Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Mental Health Services

Deputy David Cullinane

A number of weeks ago, I met representatives of Comhairle na nÓg who had travelled from Waterford to submit a petition they had carried out. They met the Minister of State the same day. I know she is aware of this issue. Waterford is the only city that does not have a Jigsaw service. I know the Minister of State would join me in supporting Jigsaw as an organisation for the wonderful work it does. It is really important that young people who have a mental health difficulty get every opportunity to get supports. Very often, the focus is on the acute side and the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, which is obviously very important. However, if we can prevent a person developing an acute mental health illness and provide the full range of supports young people need, it would be best for everybody, particularly for the young people themselves. Comhairle na nÓg initiated its petition at the west Waterford food festival. It received more than 1,100 signatures. The group was blown away by the interest in this issue. I have met Jigsaw a number of times and I know that an application for funding and a detailed business case have to be made. It is my understanding that this has happened. Those are with the Minister of State. I assume there is also an issue with premises. That will also have to be sorted.

As I have said, Deputy Conor McGuinness and I met the representatives from Comhairle na nÓg. We are very happy to work with the Minister of State, with Jigsaw and with anybody else to get this over the line. I am hopeful that we can. It would be a fantastic addition to mental health services in Waterford, particularly for young people. I am hopeful that the Minister of State's response today will be a positive one that will support the application. If she is supportive, what timelines are we looking at to get the service operational and up and running in Waterford?

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

The Minister of State will agree it is unacceptable that Waterford is the only city, and the south-east region is the only part of the State, that does not have a Jigsaw youth mental health service. These services are not only physically based in premises but also offer outreach services. People I am dealing with right across Waterford city and county and also those in parts of south Tipperary, south Kilkenny and Wexford would be able to avail of this. There would be outreach services in towns like Dungarvan, Tallow, Kilmacthomas, New Ross and Clonmel. As Deputy Cullinane has mentioned, we very recently met Comhairle na nÓg. I know the group went on to meet the Minister of State afterwards. They presented to Deputy Cullinane and me, to the Minister of State herself and perhaps to the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, a petition calling for this service to be initiated in Waterford. It is not just Comhairle na nÓg, although it has been driving this campaign. Parents are also saying it to us day in and day out. Practitioners in the mental health space and advocates across the city and county are calling for this and have been for many years. As Deputy Cullinane has said, early intervention is key. We know of the issues in CAMHS, which primarily revolve around recruitment and retention and the inability of children in need to get a foot in the door and that first appointment. Community-based early intervention is really important.

We are told that the HSE is important. As the Minister of State will know, I have submitted a parliamentary question on this every month since being elected. We know the HSE is broadly supportive. I know from the press that the Minister of State received an application at the start of May. The response I got from the HSE just last week did not mention that. It did not seem to be aware of it. Is there a breakdown in communication?

The other issue that is really important to raise and discuss here is the issue of a premises. What work has been done to engage with the local authority, HSE estates and other agencies or bodies that might have access to property in Waterford to find a home for a Jigsaw service?

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

I thank both Deputies for raising this really important issue today. I recently met Comhairle na nÓg to update the group on my efforts to establish a new youth mental health service for Waterford and the south east. I will give a big shout-out to Theo Hannigan, Mollie Mernagh and Eve Meleady, the three amazing young people who presented me with a petition with a lot of signatures. They are great young people and great ambassadors for their three schools: St. Paul's Community College, the Friary in Dungarvan and my own alma mater, St. Declan's Community College in Kilmacthomas.

Improving access to a range of youth mental health services is a priority for me, for the Department of Health and for the HSE. In recent weeks, I received a formal proposal from Jigsaw to establish a youth mental health service for Waterford and the south east. It is important to point out that Jigsaw changed its model of care in 2022, during the Covid pandemic. Its services to support young people now have 73% coverage across the country but 100% is covered online. I meet Dr. Joseph Duffy and his team regularly. Last year, we discussed moving back towards more physical structures but they are costly.

I have also invited proposals from other relevant national organisations that might be interested in developing youth mental health services. For example, there is a fantastic service under Mental Health Ireland called Mindspace Mayo that provides very similar supports. Work to secure a suitable premises for this service has begun with the chief executive of Waterford City and County Council, whom I thank for his interactions with me. I have discussed the need for the service with the local HSE integrated health area manager, who is very supportive. I am evaluating all the options available to me as Minister of State as to how best to provide a youth mental health service in Waterford and other identified areas of the country where a service has yet to be established, such as Kildare, Clare, Cavan and Monaghan. I intend to secure funding for this new early intervention youth mental health service in the Estimates process for budget 2026.

While CAMHS provides specialist supports for children, I am acutely aware that counselling supports are very important for young people, who deal with a lot of different issues including exam stress, anxiety, bullying and social media. The list is endless for many young people, especially for those young people in the LGBT+ community. Supports are vital. Young trans people can feel very isolated, alone and misunderstood. They face a great many challenges because they walk a different pathway in life. Counselling supports are vital. I want to compliment the great work of BeLonG To and ChillOUT, which are based at the Manor Youth Café in Waterford city every Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The programme for Government commits to ensuring a transgender healthcare service that is based on clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion. I was happy to write that into the programme. I know the trans community very well. I am very proud to be the mother of a young trans man. I hope and pray that all Deputies can support this. I do not think it is too much to ask.

Foróige also has to be commended on the fantastic supports it provides to young people based in Ferrybank, Tramore, Portlaw and Carrick-on-Suir, all of which enhance the life chances of ten- to 18-year-olds. They are all really important supports. I will come back in with regard to other funding I am providing this year.

Deputy David Cullinane

I agree with all of the points the Minister of State has made. As the father of a son who is doing the leaving certificate at the moment, I know about the stress that many young people face. I also agree with the Minister of State's comments regarding the LGBTI community, the trans community in particular, and the work being done by the various groups in Waterford. Obviously, people need mental health supports for a whole range of reasons.

There is no family or young person who does not have a mental health difficulty at some point. The most important thing is that the supports are there at the earliest opportunity. As somebody who has visited centres run by Jigsaw and has worked with Jigsaw on other issues, I found it incredible when I first met them that they were not operating in Waterford. I welcome that we are now moving in that direction. I also welcome that there is engagement with the local council on a premises. Hopefully, if the Minister of State secures the funding in the Estimates, this is something we can get up and running quickly in Waterford. It will be a fantastic addition for young people.

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

I agree that young people in particular are under huge stresses in this day and age. There is of course a need to constantly improve our acute mental health services, particularly for young people - children and adolescents. As I said, there is a need for early intervention and that wellness piece. There are great organisations working on the ground across Waterford and I met Pride of the Déise recently with Deputy Cullinane and understand the needs of the LGBTQI community. That is important. There is also Waterford and South Tipperary Community Service and Foróige, which the Minister of State mentioned. They are all making the case for additional youth mental health services, both in the community and on the acute side. There is a fantastic organisation called Laochas on the ground in Waterford promoting emotional and mental well-being among young children. Those need to be supported, but this is about equality as well. Waterford and the south east is the only region in the State without access to Jigsaw services. We all know, particularly after Covid, the need for face to face, physical services to be available. I ask the Minister of State to make the commitment that we will drive this on.

Deputy Mary Butler

I certainly will drive it on, and it is an area that has been identified as needing youth mental health supports. However, all areas of the county need youth mental health supports. Some 2% of young people will need the support of CAMHS but 98% of young people - about a third of them - will need counselling and low-level supports so they can deal with anxiety, depression and the challenges they have with body image and social media challenges. All of that is huge. There are a lot of parents in the Dáil who will understand how difficult it can be, having young teenagers and young adults as children. Approximately €110 million of the mental health budget this year is being provided to various community-based mental health organisations and NGOs, including Jigsaw. Jigsaw already receives more than €14 million from the HSE under a service level agreement to provide youth mental health services. I have reached out to other organisations as well, because I have to provide supports in a good few communities and I have to try to get value for money. It does not matter to me who delivers the service once we have a good service, fit for purpose, and where the clinical governance is in place. I have identified four areas, which are Waterford and the south east, the Clare area, the Kildare area and the Cavan-Monaghan area, which is really important.

It is important that we acknowledge some of the supports that have come into the areas. As Minister of State, I introduced the model of care for our crisis resolution services. We now have a crisis resolution team operating in Waterford. It is currently working 9 to 5. I hope we will soon be moving to 3 to 11, Thursday to Monday, which is the model of care for crisis resolution teams. The most important thing with a crisis resolution team is that it is operational when other services are not there. We will also have a solace café opening very shortly in the city. That will be operated by Aware. It was previously known as a crisis cafe, but we changed the name. We know the café in Galway has reduced by 18% the number of people presenting to accident and emergency with mental health difficulties. I am fully committed to delivering this service for Waterford and I am happy to work with the Deputies.

Bus Services

Deputy Jen Cummins

I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to bring forward this matter. It is of deep concern to the people of Inchicore, a number of groups in fact. One of the groups I have been working with is a called Connecting Communities, which has been working on this issue and is looking to have the Minister of State's support. As a resident of that constituency and a community advocate, there is a serious impact from the proposed changes under the BusConnects programme, specifically the rerouting of the 57 bus. There were two buses that used to go from Bluebell and Inchicore, down Tyrconnell Road and turn into Thomas Street. I have raised this in the Dáil before and we are not getting any further with the NTA, so I am asking the Minister of State for his support on this. Some 40% of the people who live in that area do not have a car, so they rely on public transport. The people I am meeting with are a generation of people who live in Bluebell and Inchicore and rely on Thomas Street for their shopping, services, hospital and churches and the social aspects of their lives.

I am sure the Minister of State does not know Inchicore as well I do, given that he is not from Dublin South-Central. However, the bus will go along the Conyngham Road at the side of the Phoenix Park, which is miles away from Thomas Street. That then means those people have no access to it. Carrying your shopping and having to take two buses is not suitable for a young person, a middle-aged person and certainly not an older person. The NTA has said it has consulted with people, but people do not feel consulted with. They do not feel they have been listened to. They are out marching. They were out last weekend and will be out again. Public representatives are sponsoring posters so this community group can demonstrate how difficult this move is for them. We have written to the NTA. We are not getting an answer and I am asking for some intervention. It is not that the group or anybody in Inchicore does not want BusConnects to go ahead because it is great to have a bus service that will be there. Unfortunately, when you are trying to rationalise how a bus service is going to go for the whole of Dublin, bearing in mind that route will go out to Kildare and other commuter areas, what happens is that the small details are lost. This is an example of the small details being lost. Those people who are reliant on an old part of Dublin will be disconnected. I suppose that is why they have called their group Connecting Communities.

The other issue BusConnects has is that it will put pressure on parents who are sending their children to school. There are very few secondary schools in Dublin 8 and there is no Gaelcholáiste or multidenominational school, so parents send their children outside that area. A number of parents contacted me recently with regard to some children taking three buses in the morning to get to a Gaelcholáiste in Rathfarnham and some getting two, depending on where they live in Inchicore. That is an extremely long day for a student in secondary school. The other difficulty with that Inchicore BusConnects issue is that the people coming out of the CIÉ works, which is on an estate in that area, will no longer be able to go left, which cuts them off from going to Ballyfermot and the N4. They will have to take a circuitous route, which adds way more time to their day and is totally illogical. They have also said that the NTA has said it has engaged with this community group, but they do not feel engaged. All of these engagements happened over Covid time, which was quite a difficult time to engage people. People were possibly not as engaged, or they missed it. However, the NTA needs to try harder, and we are asking the Minister of State to intervene and help in any way with regard to Inchicore.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Jerry Buttimer)

I thank Deputy Cummins for her contribution and as a public representative I fully understand the stress that BusConnects is causing. I have the same experience in Cork. In many ways the reply I am going to give her will not be the response she perhaps deserves. She is right that I am not familiar with the geographical area, but going through her constituency on the way in and out of Dublin you can see the importance of BusConnects and the Conyngham Road to Thomas Street geographical imbalance. I am struck by her comments about the 40% who have no car. Am I correct that the Deputy said the 57 bus?

Deputy Jen Cummins

There is a 57, 68 and a Go-Ahead bus there.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I will take the Deputy's concerns back to the NTA and I thank her and the people in Connecting Communities. I know my previous colleague, former Senator Seery-Kearney, had been active on behalf of residents.

The first thing is that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, but the Minister or his officials do not have responsibility for the day to day operation of public transport services. That falls to the NTA, as the Deputy knows. The NTA, on behalf of Government, works with public transport operators to deliver services and has responsibility for day to day operational matters.

In the context of BusConnects, the NTA is the group that is in charge of its implementation. I reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and useful sustainable travel options and public transport is an important part of that. BusConnects is critical to that offering. In budget 2025, €658 million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, in my case was obtained through the Department for Local Link services, which represents an increase from the €613 million. However, we have been encouraging young people through the fare reduction, the young adult card on commercial bus services and the 90-minute fare until the end of this year. There is also funding for those aged between five and eight years old. The main point we must both work on is to make sure that BusConnects is transformative for our bus system, providing a better bus service across our cities, particularly in Dublin, for the people who use this service.

The key elements of BusConnects in Dublin include the construction of segregated bus and cycling lanes, or core bus corridors, as well as a redesigned network of services. I am pleased to announce that An Bord Pleanála has now approved all 12 core bus corridor applications, and I expect to see the first of these corridors enter construction later this year. The primary aim of the redesigned bus network in BusConnects Dublin is to improve the existing bus system through enhanced services with high-frequency spines and new local, orbital and radial routes. The bus network changes in Inchicore form part of this city-wide programme. New services are being provided, running with co-ordinated timetables at high-frequency along each of the main radial corridors to and from the city centre. This is combined with new inter-suburban and local routes. Free interchange is available using the 90-minute fare. As the Deputy is well aware, the new BusConnects Dublin network is being implemented in stages. For Inchicore, phase 4 saw the introduction of the G spine routes connecting Ballyfermot, Liffey Valley and the Red Cow to the Docklands via Inchicore. These services are all operated by Dublin Bus on a 24-hour basis. The NTA has advised that there has been a 25% increase in passenger boardings following the introduction of new services provided under phase 4 of the roll-out, compared with equivalent routes operating prior to the launch of this phase.

For Inchicore, the current routes 13, 68 and 69 will be replaced as part of the D spine. Specifically, the overall replacement for route 13 will be the new route D3 running from Clongriffin to Clondalkin via Crumlin, while routes 68 and 69 are being replaced locally by a new route 58. I am informed by the NTA that these changes are planned for the first half of next year. I have been advised that the NTA is aware of the concerns of residents about new route 58 in Inchicore and will write to representatives about this in the near future. Engagement with the Deputy and other public representatives is critical. I will bring her comments back to the NTA.

Deputy Jen Cummins

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome his comments and knowledge of the area. We are all very proud in Dublin 8 of Inchicore and the historic part of the city that it is. We absolutely welcome the fare reduction, particularly for young people and students. It is excellent, especially if someone was to take three buses within the two-hour period. It is fantastic and we do welcome that. BusConnects is welcome. It will make people's lives much easier and travelling will be more straight forward, etc.

As I referenced earlier, however, smaller details are being missed out in the wider scheme and these are important. I acknowledge the work of former TD Joan Collins on this issue. She is still out every week working so hard on this and I am happy to support her and that group. Every public representative of Dublin South-Central and the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh area is there and we are putting pressure on. When those three bus routes, 13, 68 and 69, were first going to go to just one bus twice every hour, the pressure that the group put on the NTA and public representatives to keep representing them has meant that it is now going to be every 15 minutes. When I met the NTA recently, it said there will be a second route which is going to go pretty much the same way, but it is also going to be more frequent, which is great. The missing link is going to Thomas Street. That is really the difficulty. Not missing out on access to that part of the city is what they are looking for, and the frequency of buses is also a concern.

I thank the Minister of State and the NTA. I hope it will engage with us further, so we are able to make the Inchichore BusConnects situation less difficult for everybody.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank the Deputy for again articulating people's genuine concerns. As public representatives, it is important that we highlight that the redesigned bus network for Dublin was finalised following three rounds of extensive public consultations. This culminated in over 72,000 submissions being received. Part of the difficulty that I experience in Cork, and I am sure that Deputies Cummins and Devine are the same in their area, is that there needs to be extensive engagement, active listening and participation by all the residents, us as public representatives and the NTA. BusConnects is about transforming public transport. We all share that. There is no argument there. Passenger numbers are increasing. I have been informed that for residents in Inchichore along the G spine, the wait time between the high-frequency buses has significantly dropped, maybe in part because of the active engagement by residents. Bus reliability has improved as a result of this redesign.

I understand that the changes proposed to the bus services in Inchichore are causing concerns. Some of those can be alleviated and can be addressed. The issue relates to the geography of the bus route, the frequency and the connections. That is part of what the public consultation must be about. The Deputy and residents bring knowledge that engineers, with the best will in the world, do not necessarily have. Having a map and going through a particular area sounds greats, looks great and reads great, but it is about the day-to-day practicalities. I am confident that the NTA, which has committed to writing to representatives, can address the matter.

This is about a modernisation and improvement of our overall transport network. It is about increasing capacity, frequency and coverage across Dublin and other cities and ensuring that we do not discommode people. Obviously, everybody will not get what they want but in this case, it is about working to bring a solution that is practical. I again thank Deputy Cummins for raising the matter. I assure her that I will bring her comments back to the NTA.

Public Transport

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

I echo the supports for BusConnects. It is a very important project for Dublin in particular. It cannot come soon enough.

I wish to speak about the urgent need for security personnel on public transport services in north Dublin, in particular during evening hours. I thank my local colleague Councillor Supriya Singh, who has raised this matter at many local forums, including Dublin City Council's own north-central area committee. I commend Councillor Singh on her ongoing strong advocacy for our local communities. Her motion passed unanimously at the north-central area committee. It called for the deployment of An Garda Síochána or security personnel on DART and bus services as part of the community safety programme. It is an issue of growing concern, particularly in areas such as Raheny, Donaghmede, Belmayne and Clongriffin, but the progress on the issue seems to be very slow.

Let us be clear: this is not an hypothetical issue. We have had a steady stream of incidents, including violent attacks at both Raheny and Clongriffin DART stations within the past year. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a pattern of escalating anti-social behaviour that, if we do not address it, will erode public confidence in the safety of our transport system. This affects everyone but particularly women, older people and those travelling alone in the evening time. How can we encourage women to switch to or even use public transport if they do not feel safe? It is a public service and a safety issue. Safety on public transport must be treated as a basic right, not a privilege. We have written to the NTA on this issue seeking an update but to date there appears to be little or no tangible progress. Meanwhile, security personnel were deployed on some southside routes last year. Why the delay on the northside of the city? When will we see a proper security presence on the ground, on buses and on trains in our communities? The travelling public deserve more than assurances. They need real action on safety.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I join the Deputy in thanking Councillor Singh for her advocacy and proactivity on the matter. The Deputy is right: antisocial behaviour on our public transport system needs to be addressed.

It has been tolerated for far too long. While the Minister for Transport has no responsibility for policy and funding, as that is a matter for the NTA, the programme for Government has a strong commitment to the creation of a transport security force under the National Transport Authority, which would operate and have similar powers to airport police and customs officers. While recent years have seen significant progress on investment in safety measures, antisocial behaviour on public transport remains a serious issue, and it is those who regularly use and work within the public transport network who are most directly impacted by safety or security incidents on the network. I commend Dermot O'Leary of the NBRU for his advocacy and work. The establishment of a transport security force will play a central role in helping to tackle this important issue.

Work in the Department of Transport is ongoing to identify the necessary legislative proposals to progress the transport security force commitment, in conjunction with the NTA. The work involves making measured and informed decisions regarding the appropriate model for the transport security force, which is in the preliminary stages of the deliberative process. It is important to note that neither the airport police nor customs officers have the powers provided to An Garda Síochána, and the introduction of such a force will require the development of legislation. Nonetheless, the Government commitment to delivering a safe and secure public transport network, and the ongoing interim work on public transport safety, will continue, as will the continued support and funding for operator measures, such as the Dublin Bus Safer Journeys Team pilot scheme.

The Department of Transport engages regularly with the NTA and public transport operators on the safety and security of the network. Throughout these discussions, operators have continuously stressed their strong and close working relationships with An Garda Síochána on these matters. It is important to note that decisions regarding the policing of public transport and the allocation of Garda resources are matters for the Minister of Justice and the Garda Commissioner. The allocation of security staff employed by the various operators, such as Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and Transdev, are matters for the operators. In the case of Dublin Bus, for example, resources are allocated throughout the day to areas in line with front-line worker feedback, reports received from the public and data on passenger usage.

A great deal of work to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport has already commenced, including the establishment of a public transport safety working group. The public transport safety working group was established in 2024 to identify measures to improve passenger and staff safety across the public transport network, and includes representatives from across the public transport sector, operating companies, unions, the NTA, An Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice and passenger representative groups. The main focus of the group is to create a public transport safety charter and to progress the NTA safety and security implementation plan.

The Department of Transport continues to work closely with industry stakeholders to identify measures to improve passenger safety across the public transport network. In this regard, communication with stakeholders such as that which takes place at the public transport safety working group will play an important role in the planning and implementation of the Government commitment to create a transport security force.

I give Deputy Ó Muirí a commitment that I will come back to him with the timeline for the northside personnel. I will inform the NTA and the Department of Transport of the issues he raises. Work is ongoing on the commitment to ensure the optimised deployment of resources across the public transport network to meet passenger requirements. I again thank the Deputy for raising the matter this morning.

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

I thank the Minister of State for the update. I welcome in particular the public transport safety working group because all the important players are around the table with the aim of ensuring the safety of passengers. The NTA does its own public transport passenger security reports. I understand that it surveys users. Although the general day-to-day experience is very good, almost half of public transport users in 2024 claimed they felt unsafe at least once on public transport. It is just not good enough that 42% of bus users and 44% of DART users feel unsafe in the evening. Those statistics will not put us in a position whereby we can encourage people to change their mode of transport and use public transport.

The Minister of State mentioned the commitment in the programme for Government, which is very welcome. I appreciate that it will take time, but the sooner we can see the legislation coming through the Dáil to establish the force, the better. People will have confidence once they see those measures coming through. The Dublin city task force also made it clear that the visibility of policing and security in the city centre is so important in order to have confidence in Dublin city. Public transport - buses, DART and Luas services - coming in and out of the city safely and securely at all times is a big part of that.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I look forward to hearing from him about the personnel deployed by the operators on the northside. As he says in his response, it is a matter for the operators, but there is a question mark as to why the southside's services are manned but the northside's services are not.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I again reassure Deputy Ó Muirí that security and the visibility of policing on the public transport system and in city centres is critical. He is correct that there needs to be a commitment from the operators on the northside piece. I reassure him that the Minister for Transport, the Department, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I, as well as the Government, are acutely aware of how important it is for transport staff and the travelling public to feel safe. We are strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable, realistic and safe sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal.

The NTA and An Garda Síochána work closely with all public transport operators, who take the safety and security of both passengers and staff very seriously, to promote order and safety on board. The Government is satisfied that each of the operators has increased its safety measures and introduced a number of initiatives in recent years to help to combat antisocial behaviour. For example, Irish Rail has contracted a security service provider for security across the network and developed a surge security action plan. It has also developed its relationship with An Garda Síochána to include access to 20 rapid response hubs that were created. The Luas has more than 50 full-time dedicated security staff, employed by Transdev, who work alongside revenue protection officers and customer assurance officers. Dublin Bus has three dedicated mobile security units that are in operation every day of the week, from midday to midnight.

What is important is that there is a commitment and engagement to reinforce the relationship between communities and An Garda Síochána. I reiterate the point about visibility. The Government fully supports this work and the ongoing engagement. We will continue to progress the legislation. I thank Deputy Ó Muirí for raising these concerns. I will convey the points he made to the relevant people.

Schools Building Projects

Deputy Brendan Smith

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this important subject matter this morning. In November 2021, the then Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, gave the initial project approval for the provision of additional permanent accommodation at Breifne College in Cavan town. This major building project, which will enhance considerably the level of permanent accommodation at the school, is much needed due to increased enrolments at Breifne College in recent years. The level of enrolment continues to grow.

I compliment Cavan-Monaghan Education and Training Board and Breifne College on submitting this successful application. The growth in population in the wider Cavan town area has led to a substantial and consistent increase in enrolments. In November 2021, I warmly welcomed the decision by the Minister, Deputy Foley, to issue the initial project approval, as I had supported Breifne College and Cavan-Monaghan ETB in submitting the application. The project is a major one and is to be welcomed. It will be provided under the additional school accommodation scheme. Among the additional accommodation to be provided are a number of general classrooms, special education teaching rooms, special educational needs classrooms, science laboratories, engineering rooms, technology rooms, graphics rooms, an art room, a textiles room and other ancillary accommodation as well. From my detailed knowledge of the school, this accommodation is much needed and as urgently as possible.

In June 2024 Cavan-Monaghan ETB submitted all documentation for stage 2A, which is detailed design stage. This documentation has been under consideration for almost 12 months by the Department's technical and professional team. It is essential that the Department issues, without further delay, approval for stage 2A.

That will enable the ETB to seek planning permission for this major and much-needed building project.

I cannot emphasise how much Breifne College needs this accommodation. Some years ago we had an extension and upgrading of facilities at Breifne and everyone in the school community is appreciative of that investment and accommodation. Unfortunately, the present level of accommodation is inadequate to meet the school's needs. I have been to the college on many occasions and have seen at first hand how crowded it is. A parent of students attending Breifne said to me recently the school was packed - a very good analysis and description of the inadequate accommodation. That comment was made by a young lady with a detailed knowledge of education and school accommodation requirements. We refer to part of the school accommodation as the 1970s building. To meet the needs of today's schoolgoing population, that building needs to be reconfigured. Breifne College staff over the years have worked extremely hard to cater for all pupils, particularly children with additional needs. They have approval for four ASD classes but have only three suitable classrooms. They are anxious to have proper accommodation for those classes.

Over many years, a feature of Breifne College has been the high proportion of students taking what are often referred to as practical subjects. The teaching of these subjects is enhanced by specialist classroom accommodation. Those subjects include construction engineering, computer studies, technology and technical graphics. Those are all important parts of Breifne College's subject choice for students. Will the Minister of State bring a message back to the Department of Education and Youth on the need to have stage 2a approved without further delay? We know planning permission takes some time and the ETB is anxious to submit the planning application to Cavan County Council as soon as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan)

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I know it is a project he fought hard for. When he sought and got initial approval in 2021, I would say he did not think he would still be here in 2025 seeking stage 2a to be progressed and approved, but here we are. I accept that is a long time and 12 months for the stage 2a process is a long time as well. I will certainly bring that back to the Department.

It is a very exciting project. It is incredible: four general classrooms, seven SET rooms, three science labs with preparation rooms, two engineering rooms, two technology rooms with preparation rooms, one graphics room, one art room, one textiles room, one economics room, project stores and two classrooms for special educational needs. It is an extraordinary project and I am sure it will serve the people of Cavan and the students incredibly well.

Delivery of this project has been devolved to Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board. A design team has been appointed to design the accommodation and bring the project through to the tender and construction phases. Projects progress from stage to stage in accordance with the project brief and the Department's design guidelines.

Under the ASA scheme, the Department has detailed procedures in place for appraisal, design, tender and construction of all school building projects. Design team procedures define the points in a project's life cycle at which approval must be sought from the Department which aligns with the infrastructure guidelines and capital works management framework. These processes include the stage approval reviews, which challenge all elements of design and specification. These are an essential element of good cost control and support market interest in our school building projects.

The project in Breifne College, as the Deputy outlined, is at stage 2a, involving the development of the design along with an accurate cost plan which best meets the design agreed at stage 1. In June 2024, almost 12 months ago, the Department received a stage 2a report from Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board for review. Following the submission of this report, the Department has been carrying out an intensive review from the technical and cost perspectives in accordance with the requirements of the public spending code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the public infrastructure guidelines. Managing, timing, scope and cost are crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall programme. While the school naturally has ambitious timelines for the delivery of the project, the project forms part of our overall pipeline and each project's progression to the next stage. Once the stage 2a report review is concluded, the Department will be in contact with Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board to advise how best to progress this important project.

What this project will do for education provision in Cavan is extraordinary. We have seen these projects rolled out across Ireland in the past four or five years and each town and area has benefited from them. It is high time Breifne College was able to avail of this. These processes take time, as we have seen in the past, but I accept that 12 months in stage 2a is a long period. I will relay that back to the Minister and the Department directly to try to get progress so that at least an opinion can be given to the college as soon as possible and so that the project can continue.

Deputy Brendan Smith

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He is absolutely correct it is an incredible and exciting project for the school community in Breifne College. I commend the acting principal, Breege Reilly, and all her staff on their commitment and hard work in the best interests of their students. That has been a strong tradition over the years in the school. The staff and school community have worked hard to achieve the best possible integration of all students, and that work has been very successful. The school has a varied and important programme of extracurricular activities for students, including various sporting disciplines, drama and art.

I reiterate the importance the school has placed for many years on what are generally referred to as practical subjects. As the Minister of State outlined, the schedule of accommodation provides for many classrooms that need specialist accommodation. All of us in this House and the wider community speak of preparing people with the skills to meet the needs of our economy and society today, be it construction technology or whatever. We want to ensure pupils and teachers have the best possible facilities for teaching and learning, both from the staff and, most important, student point of view. My colleague Senator Wilson and I have worked closely with Breifne College and Cavan and Monaghan ETB over the years. The Senator is a former pupil of the college.

As the Department is well aware, Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board has an excellent record in delivering building projects. The work will be done properly, within the timeframe and on budget. It has carried out projects for primary schools. That is outside its remit but it has done it in the interests of the local community. I am anxious the ETB and Breifne College get the necessary approval to get to planning permission stage. We all know planning permission takes time so it will be some time before students have the benefit of those new classroom facilities, which will be hugely exciting and positive for the school community. We need to see movement as soon as possible.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I did not know Senator Wilson was a former pupil. That is another testament to what a great education centre it is. In all seriousness, I thank the Deputy for bringing this up. I know how hard he fought for the project and that he would love to see it further progressed. I accept 12 months is a long time for the principal, staff, board and parents to be wondering where they stand on this. It will be built and delivered; it is just a matter of getting that information. I suggest in the interim we ask the Department to communicate with the principal and board and give some indication as to when stage 2a will be approved and they can carry on with planning permission. It would be lovely to think at least some of the students currently studying in Breifne College will be able to avail of the new school. The sixth and fifth year students will probably not have that luxury but perhaps students after that could. It would be amazing if we could get that going.

Water Services

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue

I have been going back and forth on this with Uisce Éireann since I was a councillor. I appreciate that it checked the system for an update prior to this coming to the floor, but there is still no update available for the residents, and the residents have now moved it on to the CRU also.

For background, there are six homes in Ellen’s Court in Rush. Arthur Brett was the first to move in on 19 September 2022, and the other residents moved in over the following months. As with all developments, services need to be signed off before the build is completed and residents move in. Mr. Brett was told the day he moved in that there was a slight issue with Uisce Éireann and that the water connection would be worked on in the next couple of weeks and everything would be sorted out.

Mr. Brett reports now there is a hose connection between the adjacent apartment block running into Ellen’s Court, supplying water to the houses in Ellen’s Court. I have pictures of a Qualpex hose pipe coming over the wall between the two developments, which has been a problem because it freezes over in the winter and they had to put lagging on it last year on one occasion. Ellen’s Court is at the end of the water supply line, so its water pressure is low, and the water pressure in the adjacent Lady Cove apartment block is probably even lower, with some of the residents reporting that they cannot take showers from time to time.

In April 2024, a contractor was on site to install meters, and he was surprised to discover that there was no branch connection. No contractor has been on site since, and the residents have no answers as to when the issue will be resolved. There have been two, if not three, cases opened with Uisce Éireann, looking for the case to be resolved – two by me and one by a previous Minister in a previous term of Government.

The residents would like to know why it has taken nearly two and a half years for the estate to be fully and properly connected to water services. Why are the residents’ concerns being ignored and kicked down the line by Uisce Éireann? Why can no one from Uisce Éireann come out to address the problem or meet one of the residents so they can walk through the problem thoroughly? Can we get commitment from Uisce Éireann that someone will come out and engage with the residents to help fix the issue? Can we get a plan to have a proper connection made to the six houses, which, by proxy, would fix the water pressure in the adjacent Lady Cove apartments?

These are not big asks. After nearly two and a half years since the residents moved in, it should be sorted at this stage.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I thank Deputy O’Donoghue for raising this. I know it is frustrating. He has probably tabled parliamentary questions on this and got an answer saying that he cannot get detailed responses in parliamentary questions because it is a responsibility for Uisce Éireann. Therefore, this is a good opportunity to raise it in the Dáil and get a bit more detailed response from the Department. I welcome that. I will go into more detail in the response, but there seems to be several complications – legacy issues inherited by Uisce Éireann. I think concerted effort between the developer and Uisce Éireann is needed to resolve this. What is there seems to be a bit of a mess, which is causing, as the Deputy outlined, many of the issues.

As the Deputy will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects are matters for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structures.

Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, neither I nor the Minister, Deputy Browne, have function regarding Uisce Éireann’s specific operations at Ellen's Court. In other words, Ministers cannot get involved in individual projects; that is a matter for Uisce Éireann. However, I have made inquiries for the Deputy, and my understanding from information provided to me is that this matter relates to a water and wastewater connection issue for six houses in Ellen's Court, County Dublin and has been raised directly with Uisce Éireann previously.

Contractors working on behalf of Uisce Éireann undertook some works at the location in November 2023, but their investigation established that connection works could not be completed by Uisce Éireann due to separate works needing to be completed by the developer of the estate on the private side. Engagement has been ongoing with the developer in the interim, with a view to remediating the issues outlined below.

In summary, Uisce Éireann's contractors identified that the wastewater connection for the development had already been made to the wastewater network, contrary to the requirements of the connection agreement. On this basis, the wastewater connection is an unauthorised connection. Further, Uisce Éireann’s contractors also identified that the unauthorised connection to the wastewater network was made directly through an existing storm water pipe, causing very significant damage to the existing storm water network and significantly increasing the risk of flooding in the area. One can see the level of complication and the legacy that has been inherited here. Uisce Éireann understands that the local authority, as the competent storm water authority, has been in touch with the developer as a result, seeking remediation of the storm water network. That absolutely needs to happen.

On the water side, the water pipe installed by the developer is laid directly on top of the wastewater pipe, rendering the installation non-compliant with Uisce Éireann’s relevant standards. While it may be technically feasible to make a water connection to the existing pipe, any such connection will only compound the existing non-compliance issues, including the existing damage to the storm water network. As a result, and pending rectification of the water-wastewater pipe layout to achieve compliance with Uisce Éireann’s relevant standards, it is not possible to proceed with a connection to the water network.

Finally, the Uisce Éireann contractors observed that the development is currently provided with water by way of an exposed onward supply from an existing premises, which is causing water pressure issues both for the existing and new developments and runs the risk of service interruptions for occupants arising from exposure of the pipe to the elements.

Given the unauthorised connections to both the water and wastewater networks, this is now a legal matter for Uisce Éireann. I have requested Uisce Éireann to engage directly with the residents of Ellen's Court to keep them informed of progress. I hope Uisce Éireann does reach out to the residents, as per the response. I directed Uisce Éireann to do that.

The Deputy can see that it is a bit of a mess, and it has been inherited. While I 100% agree with the Deputy that the constituents he represents need answers, connection and for this to be resolved, when developers go about things in such a way, it makes things incredibly difficult, and that has to be acknowledged as well.

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue

We can all agree it is more than a bit of a mess. I appreciate the Minister of State’s intervention and him speaking to Uisce Éireann to try to get this sorted out. I welcome that Uisce Éireann will engage with the residents, and I am quite happy to follow up with them. I thank the Minister of State for his response.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I will elaborate a bit more. Uisce Éireann has a customer service function through its water charges plan and customer charter, which outlines the standard of services customers should expect to receive. It is open to any member of the public to lodge a formal complaint with Uisce Éireann if they are not happy with the service provided. Details on how to do so are on its website. Any issues that cannot be resolved by Uisce Éireann to the satisfaction of the customer can be referred, under the formal complaints process, to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The details on this process can be found on the CRU website.

The Government’s priority is to ensure that people’s health is protected and that adequate water is available for all consumers. Both our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the quality of resilience standards required of a modern service to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change. I assure the Deputy that the Government is delivering a sustainable funding path to further enhance the ongoing significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services.

Again, I have contacted Uisce Éireann and asked it to reach out to the residents to try to give them some information and satisfaction in terms of the path forward. However, the Deputy will understand based on the response I gave earlier that there are a whole host of legacy issues that, unfortunately, are not simply resolved overnight. I know this has taken time. If Uisce Éireann does not reach out to the residents, the Deputy should come back to me and we will ensure that communication happens.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 21 May 2025