Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 11 Jun 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

School Accommodation

Deputy Joanna Byrne

I read the press release issued on Monday by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, which detailed the 28 schools that will undergo major energy and decarbonisation retrofit works this summer under the pathfinder programme. It is welcome news for those schools and I have no doubt they are delighted to be selected. I understand the pilot inventory covered schools in counties Kildare, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow and Wexford, with 40 schools participating in the planning and design stages of the programme. However, there are other schools in every county that would also love to be included in the programme. I hope the Minister of State will review it and consider adding another school. It is a primary school in Drogheda, St. Joseph's CBS. It has two buildings: the green building, which was built in the 1950s, and the red building, which was built in the 1980s. I was contacted by the school's climate action officer, a young teacher who has taken on the additional workload of detailing and attempting to deal with a long list of problems caused by the age of the school and the lack of funding to deal with the problems over many years. The pathfinder programme would deal with many of the issues the school faces and be a real lifeline in bringing it up the standard expected of 21st century learning and working facilities.

The school had an energy audit completed under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI support scheme for energy audits, SSEA and an energy analysis report was done by another company. Although from reading the reports I see that the findings are concerning, they are also fixable and the possibilities if funding is given are positive. Another report was done by a specialist mould removal company. The list is so long that the school had to engage another company to prioritise the recommendations that they should look at putting into action. The school is doing everything it can and desperately needs financial assistance to implement those recommendations.

I went on a tour of the school, which is populated by happy and engaged children who are a credit to the teachers and principal, but I have to admit I was shocked at the conditions. Water is settling on the flat roof and leading to leaks. Calcium deposits from water ingress can be seen in the fire escape. There is mould and moss caused by the water ingress in addition to the lack of ventilation and heat in the fire escape. There are mould, leaks and dampness in the fourth- and fifth-class classrooms and when I was walking the corridors, there were buckets and basins at various points collecting water that was leaking in. A recent energy audit conducted by Codex Energy on behalf of Dunleer Energy Team found that, at best, the two oil boilers were only working at 65% efficiency. When I saw the boilers I gasped. I could not believe anything that old was still in operation. The school is burning through money trying to keep the entire school warm.

Work is needed on the building fabric, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and the school needs help to move to renewables as there are no renewable energy systems currently in the school. It is estimated that €1 million would be required to get the school to a building energy rating, BER, of B. It is not a lot of funding for a Government that will have a budget surplus. If there is no prospect of this primary school being included in the pathfinder programme, I would greatly appreciate if the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, could offer assistance and funding to resolve the problems I have listed here this morning. I am happy to forward the energy audits and reports the school has had carried out and pictures of the state of disrepair the school is in. It is up-to-date on its SEAI monitoring and reporting and has an energy team that is actively looking at ways to reduce energy usage. It is participating in the energy in education programme and doing its best to solve these problems. Considering it meets all the benchmarks set out by the Department to be considered for the pathfinder programme, I hope we can collectively assist the school in having the recommendations in the energy audits put into action as soon as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (Deputy Michael Moynihan)

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

First, I will discuss the Department of Education and Youth school energy retrofit pathfinder programme. The Department is leading an ambitious sustainable agenda and has progressed a number of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings as part of our work towards the 2030 and 2050 climate targets. Its performance has been recognised at national and international levels with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design, specification and delivery. The Department's policy is supported by a strong research programme, with 56 research programmes at various stages.

It is a priority for the Government to deliver on Ireland's ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Department's school sector technical climate action roadmap which was published in 2023 and updated again last year, 2024. In that regard, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment have developed a joint-funded school sector decarbonisation pathfinder programme. It is administered by the planning and building unit in the Department of Education and Youth and the SEAI in partnership with devolved delivery support from the Cork, Limerick and Clare, and Longford Westmeath education and training boards, ETBs.

The pathfinder programme facilitates research into a range of typical retrofit options for schools which will be tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution-driven strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proved the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions in the school sector. In this context, the pathfinder programme operates on a selection basis, rather than through an application process. The pathfinder programmes for 2025 have already been committed to. The general principles of the approach to school selection include that schools comply with their annual reporting obligations to the SEAI in respect of energy usage and energy monitoring and reporting scheme and that secondary schools demonstrate a strong holistic commitment to energy management practices through participation in the energy in education website portal and advice programme operated by the SEAI in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth. The programme selection also seeks to include various cross-sections of school types and sizes, energy consumption profiles and different elements of construction type and heritage conservation requirements where specific learning is being targeted.

I should explain that applications for the provision of funding for issues related to an existing school can fall under a number of delivery mechanisms, which most frequently include the summer works and emergency works schemes. The purpose of the emergency works scheme is specifically to provide funding for unforeseen emergencies, thereby ensuring availability of funding for urgent works for schools in need of resources as a result of emergency issues.

Regarding the specific school in question, the emergency works team in the Department of Education and Youth is currently engaging with the school on a number of issues and the option remains open to the school to apply for funding for a number of areas of immediate concern through this mechanism. I urge the school and the Deputy to continue to liaise with the Department on the emergency works so we will be able to help the school with the issues the Deputy outlined.

Deputy Joanna Byrne

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The school has applied for emergency works funding. It is also in the process of applying for the climate action summer works scheme this year. However, getting multiple grants at various times and doing the required works piecemeal is time consuming for primary school teachers who are already overloaded. It is almost unfair to ask them to take that route, but they are actively doing so. Work that fixes one thing in one part of the school risks being undone by not having an all-encompassing plan of works carried out to resolve the issues in these very old school buildings. That is why the school is looking at the bigger picture of the pathfinder programme.

My contribution today probably only touched the surface of the issues in this school and what the dedicated team of staff is trying to keep at bay. On top of everything I outlined regarding the issues with mould, damp, leaks, insulation, heat and so on, I have not even scratched the surface on flooring replacement, painting and decorating, security access upgrades, toilet upgrades, tree maintenance, general maintenance and all the day-to-day issues that need to be addressed but that minor works grant do not come anywhere near covering, to be frank.

We have a very passionate and dedicated team of staff in this school trying to enhance the facilities there to provide a basic fit-for-purpose education setting for the children served. I already outlined that the school meets the criteria the Minister of State outlined in his response for the pathfinder programme, but the school is in desperate need of major assistance from the Minister of State's Department. Given everything I have detailed - and I understand the Minister of State gave a preprepared response - I ask for some positive interest from the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in considering this school or, at the very least, a commitment to engage with the school directly to find a pathway forward for all concerned. Funding for minor works and emergency works is just not touching the surface of what is required in this school.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I again thank the Deputy for raising these issues. I note the concerns she has regarding the building in respect of damp, leaks, the toilet facilities and the other issues raised. I take them on board and I will be liaising with the Department in relation to what she outlined. It is greatly important. I understand and accept that St. Joseph's CBS in Drogheda is liaising with the emergency section of the Department. I emphasise it is important this communication channel is kept open so the best possible applications are made in relation to the immediate work we need to do with the challenges in the school. The Deputy mentioned issues with the boilers and their efficiency. She also mentioned the BER rating, and sometimes an awful lot of work must be done in this regard in schools. I do take on board, however, what she has said and I will liaise with the Department on the points she has raised with me. I encourage St. Joseph's CBS to continue to liaise with the Department on emergency funding to ensure we at least tackle the emergency issues in the school in the first instance and then continue to work with the school to try to find solutions to all the issues it has at the school gate.

Health Services

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

Before I turn to my main issue, but on the basis that this is health-related, I commend the staff in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital where I had to undergo a testing procedure. All is very well but I must say the staff there were incredibly professional and made something that should not be enjoyable in any way as enjoyable as it could be and definitely as painless as it could be. I just want to state that on the record.

I turn now to an incredibly serious issue for a little child - a baby girl - and for other people and their families. In this case, we are talking about a child born last July. I will go right to the end in the sense that the child was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism. It impacts a number of people but is not that prevalent. The problem here is there was an issue with even being diagnosed in the first place. It was raised by a constituent who came to me. Luckily enough, the issue has been dealt with, but I wish to go through the problem that exists here and then the specific difficulties this family had to go through.

The parents were told the treatment their child needed was in either England or Germany. They ended up being set up for six medevac planes. Hyperinsulinism is a genetic mutation. The child had lesions on her pancreas and this releases insulin willy-nilly. It is an incredibly serious condition and affects about one in 200,000 people. The parents in this case realised their child needed a PET-CT scan. They were told this could only be done in Manchester and required a specialised isotope dye. They made arrangements to travel to Manchester in January and in February, but these were cancelled at the last minute for several reasons, including the isotope not being available and, on another occasion, contamination of the dye. These problems in Manchester meant the family had to travel to Berlin. The issues they encountered there were incredible. This family was put through a great deal of stress and many issues. At one stage, the clinic in Berlin even told them Manchester had not been paid for the scans so on that basis it could not go ahead. The mother of this child had to pay €4,500 at the last minute. This is an issue that will need to be addressed, but there are many others beyond it.

The family has been advised that the machine to carry out the isotope testing is available in Ireland but there is no one here able to operate it. The isotopes have to be specifically made and brought in, and in some cases this is from outside the EU. The family asked why the specialist from Manchester could not travel to Ireland to perform the scan here and were advised this relates to medical licensing issues for the medic. We need to know why this machine is not up and running if we have one here. In my follow-up contribution, I will go through some of the desperate circumstances this family was put through. In fairness to the mother, I think the family members did an awful lot of the heavy lifting themselves and got this scan done. I was only too delighted when the child was diagnosed. She is in a far better place now and thriving. Obviously, she has great parents, but we need to be able to help them in these sorts of circumstances.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor)

I thank the Deputy for highlighting such a serious case for the child and her family. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

Scientifically advanced machines such as PET-CT scanners play a significant role in the diagnosing of cancers and other conditions. A PET scan shows how tissues and organs are functioning by detecting radioactive tracers that can show up parts of the body where cells are more active than normal. A CT scan provides detailed images of the body’s internal structure. These scans can give medical professionals more information about where the cancer is and if the cancer has spread to other tissues and organs. Together, they help doctors diagnose, stage and monitor diseases like cancer with greater accuracy.

Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, has advised that PET-CT scans are very accessible for children and young people with cancer in Ireland. CHI has advised it has a service level agreement with the Blackrock Clinic to provide paediatric PET-CT scans. CHI notes the service provided by the Blackrock Clinic is fast, efficient, and comprehensive. These scans are then read by CHI radiologists. CHI and the national cancer control programme confirmed all children and adolescents who need a PET-CT scan receive the service in Ireland, with the majority receiving scans in Dublin at the Blackrock Clinic and some receiving scans in Cork.

This Government is committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention and maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates and timely access to treatments. Survival rates for patients have improved greatly and OECD data shows cancer mortality rates in Ireland are falling faster than the EU 27 average and faster than our economic peers. Since 2017, significant funding of €105 million has been invested in the national cancer strategy, including €23 million in 2025. Since the beginning of the strategy in 2017, over 670 staff have been recruited to our national cancer services, including 200 nursing staff, 100 consultants, and 180 health and social care professionals in designated cancer centres. Funding in 2025 will support the recruitment of 179 additional staff in the national cancer screening and treatment services.

The national cancer control programme launched A Framework for the Care and Support of Adolescent and Young Adults (AYA) with Cancer in Ireland 2021-2026 in May 2022. The aim is to achieve accessible and equitable cancer care for all adolescents and young adults in Ireland.

A dedicated adolescent and young adult cancer service network, made up of four designated cancer centres, has been designed. These hospitals are CHI at Crumlin, St. James's University Hospital, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway. The national cancer control programme has also developed and launched the national model of care for psycho-oncology services for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer. This model of care focuses on supporting children, young adults and their families with the psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis. I thank the Deputy again. If he wants to give me more information and details on this, I will definitely bring it back to the Department of Health.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I welcome what the Minister of State said at the end. I will provide the information explicitly because it is absolutely necessary. While all this is commendable with regard to cancer care, it does not deal with the issue at hand, which is this child who was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism, and the fact that we have the machine here to carry out this PET-CT scan. There is an issue with regard to the isotopes and then ensuring we have a medical practitioner who is sufficiently licensed. That is something I expect an answer on because it needs to be done.

I will also be providing information the mother told me with regard to the issue they had. Following the child having seizures, she went to the GP first of all. Eventually, the GP referred them to Temple Street neurology department, and it diagnosed the child with epilepsy very quickly and spoke about the necessity to have Keppra medication, which is incredibly dangerous if a child does not have epilepsy. The parents were slow; they did not want to do this. They were actually sent from the service because they said they wanted to wait until a set of tests had been carried out. At that point, an ambulance had been called within a couple of days. I will not have time to deal with the absolute specifics of that, but it was an absolute nightmare. In fairness to the paramedics, they did a blood sugar test and it gave a reading of 0.6. It was a nightmare in the hospital but eventually, the child was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism. However, the waiting, the journeys over and back to Britain and Germany and the number of cancellations show this is an abject and absolute disaster. There is a lot more detail beyond that. I would not like to be put in that circumstance.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aidan Farrelly)

I thank the Deputy.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

There is also the issue with regard to the payment. Our own health service, the HSE, should have played a better role in ensuring those bits could be dealt with.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aidan Farrelly)

Time is up.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I appreciate the flexibility the Chair has offered me, but I will need an answer. We need a solution with regard to this. I do not think this is good enough for this family or any other family that finds themselves in these circumstances. The only good news is that the child was seen and dealt with and is thriving at the moment.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

As I said, the Deputy might give me the particular case and the details of what he has said today. If he could send it to the Department of Health, I will make sure we get back to him. I thank everyone here today for the attention they have given to this really important matter. I reiterate that the PET-CT scanners are an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of a variety of conditions, but they are typically used for cancer. I will find out about this situation for the Deputy. I will find out out about this machine we need to look at. I can assure him that once he comes back to us with the details, we will get back to him from the Department of Health.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

And deliver the service.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

And the services. I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very serious issue today.

Water Services

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil

I wish to raise a matter of urgent importance affecting communities across Kildare North, that is, the sustained and worsening failure in water infrastructure, particularly in Celbridge, Leixlip and Maynooth. For far too long, families in estates such as Primrose Hill, Temple Manor and The Grove in Celbridge have been forced to endure weekend after weekend of drastically reduced water pressure. Constituents have told me they cannot wash their clothes, boil a kettle, flush their toilets or even shower on Saturdays and Sundays. One resident described it plainly: "We don't have enough water to live with dignity." Let us be clear; this is not an isolated incident or a one-off technical glitch. It is the direct result of an ageing and inadequate water network that is simply no longer fit for purpose in one of the fastest-growing parts of the country. We are asking people to conserve water when, in reality, many of them do not even have enough water to meet their basic household needs.

Uisce Éireann announced in April that it would begin vital works between Newcastle and Celbridge under its national leakage reduction programme. It committed to starting site investigations within two weeks, but those works did not commence. Our office had to chase it repeatedly without reply. It was only in mid-May that we learned it had not even secured a road-opening licence to carry out the works. That kind of delay is simply unacceptable, and that service to the public is shocking. In Celbridge, some households were left without water for up to ten days in 2024. In Leixlip, planned mains rehabilitation was announced but never commenced. In March 2025, Uisce Éireann itself admitted that Kildare’s water supply was on a knife edge.

More houses are being built in Kildare. Communities are growing, families are moving in, but the essential infrastructure is not keeping pace. The people of Kildare North deserve the same level of basic service as anyone else in this country. Last night, I spoke in this Chamber about the need for sustainable communities as we build more houses, apartments and duplexes, and there is a drastic need to build as much housing as possible. However, we need to ensure that we have sustainable communities when it comes to public services such as water. It is the bare minimum. I request that the Minister of State urgently speak with Uisce Éireann directly to ensure there is transparency, clear timelines and accelerated delivery of infrastructure in Kildare North. We need proper investment in water infrastructure now; not in two years, not when the pipes burst, but today.

I also wish to raise the issue of when a public representative or member of the public at large contacts Irish Water for an answer. We had to follow up about six or seven times without reply, and the reply we did receive at one stage was the token holding message that it would come back to us in due course. That is not good enough when people's water has gone. At the end of the day, no child should have to go to school on a Monday morning unwashed because the taps were dry at the weekend.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Kieran O'Donnell)

I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. At the outset, I should advise that the Water Services Act 2017 sets out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects are a matter for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structure. The Minister has no role in these matters. I will bring the points the Deputy raised to the Minister's attention, however, and I will arrange for a follow-up with Uisce Éireann. It is not acceptable that he would be waiting for four or five return calls. We will follow up on that.

I have made inquiries, and I am informed that there are operational challenges in the water network in Celbridge, including Hazelhatch. However, under the national leakage reduction programme, Uisce Éireann is progressing with a replacement of 5.2 km of Irish Water mains between Newcastle, County Dublin and Celbridge, County Kildare, which the Deputy has already referenced. Uisce Éireann's contractor is mobilising crews to commence site investigations that are necessary for design stage of the project, which the Deputy also referenced. The construction phase is estimated to commence in quarter 3 of 2025. These essential works are part of a significant investment programme by Uisce Éireann to improve the water network between Newcastle and Celbridge. This project will provide a more reliable water supply to customers and local businesses in the area with less disruption due to bursts and leakages. Uisce Éireann is also carrying out leakage reduction works in Allenwood to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the high level of leakage.

Uisce Éireann is also carrying out leakage reduction works in Allenwood to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the high level of leakage. The work involves the replacement of more than 3.7 km of problematic water mains with new modern pipes. The works commenced in November 2024 and 2 km are now complete. The works also provide laying new water service connections from the public water main on the road to customers' property boundaries and connecting it to the customers' water supply, with an estimated construction completion in quarter 3 of 2025.

In Leixlip, phase 2 of upgrade works costing €20 million is almost complete at the Leixlip water treatment plant. This plant has now commenced a third investment phase worth €30 million, aimed at increasing the resilience and capacity of Ireland's second largest water treatment facility, which is anticipated to take three years to complete.

I will turn now to other investment in Kildare, Uisce Éireann completed essential works to upgrade the wastewater network in Newbridge north. In another project, Uisce Éireann upgraded wastewater infrastructure in Newbridge as part of the wider Upper Liffey Valley sewerage scheme to reduce overflows into the River Liffey. A total of 11 towns across Kildare benefited from the completion of a €75 million investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade and improve the local wastewater infrastructure. The completion of these vital projects will improve the water quality in the Liffey by reducing the risk of sewer overflows during severe weather events.

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil

I want to outline how the communications on burst water mains happens in Kildare. I will pick Maynooth as an example. I was a councillor there for close to 11 years before being elected to this House. I could get a call at 2 o'clock in the morning from a resident in a housing estate or from the local fire service telling me there is a burst water main. I then had to get on to Irish Water and the county council. After that, I got on to the local schools to let the principals know there was a burst water main. The principals then had to make a decision based on the communications from me not, might I add, from Irish Water on whether or not to open the school that day. We had multiple instances of that in Maynooth last year and in recent years. That should not be my role as a councillor nor as a TD. I am stepping into a void that Uisce Éireann is not filling, particularly when it comes to schools. We need to have a little bit of cop-on here.

Something that really irks me as well is when Irish Water comes back to us and to the public at large, referring to the public as "customers". The public are not customers of Irish Water. They are service users of a service that is being provided to them by the State.

In the half a minute I have left, while I speak about Maynooth, the Celbridge Road, where the burst water mains occur time and time again, as they still have not been repaired, has been extremely dangerous. There was an incident there last week when a student was hit by car. Thankfully, she has made a full recovery. This road has given rise to multiple incidents relating to water mains, traffic, and road safety issues for children. It is the bane of the lives of principals, parents and students in the town of Maynooth. Could urgent attention be given to that road, first by Irish Water, to ensure that works are completed and, more importantly, from a safety perspective for the students and staff in the school on the road?

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil very much. I accept the points he makes and how genuine he is in raising them and outlining the impact. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has made inquiries and was informed that there are operational challenges in the wastewater network in Celbridge, including Hazelhatch. However, under the national leakage reduction programme, Uisce Éireann is progressing with the replacement of 5.2 km of old water mains between Newcastle, County Dublin, and Celbridge, County Kildare. The main contractor is mobilising crews to commence site investigations that are necessary for the design stage of the project. The construction phase is estimated to commence in quarter 3 of 2025.

The Deputy raised a couple of other points. There is clearly a need for a structured protocol in Irish Water. We spoke about the impact on the schools. There are two issues in that regard. The first is the water mains works that need to be carried out by Uisce Éireann and then the follow-on work involving the reconstruction of the road itself. The local authority and the Department of Transport would probably be involved, along with Uisce Éireann.

I will go back to the Minister, Deputy Browne, to follow up on Uisce Éireann's communication on disruptions and the need to perhaps have a protocol for schools, which is vital. For completeness, I ask the Deputy to follow up by providing those details in correspondence directly to the Minister. I will bring the matter raised to the Minister's attention and to the attention of his officials but, for completeness, I urge the Deputy to set out all the points.

As the Deputy is probably aware, Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with queries from public representatives. It can be contacted via email at oireachtasmembers@water.ie or via the dedicated telephone number 0818 578 578. The Deputy makes a valid point that comes up repeatedly about the interaction and response times. It came up in a previous debate here about Uisce Éireann as well. It is a matter that we will continue to bring up directly with Uisce Éireann itself, but I ask the Deputy to email the Minister as well.

Aviation Industry

Deputy Gary Gannon

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for coming to respond to this matter today. We are at a tipping point in the roll-out of commercial drone delivery in Ireland, but regulation has clearly not kept pace. In areas like Drumcondra and Glasnevin in my constituency, residents are raising serious concerns about noise, planning, the environmental impact and safety. Drumcondra was recently named Ireland's first autism-friendly village, a designation that carries responsibility to protect the sensory and environmental stability the community relies upon. Unregulated drone activity threatens that stability.

This area is also home to protected bats and nesting birds within an urban wildlife corridor. Drones, especially those using LiDAR, pose a threat to these species. Operating them without any environmental assessment is short-sighted. The Irish Aviation Authority recently met with residents to confirm its remit is limited to licensing and mechanical safety. It acknowledges major regulatory gaps, including, noise, health, planning and wildlife, and said a temporary restricted zone for drones is possible with a direction from the Minister. This community is not opposed to innovation, but it asks for basic safeguards. Interim protections are needed while national and EU regulations catch up with the pace of the commercial roll-out.

I wrote to the Minister this week to request a meeting with the Griffith Avenue and District Residents' Association, simply to discuss solutions, hear the concerns and to come back with something reasonable. In the meantime, I ask the Minister to direct the IAA to establish a temporary restriction zone for drones over the area. That should be something we can clearly agree is necessary. Residents in Drumcondra and Glasnevin, and in other communities, have engaged in good faith with the IAA and the drone operator. Now it is time for the Government to respond with the same seriousness to ensure technology does not outpace regulation and that communities have a voice in how it is introduced. This is something that we can solve. I do not see it as being insurmountable.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

Unfortunately, in Blanchardstown we have been suffering with this for more than a year and a half and nobody is listening. Manna Drone Delivery began operating in Blanchardstown and it, apparently, has 170,000 drone flights done. The plan is for 2 million. The company has now linked up with the massive multinational, Deliveroo. Let us be clear: the company is not delivering blood or medicine; it is delivering burgers and lattes for profit.

So many residents have been raising this with public representatives in the area for more than a year and a half. We raised it on the council and now it must come to the Dáil. There must be regulation. As one resident said: "This is one company: what if the skies are opened up to all companies?" At the moment, it may be only bothering a limited number of people who are losing their right to enjoy their back gardens and their right to privacy. The noise is unbelievable. As one resident said, they have absolutely no issue with drone innovation technology, but beyond the serious privacy and safety issues, the persistent drone noise is disruptive and undermines the quiet residential character of the neighbourhood. They said it adds yet another layer of stress to daily life and reflects a broader problem, namely, the growing incursion of tech companies into our communities without democratic oversight or meaningful accountability. Drone delivery of fast food and consumer goods is not a public necessity. There are other ways to get food delivered.

The environment is constantly cited as an issue, but people have a right to enjoy their environment in peace and quiet, as do wildlife. No impact has been done on this. A WhatsApp survey was done on a group of residents in Castleknock. Some 50 people answered straightaway. I have the replies. The things they talked about include the fact that there is "no consent". One person said "my elderly mother finds them very distressing"; another said there is "zero transparency or accountability"; while others referred to "the frequency of flights has noticeably increased"; "the environmental impact" and a "close encounter with a bird".

I could go on. Nobody seems to care. This Dáil has to regulate for this.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Jerry Buttimer)

I thank Deputies Gannon and Coppinger for raising this important issue. It is one that will become more prevalent. For many of us who live in areas adjacent to airports, it is an ongoing issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien. I am taking this question for him this morning.

From an aviation safety perspective, the regulation of both the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems as they are technically called, is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable in Ireland. I have listened to the concerns outlined by both Deputies and will bring them back to the Department.

The IAA is working with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and other member states in developing guidelines and regulations on drone noises. Two drone-specific EU regulations ensure drone operations across Europe are safe and secure, namely, EU Regulation 2019/945 and Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/947. Both set out common rules for the regulation of drone operators including training, licensing and registration. The points by Deputies Gannon and Coppinger about the persistent noise and privacy are ones that we should listen to carefully because they are being articulated by many people. We are all in favour of innovation. I hope a solution will be found. I will relay Deputy Gannon’s comments about the residents he has met.

Regulation 2019/947 sets out operational rules that apply to both professional drone operators and those flying drones for leisure. Regulation 2019/945 sets the common EU-wide technical requirements for drones, including the features and capabilities that drones must have in order to be flown safely. This regulation also seeks to foster investment and innovation in this sector through a harmonised framework across the European Union.

The aim of the EU drone regulations is to achieve the same level of safety for drone operations as in manned aviation. The Irish Aviation Authority, the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards. The drone regulations are operation-centric and focus on the risk of drone operations, such that regulation is lighter on low-risk operations and more demanding on higher risk operations. Under the EU regulatory regime, drone operations are classified into three broad categories - open, specific and certified - with different regulatory considerations applied in each category. Commercial drone operations may fall into any one of the categories depending on the risk associated with the operation. Low-risk commercial drone operations, such as aerial photography, may fall into the open category where the regulation and oversight of operations are lighter. Other commercial drone operations, such as the drone delivery operations mentioned by Deputy Coppinger, are more closely regulated. These type of commercial drone operations may fall into the medium-risk “specific” category, which may require specific authorisation by the IAA. I agree with Deputy Coppinger; there must be other ways of carrying out home delivery. I completely concur with her on that matter.

This type of authorisation is recognised in all EU member states. To obtain an operational authorisation, an operator must provide a comprehensive safety portfolio, which includes assessing and addressing both ground and air risks with appropriate mitigations. These might include, for example, co-ordination with air traffic control or fitting the drone with a parachute and flight termination system.

At a national level, SI 24/2023, Irish Aviation Authority (Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)) Order 2023, came into force on 2 February 2023, replacing an earlier drones order. It states the investigative and enforcement powers of the IAA and provides for arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the IAA in respect of enforcement of EU drone regulations. It also includes a section on privacy rights, which draws the attention of drone operators to preparing a data protection impact assessment where required in accordance with the EU general data protection regulation. That is about ensuring the points made by Deputy Coppinger are fulfilled and complied with.

I will bring the Deputies’ comments back to the Department. It is important we have privacy, protect wildlife and ensure the regulations are upheld.

Deputy Gary Gannon

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate that the regulations speak to how drones may be flown safely, but they do not in the slightest capture how drones may be experienced safely. That is particularly pronounced in a village like Drumcondra, Ireland’s first autism-friendly village. Significant sensory issues will not be captured in the regulations for how drones may be flown safely. It is a bit of a dystopian future when even one operator at the moment causes a hum of annoyance. What happens when a second or third one starts? I do not think any of us wants to see that. I accept there will be parts of the country, such as in more remote areas, where this could probably be beneficial but this is not required in Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Dublin's inner city or Castleknock. We are asking for the solution that was offered, namely, the establishment of a temporary drone- or UAS-restricted geographical zone over the areas that are most impacted at the moment in the absence of regulation. That seems like a solution until we bring in some commonsense regulation to this issue, which I imagine will become increasingly prevalent across the Chamber.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

I did not have time to read the Minister of State's substantial prepared answer but the Department of Transport has known about this because residents have been in contact. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, is also based in the area and replied to residents last August. I warn people in Dublin city that this is what they are in for. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, it seems, will let these companies unleash this on people.

One of the problems is that the drones are restricted from flying too high because of planes and, obviously, the lower they are, the more noise they generate. The operator is supposed to restrict their hours of operation but that is not being followed, according to residents. They are also supposed to alter their flightpaths so that they are not constantly going over the same houses. That does not happen either. For so many people, the only thing they have in life is sitting outside in their back garden or enjoying their own home, given that they cannot afford to go out, yet this is what they are constantly subjected to.

I have to hand an example of the noise of a drone, which was recorded as it flew over my housing estate in Mulhuddart. This is what people are listening to on a Saturday morning, in the evening or whenever. This really needs to be brought home because as one resident asked, will our skies become as busy as our roads? No private company should have the right to do this. If this is necessary, as Deputy Gannon said, for isolated areas, I can see that but it should be run by the State.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank Deputies Gannon and Coppinger. Aviation, as we know, is a highly regulated industry. There is a comprehensive legislative framework both at European and national levels to generate and regulate safe drone operations. The rapid pace of drone innovation and commercialisation is creating challenges, which the Government will meet. There has been engagement with the IAA. The Government is completely aware that the impact of a growing drone sector, with an increase in the volume of drone operations, requires further consideration. I will bring the concerns back and particularly the piece around autism because Deputy Gannon makes a very good point. I will also take back the points Deputy Coppinger made. It is about the noise being consistent. As she said, the drones may not be flying as high, because of the regulations, but they are flying lower and that is causing a challenge.

The programme for Government, as the Deputies well know, includes a commitment to finalise and publish a policy framework for drones and guide high-level strategic planning and development of the drone sector in Ireland through supporting growth and innovation while ensuring safe and secure operations and managing environmental and other concerns. The policy framework recognises the importance of collaboration and the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders. The foundation of the policy framework is a cross-governmental Department engagement and is informed by both public and industry consultation.

Last year, a public consultation was held. It sought feedback from the public on several key areas including how to respond to public concerns about the increased use of drones, how to position Ireland as a potential front-runner in the emerging sector and how to future-proof responsible development of the drone industry. I will convey to the Department the points made by both Deputies because they fit into that public consultation feedback. The policy framework must, and does, seek to balance between realising the benefits of the development and managing public concerns about the increasing use of drones, as articulated by both Members this morning.

I thank Deputies Coppinger and Gannon for bringing the matter before us. I am sure this will form just one of many Topical Issue debates we will have on this because it is becoming an issue in many parts of the country, not just in the two areas outlined this morning.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

Will the Minister of State put the matter on the transport committee's agenda?

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

Sorry, I cannot put it on the transport committee's agenda. That is a matter for the Chair of the committee, Deputy Michael Murphy. The Deputy might write to him.

Disability Services

Deputy James Geoghegan

The access and inclusion model, AIM, has proven to be a successful model of supporting children of every need to be present in a mainstream setting, which is its primary aim. How it works is straightforward. Where either a parent or somebody working in a preschool setting has identified a child with a need, and following consultation with that parent, an application can be made to the Department to increase the ratio of staff that might exist in that preschool setting so that there is an appropriate ratio of staff to ensure that child, with whatever need he or she has, can be supported in that setting. In addition to that, the Department of education has established early intervention classes. Clearly, there are not enough of those early intervention classes but they do exist. They are intended for children who are supported by AIM in the setting of a mainstream school where that is not an appropriate setting for the child. It is clear we need more of those preschool settings as well.

The challenge that was brought to my attention earlier this week by a mother who called me is the age of eligibility for the AIM programme in a mainstream setting. This mother has a young son who has a medical need. The medical practitioners are encouraging her to go back to work and maintaining that the child, with appropriate supports, could function and flourish in a preschool setting. However, the child is below two years and 11 months, which is the age of eligibility for the AIM programme. She is left with very few options. Either she can discuss with her medical practitioners whether her child meets the criteria for the incapacitated child tax credit, which is a significant burden and a difficult form for parents to seek their practitioner to sign for them. Perhaps either through that tax credit, which could support additional care in the home, or alternatively, if that family were in a position to do so, they could hire somebody in the home to provide that support. However, if they did either of those things, they would not get the benefit of the national childcare scheme or the ECCE scheme, so the cost is extremely burdensome.

As matters stand, although the Minister of State might put me right, the mother of this child is left with zero choices because the preschool setting cannot accept him, having told the mother that he cannot be accepted, while the preschool setting does not get any support from the State in terms of additional AIM supports because the child is below the age of eligibility. It seems problematic and discriminatory that the parent of a child with an additional need, simply because he is below the age of eligibility, cannot secure him a place in a mainstream preschool setting. I can perhaps understand why, for bureaucratic reasons, the AIM programme was set up to match the ECCE scheme but from a discriminatory or equality standpoint, it is difficult for me to understand how the State has set up a system whereby a mother or a father would be left in a situation where their child, just because of that need, has no supports to be in any kind of setting to be cared for.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I thank the Deputy for the question. I will outline the AIM programme although I understand the Deputy is well aware of it. The AIM programme is the model of support designated to ensure children with disabilities can access the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. The main supports are grouped into universal or targeted supports. The universal supports are designed to create a more inclusive culture in early education and care settings through training courses and qualifications for staff. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child to ensure that the child can meaningfully participate in ECCE programmes, targeted supports are available, such as specialised equipment, appliances or capital grants toward minor building alterations. Additional funding is available for ECCE settings where a child requires extra support either to reduce the child-to-adult ratio in the room or to fund an additional staff member as a shared resource with other children in the setting.

Crucially, access to AIM is based on the need of an individual child and does not require a diagnosis. In line with the commitment in First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, an independent evaluation of AIM was undertaken. The purpose of this evaluation was to inform an extension of AIM beyond the ECCE programme as well as any potential enhancements to the model. The findings of the evaluation were published in January 2024 and informed the phased extension of the AIM programme. Additional funding was allocated in budgets 2024 and 2025 to support this development. From September 2024, children with a disability who are enrolled in the ECCE programme are now fully supported to access and participation in the ECCE settings beyond the time they spend in that programme, both in term and out of term. This allows children to access the AIM programme for an additional three hours a day during the ECCE term and six hours outside of the term. The programme for Government commits to examining and expanding the AIM programme to make it available to younger children. This comes back to the question the Deputy asked. We are committed to working to ensure the programme expands.

The AIM programme has been hugely beneficial in addressing the need of children within the early education setting but as with everything, there are challenges. The case outlined by the Deputy is one of the types of cases that I frequently meet throughout the country in the context of the challenges young families face. They have stark choices in what support they can reach out for. We are looking at bringing down the eligible age for the AIM programme. That would be a positive step.

As for practical supports, the Deputy mentioned the incapacitated child tax credit. While that is a generous benefit and it has increased incrementally over the previous two or three budgets, which is to be welcomed, it should be kept under review. It still is not adequate for the challenges faced by many families, particularly those with young children. Families face enormous challenges during that very stressful period of dealing with the difficulties a child may have. We also need to be very careful of the emotional trauma around this and make sure we are addressing the needs of both the child and the family.

Deputy James Geoghegan

I thank the Minister of State, in particular for the remarks he made off script, which are welcome. I acknowledge that a commitment to examine and expand the AIM programme to make it available to younger children is contained in the programme for Government. I have concerns, however, with some of the language the Department used in the reply that was prepared for the Minister of State, whereby it needs to examine the evidence. Ultimately, why is a child aged two years and ten months, two years and nine months or two years and six months, with whatever additional need that child has, different from a child of three years and one month? There is not a lot of evidence to examine. Rather, a technocratic structure needs to be deployed to support parents who have children under the age of eligibility. I fully acknowledge that at every juncture where a new system is introduced, it cannot be done overnight. There has to be a structure in which it can be done. I ask the Minister of State to go back to the senior line Minister in this respect and ask for her commitment that this matter will be brought to the Cabinet committee on disability and given significant priority.

At the end of the day, just like the mother who phoned me during the week whose child has effectively been iced out of having a preschool setting, no doubt there are countless examples around the country where unfortunately because of the medical or additional need of a child, there is no childcare setting that can support him or her. That is not something we should be able to support as a State.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I thank the Deputy again for outlining the facts. The challenge we have, particularly in respect of the AIMS programme, which has been very successful for a good number of families, is that when there is a closing-off date, there is always a challenge therein. As we go forward looking at how we can expand the AIMS programme, in the evaluation of it that was announced last year, because of its success, it is important we are mindful that we are making meaningful change. It is not a case of just making the change for change's sake. We have to make sure it is evidence-based and that we have the facts to make decisions into the future on the AIMS programme, to try to meet the needs of every child. The Deputy has outlined a group of parents, particularly the constituent he referred to and her family. There is a cohort of people who are outside of it and are finding it very difficult to get support from the State. We will reflect on that and will certainly ensure it is brought to discussion in respect of expanding the AIMS programme into the future.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 11 Jun 2025