The Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, is very welcome.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Defence Forces
Thank you for selecting the matter, a Chathaoirligh. I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond. It might be one of his first occasions to visit the Seanad as a Minister of State. He is an esteemed former Member. He also has very strong ties with my county. In fact, that neatly links in to what I am going to address, in that there is a very strong tradition in County Cavan of involvement in the Reserve Defence Force, RDF. To this day, there are very active units in the county and an active set of personnel, some of whom have reached officer level. It is very much a real issue in the county.
I propose to briefly outline five preliminary background points and then I will go into the specifics of the questions arising today. It is a great outlet for young people to be in the Reserve Defence Force, and it is an important one. It instils a civic spirit and lets them progress with individual self-development. It also instils loyalty to the State and self-discipline. It provides training in myriad ways. One person said to me that he was shy and that he had benefitted significantly from the training, camaraderie and teamwork. In the current context of shortages within the military, specialists within the Reserve Defence Force can be seconded to the Permanent Defence Forces, and can provide useful services, including going abroad on missions. The RDF has many values.
Could the Minister of State inform me of the current status of the 15 Reserve Defence Force centres, excluding military barracks or military camps? Could he also confirm the locations that are not staffed between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday? In other words, I want to know which centres are not staffed. The corollary of that is, if not, why not? Could he further confirm which centres are not being used and if this is in line with defence strategy. Could the Minister of State indicate the total number of training nights held per location per year in each of the 15 Reserve Defence Force training centres since 2017, excluding military barracks or military camps? I am interested in getting that specific information and also a more general statement.
Before I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, I too would like to welcome him, wish him well and congratulate him on his appointment. I say well done to him.
I thank both Senator Joe O'Reilly and the Acting Chair for their welcome. This is the fourth or fifth time I have been back in the Seanad in recent weeks, but it is always a pleasure and I hope to be here many more times to engage with Senator Joe O'Reilly and the Acting Chair, and Senator Gavan, who is awaiting the next Commencement matter. We all soldiered here together for a good four years.
Unfortunately, the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence is unable to be here today. He has asked me to take this Commencement matter on his behalf. Senator O'Reilly knows that I have a particular interest in the Reserve Defence Force, and the Defence Forces more generally, as well as the ongoing work my Department is doing with the RDF to protect the employment status of its members. I will endeavour the questions raised by Senator as I best I can.
The military authorities have confirmed that there are 15 premises at various locations in the State that are normally used for training by the RDF. Eight of these premises are currently owned by the Department of Defence, with the remainder under lease. An additional premises in Bray, County Wicklow, is no longer in use. Four premises from 1 Brigade located at Mallow, Tralee, Ennis and Skibbereen, and seven premises from 2 Brigade, located at Mullingar, Cavan, Navan, Castlebar, Boyle, Letterkenny and Sligo, are staffed during the hours of 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The remaining four premises, located at Templemore, Waterford, Clifden and Wexford, do not have a permanent staffing cohort during these hours. The premises in Ennis is currently not in use due to renovations, with training normally delivered at that centre being delivered in Galway.
In addition to training nights, premises are also used at weekends to facilitate Reserve field training days. The military authorities have confirmed that they are currently compiling statistics on the number of training nights held per location for each year from 2017 to 2022. Regrettably, the data requested could not be readily obtained in the timeframe set out for reply, but I will communicate directly with the Senator as soon as possible with that information. I can confirm that according to figures currently available, 826 Reserve personnel have completed 17,491 training days in 2022, with late applications still being processed.
I assure the Senator that the Government remains absolutely committed to the advancement of the RDF. The 2015 White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve. The report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published last February, serves to reinforce that commitment. The Senator will be aware, as he mentioned it previously, that this report contains many recommendations on the future role and structure of the RDF. Two recommendations from the report have been identified as early actions. These relate to the RDF, namely, the establishment of the office of Reserve affairs and the development of a regeneration plan for the Reserve. Planning by the military authorities has commenced on establishing the office of Reserve affairs and once this is established, it will be actively involved in implementing the accepted recommendations of the commission.
The Senator may also be aware that a recruitment drive for the RDF was launched in March 2022. This was advertised across a number of media channels. Recruit liaison officers across the RDF conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign. I am advised that more than 1,000 applications were received during this window, which is very encouraging. In 2022 to the end of the year, 90 new RDF recruits were inducted into the Defence Forces and the processing of eligible applicants continues.
I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive answer, insofar as he could give one. I urge him to send me the supplementary material on training hours when he obtains it. It is an important part of the question.
It is regrettable that four centres the Minister of State identified do not have staffing from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. According to the statement, the other premises are open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., and I presume that is the case.
I am pleased to hear what the Minister of State said about recruitment as it underlines the importance of the Reserve. The fact there is demand indicates that young people have buy-in and see merit in RDF. I hope a development programme will be put in place the RDF, as a very important part of our Defence Forces, will be given full support. I look forward to receiving the supplementary information, just to have a complete picture.
I assure the Senator that he will have those figures as soon as is humanly possible, but that does not take away from the overall response. There are two other areas to underline our agreed position on this. A high-level action plan setting out the Government's response to the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was approved and a high-level steering board, chaired by the Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach, has been established to oversee its implementation.
An independently chaired implementation oversight group has also been established to monitor the implementation of the recommendations approved by the Government. That group has met on three occasions. These are all key parts of ensuring we have a Reserve Defence Force that continues to be viable and one that is growing and can play a much greater role not just in the daily activities of our Defence Forces but also in life more generally across the State.
Tax Reliefs
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for coming to the House. I want to highlight the appalling existing arrangements that apply to the charging of VAT on vehicles modified for the use of people with significant disabilities. These modifications are absolutely necessary and can only be made in countries outside Ireland.
I am delighted that we are joined in the Chamber by Ms Leigh Gath, an inveterate campaigner for equality for people with disabilities. Leigh is a thalidomide survivor born without arms or legs. She learned to drive at age 17 and has been driving since then. As a result of the significant disability arising from thalidomide, Leigh has always had to have her vehicles modified. That must be done in the UK because there is nobody in Ireland with the expertise to install the modifications. One can imagine Leigh's shock when she brought her new modified vehicle into Ireland at the end of October, having been approved for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, to be told she owed Revenue a further €23,100 before she could register her van. She has stated: "I was particularly shocked because the vehicle is my legs, my independence, as I live in rural Ireland, and I will be a prisoner in my own home without being able to drive."
The Minister of State and I both know this is part of a larger problem. In the UK, modified vehicles for people with disabilities are not subject to VAT. In Ireland, no other equipment needed for the independence of someone with a disability, such as a powered wheelchair, hoist or special bed, is subject to VAT. Why are vehicles for people who have been approved through the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme landed with VAT? As things stand, the greater the level of disability, the greater the amount of punishment dealt out by Revenue. How on earth can that be justified? Charging VAT on the modifications as well as the base price of the vehicle is especially harsh.
For the past couple of weeks, I have listened to Senators demanding an extension of the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector. They may have a point, but how can it be justified that hotel owners pay VAT at 9% while the Government expects Leigh and people like her to pay 23% on vehicles that allow them to be part of our society? Does this not go against all principles of equality and natural justice? Is not the current practice nothing more than a despicable rip-off targeting some of the most vulnerable people in our society?
The Minister for Finance has committed to a comprehensive review of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has agreed that this review should be incorporated into the work of the transport working group established under the national disability inclusion strategy. That group is chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, which is why I particularly welcome her attendance today. The group held its final meeting on 8 December and expects to produce its report shortly. Will the Minister confirm when it will be published and whether it will deal comprehensively with the gross inequality of charging people with disabilities VAT on modifications to their vehicles? Is the Government content to continue to pay lip service to equality while allowing the appalling practice to continue of loading VAT charges onto the cost of the modification of vehicles for people with disabilities?
The Minister of State will have a script to read in response to my questions. However, she has always been straightforward and helpful to date in dealing with Commencement matters. I ask her not to kick to touch on this issue. People like Leigh have already been waiting far too long for answers. She is seeking a meeting with the Minister for Finance to discuss this issue and she would also really appreciate a meeting with the Minister of State. Perhaps the Minister of State will talk to Leigh, who has taken the time and trouble to come here from Limerick, after this debate.
I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
Before I call the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, I welcome Ms Gath to the House. It is great to see her here.
I, too, welcome Ms Gath.
The wording of the Commencement matter is as follows: "The need for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to make a statement on the report of the national disability inclusion strategy transport working group as it pertains to the review of the disabled drivers scheme" and the urgent need to reform same. The statement Senator Gavin has received was prepared to assist me in answering it. The working group included officials from the Departments of Finance, Health, Social Protection and Transport; representatives of the HSE and the National Disability Authority; three members of the disability stakeholder group, of whom two were individuals with a disability and one a representative of a disabled persons' organisation; and a representative from the Irish Wheelchair Association. Those were the participants in the working group as part of action 104 of the national disability inclusion strategy, NDIS. The group was convened at my request and I chaired it in order to bring all the stakeholders to that conversation and move it along.
The Government is committed to continuously advancing our delivery under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, including on transport issues. The matter raised relates to a specific action in the national disability inclusion strategy, namely, action 104, which commits us to leading a review of Government-funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities to make proposals for the development of a co-ordinated plan for enhanced provision going forward. The action was designed to inform further work on how transport supports for people with disabilities could be better co-ordinated. In that sense, the purpose of the action was not to conduct a detailed examination of any single specific scheme but to look at the broader transport landscape for people with disabilities and discuss better overall co-ordination of supports. The transport working group was established to achieve progress under action 104. I chaired the group and we made significant progress in addressing the task set out before us. While the disabled drivers and passengers scheme was not the dedicated focus of the working group, it was included in the work of the group following a request from the Minister for Finance who holds responsibility for the scheme. As such, the role and functioning of the scheme were included in the overall development of the proposals for more cohesive overall transport supports.
The Department of Finance provided a number of inputs to the group, based on the work of a criteria subgroup, which it convened specifically on the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. The membership of the criteria subgroup comprised former members of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal and principal medical officers in the HSE. Its purpose was to capture their experiences, expertise and perspectives with respect to the practical operational and administrative challenges of the scheme, as well as to explore what alternative vehicular arrangements were available for those with mobility issues based on international experience. The main conclusion of the criteria subgroup is that the scheme needs to be replaced with a fit for purpose, needs-based vehicular adaptation scheme in line with best international practice. The NDIS working group's task has now been completed and the final report, which synthesises submissions made by all members of the transport working group, has been finalised and will be published on the Department's website shortly.
The Senator asked when that will happen. When we met in December, I was not happy with the level of detail that was included in the draft before me at that time. To be fair to the Department of Finance, it had made some submissions which I felt were not reflected in the report. These deal with many of the issues the Senator has outlined. If we are holding a working group, the submissions of all actors must be included. For this reason, I sent the report back to be rewritten before agreeing to publish it. That is the current position, and that is because I was fortunate that the Departments of Finance, Health, Social Protection and Transport participated.
I thank the Minister of State for the response. I want to zone in on her final comments, which I welcome in the first instance.
I want to get clarity for Leigh and people like her. As I said, Leigh has taken the time to come up here today. Right now, she is being charged VAT for modifications to her vehicle, which are required. There is a story about HAP but it is not particularly interesting. I thank Senator O'Loughlin. I need to get clarity from the Minister of State. Is the report going to deal with the specific issue of VAT being charged to some of the most vulnerable people in our society on modifications to vehicles? I am asking the Minister of State because Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, who was in House last week, told us that Deputy Rabbitte's report is going to deal with issues in relation to this. I need to know for Leigh and others like her, whether the report is going to deal, finally, with that issue and injustice of being charged VAT for modifications to vehicles. Leigh has already paid €45,000 in tax on the car that came in. When she comes back from holiday later this year, her car will be impounded. That is what she is facing. The injustice is clear for all to see. The Minister of State has the power to change that. She has a report that is about to be published. If it includes the right recommendation, it will change that. I need to understand whether that recommendation will be in the report.
While I would like to have all the power Senator Gavan feels I have, I do not have the final power because it sits with the Department of Finance. I pulled together all Departments where funding is spent on transport-related matters. Some €43 million is spent in health, €65 million is spent regarding the primary medical certificate, not to mind New Directions and what is spent on other transport schemes. I was collating all the evidence of what we spend in transport to support persons with disabilities to ensure they have the proper suite of measures available and to look at the VAT arrangements and inequalities within it. That is what my report will be producing for consideration. It will go back to the Department of Finance as to what its next steps are in rolling out a more inclusive opportunity for persons with disabilities to have access to meet their needs. There is going to be a final report. I am not going to lay before the House today what it is going to cover or not. It will be going back-----
Will the Minister of State make a recommendation?
It will be covering all aspects.
Will the Minister of State make a recommendation on that point?
Disability Services
We must move on. I thank the Minister of State. The next Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Carrigy. It relates to a family resource centre in County Longford. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is staying for this matter.
I am taking it.
I thank the Acting Chairperson and the Minister of State. My request is quite simple. It is in the statement the Acting Chairperson just read out, that is, the provision of funding for a family resource centre in Longford town, specifically €180,000 for a senior staff member and two support staff to provide a resource centre for a town with a population of 10,000. That is not there at present.
One might ask why Longford should have a resource centre. I will reference a document published only late last year, the Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024. All agencies in the town came together, including the local authority, the Garda and the business community, to put together proposals to improve and support our community. Over 19.5% of the population of Longford town is from overseas and is not of Irish nationality. There are higher than average levels of unemployment and people not going to further education. The need is there.
I will reference a few statements that came from the public consultation that took place among all of the people in Longford. I was at a number of the consultations and the Comhairle na nÓg group meeting with the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, where people highlighted their concern and the need for this service. There needs to be an increase in resources for family support throughout the county, focused on the whole family and not just children. A drop-in centre is needed in Longford town to make it easy for people to get the services they need, such as addiction services, counselling and help with forms. There are the examples of Bridgeway and Lios Na Gréine in Ballymahon and Granard, respectively, where there are great services. We do not have this service in Longford town.
As I said, there is a population of 10,000 people without that service. One of the main objectives and probably the number one objective of the community safety partnership plan is highlighting the need for that centre in our county town to address a lot of the social issues.
I do not think it is too much of an ask for the funding to be put in place to give us the services that we need in our town. We have a fantastic service in Longford Women's Link that provides domestic violence support. It is located just 400 m away from where we have a site and a building that is fully functional and available to house a family resource centre. No capital expenditure will be needed. It is there. We have a fantastic service with Longford Women's Link with regard to child care and domestic violence support.
We have no support services for families with autism. I know the Minister of State is working hard on developing a strategy to provide these services. The Oireachtas committee, of which I am a member, is also doing so. It is a simple ask. We have a building that will incur no capital expenditure, fully fitted out and fully furnished. We just need the sanction from Tusla.
I know the reply I will probably get from the Department listing out all funding that has been provided. However, in 2022 additional funding of €6 million was allocated to enable Tusla to increase supports to the wider community and voluntary sector. That does not include Longford town and it needs to. The facts and figures are there to be seen from the census of the need that we have. I ask that this be prioritised immediately. I know there is not an open call for the centres at present. We submitted an application back in 2018 and were unsuccessful. I do not think a proper application was submitted at the time. The fact that this building was available but was not part of the application would have been one of the main reasons we were unsuccessful. We have the building and it is available. We need the sanction to be put in place and we would have a centre up and running before the summertime. We have a voluntary committee of people who are willing to work and support that.
I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality and Disability, Deputy O'Gorman, so I will read his reply into the record. Deputy O'Gorman has had recent correspondence with a number of individuals on this subject and, in particular, the hope to establish a family resource centre at Attic House in Longford. The Minister also regularly engages with colleagues in the Dáil and other public representatives and interested parties seeking additional family resource centres in different parts of the country.
Both the Minister and the Department acknowledge important, inclusive work many groups that hope to develop family resource centres already carry out across communities in Ireland. Tusla, the child and family agency, administers the family resource centre programme. This supports 121 family resource centres throughout the country. Currently, there are no plans to increase the number of family resource centres. Tusla area managers engage in the commissioning process. Their involvement with community and voluntary agencies greatly informs that process. Tusla aims to utilize the total resources available to it in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way in order to improve outcome for children, young people and families.
Tusla recognises the importance of supporting the provision of community services. The Department and Tusla's national commissioning officers have received several requests from interested parties seeking to become members of the family resource centre programme. Should membership of the family resource centre programme be expanded in the future, Tusla has advised that a transparent process would be established to ensure all applicants are treated fairly. This would include engagement with community organisations throughout the country that may wish to make expressions of interest.
Inadequacies and gaps in service provision are identified through Tusla's commissioning process, which is carried out at a local and national level on an ongoing basis. Proximity of services would also be an important factor and communities are facing many challenges. There are a number of family resource interests in the region available to residents, such as Bridgeway Family Resource Centre in Ballymahon, Lios na Gréine Family Resource Centre in Granard as well as Cara Phort in Athlone, Westmeath. In addition, the Department, in conjunction with the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, IGEES, has recently concluded and published a spending review of Tusla's family support services. The review is a comprehensive analysis focusing on family support services policy, landscape, commissioning and governance and trends in family support services expenditure in recent years. The review will be a key to the next steps in the area of family support services, including any alterations to the programme.
What the Senator has put before us today is something I will bring back to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. A population of 10,000 people has no family resource centre and a building is available which means no capital infrastructure is required. The Senator mentioned the diversity of the community and the women's refuge centre. We need to consider how it can partner with and support organisations.
Senator Carrigy spoke to my brief regarding autism and the need to support families in the community. There needs to be a key focal point that can be signposted. Family resource centres are a front door for so many. It is more than likely to be the piece that is missing in the jigsaw of the Senator's tapestry in order to finish off what is needed in the community. As Senator O'Loughlin would attest to, the family resource centre in Kildare is very good. However, it needed an additional key worker to meet the need in the area. They play a vital role in communities.
I thank the Minister of State. As she said, family resource centres have welcoming front doors, but unfortunately we do not have that front door for families. We need a commitment. Part of the Minister of State's reply referred to inadequacies and gaps in service provision being identified through Tusla's commissioning process which is carried out at local and national level. I would like to see a copy of the commissioning process and whether Longford has been identified. If it has not, those involved are not doing their job correctly.
There is a population of 10,000. The centres in Ballymahon and Granard, Bridgeway and Lios na Gréine, do good work. They are 15 miles from each other. We want to support families. In a lot of cases, the families we want to support do not have transport. We need a centre in the local community. I do not accept we need to wait. We have already waited five years for another opportunity. During that time, a lot of voluntary organisations have tried to support families in the community without a dedicated service. It is a no-brainer. We need to step away and look at the need. I would like to see the report of the Tusla commissioning process and where a need has been identified.
I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and see if he can get the Senator a copy of the report so that he has a line of sight on the situation. As I said, I will take information on the population of 10,000 back to the Minister. I totally take on board the fact that the Senator has said there are barriers in terms of transport for people in Ballymahon.
The role of the family resource centre is to be a front door so that when people are in crisis they can walk in, rather than having to put transport in place and deal with other obstacles. I want to acknowledge the work of family resource centres. That is why we all want to have one. The 121 we have are probably too few.
Construction Industry
I do not think I have had the opportunity to welcome the Minister for Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Simon Harris, since he was given the additional responsibility of being Minister for Justice. The Minister is welcome and I congratulate him on his additional appointment.
I am delighted my Commencement matter is being taken. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. It is nice to have the Minister here. I compliment him on the work he is doing in this area, as well as in the Department of Justice.
Construction is in a little bit of a crisis because very few entrants to third level are going into construction machinery careers. Potential new entrants have nowhere to go if they want training. The Minister knows that if people want to be blocklayers, electricians, carpenters or plumbers there are apprenticeships. That is very good, and I know the Minister is interested in apprenticeships and has done a lot of work on the area. However, it appears that when it comes to construction machinery we have a void.
I know SOLAS will launch a new scheme, although I do not know what will be in it. Perhaps the Minister has more information in that regard. People are moving to Australia because, according to them, it is very difficult to get trained in this type of work in Ireland. The Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, construction programme must be run nationwide through education and training boards and local training centres. The course is provided in one location, Mount Lucas. I am sure it is great and I compliment the staff there. However, we need to bring this programme nationwide and adjust to keep up with demand. How will local training companies that have the ability to upskill workers fall into this category?
The SOLAS construction skills certification scheme, CSCS, and quarries skills certification scheme, QSCS, are nearly out of date at this stage. When will they change to the licensing model as submitted to the Seanad by SOLAS? How will that work and when will it come into effect? Will SOLAS add new construction courses to this licensing model to keep up to date with legislative and industry best practice? Currently, this is not the case as the CSCS and QSCS seem to be somewhat out of date. SOLAS needs to tie in with the industry stakeholders to find out what new courses need to be developed in line with their requirements. It needs to train new instructors in line with course requirements. There is a huge shortage of instructors, with massive entry barriers for existing instructors.
The Minister knows, as does the Acting Chair, that we face a massive challenge in the building industry and we need to get this right. I do not expect him to have all the answers today but I ask him to revert to me on some of them. I am concerned about this matter, as are people in the industry. Perhaps the Minister will have some good news today. I know a Bill pertaining to this issue is due before the Seanad. We will see what it brings. We need to up our game and make progress in this area as quickly as possible.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to attend Seanad Éireann at the request of my colleague, Senator Murphy, to address the important issue he has brought to our attention.
Under Housing for All, there are many initiatives under way to promote and encourage people to take up careers in construction and retrofitting. The Senator is correct that we need an awful lot more people working in this area. I have a report that suggests we need about 50,000 more people working in construction and green skills by 2030 to ensure we reach our climate targets as well as our housing targets under Housing for All. There are several initiative under way to help with that. These include changes to the CAO website to highlight and promote apprenticeships and traineeships so that students do not see university as the only path after school and see instead that there are other pathways. Retrofit training centres are being opened across the country. There is a major focus on apprenticeships, including providing a financial incentive to any employer who takes on an apprentice to make it easier for businesses, particularly small and medium businesses, to get involved.
The Senator made the point that there is a gap and, more important, that he has heard from the industry and people on the ground that there is a gap. It is important, therefore, that the education and training sector responds proactively. The Senator highlighted the issue of construction machinery as a particular area. I could not agree more that the tie-in with industry is very important. As a result of this debate, I will be happy to facilitate a meeting between any stakeholders the Senator has come across in his work and SOLAS to tease out these issues and see what can be rolled out.
By way of some detail, the establishment of courses designed to recruit and activate those out of work is hugely important in achieving our overall housing and climate targets. The QQI level 3 construction skills programme referred to by the Senator is currently running in St. Andrew's Resource Centre in Dublin Port in partnership with SOLAS and the National Construction Training Campus in Mount Lucas, which operates under Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board. I recently visited the centre. The course is three weeks long and covers a comprehensive range of skills for those taking part. It is free to all participants and requires no entry qualifications at all. Specifically, the course is a local outreach project aimed at those who may be unemployed and vulnerable persons. The programme includes practical skills in a range of areas - these are the core skills sought by employers - and acts as the first step on a pathway to a successful career in construction and retrofitting for participants. There are, on average, ten participants per course. The first two intakes were in November last year and a further 30 intakes are planned for this year.
Once participants complete the course, the centre links in with employers and engages approximately 60 to 65% of the participants with employers who have suitable jobs. As of December last year, the completion rate for the course was 90% and around 60% of participants have gained employment in the construction sector. Clearly, we know these programmes work. The Senator is asking if they can be spread out around the country in order that local industry and local people can access them and work better.
I am very sympathetic to that argument.
I should tell the Senator because I think it is important that, following the success of the programme, all education and training boards, ETBs, in all parts of Ireland are currently validated to deliver the programme. That is good news and the programme is currently scheduled for delivery in some further ETBs at the end of this quarter and in the quarter between now and the summer. The programme is fully funded by SOLAS as a specific skills training programme. Perhaps the best thing we can do as a result of this discussion is arrange for individuals from the Senator's locality to meet SOLAS and the ETB. I am happy for my office to facilitate such a meeting to tease through how his community and region can benefit from this. I could not agree more that tying in with local industry is key, as is making sure that courses are available for local people in their communities so that they do not have to travel or trek around the place to access them. I thank the Senator for raising this matter.
I am encouraged by the Minister's reply in relation to ETBs throughout the country rolling this programme out. I also acknowledge that he is prepared to meet representatives from the Irish Plant Contractors Association in his office. I am lucky to have someone in the business, unrelated to me, who was able to educate me on all of this. I am told we need to start opening courses for new machines in the industry that are not covered in construction regulations. These include 360 slew telehandlers, mini spider cranes, mobile elevated work platforms, MEWPs, and quad bikes. On the topic of quad bikes, the HSA has made it compulsory, from November onwards, for farmers to be trained to operate quad bikes. There have been too many sad accidents with quad bikes and that training will be very welcome. With all the modernisation of equipment, we need to bring all of those types of machines within the scope of training. That is what the industry is calling for. This is not Government coming down on the industry; it is industry saying it wants and needs this training. It is asking to meet people and saying it will be very willing to do these courses and put them in place.
I thank Senator Murphy again for highlighting this issue. I could not agree more that this partnership approach is very important, both in terms of meeting the skills and societal challenges we face in the country. It is good to have industry, education and government working together to see how we can all play our part in making sure there are enough people with the appropriate qualifications and skills to meet the requirements of our country. I will be happy to take up the Senator's invitation to meet the Irish Plant Contractors Association with him and also to facilitate a meeting between it, SOLAS and the relevant ETBs.
As the Senator also correctly stated, legislation due before this House, the construction safety licensing Bill, may provide an opportunity to tease out some more issues about safety in the workplace.
School Textbooks
I welcome the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. The next Commencement matter, in the name of Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, relates to the roll-out of the operation of free school books for primary school students. The Senator has four minutes to set out her case.
I very much appreciate that this Commencement matter has been selected and that the Minister is here in person to take it. As Fianna Fáil spokesperson for education in the Seanad, I am very proud of my party's record in education, particularly during the Minister's tenure. She has dealt with some very difficult issues and some of the themes she has addressed and some of the actions she has taken have been transformative, in particular the announcement in budget 2023 that free primary school books will be available for all children from September of this year. This is a fantastic measure and one I have lobbied for since I became a Deputy and probably even well before that. It will make a huge difference to families across Ireland. I hope it will be replicated at secondary level in the near future.
This is excellent news for all parents.
We have some lovely schoolchildren here. I do not know which school they are from but they are very welcome. I know it is a great privilege for them to come in and see the Minister for Education.
Over the past few days, I have spoken to a number of suppliers regarding school books. We are talking about people with independent businesses who are at the heart of the villages and towns they represent. I spoke to Dermot Finnegan from Farrell & Nephew, which is a bookshop on the main street in Newbridge. It is a fabulous business where I buy my own books and gifts. I know how important the school book industry is to Mr. Finnegan, Maeve and Mary who work there. I also spoke to Natasha, a lady who owns a gift shop in Rathangan. Again, it is a place where boys and girls drop in after school and get their sweets and treats but she also runs a business involving school books and school uniforms. I know this is central to Natasha. It is wonderful to see small businesses like these in their own towns. I would be concerned that if they lost this business, it could be the death knell of their businesses. I acknowledge the Minister is strong on supporting local and supporting small communities and I hope she has news for us regarding the roll-out of free school books. It is essential that there is potential to still use these independent bookshops and that school books can be supplied through them.
I appreciate that the finer detail must be put in place regarding orders. Will it be through the school or the Department? Who is going to make the payments? Will it be directly through the Department? We want to ensure there are no delays to payments because these shop owners undertake a very big and worthy task on behalf of schools and the families and communities they serve. I would appreciate some clarity on that.
Before I welcome the Minister, I welcome people to the Public Gallery. I am particularly pleased to see Teresa Doolan, the former Superintendent of the Houses of the Oireachtas and a great friend of ours and of this House. I also welcome Laura Boyd and Joan Herbert from the Department of Justice and transition year students from Marino College, Larkin Community College and Mount Carmel Secondary School. Their visit to the House is very timely as the Minister gives her response to the Commencement Matter.
I join in the words of welcome. It is always positive to see students in particular visiting here to learn about what we do here. I am delighted that I happen to be in the Chamber when they are here today.
I acknowledge Senator O'Loughlin's particular interest in this scheme, which she has been very keen for us to advance for a long time. All of us who work in the education sector know of the benefit of a scheme of this nature. I acknowledge the Senator's consistent support for the measure and her consistent determination that we would deliver it.
She will be aware that my Department's statement of strategy sets out the vision and mission of my Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach his or her full potential. It sets as a goal to ensure equity of opportunity in education and to ensure that all pupils are supported to fulfil their potential.
Since June 2020 and over the past three budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. As part of budget 2023, I announced an allocation of more than €50 million to provide free books to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from next September. This significant investment further reflects the Government's commitment to a quality and inclusive school system with improved learning outcomes for every pupil.
The Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many families.
This free school books measure will eliminate the cost to these families for all school books at primary school, including workbooks. It delivers on the programme for Government commitment to extend the free school book pilot, which is currently in place in more than 100 DEIS primary schools, as resources permit.
The free primary school books scheme from next September will benefit more than 540,000 pupils in approximately 3,240 recognised primary schools, including pupils in more than 130 special schools.
The implementation of the measure will build on the existing school book rental scheme, which is available in some 96% of recognised primary schools and has been in place for a long number of years. Schools buy the school books directly from bookshops and suppliers at present as part of the implementation of the existing school book rental scheme. They will continue to be free to do so under this new scheme. I know that has been a particular concern for the Senator and many others. Schools will continue to have the autonomy to purchase from their existing providers - the local bookstore, publisher or whoever they purchase from. That determination will be made by the school. Should a school wish to continue the present arrangement, that will be permitted.
The Department is considering the information and experience from the schools involved in the free school book pilot for the past three years as we develop the programme for roll-out. The Department has been engaging with relevant stakeholders, including teacher unions, management bodies and representatives of school book publishers and booksellers, in order to inform and plan for the roll-out of the measure. As the Senator specifically referred to local shops and publishers, there has been engagement on a number of occasions with the Irish Educational Publishers’ Association, Bookselling Ireland and other organisations that have an interest in the matter, including Barnardos, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and others. That engagement is continuing.
Detailed guidance for primary schools on the operation of the free school books measure is being developed. The guidance, together with the funding, will be provided to schools to support the purchase of the books and resources in time for the start of the 2023-24 school year. The schools will receive the funding and will do with it as they choose in respect of where and how they will purchase the books. It is recognised that the information to schools and so on will have to be available to schools after the Easter break.
That is good news. This gesture – it is more than a gesture – is absolutely appreciated by school communities around the country. It is good news that the Minister has clarified that schools will be able to nominate their preferred provider. Most of the independent bookshops and shops already have arrangements in place with schools. There was a concern that they would be bypassed. I know the Minister understands the importance of supporting local businesses. It is important that this measure is a win-win for everybody and what the Minister outlined is a win-win. It is ground-breaking new provision, as she said, which will ease the back-to-school financial burden on families. I appreciate the work the Minister, her office and the Department have done.
I have one question. The Minister referred to the detailed guidance for primary schools on the operation. Does she have any idea when that will be in place to allow schools and book providers to put their own systems in place?
I reiterate my appreciation for the opportunity to outline what is, as the Senator said, a ground-breaking measure for our primary schools, but especially families who face specific and definite challenges when it comes to resourcing children for school. This €50 million investment is a positive, proactive measure to support families going forward. It also underpins our strong commitment in the Department of Education and throughout the Government to ensure that every child has the opportunity to maximise his or her potential and capacity. Supporting children by providing resources will be central to doing that.
As I outlined, schools will have the autonomy to decide from whom they will purchase the books. I have also outlined that there will be detailed guidance on that. I am confident that schools will need to have that information around the Easter break. The objective is to provide that information to the schools at that time, with funding to be made available thereafter for schools to make their own purchase arrangements.
Planning Issues
I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I am seeking the rectification and regularisation of planning permissions that were granted for holiday villages and allow them be used for full-time residential accommodation. This matter has come to my attention not only in my own county of Waterford, but also through being contacted by full-time residents in holiday villages in other parts of the country. They have tried to purchase the property they live in, and which the landlord is selling, only for the sale to be unable to progress due to restrictions on the original planning permission restricting the use of the property for holiday lets only. As the Minister of State will be aware, more and more landlords have been leaving the market, and there are many and varied reasons for that but as a result of the restricted supply, many of these homes in holiday villages throughout the country, particularly in coastal communities, are being used on a full-time residential basis without any issue.
From a planning perspective the owners of such properties are open to enforcement action by local authorities should a complaint be made. Many of the holiday villages I refer to were granted permission with specific conditions that they be used as short-stay accommodation only. I accept that the standards applying to such developments were different from normal residential developments in terms of set-back distances, open space requirements and so on. However, these homes provide much-needed full-time accommodation to families throughout this country at this moment in time. In my experience dealing with many of these developments, such as in Faithlegg, Dunmore East and other coastal communities, it has proved difficult to secure a change of use or overcome some of the conditions. From a strict planning perspective, I can understand why. However, the time has now surely come to introduce an amnesty of sorts for such developments. Where the owner of the property wishes to make them available for full-time accommodation and the person residing, or looking to reside, in them on a permanent basis is happy to do so, surely the planning code should not prevent them. In the reverse scenario, Government policy is rightly dictating that homes need to have planning in place for short-term lets if they are to be used as rental accommodation for the short-stay market. We are insisting on that. However, this anomaly is preventing short-stay lets from becoming permanent residential accommodation. This is the very thing we are trying to do, by putting those restrictions on the properties with short-stay permissions. It seems counterintuitive that we would not try to put something in place to regularise this.
This issue was brought into sharp focus a couple of weeks ago on Newstalk when 63 homes on a ghost estate in Tullow were highlighted. These homes are completed, although the development is not entirely completed in respect of roads and its other elements. However, it seemed from the report that the local authority is insisting that 15 of these completed units be demolished because they cannot meet the set-back distance requirements and open space requirements. Surely in 2023, given the constraints in the housing market, such a suggestion cannot be tolerated. What I suggest in terms of an amnesty, or changes to exempted development, would facilitate these homes to be lived in on a permanent basis.
The Minister of State is welcome to the House, as always.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gceist seo. This is an important issue relating to planning permission in respect of holiday homes and holiday villages. In this regard, the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, requires that all developments that are not exempted developments are required to obtain planning permission. This may include where a permission for a change of use of a property is required, such as from holiday home use to long-term residential use. Where an individual wishes to change the use of a holiday home to long-term residential use, and planning permission is required, they are currently required to apply for planning permission to the relevant planning authority under section 34 of the Act in the normal manner. It is then a matter for the relevant planning authority to consider each application on a case-by-case basis. In making their decision, planning authorities shall have regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of an area, the policies of Government, ministerial planning guidelines and any submissions or observations received on the planning application during the public participation process in accordance with section 34 of the Act.
In accordance with Article 31(f) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, when notifying the applicant of its decision, the planning authority shall specify the main reasons and considerations on which the decision is based. It should also be noted that holiday homes and holiday villages are quite often located in more remote areas and-or may be on land that is specially zoned for such tourism-type development in the local development plan or local area plan and, therefore, holiday homes and holiday villages may not necessarily be suitable for permanent residential development. Different design layouts and standards may be applied to holiday homes than to permanent residential development while the local authority's policies on rural housing may also apply differently to holiday homes than to permanent residential development. I am sure the Senator will understand this. By way of example, there may be more intensive demands on water and sewerage facilities in permanent residential developments than in holiday homes, which may not be connected to public mains, with permanent homes also generally requiring larger garden spaces. All these factors would have to be taken into account by the planning authority when making a decision on a change of use planning application. In the context of the current need for residential accommodation, which the Senator quite rightly pointed that out, there may be merit in considering whether it would be appropriate to introduce an exemption for change of use from holiday homes to permanent residential accommodation in certain circumstances. However, to further consider this, there would need to be an understanding of the types of location and the issues arising in respect of such developments, particularly with regard to service capacity, suitability and standards.
I was not aware of the discussion on Newstalk about the ghost estate in Tullow. Again, that is a matter for the local authority but in this day and age to have to demolish that number of houses would be most unfortunate. I recognise the points the Senator is making but it is important too, with regard to proper planning and sustainable development, that the transition from holiday lets to more permanent accommodation involves a different set of criteria and, as such, that has to be given consideration. As I said, there might be an opportunity to look at exemptions in certain circumstances. That could be given some consideration.
I thank the Minister of State for that detailed response.
I thank the Minister of State. He has opened the door to the possibility of this but what I want to see now is follow-through on that. I accept all of what he said in his response about the requirement for sustainable planning. The two instances I referred to in Dunmore East and Faithlegg are certainly not remote locations. In one of those instances there were applications from residents to try to regularise it. I can understand if from a planning perspective the restrictions in the original conditions could not be overcome but surely in this time of need for accommodation, it makes no sense, when Government policy is trying to move more short-term lets into permanent residential accommodation, that we cannot facilitate this. That is what I am looking for. I want to see follow-through here so we can have exemptions in our planning code for such developments.
As I outlined in my opening statement, there can be differences between holiday homes and villages in the first instance, and permanent residential homes in the second instance, regarding the proper planning and sustainable development of individual local areas. There can be differences in the scale and density of such developments. Consequently, proposals for holiday homes and villages, and permanent residential developments, are often treated and assessed differently under the planning code. There are also situations where proposals for holiday home use would not be granted and where planning permission for permanent residential use would not be granted and vice versa, having regard to local circumstances. As things stand, any proposals for change of use of holiday homes to residential homes should be subject to separate assessments and planning applications by relevant local planning authorities on a case-by-case basis and having regard to a range of criteria, as I have outlined.
There might be some merit in considering what might be appropriate to introduce an exemption for change of use from holiday to permanent residential accommodation in certain circumstances. To further consider this, a better understanding of the types of locations and the issues arising in respect of such developments, particularly in regard to service capacity, suitability and standards, is required. To this end, it would be of assistance if such information could be provided to our Department in order to further investigate the matters raised. This might involve the local authorities carrying out local surveys that could be submitted to the Department. I am just suggesting that as a possible way forward. Having a better understanding of what we are dealing with would be useful.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 2.12 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.30 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 2.12 p.m. and resumed at 2.30 p.m.