Claire Kerrane
Ceist:300. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the forgotten farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6915/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAgriculture Schemes
Ceisteanna (300)
Freagraí scríofa
As part of Budget 2025 my Department secured an allocation of €5 million for 2025 to support the group of farmers commonly referred to as forgotten farmers. Work is ongoing to address a number of remaining issues, before the details of the eligibility requirements and benefits to successful applicants under any scheme can be finalised.
I am committed to delivering for these farmers, many of whom find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own, at the earliest opportunity in 2025.
Agriculture Schemes
Ceisteanna (301)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:301. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasons for long delays in ACRES payments across County Kerry; if he will simplify the process and expedite all outstanding payments to farmers who urgently require their money to pay outstanding bills, and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6961/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department of Education.
At a national level, Ireland has been experiencing growth in overall post primary enrolments and this is projected to continue in many parts of the country for the next number of years before beginning to decline. However, first year enrolments nationally are expected to have peaked in the 2023/24 school year and are beginning to decline from next year. At primary level, there is generally good capacity across the country, although there are some areas under continuing demographic pressures.
The Department has put in place a number of measures to support parents and post-primary schools in Dublin South Central, including Ballyfermot_D10, Dublin_8, Dolphin’s Barn_D12 and Dublin_6w School Planning Areas, with a view to helping the admissions process for 2025/26 run as smoothly as possible.
Firstly, the Department has written to all parents and guardians of children in sixth class with advice and guidance regarding the admissions process for post-primary for the 2025/26 school year. This letter advised parents to apply to multiple schools in areas where there is high demand and requested parents to take steps to avoid holding multiple places.
Secondly, the Department has improved the central Post-Primary On-line Database IT system that schools use to register student enrolments. This is an important improvement and is available to assist schools to manage the enrolment process and provide real-time notification to schools where a new student has accepted a school place in more than one school. This will help identify duplicate enrolments at a very early stage.
Furthermore, the successful data-sharing arrangements that were implemented for the 2024/25 admissions process in areas of enrolment pressure have been put in place again for the 2025/26 process, including areas in Dublin South Central. It is expected that, as in previous years, the data sharing will provide confidence that there is sufficient school place availability in the majority of areas. However, if a shortfall of places is identified in an area, the Department will work with schools to put the necessary solutions in place.
The nature of the admissions processes is quite complex as offers and acceptances continue to transact and there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools. In that context, while some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2025/26, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one.
The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers. Contact details are available on Tusla’s website.
My Department continues to proactively plan for school place needs, using the most up to date data. Information on current and projected future population, and the impact of future residential development in each town, are all considered as part of this planning process. Engagement with school patrons is another important component of the Department’s planning process.
I want to assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work to ensure every child across the country, including in Dublin South Central, has a school place.
Artificial Intelligence
Ceisteanna (302)
Sinéad Gibney
Ceist:302. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has taken advice in respect of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Department; if any section of his Department currently makes use of AI; the purposes it is utilised for and costs associated with same; and if he has consulted with any consultancy firms in respect of the use of AI. [7053/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has taken advice in respect of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Department during the development of the artificial intelligence policy, from the following organisations.
• The Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council.
• Gartner Ireland Limited Research and Consultancy Service.
• CeADAR the National Centre for AI and the European Digital Innovation Hub for AI in Ireland.
The following AI projects are used within the Department, for research and analysis purposes.
• Predicting the likelihood of TB outbreaks.
• Image analysis for identifying species susceptible to H5N1 (Bird flu).
• Customer Segmentation analysis for developing Agri-Food policies.
• Analysis for identifying risk factors for Microbial Food Safety.
• Analysing content to produce IT documentation.
• Automatically Preparing IT test scenarios.
The above AI projects were developed in-house with no additional costs to my Department.
The following Department operations are conducted using artificial intelligence tools.
• Smart text analysis to prevent and contain data breaches.
This AI tool was developed as a value add under a contract that was in place at that time with no cost to my Department.
2024 Costs:
• In respect of Cognitive Services, €2,888 was spent over the course of 2024, researching potential artificial intelligence benefits for my Department.
• Related Cloud Infrastructure, to support those services, totalled €2,805 in the same period.
All current and future AI use cases are subject to human review, data protection and governance measures. My Department is committed to ensuring that any use of AI is informed by an assessment of any potential human rights and equality implications, with a need for careful management in accordance with privacy and broader ethical and legal frameworks.
The following firms were consulted, at no cost to the Department, in respect of the use of AI.
• Amazon Web Service (AWS)
• EY
• Version1
• Sogeti
• Deloitte
My Department engaged with Gartner Ireland Limited on an ongoing basis as part of a general engagement as an ICT research and consultancy service for all IT functions, including AI. This service was leveraged as part of the operational running costs for the Department.
Veterinary Services
Ceisteanna (303)
Aidan Farrelly
Ceist:303. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of veterinary welfare and identity checks on equine exports at Irish ports that have taken place in the past six months of 2024 and to date in 2025; the location of facilities that allow the safe checking of microchip identities for both Department veterinary officials, equine handlers and equines at the ports of departure from this jurisdiction. [7061/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Officials of my Department have conducted 412 animal welfare transport inspections on equine export trucks in the last six months of 2024, and 54 to date in 2025. The animal welfare transport inspections are conducted in both Rosslare Europort and Dublin Port on both EU and non-EU destined equine transporters. Microchip identity checks at the ports of departure by either Department officials or equine handlers are not part of the inspection protocol employed at export. Microchip identity checks and passport checks are typically carried out at the time of export certification on the premises of origin.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (304)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:304. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a prohibition on those people availing of the accommodation recognition payment from offering or paying an additional financial sum, above the €800 State subsidy per month, to the owner of the property; the way this is regulated; if there have been any instances whereby his Department was informed of this practise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6885/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The ARP is paid at the rate of €800 per month per property with a unique Eircode (vacant or shared). The scheme is provided for under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of my Department.
A person providing accommodation to BOTPs on a commercial basis is ineligible to participate in the ARP scheme. Where a rental agreement is in place, the ARP is not payable. The ARP does not create a landlord and tenant relationship between the accommodation host who has qualified for the financial contribution and the Ukrainians living in the accommodation. It does not give Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in accommodation an automatic right to tenancy.
My Department has been informed of anecdotal evidence of additional payments by a BOTP to an ARP applicant. The legislation is silent in relation to such matters. If such payments are being made, that is a matter between the parties concerned.
The Government continues to keep the operation of the Scheme under review.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (305)
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:305. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to reconsider the end date for the accommodation recognition payment scheme for Ukrainian refugee’s living in Ireland, the scheme is due to end 31 March 2025. [7117/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on my behalf. In line with extensions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made.
A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (306)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:306. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there has been a change in the past three years in relation to transport entitlements for disability adult day services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6832/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (307)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:307. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will detail the transport budget for the HSE in CHO8 to support adults to get to and from disability adult day services, for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6833/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
International Protection
Ceisteanna (308)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:308. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are IPAS accommodation centres which have vacant rooms and yet are not admitting new residents; the way he plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6836/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently providing accommodation to almost 33,000 International Protection (IP) applicants. We have more than 320 accommodation centres, in every county in Ireland. Since 2022, the accommodation system has been operating at or near capacity, as increases in applications, and ongoing shortages of suitable accommodation, are ongoing. IPAS teams work at all times to ensure the extremely limited accommodation capacity we have is used in the best and most effective way, prioritising those people who are most vulnerable or those with families. That being acknowledged, across the IPAS portfolio of accommodation centres, there will always be a difference between the maximum capacity of a centre and the actual number of International Protection applicants in residence. During 2023 and 2024, IPAS has had occupancy rates of over 95% while at the same time having no usable beds available to accommodate all arriving international protection applicants due to renovations, room configurations, building works, upgrade works etc.. The largest factor behind this is room configurations, and the fact that of our almost 33,000 residents, over a quarter are children with families. The importance of accommodating families together, regardless of their varying sizes, means that for example, a room that may have a maximum capacity of 4 people, may be occupied by a family of 3, meaning that additional bed can't be offered to another person. While IPAS teams do their best to allocate spaces to best use, across a large system, room configuration can lead to reduced occupancy that is not avoidable. Contractual issues with service providers will also leave potential beds unused pending the resolution of issues, including the need to upgrade and renovate rooms. A significant portion of bed capacity unavailable is further accounted for through the need for maintenance or deep cleaning of rooms following moves and, ring-fenced beds to facilitate the opening and closing of accommodation centres. The variances between occupancy rates and maximum capacity are within expected norms given the wide variety of IPAS property portfolio, contractual obligations of the properties available and the demand lead nature of the service being delivered. IPAS continues to maximise bed capacity with occupancy rates tracked and monitored on a weekly basis, based on register returns submitted by centre management. Centres are also subject to desktop audits and onsite inspections to ensure accurate registers are kept.
Under the Programme for Government, responsibility for international protection accommodation and integration will return to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. There will be a further reduction in the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers and State lands will be utilised to develop appropriate State-owned facilities. International Protection applicants will be required to contribute towards their accommodation costs and supports for applicants will be withdrawn where they have failed to comply with the IP process, committed a serious breach of house rules or where they have engaged in serious criminal behaviour.