Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Jun 2023

Vol. 1039 No. 6

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Early Childhood Care and Education

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, not just for being here to take this matter but also for liaising with my office when he could not be here on a previous occasion when the issue was discussed. This arises out of a question I raised directly with the Taoiseach during Questions on Promised Legislation in regard to after-school care for children with additional needs. The norm for most families is to avail of childcare to facilitate not just the parents going to work, which it does, but also to facilitate the child to develop, socialise and do all the good stuff we want to see happening. I raised this issue following a query to my constituency office. It was only when that query was raised that a whole rake of other questions started to come in. It seems this is an issue for a lot of families.

The parents in question were sent to the HSE, which sent them to the special educational needs organiser, SENO. The SENO then sent them back to the HSE. Seeking clarity, I raised the issue with the Taoiseach. His response was:

The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, informs me that this [provision] is available in CHO 9 but perhaps not in all parts of the country. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to come back to the Deputy on the matter directly.

I responded that CHO 9 is my area and I am aware the provision is not available. I subsequently corresponded with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and submitted the matter for discussion as a Topical Issue. It was given to the Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, has not come back to me as yet but I understand the matter is now with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. That is fine.

The Minister will be in receipt of a letter from constituents of mine. I want to be careful not to identify them because parents of children with additional needs have to go through enough, tell enough about their lives and put enough of their personal information into the public domain. However, I will read out a couple of lines from their correspondence that jumped out at me. They wrote: "When you are the parent of a child with additional needs, you find yourself only being able to access scraps and the bare minimum and having to be grateful for them." The parent in this instance quotes from the National Quality Guidelines for School Age Childcare Services as follows:

Equality involves a commitment to positive experiences for all children irrespective of their... disability, birth or other status. To achieve this, different groups may need additional supports.

Children will have the support of a special needs assistant, SNA, if they are in a mainstream school or special school. They will have the SNA support that is tied to the school. That care will be provided for more hours in a secondary school but will stop at a certain point for children in primary school. That is grand if the parents can get full-time wages for finishing work at 1 p.m. Most people cannot do so. They should not have to face a situation whereby one of them will either have to change to part-time work, if it is available, or give up work altogether. Neither is an option for most people.

The parent in this case says she cannot send her child to a typical summer camp outside of her crèche as there are no camps that cater for children with additional needs. She has been in contact with the children's disability network team, CDNT, the SENO and the HSE but she cannot get a straight answer. Surely information on the different types of supports should be readily available. School-age childcare is a necessity for many families and a positive support for many children. I want to emphasise this is not just an issue around childcare. It is also an issue around socialisation and development for children. As the Minister knows and appreciates, parents of children with additional needs have to fight for everything. They have to live in a world in which their children are excluded from a lot of activities. It is not acceptable that children, because they have additional needs, have a vastly different experience of school from that of all other children.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Deputy Roderic O'Gorman)

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to answer the question she has raised. A key objective of my Department is to ensure early learning and care provision promotes the participation of all children. To that end, the Department has taken steps to integrate additional supports and services for children and families with additional needs. The access and inclusion model, AIM, which was introduced in 2016, provides a suite of supports to ensure children with a disability can meaningfully participate in, and reap the benefits of, the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme.

AIM provides both targeted and universal supports. The latter are designed to create a more inclusive culture in early learning and care settings through the provision of training courses and qualifications for staff. The targeted supports can include, depending on children's individual needs, specialist equipment and funding for extra staff or reduced ratios. The application process for these supports is very simple and is not dependent on a diagnosis or anything like that. Parents are advised to speak to their provider, which will make an application for targeted supports in collaboration with the parents. The provider will submit the application on the parents' behalf to Better Start, which is the body responsible for the administration of AIM. In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, we do not call the workers involved "SNAs" in this context. Instead, they are called AIM level 7 workers. They can be deployed to reduce the ratio within a setting or provide direct support to individual children within a setting. They must have the same qualifications as other childcare workers in that particular setting, namely, a minimum of a level 5 qualification in childcare. AIM has been extremely successful in supporting thousands of children to access the ECCE programme. Currently, there are more than 7,200 children receiving targeted supports within AIM.

The restriction under AIM is that it is designed for the two years of care provided under the ECCE programme. As I said, it is working very well. First 5, the Government's strategy for children under five, has committed to extending AIM further. It is a model that works. I am looking, in next year's budget and future budgets, to grow AIM and allow it to apply to wider cohorts of children. I hope we can expand it to after-school care provision. It is resource-dependent. Allowing more children to access it, whether by way of enhanced hours after their ECCE hours are over or via access to the wider national childcare scheme, NCS, and after-school provision, is a key objective of my Department. AIM has been proven to offer the right set of supports to deliver the ECCE provision. I am looking to grow it but it will take a number of budgetary cycles before children of all age groups, across both early years and after-school provision, have full access to AIM.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Minister for his response. I am a big supporter of AIM. Its objectives are very worthwhile.

These parents, however, are facing a cliff edge, and they are not the only ones. There are quite a number of them in my area. They are facing a cliff edge in July. Their children, effectively, will be excluded from access to summer camps, to after-school activities, and to after-school support. The parents are facing a very tough decision. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Having two incomes coming into the household is now necessary. Many families - as the Minister will know - are having to face a situation where the parents are paying out of their own pocket for additional supports for their kids through the private sector. If a family has to face the decision of one parent potentially having to give up work or trying to find money for a childminder, it goes against the AIM objectives. The Minister and his Department say that diversity and inclusion is a good thing but it is not a possible thing for children with additional needs if they are effectively locked out.

I ask the Minister a question directly in relation to this. The Minister will have received the letter. I am aware the Minister gets a huge volume of correspondence and I do not expect that he would have read all of it, but he will be aware of the situation. What do I say to these parents now with 1 July coming? That is when they have to make a very tough decision. All they want for their kids is the same as any of us want for the children in our lives: that they thrive and live their best life. To fulfil the mandate of the Minister's own Department, it means that different groups may need additional supports. These people need additional supports and their kids need additional supports.

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman

I thank the Deputy. I am acutely aware of the cost-of-living crises that many families face. This is why in last year's budget I was able to get a very significant investment to cut childcare costs for all parents, at an average of 25%. This is why in next year's budget I am looking specifically to extend that out to childminders. The Deputy also raised this issue with regard to the significant number of parents who use childminders and are not able to avail of the NCS for that childcare provision at the moment. Perhaps after the session here, the Deputy might give me the names of the individuals in question and tomorrow I will make sure to look up the specific correspondence. I will look to see what advice or supports are available there under the existing structures.

The situation as described by the Deputy is a combination of elements. After-school care as we know it is provided in a childcare facility. Whether that is something that can be done there, or can be extended out to summer camp that is not necessarily provided in a setting supported by my Department, just adds an extra complexity there. I will need to study the specific issue. We are aware that additional supports are needed to support children to access early years programmes, be it the ECCE scheme and the really good AIM scheme. As I have said, I want to grow AIM. I want AIM applying to more children across a wider cohort, from younger children to older children and in after-school supports. I am conscious that AIM is an expensive programme, and it should be because it is providing supports. It is something that will probably have to be done on a step-by-step basis. I believe that I have demonstrated over the last number of years that I have secured increased investment in childcare, supporting parents, children, workers and providers. I look to continue to do that in budget 2024. Perhaps the Deputy will let me know the name of that family.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I will. I thank the Minister.

School Accommodation

Deputy Michael Ring

Balla Secondary School has made an application under the grant aid for major capital works. There has been substantial growth in student numbers from 222 six years ago to the current enrolment of 421, with more than 40 staff. Enrolment is expected to increase to more than 500 students. Balla is located eight miles from Castlebar. It is a commuter town from Castlebar, Ballinrobe and Claremorris. The current school building consists of a number of blocks. There is an estate block that was built in the 1800s and is not fit for purpose. A block was built in the 1960s, a block built in the 1980s, a sports hall built in the 1980s, a small extension built in 2007 and an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, two-classroom block currently near completion. The school has never been refurbished. It is based on a 16-acre site. The extension is required to accommodate new art, home economic, technology, construction, woodwork and technical graphic area. This would allow some of the existing accommodation to be refurbished to facilitate a music room and a dining room. There are currently no dining facilities on-site. Also, the existing sports hall has no gym, no toilets and no ladies changing area. It requires an extension to facilitate the leaving certificate physical education curriculum.

Extensive refurbishment is required internally and externally. The essential internal upgrade refurbishment is required to set up a new art, home economic, technical graphic demonstration room and science laboratory. A number of years ago, this school was under a bit of difficulty. A new principal came in and a new board of management. The school will have more than 500 students next year and is in need of a new school extension. Tonight I plead with the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, to go back to his colleague to make sure that the school gets the extension that it needs. Some of these buildings go back to the 1800s. The school has fantastic staff. It is a fantastic school with fantastic teachers. Now with new pupils coming in, the numbers will be over 500 next year. I hope that it will get a good result from the Department and from the Minister as quickly as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Jack Chambers)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to the status of the application for additional school accommodation made by Balla Secondary School, County Mayo. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley.

Balla Secondary School is a mixed school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Tuam. In the 2022-23 school year, it had a total enrolment of 422 pupils. The Department’s planning and building unit received an application for capital works from the school in question. The school applied for a substantial level of new accommodation, including specialist subject accommodation, as well as seeking significant refurbishment works both internally and externally.

The Department of Education has been progressing its work programme and priorities for 2023. Key priorities in this regard including continuing strong delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning ahead for the 2023-24 school year and beyond.

The application from Balla Secondary School is being assessed under the Department’s additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme to consider its eligibility for capital funding. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for students with special educational needs is available to cater for students enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

Officials in the Department are currently assessing the accommodation needs of the school in the context of both current and projected enrolments. As part of this, officials are considering the wider medium to long-term demographic needs of the school planning area, to which the Deputy has also referred. This assessment will reflect the extent of accommodation currently at the school, any deficit relative to current or projected enrolment, the timing and duration of any additional accommodation need, and the overall climate action objectives. Officials from the Department of Education will be in touch with the school authorities directly as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

In the context of Project Ireland 2040, which the Deputy is familiar with, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion in capital investment over the period from 2021 to 2025. There will be a rolling five-year funding envelope, which will be updated for the period 2026 to 2030, within the Government’s overall national development plan, NDP, funding envelope of €136 billion in Exchequer capital that will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland.

I acknowledge the Deputy's own contribution and advocacy for the school, and I will fully reflect that to the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. There is no better person in Mayo than Deputy Ring to strongly advocate for a school. I know this well from going through the community in Balla.

Deputy Michael Ring

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I ask the Minister of State to talk with the Minister for Education, and I will talk with her myself at the vote tomorrow night. Once again, I just want to emphasise that these boys and girls are at their best stages of life. To have to work at a facility like this is not fair to the teachers, it is not fair to the staff and it is not fair to the board of management. Even now, there are roof sections that are leaking, there are no proper changing rooms and there are no proper sporting facilities.

These are all facilities the school had built in the 1980s. The building itself goes back to the 1800s. This building needs a refurbishment. We need modern schools. A great deal of money has been put into education by this Government, the previous one and earlier governments. This school, in particular, has now built up a fantastic student base. There is a fantastic community spirit in Balla. It has been one of the best towns in County Mayo over the past number of years because they have pulled together as a community. They have built up the town and the different sporting organisations and the one thing that is lacking now is school facilities. I am calling on the Minister and the Department to immediately do whatever has to be done to get these new facilities put in place. All they are looking for is a refurbishment to modernise the school.

The principal came in a number of years ago when the school was in great difficulty because people were not seeing it as a modern facility. People want a modern facility now. The school has won the pupils back, has won the parents back and has won the catchment areas back. In fact, the school is now growing so fast that it has a problem. This is why I want to see something done for this school immediately. The principal has done a superb job, as have the 42 staff there who have all worked well with Fr. Carney, who is the local parish priest. He has also done a tremendous job. There is a great community spirit in the town. I believe it deserves its school. I know that the Minister and the Department will not be found wanting because it is a school that is progressing. It is great to see the numbers because a number of years ago there were worries about whether the school would survive. The numbers were dropping but now the numbers are increasing in all of the catchment area. People are also coming in from outside of the catchment area now because the school has got such a great reputation. What is needed now is the facility. I thank the Minister of State.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue regarding the school's application and I appreciate his remarks. As I have said, my officials in the Department are working to assess the accommodation needs of the school under my Department’s capital scheme and will be in touch with the school authorities directly as soon as possible. This assessment will consider the current and projected enrolment at the school and will focus on providing any required additional capacity to meet the needs for mainstream accommodation and for students with special educational needs.

The significant capital envelope being made available by the Department of Education will be utilised to build a modern and sustainable school infrastructure to meet the needs of the school community in Balla. I will re-emphasise and commend what the Deputy has just said in respect of the community spirit. I am familiar with Balla in respect of sport and education, among many areas, and the work of the leaders in the school community who have re-energised and rebuilt the impetus that has driven that enrolment demand. I will fully reflect what the Deputy has said this evening and the need to make progress with this application with my senior colleague, the Minister, Deputy Foley. I thank the Deputy for his advocacy on this issue.

Climate Change Policy

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers.

I will outline first the deep concern expressed by many farmers in rural areas, especially in rural Kerry. The farmers whose lands people are talking about rewetting are the farmers who are working the hardest. They drained their land and were encouraged to do so to make it productive back in the 1960s, the early 1970s and through the 1980s. They were grant-aided to do that and they worked very hard to make their land productive. It is very hurtful now for them to hear people in government or advising Government, or whatever, saying that these lands should be rewetted in the name of biodiversity. That will actually spell the end of their livelihoods if that goes through. However, it has stalled in recent times in Europe. I believe that a vote was lost by the people proposing the rewetting. I believe that another vote is due to take place in the next few days.

I was glad to hear the Taoiseach today outline his view on rewetting. He said that it should only be voluntary and that farmers should be compensated if they decide to go for this scheme. I have a problem with that, although it is good to hear him saying it in the first place. If a farmer in the middle of a flat low-lying place decides that he wants to flood or rewet his place, he will probably rewet his neighbours on one side of him or on both sides. You could have problems because of that. This is unfair because when you talk about rewetting, you are only talking about people on these low-lying lands. Then you have people in the Golden Vale with free-draining soil, and you have mountainy places which will not be affected at all. In the 1940s and early 1950s, the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 helped people in places like north Kerry to drain almost 26,000 acres of land, which is now highly productive land. The communities around there have enjoyed the spin-off from good farming practices over the years in the villages, the shops, the garages and the entire community.

Then there is the proposal to carry out maintenance. We have 1,172 submissions from the likes of An Taisce, Bat Conservation Ireland, BirdWatch Ireland and so on. All of these groups - I will not call them "do-gooders" - are aided and funded by the Government. These organisations have lodged professional submissions against what the OPW and the farming community have in mind and want to do to ensure that maintenance is continued into the future at the Cashen outlet, which has silted up by more than a metre from what it was. There are proposals for 16 pumps driven by wind energy because they cannot carry out the drainage in the manner they have done previously due to the fact that the Cashen outlet is in a special area of conservation.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan.

One of the commitments in the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 is to put forward a proposal for legally binding EU nature restoration targets. The proposed regulation on nature restoration aims to fulfil this commitment. This significant EU legislation will have an impact on all areas of society, and not just farming. It will introduce restoration targets across a wide range of land uses throughout rural and urban environments, including lands in agricultural use, forestry and the marine. There will be legally binding restoration targets for a broad suite of marine and terrestrial habitats including grasslands, woodlands, sand dunes, rivers, lakes, peatlands and other wetlands. This will inevitably have policy, legislative and sectoral implications across many Departments from housing and planning to energy, forestry, fisheries and water. According to the proposed draft regulation, restoration measures should cover at least 20% of the EU's land and sea area by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. Restoration of habitats does not necessarily mean cessation of current land use. Rather, it is an opportunity to work with landowners in order to reach restoration objectives.

On the concerns of farmers, I appreciate that there is uncertainty arising from Article 9 which concerns agricultural ecosystems and particularly the requirement to fulfil targets relating to the restoration of drained peatlands in agricultural use. Restoration of drained peatlands does not necessarily mean bringing the water table to surface level. Rewetting is just one of several tools available for restoration of target ecosystems. The broad definition will allow Ireland to determine for itself what rewetting means in our national circumstances. On the draft targets, a reduction in the original Commission proposal has been brought about by Ireland and other countries on foot of our participation in negotiations. The Commission has confirmed that restoration works under way at the time the draft regulation may come into force can count towards overall targets. This would mean that the commitment of over 77,000 ha of peatland rehabilitation using Bord na Móna lands in the Climate Action Plan 2023, for example, can count towards the overall targets if that work is under way by the time the regulation comes in. This will obviously reduce the demand on landowners.

Moreover, this is without counting the several thousand hectares of restoration works currently under way and planned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS. Any decision on how much State land is to be used will be a factor in the national restoration plan, along with other considerations such as non-peat extraction lands, such as Coillte lands; incentives and schemes for voluntary rewetting and so forth. Any additional measures needed will be introduced with landowners in mind and in consultation with them, which will be important. The impact of any measures on the landowners' ability to continue the economic use of their land will be considered and there will have to be engagement as part of any national restoration plan. It is important to flag at this stage that the undertaking of such measures will be voluntary and fully resourced. The current Swedish Presidency of the EU is seeking to establish an agreed approach in time for the Council meeting on 20 June. After that, negotiations at EU level - the Taoiseach spoke about this earlier - will continue with the next Council Presidency engaging with the European Parliament and the Commission in overall trilogues around potential agreement on the final text. Continued negotiations on this are needed over the coming period.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. However, again, considering this rewetting will have a desperate effect on people who drained their lands and have successfully farmed them for many years. Take the people of north Kerry. It is a vibrant farming community and they have great hurling teams. Kerry has the best football team in the country most years, but we also have massive hurlers and hurling clubs in north Kerry, who are proud of their tradition and villages such as Liscahane, Ballyduff, Abbeydorney, Ballybunion and all those places. They are massively proud of their places. Any proposal for rewetting or increasing the level of water in this area would have a disastrous effect on farmers and on the community's ability to exist going into the future. It cannot be considered.

The farming community are the custodians of the land. They are proud of their places. They want to better them and hand them on to the next generation in better shape than they got them. They do not need to be dictated to by An Taisce, BirdWatch Ireland or any of these people about how to run or operate their farms. They value biodiversity more than anyone else. However, to ask them to rewet their land is absolutely criminal. The people on my side of the country in south Kerry worked hard over the years to drain their places. To have anyone here, in Europe or anywhere else deciding that they will or will not rewet their lands is unfair. I ask the Minister of State, in government, to ensure this does not happen. He will play his role. He is in the Department of Transport. Even though he is in Dublin, he must speak up for the rural side of the country because it is vital to the well-being of the country, especially the farmers of Kerry.

Deputy Jack Chambers

Certainly with my previous hat on, I was familiar with and was in Lixnaw with the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is a great hurling club that benefited from the sports capital programme.

I will set out the facts on this, as much has been said publicly that sometimes polarises communities. It is clear that any measures will be introduced with landowners in mind and in consultation with them. That will be considered in the context of an overall national restoration plan. It is important to flag again that such measures will be voluntary and will have to be well resourced. I already set out in my original answer the context of State land, such as Bord na Móna land and what the NPWS is already doing in nature restoration and improving biodiversity. The Swedish Presidency is trying to conclude this file. That will allow for trilogue discussions to take place with the Parliament and the Commission to agree the final text. Significant flexibility has been built into the latest iteration of the proposed regulation - and the Minister, Deputy McConalogue has set this out clearly - because of our negotiations with the European Council and the Commission. The NPWS will continue to work with the EU and national stakeholders to develop an overall national restoration plan that works for all aspects of society. We need nature and we also need food. The scientific evidence is definitive. The security of both are interconnected, even more so in a climate-changed world. We should all be mindful of that. That is why we will hold the trilogue discussions to try to strike a balance. As I said earlier, and as has been said by the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and others, we will work with landowners, all schemes will be voluntary and well resourced and we will also use State lands. It is about striking a balance in the European negotiation.

Road Network

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister of State for being here tonight to take this matter in his role in the Department of Transport. The N71 is the most important route in west Cork. It is the national route that serves the entire region, coming from Cork city through Inishannon, Bandon and Clonakilty out to Skibbereen, Ballydehob, Bantry and Glengarriff. That will give the Minister of State an idea of the expanse of the route and number of communities it connects. It is much more than that. It is important infrastructure for those who commute from the towns I mentioned, perhaps to Cork city for work. It is important from a tourism point of view. It is the main route for those landing in Cork Airport, who will eventually connect with the N71 or for those coming by boat. Whichever way tourists choose to arrive, the N71 is key for access to west Cork and for transporting goods to the various different industries in the area. The Minister of State will get the point about what an important piece of infrastructure it is.

Unfortunately, for decades that route has been overlooked for funding. No significant schemes have been carried out there in previous decades. From my recollection, the last significant improvement to be done to that road was between Cork city to what we call the halfway roundabout, the first few kilometres. That was done decades ago, in the time when Joe Walsh, Jim O'Keeffe and the great Paddy Sheehan from Mizen Head were Deputies. Since then nothing has been done. Plenty of Deputies and Senators have represented the area in the time between theirs and mine. I plead with the Minister of State to look at some of the schemes that are on the table. For example, I have been told for years that a business case is being made for a section east of Rosscarbery town, between Newmills and Owenahincha, but funding or works are still not appearing. We are not seeing any movement on the bypass in Bandon or the southern relief road that has been mooted for years. The surface of the section of the road mentioned in the Topical Issue between Bandon and Clonakilty is like moon craters. At some times of the year, - it can be comical but it is actually unsafe - queues of cars are pulled in along the side of the road having to change tyres because of the condition of the surface there. We need realignment works to be done in strategic sections and proper resurfacing. The Topical Issue deals with the section between Clonakilty and Bandon, but I am talking about the N71 from Cork city all the way to Glengarriff. There are several sections for which, for the purpose of health and safely, for ease of commute and for the good of everyone we need to see funding.

Deputy Jack Chambers

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts, 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.

The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. 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 roads projects, 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. Approximately €491 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2023. These allocations were announced by the Department of Transport and TIl on 16 February 2023.

In the context of the national roads programme capital budget, which is provided by the Department to TIl, significant funding has been provided towards the improvement of the N71 since 1994, funding a variety of improvement schemes. Regarding the N71 between Bandon and Clonakilty, there is a proposed scheme to extend the existing Bandon relief road. The proposed relief road extension would involve bridging the R603 to remove the steep gradient and the construction of approximately 2.5 km of a new single carriageway, tying back into the existing N71, just to the west of the town. Some €150,000 was allocated for this project in 2023. A public consultation has been held and procurement of technical advisers is ongoing to advance the scheme based on the feedback received.

On the Deputy's query on the N71 Newmills to Owenahincha road realignment scheme, it aims to improve the safety of this section of the N71 and to provide for active travel options. A public consultation was held by Cork County Council in October 2022 as part of the option selection process. A procurement of technical advisers is ongoing to advance the scheme based on the feedback received.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

The last part of the Minister of State's statement on the procurement of technical advisers is encouraging. It sounds familiar and I feel like I have heard it before when it comes to the section between Owenahincha and Rosscarbery. We need to get cracking with significant improvements. There have been several incidents along this route and there have been fatalities.

There are two problems that stick out in the reply the Minister of State has given me. He stated that there has been significant funding of the N71 since 1994. It was around 1994 that the section between Cork city and the Halfway roundabout was done, which was the last significant improvement. The problem is that the Minister of State said that €150,000 has been allocated for the bypass in Bandon. As the Minister of State can imagine, with the cost of construction works that €150,000 might fund a feasibility study or something.

I do not mean to be flippant but I am just asking for a ball of cash to bring back to west Cork to carry out significant improvements. That is what is needed and what has been lacking. Other national routes have benefited from significant funding over the years. Macroom has a fantastic new bypass that is state-of-the-art and that will serve that region so well, right into Kerry. West Cork and the N71 have been forgotten and that needs to stop. We need to fund significant improvements.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I appreciate what the Deputy has said. Each year that funding for new roads projects occurs, the allocations that are required to ensure there is continued progress can vary. Some years it requires a multiple of what I have outlined earlier and when construction occurs it is at a much greater scale. To move through the different gateways and to make progress in the decision-making process, the amount can vary from year to year, which does not give a reflection of the overall progress. As I have said, technical advisers are being procured following the public consultation and the scheme is being advanced based on the feedback received.

The overall NDP allocation is heavily weighted towards the latter part of this decade in Cork. There is huge ambition within Government in transport to build the road safety improvements that are needed across communities. I take the Deputy's point and one thing I am prioritising is that I chair the ministerial road safety committee. It concerns me when we have increased collision data and significant increases in the use of particular roads that need funding. That is a concern in the context of our overall approach to road safety and vision zero in road safety. We have to make sure we continue to upgrade our national roads. In recent decades there has been a huge impact from the improvement of our road network in the overall reduction in road deaths.

I will take away what the Deputy has said and I will be engaging with TII on the importance of this road and on making progress with the N71. I will keep engaging with the Deputy on it.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 9.46 p.m. go dtí 9.12 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 14 Meitheamh 2023.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.46 p.m. until 9.12 a.m. on Wednesday, 14 June 2023.