendations. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  The situation with energy is particularly concerning. Figures published today show that wholesale energy electricity prices were 76.9% higher in August than there were a year ago, having increased by almost 10% in August alone. Eurostat data also show that Ireland had the highest non-household electricity prices in the EU in the second half of 2025. I am hearing consequences directly from businesses all over Kerry. I know of one business in Killarney that has reduced its headcount from 125 staff to 105 but is still trying to deliver essentially the same level of output. It is stretching its assets, staff and resources as far as it possibly can simply to keep its head above water. This cannot continue indefinitely.  The Irish Hotels Federation has made the point that tourism and hospitality support approximately 270,000 livelihoods with around 70% of those jobs outside Dublin. These are not just businesses. They are employers, they are part of our towns and villages, and they are a fundamental part of the regional economy. Having delivered the 9% VAT rate, what further steps can the Government take to tackle the wider cost of doing business, particularly energy, labour and insurance costs in order that the benefit of the 9% VAT reduction is not simply swallowed up by increases elsewhere? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  The action plan for competitiveness and productivity published last September includes a range of measures to ensure a more effective regulatory system, supporting sustainable economic growth while controlling overall cost levels. This includes a red tape challenge across government to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden for all SMEs, including those in the hospitality sector.  In July, the Taoiseach together with the Minister, Deputy Burke, wrote to all Ministers requesting that each Department, and relevant agencies under their remit, identify actions which can reduce the regulatory and administrative burdens placed on SMEs, which as the Deputy knows, impact their costs.  As part of their considerations, Ministers were asked to take account of recommendations from the cost of business advisory forum report and other feedback from their own stakeholder engagement. This exercise is currently under way and progress will be overseen through the Cabinet committee on the economy, trade and competitiveness. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Michael Cahill","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Michael-Cahill.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Michael Cahill  I welcome the response and I reiterate the appreciation I am hearing from businesses all over Kerry for the restoration of the 9% VAT rate, which has made a considerable difference. However, we need to make sure that our hospitality businesses can continue to employ people, invest, remain competitive and provide the tourism product on which communities such as those across County Kerry depend. The concern is that we are now caught in an ever-spiralling circle of the cost of doing business. VAT comes down but energy goes up. Labour costs increase. The cost of insurance increases. Input costs increase and businesses are forced to try to absorb these increases.  As I mentioned already, one business I have spoken to reduced its workforce from 125 to 105 while still trying to maintain the same level of output. It is stretching every available resource to keep the business viable. The energy figures published today should concern all of us. Wholesale energy electricity prices were 76.9% higher in August than a year ago. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  Certainly people in Kerry will not be lost while the Deputy is here to keep the flag flying for them. The Minister, Deputy Burke, has done incredible work on this. As I already said, he and the Taoiseach wrote to all Departments and Government agencies to ensure that they eliminate all unnecessary administrative burdens that hinder enterprise growth. One of the key highlights in that was the grant simplification. The newly established small business unit has reviewed all LEO grant schemes, including a reduction in application questions, down 47% for the business expansion grants, 30% for the green for business grants and 28% for the feasibility grant with further reductions targeted.  Another key piece that the Minister, Deputy Burke, has followed up on is the once-only principle. Work is under way to merge application processes across different grants ensuring businesses only need to provide their data once, which comes back to Deputy Boland's point that we do not have duplication across various grant schemes. Enterprise Ireland has been enabled with achieving faster approvals and a 24-hour turnaround. I can give the Deputy further information to follow up on that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 12 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Tourism Industry"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_28","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Job Losses","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_28","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_28.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  I ask the Minister to provide details of the communication he has had to date, if any, with the new owners of Integer Holdings Corporation, which employs 1,100 workers in New Ross, County Wexford; if he can give assurance to all employees that their jobs are secure; the plans the new owners have for the company and if he will undertake to visit New Ross and meet the workers there. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his question. He will be aware that in August 2026, KKR announced its intention to acquire Integer Holdings, with the transaction expected to complete later this year. Integer's facility in New Ross is a significant employer in the south east and is an important part of Ireland's internationally recognised medical technologies sector. The company has a long-established presence in the region and continues to make a valuable contribution to the local economy and employment base.  IDA Ireland has confirmed to my Department that it maintains regular and ongoing engagement with Integer, both in Ireland and internationally. Integer New Ross is a valued IDA Ireland client and the agency's medical technologies team continues to engage closely with site leadership in New Ross regarding its ongoing operations, business transformation activities and future development opportunities.  Neither I nor the Minister, Deputy Burke, nor officials in my Department have had direct engagement with KKR on the proposed acquisition. However, IDA Ireland is closely monitoring developments and will continue its proactive engagement with the company as the transaction progresses. As is standard practice, IDA Ireland will remain available to work with both the existing company leadership and any new owners to support investment, innovation, competitiveness and future growth opportunities in Ireland.  As the Deputy will appreciate, questions regarding employment levels, commercial strategy and the future plans of the new owners are ultimately matters for the company itself. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate on operational decisions that have yet to be made or comment on matters that remain the responsibility of the company and its shareholders.  The Government remains firmly committed to supporting enterprise and employment in Wexford and all other regions of the country. Through the IDA's strategy, we have a strong focus on securing further investment and supporting existing client companies across the regions, including the south east. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  I thank the Minister of State, but I am somewhat disappointed in that response. As a rural-based public representative, Minister and Deputy himself, he can appreciate the impact a factory employing 1,100 workers in a town like New Ross can have not just on the town itself, but on the entire region.  There is a fear the company that has proposed to buy Integer Holdings Corporation for some \u20ac4.9 billion is not in the medical device field. In fact, it is a global investment firm. I believe a pre-emptive strike by the Government to show how seriously it is invested in Integer and its workers is paramount. We cannot say that it is not up to us to make a move in this scenario or area. There are 1,100 workers in New Ross and we need assurances that their employment is secure. We also need to know what this new global investment company's plans are, given it is not a medical device company. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy again for raising this important matter. I appreciate what a valuable employer Integer is with regard to New Ross and the wider region. However, as I said earlier, let us not over speculate the situation. The IDA stands ready to engage with KKR. It is very important we continue our engagement with the senior leadership team at Integer as that acquisition continues in process. We will closely monitor developments and continue to ensure we have proactive engagement with the company as the transaction progresses. I very much hear the Deputy's concerns but, as is standard practice, the IDA is available and flexible and any new owners will be supported on investment and innovation, competitiveness and future growth opportunities. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  I appreciate the Minister of State's concern and his comment that the Government and IDA stand ready. However, it would not do any harm, given the scale of this company, if the Government was to take the first step and meet with the new ownership to find out what its plans are and how much it is going to invest in New Ross, if anything. What are its plans for this huge employer, which is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the entire county of Wexford? This is beyond the pale when it comes to the context of investment in a county like Wexford and a town like New Ross. This is a hugely important employer and we really need to be the ones making the approaches to this global investment fund as new owners to ask, \"Are your intentions to remain within the medical device sphere? Are your intentions to invest and continue investing in Integer in New Ross?\" We do not want to wait until such a time as it is making the decisions unilaterally. We need to be there to show it our intent and seriousness. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I am certainly open, as I am sure the Minister is, to visiting New Ross in the future to engage with existing and future management as part of this operation. Of course, we will continue to engage with our key State agencies, including IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. We will ensure County Wexford continues to be supported. FDI investment has increased by over 15% in the past five years, which shows the level of interest and intent within that region. We will continue to market the IDA business and technology park in Drinagh, as well as Wexford business park in Whitemills. I know Wexford County Council is also related to the advanced planning on the Enniscorthy business and technology park.  We will stand ready to engage at any stage and will ensure IDA Ireland also monitors this transaction as closely as possible. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Job Losses"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_29","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Enterprise Support Services","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_29","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sean Fleming","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_29.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sean Fleming","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sean Fleming  Will the Minister to address the lack of IDA-supported jobs in County Laois? There are a lot of jobs in the midlands and over 300,000 IDA-supported jobs throughout Ireland, but only about 150 of those are based in the county. Given the size of the county and its central location, this is totally unsatisfactory and I need the IDA to step up to the plate on this matter. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I thank the Deputy for his question.  Balanced regional development is a key element of Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, the IDA prioritises balanced regional development, recognising the importance of attracting investment to regional areas and supporting employment opportunities across the country. Over the period of its previous strategy between 2021 and 2024, IDA Ireland supported the delivery of 973 investments and the creation of 76,790 jobs, with 54% of these investments secured in regional locations. The midlands region, comprising counties Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath, exceeded its investment target during this period, securing 31 investments against a target of 25.  Under the current strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-2029, the IDA aims for 550 of 1,000 new investments to be in regional areas, including 40 for the midlands. In 2025, the first year of the strategy, IDA Ireland secured a record 323 investments, a 38% increase on 2024. These investments are expected to create more than 15,300 jobs in the coming years. IDA\u2019s strong regional performance has continued in 2026, with 190 investments approved in the first six months of the year, supporting more than 10,400 job approvals. Regional locations accounted for 52% of investments during this period, in line with our objective. Employment figures for IDA client companies are compiled on an annual basis. As of 2025, the midlands region was home to 51 IDA client companies for 7,501 people. Of those, 156 roles were in Laois, 1,572 were in Longford, 1,299 were in Offaly and 4,474 were in Westmeath. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sean Fleming","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sean Fleming  I thank the Minister for that. He actually proved the case I had to make when he pointed out that one county in the midlands has almost 4,500 IDA-supported jobs, while a county of a similar or larger size has 150. It is by far the lowest figure for any county.  This is IDA policy, and if it is not policy, there is somebody not doing their job. It has decided Laois is okay for some reason. It probably even thinks, \"Sure, Portlaoise is only an hour from Dublin. Let them commute every day to work in Dublin.\" That is not a sustainable solution. More people are coming to build houses in County Laois and we have had a massive increase in population in recent decades, not matched by IDA site visits. I know it has purchased a significant site in Portlaoise, and will spend the next ten years telling us it will develop it and bring in the services, and it will put in lights and roads. It will make another five years out of that, but it is jobs we want. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  As I pointed out, we have an additional land bank in Portlaoise. I assure the Deputy it is not a policy decision, and it has been challenging to get new capital investment. We are seeing around the country that existing sites are sweating their assets. There is a lot of investment in research, development and innovation on current sites, but the new bricks and mortar sites have been very challenging, particularly in the current geopolitical backdrop. However, I will raise the Deputy's concern regarding County Laois with the IDA, which I hear.  Through Enterprise Ireland, about are 2,100 people supported in employment in Laois. Through our LEOs, we are also at a very strong level of 837 jobs supported in 2025. Our enterprise agencies are working hard on the indigenous sector there, albeit the IDA is challenged in getting new capital investment. However, with a new land bank and the working infrastructure attached to it, this will hopefully improve and enhance the value proposition of the area. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sean Fleming","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","memberCode":"Se\u00e1n-Fleming.D.1997-06-26","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Sean Fleming  I acknowledge the work of Enterprise Ireland and the local employment office in bringing and supporting jobs in native Irish companies but that is happening in every county. I am specifically here to deal with the IDA.  I will ask the Minister to ensure that he contacts the chief executive of the IDA about this, to make sure that he is aware of this conversation. State agencies might not be following what is happening in the D\u00e1il this evening. I do not think there is any other solution but him coming to meet us directly in County Laois. We do not want to hear about developing a site. That will go on forever. We want to hear about real proposals to bring jobs into County Laois. We are as good a county as any other. We are a well-educated county. We have the best of roads and the best of trains to go wherever you want. The location is good. People are moving here, but they are having to commute back every morning to go to work. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Peter Burke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Peter-Burke.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Peter Burke  I hear the strong case that Deputy Fleming is making for County Laois and the road and rail infrastructure it has for connectivity. I have no issue in contacting the IDA again. I know the Deputy has raised this on numerous occasions previously, regarding a meeting with him about County Laois. I assure the Deputy that we will do all we can to seek as many opportunities as possible for Laois in the future. I have to be cautious in saying that I see new capital investments in bricks and mortar as a challenge right now in the environment that we work in. Notwithstanding that, the county has a huge amount to offer, and critically, it has significant assets in its population. We will work with the enterprise agencies, particularly IDA Ireland, to try to drive more visits and more job opportunities, and to ensure that the new land bank, which is the new capital acquisition in Portlaoise, gets a strong value proposition on the register of some exciting new company. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Questions Nos. 15 and 16 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Enterprise Support Services"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_30","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Business Supports","counts":{"speechCount":6,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_30","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_30.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  I ask the Minister about the steps being taken to support Irish enterprises facing rising global cost pressures, supply chain volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, and the specific supports being developed for SMEs to maintain competitiveness in the current economic climate. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  Ireland remains one of the most competitive economies, ranking seventh in the world competitiveness rankings. However, significant challenges remain. The Government is committed to ensuring that Ireland's strengths are not taken for granted. In recent years, a range of measures have been introduced to support competitiveness and help businesses, particularly our SMEs, to manage rising costs and adapt to changing economic conditions. The key element of this work has been the establishment of the cost of doing business advisory forum and the publication of the action plan on competitiveness and productivity. The forum's report, published in August, contains 63 recommendations aimed at addressing business costs and pressures across areas such as energy, insurance, regulation, planning, financial services and compliance obligations. Recommendations include measures to improve competition in the banking sector, reduce the reporting burden for SMEs and explore options for lower energy costs for business.  The action plan on competitiveness and productivity, published in September 2025, adopts a whole-of-government approach to addressing domestic competitiveness challenges. The plan contains 85 actions, many of which are focused on SME creation and growth. Key measures include the establishment of startup Ireland as a co-ordinated body for the startup ecosystem, the creation of an SME scaling fund to address financial gaps, the Government-wide red tape challenge to reduce regulatory burden, enabling innovation to support SME digitalisation and the adoption of technologies such as AI.  The Government is also focused on strengthening Ireland's resilience in an increasingly uncertain global trading environment. As a small open economy, Ireland is particularly exposed to disruptions in international supply chains and global trade. In response, the Government's action plan on market diversification is supporting businesses to expand in new markets, deepening engagement with existing markets and reducing dependence on any single region. Along with this, the Government is promoting the constant application of the SME test across all Departments to ensure the impact of proposed legislation on SMEs is fully considered. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  The key to this issue is our indigenous Irish industry. We have seen, particularly in regard to the geopolitical tensions that have been built up through the actions of President Trump in particular, be it through war or through his tariffs that have threatened the whole global economy, that we need to ensure our indigenous industry grows and develops. We need a national competitive package for SMEs. We need targeted energy supports. We also need a temporary working capital scheme for firms hit by supply chain delays or price spikes. We need accelerated capital allowances also, particularly for digitalisation, automation and productivity-enhancing investments. We need to ensure that our indigenous entities and businesses and SMEs are the ones that are our first port of call for supports. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I could not agree more. Our small businesses and SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy. They account for 99% of all job creation in our communities the length and breadth of the country. We recognise that many businesses are feeling significant cost pressures. That is precisely why this Government, the Minister, Deputy Burke, the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and I have been proactive in bringing forward the cost of doing business advisory forum, establishing the small business unit within our Department and publishing the action plan on competitiveness and productivity early last year. We have done this in order to drive action and implementation in a structured roadmap, while ensuring that businesses are part of that process. This is about helping Irish businesses to remain resilient and capable of creating and sustaining quality employment. That is really important for Irish indigenous companies. We cannot take that for granted. As a result, we have a strong economy and we have good employment, but we need to continue in that vein. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"George Lawlor","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"George-Lawlor.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy George Lawlor  One thing that we need to focus on is regional resilience measures. For towns like Wexford, New Ross and Rosslare in areas like mine, regional enterprise hubs are vital because they are particularly focused on supply chain and digital adoption. We need localised upskilling programmes, particularly for a county like Wexford in the area of logistics, with the enhancement and development of Rosslare Europort as a port of strategic national importance. We need support for clusters too. In a county like Wexford, these clusters include the agri-tech, med-tech and green industries, which will only grow in future. We also need to ensure that our SMEs have strengthened access to finance and have that ability to grow sustainably. We need to expand the growth and sustainability loan scheme. That would really benefit our SMEs. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Alan Dillon","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Alan-Dillon.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Alan Dillon  I agree with many of the points that the Deputy has raised. Scaling funds are really important. That is why we will bring forward measures to support SMEs and businesses to access finance and capital. Enterprise Ireland is now ramping up the startup Ireland programme. We have invested significantly in recent times in the new frontiers programme, especially in the likes of the south east. We have funded Enterprise Ireland to support local startups and the accelerate programme, which is managed on behalf of Enterprise Ireland in the south east. It is important that we can continue to support new startups and enterprise hubs as indigenous Irish companies are critically important not just because they support foreign direct investment companies, but also because many of them are established outside our main cities and our main hubs. We want to continue to support them, ensure that their export focus can create jobs, and not just in Ireland, and ensure they can expand in the future. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Business Supports"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_31","debateType":"question","bill":null,"showAs":"Business Supports","counts":{"speechCount":17,"speakerCount":4},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_23","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_23","showAs":"Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_31","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/mul@\/dbsect_31.xml"},"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  I ask the Minister to outline, further to previous parliamentary questions, the initiatives that he and his Department have taken to encourage prospective new owners to establish a business at the former site of the Bose, subsequently Newbaze, factory in Carrickmacross. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  Enterprise Ireland supported the owners of the factory in Carrickmacross over a number of years as they sought to establish themselves as an infant formula and nutritional powders manufacturer. In March 2025, the company informed Enterprise Ireland that the business was no longer viable in Ireland due to inflationary pressures and market conditions.  As a result, the owners of the factory took the decision to sell the plant in Carrickmacross and appointed an Irish agent to support the sale process. They are actively seeking interest from potential purchasers of the facility and discussions have taken place with a number of interested parties. This process remains ongoing, and Enterprise Ireland continues to support the company by facilitating introductions to potential buyers, where appropriate. The Department keeps in regular contact with Enterprise Ireland on this important site, as I do myself, as Deputy Carthy knows.  Enterprise Ireland has had further discussions with both the owners in China and the company representatives at the facility in September and is continuing to liaise closely with the company to support efforts to secure a buyer for the site as a priority. The company has also confirmed that its team is available to facilitate site visits from public representatives if required. My Department remains committed to driving balanced regional development, including the north east. Enterprise Ireland supported 84 companies in Monaghan and 66 companies in Cavan in 2025. These companies are employing over 14,000 people. The north-east regional enterprise plan is focused on delivering a range of collaborative initiatives to strengthen the enterprise environment in the region. More locally, however, this is an issue that is incredibly important to the Deputy, me and everybody else in the local area. We will continue try our very best to find buyers that will bring new business and new employment to the Carrickmacross area. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  I thank the Minister of State. I am a bit disconcerted. There seems to be a takeover by the wee county, with plenty of Louth heads in the Gallery. They are very welcome.  I am surprised the Minister of State needed the script at all. She should nearly know that off by heart at this stage because that is the exact same answer that has been provided to me in respect of this building for several years. Of course, the only distinction is that in 2025 we finally heard what had been suspected for quite some time, namely, that the Newbaze factory, despite all the fanfare around opening up and providing substantial employment, was not actually going to happen at all. The Minister of State mentioned that there have been prospective new owners. It would be useful if this House could be told how many have been actively engaged with and how many are currently actively engaged with taking over what was the heart of the south Monaghan economy for a long period, which was the Bose factory. It has tragically been left idle for far too long. I do not believe that we have seen the necessary type of urgency that would actually ensure that we find a new owner for that site. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  I thank the Deputy. As he knows, we have sat down together and spoken about this and with Enterprise Ireland. It is owned by a private company. Yes, Enterprise Ireland did support and give financial support to the current owners, but it never got up and running, as he knows, in terms of what the original vision had been from the people who own it currently. I consistently keep in close contact with Enterprise Ireland and regularly seek updates. It is a private facility that will be sold privately, but with the support of Enterprise Ireland trying to promote it as a facility with some fantastic facilities in the actual building itself. Carrickmacross, like many other towns, has a talented workforce in the local area. There is a growing population in south Monaghan. Any employment that we can create that will help County Monaghan and east Cavan is important. Newbaze has the potential to do that. Anything I can do to ensure that we can drive that forward and find new prospective buyers for it, I will certainly do that, and the Deputy has my word on it. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  That is all very well and good, but we need to actually see the evidence of it. It is an absolute scandal. If a factory of this prominence was in the centre of Dublin, we would not have the senior Minister refusing to engage on it at all, despite my repeated requests for him to take a hands-on approach. We would not have the same answer regurgitated by Enterprise Ireland time and again, talking about something perhaps happening. It is not good enough for Ministers to say that is Enterprise Ireland's remit. If this factory secures a new owner, the Minister of State would be the first down with the video to commend herself on delivering that. What I am asking for, and what I have been asking for repeatedly, is engagement across all elected representatives from County Monaghan with the Department and to prioritise this issue. The Bose factory site reared more families in my town and surrounding areas than we could even begin to count. The economic impact of its closure has been profound and real. I do not see, and have not seen, the type of urgency that I believe would happen elsewhere if a central economic pillar of a local community was gone that is warranted. I am asking the Minister of State again to prioritise this issue at a Government level and engage with all elected representatives to secure an alternative owner for this site. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  The Deputy equally knows my very good colleague, Councillor PJ O'Hanlon in Carrickmacross. As we call him lovingly----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  Is PJ going to buy it? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  He is lovingly known as Mr. Carrickmacross. However, as the Deputy well knows, Councillor O'Hanlon, along with the Deputy and his brother, who is an energetic councillor on the ground there too, are doing everything they possibly can to try. It has to be said that we are doing everything we possibly can. It is not an Enterprise Ireland building or an Enterprise Ireland facility. It is there as a Government agency to try to find the buyer to do that. I assure the Deputy that it is one of our regular conversations. I invite agency staff in on regular opportunities to meet, discuss and look for progress, as well as liaising and working with the county manager in Monaghan County Council. We are looking as far and wide----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  \"We\", or Enterprise Ireland? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  -----and throwing the net for as far and wide as we possibly can to try and ensure this. Ultimately, I want to get new buyers into it. I want to get new employment to the area. Carrickmacross is a growing town----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  It has been idle for ten years "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Niamh Smyth","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","memberCode":"Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Niamh Smyth  ----- with growing population and there is a talented and skilled workforce there. I want to see that there are new buyers in it. I assure the Deputy of that. I am sure he would be happy to come and cut the ribbon with me. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Sorca Clarke)  That concludes Question Time. Before I move on, I just want to say a special welcome to Deputy Butterly's guests, the Louth women's and ladies GAA team, staff and management. I congratulate them on the semi-final. Have I got that right? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paula Butterly  They did not quite get through to the final. The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon's Mayo beat them. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Sorca Clarke)  Well done to them on getting there. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paula Butterly","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paula-Butterly.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paula Butterly  It was a wonderful achievement. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Matt Carthy","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Matt-Carthy.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Matt Carthy  As a Monaghan man, I object to that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Question No. 18 taken with Written Answers. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Is f\u00e9idir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scr\u00edofa ar www.oireachtas.ie. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":" Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Business Supports"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_32","debateType":"topical","bill":null,"showAs":"\u00c1bhair Shaincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Matters","counts":{"speechCount":1,"speakerCount":1},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_32","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Sorca Clarke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Sorca-Clarke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Sorca Clarke)  I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case:  Deputy John Connolly - To discuss the proposed expansion of the TFI bike rental scheme in Galway city.  Deputy Conor Sheehan - To discuss the funding of CCTV schemes for Limerick city.  Deputy P\u00e1draig O'Sullivan - To discuss lack of resources and staffing issues at Cork University Hospital.  Deputy Tom Brabazon - To discuss the new school building at Gaelchol\u00e1iste Reachrann, Dublin 13.  Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa - To discuss the difficulty in obtaining an involuntary committal for mental health services.  Deputy James O'Connor - To discuss public transport services in the east Cork area.  Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the omission of a building in D\u00fan Laoghaire from interim remediation for apartments and duplexes.  Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan - To discuss the failure of Breastcheck to achieve mammogram targets.  Deputies Conor D. McGuinness and David Cullinane - To discuss transport and connectivity in Waterford.  Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss provision of reading classes and schools for children with dyslexia and additional literacy needs.  Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh - To discuss the implications for rail connectivity in the north west if planned greenway developments go ahead.  Deputy Rory Hearne - To discuss school places for children with additional needs.  Deputy Paul Lawless - To discuss infrastructure and wastewater issues in County Mayo.  Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for EV charging infrastructure to be located in developments and the need for action where this is provided for in planning but not adhered to.  Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the future of the clean export guarantee, CEG, for microgeneration.  Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the need for reforms of the school meal programme to address the for-profit model and to pilot a not-for-profit community model.  Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the imminent closure of Unit 1, Sarsfield Court and the vacant units on the site.  Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the development of intergenerational community hubs alongside childcare and services for older people as part of the expansion of public childcare infrastructure.  The matters raised by Deputies Paul Lawless, Barry Ward, Darren O'Rourke, Rory Hearne, Roderic O'Gorman have been selected for discussion "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"\u00c1bhair Shaincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Matters"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","debateType":"topical","bill":null,"showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate","counts":{"speechCount":0,"speakerCount":0},"parentDebateSection":null,"containsDebate":false,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","speakers":[],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_34","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Wastewater Treatment","counts":{"speechCount":9,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_34","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  I wish to speak on behalf of the residents and businesses in Newport who have endured the most horrendous situation, where untreated wastewater is being pumped into Clew Bay on a daily basis, yet despite this, the businesses of Newport continue to be billed for charges in relation to wastewater from Uisce \u00c9ireann. Many constituents have asked me how can the State demand payment for a service when the infrastructure underpinning that service is so incredibly inadequate. In fact, it is non-existent.  If a farmer or any other member of society had such blatant disregard and pumped pollution over a fence, they would be fined and they would go to jail for it. This matter has gone on far too long. It is going on for decades, and that is what is happening. Newport is blessed with one of the most beautiful coastlines in the country. It is a beautiful town overlooking Clew Bay, yet there is a bitter irony for the residents who pay wastewater charges. They cannot enjoy the bay or all of the leisure and economic activities that could come with living in such a beautiful area. It is essentially like a publican charging a customer for an empty pint glass. That is what Uisce \u00c9ireann is doing here. It is charging businesses in Newport for wastewater services that are simply not delivered.  I call on the Minister of State to examine the situation and to introduce a temporary reduction or rebate scheme in relation to wastewater charges to residents and the business community until Uisce \u00c9ireann delivers on what is far overdue \u2013 a wastewater system that is capable of dealing with the demands of the town. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy John Cummins)  I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in relation to Newport and wider infrastructure and wastewater in County Mayo. At the outset, I advise that Uisce \u00c9ireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Neither the Minister, Deputy Browne, nor I have operational function in local issues in Mayo to which the Deputy referred.  Both our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the system up to the quality and standards required of a modern service to provide for population growth and build resilience in the face of climate change. I acknowledge as a member of Government that we have to sustain the investment we are continuing to put into Uisce \u00c9ireann in this respect. It should also be noted that since the establishment of Uisce \u00c9ireann, significant improvements have been made in the delivery of water services with the help of contractors and subcontractors. Hundreds of water and wastewater treatment plants have been upgraded along with thousands of kilometres of new or rehabilitated water mains installed. The national leakage rate has been reduced and the overall quality of drinking water remains very high in this country.  Uisce \u00c9ireann has steadily grown its capital investment in our water infrastructure, from \u20ac300 million in 2014 to \u20ac1.4 billion as part of budget 2026. This investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area, making a significant contribution to addressing Ireland's needs.  That being said, I have made inquiries in relation to the items raised by the Deputy. It is worth noting that significant progress is being made on projects across County Mayo with investment of \u20ac114.8 million in water and wastewater infrastructure planned from 2025 to 2029. Works are continuing at Claremorris Wastewater Treatment Plant, where an \u20ac18 million upgrade commenced late last year. An upgrade of Ballyhaunis Wastewater Treatment Plant will provide capacity increase from 4,000 population equivalent, PE, to 6,600 PE. The total estimated cost of that project is \u20ac15 miIlion and Uisce \u00c9ireann plans to commence its construction next year. Two of the largest drinking water infrastructure projects currently being advanced are the Ballina and Lough Talt water supply upgrade and the \u20ac29 million upgrade of the Lough Mask Water Treatment Plant.  Specifically on Newport, the treatment plant is one of the key wastewater projects in the Uisce \u00c9ireann programme. A programme of survey and data collection works are currently under way, which will provide essential information to support technical assessments, environmental evaluations and the preparation of a maritime area consent, MAC, application. Securing this consent is a significant project milestone and must be achieved before a planning application for the proposed wastewater treatment plant can be submitted.  My Fine Gael colleagues in Mayo have engaged extensively with me in relation to the delays in the maritime usage licence, MUL, process. The difficulties have been ironed out in that respect, as the Deputy will be aware, and these have been largely resolved at MARA level. It is the intention that this will be progressed to MAC by the end of this year. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  My question is a very simple one. It is not whether or not Uisce \u00c9ireann has the authority to issue bills but whether it is fair and proportionate. Does the Government believe it is fair to issue bills for wastewater services to a community that cannot avail of those services and which has been so badly treated in relation to the wastewater treatment plant? This is a community that has been given the runaround for far too long. I have worked on this tirelessly since getting elected in meeting MARA, Uisce \u00c9ireann and politicians, and pushing this. The responses have been unacceptable for far too long with each agency passing the buck to another and each Government politician passing the buck to someone else. That is what has happened here. I very much welcome that there has been movement finally but at the moment there are businesses being charged for wastewater facilities. It is akin to a waste management company collecting your bin, dumping it in the neighbour\u2019s place next door and charging you for it. That is what is happening. Is it fair? Will the Minister of State examine the possibility of a suspension for the businesses affected in Newport? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Cummins  It is unacceptable that any wastewater treatment plant in the country is having a negative impact on the environment. That is why we are investing significant sums of money, as I outlined, in County Mayo and right across the country in order to try to address those matters. The Deputy said he has engaged on these items. I can tell him what I have done as Minister of State. I have had a number of engagements with MARA to try to iron out the issues in relation to the MUL system where there were significant backlogs, including the Newport treatment plant MUL applications with MARA. We have ensured that Uisce \u00c9ireann is able to progress its applications in terms of MUL and MAC in a much speedier fashion. That is a really positive thing not just for the Newport wastewater treatment plant but also for wastewater treatment plants right across the country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  Will the Minister of State answer the question? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Cummins  It is the intention of Uisce \u00c9ireann to ensure it has the MAC application in by the end of quarter 4. It is also important to note that it is simultaneously working on progressing the design in relation to the treatment plant. That is what we want to see as a Government. We want to ensure we have projects that are progressing, not only so that when one stage ends another starts. We want to have simultaneous work ongoing across all of our agencies----- "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  The question is on wastewater bills. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Cummins  ----because you have to do more than one thing at a time. That is what is happening here with Uisce \u00c9ireann and its ability to be able to progress the design in relation to this project while awaiting and submitting the documentation in relation to the MAC application. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Paul Lawless","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Paul-Lawless.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Paul Lawless  Will the Minister of State answer the question? "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Wastewater Treatment"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_35","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Departmental Schemes","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_35","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Ward  I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with this issue. He will be aware that his Department put in place a number of years ago an interim remediation scheme for apartment buildings built during a certain period to deal particularly with fire safety issues. This is right and it is important to put it in place. Most importantly it deals with fire issues. There is an urgency that comes with that, which there might not be with poor upkeep or other structural issues. The idea behind the scheme is that residents have some certainty that they can live in a place that is safe, but we know there are several apartment blocks around the country that suffer from problems with the way the fire systems were constructed when they were built and that have to be repaired to ensure the safety of residents. The scheme is good and I welcome it.  The issue I specifically want to address with the Minister of State is that of The Crofton apartments in D\u00fan Laoghaire. It was once an office block and was built as office accommodation but the McGrath Group transformed it into apartments a number of years ago. There are 25 apartments there, duplex and single storey. It is a very nice building, the people who live in it are very nice and they bought their apartments in good faith. Most importantly, when they bought their apartments they were treated as new buys. They paid all the tax and VAT associated with new builds and new apartments.  They were recorded as new dwellings on the property price register, even though the building was a converted office block. Therefore, assuming they are newbuilds, which is how they have been treated, they should qualify for the interim remediation scheme. So the Minister of State's Department thought as well because in 2024, when the owners applied for funding under the interim scheme to change the situation they had with their fire systems, they were granted access to the scheme, yet within two years the Department had written back changing its mind, saying, \"Actually, no, we are cancelling it\". It appears the reason for that is that it was not a newly constructed building, even though the Government took its tax take and took its money from the owners but then, on a different day, told them they were not part of the scheme because the building is not a newbuild, or at least so it appears.  The reality is that in this case, the Government is trying to have its cake and eat it. On the one hand, it takes the tax from them as newbuilds and describes them as newbuilds; on the other hand, when it comes to actually being part of a scheme the Government has rightly put in place to protect exactly this type of building and exactly this type of resident, it tells them they do not qualify. It has to be one or the other. Either the Government gives back the VAT and the tax that these residents paid when they bought their apartments or it admits them into the scheme. It cannot be both. The reality is that the Minister of State's Department initially said they could be in the scheme. It gave them the succour, the confidence and the reassurance that they would be part of the scheme and could access it but now they find they are being excluded from it. It does not make sense. Either they are a newbuild or they are not. If they are not, the Government should give the owners back their money because they paid an awful lot in VAT and tax when they bought their newbuild apartments a number of years ago.  The reality is that there is no clarity in the Minister of State's Department in how it is approaching this particular building, The Crofton apartments, in D\u00fan Laoghaire. It is leaving in the lurch the residents, who through no fault of their own find themselves in a situation where they will have to pay for a remediation that in 2024 was assessed at \u20ac1.1 million for 25 apartments. It is a serious amount of money for each apartment holder but it will be more now because over two years since that assessment was made, you can be absolutely sure that the cost of that remediation has gone up. What really puzzles me is that nothing has changed between the time in May 2024 when the Minister of State's Department said they were part of the scheme, they would get the grant and they would get the support of the Department to help them fix the fire regulation and the fire safety systems in their building and March 2026, when suddenly a U-turn was done by the Department of housing through the Housing Agency, which administers the scheme, and they were told sorry but they were out in the cold, the Department was not going to help them and they would have to sort themselves out. Which is it? Can we give these people a little bit of reassurance that they will be looked after by the State when they have paid all their taxes? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Cummins  I thank Deputy Ward for raising this matter and for speaking to me about this item earlier. I know he has also engaged with the Minister, Deputy Browne, on this matter and the concerns it raises for residents and the owner management company of The Crofton apartments, D\u00fan Laoghaire.  As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decision of 18 January 2023 approved the development of supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartments, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. Drafting of the apartment and duplex defects remediation scheme Bill is well advanced. I expect that the Bill will be published before the end of this year and that the statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter. It is envisaged that 100% of eligible remediation costs will be funded.  The interim remediation scheme for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 opened to applications from owners' management companies in December 2023. The scheme is administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. The scheme provides for the full funding of interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works. Full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures, as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded under the statutory scheme. The Housing Agency has committed its knowledge and resources to helping to design and now operate this scheme. Its experience of dealing with, for example, the pyrite remediation scheme and the enhanced defective concrete blocks scheme has been particularly useful in this regard. The scheme is shaped following a significant period of consultation with homeowner representatives. Their insights have been an essential element that has allowed my Department, the Housing Agency and local authority fire services to put together this scheme.  Appropriate pathfinder projects within the scheme were identified in April 2024. These pathfinder projects have allowed the mapping of the application and remediation process into simple steps, to identify pinch points and their solutions and to provide consistency across submissions and related workings. Three of the pathfinder projects are situated in the Dublin area, involving three local authorities, and one in Kildare. These projects vary in size and complexity and provide valuable insights for both this interim and the forthcoming statutory scheme.  As of the end of August 2026, 293 applications to the scheme have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent over 25,000 residential units, with circa 75% in the Dublin region. Of the 293 validated applications, 151 to date have provided documentary evidence confirming the key eligibility requirements.  During the validation process, the Housing Agency established that The Crofton building was originally constructed as an office and was subsequently converted to residential use. This raised a question as to whether it falls within the scope of the scheme, which is intended for purpose-built apartment and duplex developments.  All applications received by the Housing Agency remain subject to verification and validation and their status can change as ongoing data cleansing and due diligence are completed. While this application initially progressed through the process, that did not represent a final determination of eligibility. Eligibility is determined with reference to the scope of the scheme as approved by the Government.  I recognise, however, that developments which were lawfully converted to residential use raise broader policy and equity considerations in the context of apartment defects remediation and the safety and well-being of residents. I have asked my Department officials to examine such developments in the context of their current work in devising this scheme. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Barry Ward","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"Barry-Ward.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Barry Ward  I really appreciate what the Minister of State said at the end of the answer. I appreciate his positive engagement on this. As he says, we had a conversation about this earlier today. I appreciate his undertaking to raise this with the officials because there is a gap, in fairness, in this situation. I understand what he has said about the validation process but he has to remember that these people, through their OMC, wrote in, applied for the scheme and were told yes. It took nearly two years before the Housing Agency turned around and said, \"Actually, no\". There is a terrible unfairness for them there whereby they find themselves initially satisfied that they will be covered and that the State has their back in terms of this remediation and then being told the rug has essentially been pulled from under their feet. Maybe that is a bureaucratic situation that is beyond help but the reality is that the finalisation of this scheme is not beyond help. The legislation has not passed yet. There is an opportunity for the Minister of State and his officials in respect of this type of building, which, as he notes himself in the response, was legitimately, properly and validly transformed from an office block into residential apartments, and with the bona fides of the people who bought those apartments. They paid the full whack of tax as if they were buying a newbuild apartment, and the units are recorded as such on the residential property price register. Whatever you think about the scheme, they must be included in it. If it is the case that the scheme, as currently drafted and operating on an interim basis, does not cover them, let us change it.  I would be very grateful if the Minister of State would assure me that this will be considered for change in the scheme. The owners have written to the Minister's office and sent him statements and briefs about what has happened here but they have not heard back from him yet. I would also be grateful if the Minister of State could commit that they will get an answer and get some succour, some reassurance, from his Department and from the Housing Agency that they will not be left in the lurch, that they will not fall between stools and that, as taxpayers who bought apartments in good faith, they will be supported by the State, as any other owner of a newbuild apartment would have been. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"John Cummins","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","memberCode":"John-Cummins.S.2020-03-30","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy John Cummins  As Deputy Ward will appreciate, I cannot give a blanket commitment on the floor of the D\u00e1il this evening, but I can give a commitment to engaging with officials in the broader context of the policy issues that have arisen as a result of the Deputy's raising this item with both the Minister, Deputy Browne, and me and in putting this Topical Issue before the D\u00e1il this evening. I thank him for doing that.  It is important to note the significant scale of the remediation scheme, which will be underpinned by legislation, and which is expected to be in the order of between \u20ac1.5 billion and \u20ac2.5 billion. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, set up the working group to examine this in 2022. When it reported, it estimated that between 50% and 80% of apartments and duplexes that were constructed between 1991 and 2013 may be affected by one or more of the following: fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects.  It is a significant scheme. Those pathfinder projects have been in place. We are trying to shape a scheme that will operate and will be as smooth as possible. However, as the Deputy will appreciate this is a complex area. Not every owner-management company is equal and there are challenges in that space. On foot of the Deputy raising this matter I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Browne, in the context of the broader policy considerations that it raises. Obviously, the intention is for purpose-built apartments and duplex developments. I do not know how many other potential sites could come into the scope that are similar to the Crofton building in D\u00fan Laoghaire, but we will examine that. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Departmental Schemes"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_36","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"School Meals Programme","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_36","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Darren O'Rourke  I thank the senior Minister for being here at this hour to take this. This issue is both topical and important. The school meals programme is one of the most important investments the State makes in children. At \u20ac300 million per year, it touches nearly every primary school in the State. Given that the Government's own review revealed that it is falling short, we cannot simply tinker around the edges. The research published yesterday was clear and indicative. The Department of Health's nutritionist found that just 7% of meals met all five basic nutrition standards, and that is not a high bar. Half of all meals contain no fruit or vegetable. Despite the Minister announcing an outright ban on high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods in April 2025, 15% of meals still contain them and they are the meals children order and eat most.  We know that 100,000 hot meals per day are going uneaten and the top reason is meal dissatisfaction. Some 87% of teachers say that is why children do not finish their food. The Ipsos survey revealed that just 21% of children eat all of their meal. On waste, one 390-pupil school in Galway estimates 10 tonnes of food waste per year, which is the weight of a small school bus. Across the State, this model could generate 100 million single-use packs annually. Why is this happening? I strongly contend that a large part of the reason is the design of the system and the for-profit model that dominates the scheme. Some 99% of contracts go to the for-profit providers. The largest supplier has more than 600 schools. The next two largest suppliers have in excess of 400 schools. We saw what happened last year when two major suppliers withdrew from 79 mostly small rural schools without notice. The pursuit of profit means quality is squeezed, choice is unlimited but nutritionally hollow, and service is not guaranteed. Children can order chicken goujons every single day of the week or plain pasta every day. This is not a school meals programme. It is a race to the bottom. However, there is a better way, and we do not have to look far to find it. In Duhallow, County Cork, for example, a community-owned not-for-profit food service is delivering 3,000 meals per day to 30 schools. They cook from scratch using fresh, local ingredients, 75% of their ingredients are Irish and 40% come from within the surrounding region. They deliver hot food within 26 minutes. Their waste rate is 1.2% and not 19%. Closer to home for me in Drogheda is St. John's and St. Paul's junior and senior primary schools, which use fresh, local food from local suppliers to feed their approximately 1,000 students daily, employing 31 people. They have been doing it since the 1980s with their breakfast club. This is the power of the community-led model.  We appreciate the hot school meals programme. It is a significant intervention. We support the principle of universality. I say to the Minister that there is a massive opportunity to do much more with it. Both Sinn F\u00e9in and I are making the case that we would take this opportunity to pilot those community-led approaches. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Dara Calleary)  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Teachta O'Rourke as ucht an t-\u00e1bhar sin a ard\u00fa. As he has said, the school meals programme is important. That sometimes gets lost from people who maybe think they do not need it, but it is needed in all of the schools. It was rolled out quickly in the context of moving from a pilot programme in 2019 to 3,200 schools in September 2025. I know Deputy O'Rourke looked at some of the more negative responses, but the survey also found that 85% of children liked their lunch, 81% of parents reported their child avails of the scheme and 63% of teachers and principals believe it had a generally positive aspect. Since we introduced the ban on foods high in salt, fat or sugar we have 82% of meals being served. The Deputy is right that we need to get that to 100%.  Some 3,200 primary schools with 555,000 children are eligible for hot school meals, and the budget for 2026 is \u20ac286 million. All schools, as the independent contracting authorities, are responsible for choosing their school meal supplier on the open market in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. The Department of Education and Youth schools procurement unit provides the guidance to schools for all procurement, including this programme. These rules clearly define the successful tenders\u2019 responsibilities and obligations, including adherence to nutritional standards. The primary relationship is between the school and the supplier. I put on record my thanks to school communities and school leadership across the country who are investing enormous time in this. The school meals programme is supported by approximately 300 suppliers, the majority of whom serve between one and three large schools. Providers range from the large national companies, to which Deputy O'Rourke has referred, to local restaurants, food outlets, meals-on-wheels services, social enterprises and the community organisations he has mentioned.  One of the recommendations in the nutrition review report is that food catering systems will be reviewed to see which system meets the nutrition standards we want in a consistent manner. My preferred approach is to have as many local suppliers involved as possible. For instance, there are 11 meals-on-wheels organisations supplying 40 schools. The Deputy's colleague, Deputy Louise O'Reilly, has really pioneered that particular model and the Duhallow model is an example of best practice. The mix of suppliers is helping us to deliver hot school meals to more than 3,200 primary schools every day. That gives an indication of the scale of the operation required five days per week. I absolutely believe that community organisations can play an important part in that, and they already do. The two independent studies the Deputy referred to have been commissioned and published. I acknowledge the work of the Oireachtas joint committee on education for its work earlier in the year, and our colleagues in the Departments of Health and education for their assistance. The nutritional review has found a wide variety of healthy meals on offer, and the accompanying Ipsos survey has found 85% of children like their lunch, 81% of parents report that their children avail of the scheme and 63% of teachers believe it has a generally positive impact.  There are absolutely improvements required. That is where we are now focused on the increased provision of vegetables, fruits, salad and wholegrain foods; improving menu consistency; providing age-appropriate portion sizes that will help to address the waste issue; and strengthening compliance systems. The review has recommended a number of areas, and we are progressing to the implementation phase in partnership with school communities, the Department of Health - we will continue to have our dietitian on board - and food producers around the country. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Darren O'Rourke","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Darren-O'Rourke.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Darren O'Rourke  I appreciate the Minister's comments on his own preference for multiple providers. It is important to expand upon that. I referenced Duhallow. The Minister is aware the education committee has spent a lot of time on this. We have previously discussed this ourselves during Oral Questions. I have talked about Duhallow and St. John's and St. Paul's in Drogheda. This is not a niche experiment. It is a proven, viable, replicable model. In Finland, 850,000 meals a day are served through a community-led model. In Copenhagen, almost 90% of school food is organic, and its food schools show positive impacts on well-being from dietary diversity. It is the same in Milan and in France. There is really good research from the Trinity Business School and Food Policy Ireland making clear that the community model of school food provision can be socially, economically, and environmentally beneficial and resilient and that it supports local economies. In his follow-up contribution will the Minister expand on that point in terms of whether there is an opportunity now to look at meals on wheels, the community-led sector and the not-for-profit sector, what is working well, and how we can maybe grow that sector or share of the market, for want of a better term?  I have a request for the Minister. I spoke to the principal at St. Paul's in Drogheda. There is an open invite to him to go to see their system operating. As I said, it is absolutely wonderful. It has been funded by the Department since the 1980s. It is incredible what the people are doing there, and they would love to welcome him to Drogheda. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Dara Calleary","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","memberCode":"Dara-Calleary.D.2007-06-14","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Dara Calleary  I thank the Deputy. I have an invitation to go up there and I will go. It is important. School meals have been provided in a lot of communities for a long time and we have just ramped up the system. It is also important to note that the debate is often presented as a choice between commercial and not-for-profit community providers. Community involvement is possible within the existing programme and we can work with not-for-profit community organisations, charities, social enterprises and Meals on Wheels.  I would also include community-based for-profit companies as well. They are providing a very important service. Flexibility is the strength of the current programme. Schools can choose from a variety of delivery arrangements that best suit the particular school circumstances, including contracting or commercial suppliers, not-for-profits and social enterprises. Local catering providers are preparing meals on site in those schools where the facilities exist. My Department is saying to schools that they can procure their school meal from any registered food business provider as long as they meet the standards set out in the standard procurement documentation.  The findings of the nutrition review align very closely with those in the independent Ipsos Behaviour and Attitudes evaluation. And as I said, the report indicates a generally very high standard of food provision and a high level of satisfaction, but there is work to do. Through engagement with school communities, suppliers, and our colleagues in the Department of Health, we will achieve progress on that matter in terms of nutritional review, nutritional standards, proteins, vegetables, fruit, and also the provision of different models.  Duhallow is a super model. There are other models similar to it. There is no point in us having the views of 88,000 parents, 7,000 children and school communities all over the country unless we do something about them. I again acknowledge the role of the Oireachtas education committee. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"School Meals Programme"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_37","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Special Educational Needs","counts":{"speechCount":4,"speakerCount":2},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_37","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  I am disappointed the Minister could not be here to take the matter but I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is. I want to raise the case of a child with additional needs in my constituency who, almost a month into the school year when other children are in school - almost four weeks now - still does not have an appropriate school place. I also want to raise the issue of promised schools still not delivered completely, notably Finglas Parochial National School, where children are still at home waiting to get their school places and issues increasingly faced that parents have raised with me where children with additional needs are on reduced school hours, which is not an adequate school place.  I raised the case of Roman Slator with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education two weeks ago. As I said, most children are into their fourth week of school, but five-year-old Roman from Finglas still has no school place. Roman has been diagnosed with autism and a global developmental delay. Roman and his mother have been scandalously failed by this Government and by the Department of Education and Youth. Jade, his mother, has had to work night and day alongside her actual employment to try and get Roman a school place, contacting school after school and the NCSE, but to no avail. The lack of a school place for Roman is taking a massive and extremely worrying toll on her and her family. Jade said to me:  I feel it's very important to highlight the effect this has on my life, my family, my mental health. I spend my days constantly emailing, constantly calling, following up, chasing schools, contacting principals, local TDs, having to go the legal route when I am a single mother with two children, one who is autistic and has no school place and another who has just started secondary school.  She is upset all the time, she is stretched thin. This mother is being pushed to the edge, she is actually at breaking point as a result of the failure of the State to provide an appropriate school place for her child. She has had to reduce her work and she is now forced to decide each week which bill will not be paid as she tries to mind her child at home. Her employer has been extremely understanding so far but time is running out for her. Jade asked me to ask the Minister if she has any idea of the effect this has on parents of children with additional needs. She contacted one local school which said it could offer a place in a mainstream class if it was guaranteed resources from the NCSE. Then the NCSE said that it would not provide any guarantee of resources and would review potential resources when the school provides a place for Roman and that it would assess if resources are needed. This is utterly scandalous. As Jade says:  This is a total lack of respect for my Roman, his diagnosis, his education requirements, my family and me. The department and the NCSE won't give the funding for an SNA, so clearly the most vulnerable children, children with disabilities, are being left at home rather than paying for an SNA.  She describes it as more being like special educational needs lettown at this point. She is extremely concerned about Roman's regression, his lack of supports in terms of education and also the lack of social aspect of a school placement. It really is scandalous that this child is left in this situation. I am extremely worried about his mother and the impact on her and the family. This raises the issue of parents having to reduce work hours and the stress that is on them to make up for the State's failure to provide an appropriate education and support to children with additional needs, which it is responsible for. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Deputy Marian Harkin)  I thank the Deputy. I hear his real concern for his constituent's child and the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves. I have a response here, some of which deals with the issue he raised and some of which is a more general response on what the Government is doing. If he will bear with me, I will give him both.  The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. Budget 2026 has already provided funding for over 400 new special classes and at least 400 new special school places for the 2026-27 school year. It was intended that this would create almost 3,000 new special educational placements for December 2026. In total, there will be over 4,300 special classes operating in mainstream schools next year, an increase of 130% since 2020. In County Dublin, 845 special classes are now in operation, providing capacity for over 5,000 students, and this includes 140 new special classes for the 2026-2027 year.  In addition, 20 new special schools have been established in recent years. Special school capacity has also been expanded across a number of special schools nationwide. A total of 44 of these special schools are in County Dublin, educating approximately 2,700 students with the most complex of special educational needs. These schools are supported by the Department and the NCSE.  As Deputy Hearne is aware, an earlier notification deadline was introduced this year to support forward planning and to earlier equip - and I presume better equip - the NCSE with local information as to what students would be leaving school, transitioning to post-primary specialist places, seeking specialist placement or entering the education system for the first time. This information is critical when examining where provision needs to be placed to meet demand.  The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes earlier this year, which is several months earlier than last year. A total of 587 have been sanctioned for the school year 2026-2027. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. In regard to the specific matter raised by Deputy Hearne on the modular project for Finglas Parochial National School, the modular building is installed on site. Internal fitting-out works are nearing completion and external works, including soft play works, are taking place in parallel. The project will be completed soon. The assigned project managers are keeping the school authority updated regularly as the project progresses to near completion. This project required planning permission, which was granted on 25 March this year. The Department and its project manager have been working to ensure the project gets delivered as quickly as possible. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Rory Hearne","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","memberCode":"Rory-Hearne.D.2024-11-29","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Rory Hearne  I reiterate that it is important that the project is delivered for Finglas Parochial National School as soon as possible. I really do think the parents deserve a very clear date as to when that will happen. My understanding is that it was committed to be delivered in September and we are getting very close to the end of September. It really should be in place.  I want to go back to the specific case I raised, which I also raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. I am really disappointed with the Minister of State's response, which is absolutely inadequate. There is a child who does not have a school place. This is a child with autism who, as I very clearly outlined, has a need which has been identified. His mother is at breaking point. As the Minister of State has set out, the NCSE and the Department are turning to the 2027-2028 school year but children do not have a place in this current school year. This is absolutely unacceptable. What this mother is being put through is wrong.  It is deeply disappointing that the Minister of State with responsibility is not here and has not provided a satisfactory reply. I really do want a commitment from the Minister of State with responsibility that Roman will be in school within a week and will have a school place. I do not feel it is acceptable that any child is going into October without a school place or any prospect of a school place. It is absolutely wrong and I really think the Minister should accept this situation as being an absolutely dire emergency and act accordingly. I ask the Minister of State to bring this back and raise the issue. I do want answers because it is not clear with regard to children who are on reduced school hours and what they need to ensure they and their parents have adequate supports. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Marian Harkin  I thank Deputy Hearne. Again, I do hear what he is saying and I will bring his very strong concerns to the Minister of State. I will see that they are on his desk by tomorrow and we will see where we go from there.  Deputy Hearne mentioned Finglas Parochial National School. To be fair, given that planning permission was granted on 26 March 2026, the fact that the Department and the project manager have been doing everything to complete all of the works, and that they will be delivered as quickly as possible, is reasonable progress to say the least. I cannot give Deputy Hearne a date as I do not have one but it does state the project will be completed soon. \"Soon\" has a meaning and I hope this is the case.  In regard to the overall perspective, by the end of 2026-2027 there will be more than 15,200 special education teachers, with more than 26,000 special needs assistants, in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. This will mean that we will have over 46,000 teachers and SNAs working in our education system, committed to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. For children with more complex needs, special classes or special school places are provided and this is in keeping with the policy of an inclusive education which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible. The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required in the 2026-2027 school year. As I said at the beginning, I will ensure this request is on the Minister of State's desk tomorrow. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Special Educational Needs"}]}},{"debateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_38","debateType":"debate","bill":null,"showAs":"Renewable Energy Generation","counts":{"speechCount":5,"speakerCount":3},"parentDebateSection":{"uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/akn\/ie\/debateRecord\/dail\/2026-09-22\/debate\/dbsect_33","formats":{"pdf":null,"xml":null},"debateSectionId":"dbsect_33","showAs":"Saincheisteanna Tr\u00e1th\u00fala - Topical Issue Debate"},"containsDebate":true,"debateSectionId":"dbsect_38","speakers":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null}},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null}}],"formats":{"xml":null,"pdf":null},"text":[{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  I wish to raise an issue which I know is causing concern for the thousands of households across Ireland that have invested in solar panels and have embraced the transition to clean energy. Recent media reports have suggested the clean export guarantee, the payment introduced by the Green Party and received by households for excess renewable energy exported back to the grid, could be weakened, reduced or ultimately phased out entirely in the years ahead.  The clean export guarantee recognises a really simple principle, which is that if households export clean electricity to the grid that electricity has a value and households should be paid fairly for it. Over the past number of years families right across the country have made significant investments in rooftop solar. Many did so because they wanted to reduce their carbon footprint. Many more did so because they wanted to reduce their electricity bills and play an active role in Ireland's transition to clean energy. These households have responded to Government policy. They have responded to national climate objectives. They invested what was often thousands of their own money, often alongside SEAI supports, on the understanding there would be a fair and stable framework for microgeneration. Government policy went even further in encouraging those households. When in government the Green Party encouraged another initiative, the tax exemption for microgeneration of electricity, which is currently valued at \u20ac400 per year.  Any change to the rules after people have made this investment would send entirely the wrong signal. It would undermine people's confidence in microgeneration going forward. At a time when we need significantly greater development of rooftop solar, community energy generation and distributed renewable generation, the last thing we should be doing is causing uncertainty. Every unit of electricity exported by a household solar installation reduces demand for fossil fuel generation, contributes to energy security and supports our climate targets.  I believe the existence of the feed-in tariff acts as a real incentive to people looking to install solar. It gives greater security to people making an upfront payment on panels that investment they are making in clean energy is the right one. The electricity exported from a family home does not suddenly become worthless because it is generated on a rooftop panel rather than in a large-scale facility. Suppliers benefit from this electricity and the wider system benefits from it, and consumers who invest in generation infrastructure should receive an equitable return.  I would like confirmation from the Minister of State this evening that there are no plans to wind down the clean export guarantee payment in the coming months and years and that the Government will retain its commitment to it going forward.  To provide greater clarity and reassurance to households that undertake microgeneration, can the Minister of State confirm that the tax exemption for the microgeneration of electricity, currently valued at \u20ac400 per year, will be maintained as part of budget 2027? "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Marian Harkin  The microgeneration support scheme, MSS, provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for solar PV installations, up to a maximum of \u20ac1,800 in 2026 for household installations. The domestic MSS forms part of a wider residential retrofit programme that, in line with eligibility criteria, supports energy-efficiency upgrades and the installation of renewable energy technologies in existing housing stock.  Since its pilot launch in 2018, the domestic solar PV scheme has gone from strength to strength, with over 123,000 homes being supported. Budget 2026 allocated over \u20ac67 million to this year\u2019s scheme. So far this year, over 21,000 homes have been supported. This high level of demand indicates that the scheme is working well and that not only have citizens recognised the significant benefits of investing in solar PV, but that the solar PV industry and supply chain have adapted to the demands of our citizens. The scheme is kept under review to ensure it is operating effectively and making the best use of Exchequer funding.  The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including with regard to the clean export guarantee, CEG, is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999. In line with long-standing policy on deregulating price setting, the CRU ended its regulation of retail prices in the electricity market in 2011, which was 15 years ago, and in the gas market in 2014, which was 12 years ago. Price-setting by electricity suppliers, including remuneration for microgeneration, is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned.  The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, published a decision on an interim enabling framework for the CEG on 1 December 2021. This decision outlined the interim arrangements for the implementation of the CEG, including eligibility criteria and remuneration methodology, in line with the requirements of Article 21(2)(d) of the recast renewable energy directive, RED II.  The CRU subsequently published a consultation paper in September 2023 with proposals to update the interim CEG arrangements. In June 2024, the CRU published its decision paper entitled Clean Export Guarantee: Enduring Arrangements to Remunerate Customers for Microgeneration Exports. That paper sets out changes to the interim arrangements that were in place for microgeneration. That decision includes improvements in the level of service for customers with microgeneration, such as: more regular payments to customers for the electricity they export to the grid; clearer information from suppliers on the details of the payments that customers receive for the electricity they export to the grid; and that suppliers will have clear information on their websites about their export tariffs.  In relation to the development of tariffs under the interim CEG arrangements, the CRU set out in its decision paper of June 2024 that it is of the view that the competitive approach, whereby suppliers set their own competitive export tariffs, has functioned well and will continue. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Roderic O'Gorman","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Roderic-O'Gorman.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Roderic O'Gorman  Gabhaim bu\u00edochas leis an Aire St\u00e1it. I am not sure if the response from the Department is going to give a huge amount of reassurance. Ireland's energy transition depends on public participation and the success of microgeneration has shown that people are willing to invest their own resources to support climate action when the policy framework is clear and fair. Many people have pointed out their concerns at the pace at which their feed-in tariff is diminishing at exactly the time that the retail cost of electricity is actually skyrocketing. This raises questions of fairness and undermines people's confidence in the system. I think they may look at the ever-widening gap between the feed-in tariff paid for exports and the unit cost of electricity for households, and, again, that raises those questions of fairness.  What we need now is a discussion about strengthening the value proposition for household renewables and not diminishing it. I urge the Government to examine options like a guaranteed minimum clean export guarantee rate; greater transparency and standardisation of export tariffs; and additional protections against any unfair reductions in export payments.  Households generating renewable electricity are making a positive contribution to the grid every day. They should not be treated as passive consumers. They are energy producers, climate actors and partners in the transition to cleaner energy. The Government should be making clear that their contribution will continue to be recognised and rewarded through a fair, transparent and durable clean export guarantee framework and through the continuation of the tax exemption for microgeneration of electricity. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Marian Harkin","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","memberCode":"Marian-Harkin.D.2002-06-06","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" Deputy Marian Harkin  As I set out, the electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime, wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised and competitive. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including with regard to the clean export guarantee, is solely a matter for the CRU.  In relation to the development of tariffs under the CEG arrangements, the CRU is of the view that the competitive approach, whereby suppliers set their own competitive export tariffs, has functioned well and will continue.  Separately, while the microgeneration support scheme does provide for the sale of surplus electricity back to the grid, domestic solar PV systems are generally sized for self-consumption. The main benefit for householders and businesses is in offsetting the need to buy some or even most of their required electricity from a retailer, or, in other words, from the grid. There is no limit to the area of solar panels that can be installed on the rooftops of homes anywhere in the country. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, grant is capped at \u20ac1,800 for up to 4 kWp of solar panels, but householders can install more if they wish to do so.  A typical solar PV installation can meet a large proportion of a home's electricity usage, and the balance can be used through EV charging, diverting it to hot water heating or battery storage. The aim is to maximise the use of solar generation within the home. Using the electricity generated in homes is the most efficient way to get the best return on their investment. The electricity used within the home has a much greater financial value to the homeowner. Every unit of electricity from a PV array used in the home has a value of somewhere between 30 cent and 35 cent, but every unit of electricity exported back to the grid has a value of between 18 cent and 20 cent per unit. Every unit exported, therefore, is worth approximately 12 cent less than if it had been used within the home. "},{"speaker":{"showAs":"Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa","uri":"https:\/\/data.oireachtas.ie\/ie\/oireachtas\/member\/id\/Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","memberCode":"Ruair\u00ed-\u00d3-Murch\u00fa.D.2020-02-08","role":null},"textType":"speech","text":" An Cathaoirleach Gn\u00edomhach (Deputy Ruair\u00ed \u00d3 Murch\u00fa)  T\u00e1imid cr\u00edochnaithe le hobair an lae uilig. Caithfidh m\u00e9 rud \u00e9igin beag a r\u00e1. It was great to see Louth GAA and Louth LGFA in the Oireachtas. I could not let this occasion go without thanking them for the great results across the board that we have had. I thank Sean McLean and his team for delivering what is going to be a top-class stadium. I just hope that Gavin Devlin and his team can go ahead and we can learn from Mayo, get some of that magic and just go a little bit further next time. Go raibh maith agaibh. An L\u00fa ab\u00fa. "},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"Cuireadh an D\u00e1il ar athl\u00f3 ar 9.39 p.m. go dt\u00ed 9 a.m., D\u00e9 C\u00e9adaoin, an 23 Me\u00e1n F\u00f3mhair 2026."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"summary","text":"The D\u00e1il adjourned at 9.39 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 23 September 2026."},{"speaker":null,"textType":"heading","text":"Renewable Energy Generation"}]}}]},"contextDate":"2026-09-22"}]}