Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Vol. 1067 No. 1

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Emergency Services

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher

Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam an cheist seo a phlé. The question I pose tonight about helicopter services in the north west brings me back to an Adjournment Debate in this House in February 1988. I was present that night. The untimely death in February 1988 of John Oglesby from Kincaslough, County Donegal, who died aboard his fishing vessel the Neptune off the Mayo coast, led to a campaign to provide emergency services around the coast. I was Minister of State at the time. The Government of the day; the Taoiseach, Charlie Haughey; and the Minister for the Marine, Brendan Daly, established an independent expert group under the chairmanship of the former Garda Commissioner, Eamonn Doherty, and came up with a number of recommendations. As a result of that, we have these services around the coast.

In the present day, there are genuine concerns about the new aircraft and their suitability for island-related helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS. Some people are trying to suggest that these services are secondary to search and rescue requirements, but that is not a fact. Search and rescue services and emergency medical services are equally important. Our island communities are extremely worried that the helicopter services that will be provided going forward may not be as good as those provided over the last number of years because there is to be a change in the type of helicopter providing the services.

I will pose a number of questions to the Minister of State with responsibility. Will Rescue 118 maintain its 24-hour coverage once the contract has been transferred to the new company or will it be reduced to a 12-hour service as it is in Shannon at the moment? Why has the transition process been so unclear, leaving crews and communities in the dark about their own future? That deserves clarity. What contingency plans are in place to ensure uninterrupted search and rescue coverage, particularly for islands and rural communities? Can the Government guarantee that the new company will meet the contract's original commitment of an all-weather 24-hour service 365 days per year?

There are concerns that stretchers may not fit into helicopters as they have in the past. When someone has a heart attack or acquires a spinal injury, a stretcher is absolutely essential. The last helicopters could carry 20 survivors and two stretchers. There has to be clarity on this. I hope that, after the Minister of State's response, we will be in a better position to clarify for our fishing sector and our island communities the importance of this service.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Seán Canney)

As Minister of State with responsibility for international and road transport, logistics, rail and ports, I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate on the new Coast Guard aviation service. The Irish Coast Guard search and rescue, SAR, aviation services are provided under a contract that is currently transitioning to Bristow Ireland Limited, BIL. The previous contractor, CHCI, had operated the service since 2012. On 30 May 2023, the Government approved the decision to award a contract for provision of the next national SAR aviation service to Bristow Helicopters. The decision to award the next contract for the delivery of an enhanced contract specification followed a comprehensive and robust public procurement process, which was undertaken fully in accordance with all national and EU procurement rules.

Bristow Ireland was established in August 2020 and is a subsidiary of Bristow Group Incorporated, a US-based multinational company. Bristow Group Incorporated currently operates similar contracts for SAR services for Governments in the UK and the Netherlands, and it also has extensive experience in supporting the oil and gas business internationally.

The total cost of the new contract, signed on 11 August 2023, for the standard ten-year contract term for the rotary wing element, plus a five-year minimum term for the fixed wing element, amounts to €816 million, including VAT. The Minister has the discretion to extend both the rotary and fixed wing elements to a maximum of 13 years.

The new enhanced contract specification provides for the operation of six AW 189 helicopters, five of which are newly built and have already been accepted into service by Bristow, with the sixth helicopter scheduled to enter service in September of this year. In addition, for the first time, the new contract includes a fixed wing element, which will be delivered by 2Excel Ireland, subcontractors to BIL, using two King Air aircraft. The fixed wing service, which recently commenced operations, is a notable addition to the State, enhancing the Coast Guard’s SAR capabilities, including inland and maritime, provision of “top cover” communications for longer-range helicopter missions, an air-droppable life raft capability, maritime environmental protection measures, including investigation of pollution and ship casualty reports, and capacity to transport up to three walk-on patients for emergency national or international transfers.

The new integrated aviation service will enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to deliver on its core services, including maritime and inland search and rescue, conduct maritime environmental monitoring, including pollution checks, provide aeromedical supports to the HSE and the National Ambulance Service, including helicopter emergency medical support and inter-hospital transfers, provide day and nighttime aeromedical support to the offshore island communities and provide other aviation support to State organisations. The new contract also provides improved crew accommodation facilities and enhanced mission management technology.

The regulatory certifications secured in 2024 included approval to conduct helicopter emergency medical services, HEMS. In April of this year, BIL was notified by the IAA that the stretcher in use by Bristow Ireland was not yet fully certified for HEMS activity. I understand the IAA directive relates only to the use of stretchers on board HEMS missions and the decision, therefore, has no impact on the delivery of primary Coast Guard aviation services, most notably search and rescue activities. This temporary HEMS stretcher restriction only applies to the Shannon base and the Coast Guard continues to provide nationwide HEMS support to the HSE and the NAS from its bases at Sligo, Waterford and Dublin. I understand Bristow has identified a replacement solution and expects this issue to be resolved shortly.

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and I hope it will clear up some of the misunderstandings that may have arisen. Perhaps he will clarify why the temporary HEMS restriction only applies to the Shannon base and the Coast Guard continues to provide a nationwide service. Why is there that differentiation and is it only a temporary measure?

Will the Minister of State confirm that Rescue 118 will maintain its 24-hour coverage once it transfers to Bristow Ireland or might it be reduced to a 12-hour service, as seen in Shannon? Whatever part of the coast that fishing vessels are located, if medical assistance is needed, all parts are important. Why is it a 12-hour service out of Shannon when there is a 24-hour service out of the other areas, in particular Sligo in the north-west? Can he clarify that Sligo will maintain its 24-hour coverage, which is all-important?

It is often said that if one has a heart attack on Tory Island or Arranmore Island, that is better because the person will be in Derry, Letterkenny Sligo or Galway more quickly than if they were along the coast, given it can take a number of hours to get there by ambulance. Perhaps the Minister of State can clarify those questions for me.

Deputy Seán Canney

Following an engagement process with both contractors, the dates of transfer for the remaining three bases have been revised, as follows: Weston, 1 July 2025; Sligo, 15 December 2025; and Waterford, 31 January 2026.

I reiterate that the Department of Transport is prioritising the safe and effective transition of this aviation contract without interruption of service and is ensuring that the two contracted operators, CHCI and BIL, are providing sufficient capacity, expertise and resources to maintain safe search and rescue operations on a 24-7 basis across all areas of the country throughout this process. The Department is engaged with both contractors to facilitate revised transition timelines. As I stated, the transition timeline following engagement and agreement between the two operators has been extended to February 2026 at no cost to the Exchequer. The operation of four bases provides resilience for service delivery so that when individual bases become temporarily unavailable, the workload is shared among the other bases, with the specific requirements for each mission being assessed as they arise. In the case of both contracts, the availability of any base can range from full availability to partial availability or temporary availability.

The new contract operated by Bristow Ireland will increase the capacity and capability of the Coast Guard to provide a range of essential services that are of strategic importance to the State, including maritime and inland search and rescue, environmental monitoring and aeromedical support. I recognise the critical importance of the service to our offshore islands, which rely on the Irish Coast Guard to provide day and nighttime aeromedical support to these communities.

The Department will not allow any risk to be taken in a rush to meet contractual deadlines. The safety of the crew is the overarching priority. I reiterate that during this transition phase, a continued safe, efficient and effective aviation service is the overarching priority for the Government.

Taxi Licences

Deputy Alan Kelly

I thank the Minister of State for coming in from the appropriate Department to deal with this issue. It is appreciated.

Does the Minister of State want to be a hero in rural Ireland?

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Catherine Connolly)

He thought he was.

Deputy Alan Kelly

Maybe he already is.

Deputy Seán Canney

I doubt it.

Deputy Alan Kelly

To be honest, as his officials have probably already told him, I have been chasing this issue since 2012. The taxi regulations review brought about a new rural hackney licence. I was the Minister of State in that Department and I sponsored this. The application process started in 2013-2014 but very few took it up because it was too rigid in terms of the rules and regulations around it. This year, there were 22 vehicles and 24 licensed drivers.

The then Minister, Eamon Ryan, launched a pilot in 2023 in Killala, County Mayo, to provide a subsidy for the fixed costs, which I welcome, and the NTA is looking at the various digital platforms with regard to trying to have bespoke solutions in rural areas for the provision of different transport options. That is all very welcome and the use of technology is important. However, the reality is that Ireland has changed. There is a failure from a market point of view with regard to the provision of services but this goes beyond the market. Given the geographical distribution of people in this country, no market is going to be able to provide a bespoke solution for taxi and hackney services in rural areas.

I come from Portroe, which the Minister of State knows. It is a small place on the banks of the River Shannon.

It is one of the most beautiful places in the world, although I would say that. Trying to get a taxi there is literally impossible. People who want to go out socialising or to appointments, including to medical appointments, depend on the goodwill of neighbours or family. There is a whole range of other issues, such as shopping. The fact is that we can provide a solution. Recently I met the NTA to discuss this. I understand the driver has to have a PSV licence but we should also have a licence for a vehicle which would be accessible to four or five people in a locality who can collect and deliver people within a radius of, for example, 10 km with set fares. These taxis or hackneys would be subsidised by a small amount by the State, as is proposed by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. These licences should be available easily enough, working with the local authority.

We should not have a scenario whereby if there is a taxi in a locality this rural hackney licence is not provided. I can tell the Minister of State that where I am from there are registered taxi drivers but people cannot get them because they only operate for a few hours. This is their choice and that is fine. We have a failure here. We will never be able to have services in rural areas unless we create a bespoke solution. I have been on this for a decade. It is doable. It has been done in other jurisdictions around the world, where a number of groups come together, such as businesses, community groups and charities, and there is a car which a number of people are licensed to drive. It is bespoke as to where they can pick up and deliver, and they cannot intercept the other taxi market. We have to introduce this because there is a complete failure at present.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this issue. I am from the most beautiful place in Galway. It is a very rural area called Belclare. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Connolly, is laughing at me. It is beautiful but there is scarcely a taxi or hackney there either. I appreciate the issue raised by Deputy Kelly and I thank him for raising it. I will read some of the reply and then I will speak to Deputy Kelly about it.

Neither the Minister for Transport nor his Department are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport, including with regard to small public service vehicles. The National Transport Authority is the independent regulator for licensing and enforcement for the SPSV industry under the consolidated taxi regulations. That being said, I want to clarify that the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, has taken over the brief for rural transport. He has visited many rural areas over the past few months. He recognises the crucial role played by local taxi and hackney services in combatting loneliness and isolation in rural areas, and their importance in enhancing tourism and hospitality offerings in local rural areas.

Taxis, hackneys and local area hackneys have an important role to play in meeting travel demand. In recognition of this, the programme for Government commits to improving local taxi service provision. The NTA currently issues local area hackney licences where applicants can show there is a need for this part-time service and that it will not displace or replace current SPSV providers. These special licences are limited to a local area of operation, typically where an applicant resides, and applicants are not required to meet a few of the standard licence application requirements. For example, a resident of the area in respect of which the local area hackney licence is sought is not required to undertake the industry knowledge or area knowledge tests, and the licensing fees are significantly lower for the local area licence, at €50 per vehicle and €20 per driver. A condition of the local area licence is that only passengers within a designated range of 10 km can be picked up, as Deputy Kelly said, and a new fare may not be picked up at a drop-off point outside of that area.

As Deputy Kelly stated, two licences are required. There is a licence for the vehicle, which is a three-year licence. There is also a licence to drive a local area hackney, which is obtainable from An Garda Síochána. This is not required if a person already holds a valid licence to drive SPSVs. As of 25 April, there are 22 licensed local area hackney vehicles and 19 licensed local area hackney drivers.

The NTA launched and administered two local area hackney schemes in recent years, one in 2019 and another in 2023, to support and promote it. The take-up of the 2019 pilot was very disappointing with only two of the 15 locations taking it up. The subsequent impact of Covid on the industry in 2020 impacted pilot operations. A further pilot was undertaken in 2023. This was launched in January 2023 in 21 locations and provided a grant of €6,000. Notwithstanding significant work by the NTA, just two operators were licensed.

The issue of rural transport services is an ongoing focus for the Department. It is something that I, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, have already discussed. We must look at the issue in depth to see how we can have a system whereby people will be attracted to take up this local area hackney service. Deputy Kelly mentioned some ideas. I am willing to engage with him further in this regard because, at the end of the day, we want to achieve a result rather than talking in five years' time about how it is still failing.

Deputy Alan Kelly

I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his sincerity. He does come from a beautiful part of County Galway. I do not want to be talking about this matter for several more years. I know that there is system we can put in place that will work. The requirements are specific. We need people to come together who can operate a vehicle that can be subsidised, such as through the €6,000 a year. These people should all have the one licence to be able to operate the vehicle. They should all come from the one community, whether it is Portroe, Newtown, Ballywilliam or the other areas near me that I mentioned. The point is that the process is too cumbersome.

Another issue is that people in a locality know about an elderly person or a person with a mobility issue. The local publicans can come together for the two nights a week that they will have a few people there and they will know what they need. They will be able to customise their requirements for the service. A number of businesses can come together, such as the shop, the community group, the publican or charities. I know there is a requirement and a demand for this service but under the current structure no one will ever take it up because it is too cumbersome.

I am glad that, hopefully, we will have a new CEO of the NTA and, hopefully, a new vision. One of the biggest issues is this idea that such a service would displace taxis. This cannot be a major consideration because the restrictions on drop-off and pick-up, and the limits on fares, mean the service will only be used in the limited circumstances I referred to. This is one of the main reasons it will not be successful unless it is changed. Taxi and hackney drivers provide a fantastic service but it is a separate service. We need what I have proposed. It is totally possible. We need engagement with the insurance industry to execute it. It is deliverable. I ask the Minister of State to please become a hero for rural Ireland.

Deputy Seán Canney

The Deputy and I are on the one page. Complication in a system can create a lot of paperwork and problems, and it can create little by way of results. We need to have a serious look at how we are doing the business here. We must ensure we are not displacing existing taxi services, as the Deputy said. They must also make a living. It is a case of going back to first principles and seeing where the demand is, seeing where exactly we can make it work, and rotate it around having a number of drivers available for a car.

We must also bring in community involvement and community groups. This is important. People's lifestyles and the way they socialise in rural areas has changed. The pub trade has changed. We will have to take all of this in the round. I know of people who would like to get a taxi at certain times during the day or night. They certainly will not get them at night but they may get them during the day. There is an issue there. This is a matter we will go back to following this debate. I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and to the officials about this issue and we will see where we can bring it. As I have said, the idea is to provide a service that is workable and uncomplicated because this is what works best. I thank the Deputy.

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I am here asking a number of questions and the Minister of State may or may not have some of the answers. It is important to raise the issue once again and to highlight the problems we are likely to encounter in advance of September and the intake of students into special schools.

The Minister of State is obviously aware that there was a pilot scheme to reintroduce therapists, OT, physio, speech and language therapists, etc., into special schools, initially run in Cork and Dublin, with three special schools in Cork and five or six special schools in Dublin. It is something that at this stage is universally agreed should never have been taken out of schools in terms of the introduction of PDS and how that model has basically failed to deliver for students and families alike. That said, the pilot scheme has been up and running for six or seven months at this stage. I would have advocated strongly on behalf of a school in Cork, St. Killian's Special School in Mayfield, where, after a lengthy campaign, it was successful in being allowed to procure privately the therapists it needed because it was excluded from the initial intake in the special pilot scheme.

Where are we at with the pilot scheme? Given we have a commitment from Government that therapists will be reintroduced at all levels into all special schools in the country, and I understand that will most likely be done on a phased basis, where we are with the pilot with the seven or eight schools that were initially selected last year? As far as I am concerned, the pilot is surely moot at this stage. If we are allocating all the therapists to all schools, is the pilot for those that were chosen for it last year essentially scrapped and defunct at this stage? If it is, that is fine because it is merely the reality of where we are at because we are reintroducing therapists to all schools. It is important to establish on a factual basis where we are with that pilot.

The difficulty we are likely to face with some of the schools that have been placed on that pilot as of last September is that the majority of them still have teams that do not have their full complement of staff. In all three cases in Cork, they have struggled to appoint the full complement of staff in the six months the pilot scheme has been up and running. My concern is, if we are putting therapists back into all special schools, given we have struggled to appoint staff to the three in Cork that were selected, and Cork has 14 or 15 special schools in total, what is the likelihood of us successfully staffing all those other schools if we cannot even do it successfully in the three that were selected for the pilot? In fairness, that is the concern being expressed by most parents and families in those schools that are affected.

I understand the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, would have made statements recently about the national therapy service and how it is highlighted in the programme for Government that this scheme will be rolled out to all schools. However, can we get down to the phasing of it, how she will staff it, and whether certain roles will be prioritised, be those speech and language therapy, physio, nurses or whatever the case may be? Is there any kind of roadmap for how we are to staff it and successfully implement it in all the special schools?

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. The core principle of progressing disability services, PDS, is to achieve fairer and more equitable access to services for all children with disabilities based on their needs. This includes access to school-based therapy supports for children attending special schools in the country, including in Cork.

The Minister fully acknowledges the frustrations faced by families of children in special schools and the urgent need for therapy provision within special schools. To progress the reinstatement of health and social care supports, which were historically provided in some special schools in the State, funding for an additional 224 whole-time equivalent, WTE, posts was provided by Government across 2021 and 2022. The HSE has advised that just over 155 of these WTE posts have been filled. While some services have been reinstated, progress has been affected by the international shortage of health and social care professionals.

In August 2024, Government agreed to support 16 schools to join the special schools' pilot for enhanced in-school therapy supports during the 2024-2025 academic year. The pilot is delivered by the children’s disability network teams, led by the Health Service Executive and its funded agencies, in selected special schools in Cork, Dublin and Galway and is supported by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. This pilot aims to provide an integrated model of service, ensuring all stakeholders, including special schools, have relevant input and, through effective governance mechanisms, are able to verify that additional resources are implementing the required level of service for children and their families.

Under phase 1 of the pilot, the HSE advises that all four schools in the Cork area have filled the therapy posts assigned through the pilot. Under phase 2, both Cork schools in this phase have filled all therapy posts allocated as part of the pilot.

Under the 2025 programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, there is a commitment to introduce a national therapy service in education, commencing in special schools and subsequently extending it to schools with special classes and mainstream provision. This service will be delivered by the NCSE, building on its work previously completed through the educational therapy support service. It is intended that the national therapy service will commence in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025-2026 school year. The Department of Education and Youth has advised that further roll-out of the service will occur on a phased basis, with a wider roll-out commencing in the 2026-2027 school year. The Department of Education and Youth has advised that, initially, the service will include the disciplines of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. Over time, further disciplines such as physiotherapy may be included. Officials in the Department of Education and Youth have begun engagement with relevant Departments and agencies on the design, timelines, alignment, integrated working and costings involved to deliver this ambitious programme of work.

Regarding the provision of private therapies for children with disabilities, the Government and the Minister remain supportive of the use of available private capacity, and the funding of same. The HSE will also continue to prioritise the recruitment of remaining therapists to work in special schools, as approved and resourced by Government in 2021 and 2022. I assure the House that this Government will continue to diligently engage with the HSE, service providers and families to ensure children with disabilities receive the support and services they require.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I am one of the best people to come into the House and criticise and give out about how we are implementing or not implementing things, but in fairness, in this response, it is the first time it has been clarified for me that the three special schools in Cork have been fully staffed. That is the first time I have heard that or seen it in writing. That is to be welcomed.

The pilot scheme in Cork has worked if we have managed to fully staff it. Whatever about the outcomes for people availing of the service, the fact we have appointed all the therapists who were required in those three schools needs to be deemed as some bit of a success. I make that point, not in a condescending way. Typically, we are in here, and I was in the Chair earlier, listening to recurring issues of not getting home help for people, or the resources or money being allocated but being unable to get the staff, but in the case of the three special schools on the initial pilot scheme, we have fully staffed them, which is welcome.

The difficulty I have with the response is that it is stated we will continue to roll out the service on a phased basis. There is no end time to a phased basis. It is stated in the reply that it is commencing in 2026-2027. Are we working towards the end of the decade here? What is the target for appointing the remaining therapists?

I welcome that we are prioritising OTs and speech and language therapists in particular. It is also stated in the reply that further disciplines such as physios may be included. I am not an expert in this field. I was a teacher but I am not an expert in therapies. Will the Minister of State expand on why we are prioritising OT and speech and language over physio? That is what this answer implies.

The only request I ask the Minister of State to take back to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is to give us some roadmap for full implementation of this because, as I said, most of these families have suffered the best part of a decade of no service or, at best, little service.

It is important that we give them some type of light at the end of the tunnel.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Deputy and welcome his comments. I agree with him that we need a roadmap to see where we are going. It cannot be spaced out over time because children with disabilities need supports now.

The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, are working closely together to ensure this is rolled out as quickly as possible. Despite all of these challenges, work is ongoing to develop services that can meet the needs of families and children with complex needs, including those attending special schools. The collaborative work to date between stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of the special schools pilot is acknowledged. This has enabled the recruitment of all posts for Cork, which the Deputy mentioned. Furthermore, the National Disability Authority has been commissioned by the HSE to undertake an independent evaluation of the special schools pilot with a full report expected late in the summer of this year. The results of this evaluation will be used to identify how the initial phase of the pilot has gone and to improve further delivery.

In addition, the cross-sectoral group on disability issues for children and young people, which provides leadership and supports decision-making for key Departments and agencies, will have a role in the delivery of disability services. This has been jointly re-established by the Departments of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. and the Education. The cross-sectoral group engages on and directs key strategic policy issues that arise. This includes supporting the special schools pilot steering group, which has been incorporated into a subgroup.

The Minister wishes to restate her full commitment and that of the Department and the HSE to pursuing all avenues to ensure that access to school-based therapists for children with special needs in Cork and across the country is a priority.

Regional Airports

Deputy David Cullinane

It seems to the people of Waterford that, when it comes to the application for funding for the runway extension at Waterford Airport, which is not just an issue for Waterford but for all those who live in the south east, it is a case of "Send the fool further". That is now said to me regularly. In 2019, I attended a meeting with the then Minister for transport, Shane Ross, one of the Minister of State's former colleagues. He gave a commitment to fund the runway extension. At the time, that was a commitment of €5 million. At a meeting that he organised, he informed Members of the Oireachtas from Waterford that there was very serious pushback from the Department of transport and officials but he made the decision. Here we are six years later and there is still no funding. I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and I do not know how many Ministers for transport and, every time I do, I am told the same thing. I am told that it will be reviewed and examined, that it is under consideration and that work is being done behind the scenes. All of it has come to nothing.

While I do not begrudge Cork any funding, we saw a €200 million investment in Cork Airport. Part of this was to extend car parks and remediate existing runways but funding was also provided to extend the executive lounges and duty-free shop at the airport. We have an airport that needs a runway extension if it is to have a fighting chance. It is needed to allow jet planes to take off and land and to allow a new carrier to come in to provide connectivity to Britain and Europe. There is an inherent unfairness in what is happening here.

Can we cut to the chase and cut out the crap on this once and for all? Will the Minister of State tell the people of Waterford and the south east if he is going to fund the runway extension at Waterford Airport? It is "Yes" or it is "No". Let us have no more dithering and no more delays. Will he please tell us if he is going to fund it?

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

The Government is stifling the economic potential of Waterford and the wider south east. That is the simple truth of it and there is no getting away from that. Every week that goes by without this decision being made puts a noose around the neck of the regional economy in the south east. Our region has been left waiting and waiting for critical investment in infrastructure that would unlock jobs, tourism and regional growth. Chief among this infrastructure is the long-promised runway at Waterford Airport. Planning permission has been granted and regional funding from local authorities and private investors has been secured. The business case is clear. Year after year, the Government refuses to put its hand in its pocket.

As Deputy Cullinane has said, the Taoiseach has announced a capital injection of €200 million into Cork Airport for additional retail space and a refurbished executive lounge but €12 million cannot be found for an extended runway at Waterford Airport. Let us be clear; Waterford does not begrudge Cork its investment but we do resent being left behind. This is part of a wider pattern. The N25 remains dangerous and underfunded. The N24 is forgotten. Local roads like the R671 between Dungarvan and Clonmel are starved of investment. When it comes to the south east, it is not just that the scales are not balanced. In fact, it seems the Taoiseach has not just his thumb, but his whole hand on the scales. We talk about regional balance but where is the balance or fairness in this? The south east and Waterford are left behind again and again. It is regional bias rather than regional balance. There is no other way of looking at this. It is failing communities and businesses across counties Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford. We are running out of road or runway here so I will ask the Minister of State a plain and direct question. Will he commit today to funding the long-awaited runway extension at Waterford Airport?

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank both Deputies for raising this matter. I understand their frustration. This has been going on a while. I assure the Deputies that this Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to see the Waterford Airport project to lengthen and widen the runway progress. In line with this and on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the topic this evening.

As the Deputies will be aware, Waterford Airport is owned by Waterford Regional Airport plc. As well as general aviation services, the airport operates as an Irish Coast Guard search and rescue base, which is currently under a commercial contract with CHC Ireland. Unlike the local authorities in Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford, the Department of Transport does not have a shareholding in the airport company nor does it have a role in the commercial operation or future business planning of the airport. Having said that, Waterford Airport was eligible for Exchequer funding from the Department under the most recent regional airports programme, which was for the period from 2015 to 2019. However, following a steady decline in passenger traffic from a peak of 143,000 passengers in 2008, scheduled passenger services at the airport ceased in 2016, with only 15,000 passengers that year.

National policy on regional airports has always been focused on optimising conditions for connectivity. As a result, Exchequer funding is contingent on airports operating scheduled passenger services as part of that programme. Without scheduled passenger services, Waterford Airport’s operations fail to meet the connectivity objective associated with Government policy on funding of regional airports. However, it is recognised that Waterford Airport has faced serious financial challenges. I understand that, to avoid liquidation, the airport sought emergency subvention from the Department totalling €1.5 million over the period 2017 to 2020. This Exchequer funding was provided on an exceptional basis to allow time for the airport to consider future options, including a proposal to expand its runway. It was 2018 when Waterford Airport brought forward this proposal. Following this, in June 2019, the Government gave approval in principle for an expression of support for the expansion proposal and to providing Exchequer funding of €5 million towards the project, which was then estimated to cost €12 million.

Government support at that time was not only contingent on the €2 million in local authority funding and €5 million in private investment funding necessary to complete the project being committed and any risks relating to cost escalation being borne by the non-State investors, but also on full details of the project being provided to the Department for appraisal. Despite engagement with the airport over the intervening period, this detail remained outstanding from Waterford Airport until 13 December 2023. I understand that the Department prioritised the necessary assessment of both the proposal and the significant additional documentation provided by the airport in response to queries raised by Department officials up until July 2024. The Deputies will be aware that this detail outlined that the project costings have increased substantially above the original estimate of €12 million to €27 million, deviating significantly from the original proposal.

The Exchequer contribution now has risen from €5 million to €12 million. The assessment undertaken was in line with requirements under the Department's transport appraisal framework. This framework provides guidance to ensure investment schemes in the transport sector can comply with government infrastructure guidelines. While this assessment was submitted to the former Minister, Eamon Ryan, and the then Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for review and consideration of next steps on 19 September 2024, next steps were not determined at that time. I understand that the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, is currently considering the next steps in this regard and is looking forward to positive engagement with Waterford Airport on this matter. Any potential Government support will be considered when this engagement and appraisal process is complete.

Deputy David Cullinane

I do not blame the Minister of State who is taking the debate but, as I expected at the start of my original contribution, the written statement from the Minister of State again talks about a review, consideration and next steps. It states that it will be considered and there will be further engagement and an appraisal process. We need the money. It is that simple. It is "Yes" or "No". Will the Government fund the runway extension or not? This was signed off in principle, as the Minister of State knows, back in 2019. It really is a case of sending the fool further. Every single time I come in, I get the same recycled speech. I could be here in a year's time again still listening to talk about next steps and appraisals. Yet Cork Airport is getting tens and hundreds of millions. Dublin Airport gets funding. Shannon Airport gets funding. Kerry Airport gets funding. Other airports get funding and we are left behind. This is an issue for the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, for the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, and for the Ministers of State, Deputies Mary Butler and John Cummins. They must step up to the plate and tell the people of the south east if the Government is going to do this or not. Stop sending the fool further in relation to this.

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

With respect to the Minister of State, the line about engaging with stakeholders is wearing fairly thin at this stage. We have heard it over the years. Everything that needs to be done in Waterford has been done by the local authorities and by the airport. Planning is in place, the regional funding is there and the project is ready to go. What is missing here is the decision by the Minister for Transport that just needs to be made. This prevarication and dancing around the issue is no longer good enough. It is time just to make that call and let us know.

In his response the Minister of State mentioned that the costs have gone up. They have gone up precisely because the Government has dithered and done nothing. Inflation has made this project a lot more expensive in the time we have wasted when the Government would not make a call on this and when they backtracked and tried to backtrack and renege on their earlier decision.

There is the catch-22 whereby the Government is pushing Waterford Airport by saying we do not have scheduled services so we cannot get funding and they are not going to support us. We do not have scheduled services because we do not have the runway extension. It is time now to fund the runway extension at Waterford Airport. Not next year, not next week, but now.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Deputies. I feel and hear their frustration. The programme for Government commits to working with all stakeholders to quickly progress the Waterford Airport project to lengthen and widen the runway, building on the previous Government. The Government recognises the huge value of the aviation sector in supporting international connectivity, economic development, and tourism via our airports.

The Deputies will be aware that the infrastructure guidelines set out the value-for-money guidelines for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects. The arrangements apply to all public bodies and all bodies in receipt of Exchequer capital funding. Some may argue that given the level of private investment being proposed to support this development, such due diligence is not required by the State. However, the rationale for, and objective of, any prospective private investor investing in the airport is likely to differ from that of the Government. It is reasonable to expect that the State would have its investment protected also. Compliance with state aid rules on funding to regional airports must also be considered.

I understand that the former Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy James Lawless, met with the airport management to discuss this matter. The current Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, has also had engagements with the Ministers of State, Deputies Mary Butler and John Cummins, on this issue and also looks forward to positive engagement with Waterford Airport on this matter. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will be taking it up further.

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

Do we know when?

Deputy Seán Canney

No.

Harbours and Piers

Deputy Barry Ward

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo don cheist thábhachtach seo. There are heritage harbours all over the coast of Ireland. They are extremely valuable historical and heritage assets. I want to talk about the one that is local to me, which is Dún Laoghaire Harbour. It is moer than 200 years old and it celebrated its bicentenary a couple of years ago. It is a Victorian harbour of immense proportions but also of immense importance. Its heritage value does not just involve the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who left Ireland's shores for the last time on their way to Britain, or the other historic events that are linked to it such as the sinking of great ships like the RMS Leinster. Its importance goes beyond its physical aspects. It is a very beautiful and very large harbour.

The harbour was put into private ownership, albeit in the ownership of the State, through a company in 1992. That company was dissolved on 3 October 2018. Sole custody of the harbour was given to the local authority, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I was in favour of that at the time. I was a member of the council at the time. I thought it would be much better run if it were in the hands of those who are elected locally because the reality is that the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to a large extent ran that harbour into the ground. It did not have an adequate revenue stream but the company was run like a Fortune 500 company. Once Stena Line decided it was no longer going to offer ferry services from Dún Laoghaire, which was announced in 2015, the revenue stream was cut off and the investment in what was a very valuable but precious harbour stopped. A list of infrastructure issues have arisen from that. In 2018, at the point when the Department of Transport handed it over to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, there was an estimated €33.1 million infrastructural deficit in relation to the harbour. I remember at the time issues about the structure of the East Pier. We know that subsequently in a storm - maybe five years ago - massive damage was done to the pier, which has been repaired. We also know that the historical sun shelter on the East Pier has been taken down. Only now is Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council telling me that it is going to appoint contractors to put it back up. The Carlisle Pier, from which the mail boat left and the RMS Leinster left on its last journey in 1918, is so unstable that one cannot park cars on it, yet we draw our naval ships up next to it when they visit Dún Laoghaire Harbour. I hope that very soon an announcement will be made that the Naval Service will return on a more permanent basis to Dún Laoghaire Harbour.

The issue is that these are heritage harbours. They are not really commercial going concerns. They are not going to pay the rent or wash their faces. They need investment from the State. I want the Minister of State to commit to a scheme from central government to support the existence of these enormously important heritage assets that preserves them and protects them, and makes sure the infrastructure will not deteriorate over time for the lack of investment. The way the Government approached this in 2018 was to hand it lock, stock and barrel to the local authorities. This happened all over the country. They did so with an accounting trick with Dún Laoghaire Harbour where they deemed the East Pier to be an asset because it is a physical thing, but in reality it was a liability. There was an expectation on the local authority. A small local authority like Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which is often seen as very wealthy but is in fact the smallest of the Dublin local authorities and the poorest in real terms, would never have the resources to properly maintain this harbour. Can we acknowledge that we need a funding stream to maintain them, that they are worth maintaining, and that they are important heritage assets from their history, their design and the engineering feats that they are? Can we recognise that this funding stream has to come from a scheme paid for by central government, a scheme that will realise their value not just for the local people but for the whole country and its heritage.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. It is important to say that broader investment in harbour maintenance and refurbishment is typically funded directly by the responsible local authorities and port companies and through the fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

As outlined in the programme for Government, the Government is fully committed to the protection and preservation of our maritime cultural heritage, as the Deputy has outlined. Work is under way within the National Monuments Service on a draft national strategy to protect Ireland's underwater cultural heritage, which is understood to include historic harbours, ports and jetties. It is anticipated that this will be ready for public consultation later this year. Ratification by Ireland of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage is also under consideration.

This is a key international instrument, which provides an agreed shared framework for co-operation among state parties with regard to maritime cultural heritage. I am aware of calls to restore historic harbour structures such as the sun shelter on the East Pier of Dún Laoghaire Harbour. I note that the primary responsibility in this case rests with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council as both the owner of the structure and the responsible planning authority. However, my Department funds a range of relevant grant schemes intended to support local authorities and other owners in these circumstances. Where the structures concerned are protected or are within a designated architectural conservation area, the built heritage investment scheme, BHIS, and the historic structures fund, HSF, can provide support for repair and conservation works. The BHIS provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000, while the HSF provides funding of between €50,000 and €200,000 for works at a larger scale. These schemes are now closed for 2025. The application window for the 2026 BHIS is expected to open in July 2025, with the HSF to follow in December 2025.

Where the structure in question is an archaeological monument, the community monuments fund, CMF, can provide grants of up to €100,000 for conservation works. The CMF is now closed for 2025. The application window for the 2026 CMF is expected to open in November this year. Over the last three years, these conservation schemes have allocated more than €50 million for works to historic buildings, public realm, and monuments. Projects awarded funding under the schemes include conservation of the metal man beacon in Rosses Point, County Sligo and the Knight’s Pier in Belmullet, County Mayo.

In addition to the conservation schemes described above and the fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme, local authorities seeking funding should, depending on the exact circumstances of the structures and buildings in question, engage with the urban regeneration and development fund, the rural regeneration and development fund, the LEADER programme, the THRIVE programme, and Údarás na Gaeltachta funding schemes.

Deputy Barry Ward

I thank the Minister of State for his response.

I appreciate the suggestion that the Government is fully committed to the protection and preservation of our maritime cultural heritage. Regrettably, I do not think the evidence is there to support that statement. If we were serious about maintaining these important heritage harbours, we would put in place a scheme to do that, and not say that there is a load of grants that might be available at the right time and in the right circumstances. That will not solve the problem.

I have spoken mostly about Dún Laoghaire, but just down the coast is Bullock Harbour, north of Dalkey and south of Dún Laoghaire. It is hugely important, much older harbour, that, for some reason, was left in the ownership of Dublin Port. I am not aware that Dublin Port sent a single euro to maintain that important harbour, which is much older and dates back to medieval times. It is another very important heritage harbour, where the wall is so unstable, that, for a long time, people were not even allowed to walk on it. Further south again is what I think is the smallest operating harbour on the east coast of Ireland, Coliemore Harbour, which is opposite Dalkey Island. This harbour was there in Viking times, to allow the Vikings to transport goods to and from their trading posts on Dalkey Island. We know that a large slab of granite fell off the wall of that harbour in recent years in a place where people swim, people have small boats and where there are small fishermen and boat tours to Dalkey Island.

If we are serious about maintaining these important structures, let us put in place a scheme that shows we are serious. Let us put in place an actual heritage harbours scheme that helps places such as Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown deal with what is an estimated €800,000 annual maintenance cost just for Dún Laoghaire Harbour. That does not include Bullock Harbour and Coliemore Harbour. For all the other local authorities around the country, it does not include from Cahersiveen and Castlemaine to Drogheda, Dundalk and north Donegal. I am only aware of eight harbours that are actually owned and maintained by the State. The rest of them are left to the mercy of local authorities who might or might not find the funding to do what needs to be done to preserve them.

Deputy Seán Canney

I thank the Deputy for raising his important points and for his suggestions.

Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 sets out arrangements for the protection of our architectural heritage. While the planning authority is responsible for adding buildings and features to the record of protected structures, primary responsibility for preventing endangerment of protected structures then rests with the owner overseen by the planning authority. As I set out previously, there is a wide range of supports available to help local authorities and owners to discharge this responsibility.

There may be some parts of Dún Laoghaire Harbour that should be placed on the record of protected structures. The local council is best placed to assist with that.

Investment in our built and archaeological heritage delivers broad public benefits and as the Deputy rightly noted, enhances the character and amenity of our cities, towns, villages, and landscapes, and brings back into use buildings and other assets which currently lie vacant, closed or in a dangerous place. As Minister of State, I will endeavour to maintain and enhance this investment to the greatest extent possible and to ensure that funding is directed where those initiatives which deliver best public value. I take on board what the Deputy has said. I will go back to my officials and see how we can enhance grants that are there or focus a bit more on the heritage of the area.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 11.16 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 14 Bealtaine 2025.

The Dáil adjourned at 11.16 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 14 May 2025.