I remind Deputies that they have 60 seconds each. If they take 70 seconds each, they are encroaching on other Members' time.
Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
I spent the morning speaking to many of the families of the Creeslough tragedy. They are distraught and retraumatised. They learnt through the media last night that permission has been granted to redevelop the site where their loved ones were injured and lost their lives. It will be three years in October since their lives were torn apart. Some of the families met with the Minister in October and asked for a public inquiry. They tell me they have not heard from her since. Following that meeting, the Garda Commissioner publicly stated that a public inquiry could run alongside a Garda investigation. This morning, I am thinking of Margaret O'Donnell, the mother of Catherine and the grandmother of James, both of whom were victims in the Creeslough tragedy. She went to her grave at the weekend without the answers that she and all the other families deserve. On the day that the families of the victims have been retraumatised with this decision and how it was communicated, can the Minister give them some comfort? Will she commit, as the former Minister for Justice who was to look into this issue, to the need for a public inquiry?
Thank you, Deputy.
Will she ask her Government to commit to that-----
Thank you, Deputy. The Minister to respond.
-----so that they can have the answers to the questions they all deserve to have answered?
I acknowledge the absolute devastation that was caused by this explosion. I met with the families because I wanted to hear from them. I wanted to meet them because I want to make sure they get the answers they are entitled to and they deserve. The number one objective here is that families get answers to the questions they have asked, as they are entitled to. We also want to make sure something like this does not happen again. I was very clear in my previous role, as was the Government, that an inquiry was never being ruled out. However, it is really important that the work of An Garda Síochána continues. The Garda Commissioner who I spoke to, and indeed the gardaí I spoke to in Donegal, have done a huge amount of work to make sure a file can be prepared and it will be sent to the DPP. However, if, at the end of that process - the DPP is independent - there are still questions that need to be answered, the Government has never ruled out a public inquiry, nor should it ever do so.
Last year, the announcement of a new 97-bed unit at Wexford General Hospital was warmly greeted by the people of County Wexford. As we can imagine, the hospital is a vital component to the county and a 97-bed unit would be a substantial addition. It is badly needed and badly wanted, given the huge increase in population in Wexford over recent years. However, in response to a parliamentary question I asked, it has now emerged that the actual number of new beds that will be in Wexford General Hospital following this 97-bed unit build will be 44, as 53 beds are to be removed from the current hospital. Will the Government give a commitment to the people of Wexford that the 53 vital beds that are being removed will not be closed and that the full 97-bed promised unit will be just that: an extra 97 beds for Wexford General Hospital?
I thank the Deputy. I am happy to look into it but my initial understanding is that this was always to be 44 additional beds in the overall construction. Will the Deputy please allow me to look into it and come back to him?
It is concerning that children are currently excluded from the draft regulations of home care support services. This is despite the fact that more than 650 children with complex needs are receiving these services. In the case of baby Luke, as highlighted in a report from the Ombudsman for Children today, multiple serious issues with home care services were documented. These include routine cover being cancelled at short notice and an overnight nurse falling asleep. These children deserve a right to be cared for at home. These families need the support. They also need reassurances that the services will be of high quality with independent oversight from HIQA. I cannot understand why children are currently being excluded from these regulations. The health committee, HIQA and the ombudsman have recommended that these be included.
Will the Minister for Health act on this and amend the regulations as a matter of urgency so that children get the protections they need?
I thank the Deputy. One of the things we are checking is where the responsibility lies with some of the different changes. It is important to recognise that while we have provisions for older people and many of the guidelines relate to this area, my early understanding is that there is space to do an awful lot more here. I will look into the issue and come back to the Deputy, if that is okay, because it is very much an issue of understanding.
Connolly Hospital serves a massive catchment area of about 331,000 people in Dublin west, north and mid-west and counties Kildare and Meath. These are areas where the population of this country has increased so enormously. The hospital also takes all the road traffic accident cases from the M50. Connolly Hospital has one CT scanner. It broke down last Thursday, so for six days patients were being ferried and shuffled all around the city-----
I thank the Deputy. I call the Minister.
-----and staff were spending money. That hospital has asked since 1998 for a second CT scanner. Will the Minister get a second CT scanner for Connolly Hospital?
I thank the Deputy.
I compliment the excellent work done by Connolly Hospital, not only on keeping its trolley count down but also on the range of different work it is doing. I refer to the capital investment the hospital deserves to continue to do that. Our plans for Connolly Hospital, with a catchment area of 300,000 people as identified by the Deputy, are to maintain and extend the children's service, the paediatric service, while there will also be a new dental training and surgical facility there. Of course, it will also be the site of the major elective hospital. The Deputy is, therefore, absolutely right. Connolly Hospital is already an excellent facility and is going to be the beneficiary of major capital investment in the next period of time. I look forward to working with the Deputy on the range of different issues.
Will that include the CT scanner? It would be nice if you mentioned that, the actual subject of the question.
I wish the Minister well in her new portfolio. She will be well aware that over the last few weeks the people of the west, the north west and the midlands have suffered fair torture with the storm. In the context of legislation relating to the Department of the environment at the moment, many contractors went to help the likes of the ESB and the councils to get trees off roads and all of that type of work. Those contractors need to do work for farmers and the hedge-cutting season is closing at the end of this month. Can the Minister's Government look at giving a two-week period now for those people who had to go there to help during the storm to allow them to help the farming community? Will the Government bring in legislation to ensure that trees, be they on roadsides or in forestry, will be dealt with to ensure we will not again go through the torture we have seen people go through in the last few weeks?
I thank the Deputy for the question. He will be aware that the timelines are there to protect wildlife and certain nature.
I know that.
It is certainly a question I can ask and relay to the Minister. The objective is that we do everything possible to put in place measures to prevent the type of destruction we saw in the last several weeks. I will certainly relay the specific timeline and the Deputy's request to the Minister.
Last Monday, Aircoach unexpectedly withdrew services from large parts of south County Dublin. I have been inundated with complaints since then about the lack of service on the 700 route, which impacts Cabinteely, Cherrywood and Galloping Green, as well as the 702 route impacting Loughlinstown and Shankill, which will take effect from 2 March. I ask the Minister to raise this issue as a matter of urgency with the National Transport Authority, which issues these licences with a view to opening up competition along these routes, and to ensure the continuation of a service to and from Dublin Airport for the impacted areas.
I am aware that the route is closed and that this is a private contract. I am also aware that the Tánaiste has committed to writing to the NTA to see what possible measures or options could be put in place to service the towns and communities mentioned by the Deputy. Of course, I will again relay this information to ensure this happens.
Over the last year or so I have had an increasing number of parents of children of secondary school-going age who have not been allocated a school place. For a small number of people, this goes on months into the next school year. There is an added complication whereby on the school waiting list it is not clear what children have already been allocated a place in another school or are already in another school. Some are offered school places very far away and for a working parent it is just impossible to bring them there. Many parents have already been on to me about next September. The parents and kids are, naturally, really stressed about this situation. Can the Minister ensure this issue is a priority for her and her Department in future? It is becoming a bigger issue and it would be really good if we could get it sorted out.
I assure the Deputy it is a number one priority to ensure every child has access to the place they are entitled to, particularly those with special educational needs. I believe a great deal of progress has been made in recent years. I want to get to a point where every single child is offered a place at the same time as their sibling and every other child in their community. There is work to do in that regard, but it is my intention, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, that for this school year every child will have access to a place and have that in a timely manner. Additionally, the Deputy will know the programme for Government commitment is to ensure we will have a single application system to remove so much of the stress and anxiety placed on parents in having to apply to so many different schools and not necessarily getting an outcome at the end of it. That work is under way. I will work closely with the NCSE. The intention in this regard, obviously, is for this year. We need a system in place, though, to ensure that every year parents and children will know where they will be going and at the earliest stage possible.
Is mór an onóir dom é a bheith i Dáil Éireann as a Member of the Thirty-fourth Dáil following in the footsteps of those elected to the First Dáil in 1918. I thank the people of north Kildare who placed their trust in me, the people of Leixlip who supported me as a councillor and my wife, children, family, friends and parents for their unwavering encouragement. Just like my uncle Dan and cousin Tom from Limerick, who served in this House before me, I am committed to working on behalf of the people with great dedication. The population of north Kildare has grown rapidly, yet the infrastructure lags behind. Urgent priorities in this regard include a second bridge in Celbridge, an expansion of the DART+ to Sallins and Kilcock, a reunified Castletown House estate, crèche spaces, water services, new schools and improved disability services. Our communities cannot afford to be left behind any longer. Thousands of new homes have been built, yet much of our infrastructure still belongs to the 18th and 19th centuries. North Kildare has delivered where other areas have lagged behind, but this has led to unthinkable traffic, stretched social amenities and little in the way of public resources. These are the everyday realities facing the people of north Kildare. I am here to be the voice of those people, so I ask if we can get the infrastructure and resources required to meet those urgent needs in north Kildare in the lifetime of this Government.
I congratulate Deputy Neville and wish him well in the years ahead. I look forward to working with him and I know he will be a strong advocate for people in north Meath, like his predecessor.
North Kildare.
Apologies, in north Kildare. I think we share similar challenges within our counties as well, especially with our growing population, young population and proximity to Dublin. I assure the Deputy this Government is absolutely committed to ensuring we invest in north Kildare in communities where there is that growth and increase in population. We are committed through the expansion of the national development plan and the national planning framework, which we will be sending to the local authorities soon and to which we expect them to respond, to be able to increase our response to this demand. I refer to not just looking at housing supply but to investments in schools, in infrastructure and in our roads. North Kildare will be supported to do just that.
I thank the Minister.
Yesterday, we heard the news that the Airport Hopper bus service is ceasing operations. This means that people in Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown and Tallaght have no option but to get a taxi or drive to the airport. What was a €10 journey will now cost passengers €60. The 14 drivers who were employed by the Airport Hopper received an email to say their jobs had gone. They arrived at the yard and all the buses had disappeared, which is a new take on ghost buses. Privatisation of public services has failed. We have seen this with the unreliable service of Go-Ahead Ireland. That company is now tendering for new routes, despite it not being able to look after the routes it has already. This is unbelievable. Will the Government reverse its policy on privatising public transport? Will the Minister ask the NTA to take on the Airport Hopper route and employ the 14 drivers who lost their jobs yesterday?
It is vital that we provide many forms of transport for people through public and private operators, through buses, the Luas, BusConnects and as many different ways as possible, including the expansion of our rail lines. I am not familiar with the specific route mentioned by the Deputy, but similar to the question from Deputy Devlin, I will endeavour to ask our Minister to see if there is something that can be done to fill the gap and to respond to and support the communities concerned, as well as the drivers and all those who were working with this company, as mentioned by the Deputy. It is the absolute intention of this Government that many forms of public transport will be available to people right across the country and not just in our towns and cities.
I wish the Minister well in her new portfolio. I will talk briefly about a hospital in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, St. Luke's Hospital. Will there be urgent investment in the hospital to improve waiting lists, bed accommodation numbers, accident and emergency overcrowding and waiting times at the hospital? They have escalated significantly recently. Additionally, we now have a critical issue regarding medical and nursing vacancies across the hospital. We have 207 whole-time equivalent positions not filled, permanent and temporary, in St. Luke's Hospital.
What plans does the Government have to invest in the infrastructure, upgrade the facilities and recruit and maintain staff at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny?
I thank the Deputy for flagging this issue to me in advance so I could get additional information for this very short window I have to reply to him. He is right to highlight the gaps and the 277 posts that are funded but have not yet been recruited for. It is not through lack of trying. We have increased our numbers in the healthcare system very considerably but we have the funding and wish to do more. A very significant capital programme is going into this hospital, as the Deputy is aware, including the CT upgrade, the dolmen wing, the 86-bed accommodation block, a better outpatient department, the acute floor extension, and ancillary services such as the car park. He is quite right to raise the investment needed in this very good hospital. I will continue to work on it but we struggle to recruit, even though we have these funded positions.
I wish the Minister well in her new role. I look forward to working closely with her. I raise the urgent need for the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant in Mitchelstown in my constituency of Cork East. An upgrade of the existing plant has been acknowledged by Uisce Éireann and is badly needed to ensure extra capacity is created to further housing development in the town. The current housing situation in Mitchelstown is forcing those seeking to buy a house to look elsewhere. This has been ongoing for a number of years. We need certainty that extra capacity will be created to meet future housing need when large areas of the town remain undeveloped. Once this is confirmed, housing developers will receive certainty that they can apply for planning and will be connected while potential buyers will be heartened by the increased offering in the local housing market. I sought timescales from Uisce Éireann but these remain unconfirmed. As such, will the Minister please intervene through her good offices to get an update?
I wish the Deputy well and congratulate him on his appointment. I am aware of this issue. It was raised with me when I was in the constituency during the election campaign. My understanding is that this is very much on the agenda for Uisce Éireann and that work is under way and engagement is happening with stakeholders. The commitment I mentioned is that we will increase and expand the funding that is going into Uisce Éireann to make sure these kind of developments can happen as quickly as possible. The Government is committed to supporting these types of programmes and making sure they can progress as quickly as possible.
I wish to raise the issue of the relief road for Mountmellick, which is long-promised. It has been promised for years. Traffic volumes have increased. More than 8,500 vehicles go through the centre of the town every day. A lot of that traffic is HGVs going from the west of Ireland and the midlands to the port of Rosslare. A feasibility study has been carried out at a cost of more than €100,000 and a preferred route has been selected. This road would shorten journey times, reduce carbon emissions and reduce congestion in the town. The Tánaiste, who is not here, and Deputy Aird promised this during the election campaign. I hoped they would be here, but it was promised that this would be moved forward. According to TII, this road is not included among the projects identified for development during the period of the current NDP. That is what I got in reply to a parliamentary question. What is the position regarding this? Will the Minister speak with the Minister responsible to try to have it included in the new review of the NDP?
This Government is committed to making sure we invest in our roads. That does not just mean maintenance and expansion but also making sure the roads that are committed to on our list are continued, progressed and finalised. In addition, with the review of the NDP, there is potential for new projects to be part of that expansion and list. I am not familiar with the stages and timelines for the road the Deputy mentioned but I will certainly raise the matter with the relevant Minister.
The Government has collected €2.2 billion from M50 tolls since 2008, according to a report on "The Pat Kenny Show" this morning. The two bridges were built for £58 million. The toll company made back all of that money in just one year of tolls. It then sold those bridges to the State for €600 million. The State has charged the people using them €2.2 billion in that period. It is incredible that last year, commuters paid a whopping €212 million on M50 tolls. These are tolls that this State owns. This is a tax on work. It is a tax on the Minister's constituents and people who cannot access public transport. The Government is now operating it as a cash cow. It is jacking up the tolls on bridges that we have paid for 31 times over at this stage. Will the Government stop the rip-off of commuters in the greater Dublin area and end the tolls on that bridge?
As a Deputy in a constituency that has three motorways, I am well aware of the burden that tolls place on people who are commuting to work on a daily basis. There is an overriding objective for all of us to try to ensure that we reduce the costs for people who are travelling to work. At the same time, we need to make sure that we are continuing to invest in our roads and infrastructure. I will relay the question on an actual reduction to the Minister. We would all like to see the tolls and costs reduced for all road users irrespective of where they are throughout the country.
It is startling; €2.2 billion.
Bus Éireann provides a once-daily service in west Cork from Goleen to Cork city. It leaves Goleen village at approximately 7.50 a.m and returns in the evening at 7 o'clock. Recently, Local Link Cork started a new three times daily in and out service in the Goleen area to Skibbereen, which is more than welcome. The only problem is doubts have now started to emerge that Bus Éireann will stop the Goleen to Cork morning link. As I said, it is the only direct link to Cork. This is at a time when we are all strongly advised to use public transport. It is terribly unfair that a service is provided - I do not think this ever happens anywhere else in the country but it seems to happen in rural Ireland - and then another service is taken away. That is not good enough. This service is a vital link for people. I respect that I have not told the Minister about this question, but I ask her to work with us to make sure that the direct Bus Éireann service from Goleen to Cork will stay. She might contact the Minister for Transport on that issue.
I also acknowledge the fantastic work of Local Link and the vital role it plays in our rural communities in particular. Unfortunately, I do not know the route the Deputy referenced but I will certainly raise this with the Minister for Transport and ask him to come back directly to him.
In counties such as Monaghan, rather than tar as a new dawn, as one Minister described it, people instead continue to damage their suspension and blow out tyres following yet another false dawn. Despite all the bluster of Ministers, maintenance and road repair funding in County Monaghan will not increase significantly to improve road repairs. That is because 43% of the additional funding that has been promised this time will be used for speed limit signage. That is an increase of 2,745 per cent for speed signage; not for enforcement or repairs but for signage. The conditions of some of our roads in County Monaghan are woeful, despite the best efforts of our under-resourced council staff. Why have the people of Monaghan been refused funding to repair, improve and maintain our roads to a necessary standard?
While I am not aware of the exact investment that was allocated in recent weeks, investment in road maintenance and expansion has increased across the board. It is important that this continues to increase and that every local authority gets its fair share. Speed is the number one killer. It is very important that we maintain our roads, which play a key role in keeping people safe. We must everything we possibly can to reduce speeds on our roads and highlight where changes are taking place. Different changes are taking place throughout the country in reducing speeds. We need to make sure there is investment on both sides, in our roads and in making sure we reduce the speed levels, which contribute to so many of the deaths and serious accidents we have seen.
Tréaslaím leis an Aire as a ceapachán mar Aire Oideachais. Tá mé cinnte go leanfaidh sí ar aghaidh leis an tsárobair a bhí ar siúl ag an Teachta Norma Foley roimpi. Education features very prominently in the programme for Government. We thank the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Deputy Lowry for ensuring that has happened. Pages 67 and 68 reference forward planning and the provision of accommodation. Does the Minister share my concern that her Department's forward planning unit is not working as effectively as it might?
In the small village of Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare, the construction that has taken place in recent years has given rise to a situation whereby the primary school cannot accommodate all those who want to enrol in junior infants this year. In Monasterevin, the wonderful St. Paul's Secondary School has been developed. It was opened just before Christmas by the then Minister, Deputy Norma Foley. This school cannot guarantee places to those applying to begin first year in 2025.
I thank the Deputy for his question. In the past four years, almost €6 billion has been spent on capital investment in education. This includes opening new schools, expanding existing schools and using modular buildings where required. This is in response to the demand that exists and the increasing numbers of students going into primary and post-primary schools. We are committed to making sure this expansion continues and that every child gets access to the place they deserve in primary or post-primary school. I will work with all Deputies and every county to make sure the projects being developed go ahead, the need is met as soon as possible, and every child is accommodated.
I congratulate the Minister. Many of the solutions around apprenticeships, training for special needs assistants, entry courses to occupational therapy and speech and language therapy can be delivered by Dunboyne College of Further Education. The Tánaiste visited the college in February 2022 in his then role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A commitment was given that money was ring-fenced for the new college on a stand-alone site, as a single-phase delivery. When will that take happen?
I thank the Deputy and congratulate her on her election to the Dáil. Dunboyne College has expanded in recent years and provides an outstanding education to many in County Meath and the surrounding counties. Work has been under way to acquire a new site and that is progressing. Work is under way in the Department to make sure that the new build can be delivered as quickly as possible. I and all of the Deputies involved will make sure that everything is done to ensure that can be delivered as soon as possible and that more of the fantastic education that is being provided can be provided for the types of courses the Deputy mentioned, working in collaboration with the surrounding universities, such as Maynooth and DCU.
I want to raise the long-standing issue of the water supply and water pressure in Ballyhooly, County Cork. Over the years, residents there have had to deal with extremely low water pressure and, at times, a non-existent supply of water, for prolonged periods. This has been affecting residents in nearly aspect of their daily lives. When water pressure is low, people cannot shower, bathe or cook or use dishwashers or washing machines. Toilets do not fill or flush and gas heating systems are affected. This means that people are at times left without heat and hot water. Families with young children, pensioners, people with chronic health conditions, local businesses, the farming community and schools are all massively impacted. My colleagues in the Fermoy municipal district have been advocating very strongly on behalf of residents by striving to have the antiquated piping system replaced. Unfortunately, all of us have been coming up against a brick wall when it comes to Uisce Éireann. We have had nothing so far except short-term fixes, so I urge the Minister to rectify this and ensure that funding for a definitive resolution of Ballyhooly's water issues is provided for under a national programme.
I will ensure that this scheme is raised directly with the Minister. I repeat that it is a priority for the Government to make sure that we invest significantly in Uisce Éireann and its capacity to be able to do more work. We want to address as quickly as possible the challenges mentioned by the Deputy. We want to ensure that funding can be invested into communities that are experiencing these challenges. We also want to invest to be able to expand and build more and to support the expansion of newer communities.