Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 Oct 2024

Vol. 303 No. 10

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Direct Provision System

Senator Eileen Flynn

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I want to talk about children in direct provision. In February 2021, the Government published a White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service. The White Paper included a commitment to introduce an additional monthly payment per child for a child in international protection. However, here we are, more than three years later and the payments have still not been made. The Government committed €4.7 million under budget 2024 to develop a payment to children in international protection.

The payment would have been worth €1.40 per month per child. The Government said that this commitment was important to help reduce the very high rate of poverty this group of children experienced. No one would disagree with that. However, as we come to the end of the year and, frankly, the end of this Government's term, that payment still has not been implemented. What is holding up this payment? This needs to be implemented as a priority. The Government said that budget 2024 strongly reflected a focus on reducing child poverty and promoting children's well-being. Children and young people in direct provision have been left behind in this very important work. They are the only group of children who are not receiving any additional supports, or can receive any such supports during the cost-of-living crisis.

When we talk about reducing child poverty, we must talk about reducing child poverty for all children. A number of civil society organisations which worked with and for children and young people across the country, including children in direct provision, have been calling for this for some time.

Civil society organisations tell us that the lack of proper incomes means that children living in direct provision face childhood poverty more severely. They tell us that children are eating cold meals because their families have no access to cooking facilities and no money to afford hot food. Families in direct provision cannot cover the cost of school expenses, uniforms, school trips, etc, by living on just €29 per week.

What are the barriers to implementing this child payment and could the Minister of State commit that all measures to alleviate child poverty in budget 2024 and budget 2025 will be implemented for all children, including children in direct provision?

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection (Deputy Joe O'Brien)

I thank the Senator for raising this issue.

Applicants for international protection who are awaiting a decision on their application are offered accommodation by the International Protection Accommodation Services of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Those who accept such accommodation are provided with material reception conditions, including food and health services, together with other facilities and services designed to ensure their needs are met while seeking the protection of the State.

The Department of Social Protection administers the daily expenses allowance on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. This is paid to protection applicants who reside in or are on a waiting list for accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services in order to meet incidental personal expenses. The rate of the allowance is €38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child. An increased rate of €113.80 per week for an adult applies where a person is unaccommodated and is on a waiting list for the provision of accommodation from the International Protection Accommodation Service.

In the week ending 5 October, there were approximately 13,100 claims awarded supporting approximately 20,600 people, including children.

In budget 2025, the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, secured Government approval for €8.4 million for the international protection child payment. Once introduced, the child payment will be a weekly payment of €32.31 to be paid in respect of each eligible child. The child payment is a key component of this budget’s focus on tackling child poverty in line with this Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty. The child payment will support families in the international protection system, help reduce the high rates of poverty experienced by this group, promote social inclusion and facilitate improved integration.

The introduction of an international protection child payment is a key commitment in the comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants.

As I mentioned, the White Paper to end direct provision and establish a new international protection support service was published in February 2020. The proposed international protection child payment for children in direct provision was contemplated in that paper. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, is leading the implementation of the recommendations contained in the White Paper. There is ongoing engagement between the Minister and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, on these matters.

A changing global situation necessitated a review of the implementation approach for the White Paper. The review has included inputs from the White Paper programme board and the external advisory group and has resulted in the development of a new comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure that the State will always be able to meet its international commitments.

In March, the Government agreed a new comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants and Department of Social Protection officials are in ongoing engagement with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on this matter, both bilaterally and on a cross-government basis. There is ongoing engagement across Government on matters relating to international protection and the issue of an international protection child payment forms part of that engagement.

Senator Eileen Flynn

I understand that the Minister of State does not have responsibility in this area but the reply is not good enough. He went into the issue of accommodation and the €30 per week that families in direct provision get but my question was about the implementation of the payment of €140 per month. If it is not good enough for white, settled children then why is it good enough for children living in direct provision? Why is the Government not supporting children in direct provision? Mark my words, if we are alive to see the next 20 or 30 years, this State will have to give a State apology for how it treated people in direct provision, for the inequality and for standing by the unfair treatment of children living in direct provision. I do not mean to sound in any way hateful towards the Minister of State - far from it - but this is absolutely appalling. The money is there and the plan to implement the payment is there. Why the Government cannot move on it is beyond me. Who are we to say that one child matters more than another? Right now, the Government of Ireland is saying that a child living in direct provision matters less than a child living in ordinary accommodation.

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I cannot think of too many policy areas that are more important than trying to tackle child poverty, both for the here and now and into the future as well. In terms of the Minister for children's role in that regard and the White Paper, he has secured the budget. We have had engagement with the Department of Social Protection on what the rates of payment would be like for each child but we need the Department of Social Protection to implement this, to roll out the payment. Frankly, I do not have a good explanation for the Senator as to why that is not happening. That is an issue. I thank the Senator for raising it.

Rail Network

Senator Malcolm Byrne

Curaim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I again wish to raise the issue of underinvestment in the Dublin to Rosslare rail line. I do so because of growing traffic volumes along the N11. Many car users in Wexford and Wicklow would quite happily transfer to the train if they knew they had a regular and reliable service. Unfortunately, that has not been the case for quite a long time.

The Minister of State is quite fortunate to live in north Dublin, which is very well served by trains. Indeed, there are plans to expand the number of rail lines in north Dublin even further, from two to four. In fact, the objective is now to have trains running between Dublin and Belfast in under two hours. My home town of Gorey is only half the distance to Dublin as Belfast is but I would love to be guaranteed that I could get on a train that would take under two hours to reach the city centre. Of the 14 new rail carriages coming into the system, none is being provided to the Rosslare rail line. The only additional service is one later-evening service that was provided earlier this year. If we are to achieve our objective of having more people use rail, in the context of sustainable transport models, it has to be realistic for them to do it. At the moment, it is not realistic for many people from Wexford and Wicklow to travel to Dublin by train. Along the rail line into Dublin, there are six level crossings which slow down trains coming into the city centre. It is a slow service. The mainline service obviously gets held up behind the DART because there are no additional lines.

There is a great deal of money being spent on trying to tackle coastal erosion, but is there not a need for a far more ambitious plan to serve the Rosslare route? If we had more rail lines, we would have a much faster rail service operating. That means double-tracking the line. I commend the fact that going north out of the city, we are moving towards having four tracks. If we could even move to two tracks the whole way along the Rosslare line in order to allow for additional services, that would certainly be welcome. While also welcome, the only proposal right now is the possibility of extending the DART to Wicklow. However, there is an expectation that passengers travelling from places further south, including Rathdrum, Arklow, and Gorey, will have to change at either Wicklow or Greystones. On cold, wet and wintry mornings, people will be expected to get off the train, hang around the station and then get onto another train. That is not going to incentivise people to use the rail service. It will also be incredibly unfair to wheelchair users and those with mobility difficulties.

I am sorry to say that there seems to be no commitment to investing in the Dublin to Rosslare rail line. It is something I have raised constantly in this House. What we are now seeing is further traffic build-up on the N11. Anyone who uses the N11 knows how busy it is. The problem is that there is no viable alternative. I would encourage people to use the rail line but they cannot rely on a regular and efficient service at the moment.

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address this issue on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and addressing our climate action challenges. This Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland.

The Minister for Transport considers it useful to clarify the planned proposals related to the DART+ coastal south project, the current position of those proposals and related issues. Modelling undertaken by the National Transport Authority, NTA, for the DART+ programme related to facilitating increased rail services on the Rosslare to Dublin line. This includes an option that would allow Rosslare train services interchanging with the DART at Wicklow or Greystones in order to connect seamlessly to DART services to or from the heart of Dublin. It must be stressed that this is an infrastructural modelling exercise and the NTA has advised that no decision has yet been made to alter services on the Rosslare line. As a Government we need to provide more options to people so they can make the switch to sustainable mobility. Within the greater Dublin area, work on the DART+ programme is continuing in order that it can become part of those options.

As the Senator may be aware, under the greater Dublin area transport strategy adopted last year, it is intended to further expand the DART system to Wicklow town. Design work is ongoing at present by the NTA on the DART+ coastal south project to plan for the enhanced DART service level to Greystones. A public consultation will be undertaken in relation to those proposals later this year. In addition, initial planning and design work is currently ongoing by the NTA to establish the feasibility of operating an hourly DART service to and from Wicklow town and Dublin using battery-electric trains that could operate along the unelectrified section of the railway between Greystones and Wicklow. Under this arrangement, one DART per hour arriving at Greystones would be a battery-electric train, which would be able to continue further south along the unelectrified line and terminate at Wicklow town train station, with the same approach in the opposite direction. South of Wicklow, the provision of a diesel train shuttle service between Rosslare and Wicklow could provide the potential for a much more frequent train service along the southern sections of the south-east line.

It should be stressed that this is an infrastructural modelling exercise by the NTA and no decision has yet been made on the matter.

As regards the issue of coastal erosion, coastal railway construction and maintenance have always been challenging. Throughout its history, interventions have been required to protect the east coast rail line from impacts on embankments, water coming over the line and coastal erosion. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, understands that Iarnród Éireann has, over many years, managed the coastal defence of the east coast Dublin to Rosslare line and monitors the coastline erosion rates at key points along the railway on an ongoing basis.

The east coast railway infrastructure protection project, ECRIPP, was established to deliver the necessary enhanced coastal protection to the existing railway infrastructure in a number of key locations on this rail network. The primary focus of this project is to address, implement and protect the existing railway and coastal infrastructure against the further effects of coastal erosion due to climate change. The Minister assures the Senator that this matter is taken seriously and that appropriate remedial action is under way.

Senator Malcolm Byrne

I thank the Minister of State. While I appreciate he is taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, in summary, there is no real progress, apart from the potential for additional services to Greystones and Wicklow. There is no promise of additional services for anyone south of Wicklow, but rather a promise of a "seamless" transition from trains. Those who will end up standing in the cold and wet at 7.45 a.m. at Wicklow station will not categorise this as seamless. It is clear the message coming from the Minister for those along the Rosslare line who want an efficient and effective transport service is that they are not going to get it and they should get in their cars because it will be far quicker to travel up the N11, even when there are traffic jams. If I had not driven this morning and had chosen to get the train at 8.20 a.m. instead, I would not be here in time for this Commencement matter. I did not have to leave my house in my car until just after 9 a.m. and I was here in plenty of time.

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I thank Senator Byrne. I am not going to rehash what I have said already. I will emphasis one point, however, which may give some hope in this connection. For people living south of Wicklow, the provision of a diesel shuttle service between Rosslare and Wicklow could create potential for a more frequent train service along the southern sectors of the south-east line.

Tourism Industry

Senator Róisín Garvey

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. My Commencement matter concerns the need for the Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, to outline the steps her Department is taking to increase tourism at the Cliffs of Moher and in areas of west Clare to support a greater spread of the socioeconomic benefits of tourism. I raise this matter because I have huge fears around the plans for the Cliffs of Moher site. The site is stunning, the staff are amazing and the council has done good work in creating spaces for a lot of local producers of crafts and clothes to sell their products at the venue. Some good local food producers are supported as well. That is the first point, and it is positive.

Fáilte Ireland and the local authority have just spent €500,000 of the profits from the site on a new strategy for the Cliffs of Moher. I have huge concerns about the strategy. I do not know why the focus has to be on getting more and more people to the Cliffs of Moher when it should really be on getting more people to spend their money in other places around the Cliffs of Moher. The whole strategy aims to increase the number of people visiting the Cliffs of Moher where huge profits are already being made. I am not sure whether the aim of the council or Fáilte Ireland is to make more money. That seems to be what this strategy is all about. There is some tokenism around local benefit and socioeconomic benefit to other areas. There are considerations and such. Overall, however, the bottom line seems to be about getting more people to the Cliffs of Moher.

Clare County Council is not a business; its job is to run the county. While there are some great people working in the organisation, there has been an overemphasis on getting more and more people to spend more time and money at the Cliffs of Moher. Its plan is to increase the time visitors spend at the site, from less than two hours to up to three and half hours. Fáilte Ireland would say the more time people spend in a place, the more money they tend to spend. Fáilte Ireland will also agree with me that the slower a tourist moves, the more money he or she spends.

There is still a huge emphasis in this new strategy on getting people to travel to the site by car and bus. There is talk of providing two shuttle buses from two places, Lisdoonvarna and Ennistymon. While that is a good idea, there is no mention of the buses being electric or the service being looped, which is a much better form of doing this. We have seen this done well in a lot of other places. Bus routes should be looped in order that they serve locals as well as tourists. Tourists would be able to meet the locals and hop off in places like Kilfenora, Miltown Malbay and Lahinch along the way and spend money in those places as well.

The whole focus is still on getting everyone to go to the cliffs. The shuttle service leaving from Lisdoonvarna and Ennistymon, while a good idea, will still just be feeding people in. It has been said that every shuttle bus will remove 12 cars. While that is good, it is still not sustainable tourism. The word "sustainable" is continually used. Using that word does not mean it is a sustainable plan. A sustainable plan is putting money and tourists into our beautiful towns and villages all around the Cliffs of Moher. The traffic up there is crazy as it is. This plan has not taken seriously the need to invest in our towns and villages, and not just in the Cliffs of Moher. I read the whole report. It states: "Consideration should be given to providing a connection between the proposed Eurovelo 1 cycleway and the Cliffs of Moher." "Consideration" is the weakest word the council could possibly use. It is not going to make it happen.

The report goes on to state: "There are opportunities to develop and promote cycling off the main roads and in particular east of the R478." There has been a cycling route there for years. There are loads of mini signs for routes 1 and 2 all over north Clare but no one knows what they mean. The council has not managed to get a map online or an app for anyone to use. There are loads of ways doing that. The council has neglected the coastal route for years and is finally doing something about it but I have huge concerns about its priorities.

Today, we read again that we have failed to reach our climate targets and that transport is the number one issue. Despite this, we have Fáilte Ireland and Clare County Council promoting another driving route through the Burren. Locals are not happy with that either. We need to up our game. Fáilte Ireland needs to take seriously the work the Minister, Deputy Martin, is doing to create a proper sustainable tourism strategy and on which she has been working hard. Fáilte Ireland needs to get people on its board who are experts in sustainable transport, protecting biodiversity and understanding proper socioeconomic benefit to local towns and villages.

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I thank Senator Garvey for raising this Commencement matter. The Government is very conscious of the importance of the tourism sector, not only in Clare but throughout the country. For this reason, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Government have been proud to support the sector in recent years. Ensuring we have the right tourism product is essential if we are to achieve the ambitious targets for further sustainable tourism growth. The Government is committed to ensure that all areas benefit.

As regards the spread of tourism, as Senator Garvey will be aware, County Clare is included in both Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Hidden Heartland’s regional tourism development strategies covering the period up to 2027. These roadmaps for the industry are designed to steer a course towards ongoing tourism recovery since the severe challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The plans set out a strategic approach to unlocking the potential of both the Wild Atlantic Way and Hidden Heartlands and will ensure focus on tourism development is sustainable and regenerative.

The regional tourism development strategies will be activated across every region through a series of local area action plans, referred to as destination and experience development plans. These local development plans are highly collaborative in nature, involving all local stakeholders. Fáilte Ireland’s commitment is for every part of the country to have a detailed tourism development action plan created in partnership with local stakeholders.

I understand that County Clare is being developed under three destination and experience development plans, namely, the Burren visitor experience development plan; the cliff coast destination experience development plan; and the Lough Derg experience development plan. I am informed that the Burren visitor experience development plan is complete and is at implementation stage, with a strong committee comprised of trade and relevant agencies. The cliff coast destination experience development plan is expected to be launched later this year, while the Lough Derg experience development plan continues to progress.

Fáilte Ireland has invested €230,000 in the Cliffs of Moher master plan, which is being delivered by Clare County Council. The Cliffs of Moher visitor experience, which is owned and operated by Clare County Council, has played a central role in building a positive image of Ireland at home and abroad for many decades and is a signature discovery point on the Wild Atlantic Way. The aim of the Cliffs of Moher Strategy 2040 is to ensure that this iconic international tourism landmark delivers for the whole region through the development of enhanced relationships and links with the Burren, the Wild Atlantic Way and the wider hinterland. The strategy sets out a long-term vision for the Cliffs of Moher experience, focusing on sustainable development of a world-class visitor attraction over the next 20 years. A multidisciplinary team of international consultants has developed the strategy, with guidance provided by a steering group of representatives from the Cliffs of Moher experience, Clare County Council, Fáilte Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, private tourism enterprises and the wider community.

I understand a preliminary draft of the strategy has been published and a public consultation process on the draft closed in recent months. I look forward to seeing the finalised version of the strategy which should ensure this iconic attraction remains a key driver of continued and sustainable tourism activity in the years ahead.

Finally, in relation to Government policy generally, my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, is finalising a new national tourism policy framework that will mainstream environmental, economic and societal sustainability across the entire tourism sector. It will seek to establish Ireland as a leading tourism destination excelling in sustainable development practices that deliver better economic, social and environmental outcomes for all. The new framework will also have policy objectives in relation to careers in tourism, innovation, product development, regionality, seasonality and the impact of broader Government decisions on the sector. The new policy will ensure that tourism can grow in a sustainable manner and will have a particular focus on growing tourism in less developed tourist areas. I understand it is hoped to publish the new policy shortly.

Senator Róisín Garvey

The bottom line is I feel Fáilte Ireland contradicts itself. One the one hand, it says it wants more sustainable tourism but on the other it is putting all its eggs in one basket - the Cliffs of Moher only - and it has just increased the number of cars driving through the Burren. It came up with this great plan that if all the cars on the Wild Atlantic Way, let us get some of them driving through the Burren but the local people and businesses just see more cars, which does more damage to the precious and sacred local fauna. It means it is not safe for people to hike, walk or cycle. It is not working. It can keep saying "sustainable" all it wants but local towns, villages and businesses do not benefit and it does not do enough to promote walking and cycling, which are the best and only way to experience the Burren. You meet someone in a car and they ask, "Where is the Burren?" They are in the Burren in their cars. If they walk and cycle in the Burren, they have to eat and stay local. We are missing a trick. Fáilte Ireland keep saying the word "sustainable" but is failing local people and businesses. Vans are driving down from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher three times a week with food baked in Dublin, as if we cannot provide the food locally. The word "sustainable" has to be put into practice and not just thrown out willy-nilly. I have deep concerns about the new strategy for the cliffs. It will make more money for the council and Fáilte Ireland can say it is great but it is not sustainable long term. I am sure Fáilte Ireland has been involved in this tourism strategy which the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has been working hard on. We have climate targets that will cost us €8 billion if we do not reach them. Transport is the biggest challenge and it is not being taken seriously.

Deputy Joe O'Brien

I thank Senator Garvey again for raising the matter in the House today. I trust that my earlier response sets out how it is planned to ensure that all regions of County Clare can continue to benefit from tourism in the years ahead. The new tourism policy framework being finalised by the Minister will be critical in ensuring we have a thriving tourism sector in the period up to 2030. While we want tourism to grow, we want it to do so in a sustainable manner that benefits all areas and communities. From the Government's perspective, we will continue to back the tourism sector. The Minister secured funding of €216 million in 2024 to continue support for tourism development at home and among overseas visitors while supporting continued recovery in the sector. The recent budget included an increase of 4% against 2024 figures, which will allow a further significant investment in tourism marketing, product development and investment in sustainability measures.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Eileen Flynn)

I thank the Minister of State for his time this morning.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.03 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.33 a.m.

Sitting suspended at 11.03 a.m. and resumed at 11.33 a.m.