Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 2025

Vol. 304 No. 8

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Disability Services

Senator Tom Clonan

I thank the Minister of State for attending. It is International Women's Day on Saturday. Later today, we will have a Private Members' debate on women's health on this auspicious week. I raise the issue of a young Irish girl, Eve Lynn Woods, born in 2018. She is seven years old. Like thousands of other children in Ireland, she has received no meaningful physiotherapy or occupational or speech therapy. She has received no assessment of needs and she is seven years old. She has a diagnosis that her parents - her mum, Kelly-Marie, is here - had to pay for themselves when she was two years old out of sheer desperation.

This is the story of thousands of Irish families across the Republic, my own included. I have a 23-year-old who has never received any meaningful physio, speech or occupational therapy or hydrotherapy intervention. This is not just a national scandal; it is an international scandal. We are a wealthy country. I note the Minister is not here herself, possibly because of diary commitments. I hope this will not be the beginning of a repeat of the trend in the previous Seanad when Ministers routinely failed to appear in this House. They are not in charge of anything. They are public servants and are here to be accountable. Eve Lynn's mum is here and I am here. I appreciate the Minister of State taking the time to be here. I am glad it is him because I know he will take on board everything I will say.

If one looks at the pattern of failure on the part of the HSE in respect of Eve Lynn, it is a recurring pattern that impacts on families across the State. Here we have a young girl who has never had a meaningful intervention within the therapeutic window. Why is that? Why do we fail so many disabled citizens and citizens in Ireland with additional needs? It is precisely for that reason - they are disabled. As a jurisdiction, we differ from all other jurisdictions in the European Union, in that there are no legal rights to treatment, supports, therapies or interventions in this Republic. They exist everywhere else in the European Union. That is because, in Ireland - I am ashamed to say it - we assign less human value to the boys and girls who have additional needs than the so-called able-bodied community.

We are an ableist State. If people are not familiar with that word, it is as infamous as racist, sexist and homophobic. We are ableist. Let us imagine parents watching their child deteriorate and being powerless to intervene. Can the Minister of State imagine what that is like and the pain of it? Not only do the parents have a diagnosis of additional needs but, in Ireland, they go through the looking glass into this parallel universe of unmet need, anxiety and suffering. Kelly-Marie should be at work today but she is not; she is here. She has had to move to work part time because of the constant, reiterative failure of the HSE in her daughter's cause. Reading through the background, she gets one appointment with a physiotherapist from a children's disability network team, CDNT, who carries out a consultation over a camera phone to look at her foot, which has developed a turn. This is shocking. We should be ashamed of ourselves. I ask the Minister of State to implore and require the CDNT in the Dublin 5 area to deal meaningfully with this and intervene now, even at this late stage, to assist Eve Lynne Woods. We can do much better than this.

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development (Deputy Jerry Buttimer)

I thank the Senator for raising the matter. I welcome Kelly-Marie to the Public Gallery. In many ways, the response that I have is inadequate for the request that the Senator has made for Eve Lynne. I am cognisant that the words on this paper do not reflect the reality and the lived experience of so many parents, as he has rightly said. I have a strong connection with the disability sector in Cork and have been vocal on the matter, with the Senator, in this House. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who is unfortunately not here today. She sends her apologies.

The Minister and Department have set up a number of processes, including a number of briefing sessions for members of the parliamentary community. The Minister has committed to the continuing development and enhancement of the 93 CDNTs as they seek to ensure, as the Senator said, equitable access to services for all children with complex needs and putting a value on all of them together. As Senators will be well aware, the progressing disability services, PDS, roadmap has a focus on the ongoing development of CDNT services to meet growing and current demands. I acknowledge that the difficulties faced in this particular case and by many thousands of children, as the Senator said, who have had no meaningful occupational therapy, physiotherapy or speech therapy, are unacceptable. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and Government are committed to addressing the ongoing challenges in recruitment being experienced by the HSE and the various lead agencies across a variety of disciplines and grades, in order to ensure that each CDNT is fully staffed.

St. Michael's House is the lead agency for Kilbarrack children's disability network team. I am told it accepted the referral of Eve Lynne in July last year and she is on the waiting list for the team. However, the CDNT has agreed to backdate her referral to the date of her initial clinical appointment in June 2022. I do not have good news for the Senator. Regrettably, at this time, I am informed that Kilbarrack CDNT advised that it is unable to give an exact date for an appointment. I give the Senator a commitment this morning, on the floor of the Chamber, that I will advocate on his behalf and of the family and Eve Lynne. I will talk to the Department personally when I leave today. I understand that the response I gave is unsatisfactory. I understand the frustration and annoyance. I know the Senator knows that I genuinely understand.

Senator Tom Clonan

I know that.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I feel inadequate reading a reply to the Senator and Kelly-Marie this morning. I am told that St. Michael's House has assured the HSE that it is striving to improve waiting times experienced by some children. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, at the behest of the Tánaiste, is committed to making changes and improving the situation.

As the Senator knows, a number of initiatives are being taken to address the list. They include webinars, which he referred to. They are perhaps not adequate in some cases. They include workshops, advice clinics and group interventions. St. Michael's House has also allowed access to a new support plan for families, with accredited guides, packs, videos and webinars covering a range of topics. However, the fundamental point here is that the Government has committed to recruitment and retention of staff, which is a challenge, for posts in the 93 CDNTs, which provide supports for 42,000 children. The Government has provided a 17% increase in staff, with an additional 272 staff in 2024. Ongoing recruitment issues are being addressed but it is important to understand that the HSE disability budget for 2025 has grown to €3.2 billion, which is an 11.6% increase.

I conclude by being sensitive to the case the Senator raised, to the family and to the matters which he has raised previously in the House. This matter is a priority for the Government and for the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. I will work with Members of the House and the Senator to ensure that Government is held to account for this. He referred to reiterative failure. I do not disagree with him in many cases. I think he is right. The one thing I disagree on is that many of us do put a value on and cherish all of our children equally. There is a system failure or if not a system failure, then whatever it is, there is a significant need and void that we need to fill. The Senator knows that my sincerity on this matter is genuine, as his is. I will work with him to ensure that Eve Lynne and her family get the best outcome following this Commencement matter. I will work with the Senator and other families, as many of us in this Chamber do daily. We have a huge challenge. When Senator Rabbitte was Minister of State in the Department, she did significant work and should be credited for that. We have to bring the system further on the road. I look forward to working with the Senator.

Senator Tom Clonan

I absolutely acknowledge the Minister of State's sincerity and that of Senator Rabbitte on these matters. The Minister of State mentioned the CDNTs. The CDNTs are completely and utterly dysfunctional. My understanding is that the person who launched the CDNT programme was seconded to the HSE. They were not a clinician. There was never any clinical sign-off on the CDNT system and they have absolutely destroyed what little we had. There was never any clinical risk assessment of what would happen to our children and now it is happening. That person has utterly evaded any responsibility. I am hoping that we get the committees up and running because I want that person in front of the committee on disability matters to answer those questions. We need to have clinicians in the place where children are, in the school setting. I know there is a pilot for that.

I will introduce the Minister of State to Kelly-Marie to see if he can follow up on Eve Lynne's case, but we should not have to do this on an individual, case-by-case basis. Families like Kelly-Marie's should not have to go public and tell their story. It is like a perverse version of "The Hunger Games". We have to go on "The Late Late Show" to get wheelchairs for our children. It is like a show of Ireland's sickest family, to try to get basic supports. It is just not good enough. It is a circus. I say that in the worst possible sense. Our disabled citizens need rights-based legislation to completely put an end to this bit-by-bit attritional attempt to help people.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I am conscious of the need, as are Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to address the challenges in the provision of services for children with disabilities and their families. I again commit to working with Kelly-Marie on behalf of Eve Lynne. The Government is fully committed to advancing the progress of recruitment and retention of staff to enable capacity-building in CDNTs. Notwithstanding the comments the Senator made, it is important to acknowledge that CDNTs are currently providing services and supports to 42,000 children-----

Senator Tom Clonan

They are not.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

-----with 93 teams across the country. I accept there are varying degrees of service provision. The teams are also providing strategies and supports for urgent cases as the waiting list for staffing resources allows. In 2025, €10 million was made available for children's services, building on existing recruitment issues, with funding focusing on various positions across CDNTs, with new therapist posts, staff grade posts, health and social care assistant posts and clinical trainee posts. I reiterate that the Government is committed and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, is determined to work to ensure the discrepancies and, as the Senator said, the reiterative failures are addressed. We will work to ensure that the CDNT capacity is increased and that the appropriate level of services for children with disabilities is provided.

I fully agree that we have let many of them down. We need to do a lot more. I reiterate the point that from my conversations with her, the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, is determined to address the anomalies. I look forward to working with the Senator on the matter and I thank him for raising it this morning. I also thank Kelly-Marie for being here this morning.

Overseas Development Aid

Senator Patricia Stephenson

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, for coming to the Chamber. I am delighted to see him because it is fantastic to have this dialogue with the responsible Minister.

I have asked to talk about overseas development assistance, an issue I know is close to the Minister of State’s heart. The international development sector, which has been absolutely decimated by the freeze placed on USAID projects by the Trump administration, stands at a really critical moment in Ireland and globally. At the end of February, approximately $60 billion of funding has been cut overnight. At the same time, many states in Europe, including France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Finland, to name just a few, have already, or are in the process of, reducing their ODA. Likewise, last week we saw that in the UK where Keir Starmer’s Government made a serious cut to ODA.

We are seeing a huge disruption to the work of humanitarian development and peace-building agencies, which is going to cost lives. It is going to increase the vulnerability of the most at-risk people in the world. This drastic funding withdrawal is going to threaten peace and stability and is potentially going to create a political vacuum, which leaves space for extremism and increased influence of non-human rights focused or compliant countries, and seriously undermine the already much-delayed progress we have been attempting to make towards the achievement of our sustainable development goals. Linked to that is our climate goals. Therefore, the implications of this are going to have a greater impact on climate change.

The leave no one behind and the furthest behind first approach is one of the major outcome areas for Irish Aid. I am asking the Minister of State what he is going to do within this context to ensure that no one is going to be left behind when we are about to see colossal and possibly irreparable harm as a consequence of these cuts.

I spent a long time living in east Africa, and I know first hand how critical this funding is. I know what is going to happen without it. I have seen the impacts of famine on families and communities in South Sudan and Somalia. I am anticipating that the images we are going to see on our televisions and our mobile phones are going to be horrific.

Over a 90-day period estimates suggest that 11.7 million women and girls will be denied essential reproductive healthcare. We will see an increase in things like maternal mortality, in the number of girls being forced into early marriage and in the number of women dying from childbirth. We are going to see an increase in things like child labour, because desperate families are going to be forcing their kids to work because they are struggling just to put food on the table and are living in starvation conditions.

The famine early warning system has been shut down as a consequence of these cuts, which has undermined efforts to pre-empt and act early on food crises. It is estimated that €1 spent on early action saves €7 on humanitarian response, and that is why this is so incredibly important.

We are going to see a huge increase in deaths from HIV and AIDS. Two thirds of people globally are treated for AIDS with US funding. The fact that this money is now stopped means we are going to see a huge increase in deaths.

Ireland has a proud history of humanitarian work. I have worked on Irish Aid projects and I have seen the fantastic work we do abroad. I am deeply disappointed that the Irish Government's commitment to ODA was not in the programme for Government. It has been watered down. This included removing the deadline of 2030 to reach our ODA obligation of 0.7%. Rather than progressing, we are stagnating in relation to our ODA commitments.

I am asking the Minister of State what his plan is. What are we going to do in the EU to scale up funding as a bloc? Has he talked with his EU counterparts on this issue? What are we doing in terms of our diplomatic links in the humanitarian sector? Is it going to be on his agenda when he is visiting Tanzania and Kenya? Will he make sure it is on the Taoiseach’s agenda next week when he is visiting the US for St Patrick's Day, and critically when he is visiting Washington to really push back on the Trump administration and what it has done within this context?

Many countries have crippled spending, and they have these enormous debt servicing obligations as well. How can we look into tax justice as a way to develop better responses for countries in their resiliency and humanitarian programming?

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Neale Richmond)

It is going to be really tough to get through this in four minutes; I wish we had 40 minutes. Perhaps we might have a further deeper debate in this Chamber. I know Senator Stephenson and I are going to work quite closely. Just to reassure her, I would not have missed this debate for anything. That is how important it is. The Acting Chair has been in this seat before and knows we may need to move things around, specifically to address a matter. I have a lot to say but not enough time. I am going to lay out some of the actualities as best I can and, more importantly, address the valid questions the Senator asked and points she made.

For the benefit of the House, on 20 January, the US President issued an executive order which directed a 90-day pause in US foreign assistance. The Government has been closely following the situation, which is still evolving. A review of US foreign assistance programmes is under way to ensure they are efficient and consistent with the America First agenda or doctrine. The completion date for the review is 19 April. However, we are aware of this issue of a large number of termination notices late last week for USAID projects and programmes. The pause and subsequent termination notices have immediately affected partners, initiatives and projects in receipt of USAID funding. The work of organisations working directly or indirectly on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or on environmental justice, is also affected. This includes women's rights organisations.

Before I go into specific detail, I wish to state that women and gender more generally is a huge priority for me within this role. I set that out from the get-go. I have consistency. We have underlined in the programme for Government - I have reiterated it and will be laying out a bit more in a speech to the National Women's Council tomorrow morning - our commitment to women and girls in Afghanistan. This is a specific programme. When I travel next week to Tanzania, which Senator Stephenson referenced, an entire day will be dedicated to women's health and women's and girls' education, as well as governance and access democracy in Tanzania alone, particularly the work in relation to the Fistula Foundation in a clinic there that has been run and funded by Irish Aid. If it were not for the support of Irish people, women in Tanzania would not be receiving the most basic of healthcare that we take for granted in this jurisdiction. That is why I insisted that area was a priority.

I was at Science Blast yesterday in RDS Simmonscourt where Irish Aid had a stand. I am delighted that when it asked all the children to choose their favourite STG, and it was very interactive, gender came out on top, which was great. However, we have a lot more work to do. More pertinently, the impact of the US decisions is expected to be, as the Senator laid out, particularly pronounced in the areas of global health, gender equality, governance and human rights decisions, such as withdrawal from the WHO, and the possible defunding of PEPFAR, the US President's emergency plan for AIDS relief. This will have a deep and far-reaching impact on our ability to achieve health and well-being for all. Low-income and fragile countries are also expected to be affected due to their reliance on ODA.

The Government has collaborated with the US administration and USAID in recent years in several global and country programmes that support sustainable development and humanitarian response. Ireland remains firmly committed to our international development assistance programme and its overriding priorities. It would clearly not be viable for Ireland to make up the funding shortfall as a result of USAID and other countries’ budget cuts. However, we are absolutely committed to playing our part.

The Government has utterly reaffirmed Ireland's commitment to an annual increase in our ODA budget, working towards the 0.7% of GNI. Specifically on EU counterparts, this was raised at the EU Development, DEVE, Council and I will make sure it is on the agenda. I will work very closely with Barry Andrews, MEP, who is chair of the European Parliament's DEVE committee. Equally, when we have a DEVE Council meeting here in about 18 months' time, I will make sure that this is a key topic regarding the wider agenda.

The Tánaiste spoke with Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, yesterday, and this was raised with him. Indeed, there are an abundance of areas where I will make sure this is brought to for in the very immediate future.

Senator Patricia Stephenson

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate his commitment to human rights and humanitarian aid, and I know it has always been on the Irish Government's agenda. However, it is so important that we really use the power that we have with the US and in the EU to reinforce just how abhorrent what we are about to see is. It also goes to the survival of many Irish organisations that live in the psyche of the Irish people, like Concern, Goal and Trócaire. The vital work they are doing is being undermined. They are closing programmes and offices.

I also want to highlight that the US aid cuts, which it has been doing over the last few years, are really a slap in the face to the UN commitments we have been making and represent an undermining of the commitments that the global north has been making to the global south.

It is really problematic. I implore, from this point onwards, that Ireland continues and really pushes the EU and our allies to reinforce the importance of this aid. It is not like a little additional extra. We are undermining global stability and that will impact us at home. This is not happening in a vacuum away from us. It is about global stability and global peace, which will impact us in Ireland and that is why it is so fundamental.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Neale Richmond)

I really appreciate the Senator giving us this opportunity and I fundamentally agree with every point she made. I want to put the following on the record of this House. We, in Ireland, have a responsibility in the coming weeks and months to stand up for what is right in the world, and we do that well. We believe in the multilateral order, in the work of the United Nations and in maintaining our commitment. Yes, the US is responsible for 27% of global overseas development aid but the EU is responsible for over 40%. Therefore, we have a twin challenge here. How do we work to offset potential changes to the funding of UN bodies? How do we work to offset really vital country programmes? Equally, however, how do we make sure the agenda of the EU is not changed because developments in the United States may give carte blanche to European Union member states Union that have already cut their budgets and to other Europe countries as well?

I regret the fact Anneliese Dodds has had to step down. I was really looking forward to meeting her this week but we have a responsibility within the EU. I look forward to working with Senator Stephenson and, indeed, my party colleague, Senator Lynch, who is our international secretary, to make sure the EU stands up and is counted, and that we stick by the global south. Ireland has a unique role to play in this. I will be extremely loud over the coming weeks and months, domestically and internationally, standing up for that, and I know the Senator will join the chorus with me.

Road Projects

Acting Chairperson (Senator Anne Rabbitte)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, back again. He has a busy agenda this morning in the Seanad.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I sure do.

Senator Robbie Gallagher

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Teach ar maidin. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. This is my first opportunity to have a dialogue with him in an official capacity in this Chamber. I wish him well and I have no doubt that he will make a great success of the role he finds himself in.

I would like to talk to the Minister of State about the stretch of roadway between Castleblayney and Ardee that forms part of the N2, which is the main Dublin to Derry road. Unfortunately, this particular stretch of roadway is infamous for a high collision rate. Sections of the road have been classified as having twice the expected collision rate so, unfortunately, the death toll is alarming and heartbreaking. There have been 17 fatal collisions on this stretch of roadway in the past ten years and 24 fatalities in the past 18 years. Behind those statistics lie broken lives and families left with so much grief and a lifetime of heartache. As the traffic volumes continue to grow, the chances of more accidents on this stretch of roadway grow with it.

The community is quite frustrated, to put it mildly, with the lack of progress on plans to upgrade this stretch of roadway. In 2018, a process was undertaken to do design work with a view to realigning this particular roadway to make it safer. The ideal scenario is to have a four lane dual carriageway because, as we know, a dual carriageway is three times safer than a single carriageway. Apart from the safety element of this matter, there is a cross-Border element, that is, North-South connectivity. It would mean a quicker and more planned route for those travelling from Donegal or Derry towards Dublin.

On the land take, which is quite significant, I pay tribute to the local community who have stepped up to the plate. As a result of this new projected roadway, seven family homes will have to be demolished, and one commercial building and 17 farm buildings will have to be removed. For the people concerned, such measures bring a great deal of stress and annoyance. What is compounding this is the fact there has been so little progress on moving this particular stretch of roadway on.

The process began back in 2018 and a preferred route corridor was published in 2021. So far, Monaghan County Council, through Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has spent somewhere in the region of €5.5 million on this piece of roadway. Last year, the local authority sought additional funding of between €900,000 and €1 million to complete phase 3 of the process but, unfortunately, the funding was not forthcoming. l understand that allocations are being considered and an announcement is expected in the coming weeks. It is essential that this piece of roadway is included for funding. In the overall scheme of things, €900,000 does not seem to be an awful lot of money.

It is vitally important we make a statement that this Government takes road safety very seriously, and that it is serious about this piece of roadway, which is notorious for a high accident rate, by allocating €900,000 to allow the phase 3 process to be completed so that we can move on to phase 4.

I look forward to hearing the response of the Minister of State and hope that my contribution has not fallen on deaf ears.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I congratulate the Acting Chair on her nomination to the Seanad. Comhghairdeas leat. I also congratulate Senator Gallagher on his re-election and look forward to working with him in a different capacity. We always had a good working relationship under the confidence and supply arrangement and in government, which I hope continues.

I thank the Senator for raising the important matter of the N2. As he said, it is a road that has a high accident rate. The number of fatalities is incredible. As he said, people have lost their lives and families are without their loved ones.

As a Minister of State in the Department of Transport, with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, we have responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads, as the Senator will know, is a matter for TIl but in conjunction with local authorities which in the Senator's case is Monaghan County Council. TII will continue to deliver road projects under the national roads programme, in line with the national planning framework and the NDP.

The Senator raised the issue of the N2 from Ardee to Castleblayney. As he rightly said, this project is about connectivity, enhancing local and regional accessibility and improving connectivity between Dublin, Monaghan and the north west, which would enable improved connectivity for businesses and deliver road safety improvements for all road users. A preferred route option has been selected and the scheme is in the design and environmental evaluation phase, after which a preliminary business case for the project would be submitted to the Department.

The Government, as a whole, has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national road projects from 2021 to 2030, as part of the national development plan. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the construction and completion of projects, which are already at construction stage, and those close to it as well as the development of a number of others.

A major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department's investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. The NDP foresees an Exchequer allocation of around €2.9 billion for the protection and renewal of existing national roads over the ten-year period to 2030, allocated fairly evenly across the decade. This includes funding for minor improvement projects, safety schemes, such as junction upgrades and road realignment, and pavement renewal. As the Senator rightly said, the N2 certainly fits into that category given the level of collisions and fatalities.

In the latter half of this decade, more of the funding in the NDP will become available. Last year, €411 million of Exchequer capital funding was provided to the TII. As the Senator rightly said, funding constraints meant there was no funding made available last year for the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney project. However, it is a very central part of the NDP and I am sure his advocacy this morning will not fall on deaf ears. As such, the delivery programme for the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney scheme will be kept under review for 2025 and will be considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

The allocations for this year will be announced in the coming weeks. Given that it will cost less than €1 million and it is a priority in terms of cross-Border connectivity but it is also about the enhancement of road safety in tandem with the Government road strategy of reducing accidents on the road, I will make a case for the Senator and with him regarding this project. I thank him for raising the matter this morning. It is an important project for very good reasons. I will bring his remarks back to the Minister and the Department.

Senator Robbie Gallagher

I thank the Minister of State for his response. As he said, this particular section of road has been in the national development plan for a number of years. In excess of €5.5 million has been spent on the different phases since 2018. There is a concern that some of the surveys that were carried out in conjunction with this have a shelf life and unless this project is moved on, that funding will be lost because the surveys will be outdated. It is important that this funding is found. It is only in the region of €900,000. If we and this Government are serious about road safety then it is absolutely essential that this road gets funding. Hopefully, when the announcement is made in the coming weeks, the €900,000 needed to progress it to the next phase will be in that allocation.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I take the Senator's point regarding the project being moved forward and the issue of surveys being undertaken. As Members will be aware, due to the outlined funding constraints for national roads, a prioritisation exercise was deemed necessary in line with the NDP and Government policy. The Minister for Transport has allocated for national roads in a manner that seeks to achieve a number of outcomes, namely, the protection and renewal of the existing road network, progressing major projects under construction, progressing major projects that are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline, and prioritising any remaining funds for major projects that provide for local bypasses and compact growth in Ireland's towns and villages. As the Senator will be aware, more than €36 million has been allocated by the Government to road projects in County Monaghan since 2020. This funds the protection and renewal of the existing road network as well as national road projects such as the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney project. The Government is committed under its programme for Government to enhance connectivity across urban and rural roads, to investing in diverse traffic options, including roads, and to investing in all road projects in the current national development plan. I will take the Senator's remarks back to the Minister, particularly those around the area of the surveys being undertaken and the amount that the local authority has spent on the road, which makes the case that we should progress with the road. I thank the Senator for raising the matter.

Road Projects

Senator Seán Kyne

I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement Matter. Cuirim fáilte roimh an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Buttimer, agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis as ucht an ardú céime atá faighte aige. Tá a fhios agam go mbeidh sé anseo ar feadh tamaill agus ag déanamh sároibre ar son an Rialtais agus mhuintir na tíre.

I want to raise the matter of the N59 road in Connemara. The N59 is the longest road in Ireland. It stretches from County Sligo through County Mayo into Connemara and around to Galway city. The Galway section stretches from Leenane to Clifden to Maam Cross and into Galway city. It is a beautiful road. The section from Leenane to Clifden is part of the Wild Atlantic Way. It is an important road. It is the only national secondary road we have in the Connemara area. Improvements have been made to it over the past few years. The Moycullen bypass opened in December 2023. It has alleviated traffic in the evenings and has benefited residents of Moycullen, Rosscahill, Oughterard and indeed, all users on that road. In 2020 and 2021, we saw the start and completion of the N59 Maam Cross to Bunnakill upgrade. That covered approximately 5 km of road. For anyone who has driven it since that has been a huge improvement and it is such a pleasure to drive compared to the road section preceding it and after it. It has improved road safety enormously for drivers, cyclists, residents along the road and landowners. It really is what we should strive to see along the whole road in terms of improved sight lines, drivability, comfort and greater overtaking opportunities. The next phase committed to was from Bunnakill to Claremont and Oughterard, which is 10 km. The plan, as I understand it, was to carry out improvements to a similar level doing 5 km at a time. This section of road has an unusual planning history. It got planning permission a number of years ago but one of the conditions was to have engagement with the National Parks and WIldlife Service, NPWS, at different stages. That was something the NPWS did not request or particularly want. It had not been something it received in the past. After some back and forth, the council requested an amendment to the planning condition and sought agreement from the NPWS for its support to the amendment to the planning application. That happened. The service wrote to the county council and that went back to the board. The road project has planning permission. We have seen what can be done. The issues surrounding the National Parks and Wildlife Service and its unusual role as part of the planning application has been agreed following approval from the service. Where is this at now and what is the next stage that will result in construction of this badly needed road for the benefit of the residents of Connemara and tourists alike?

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I offer mo chomhghairdeas don Cheannaire, an Seanadóir Seán Kyne, as ucht a phoist nua. Beidh sé go hiontach sa ról sin, is dóigh liom.

I congratulate the Senator on his appointment and thank him for raising this very important matter of the N59.

In total, €411 million of Exchequer capital funds was provided for national roads through TII through local authorities in 2024 with €14 million for national roads in Galway under the national road allocations announced earlier. Allocations for 2025 will be announced in the coming weeks.

In the new NDP launched in October 2021, approximately €5.1 billion is earmarked for new national road projects to 2030. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of national road projects in the NDP, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others. The upgrade of the N59 between the Maam Cross and Oughterard project is included in the list of projects to be considered for prioritisation within the funding envelope of the NDP. The N59 Clifden to Maam Cross section of the route is also one of the projects listed within the NDP for progression. However, this scheme has not progressed in the past number of years due to funding constraints.

The upgrade of the N59 between Maam Cross and Bunnakill is, as Senator Kyne stated, a 5 km section and we welcome the improvements completed in 2021. Subsequent to this, both Galway County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland were keen to progress with advance works for the next 10 km section of the N59 between Bunnakill and Claremont. This will most likely progress as two separate 5 km sections. An allocation of €500,000 was provided in last year to facilitate this.

Planning and design of advance works on the next section of this scheme, Bunnakill to Claremont, has commenced. On this section, the NPWS and Galway County Council, as the Senator referenced, are liaising with each other on An Bord Pleanála condition. I stipulate that it is a Bord Pleanála condition requiring the approval of construction methods statements of mitigation for impacts on the freshwater pearl mussel population in the Owenriff river, which NPWS indicates may be beyond its legal jurisdiction. Work on tender documents for advance works are complete. I hope we will see progress on this. I will bring back the genuine concerns and comments of the Senator regarding it being the longest road in Ireland and also the importance of the route in terms of the Wild Atlantic Way.

It is important that the council and the NPWS continue to liaise. If there is an obstacle, as was stipulated, and it is possible to overcome it, then let us do so. I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister for Transport, on whose behalf I am taking this Commencement matter. He apologises he cannot be here this morning.

Senator Seán Kyne

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am somewhat disappointed that there is not more detail, but I understand the Minister of State is here on behalf of the Minister. I would like to see progress on this issue this year. I would like to see a firm commitment to works starting this year on this extremely important section of road. As I said, we have seen what can be done and we want the same between Oughterard and Maam Cross as we have from Bunnakill to Maam Cross. I ask the Minister of State to bring this request back to the Minister. I would like to see a commitment to funding being provided this year. Perhaps the Minister of State is able to advise when the full amount of national road funding will be provided and if funding for national roads in the 2025 roads programme will be higher than it was in 2024. It is important that we invest in road infrastructure because road safety is as important as anything else.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I accept the Senator's comment that he is disappointed by the reply. The national roads allocation for this year will be announced in the near future. The Government is committed to funding road projects and the N59 fits into this category. As the Senator knows, the project is progressing and is a major project in terms of being in or near the end of construction. It comes under the national roads framework in terms of protection and renewal, enhancing road safety and is in line with national development policy and Government policy. I do not see any reason the N59 project cannot be proceeded with further. As the Senator said, it is very much part of the NDP. I am happy to work with the Senator to ensure the Department and TII will consider this project for funding in future years.

The Senator will be aware that the protection and renewal of existing national roads are a priority for the Government. The majority of funding allocated for Galway last year was utilised for this purpose. The funding is used for junction improvement, pavement renewal, road safety improvement, the maintenance of structures such as bridges and the progression of minor improvement projects. As the Senator said, this road comes under many categories and deserves to be supported. I will bring the Senator's concerns and comments back to the Department.

Heritage Sites

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin

I think the Minister of State is missing us a lot. He is back in the House very regularly. It is always good to have him here.

The Commencement matter I have concerns the Curragh Plains and the management of the area. In his time as Cathaoirleach, the Minister of State will know this is an issue I have raised quite a bit. Indeed, I brought forward a Private Member's Bill on the protection of the Curragh. It is a unique place, consisting of 5,000 acres in the heartland of the country and is of great cultural, heritage and ecological importance. Obviously, it is also home to the Defence Forces and the thoroughbred industry.

I raise this issue again because while many of us acknowledge there have been many problems in the management of the Curragh, which has been under the auspices of the Department of Defence, and there have been by-laws to supposedly protect the Curragh, the present Curragh legislation is not fit for purpose. We have had many problems over recent years. This was especially the case last year when we had 25 separate illegal encampments, one of which consisted of as many as 35 caravans. This has caused major problems on the Curragh for those neighbouring the area and for businesses working on its edge, including hospitality businesses. The bills for the clean-ups have amounted to millions of euro over recent years. Last year alone, the cost was €200,000. It is very important that something is done.

The Department of Defence and Kildare County Council commissioned a survey and report. Some 3,500 people responded to the survey. On 17 December 2024, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, published the proposed Curragh Plains conservation management plan and interpretation, branding and wayfinding plan. These were two extremely important plans to try to preserve the importance of the Curragh for all those who use it. One recommendation is that there would be a new management plan and a different organisation would take over the management of the Curragh. It is vitally important that work is done to ensure this happens. It is also extremely important as we approach St. Patrick's Day and Easter, when illegal encampments start, that we do not have a recurrence of what happened last year and in previous years. I would like to find out from the Minister of State what plans are in place for the short, medium and long term.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence who cannot, unfortunately, be here today. He has asked me to convey his apologies. To be fair to the Senator, she has raised this matter on numerous occasions in this House, including in her Private Member's Bill.

As we all know, the Curragh, as State land vested in the Minister for Defence, is recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces, as well as being a place of historical and cultural importance, as Senator O'Loughlin rightly said. The main occupiers are the Defence Forces in the Curragh Camp, and the Curragh Racecourse, which leases a large tract of land. Additionally, the plains are used by sheep owners, who avail of rights of pasture on the lands, and by locals and visitors to Kildare as a major natural amenity. We all love the Curragh and have a strong affinity with it.

As the Senator rightly said, the Curragh is approximately 4,870 acres and is one of the most open and accessible areas in the country. While I would not wish to see this level of accessibility diminished, as a public representative from the locality, I know the Senator is acutely aware this has presented several challenges for the management of illegal camping and illegal dumping, as she rightly said. Last year saw many illegal encampments set up over the summer months, which caused a great deal of disruption and anxiety to everybody. The Department of Defence does not accept that those occupying these encampments have any right to reside on the Curragh Plains and, as such, has engaged with the Chief State Solicitor's office, CSSO, in anticipation of any potential trespassing to ensure all legal steps are taken promptly to protect the plains. In the case of trespass or criminal damage, it is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána to police the situation and my Department has engaged with the force on this issue.

In terms of addressing the challenges in the long term, the Department of Defence is working to ensure we move to a modern and sustainable regulatory model in managing this historically important landscape. As the Senator will be aware, the Department of Defence has been collaborating with Kildare County Council for several years on the Curragh consultancy project, seeking to develop a suitable future management method and to highlight the importance and significance of the heritage associated with the Curragh Plains. The project came to completion in December 2024 when the Curragh Plains conservation management plan and the associated branding, interpretation and wayfinding strategy were published by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin. The consultation process identified the need for a review of the Curragh by-laws and the Curragh of Kildare Act 1961 and potential amendments to provide effective solutions to challenges faced. The report also identified the need to consider, as the Senator said, a new dedicated agency to be responsible for the Curragh or to assign responsibility for the site to an existing agency with the necessary expertise to maximise the potential of the plains.

Throughout the project, the Department of Defence and Kildare County Council remained cognisant of the need to have in place a means of ensuring the conservation of this ancient landscape, while also enabling the area to receive the recognition it deserves.

The plan has laid out opportunities by means of which the area can be uniquely identified and has also scoped out the development potential of the area as a high-value visitor attraction. It also aims to balance the needs of the respective users of the Curragh Plains while caring for its natural qualities, providing clear policies for its sustainable future use. The Government is committed to the implementation of these recommendations to address the opportunities and challenges, as can be seen by its inclusion in the programme for Government.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this issue repeatedly and for her advocacy and work on the matter in the Chamber. I assure her it is the intention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to ensure that the Curragh Plains, as an important element of our shared heritage, are protected, while also ensuring maximum benefit for the local population and for those who come to visit the area.

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He spoke about accessibility for people who live in the area. This is very important, and it is something we certainly do not want to take away from them. The illegal encampments to which I referred earlier are causing great problems and financial expense for the Department and Kildare County Council. I thank both entities for their help. I also thank the local gardaí. I appreciate that the Chief State Solicitor is looking at the legislation.

I was very heartened when this was included in the programme for Government and the now Taoiseach Deputy Martin was very clear that he wanted to have it in the programme for Government. We worked closely together on it. I am concerned that I am not getting a timeline. I would appreciate it if, when the Minister of State reports back to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, he asks for a timeline on this. As already stated, it is now March. Easter falls next month. We absolutely cannot have a repeat of what we had in recent years. We need to have a short-term plan in place in terms of the management of the plains. We need to ensure there is a very clear timeline for putting in place the rest of the steps.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her comments. As the Minister with responsibility for defence, the Tánaiste is the custodian and guardian of the Curragh lands pursuant to the provisions of the Curragh of Kildare Act 1961. Under the latter, the Curragh Plains are recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces, as well as being a place of historic and cultural importance. As I have stated previously, the Tánaiste remains fully committed to pursuing a modern and sustainable regulatory model in the management of the historically important landscape that is the Curragh. I will convey Senator O'Loughlin's comments on the timeline.

The Curragh Plains conservation management plan, which was finalised and published last December, is under consideration by officials in the Department of Defence. This will provide the foundation for implementing the recommendations identified, including the progression of proposals for the future management of the plains. I reiterate that it is the intention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to ensure that the Curragh Plains are protected, while also ensuring the maximum benefit for all stakeholders. I look forward to Senator O'Loughlin engaging further on this matter and I thank her for bringing it to the attention of the House.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Anne Rabbitte)

I welcome Deputy Danny Healy-Rae and his visitors to the Gallery.

Further and Higher Education

Senator Eileen Lynch

I thank the Minister for taking this matter, which relates to the need for an update on the status of a new building for Macroom Youthreach further education and training centre. Macroom is my hometown in County Cork. For more than 20 years, the Youthreach building in Macroom has not been fit for purpose. There is little to no insulation. The only form of heating comes from a heater hanging from the ceiling and plug-in electrical heaters. The roof is not fire-proofed. There is mould throughout the building. There are exposed electrical wires throughout the building and a single bathroom for students and teachers. There have even been problems with rodents. These are just some of the issues with the building. There have also been water leaks, as well as flooding due to recent heavy rain. Without a doubt, the building is in breach of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

Youthreach provides an invaluable service to young people in Macroom and the surrounding areas. It is a great testament to the wonderful staff that they continue to provide such high standards of education in these dire conditions. As well as those from Macroom town, students come from all over the mid-Cork region, with some even coming from as far away as Kenmare in County Kerry. By the Department's own admission, Youthreach works with the most vulnerable students. During lockdown, no others in the education sector were requested to work face to face apart from Youthreach students and staff.

In Macroom, Youthreach 25% of students come from international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centres and 20% from the Traveller community. A further 20% have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. We are failing these vulnerable young people by providing them with an inadequate building in which to learn. At present, the centre is at full capacity, which is 20 students. While there is a great demand for more spaces it is not possible with the condition of the building. The team there had been advised that a new building would be ready by September last but this did not come happen. They are still awaiting confirmation on whether the proposed new building has been acquired and will be open and ready for its purpose in 2025. The team of students and staff in Youthreach Macroom carry out outstanding work and boast an exceptionally high success and progression rate. Students leave there with a major Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, award in employment skills. Many progress to further education and training, apprenticeships or employment. It is vital that a new building be secured as soon as possible.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Deputy James Lawless)

It is good to see the Acting Chair, Senator Rabbitte, back in office. This is the first opportunity I have had to engage with Senator Lynch. I congratulate her on her election. I look forward to working with her and other Members of the Upper House on many matters, particularly those relating to my brief.

I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue. As I know she is very aware, Youthreach is a vital programme designed to support young people who have left school early. Senator Lynch gave some statistics on the users of the service in Macroom which I have noted. I assure Senator Lynch that An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna, SOLAS, and Cork Education and Training Board, ETB, are very much engaged on this issue and are working together to progress a facility to ensure the continuation of the service.

Cork ETB runs the Youthreach centre in Macroom. It also provides services for a wide geographic area. I visited Cork and met the ETB on Friday last. The reason for my visit was the 30th anniversary of the Dillon's Cross project. This is a fantastic programme providing diverse paths to and from education for prison inmates. There is education for those in prison and for the families and spouses of people in prison. I was in Cork City Hall to celebrate this occasion with Cork ETB. I also had a separate meeting with the ETB executive. I met Dennis Leamy, the director further education, John Fitzgibbons, and several ETB board members, including Councillor Gillian Coughlan, chair of Cork ETB. We discussed a variety of matters relating to education in the Cork area.

As Senator Lynch knows, Youthreach provides integrated education, training and work experience, and focuses on personal development, literacy, numeracy and vocational skills. It offers a lifeline to many, with a second chance to build a brighter future. Almost 6,000 places are available nationwide under the Youthreach umbrella every year.

The kernel of Senator Lynch's matter relates to Macroom, and I will speak about the Youthreach service there in particular. I had an opportunity to visit Macroom last year in my previous role as Minister of State at the Department of Transport. I visited with Deputy Andreas Moynihan. We visited the sorting office, Millstreet train station up the road, the bus station in Macroom and a number of other sites. I am familiar with the town and I am familiar with some of the sites being proposed and considered.

The lease on the current building expired in 2012. Despite ongoing efforts, a new agreement with the landlord has not yet been reached. Property searches for alternative leased buildings have not been successful either. An interim arrangement is in place at present, but I note Senator Lynch's comments and agree the building is not in good condition.

I also take on board the Senator's comments about health and safety and so forth. I understand the need for a suitable learning environment for both students and staff. Towards that end, SOLAS, supported by my Department, is supporting Cork ETB in seeking to develop a facility in Macroom to enable the continuation of delivery of Youthreach services and potentially expand further education and training delivery in areas of adult education. Discussions with a prospective new landlord are in progress. An application for a lease sanction is expected. However, that requires clear cost estimates and building works and a timeframe to be supplied and available.

Macroom Youthreach centre offers young people, aged 15 to 20, who are out of mainstream education an alternative educational pathway. It is approved for 20 Youthreach places, working with each individual student, placing emphasis on academic skills along with practical life skills in preparation for the wider world. There are various awards on offer across levels 3 and 4 on a variety of courses, which I am sure the Senator is familiar with: work experience; woodwork; career planning; personal effectiveness; literacy; computer literacy; horticulture; culinary arts; and many others.

The next steps, to get to the nub of the matter, involve the completion of a due diligence report by Cork ETB, SOLAS and the property oversight group, which is a cross-departmental team comprising officials from my Department and the Department of Education. They must consider the available options, including the prospective landlord currently being discussed, taking into consideration value for money, assessment of needs and climate targets.

I stress that we are keen - as Minister, I am very keen - to arrive at a solution, but there is still some work to be done at a more local level in terms of ironing out the details about the pledge of property that is being considered. As soon as the terms are favourable, I assure the Senator that I will not be found wanting in progressing the matter.

Senator Eileen Lynch

I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate the detail in it and his obvious commitment to this. Nonetheless, it is incredibly disappointing that very little progress seems to have been made on this. Initially, there was meant to be a new centre in 2023, then in 2024. Being brutally honest, we are at the start of the month of March now, so from reading that, it is highly unlikely we will have progress for September 2025.

I would be obliged if the Minister could provide any further clarity as to where we actually are in terms of due diligence. In regard to sanctioning a lease, I am aware that there is a property in the town that is being considered, but the personnel in Youthreach and I were under the impression that the consideration was much further along than appears to be the case. The Minister noted within his response the level of services provided by Youthreach. It is a truly fantastic service and we are lucky to have it in the town, but the standard of the current building is disappointing. The Minister stated that he had been down there, but I will of course extend an invite to him to come down and see it again. It is poor that students and staff are in these conditions and the matter cannot seem to be expedited.

Deputy James Lawless

I thank the Senator for the invite. I may well take her up on that at some stage when I am next in the area. I visited Cork ETB last Friday and discussed a range of areas, including plans at Carrigaline and other places where it has ambition. I share and support its ambitions, no less so in Macroom. There are some steps to go through as regards the proposed site, namely, value for money, assessment of needs, climate targets, modernisation, suitability and all the other criteria I would expect my officials to apply to any location. This one is no different. Cork ETB is on the move and is a proactive and dynamic organisation. It has a renewed and reimagined further education provision model. There is that intention to consolidate around a purpose-adapted single facility. It would follow the lines of the Mallow development, with which the Senator may be familiar. That is the intention.

I assure the Senator that, from my discussions with Cork ETB and my Department, the ETB, SOLAS and I are committed to making this happen, but there is some work to do on it. Perhaps the Senator might wish to use her offices at local level, too. We will all do a bit. I will push from this side and she might makes representations locally as well to get everyone moving forward.

Sitting suspended at 11.45 a.m. and resumed at 12 noon.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.45 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar mheán lae.