I remind Deputies Fitzmaurice, Naughten and Kerrane that they do not have four minutes each. They have one minute and 20 seconds.
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Flood Relief Schemes
The Leas-Cheann Comhairle should be more generous with us from the west.
Two minutes, one and one.
After we recovering after a Connacht semi-final on Sunday, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle should take it easy on us.
I wish to share my time with Deputies Kerrane and Fitzmaurice.
As the Minister of State will be aware, the rising water levels on Lough Funshinagh have resulted in the evacuation of two families within the past fortnight, with another home sandbagged last week. Without intervention, we anticipate that there will be permanent loss of up to four homes next winter.
The Minister of State witnessed the situation first-hand on the ground and he understands the issues that we are dealing with in terms of Lough Funshinagh. I understand he has submitted a comprehensive request for advice to the Office of the Attorney General. However, drawing on my own experience as Minister, seeking such advice can be a lengthy process as it often involves obtaining external advice. The families around Lough Funshinagh do not have the luxury of time and, therefore, I am asking the Minister of State to speak directly with the Attorney General highlighting the urgency of this request and seeking his personal intervention to expedite this process providing the necessary advice that is need.
As he will be aware, any legal remedy will be required to be implemented before the summer recess either to through the courts or through both of these Houses. That is why I am asking for his personal intervention in this issue.
It is good to be able to stand here with my constituency colleagues and speak to Deputy O'Donnell, as a Minister of State, who has been down to Lough Funshinagh and seen it with his own eyes because one really has to see it to believe it.
He will be well aware of the trauma of older people, in particular, in that community, looking at their life's work totally ruined before their eyes and the fear for young families, in particular, young couples who have big mortgages, afraid to let their children out the gate for fear in some cases that they would drown such are the water levels outside their homes.
I am really glad that the Minister of State visited and he saw it with his own eyes but we do need immediate action. This is going on since 2016. It has been years, on and off. The flooding now is at record levels. People out there are really worried. We have an SAC that is destroyed. Everything in it is dead. It is absolutely ruined. We need immediate and urgent intervention to save the homes that can be saved. For some, it is too late but for the rest and for the community that remain there, we need to see that urgent intervention.
We will work with the Minister of State. We will support whatever is forthcoming to complete that overflow as the emergency action and then, in parallel, for the permanent solution that is there to be fast-tracked as well. That is absolutely essential.
I thank the Minister of State for coming to Roscommon to see it. He stated that he would have an update in two weeks and that is what we are waiting for. We appreciate people coming looking at it and if I had a euro for everyone who came, it would nearly do the job, but I would rather that we get the solution. The solution is what is needed. I believe that the solution is there with the Attorney General's office, that they can do it, but whatever pushing they need, they need to be pushed because they need to understand that this is critical for families right around that area. It was a few families first. The problem is that this is spreading. Will the Minister of State to keep the pressure on the AG because this has to be done? Is there any word back from the AG or where are we going on it? Will the OPW lead on this or will it be the AG who will send legislation in here because I have looked at the habitats directives a good few times?
I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I visited Lough Funshinagh because I am not great in the abstract; I wanted to see first-hand and I am very much solution-focused. My trip to Lough Funshinagh was to meet the people, but also to see it first-hand for myself. I visited Lough Funshinagh on 12 April and have seen at first-hand the devastating impact the situation there is having for home owners and the community.
The eight townlands that straddle Lough Funshinagh have lived in harmony with the lake for decades. The highest levels in the lake annually were typically 66 m above Ordnance
Datum, mOD. The land, when dry, is used as commonage and the community work to preserve the rich biodiversity associated with this area.
Since 2016 this turlough, or disappearing lake, is not draining as it did previously and the water levels at Lough Funshinagh are currently at their highest recorded levels. Since January the average daily levels are rising by about 1 cm. On 20 April the levels reached their highest ever recorded at 69.38 mOD, or 3.38 m above the normal annual high level of 66 mOD. As of 22 April 2024, the levels are at 69.36 mOD, or 3.36 m above the normal annual level of 66 mOD. This extra 3.36 m is spanning an extended area of circa 178 ha. The additional volume of water contained in this extended area is approximately 3 million cu. m or the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools by volume. That puts it in context. The exceptionally high rainfall levels are contributing to this situation.
Roscommon County Council has deployed every emergency response measure it can and which is achievable through road raising, pumping and sandbags to keep the rising water levels from entering people’s properties. It is not possible to pump the water away from the area, so it is just pumped back into the lake to keep it away from properties. The OPW is currently supplying seven pumps to Roscommon County Council and servicing these pumps on site to support the council’s efforts to mitigate and manage the flood risk. Lough level changes are being closely monitored and risk-assessed on site by Roscommon County Council. The Civil Defence has also been requested by Roscommon County Council to undertake local patrols to gain familiarity with the local terrain and it has done so over recent weekends. In the week beginning 8 April, Roscommon County Council had to evacuate two families from their properties and close a regional road, the R362 at Curraghboy, except for local access. These measures will remain in place for some months.
The Deputies can read the circulated speech. I want to cover this in the limited time I have. I visited Lough Funshinagh on Friday, 12 April along with the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Roscommon County Council. We held constructive discussions towards finding a solution involving the completion of the underground overflow pipe and including completing temporary works, as an emergency and conservation measure, to manage the flooding in this area. Logistically and technically works can be completed this summer and a request for legal advices from the Attorney General has been submitted to identify legally if a statutory or planning consent process can support these works and conservation measures in these circumstances at Lough Funshinagh. The steering group for Lough Funshinagh, with representatives from Roscommon County Council, the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service met on Monday, 15 April and finalised the request for legal advices that issued to the Attorney General's office on 17 April 2024, which is being prioritised.
I will be meeting the Attorney General and his team, so it is something I am taking a deep, personal interest in. I gave that commitment to trying to find a solution and working with everyone. I thank the Lough Funshinagh action group, the residents of Lough Funshinagh and their public representatives. I think everyone is at one. We are actively engaging with the Attorney General's office. I will be looking to meet the Attorney General about this as well, along with my team. A further steering group meeting was held on 19 April.
We are talking about a depth of water 3.38 m higher than the historical level of that lough for generations. That would flood the whole of this Chamber. That is the height we are talking about here. I was at an EPA climate lecture earlier this evening on the issue of climate and health. It was given by Professor Lea Berrang-Ford. She said the greatest impact of flooding on health relates to mental health and it may take years for it to manifest itself. These people have to wait and wait and pray and pray the pumps do not give up. If the pumps give up then within a few hours they are going to have metres of water in their homes. We need urgent action.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. All we need to know now is how soon he will meet the Attorney General and when we will know what the Attorney General has come up with and how long that is going to take. We are being asked every day for an update. Every day the water is rising. We are getting some little bit of relief now due to the rain not falling, but there it really does not matter because the water is already at such record levels. I ask the Minister of State for any timeframe he can give us for how much longer residents are going to have to wait.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but this falls under the habitats directive. While we might not like the side of it that is looked at, it seems to put the turlough and the SAC before people. However, under the legislation and under the habitats directive there is emergency legislation to put a solution in place where a site of community of importance or an SAC is being damaged to basically move water, or whatever the problem is, in any part of the country until a long-term solution is found. Those are the facts. If the Minister of State needs help from us we are here to work with him. We are not against it. We are here to work with him on whatever needs to be done, because we do not have until next winter and the piece that has to be done to finish this off is going to take a while and we need to get it done. The Attorney General needs to get into gear and the Taoiseach needs to get talking to him because it is the Government that appoints the Attorney General.
I will say two things about dealing with this. It is about protecting homes and also, as Deputy Kerrane referenced, the SAC which is currently being seriously damaged because of the levels of the lake. My main focus here is the people who are living around Lough Funshinagh. I have met them and seen what they are going through. It is all about finding a solution and I accept we all know what the permanent solution is. Every aspect we discussed on the day is being considered by the Attorney General. That is why I wanted a comprehensive submission. The Taoiseach is very much focused on this and working with me. As for the timeframe, it has to happen relatively quickly because time is of the essence. We are facing a further winter and it will take time to do the works. We are all on the one page. Regarding the advice from the Attorney General, the whole focus here is on us getting something that can work that we can put into action this summer and we must ensure it is legally sound. We owe that to the people. They have been waiting a long period of time. I give a commitment on this issue. I very much take on board what the Deputies have done to date. I see it as a partnership model. The Attorney General's office is the highest legal office in the land, the advice is being worked on and I will be meeting him very shortly.
Sports Events
It is absolutely mind-boggling this Government has turned down the opportunity to host the World Rally Championships in Kerry, Waterford and Limerick over the next three years. Motorsport Ireland has been forced to decline the invitation due to lack of funding coming from Government. An event screening application was submitted to the Department back in October. We had the chance for a relatively limited amount of money of €3 million to €4 million per year for three years to showcase the whole of Munster to viewing figures of about 600 million and to have thousands of people thronging towns and cities in Munster for those years. I am aware there was a funding difficulty and a problem with timing, but the Government could have explored other options and made the funding conditional on it perhaps taking place during the shoulder season to avoid clashes with the tourism situation. It is clear there was nobody in government prepared to take this on and drive it. The lack of interest from Government and the Government parties is absolutely disgraceful.
Motorsport Ireland put together a bid to host a round of the World Rally Championships which would include Limerick, Kerry and the south east and host a stage of the World Rally Championships over the next three years. Many of us, especially those with a passion for the sport, were delighted to hear this. Businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, were keenly aware of the opportunities this presented.
We in Limerick will pull together to showcase our wonderful county, a county that is rich in history and culture and that has much to offer. A real opportunity was not grasped by Government. There is no doubt that the failure of Government to engage with Motorsport Ireland's bid to host rounds of the World Rally Championship is a major blow for Limerick, its business community and its people. Limerick will now miss out on hosting the rally. That did not happen by accident but as a result of Government failure. Despite repeated requests from Motorsport Ireland for feedback on its application and requests to meet the Minister, the body was met with almost complete silence. This represents an opportunity unforgivably squandered by the Government. Once again, the people of Limerick have been let down by Government. We had an opportunity to host that rally but it was squandered by the Government's inaction.
The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, has shown utter contempt for Limerick and for the motorsport community in his reported failure to engage properly with Motorsport Ireland following its submission last October. As everyone knows, Motorsport Ireland made its proposals to the Minister of State in June 2023. It outlined its plans to showcase Ireland on the world stage by bringing the World Rally Championship to Ireland over a three-year period. It did as the Minister of State advised and submitted an application to the major sports event unit last October. Despite repeated requests for feedback on that application and requests to meet the Minister of State, it was met with complete and utter silence. Will the Minister of State explain this to me?
I was at the launch of the three locations, Waterford, Limerick and Kerry, at the headquarters of Motorsport Ireland in January of this year. There was a lot of enthusiasm. Many people were in the room, including representatives from chambers of commerce, motorsport enthusiasts and people from different local authorities who were part of the consortium that made the successful bid to host the World Rally Championship. I know at first hand that, in Waterford, the local council, the CEO of that council and many others put a great deal of effort into this. It was a real slap in the face when Motorsport Ireland had no choice but to pull the event from Ireland. We had an opportunity to showcase the best of Ireland, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford and the south east. In its response, the Government said that it was looking for additional information and independent economic assessments. All that was being looked for was a maximum of €15 million over three years to host a world rally. It is staggering that the Government would let the ball drop like this. It shows the incompetence of the Minister of State and the Government that they messed up something that, in reality, you could not mess up if you tried. It is a spectacular failure on the part of this Government. The Government talked about independent economic assessments. How does it not trust the local authorities in the regions, which supported all of the bids? It is absolute nonsense and a monumental failure by this Government and by the Minister of State.
I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, who is unavailable to answer this question today as he is abroad on official business.
At the outset, it is important to note that, before the Department and Government commits public moneys to supporting the hosting of a major sports event in Ireland, a significant range of factors needs to be taken into account. These factors include the projected cost to the State, the expected economic benefits accruing to the State and the proposed event’s capacity to contribute to wider policy objectives such as increasing physical activity and participation in sport and aligning with national environmental and sustainability policies. It is also imperative to ensure that, whenever Ireland is responsible for the hosting of a major sports event, adequate preparation and engagement with relevant stakeholders is undertaken. This includes consulting with all those who will be required to provide services to deliver the event including, for example, local authorities, An Garda Síochána and medical and transport providers. Account must also be taken of the impact that an event might have on existing businesses and daily life. In the majority of instances where Ireland has been selected to host a major sporting event, several years of advance preparation were needed.
In June 2023, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, met with Motorsport Ireland, at its request, to discuss its proposals to host rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship commencing as soon as 2025. Some months later, in October 2023, the Department received a formal proposal from Motorsport Ireland which sought significant public monies from the State towards supporting the hosting of rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship. As noted, Motorsport Ireland proposed that these rounds would commence as soon as 2025 with further rounds to follow in 2026 and 2027. In light of the relative immediacy of the proposed start date for hosting the World Rally Championship, commencing as soon as 2025, the Department was unable, at this time, to commit significant public moneys towards supporting an event starting in 2025, given the need for thorough further assessment. However, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, advised Motorsport Ireland that the Department is prepared to fund an independent economic analysis and business case assessment should hosting of the World Rally Championship in later years, beyond 2025, be feasible.
For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the independent economic analysis and business case assessment is separate to the assessment the Department has already undertaken. The Department would have to procure outside independent expertise to conduct the economic impact work, which would examine all of the possible associated costs and all of the benefits to the State accruing from the hosting of this event. I note that Motorsport Ireland has welcomed this commitment and has advised that it will engage with the event promoter regarding the feasibility of alternative hosting years. It is now a matter for Motorsport Ireland as to whether it wishes to submit a formal request to the Department to commit public monies towards undertaking the separate independent economic analysis and business case assessment.
It is important to emphasise that, in its initial assessment, the Department considered the experiences of hosting this event in the past in Ireland and outside of Ireland. The Department also engaged with key stakeholders, including Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland. In undertaking this assessment, the Department identified potential issues regarding Motorsport Ireland’s proposal, including the likely return on investment, the displacement impacts of holding an event in busy tourism months and capacity concerns. These concerns are such that it would not be prudent to commit Government funds to the proposal without the usual thorough investigation normally undertaken prior to committing to hosting major sports events. These factors underline the need for adequate time to consider any proposal for the hosting of major sporting events. A Government decision would also likely be needed in order to approve the allocation of the significant public moneys that are required for hosting a major sports event such as the World Rally Championship, including costs in areas such as security, transport and other logistical issues.
It is very rare that, the week before Christmas, a meeting would take place on the Tralee campus of MTU at which members and representatives of Tralee Chamber Alliance, nearly all of the local councillors and all of the Kerry TDs were present. That shows their enthusiasm when they saw an opportunity to bring a major event such as this to County Kerry in the coming years. I note the Minister of State's reply. I will be speaking to local representatives of Motorsport Ireland on committing to a separate economic analysis and business case assessment. I hope that more flexibility than has been shown heretofore will be given when speaking to the local representatives in order to get this over the line.
As I have said, last week, Motorsport Ireland was informed that the major sports event unit would need another six months to process its application. This is shameful. How did this happen? As a result of the time delays, Ireland will no longer be considered, which represents a major blow to Motorsport Ireland, Limerick and the wider community. It is simply not acceptable that Motorsport Ireland was met with nearly complete silence from the Department and from the Minister of State. It is the duty of the Minister of State and his Department to engage with and be supportive of all national governing bodies. Their failure to do so with Motorsport Ireland represents an unforgivably squandered opportunity for Limerick. The World Rally Championship was supposed to come to Limerick and showcase our wonderful county. Limerick people are becoming well used to a Government that is out of touch and out of road with no ambition and no energy. The Government has shown utter contempt for this application. As I have said, it is a missed opportunity.
In his response, the Minister of State said that there needs to be sufficient engagement with relevant stakeholders when considering funding events like this. He mentioned local authorities, An Garda Síochána and existing local businesses. One of the leading advocates of the Waterford bid was the CEO of the council. Local councillors and all of the Oireachtas Members were behind the bid. An Garda Síochána was present when the bid was launched and was working with the local authority. The chamber of commerce was also a lead advocate. Not only were stakeholders engaged with this, they were enthusiastic supporters and got behind the bid. They did not drop the ball. It was not the chamber of commerce or the local authority but the Government and the Minister of State. This is a big missed opportunity and the people of Limerick, Kerry, Waterford and Ireland are the losers.
As previously stated, the Department is open to further engagement with Motorsport Ireland on this matter should the organisations engaging with the event promoter show that the hosting of the World Rally Championship in later years would be feasible. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, has informed Motorsport Ireland that his Department is prepared to consider supporting the hosting of the WRC in the years beyond 2025, if alternative hosting years are possible. He is also prepared to commit to an independent economic analysis in this regard. The Minister of State has written to Motorsport Ireland to reiterate this and to offer that organisation a meeting in the near future.
Major sports events have the potential to deliver a range of benefits to the State, including increased trade and tourism activity and furthering of sporting goals, as well as boosting national and community pride and well-being. Whether the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media or the wider Government supports the hosting of a major sports event in Ireland depends on a wide range of factors, as stated. These include the projected cost to the State, the expected economic benefits accruing to the State, the event's capacity to contribute to wider policy objectives, and alignment with national environmental and sustainability policies.
While various figures have circulated in the media regarding the potential economic benefit of hosting the WRC rounds in Ireland, it should be noted that the net economic benefit to the island of Ireland from hosting WRC rounds is significantly less than what has been reported in the media. It is imperative for the credibility of the event and the Government's own major events assessment process that the potential economic benefit of the current proposal is independently fully assessed. This will allow for a fuller assessment of the value-for-money proposition with regard to any investment made and will facilitate compliance with the requirements of the public spending code.
The major sports event unit in the Department has an extensive portfolio of events that are in the active planning stage, including next month's UEFA Europa League final, the 2027 Ryder Cup and the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship. That Department manages the assessment of new proposals for other major sports events, in parallel with the ongoing workload of supported events. The Department takes this function very seriously and allocates the time and resources needed to assess each proposal correctly and, if approved, helps to deliver the best possible event for Ireland.
Healthcare Policy
Our healthcare system in general is in crisis. Almost a million people are on public hospital waiting lists. It is even worse for trans people. We have the worst trans healthcare in all of the European Union, according to a recent report by Transgender Europe. There is denial of services in primary care settings and a ten-year waiting list to access public services. Those people who seek to access services through the public service are faced with intrusive psychiatric assessments. There is inadequate care, discrimination and the exclusion of transgender people from policy development. The healthcare situation is getting worse for trans people in this country, not better. People report that it is worse now than it was 15 years ago. We have no national gender-affirming healthcare policy or guidelines and no services for trans young people in Ireland, leaving many in extreme distress.
All of that is in contradiction of the programme for Government. I will ask a clear question. The programme for Government states it will:
Create and implement a general health policy for Trans people, based on a best-practice model for care, in line with the World Professional Association of Transgender Healthcare (WPATH) and deliver a framework for the development of National Gender Clinics and Multidisciplinary Teams for children and adults.
Has this commitment been abandoned or replaced? The very opposite to what is outlined in respect of WPATH is taking place. That is meant to be a non-pathologised approach to care based on informed consent. Instead, what is happening is a de facto, hyper-centralised system in the form of the National Gender Service, NGS, and the setting up of massive roadblocks to deny people the healthcare they need and should be entitled to. The standards being applied are in direct conflict with people's rights to bodily autonomy, self-determination and healthcare.
To look at that in some detail, I will take the issue of waiting lists. The NGS likes to claim it has a three-and-a-half-year waiting list, which would be bad enough, but it has more than 1,600 people on the waiting list and has never handled more than 160 people in a year. It is, therefore, clear it has a decades-long waiting list. If somebody can manage to get through that ten-year-long list, and does not have access to private resources to go abroad for healthcare, that person is faced with incredibly intrusive and invasive psychiatric assessments.
The things people are asked are appalling. One person reported: “For over three and a half hours my psychological evaluation took place. I was asked about masturbation. I was asked about my parents’ divorce. I was asked how I performed specific sexual acts. All of these questions made me feel completely dehumanised." A trans woman said: “She asked me about what porn I like, what role I take during sex, do I prefer men or women, did I play with dolls as a child, did I play sports.” This is a 26-year-old woman whose mother was invited and involved in this process. This woman is an adult; there is no role whatsoever for a mother here. It is absolutely scandalous.
This starts at GP level, where it is very clear that GPs are not being empowered or informed and, in fact, are being told that they cannot provide the healthcare that is needed. There is an example of an Ukrainian trans man, who after doing all the necessary tests and so on, was denied the blood tests and medication he needed because the GP told him he had to go to the NGS and will, therefore, have to wait on this long list.
The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, has spoken previously on the topic of gender healthcare. He has acknowledged that this is a small and vulnerable group of people who need to have access to proper, appropriate and integrated care, including acute care and community care. He has also acknowledged that they do not currently have access to that in Ireland and has stated that he is determined to change that.
In that context, the Minister would like to confirm that the HSE has recently appointed Dr. Karl Neff as clinical lead for the multidisciplinary team that will lead the development of a new model of care under the auspices of the national clinical programmes. The Minister was delighted to be able to provide €100,000 in funding for the establishment of this team. Now that this appointment has been made, the HSE is initiating a new clinical programme for gender healthcare and, over the next two years, an updated clinical model and implementation plan for gender healthcare services will be developed. This work will be informed by the best evidence-based clinical care for individuals who express gender incongruence or dysphoria. Now that the full Cass report has been published, it will be reviewed along with other emerging and evolving international evidence, as part of this work.
There is a clear and well-established approach to the development of this model of care, which, as well as reviewing the best available clinical evidence, will also incorporate input from healthcare professionals, patient advocates and those with lived experience. This is a message that I really want to get across - a key part of the development of this model of care will be consultation with stakeholders. As the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, said previously, we cannot have a situation where we are developing a model of care for a group of people who are not involved and whose voices are not heard. He can assure the Deputy that the HSE is anxious to ensure that all stakeholders are heard as part of this process.
The model of care will incorporate a multitiered approach, where care will be delivered at the most appropriate level of medical complexity. While the model of care is being developed, people will continue to receive healthcare in the community and under the endocrinology service in the adult and paediatric centres in Ireland East Hospital Group and Children’s Health Ireland, CHI. In terms of current services, children and young people who require specialist psychological or psychiatric assessment and support are now referred to the children and young people gender national referral support service in the UK, which will triage those referrals to one of the newly developed services in London and Liverpool-Manchester. This service will work with CHI if endocrine review is required. The adult gender service is based in St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown. It provides services for people over the age of 16 years.
The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is committed to the development of a well-governed and patient-centred healthcare service for adults and children in the transgender community.
The Minister states, and I agree with this, "we cannot have a situation where we are developing a model of care for a group of people who are not involved and whose voices are not heard" and that "a key part of the development of this model of care will be consultation with stakeholders" and so on. He also states that this is a message he really wants to get across. What would be better than getting a message across would be to actually do it. This is not what has happened. Trans people have been excluded from all this discussion that has taken place.
The HSE had a meeting on 9 February 2023, which was billed as the future of transgender care in Ireland and which was without a single trans organisation at the table to represent their community. The Minister of State can tell me whether the Government has agreed to it but the HSE has unilaterally abandoned the programme for Government's commitment to a WPATH-based model of care without consultation with the trans community. It did not consult any trans organisations on any aspect of deciding to spend more than €1.4 million on a new transgender model of care, hiring a new clinical lead or participating in a clinical study collaboratively with the UK.
The Minister for Health promised to meet with Trans Healthcare Action, which has done amazing work on this. I hosted a briefing in the AV room recently with that organisation. He promised to meet its representatives three months ago and that meeting still has not taken place.
Trans healthcare can be provided well. We had a doctor from Catalonia at the AV room briefing who provided a picture of 36-day waiting lists and 71% of adults receiving HRT on the first appointment. It is based on informed consent. That is what we need to do. We need primary care access. We need to inform, educate and empower GPs so this is a locally provided service, as all healthcare should be at a primary point. We need informed consent and evidence-based practice. We need community co-production, which is not currently taking place; that is, real consultation and engagement with trans people. The Government should be leading on this, as opposed to allowing the HSE to abandon its promises.
I will bring the Deputy's comments to the attention of the Minister for Health. The issues raised in this discussion are important and the Minister wants the Deputy to know that all of us in this House want to assure the transgender community is given proper, appropriate and integrated care and support they need to live authentic, fulfilling lives. I certainly agree with that. The new model of care will aim to do just that. The development of the new model of care for gender healthcare services is expected to be a complex process and the HSE and the Minister's Department will work closely together to support the process, ensuring transparency and keeping the patient at the centre of the process.
Consultation with stakeholders will be a crucial part of this work. I hear the Deputy's comments and will bring them to the Minister's attention. However, it is important the HSE is given time to develop a model of care that is based on the best clinical evidence and that will deliver the best outcomes for persons with gender incongruence or dysphoria. It is not possible to pre-empt the outcome of this process by determining at this stage what this model of care will look like once developed. The long-term aim is to provide a wide range of services for all people with gender incongruence or dysphoria, from care locally in the community to more specialised and complex care. The Minister is committed to building a service based on experience, clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion and he is committed to the development of a well-governed and patient-centred healthcare service for the transgender community.
Special Educational Needs
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for coming in to address the important issue of the reduction in special education teaching, SET, hours at Kilbride National School, Trim, County Meath and many schools across my constituency of Meath West.
In response to parliamentary questions I submitted, the Department of Education stated 67% of schools saw their allocation increase or remain the same while 33% experienced a reduction in hours and that, of the schools that experienced a reduction in hours, 90% was as a result of falling enrolment. In September 2021, enrolment at Kilbride National School was 158 pupils and it received an allocation of 52.5 hours for the academic years of 2022-23 and 2023-24. In September this year, the projected increased enrolment is 192 pupils, with allocated hours reduced to 47.5. That is with a projected increase of 34 pupils. Does that not make nonsense of the Department's answer that 90% of schools where hours were cut was because of falling enrolment?
It is concerning a school with no change in the number of students with additional needs and a growing enrolment has been subjected to a cut in hours. Kilbride National School has reviewed the pillars used to assess the allocation granted and the main rationale for the change appears to be high standardised assessment results achieved by the school. These were achieved by hard work. I commend the principal, Deirdre Murphy, and all her staff. She is passionate about the school and every one of the pupils, leaving nobody behind. The school has achieved high standards by the effective and correct use of SET resources, ensuring all students with additional needs received the minimum required support to enable them to access the curriculum within the mainstream classroom. They would not have been able to achieve this with reduced support, especially considering growing numbers. It would be unfair for the school and children to be penalised because of this success. If the cut to special education teacher hours is not reversed, the school will find it very challenging to distribute the 47.5 hours fairly and adequately and to ensure each child access to the curriculum. The school is concerned about the income it will have on all children in the mainstream class setting as it is evident the cut to hours will put extraordinary pressure on teachers to support all the children. Inevitably, the children will suffer.
The principal has submitted an appeal to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, that the allocated be reversed and increased. It is not fair that 33% of schools across the country have SET hours cut on pupils who need it most. I call on the Minister of State as the Minister responsible to reverse the cuts. Will she commit to that tonight?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to set out the importance of the special education teacher allocation in supporting children with special educational needs, SEN, in mainstream schools. My colleague, Deputy English, has spoken to me about the incredible work being done in Kilbride National School in Kilbride. He has consistently worked to ensure appropriate supports are provided to children and those who need them.
It is important to say there will more special education teachers in our schools in September 2024 than ever before, with an increase of 1,000 on the 2020-21 school year. This is in addition to a significant reduction in class sizes at primary level over three budgets to where our pupil-teacher ratio is now 23:1. This means that children with SEN in our mainstream schools are better supported than ever to meet their needs.
I would like to clarify that the SET model is an allocation model to provide schools with additional teaching hours to support the teaching needs of their students. When the 2017 model was introduced, it replaced a diagnosis-led model with one based on need. This has not changed for 2024 and the allocation to schools is to support all of the children who require some level of additional teaching support. There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate SET to mainstream classes. The allocation model for 2024-25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need. The model makes an allocation on the basis of a number of inputs, including enrolment numbers. It also uses school-level data from standardised tests to reflect relative levels of overall need. It seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account quality, robust evidence in respect of individual schools. This ensures that resources are in the right place at the right time to meet the needs of children in mainstream.
In addition, the model will be run annually in line with general teacher allocations. This allows schools to better plan their staffing structures and gives them time to arrange clusters in areas where schools share an SET teacher. The Department acknowledges that every school is different and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when making allocations in respect of the 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that the Department, working with the NCSE, has streamlined the review process for SET hours and schools who have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation. Reviews are being conducted by the NCSE between March and May to better enable schools to plan for the following September. Additional resources will be provided to schools in cases where the council has identified that they are required.
I am aware that representatives from Kilbride National School were in Leinster House last week. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to attend that meeting. However, the NCSE has confirmed to my Department that the school has submitted a review application. The council has communicated with the school and is awaiting documentation from the school to progress the review.
On receipt of the documentation, the review will be prioritised as a matter of urgency. In all cases where the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, review identifies the requirement for additional special education teacher, SET, resources to support students these resources will be made available to the school for the 2024-2025 school year. It is important to note that SET hours are only one component of support for children in mainstream education, but the most important support is the mainstream class teacher. The pupil-teacher ratio at primary level is now 23:1, which means there are more mainstream teachers than ever before in our educational system. There will be 14,600 special education teachers supporting mainstream classes, which is an increase of 1,000 since the end of the 2021 school year.
I thank the Minister of State. In some cases the ratio is 30:1. I believe that is the ratio in Kilbride National School. Although the Minister of State has said she will look at it in the appeal, I was hoping she would give a commitment tonight to reverse the decision on SET hours in Kilbride. One third of schools have had their SET resources cut. However, prior to these cuts the vast majority of parents did not believe their children were being adequately supported in mainstream schools. This is according to research by Inclusion Ireland. Imposing these cuts or any cuts, whatever the criteria being used, whether it is enrolment figures or otherwise, is only going to hurt those children who most need the SET hours. This is the decision schools are being forced to make, namely, to use their insufficient resources to cater for the majority of the children thus giving less to the children who need it most.
If these cuts go ahead the children who need help are just being given a seat at the table in the mainstream class but not the time and attention they need for meaningful participation. This is what the SET hours allow for, namely, meaningful participation and an opportunity for the kids who need it most to learn on an equal basis. To cut the SET allocation for one third of schools in the State and to suggest these children are still being treated equitably and are getting the help they need is simply wrong. There is an old adage that the mark of civility in a country can be judged by how it treats the most vulnerable members. I do not believe we are covering ourselves in glory when we take away teaching hours from our children who are most in need of that little bit of extra help. Again, I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to reverse those decisions.
I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue and for giving me the opportunity to discuss special education teaching allocations and the review process, in which the Kilbride National School in County Meath is currently engaging. The NCSE is reviewing that currently and engaging with the school. It is important to say that.
Approximately 97% of all children, including those with special education needs, are educated in mainstream classes. In addition to the increase in SET support that we discussed today, we are also supporting children and families who need specialist placements, including in special classes and special schools. In recent years we have seen significant growth in special classes from 548 in 2011 to 2,921 in 2024, with 390 opened in the past year alone.
I reiterate that there has been an increase in the number of full-time SET posts across the country. This is increasing the overall availability of resources. As I have said, there will be 14,600 special education teachers supporting mainstream classes in the 2024-2025 school year, which is an increase by 1,000 since the 2021 school year. This is the highest number of SET teachers ever in our schools.
I acknowledge that every school is different and schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. There is always a challenge when we are looking to make allocations for those 4,000 schools. It is for this reason we have also streamlined that review process, with which the Kilbride school is involved, for special education teachers. Schools that feel they received an inappropriate allocation can seek that review.
As previously outlined, the Kilbride National School is currently involved in that process and that new streamlined review process has so far resulted in 32 reviews being completed and an additional 427.5 hours being allocated to these schools.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 9.44 p.m. go dtí 9.10 a.m. Dé Céadaoin, an 24 Aibreán 2024.
The Dáil adjourned at 9.44 p.m. until 9.10 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 April 2024.