Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2022

Vol. 1027 No. 2

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Hospital Services

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a theacht isteach inniu agus éisteacht linn. Mar a thuigeann an Leas-Cheann Comhairle agus an bheirt Teachta atá ag tógáil na ceiste seo inniu, tá fíorthábhacht ag baint leis an ospidéal ar an gClochán. Ní mór a chinntiú go mairfidh sé, go bhfásfaidh sé agus go mbeidh sé ann go dtí go mbeidh an t-ionad nua curtha ar fáil ar an gClochán.

It is very hard to do total justice to this issue in two minutes each for Deputy Farrell and me but I will try to be brief and cut to the chase. The solution is to speed up the building of the new community nursing unit, CNU. Planning is to be lodged during this quarter. I cannot for the life of me understand why it will take three years to build and commission the unit. I just do not get that. I think Ardnacrusha was started within four weeks of a decision being taken. It is time we went back to moving things forward.

In the meantime we need a full complement of staff in the hospital in Clifden, including physiotherapists. Our understanding is that the jobs to date have been advertised only in the local newspapers and on local radio. Not only is it not possible to get people locally but in many cases nurses and other skilled professionals are coming in from outside Ireland and the European Union. It is time Saolta University Health Care Group and the HSE got together to address international recruitment and ensured people are available to provide services here. HR also needs to be improved.

I will make a final point, and I would make other points but I do not have time to do so. To visit Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway or a respite or step-down facility if one were provided in Galway would require a five-and-a-half-hour return journey. That is intolerable.

Deputy Mairéad Farrell

Tá mé an-sásta go bhfuil an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Rabbitte, anseo chun an cheist seo a phlé mar tuigfidh sí cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an t-ospidéal seo, ní hamháin i gcomhair mhuintir an Chlocháin ach i gcomhair mhuintir Chonamara go ginearálta. Tá an Teachta Ó Cuív tar éis go leor de na deacrachtaí a lua ach is minic go mbíonn daoine ar thralaithe san ospidéal i nGaillimh faoi láthair. Ní dhéanann sé ciall, beag ná mór, nach féidir an t-ionad seo a úsáid. Mar a luadh cheana féin, breathnaíonn sé ar nós go bhfuil fadhb earcaíochta ann agus go gcaithfimid breathnú air sin ar bhonn idirnáisiúnta, go háirithe ó thaobh fisiteiripeoir a earcú. Chomh maith leis sin, caithfear brú ar aghaidh leis an ionad nua.

I am very pleased it is the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is taking this Topical Issue matter because I know she understands the importance of this facility in Clifden, not only for the town but for the wider Connemara community. It is very clear that all the Oireachtas Members in Galway West are speaking with one voice on this matter. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Connolly, is bringing it forward with Deputy Ó Cuív and me. Everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet on this.

There is an issue with recruitment, particularly in the area of physiotherapy. This needs to be looked at on a wider international scale. This facility is of great importance. If we are looking internationally for other places, we also need to do that in this case. As Deputy Ó Cuív stated, we also need to push the new facility forward. While people are on trolleys in Galway University Hospital, it makes no sense that recruitment and the new facility are not being prioritised.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Anne Rabbitte)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I wish her a speedy recovery.

I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. I acknowledge that they are speaking with one voice and that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet on this. I acknowledge the vital healthcare role that Clifden District Hospital plays and the excellent level of care and support which it provides to patients and their families in the local community and surrounding areas.

As Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people, Deputy Butler is acutely aware of the challenges that Clifden hospital is currently facing. She assures the Deputies that she is committed to working alongside HSE community healthcare west to address these issues.

As Deputies will be aware, Clifden has been primarily designated to provide convalescence care to patients stepping down from acute hospitals. However, with the evolution of Sláintecare and the transition of care from acute to community settings, the need for step-down beds has reduced. In fact, the demand for step-down care is currently an average of less than one patient a day.

Clifden District Hospital also provides respite beds to allow family carers in the community a welcome break. The Minister of State has been advised by the HSE that the average respite demand and occupancy is approximately three beds per night. This brings the total average occupancy of Clifden District Hospital to 3.2 beds per night.

In the Clifden area, St. Anne's community nursing unit is a designated centre registered with HIQA to provide a home for older people. Unfortunately, St. Anne's has faced significant challenges over many years to secure sufficient nursing staff, despite national, international and local recruitment drives. To address this issue, there needs to be a dedicated approach to recruit staff in the short term to continue these vital services. In making that statement, the Minister of State is acknowledging what the Deputies have said about recruitment. In recognition of the service needs in the Clifden area and to seek to redress the nurse staffing shortage, HSE community healthcare west commenced a process two years ago under the Croke Park public service agreement.

In August 2020, under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission and conciliation services, the HSE informed the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and SIPTU that it would issue a common roster, which commenced on 26 September of this year. This roster will cover both Clifden District Hospital and the St. Anne's community nursing unit site in order that the staff could be assigned to both sites, which are less than 1.3 km apart, based on service needs.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was advised by the HSE that one of the staff representative bodies communicated with the HSE on Friday, 23 September, to say it had instructed its members not to co-operate with the revised roster. Community healthcare west is committed to ensuring the safety of its residents and patients and, accordingly, has put in place contingency arrangements in light of any potential action by staff from 26 September. Unfortunately, over the weekend of 23 September, the HSE was unable to secure cover to fill the rosters due to gaps in St. Anne's community nursing unit, which the HSE required to ensure the safe care of residents and patients. Community healthcare west, therefore, developed contingency arrangements for the patients in Clifden District Hospital. Patients and their families were contacted by HSE nurse management last week and were offered an alternative option of Merlin Park University Hospital. To clarify, the HSE has advised that the current services will continue as normal.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, advises the Deputies that all those booked into respite in Clifden District Hospital last week and this week are receiving the service in Clifden. The HSE simply took contingency measures following advice it had received indicating that staff might not co-operate with the new roster. These measures will be implemented only if insufficient staff are available. The HSE will continuously review the staffing and operate services with safe staffing levels. There are no plans to cease services in Clifden hospital at present. The Minister of State will continue to engage with the chief officer in community healthcare west to ensure the continuation of the possible expansion of services in Clifden hospital.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I am pleased, if it is actioned, that there is a commitment to continue services in Clifden hospital, but all the rest of the Minister of State's prepared reply gives the impression that we are all going in the other direction. I do not know how many other Deputies are like me, but I frequently get calls from people who are being pressurised to take loved ones out of the hospital, with nowhere for them to go. They may not be fit to go home or may live on their own. I find it strange, therefore, that this step-down facility is not required. My understanding is the lack of physiotherapy means they are not being referred to Clifden hospital. We need recruitment, as we have reiterated time and again. Nobody is proposing unsafe working conditions.

I join with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, in wishing the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, all the best in her recovery. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, hit the bull's eye on the previous occasion when the three of us Deputies were debating ambulance services. She might do it again this time.

Deputy Mairéad Farrell

Indeed, we hope this is a good omen. I too wish the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, a speedy recovery. As local Oireachtas Members, we have met representatives of the HSE and the unions. It angers me that what should be worked out between the unions and the HSE is being brought into this Chamber. At the end of the day, the unions are not here to defend what they feel. We need to find a solution to this but that is not for us to sort out; it needs to be sorted out between the unions and the HSE. We know how important respite services are, as we heard from the hundreds of people who attended the meeting in Clifden. If staffing and recruitment is the issue, we need to look at it on an international basis. That is the crux of it.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

HSE community healthcare west has informed the Minister of State that it is committed to a new 40-bed community unit, and that needs to be expedited, which would address the 1.3 km arrangement in regard to rosters. She welcomes the fact that the HSE is examining the possibility of providing enhanced community care services in Clifden hospital. The integrated care programme for older persons, ICPOP, teams, as we all know, are fantastic. There is a multidisciplinary approach, with a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, OT, and whatever else is needed as part of the integrated programme for older person services. ICPOP services ensure that older people with complex care needs can access care quickly or near their home through care pathways specifically designed for older people, targeting falls, frailty and dementia.

That is exactly what is required in Clifden hospital. It is the ICPOP team we should be looking for at the moment while the new build is going on. That is the ask, and I would support the Minister of State and all the Deputies from the west because I take on board exactly what they are saying. The five-and-a-half-hour round trip to Merlin Park is not satisfactory to the people of Clifden, not least on bad, frosty nights. We talk about catering to people as close to their home as possible and we need to support that concept. We did it previously with the ambulance base, when we got everyone sitting around the table, and I will continue to advocate for this given where Clifden is and where Merlin Park is, meaning people have to travel across the city and so on. Moving people with frailty from their natural habitat to Merlin Park is not good enough; in fact, it reduces their life expectancy. The HSE needs to look at itself in regard to what measures it needs to put in place to ensure people will get the care as close to home as possible and in a timely manner.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I too wish the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, a speedy recovery. She is a hardworking, multifunctional Minister of State, like Deputy Rabbitte.

Wastewater Treatment

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I understand that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has never been to the Warren Beach in Rosscarbery, so I will tell her about it. It is paradise, with golden sands, and you can look out at Galley Head and the stag rocks off Toe Head. There is nowhere like it. It is very peaceful, and anyone who has discovered this gem of a beach will know how nice it is.

Unfortunately, on 15 August of this year, the beach was closed to the public because of a bathing ban. Usually when there is a bathing ban at a beach, it is because the water is tested and perhaps some harmful bacteria are found, but not so in this case. In this case, the ban was brought about following a report of a visible issue, when the lifeguards on duty reported raw sewage coming towards the beach. We can imagine the scenes. At this piece of heaven in an idyllic west Cork location, children were being called out of the water because there was a sighting of excrement and a large plume of sewage. There was significant disappointment among the locals who live in Rosscarbery and the tourists who were visiting this really upcoming tourism town at the peak of tourism season.

After that, we had a public meeting because locals, businesses, residents and visitors had said enough was enough and that we needed to get to the bottom of the matter. Previous bathing bans in the lagoon in Rosscarbery had been brought about following similar issues. We have asked Irish Water to look into what is causing the issue. Anyone who knows the area knows it is very simple: the wastewater treatment plant is not functioning. It is old, it does not have the capacity required and an overflow of sewage is clearly seeping into the water. Irish Water will deny there is any issue; in fact, it will say tests have proved "inconclusive". To me, that is completely avoiding the reality of the matter. Any of the locals, or any of the Cork County Council staff who maintain the wastewater treatment plant, will agree the wastewater treatment plant is not functioning and sewage is seeping over the overflow and into the water.

This is a very important issue. Rosscarbery relies on the warren and Warren Beach is one of its major attractions. Rosscarbery is an up-and-coming tourism village and a fantastic place for anybody lucky enough to have discovered it. However, this cannot go on. The village has a reputation to keep. The beach is stunning and safe. It has lifeguards during the summer. It is a safe place to bring a family but we need to sort out the sewage issue. Rosscarbery, the people who live in and visit it and local businesses need this wastewater treatment plant to be sorted as soon as possible.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the position relating to Irish Water's responsibility for this matter, which I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements.

As the Deputy will understand, the wastewater infrastructure in Owenahincha is a matter for Irish Water in the first instance. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water takes a strategic nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements. The prioritisation and progression of individual projects and programmes are a matter for determination by Irish Water. I would like to see exactly what approach it will take to planning investment and meeting consumers' requirements in the Deputy's area because when he talks about that little piece of heaven, I would like to think it is not a desktop exercise. There is a need for an upgrade of wastewater.

Irish Water's capital investment plan runs until 2024 and is prepared within the regulatory framework, which is set out in legislation. Under this framework, Irish Water submits its investment plans in advance to its economic regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in Ireland, CRU. The investment plan follows an extensive CRU-Ied stakeholder consultation process and is based on a clearly defined set of priorities. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has made inquiries with Irish Water on the issue of wastewater treatment infrastructure at Owenahincha, as raised by the Deputy. I am informed Rosscarbery-Owenahincha is licensed by the EPA and is a single agglomeration with a primary discharge. There are separate networks but the treatment takes place at the same location. I am also informed that delivery timelines for the Rosscarbery and Owenahincha sewerage scheme cannot yet be confirmed. It is disappointing that there is no timeline when it is a time-sensitive matter. If we even knew the scheme was in a planning timeline and was on the books, that would be good. However, it is not included in the current capital investment plan. The project will be considered again as part of the development of the next revenue control period from 2025 to 2029. In the meantime, a water quality assessment is planned for 2023 to determine any impacts of the discharge on the receiving water. The wastewater network will also be surveyed to assess any works required to reduce the impact on infiltration.

The Government is aware that significant and sustained investment is needed to ensure the continued operation, upgrade and repair of the country's water and wastewater infrastructure and to support economic growth in the years to come. In this regard, as part of budget 2023, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has secured funding of over €1.69 billion to support water services. This includes €1.57 billion in respect of domestic water service provision by Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland and deliver improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine areas.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I know the Minister of State read that statement out on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Irish Water. The people of Rosscarbery and Owenahincha, which has another beautiful beach close to Warren Beach, cannot wait until 2025 or 2029. That is much too far out. Warren Beach is a gem, not just for Rosscarbery but the whole Clonakilty-Rosscarbery-Skibbereen area, and attracts so many people to the region. They cannot wait until after 2025 and maybe 2029 for the scheme to be included in a capital programme. As a Deputy who represents west Cork, including Rosscarbery, Warren Beach and Owenahincha, I am pleading for the upgrade of the Rosscarbery-Owenahincha wastewater treatment plant to be included in this capital investment programme.

The Minister does not have a say in the day-to-day running of Irish Water but he does control the purse strings. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to sit down and discuss how we can get the Rosscarbery-Owenahincha wastewater treatment plant included in this capital investment programme. Rosscarbery needs it. Warren Beach - this piece of heaven I described - needs it. The residents who live there need it. People who visit this area time and again and year after year need reassurance that this issue will be dealt with and that they will not have to deal with excrement in the water because it is a stunning place. The Minister of State should visit sometime.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue regarding wastewater treatment and infrastructure. He will understand that the progression of individual wastewater plants and infrastructure is a matter for Irish Water, as he rightly noted when he said the Minister was not involved in the day-to-day operation of the organisation. At the same time, there must be direction for Irish Water. In the programme for Government, we commit funding for the water capital investment plan for water and wastewater infrastructure. I do not have all the answers but perhaps the Deputy, the Minister and I could meet to discuss this Topical Issue so that the people of Rosscarbery do not feel their voice has not been heard by the person who is responsible for funding Irish Water.

Citizens Information Services

Deputy Paul Donnelly

I wish to raise the issue of the Citizens Information Board and paid employees and volunteers in an office setting, a matter I have tried to get on the agenda for quite a while. As people are aware, the Citizens Information Board adopted a policy whereby full-time office staff must be fully paid employees and volunteers were given what they described as menial jobs in the offices. Traditionally, Citizens Information Board offices are located in community centres or local authority buildings so, in essence, they are very much part of the local community. It is a valuable and essential service that has been serviced by a team of local people who are dedicated to their community. Many of them are experts in their field. Where this service deals with legal and confidential issues, a level of professionalism must be maintained but to cast aside volunteer staff, some of whom have been working with the Citizens Information Board for decades, is simply wrong. Reducing them to filing and shredding documents is an insult to their years of service. We constantly hear about the community and voluntary sector and how it must be cherished, valued and applauded, particularly during the Covid period. This move obviously means volunteers are less cherished and valued.

According to an email I received in recent weeks from an individual, their input is to be reduced to 35 staff hours per fortnight and the choice for existing volunteers is to provide a limited supporting role, as outlined, or leave. The email spoke about advisers with long experience in their earlier work environment, many of whom would have been professional people working in areas like taxation and social protection. The email went on to state that the existing 20 volunteers were not consulted in advance but were simply informed of the board's decision and that, as a group, they feel strongly that the proposed change is a retrograde step that will lead to a significant reduction in the level of support for the many disadvantaged people and others who need a range of help and assistance, particularly older people, who lack computer skills or access to computers. For people with disabilities, the community centre is their hub. Reducing the number of staff and volunteers will create a lack of access. The feedback the individual in question received was that face-to-face contact with advisers with wide experience in the public or private sectors who are willing to spend time teasing out their issues is greatly appreciated by many who seek advice.

Most of our offices are directing people to the places where those services are provided. We know quite a lot of them. Unfortunately, if we reduce that service, it will not be there for people in those centres in the community because there is not funding to cover the number of volunteers and hours they are going to lose. It is really disappointing that when they tried to engage with the board, they were met with a brick wall. Is there any update on this? Have there been discussions between the Government and the board as funders? It is important that the board recognises that it takes money from the taxpayer and the State and that it has a responsibility to the people who work for it, the people who volunteer with it and the people who engage with the service.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

The Citizens Information Board, CIB, is a statutory body tasked with providing information, advocacy and advice to citizens. It must be noted that the staff of the CIB are public servants and that the CIB itself does not have volunteers. The vital services for which the CIB is responsible are delivered by eight independent regional Citizen Information Service, CIS, companies. The CIB provides funding to the eight CIS companies, which in turn operate a national network of citizens information centres. It is important to note the independent nature of the CIB, which operates under the Comhairle Act 2000, as amended, and is overseen by its own board. Similarly, each CIS company is an independent limited company governed by a voluntary board of directors. The eight CIS companies make decisions independently on the delivery of services in their own regions.

Decisions on the engagement of volunteers are made by the regional CIS companies. I understand that the CIS volunteer strategy was developed by the independent regional CIS companies acting jointly and then implemented by each company in its respective area. I am informed that the strategy was to support the effort to re-engage volunteers in the service after the pandemic years. Significant changes occurred very rapidly during the pandemic. During that time, centres were often unable to offer a drop-in service because of public health restrictions and volunteers were no longer able to be involved. As the pandemic progressed, employees in the centres quickly adapted to the use of digital services, phone services and offering limited appointments to keep the service operating for the public. The updates and changes to information, advice and advocacy that have taken place during the past two years have been unprecedented.

The development of the volunteer strategy is an operational matter for the CIS companies. The Minister for Social Protection cannot direct either the CIB or the CIS companies in such operational issues. Notwithstanding this, in light of concerns raised by Deputies on this matter, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, recently met with the chairperson and CEO of the CIB seeking further information on the issue of volunteers in CIS companies. The Minister absolutely recognises the good work carried out by volunteers. She has made it very clear to the CIB that people who have given up their time down through the years deserve to be treated with respect. I understand the CIB assured the Minister that the contribution of volunteers continues to be highly valued in this regard. The role of volunteers is still seen as central to the delivery of the service. Indeed, volunteers have been returning on a phased basis since mid-2022. To date, the CIB reports that 120 volunteers have returned to support delivery in citizens information centres across the country. The CIB is now urgently engaging with the regional companies in relation to the continued return of volunteers. In addition, following the meeting with the Minister, the CIB has confirmed that it has agreed terms of reference for an independent review of the volunteer programme, which has now commenced. This independent review will engage with internal and external stakeholders, including current and past volunteers, and will make recommendations on the reintegration of volunteers to the service.

Both CIS staff and volunteers are vitally important and both of these roles are focused on the customer. From the moment a person contacts a citizens information centre, he or she is treated with respect and empathy by both volunteers and staff. There is no policy within the CIB or CIS companies of removing volunteers from the CIS. There are currently 89 citizens information centres open to offer information, advice and advocacy to the public.

Deputy Paul Donnelly

I note a couple of things in the Minister of State's statement, particularly with regard to the decision-making process. It is stated very clearly that this is a group of independent bodies that acted jointly and came out with exactly the same strategy at exactly the same time. There was obviously very significant co-ordination on this matter between the board and those independent bodies. It is extremely unfortunate that all of this was done without the input of the volunteers.

There is no doubt that Covid has changed much of the way we operate but, as a volunteer and someone who works in the community, I am noticing that people want to engage with people face to face. That is really important. While we support the new digital way of working, it is really important that we retain that face-to-face contact.

I welcome that there is going to be a review and that it is to include external and internal stakeholders, including current and past volunteers. I hope it is an acknowledgement that a mistake was made in the first instance and that, if such a massive change is to be embarked upon, it is critically important that the people who matter, the staff, volunteers and people who use the service, are all engaged with before any major decisions are made.

I welcome the fact that the board of the CIB is talking about the highest quality of service, whether provided in person or by phone, but I hope that is not meant to imply that the service being provided previously was not up to professional standards because all of the people who have engaged with the service over the years have found it extremely professional and well run.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I will start where the Deputy finished. Citizens information centres are a trusted source of information, advice and advocacy with a long tradition of volunteering. The Minister fully supports the continued valuing of the role of volunteers in CIS companies. The strong view of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, which I share, is that the important service provided by citizens information centres should continue to be available to the public when they need it. This is particularly true given the current cost-of-living crisis and the challenges facing people across the country. As I mentioned earlier, the Minister recently met with the CEO and chairperson of the CIB and sought further information on the issue of volunteers in CIS companies. The board is fully engaged with these companies to support the continued return of volunteers. The CIB has commissioned an independent review of the volunteer programme in the service and has indicated that citizens information companies will not make any decisions on office locations before the findings of the independent review are considered. This is very much welcomed.

If the Acting Chair will indulge me for 30 seconds, I will leave the script. I come in here often to read answers on Topical Issue matters. To be very fair to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and her Department, this is one of the most comprehensive answers I have ever had to give to a Deputy across the House. There is action from the Minister and from within the Department. The answer includes a plan and it addresses every one of the issues the Deputy and the people who have come to him have highlighted. I can see a pathway towards all of this being resolved.

Bus Services

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore

I thank the Minister of State very much for being here. I know this is not her area and I appreciate her taking the time to be here. I raise the absolute shambles of a public transport service in north Wicklow and particularly the services provided by Go-Ahead Ireland. This has been an issue for a number of years now.

I am speaking here about route 184 to Newtownmountkennedy, route 185 to Enniskerry and route 44A to Bray. People are inundating my office with messages about the poor service that is being provided by Go-Ahead Ireland. There are more no-shows than shows. We have situations where people are at bus stops and half-full buses are driving past them and not picking them up. I have constituents who have missed work because of it. I have constituents whose children have missed school and, therefore, they have missed work because they have had to take their children to school. I have constituents whose young daughters who take the bus have been left stranded at night, because the bus does not show up at 11 o'clock, or whatever time it is that they are going home. It is completely unacceptable.

The National Transport Authority, NTA, has fined Go-Ahead Ireland for not meeting its contractual obligations. My understanding is that it has been fined every year since 2019. It is clear at this stage that Go-Ahead Ireland is incapable of providing that service to people. While the NTA is fining people, the fines have not improved the service. Therefore, Go-Ahead Ireland is obviously just absorbing the fines, but it is not providing a better service. A fine is not going to help someone who waited 18 months to get a hospital appointment only to miss it because they could not get to St. Vincent’s University Hospital. Fines are not the solution to this.

At this stage, people in north Wicklow are completely losing confidence in public transport. The Minister can talk about great visions of a country where we have fantastic public services, where everyone can get out of their car and get onto a bus to commute to Dublin city or get to their school by public transport. However, the Minister and the NTA must get the basics right. If a bus is scheduled and you leave your house, you should expect to be able to get that bus - not for it to be a no-show and not turn up at all. Not only that, but people are not being informed that the bus will not turn up, so it is being cancelled without notice. It is completely unacceptable.

At what stage will the NTA hold Go-Ahead Ireland accountable for this poor service? We have heard excuses about Covid. We have heard excuses about the recruitment of bus drivers, and I know that is an issue, but at some stage Go-Ahead Ireland will have to start providing the service it is paid to provide and has been contracted to provide. At what point in time will the Minister have discussions with the NTA about providing a fast, efficient and, most importantly, reliable service to all the people in north Wicklow who rely on Go-Ahead Ireland to get about their daily business?

I thank the Minister of State. I hope that the reply she reads will be as comprehensive as the one she read on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

Would the Deputy believe that this is my second time to take a Topical Issue debate on transport? I think the last debate was when Deputy Lahart raised issues with route 174. Deputy Whitmore has referred to routes 184 and 44A. I am sad to say that it is the same operator. I will keep to the script, which is from the Minister for Transport. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I understand the Deputy’s question about the issues with Go-Ahead Ireland bus service provision in north Wicklow. I further understand that the issue of service reliability with Go-Ahead Ireland routes has been raised by Deputies Devlin and McAuliffe and, as I said, by Deputy Lahart in recent weeks.

I note that the Department of Transport has a responsibility for policy and for overall funding in relation to public transport. However, the Department is not involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services nationally, including the public service obligation, PSO, routes that are currently operated by Go-Ahead Ireland. The NTA has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally by way of public transport service contracts and for the allocation of associated funding to the relevant transport operators. PSO services are socially necessary but financially unviable services. The PSO programme represents a significant expenditure of taxpayers' money. Funding support has increased in recent years.

For anybody who is listening in, it is not as though the Government and the Department are not paying Go-Ahead Ireland to provide a service. That is an important piece. While there is a lot of language here, it is being paid to provide a service at designated times that is reliable and can be trusted. That is the point. While it might not be viable to run all of these services, we are paying Go-Ahead Ireland to provide them. We acknowledge that as a State.

Currently, the vast majority of PSO bus services are provided by Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann through what are known as direct award contracts. The remaining routes are operated by Go-Ahead Ireland, which entered the market in September 2018 as part of the Government's commitment to open up the bus market through a programme of tendering known as bus market opening.

A key Government objective is to provide all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective in budget 2022, the Department of Transport secured €538 million of funding for PSO and Local Link services provided by State operators under contract by the NTA. The Department recently secured €563 million in budget 2023 for the continuation of these essential services and for the continuation of both the 20% average fare discount and the young adult card.

As the Deputy is aware, the Covid-19 emergency had a profound impact on the public transport sector due to the fall in passenger numbers and the associated drop in fare revenues. I will skip through the next part of the script, because Covid-19 has moved on and because people are dependent on the delivery of services.

I have further been advised that Go-Ahead Ireland is not alone in experiencing issues and that many operators in the transport sector are facing challenges with staffing as a result of Covid absences and issues with recruiting new drivers. While these staffing issues are being experienced by both commercial and PSO operators, it is also true that Go-Ahead Ireland is experiencing higher than normal levels of Covid-related staff absences at present. These absences are having a knock-on effect on service delivery with some services not operating as scheduled. I understand that the NTA is working with Go-Ahead Ireland to try to mitigate the impacts through driver recruitment campaigns.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore

I thank the Minister of State. It is time that the Minister for Transport, the NTA and Go-Ahead Ireland put the Covid baby down and start taking responsibility for not providing the service that, as the Minister of State says, it is paid to do. It is incredible that a Green Party Minister, the Minister for Transport, is saying that it is not his responsibility to provide these services and make sure buses turn up on time. That is absolutely incredible because when I see press releases and photo opportunities in relation to buses, the Minister is there with them. I would like him to take responsibility for the non-provision of public transport services within Wicklow.

That so many Deputies from different parts of the country and different parties have raised the issue of Go-Ahead Ireland and have identified problems with it is a clear indication that the Minister needs to intervene now and needs to take this under control. The Minister needs to ensure that whoever the State is paying to provide this service is doing what they are paid to do so that people can expect to get a bus when the bus is scheduled to be there.

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I also want to quickly mention another transport issue. I ask the Minister of State to bring it to the Minister for his attention. In July 2021, a bus service provider in west Wicklow, Premier Coaches, applied to operate a direct route from Dublin to Blessington. It took a year of work with the NTA to get that route - route 863 - officially accepted. That was done in August 2022. Many people in the Blessington and west Wicklow community are relying on this route to get them into Dublin. They are still awaiting a start date for this route. I ask the Minister of State to pass that on to the Minister and to ask him to come back to me with an update on it because this is an important route as well.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I thank the Deputy. I will certainly bring back the issue of Premier Coaches in west Wicklow to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

The Minister has instructed the NTA to meet with Go-Ahead Ireland weekly to get an update on what exactly is happening. They are managing it now at a micro level, as opposed to a macro level, which is unfortunate. The Deputy is right. Go-Ahead Ireland is absorbing the fines as opposed to seeking a solution about delivery times. I will bring this issue back to the Minister but, as I have said, he has instructed the NTA to meet with Go-Ahead Ireland weekly to ensure the fines are delivered. However, I will bring it back to him that there are three more routes on the cards.