Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Jul 2022

Vol. 1025 No. 2

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Religious Persecution

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter for debate. It is very important that we discuss this and make our voices heard as a neutral country. I am in no way taking from the savage despicable war and slaughter in Ukraine but there are other parts of the world to which we do not give equal time. I thank Sister Kathleen McGarvey for outlining so clearly how Christians in Nigeria are under constant attack. Christians are under attack on a daily and hourly basis not only in Nigeria but also in Yemen and some parts of the eastern world we are supposed to have liberated. A US coalition of forces bombed places to bits. We saw what happened in Afghanistan. It is hard to believe that under some of the dictators Christians, minority Muslims and members of other faiths were allowed to worship with impunity and protection. Since the dictators were removed, people have not had the same freedom of worship. It is a shocking situation. It is hard to believe that in 2021 the Nigerian Government oversaw the slaughter of 4,000 Nigerian Christians.

The Nigerian Government has a one-sided view on the issue. It believes that it is a case of two sects fighting among themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is the slaughter of Christians with impunity by Boko Haram and other Muslim groups. It is atrocious. Our Government should be raising the matter at UN level, where we are represented on the Security Council. However, as far as I can see, our Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs are silent on the matter. I am calling on them to act and to call this out for what it is: the absolute slaughter of Christians. One would hate to wonder whether the lack of a response is due to the colour of people's skin. What is going on there is shocking. As I said, Uachtarán na hÉireann linked the slaughter of people in a Christian church in Nigeria with climate change. I do not know how that could have been dreamt that up. Nevertheless, I am thankful to the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise the matter.

I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's reply telling us what he is going to do. As a neutral country, we should be raising the issue to high heaven. We should be highlighting that it is happening throughout the world. As a neutral country, we have a proud record of peacekeeping. We should raise these issues. This week the Taoiseach was in Ukraine. Slaughter is going on in other parts of the world as well, yet there is not a word or a peep about it. The media seem to be very slow to report it. The issue must be highlighted. We must hold the Nigerian Government to account. I am a member of the International Catholic Legislators Network. I have heard first-hand accounts from Nigerian Members of Parliament and Government Ministers of what is going on. I am very concerned about it. Deputy Michael Collins also wanted to raise the matter today, but unfortunately he was called away and is not in attendance. I thank him for joining me in raising the issue. I hope that the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, will give us some hope and will outline what the Government is doing to highlight the persecution of Christians and other minority groups worldwide.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Thomas Byrne)

I would like to thank Deputy McGrath for raising the issue. It is an issue that I would have raised myself as an Opposition Deputy. I am grateful that he has raised it today. It gives us a chance to outline exactly what the Government is doing and where we are raising the issue at international forums. Religious persecution is on the rise in many different parts of the world. I welcome this opportunity to outline the important work that Ireland is doing to protect and defend faith-based minorities from attack and to advance religious freedom for all.

The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is regarded as a fundamental freedom, and is set forth in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN Human Rights Committee has confirmed that the right includes the freedom to change religion or belief, or to adopt atheistic views. The promotion of freedom of religion or belief is a priority for Ireland's human rights engagement at both bilateral and multilateral levels, as reaffirmed in The Global Island: Ireland's Foreign Policy for a Changing World. Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, no matter where in the world it occurs or who the victims may be.

At a multilateral level, the right to freedom of religion or belief features prominently in our engagement at the UN Security Council, in the General Assembly and at the Human Rights Council, as well as through our participation in intergovernmental alliances dedicated to religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities. As recently as 21 March 2021, Ireland participated in a special sitting of the UN Security Council where we raised issues relating to freedom of religion and belief. In particular, Ireland used this opportunity to share our own experience of religious conflict, reflecting on the important role that religious leaders have played in securing peace for Northern Ireland. Ireland condemned the use of religion or belief to create hierarchies of humanity which are artificially constructed to generate categories of belonging and exclusion. This can never be tolerated. Ireland consistently co-sponsors resolutions on freedom of religion or belief at the UN General Assembly and at the Human Rights Council. Ireland is also a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, as well as the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Indeed, my own work on the General Affairs Council deals with antisemitism. Both the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief work to strengthen, advance and promote religious freedom. Within the EU also, Ireland works with partners to address the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. During our Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013, Ireland played a key role in the development and adoption of the EU guidelines on freedom of religion or belief. These guidelines provide a framework for the promotion of freedom of religion and belief in the EU's external human rights policy.

I wish to take this opportunity to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack last month on innocent civilians gathering to attend Sunday mass at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria. It was the latest in a string of deadly faith-based attacks to take place in the country over the past decade. The attack resulted in the death of multiple people and left a further 40 wounded. There can be no justification for acts of violence or discrimination of any kind on the basis of religion or belief. Atrocities of this kind remind us that we cannot take religious freedom for granted. Our diplomats and embassy in Abuja continue to work with local civil society on the ground to monitor developments in relation to the investigation of the attack. Ireland takes very seriously its commitment to ensuring the right to freedom of religion or belief, and continues to use all avenues available to highlight our concerns and to actively engage with like-minded partners.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I thank Deputy Nolan for repeatedly asking parliamentary questions on this issue and for highlighting the matter. She is associated with this Topical Issue matter. Last Saturday, we were fortunate enough to have a celebration of mass by our parish priest, Fr. Michael Toomey, out at a mass rock, where priests were victimised and terrorised, and indeed, paid the ultimate price with their lives during the time of the Penal Laws. Thankfully, we have moved on since then. We were able to celebrate mass there. Fr. Paddy O'Hanlon started the tradition of saying the mass some 20 years ago. We have the mass every July amuigh faoin spéir. It is a wonderful day in the parish. It is nice to remember that.

The Minister of State referred to the vicious attack on the church in Nigeria where people had gathered to worship. Such attacks are happening on an hourly, daily and weekly basis. The Nigerian Government must be held to account. It is the same in Yemen and other countries in the world where people are persecuted. Ireland must be at the forefront in highlighting the issue. I do not hear anything. The Minister of State outlined how the issue is being raised by our officials at a UN level. Why is our Taoiseach not cheerleading on the issue, as he is on matters in other countries, such as the war in Ukraine? We must be even-handed. We must deal with all persecution on the basis of religion. The ease of access that Boko Haram and other groups have is obnoxious and obscene. They can easily recruit people who do not have a great education. I wish to thank the religious sisters and the priests of Ireland. They have travelled all over the world to provide education. They are still doing it. Goodness knows, they get enough criticism in this House, but I want to salute them for what they have done and what they continue to do. We need to keep highlighting the issue at UN and EU levels and anywhere else that we can raise it, because it is just not acceptable that this kind of religious persecution can take place. The savage loss of human life is atrocious.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I thank the Deputy again for raising the issue. I previously outlined that we engage considerably on the issue at a multilateral level. I will refer to some of our most recent work in this area. At the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which concludes later this week in Geneva, Ireland took important steps to highlight our concerns around religious freedom. Along with 46 other countries, Ireland signed up to a joint statement on human rights in China. The statement noted with particular concern reports of China's restrictions in Xinjiang, which include restrictions on the right of the Uyghur population to freedom of religion and belief. Ireland also presented an item 2 national statement, which called on the Chinese authorities to respect international law, particularly in relation to the rights of those living in Xingjian and Tibet. At the Human Rights Council, Ireland has previously supported resolutions to extend the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for Religious Freedom to allow a continuation of this important and meaningful work on the world stage. Furthermore, officials in my Department have been following with great interest the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, taking place in London this week. We participated, on Tuesday of this week, in a parallel event at the British Embassy, which included attendance by members of the Dublin City Interfaith Forum. All of this work that is being done by officials at a multilateral level with different bodies is done on behalf of the Government of Ireland and the people of Ireland. The Taoiseach cannot be at every single meeting.

However, as I think the Deputy can see now, there is a huge amount of work being done by the Government in this area and I am grateful he has given me a chance to outline that. Ireland is fully committed to protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief and continues to use all avenues available to highlight our concerns and actively engage and support like-minded partners. I again thank our embassy in Abuja for the work it is doing in following the investigation and working with people on the ground on behalf of Ireland, this Dáil and the people to get justice there and to ensure an investigation can find out what happened and put a stop to all this violence and discrimination against people because of their religion or belief.

General Practitioner Services

Deputy Niamh Smyth

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, for coming in this evening. I raise the matter of the reconfiguration of the North East Doctor on Call, NEDOC, service that we received correspondence about in June. This is worrying for my constituents as a reconfiguration is due to come into effect from 4 August. In other words, a change to the service will come into effect within a matter of weeks. This essentially means there is going to be a reduction in the service where out-of-hours care on a face-to-face basis will only be provided until 10.30 p.m. at night on weekdays and 10 p.m. at the weekends. I do not need to tell the Minister of State it is often at night-time or the weekend that things happen, accidents happen and people become sick and unwell.

This reconfiguration NEDOC is talking about is therefore of serious concern to my constituents in Cavan-Monaghan. From further reading of the correspondence we received from the service, this is not new news to the HSE. This is something that has been the plight of NEDOC that it has communicated to the HSE for some years. NEDOC has clearly outlined a lack of funding and a serious shortage of doctors as the reasons for this change and reconfiguration. The serious shortage of funding suggest there has been a lack of engagement from the HSE around this that has been ongoing for years. It must be said our doctors and GPs across Cavan-Monaghan have been under severe pressure, as they have been throughout the country. They have reacted and responded to Covid. They have reacted and responded to their patients with great care and compassion and have seen patients as much and as often as they could, despite the challenges Covid presented to them.

Our GPs are already overburdened and under pressure and their capacity is at maximum. To expect the local GPs to provide anything beyond the service at their practice is expecting far too much. We cannot expect them to be on call overnight or over the weekend and then to go in and provide the high-quality service they provide during the day. Up to now I understand locum GPs have been able to fill that gap but that is unsustainable.

I want to read a piece from a two-page letter from NEDOC that ultimately says it all. It states:

To have the support of these highly qualified doctors is essential to the provision of our service. We are constantly engaged in a recruitment programme for qualified doctors and successfully navigated the covid era as doctors became unavailable, however now the medical manpower market is so competitive that it is increasingly difficult to source doctors under the terms and conditions we can offer. In order to attract doctors to Ireland or retain the doctors that have already trained in Ireland, we need to be able to offer better terms and conditions and to do that we need HSE support which is not forthcoming.

I repeat - "is not forthcoming". That is the really disturbing part of all of that.

I am going to conclude because there is another piece to this, namely, that I am also receiving correspondence from people who are living in the area who cannot even get a daytime GP service. I want to tell the Minister of State about Paul and Linda Green. I received a letter from them that would break your heart. They moved to Emyvale from Mullingar at the end of January and are both nearing retirement age. They wrote to me out of absolute frustration because they cannot get a GP in Cavan or Monaghan. It has actually been suggested to them they should perhaps hold on to their GP in Mullingar, which would give them a 240 km round trip. That is farcical. Will the Minister of State give me some idea of how the Minister for Health and his Department are engaging with the HSE to address this issue?

Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Deputy Niall Collins)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. General practice is at the heart of primary care, and a robust general practice and GP out-of-hours service is essential to the delivery of primary care health service. The Government recognises there are capacity challenges facing general practice. However, the Minister for Health's ambition for general practice is to ensure everyone has access to a GP when and where they need it.

Currently, there are 2,551 GPs contracted to provide services under the General Medical Services, GMS, scheme. As of 1 June, there were 33 GMS vacancies in the country, which just over 1% of the total number of GMS panels. There are two vacancies in the Cavan-Monaghan area.

While GP out-of-hours co-operatives are private entities, the HSE provides substantial funding to support all co-operatives and covers a wide range of costs. NEDOC Limited operates under a service level agreement, SLA, with the HSE. The HSE has confirmed there has been no change to the funding arrangement for 2022. This year, NEDOC will receive approximately €917,000 for out-of-hours services. NEDOC is also in receipt of substantial grant funding for medical card patients and Covid test referral and assessment.

NEDOC Limited recently informed the HSE of its intention to reconfigure the GP out-of-hours services in the north east with effect from 2 August. The proposals include the withdrawal of overnight doctors in four treatment centres, with the appointment of one central overnight doctor who will manage calls requiring doctor advice by telephone for the four counties. The HSE recently met the chairman and representatives of NEDOC and the company outlined a number of operational and funding concerns. However, the HSE's view is the financial forecast for the company, given the return to almost pre-Covid activity levels, remains viable. The HSE advised NEDOC that all operational and funding concerns will be managed by way of a collaborative process using the mechanisms contained within the SLA. Following the meeting, it was agreed the HSE's chief officer of the midlands, Louth and Meath community health organisation would write formally to the chairman of NEDOC outlining the process for engagement and collaborative working. In this context, the HSE has asked NEDOC to defer the 2 August deadline as the date for introducing any changes to the out-of-hours GP service in the north east.

The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and has implemented a number of measures to address this. These measures include an increase in investment in general practice by approximately 40%, or €210 million, between 2019 and 2023 under the terms of the 2019 GMS GP agreement. The agreement provides for increased support for GPs working in rural practices and in disadvantaged urban areas and for improvements to maternity and paternity leave arrangements. In addition, the number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over recent years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021. These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State and improve access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

Deputy Niamh Smyth

I thank the Minister of State. This issue is so critical that GPs in the Carrickmacross area got together and penned their own letter of concern to suggest the town needs more GPs to provide the service that is needed due to the increasing age demographic and the cultural diversity of the population. When GPs are coming together and putting pen to paper like that, it backs up what NEDOC is saying because one cannot survive without the other. Will the Minister of State ask the Minister to ensure the HSE fully engages with Dr. Séamus McMenamin on this issue of acute doctor shortages and the underfunding by the HSE?

I came to this debate with a solution as well and not expecting that that would not be the appropriate approach to take. One arm of my solution is to extend Monaghan's minor injuries unit and its operation to a 24-7 basis.

That is not currently the situation. It is a five-day service. The Minister visited the hospital when we were in opposition and he felt the enthusiasm and willingness of the staff within the minor injuries unit to extend the service. That could be a help to NEDOC. It could be a help to the lack of GPs on the ground. More important, it would be a significant help to the constituents of Cavan-Monaghan who use the minor injuries unit. It is a large service that is expanding all the time but we need the length of service to extend, along with the variety of services provided. We need it to go to a 24-7 basis.

I compliment Councillor Seamus Coyle of Monaghan County Council who raised this matter and had a motion passed unanimously asking that of the RCSI group. I ask the Minister of State's Department and the Department of Health to engage with Dr. Ian Carter, the top man in the RCSI group, and ask him to accede to this request to run the minor injuries clinic on a 24-7 basis.

Deputy Niall Collins

I thank the Deputy. Her requests are noted and will be transmitted to the Minister for Health and the HSE. I assure her that the Government remains committed to ensuring that patients throughout the country continue to receive adequate access to GP services and particularly to out-of-hours services.

We know we could do with more GPs. We all face that fact in our constituencies. The preliminary census numbers have been published and show an increase in our population to 5.1 million. That is another factor causing the pressure that our GP services are experiencing due to the increased numbers of people who are seeking access. The census data also tell us that people are living longer. The rate of births has exceeded the rate of deaths. People are living longer, thankfully, which is a credit to our health services. There are also a lot of migrants coming to the country. The Deputy has alluded to the migrant community within her own constituency. It is important that we continue to resource our GP services.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has engaged with the universities to create more places in high-demand courses, including medicine. We need to produce more doctors. That is what we are doing at our level.

The Government is committed to improving the whole primary care setting. There is significant investment in primary care centres, as the Deputy will be aware. They are being built in all parts of the country, including in her constituency. As I alluded to earlier, the numbers of entrants into GP training went from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021. Some 238 places for GPs to train are available this year. We are doing a lot in that space that will go to help alleviate the problems. The Deputy's message will be conveyed to the Minister for Health.

Public Transport

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

It is good to have the opportunity to discuss the extension of the €2 limit on the public transport fares as far as Skerries and Balbriggan but I would also like an explanation as to why we were left out originally. When the 90-minute fare was announced, it stated it would give Leap card customers the option to transfer between DART, commuter rail, Dublin Bus, Luas and Go-Ahead Ireland services in the Dublin area at no additional cost for 90 minutes. It is a very good initiative and we in north County Dublin would welcome it very much. We are so fond of it that we want to become a part of the scheme. I cannot understand why two towns in Dublin are excluded when towns outside County Dublin are included in the scheme, although I do not want to take any other place out of the scheme. Two of the towns I represent, one of which I live in and the other which I have an office in, namely, Skerries and Balbriggan, have been left out of the scheme. We will all be getting the train into Croke Park next Sunday to cheer for Dublin because we are Dubs and always hope that Dublin will beat Kerry. I cannot understand why we have been excluded from this very good initiative.

I live beside the train station in Skerries and there is a constant stream of commuters in the morning and the evening. I have been approached by people when I have been on the train and they have asked me why we have been excluded. The have great words of praise for the scheme. We all want to see transport fares coming down and the Government has made some progress in that regard. However, to exclude those areas does not seem to make any sense. I tabled a parliamentary question about the issue and I was not a bit satisfied with the response I got. I sincerely hope the response I get now will not just be a repetition of the previous answer, with no disrespect to the Minister of State. There is no good reason for leaving out Skerries and Balbriggan. There are significant numbers of commuters in those areas. They use public transport. The Government should encourage people to use public transport.

It states on the press release for the scheme that some exclusions apply. If I go from Skerries to Dublin city centre, it will cost me €3 rather than €2. If I go from Balbriggan to Howth, it will cost €3.90. However, if I go from Rush and Lusk train station all the way to Bray, it will cost me €2 as part of the Transport for Ireland, TFI, 90-minute fare. That does not make sense. If the Government wants people to use public transport, as we do and as I understand the Government does, it is sending entirely the wrong message by including towns in counties outside Dublin and excluding towns inside Dublin. This is intended as a scheme specific to the Dublin area and should include all towns in the county. It should include all commuters. The Fine Gael parliamentary party a couple of weeks ago passed a motion looking for the extension of the scheme to counties Meath and Kildare. I am not sure of the status of that. I do not want the towns I represent to be excluded. Many of the towns in my constituency are included in the scheme and we do not understand the reason that both Skerries and Balbriggan have been left out. We want to be included in it. We want to use public transport but we do not want to have to pay more than other people. We genuinely feel this is unfair.

Deputy Niall Collins

I thank the Deputy for raising this topic, which is important to her constituency and her constituents. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I understand that the question relates to the inclusion of Skerries and Balbriggan in the TFI 90-minute fare initiative. The Department of Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport. However, the Department is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the public transport services nationally. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally by way of public transport services contracts and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant transport operators. That being said, this Government is firmly committed to enhancing and expanding our public transport service provision across the country as, among other things, a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. Some €538 million has been provided under budget 2022 for the provision of public transport services nationally. The Government is also strongly committed to helping combat the rising cost of living being experienced throughout the country. In this context, a 20% average fare reduction on public service obligation, PSO, services was recently introduced. These discounted fares will benefit the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use public transport every day.

In recognition of the importance of incentivising young people to use public transport, a young adult card has also been introduced on PSO services to allow any person nationwide who is aged between 19 and 23 to avail of an average discount of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services. It is intended to broaden this young adult card scheme to include commercial operators later this year. This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among the age group concerned but will also contribute to a reduced reliance on private transport with the associated benefit of transport emission savings. Further, a TFI 90-minute fare was introduced by the NTA to coincide with phase 2 of BusConnects, which gives customers the option to transfer between Dublin Bus, Luas and most DART, commuter rail and Go-Ahead Ireland services in Dublin at no additional fare.

In the context of the Deputy’s specific question regarding the possible inclusion of Skerries and Balbriggan in this 90-minute fare initiative, I advise that the TFI 90-minute boundary for rail services encompasses all zone 1 to 4 journeys taken from Dublin city centre. Accordingly, it extends, as the Deputy described, southwards to Bray station, northwards to Rush and Lusk station and westwards to Maynooth station. Residents can avail of a promotional fare of €2.30 when using a Leap card as long as they touch on their last journey within 90 minutes of the first. This allows for greatly enhanced integration of public transport services.

However, journeys between city centre and Skerries, Balbriggan, Kilcock, Sallins and Kilcoole remain as zones 5 and 6, as they are longer than most journeys on Dublin city bus or Luas. For zone 5, including Skerries, the 90-minute fare is €3 for adults and for zone 6, including Balbriggan, the 90-minute is €3.90 for adults. The 90-minute rule applies where this single fare covers the entire journey, provided the final leg is taken no more than 90 minutes after the first leg started. By way of example, a commuter could use a bus to travel to Balbriggan train station, take a train to Dublin city centre and a tram to his or her final destination all for the single 90-minute fare of €3.90.

Fare initiatives such as the young adult card 20% fare reduction and the 90-minute fare are hugely beneficial to public transport users and will not only provide modal shift but should also contribute towards reduced reliance on private transport and the associated benefit of transport emission savings.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

The population of Skerries is more than 10,000 and the population of Balbriggan is nearly 30,000. The Minister of State effectively said that those commuters will be excluded from what is a very attractive scheme. They would not want to be in it if it was not going to be to their benefit. I appreciate the Minister of State being here and I thank him for the reply. However, it will not be good enough. I will read him an email I got from one of my constituents:

After two years unemployed and just getting back into the workforce for a limited number of months, I am very careful of my expenditure at the moment. I don’t know what my situation will be at the end of the year. According to their own definition, shouldn’t they have included Balbriggan and Skerries because they are within Dublin?

She cannot understand why she is being excluded and nor can I. With respect to the reply the Minister of State gave, I do not think it explains why Skerries and Balbriggan are excluded. It explains what the current position is, but we all know that because the fares mentioned are the fares we are currently paying. However, people in Skerries and Balbriggan who are excluded from the reduced fare can travel just a couple of minutes down the road, take a train in Rush and Lusk or Donabate and travel all the way to Bray, which is in County Wicklow, at the reduced rate.

I ask the Minster of State to raise my request with the Minister for Transport and impress on him the need not to let down the nearly 40,000 people in Skerries and Balbriggan, many of whom commute. These are two commuter towns. We have a significant amount of underemployment in north County Dublin. Many people have to leave the area and travel into Dublin city for work. They use the train and they want to be treated the same as people in other areas just down the train line.

Deputy Niall Collins

I assure the Deputy that the NTA is engaging regularly with the Department of Transport on public transport fares. I further advise that the introduction of the TFI 90-minute fare, as envisaged by the BusConnects programme, has hugely benefited public transport users across Dublin. I have been advised that when the boundaries were first established for the 90-minute fare structure, the existing longer distance rail zones were taken into account. The NTA advised that any extension of the current flat fare would make it even more difficult to manage the change between metropolitan fares and intercity fares, which have to be based on distance travelled to be equitable. However, to provide attractive fares to the travelling public, the NTA decided to include the 90-minute fare feature for all rail fares in the short hop zones, with zones 1 to 4 being the same as the bus and tram fare of €2 for adults.

In addition to the various fare initiatives outlined earlier, the roll-out of the new orbital bus routes and spines under BusConnects, as well as the extensive planned works on the DART+ project in conjunction with the continued work on the infrastructure projects, including cycling facilities, will greatly enhance the current offering of public transport and active travel services in Dublin.

The Government has recognised the importance of expanding affordable public transport options in all locations across the country. The national development plan provides €35 billion for transport over the next decade and the largest investment in transport in the history of the State. This provides the necessary support to translate our ambitions for public transport into reality.

Collectively, these measures will not only further improve connectivity, but will also provide viable alternatives. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy with regard to the TFI 90-minute fare initiative. I will alert the Minister for Transport in relation to the concerns she raised. I also refer the Deputy to the fact that the NTA is independent in its workings and encourage her to contact the organisation.

Sports Facilities

Deputy Darren O'Rourke

I thank Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for discussion. I am sorry I have to raise it. I also thank the Minister of State for coming to the House on a Thursday evening. As I said, I am sorry I have to raise this issue.

Stamullen Football Club is located in Stamullen, County Meath. It has 20 teams, 320 players and 750 members. It is a very busy, active and successful club. It has academy and senior teams, boys' and girls' teams, and men’s and women’s teams. It also has an after-school academy tied in with the local primary school. However, the club finds itself homeless. It does not have its usual playing facility for the season ahead. The arrangement it had in place, a rental agreement with Gormanston Park, has been terminated. This is a sore point because Gormanston Park uses the facility of the former Gormanston College, a long-time Franciscan private school with grounds. It received significant State funding over the years and Gormanston College will receive significant State funding in the time ahead for a new education campus. However, the contract for use of the green fields and playing pitches that had been rented from this new entity, Gormanston Park, for some years has been terminated based on a commercial decision. Gormanston Park sees its future elsewhere.

This is hugely frustrating for Stamullen FC, which finds itself homeless this year. The nature of that rental agreement and the obvious intention of Gormanston Park have placed it in a precarious position every year. The club has sought support from elected representatives, the local authority, local landowners, developers and other clubs in the area, many of which also face severe restrictions in terms of access to playing facilities. It has also engaged with the Department of Defence through the Gormanston Army camp. It is now entirely dependent on St. Patrick’s GAA Club in the Stamullen area and Cloghertown United, which is based in Clonalvy, some distance away. I commend both St. Pat’s and Clonalvy on the solidarity and support they have shown Stamullen FC in its hour of need.

An unforgivable situation has been allowed to arise, however. I point to the responsibility of authorities for proper planning and sustainable development.

A census report was published recently. The population of the electoral district of Stamullen is 5,500, which is up 10% from 2016. It is a young and growing population. Volunteers are giving their time and putting effort into growing the club but they have hit brick wall after brick wall when they have tried to secure a plot of land on which the club can train and play its matches. I am looking to the Minister of State for his support and advice on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Deputy Jack Chambers)

I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue. I wish to reiterate the commitment of the Government to investment in sport infrastructure across the country. If we are to achieve our ambitious targets for sports participation, we need to have the necessary facilities.

As regards the responsibilities of my Department, two schemes provide grant assistance for the development of sports infrastructure, including local authority-owned pitches. The sports capital and equipment programme is the primary vehicle for Government support for the improvement of sports facilities. More than 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to more than €1.15 billion. The programme for Government commits to continuing the programme and prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas. The 2020 round of the programme closed for applications last year, with a record 3,106 applications having been submitted. The final set of allocations was announced on Tuesday, 31 May. The total funding allocated under that round was over €166.6 million. This represents a record level of allocation, considerably higher than the amount provided under any recent round. The total funding allocated to projects in County Meath alone exceeded €6.8 million.

Although the programme funds a broad range of projects, it should be noted that it does not fund the purchase of land or buildings. All clubs are entitled to apply directly for funding and, in cases where a club does not own a premises, it is still permissible for that club to apply for equipment-only grants or capital grants up to a value of €50,000. I am aware that Stamullen FC was allocated funding for equipment only under the latest round. The programme is also open to applications from local authorities. Such applications may include proposals to develop sports facilities on behalf of local sports clubs. Further detail in this regard can be found on the Department's website.

Funding is also provided by my Department under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, which is designed for projects where the grant sought is greater than the maximum available under the sports capital programme. It was launched in 2018 and €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 different proposals. There have been many applications in County Meath, including Páirc Tailteann in Navan and linear walkways and playing fields in Dunboyne, which are being led by Meath County Council. We are completing a review of that process.

As regards other assistance that may be of interest, a separate tax relief scheme for donations may be used by any sports club to assist in funding for the acquisition of land or a building, developing sports facilities or repaying a loan for these purposes. More information on this can be found on the website of the Revenue Commissioners.

I assure the Deputy that any future applications under the programme from the club or from Meath County Council on its behalf will receive full consideration, in line with the terms and conditions of the programme. In this regard, my Department has now commenced a full review of all aspects of the 2020 round and any recommendations arising will be reflected in the terms and conditions of the next round.

Obviously, we are open to providing assistance through the funding structures we have. I accept there is a lacuna and a vacuum in Stamullen which the Deputy referenced. It is a fair point. Participation cannot happen without land. I know there have been recent press releases on the issue and articles in the Meath Chronicle have outlined it in the context of appealing to the local authority. Meath is a proud sporting county that invests in its facilities through the local authority. There is an obligation on the local authority, at least, to work with the club and local community to identify what land could be available, with a view to then availing of the significant funding opportunities that will be available. That is the direct means in terms of land acquisition. Obviously, we try to fund the capital infrastructure, but there is no precedent for us to purchase land.

Deputy Darren O'Rourke

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He has put his finger on it in terms of the gap that exists. I am sure there are communities in his constituency that are similar to this one. There was significant residential development during the Celtic tiger. A new county development plan for County Meath went though the High Court and has just been adopted. It significantly caps the amount of residential development in Stamullen. The previous model, which was not a successful one, was a developer-led model that involved delivering facilities for the community in line with significant residential development. That is not going to deliver for this community. The option is not there. They have gone everywhere to try to find it.

Stamullen and similar areas need a vehicle that can, on behalf of the State, acquire lands for public use. Municipal parks are a foreign land for us in County Meath. They do not exist there in the way that they do in other places. Meath County Council does not have a parks department. The local community in Stamullen, as well as those in several other urban centres in the county, have been affected by this. There have been campaigns for a public park, a playground and a skate park. The local scouts do not have a den. These are infrastructural deficits.

I very much welcome the fact that the Minister of State is encouraging the local authority to come to the table. I ask him to point towards the type of funding streams available to the local authority along with his Department.

Deputy Jack Chambers

One thing we are trying to encourage through the sports capital and equipment programme is to have local authority-led municipal sports facilities. We have had many examples of local authorities leading out on that, including Meath County Council. It is commencing work in Dunboyne, for example. There have been projects across the country where local authorities are partnering with a multiplicity of clubs to develop parks in combination with sporting aspects. My Department is a willing partner when it comes to the capital infrastructure side of that.

When it comes to the facet in respect of land and land acquisition, that is primarily the responsibility of the local authority. It has responsibility in terms of community development, housing and managing development plans, as the Deputy stated. I encourage Meath County Council to come together with the local sports club, or even with multiple sports clubs, to see what land is available in the broader Stamullen area and then look at the funding opportunities that will arise. Those are the types of projects that yield the best participation, build better facilities and have a much better municipal benefit for everybody. I encourage all parties to progress that in the interests of young people whom I know want better facilities in their local community. I appreciate the Deputy raising the issue.