Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Thursday, 29 May 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Water Services

Deputy Ciarán Ahern

I wish to raise water infrastructure and, in particular, issues that have been experienced by residents in Dargle Wood, Knocklyon. There has been a marked increase in water outages over the last few months. The residents have had eight separate outages since the beginning of this year alone, but such outages have been a persistent issue for years now. There have been 23 water outages in this estate since 2022, some lasting days at a time. I have been contacted by some residents who have lived in that area for decades and they have never experienced anything like this before. If it were an isolated incident, you might say, "Fair enough. It is not great, but these things can happen." However, it has been persistently a recurring problem for years now and it appears to be just getting worse. As the Minister of State can imagine, it is incredibly disruptive. Homes in the estate went three days without water over the Easter weekend. They could not wash dishes, wash clothes, take showers, flush their toilets, drink tap water, etc. These are the basics. Residents have also been expressing their frustration to me about the speed, or the lack thereof, on the part of Uisce Éireann when it comes to sorting out the burst pipes that are causing the outages when they occur.

I understand that residents who report these issues to Uisce Éireann get told that they will be sorted by a particular time on a particular day but then there is no sign of the crews. During that burst pipe on the Easter weekend, residents were told by Uisce Éireann that its crews had been out working on it over the weekend. That was not true. Work actually did not begin until the following Tuesday. There is a real sense among the residents of Dargle Wood that they are just being fobbed off, and this cannot go on.

I have been in contact already with Uisce Éireann on the issue a number of times, and until recently the approach seemed to be just patching up the pipe anytime a burst happens. It cannot be just a case of putting a plaster on this problem consistently. There are serious issues here with the whole pipe network servicing the area. Uisce Éireann does seem to have acknowledged that and that there has been significant development around the Dargle Wood estate in recent years. Some 480 apartments went in adjacent to the estate just a couple of years ago. That is great - we always want to see more homes built - but the water infrastructure obviously has not kept pace and is struggling and failing with the amount of pressure being put on it now. I am not sure if any sort of analysis was done prior to the new apartments going in on the quality of the pipes servicing the areas surrounding them to determine if they would be able to cope with the additional network connections. Regardless of that, it is evident that they are not coping. The most recent correspondence I have received from Uisce Éireann acknowledges that the pipe network feeding the area is ageing and not in the best condition. That network, the pipes in Dargle Wood and other nearby areas, should have been upgraded at the time those new apartments were going in. The pipes are clearly at the end of their working life and are being pushed beyond their useful limits.

I understand that Uisce Éireann is planning on reconfiguring the network and installing pressure management in the area later in the year. I will be asking the Minister of State that this be brought forward and prioritised in order that the issues can be addressed sooner. Ideally, we would also see an upgrade of the pipe network. Residents have not been able to get straight answers out of Uisce Éireann on what has been causing the problem, but it seems that Uisce Éireann has now admitted that, basically, it is the state the pipes are in. Will the Minister commit to that being looked into and perhaps provide a timeline in the near future for a network upgrade, which is clearly necessary?

Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (Deputy Thomas Byrne)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As he will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water services are matters for Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level.

The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects are matters for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structures. Under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act, the Minister has no function regarding Uisce Éireann's specific operations at Dargle Wood. However, the Minister has made inquiries and my understanding from the information provided is that an unplanned outage occurred on Sunday, 20 April. A number of customers were impacted following that burst water main, which resulted in low pressure and water interruptions in the area.

Local Uisce Éireann service crews should be immediately dispatched when an unplanned outage occurs to do repair work as soon as possible. This did not happen, and Uisce Éireann acknowledges that it did not meet the service expectations as regards that localised burst. A leak detection crew was mobilised to find the burst on the Tuesday morning, 22 April, with the repair completed by the Tuesday evening.

Following the repair, Uisce Éireann was made aware that some customers experienced airlocks in their households and deployed a plumber to further help those householders and water was returned to all properties.

Uisce Éireann would like to thank elected representatives for highlighting the issue to its teams and is grateful for the support of South Dublin County Council crews in attending the site and carrying out the repairs. Uisce Éireann is reviewing the burst history in the Knocklyon area and will develop appropriate works programmes.

Uisce Éireann understands how disruptive unplanned outages are and it has informed the Minister that it regrets the inconvenience caused to customers and residents. A full review is ongoing relating to the delay in dispatching crews to the site to ensure that this does not happen again.

Deputy Ciarán Ahern

I appreciate the acknowledgment from Uisce Éireann that the service over the Easter weekend was not up to scratch and not acceptable. It is really just not fair to be asking people to put up with these inevitable outages again and again between now and whenever the planned works take place. I appreciate that carrying out an upgrade on the pipes themselves is a more significant body of work, but the residents are concerned that if the existing pipes are left in place, regardless of any pressure management systems or reconfiguration that might occur in the near future, and given the age and condition of the pipes, it just will not solve the problem and they will be condemned to regular water outages.

Again, is there any possibility of getting a timeline for the reports that Uisce Éireann is doing on these pipes and when it will be in a position first of all to do the short-term remedial work and then to replace the broader pipe network in the area?

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Our water and wastewater infrastructure requires substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the standards required of a modern service that provides for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change. Uisce Éireann has ramped up capital delivery for water services and infrastructure and we as an Oireachtas and a Government provided €300 million in 2014. That went up to €1.3 billion in 2024. That has resulted in record investment over the last five years. The investments continued in this budget, with capital funding for Uisce Éireann of over €2.2 billion, and further funding for water infrastructure will be considered as part of the review of the national development plan.

Uisce Éireann has a strong - I do not like the word "customer" in relation to State bodies - resident service focus through its water plan and customer charter, which outlines the standard of service residents should expect to receive. It is open to any member of the public to lodge a formal complaint with Uisce Éireann if they are not happy with the service provided. Details on how to do so are on its website. Any issues which cannot be resolved by Uisce Éireann to the satisfaction of the resident can be referred under the formal complaints process of the CRU. The details of this are on the CRU website. Uisce Éireann has, as the Deputy knows, a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives, and he will have the contact details for them. We all have these issues with Uisce Éireann in every constituency. Sometimes there is fantastic work done; sometimes there just is not. We have to praise the good when it happens and try to rectify the bad when that happens too. I thank Uisce Éireann for its work and thank the Deputy for highlighting this because it is important in a democracy to remember that Uisce Éireann is a public entity and is accountable to the Government and the Oireachtas through that.

Education Schemes

Deputy Darren O'Rourke

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter. I have put it in for a number of days now. I thank the junior Minister, Deputy Moynihan, for being here.

It is prompted by a frustration I hear in my constituency and from colleagues across the State in relation to the minor works and ICT grants. They were announced in April 2024. There was an expectation we would see them in April 2025. I submitted questions but there was no clear indication of when they would be announced. They were announced today, which I welcome. They are significantly down on last year's funding. The announcement by the previous Minister, Deputy Foley, was for €79 million. The announcement today by the current Minister, Deputy McEntee, is for €65 million, with a reduction in the ICT grant funding.

This is all in the context of a school funding emergency. We know from any number of indicators from teachers' unions, conferences, principal representative groups, teachers, principals individually and collectively and surveys, formal and anecdotal, that schools are to the pin of their collar. One survey showed that more than 70% of primary schools ran a deficit in the previous 12 months. They are borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. I think there has been a 35% increase in the cost of running a school since 2010 but, incredibly, the capitation grant has been flat since then. There are increased costs of heating, principally, electricity and insurance. One survey in my region showed insurance costs alone account for more than 25% of the capitation grant for the vast majority of schools, and for 100% of it in a small number of cases. In every case, it is a significant burden. According to one survey, in addition to heating, electricity, insurance and transport costs were raised. I am aware that the secondary school in Ashbourne, for example, is fundraising for transport costs to football matches etc. Due to the poor state of basic funding to schools, which also applies to the ancillary grant, according to surveys three quarters of respondent primary schools say that the ancillary grant does not cover ancillary staff costs. On average, out of the 1,200 schools that replied to the survey I saw, there is a shortfall of €7,200. As they cannot make it up through grants, they have to scramble, robbing Peter to pay Paul, fundraising efforts and so-called voluntary contributions. It is unsustainable. I welcome the grant funding announced today but will the Minister of State tell me why it has decreased so significantly? What will this Government do to address the crisis in school funding?

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

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth to outline to the Dáil the current position in relation to ICT grants and minor works grants. I am delighted to confirm that my colleague, the Minister, this morning announced that both grants will be paid to schools in June, with a combined €65 million investment in our schools to help them with maintenance and improvements as well as helping schools to embed ICT into their teaching, learning and assessments. Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested approximately €6 billion to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools every day. Minor works and ICT grants for schools are important elements of the record level of capital investment in school infrastructure. As the world around us changes rapidly, it is vital that schools can instil students with the skills they need to reach their full potential in our modern society. My colleague, the Minister, has announced €35 million in ICT funding that will empower schools to harness the opportunities technology presents and to support children and young people to become competent and engaged learners. Furthermore, minor works payments are vital in supporting our primary and special schools. I am pleased to say that the Minister has confirmed that €30 million in funding will be paid to schools in June. This will allow school communities to address issues at a local level and support their operations for the coming school year. This will give schools time to consider their plans and priorities for how best to use the funding.

In Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the minor works grant would be paid to primary and special schools in December or January of the school year. In recent years, the Department’s approach has been to ensure the minor works grant is paid in advance of the following school year to facilitate a better lead-in period for schools to plan maintenance or minor works during the summer period, which must be welcomed. Minor works grants totalling €30 million were paid in April 2024, as the Deputy said, to primary schools and special schools for the current school year 2024-25. Payment of the minor works grant along with the ICT grant next month will provide valuable support to schools for their maintenance and technology needs. I pay tribute to all schools for their amazing work and the many challenges they face at the school gate. I am aware from engaging with a lot of schools and visits to many schools over the past number of months of the importance of these grants in ensuring funding is available for minor works and ICT.

Deputy Darren O'Rourke

There is no doubt they are essential and welcome when they come but they are not enough. That is the reality. I need the Minister of State, the Minister and Department to hear that. Schools are screaming from the rooftops. All you need to do is look at the Dáil record and see the number of times school funding has been raised by Deputies across the House. I think there is a former school principal in the corner on the other side of the House. I am sure he will reflect on it as well. Basic funding for schools does not match increased costs. Schools try to muddle through but many cannot. They resort to voluntary contributions, fundraising or running deficits. The funding announced today is €14 million down on the funding announced last year, at a time when schools are sinking under the weight of increased costs and the number of schools being directed to the FSSU is increasing year on year significantly. Politics is being played. Government representatives went out on every local media station today announcing the figures for this grant funding. They did not say it is significantly down on last year. They are announcing the welcome news that there is funding for local schools. If the local representative in Meath was honest, she would say that instead of getting €2.2 million as we got last year, we are only getting €1.5 million for the ICT grant this year. It is down €700,000. The minor works grant is as it was, €1.2 million, which is welcome. This is a significant decrease in funding. Schools are struggling. They use these funds to deliver the essential works needed and for cash flow to ensure they stay above water. It is a major problem. I acknowledge when progress is made. I hope the Minister of State will acknowledge that I am fair in that regard but schools are chronically underfunded. The people who really suffer are those who are most vulnerable who do not have access to funds outside the school and fundraising efforts.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

There is constant engagement between school authorities and the Department. A number of schools have been in contact with the financial unit in the Department and issues have been resolved. I assure the Deputy we have moved to have the funding in place for the 2025-26 school year for the ICT and minor works grants.

These grants are hugely important. When it comes to engagement we are not isolated from what is happening at schools. The senior Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I are acutely aware of the massive work being done at the school gate and by school leaders, school teams and boards of management, all of which have a hugely important role, which they take on diligently. We understand the challenges. The Department has provided record investment over the past five years, with more than €6 billion spent on schools to bring up standards. There is a growing population and challenges remain in many communities to ensure we have adequate school places.

In respect of special schools, there is a huge amount of work to be done in my Department with regard to school places and so forth. We are working as hard as we can to ensure that work is done. The announcement of this funding today is welcomed by school authorities the length and breadth of the country. They are delighted to be getting it. It is important we acknowledge the amount of funding put into schools. We will continue to support schools in every way we can into the future.

School Transport

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh)

Bogfaidh muid ar aghaidh go Saincheist Tráthúil Uimh. 3 to the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, to discuss the review of the school transport scheme ahead of the new school year, atá in ainm an Teachta Mattie McGrath.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Ar an gcéad dul síos, I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for giving me this opportunity this evening. I thank the Minister of State for being here. Every August, my office is inundated with school transport queries from parents who have not been able to secure a bus place for their child. I am sure the same applies in the Minister of State’s office. It is the same for all representatives. This causes unnecessary stress late in the day before schools return. Children cannot get a bus ticket. Some might live too close to their nearest school, some live too far away from their school of choice and some are minimally further in distance between their nearest school and their second nearest school. These issues crop up for families coming from rural areas to local secondary schools in the towns. This is a particular issue in south Tipperary with schools in Cahir, Killenaule, Fethard, Cluain Meala, Mitchelstown in Cork and Carrick-on-Suir. For example, one family was unable to receive a bus ticket because Bus Éireann deemed that they live too close to a school in Cahir, despite the fact they live on a rural road a few kilometres away from the school with no footpath or public lighting. Their neighbour a little farther up the road was able to avail of the ticket. These rules are unworkable and unfair. I am sure the Minister of State understands that himself.

Another common issue relates to two schools being very close to each other. I will give the example of my own village of Caisleán Nua, Newcastle, versus Cahir and Clonmel. Incidentally, back in the 1970s, when that school was managed by the vocational education committee it was closed down. The people of Newcastle received a commitment at the time that children would be able to attend a school in either Cahir or Clonmel. That commitment was given and accepted in good faith. While it operated for many decades, for some reason, it is now not operating. That school in Newcastle is approximately ten miles from Cahir and nine miles from Clonmel. The difference in distance from the village to the two towns is minimal. There is always a mix of students heading to secondary school in both towns because there are good schools in Clonmel and an excellent school and community college in Cahir, namely, Coláiste Dún Iascaigh. The current scheme dictates which school students can get a bus to, however.

While the school transport scheme is an invaluable resource to families, it badly needs to be amended. The Department of education undertook a much-needed review of primary and post-primary school transport schemes in 2023. Recommendations from that review were made in 2024 to change the eligibility and distance criteria. Can the Minister of State confirm if his Department, along with Bus Éireann, have, or intend to, implement those changes and recommendations, which would greatly reduce the issues for the coming school year?

It was vital that the scheme was examined. While it took a long time for it to be examined, the review has been carried out and recommendations have been made. The recommendations must be introduced immediately. There is no point waiting until late July or early August to do so. There is a problem with timing as well. The timelines for getting tickets are so late in the day that people have to scramble for one against time. Parents and guardians are worried and it causes awful trouble for children. Some are being bullied because they cannot get on a bus. Other children ask them why they cannot get a ticket or why they cannot pay for one and the usual things that can happen among teenagers.

School transport is a great scheme, which was introduced by former Minister, Donogh O’Malley. I availed of it myself when it came out in 1969 or around that time. While it has worked well, like everything else, it needs to be tweaked now ahead of the new school term. People will be going on holidays, laethanta saoire, from now until August.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the issues regarding how Bus Éireann manages the school transport system on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As the Deputy may be aware, the school transport 2030 report was published in early 2024, following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the scheme include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards greater integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money for the Exchequer. It is proposed to expand access to the scheme in order that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030. A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024-25 school year.

Following the publication of the review, the Department will test the feasibility of a number of approaches through a series of pilot programmes. These pilot programmes will be held in conjunction with the Department and Bus Éireann. A total of 14 pilot projects are under way in the current school year and are currently being evaluated. It is intended to continue current pilots for the upcoming school year. They will be monitored, and a further evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national roll-out of a revised school transport system.

Work is under way to identify where further pilot programmes can be conducted. A number of approaches are being examined, including the use of a geographic information system, GIS, to identify how many additional children would become eligible and where they are located. A digital mapping project of all existing school bus routes has been developed. There is ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transport, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority with regard to the planned expansion of public transport routes to explore where integration may be possible. This is not always possible in specific rural areas, as the Deputy noted.

It occurred to me a moment ago that I travelled to both primary and secondary school using the school transport system. The service provided he length and breadth of the country is second to none. I remember with great fondness those who drove the buses, the contractors and Bus Éireann , which made it all possible.

Implementation of the recommendations of the review will continue to be planned, subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand. Under the current terms of the school transport system, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from their nearest national school, which they must be attending. At post-primary level, a pupil must reside not less than 4.8 km from their nearest post-primary school or education centre, which they must be attending, as determined by the Department or Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Officials from Bus Éireann and the Department of education came into the audiovisual room two weeks ago to meet Members of the Oireachtas. It was the first time they issued an open invitation to all Members of the Oireachtas, both TDs and Senators, in order that they could hear about the challenges being faced at the school gate from Members. I always say that, in our own office, school bus tickets become an issue from 15 August and continue to arise right through until the first or second week of October. There are huge challenges in this regard. The school transport system is so important because families are relying on it now, just as they did when free education was introduced. Transport was not as widely available at that time, however. With many families having two parents working now, it is hugely important.

I assure the Deputy that I will continue to monitor this with our officials in the Department and Bus Éireann to make sure we can make changes and make it as accessible as possible.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

The Minister of State was lucky to get it in both schools. I did not get it in national school, but I cycled to Mount Melleray that year to do the entrance exam. They did not take in any students that year. They had the place closed. I went on the bus to St. Joseph's in Cahir. I too thank the bus drivers, many of whom have gone to their heavenly reward. I also thank the contractors who give an excellent service to this day. The tweaking is there to do with the over-70s. I have seen people here and I have been up on my feet ten times in the past ten years to try to get this over-70s disqualification changed. If a driver is fit and able and medically certified he should be able to bring the children to school. He is allowed come to school at 10 o'clock to bring them off to a match or anything else. It is nonsensical. The RSA has too much say on this. The Minister should trial a statutory instrument to clear this because the contractors cannot get drivers and it is age discrimination against the elderly. Early decisions are vital, as the Minister of State said, from 15 August until October though the children should be out in early June. Safe pick-up locations are important. For example, the Clogheen to Mitchelstown school bus does not come as far as the village of Clogheen - some call it a town - forcing parents to drive to Carrigmore cross halfway between Clogheen and Ballyporeen, a junction on a busy rural road, for pick-up. This is surely not best practice for road safety, particularly in the dark winter mornings and evenings. In the interests of safety some parents send their kids to route 245 Clonmel to Cork public bus stops. It is at the village at a similar time every morning to the public bus. This is only one example, but there are many. The free school bus tickets were introduced recently as a cost-of-living measure due to the downturn in the economy. They were hugely appreciated but they had many knock-on effects that were not anticipated with more people using the buses. It needs to be tweaked. I know the Minister of State is doing his best. He understands it himself and was a recipient of it in the early stages when it came out. I would appreciate if the move could be made. I know the pilot schemes are welcome, but we need more than pilot schemes.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

The Deputy mentioned a couple of things. The closing date for payment or for medical card issues is 6 June, which is next Friday. Bus Éireann and the Department officials have assured me they will be working extremely hard for the three weeks after that to get the information together, to correlate it and to understand where the needs are and where the challenges are going to be met. A lot of work is going on and I pay tribute to the officials in the Department and Bus Éireann for their engagement with me over the past number of months since my appointment and I look forward to working with them on it. They have assured me they will be working on this, and we will be having weekly meetings to review it constantly to make sure we have the information for families as soon as possible. It is crucially important we do that.

The Deputy mentioned the over-70s and this issue has come up time out of number in many discussions on school bus systems and the challenges in it. The programme for Government has given a commitment that will be reviewed, and I would like to allow the review take place, so we have the best information possible, and we have data, opinion and a proper review. We will then make a decision on how to move forward. I take that point because it was raised a number of times at the briefing in the audiovisual room. I will continue to work on it. In school transport we have to pay tribute to Bus Éireann and the contractors. The contractors are a vitally integral part of it, as are the school bus drivers because they become part of the extended family. I pay tribute to all bus drivers the length and breadth of the country for the work they do throughout the year and in the more challenging winter months. I assure the Deputy and the House that we will be working extremely hard over the next months to make sure we have the best information for families in as timely a fashion as possible.

Transport Policy

Deputy John Connolly

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as ucht m’ábhar a roghnú le haghaidh an mhír seo ar an gclár. Mo bhuíochas freisin leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith linn chun an t-ábhar a phlé. As the Chair noted, I bring to the fore a number of issues that arise from a report published last week by the Department of Transport called The Economic Cost of Congestion in Regional Cities 2022-2040. I understand this follows a similar study that was done for the greater Dublin area last year. Some issues arise from the report that I feel warrant further reflection on future national transport policy, but I will confine much of my comment to the report as it refers to Galway. I first want to dispel an inference put forth by some since the publication of the report that it claims Galway will not benefit from the development of the proposed ring road. I want to dispel that because the report clearly says differently. Galway city ring road is currently undergoing its second assessment by An Bord Pleanála. The first assessment was accepted by An Bord Pleanála. It charged that the regulatory obligations had not been adhered to in the assessment process, which is regrettable, despite it approving the planning for the road. The Galway road project office has since furnished An Bord Pleanála with thorough further information as part of the current assessment process. I hope An Bord Pleanála will undertake the assessment carefully and prudently, but quickly. It is important for the city and the region that we get a quick decision on this. I am hopeful we will get a positive decision.

Outside of that this report highlights that the cost of congestion in Galway will reach a peak in 2030 but will fall marginally towards 2040. It will fall due to the assumption in the report that the Galway city ring road will be operational after 2030. It must also be borne in mind that the report assumes the increasing population and economic activity the city will experience in accordance with the national planning framework towards 2040. Part of what the report is saying is that the growth expected in Galway city is one of the reasons we will experience future costs associated with congestion, but the development of the ring road will alleviate that marginally. Unfortunately, and this will not be news to anybody with knowledge of Galway and its transport strategy, the ring road alone will not be sufficient to offset the increase in congestion. Further interventions are required. That is the crucial part. It would be horrific for Galway commuters to hear that not alone are our current plans not going to alleviate the traffic congestion in the city, but the traffic problems could get worse because we have an insufficiency in the interventions we are proposing. I raised the issue last week with the Tánaiste that the NTA advised me it had paused development of a new transport strategy for Galway. Since that the NTA has provided me with updated information that it is still progressing many of the projects included in the Galway transport strategy from 2016. Again, this report highlights that those interventions will not be sufficient to alleviate the traffic congestion that Galway suffers. If we cannot or do not increase the level of intervention and invest further, we will see traffic concerns in Galway unfortunately getting worse. Such interventions are not rocket science. Some of them are already alluded to in many national and local reports, such as the doubling of the rail track to Athenry, developing the western rail corridor between Tuam and Athenry, implementing the new bus network for the city at the earliest opportunity, bringing the park and ride and bus priority measures to fruition in the shortest possible timeframe and progressing a route option study for light rail in the city. A report last October highlighted that light rail is feasible for Galway, but we need to progress that to a route options assessment.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta os rud é gur chuir sé an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo os comhair na Dála. Tá mise ag tógaint an ábhair seo thar ceann an Aire Iompair. I am aware of the Department’s recent report, The Economic Cost of Congestion in the Regional Cities 2022-2040, and the results pertaining to Galway. The report builds on an earlier study about Dublin published in 2023, which the Deputy mentioned. The same methodology was applied to Cork, Waterford and Galway, providing consistent and monetised examples of the costs of congestion across these cities.

The cost of congestion is calculated on the basis of lost productive time due to increased travel times. In Galway, the cost of congestion is projected to rise to €106.9 million by 2040. On a per capita basis, this equates to €806 - second only to Dublin, which is projected at €1,047 per capita in 2040. These figures show the significant economic impact of congestion on residents and businesses in Galway. Those of us who have the privilege to visit Galway are only too well aware of the congestion, so we can empathise and sympathise.

The report indicates that Galway’s congestion costs will be notably higher than those in other regional cities. This reflects the growing demand on the transport network in the city as it assumes that Galway’s population and economy will continue to grow significantly over coming years. The pressure on transport infrastructure will then increase unless we take proactive measures.

While congestion is an inevitable consequence of economic and population growth, the results show how these costs will be distributed across different groups. The majority of costs are experienced by personal vehicles. However, the proportion attributed to goods vehicles is expected to increase by 2040. Galway shows a different pattern in the timing of congestion. Unlike other cities, which experience peak delays in the morning and evening, Galway’s congestion costs are distributed relatively evenly throughout the day. This is likely due to the employment patterns and travel behaviours in Galway, including tourists.

The report advises that infrastructure provision will mitigate congestion costs, but the mitigation could be temporary. In transport planning, it is well understood that increased supply will be met with increased demand, known as induced demand. The modelling incorporates projects outlined in the Galway transport strategy published in 2016. The Deputy mentioned some of them. The report further concludes that the planned infrastructure developments will reduce the cost of congestion compared to a scenario where they are not delivered, that is, the congestion projections would be far worse without the planned infrastructure investments. Notably, there is a slight decrease of approximately €500,000 in congestion costs in Galway between 2030 and 2040. This would indicate that the infrastructure delivered during this period will successfully reduce the rate of growth in congestion levels. The report makes clear that investment in public transport, promoting compact and mixed-purpose urban development and encouraging a shift toward sustainable modes of travel should be continued. To address congestion more broadly, support should be directed not only towards infrastructure alone but also toward behavioural changes through public awareness campaigns and incentives that make sustainable transport more attractive and accessible.

Deputy John Connolly

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht an fhreagra. I will focus on the last paragraph of the Minister of State's response. He is correct to say we need more than enhanced infrastructure. I am glad, though, that his response also recognises the enhanced infrastructure, which will predominantly be the ring road, will alleviate some congestion and the report notes that. The last paragraph is interesting because it makes the point we need greater public transport and we need people to use public transport more.

One of the reasons I said I think this document requires further debate is it highlights one startling statistic. That is that only 4% of the population in the regional cities use public transport as their preferred mode of transport, whereas in the greater Dublin area that is 20%. Proportionately, five times as many people in Dublin use public transport as in the regional cities. That is because of its availability. The options to use public transport in Dublin are much greater than in the regional cities. I would welcome any and all interventions that will enhance public transport provision in Galway, give us better public transport infrastructure and give commuters a greater option to use public transport.

There is one thing I fear and I asked the Minister for Transport about it recently. The report published last week says the data on public transport usage I have just quoted reflects the insufficient scale and coverage of the public transport network, as well as poor frequency and accessibility in regional cities. People cannot use what they do not have. We need the ring road in Galway; we also need to complement it with enhanced public transport. Unfortunately, the evidence I have seen suggests the NTA is focused on the greater Dublin area. We need the NTA to expand its focus more to the regional cities. I understand the Minister for Transport has some measures in that area and I hope he brings them forward soon.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I thank the Deputy for bringing the focus to Galway and congestion and for being a strong voice for the city, for the wider constituency of Galway West and for Connemara. It is good he has raised the report in the Dáil because it outlines what congestion costs every man, woman and child in Galway. Galway citizens are likely to experience a much higher cost per capita than citizens of other regional cities.

The ring road has been delayed by court proceedings and planning issues and the Galway transport strategy has not been updated since 2016 because of the lack of clarity here. The modelling in this report is based on the transport strategy and includes the ring road. It is not possible to tease out the specific savings the ring road would be responsible for but it is one of the more significant projects included in the model. That is obvious but I am glad the Government and the Government report are saying that because that is the type of advocacy the Deputy has been making to all of us and all his colleagues. It can be reasonably asserted that the ring road would contribute to the lower congestion cost in the period after it is delivered. I agree that is important. There is a wide range of measures relating to public transport that will reduce the cost financially for the Deputy's constituents and make Galway as good a place as we all know it can be. It is a beautiful and important city.

Water Quality

Deputy Paul Murphy

A public consultation on redesignating 433 rivers, streams and lakes as "heavily modified water bodies" closed last week. If the redesignation goes ahead, it will mean a massive increase in the number of these "heavily modified water bodies" from 33 to 466. All the main rivers in Dublin - the Liffey, the Dodder, the Poddle - as well as iconic rivers like the Boyne, the Corrib and the Shannon, will be included.

The reason the Government is doing this is that heavily modified water bodies do not have to meet EU water quality standards, which require all our rivers, lakes and estuaries to achieve good water quality by 2027. The Government is failing abysmally to achieve those standards; more than half of our rivers, lakes and estuaries are in an unhealthy state. In the late 1980s, we had more than 500 pristine water bodies; there are only 20 today. Rather than taking action to fix that, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is not just moving the goalposts, but demolishing the goalposts.

An Taisce's submission to the public consultation is damning of the redesignation process. It states the consultation "is wholly inadequate from a public participation perspective" because "the Department have manifestly failed to adequately carry out any of the designation tests". It provides a detailed explanation of what the designation tests are supposed to be under EU law and, step by step, shows how the Department has failed to carry them out. The first step is supposed to be to identify possible restoration measures for the rivers. An Taisce finds no evidence the Department bothered to do this and concludes "This is a total failure by the Department to identify the restoration measures required to achieve [good ecological status]." The second step is to examine whether those restoration measures would have significant adverse effects on the specified uses for the rivers, which can include providing drinking water supply, power generation, irrigation, flood protection or land drainage. Here An Taisce finds "Given that there has been no analysis of what restoration measures would be required... it [is] impossible for the Department to adequately answer this question." Did that stop the Department? No. It went ahead and inputted the word "Yes" to an Excel spreadsheet 433 times, apparently on the say-so of the specified use owners. Those specified use owners are the Department and the OPW. I have the Excel spreadsheet here just saying "Yes" 433 times. It is the definition of a box-ticking exercise.

There is a second column with "Yes" written 433 times in answer to the question, "Will the body fail good ecological status?" That lets the cat out of the bag. It is patently obvious that the Government is doing this to wriggle out of its obligations to bring water bodies up to good ecological status by 2027 and to hell with the cost to the environment and the damage to biodiversity. Is the Minister of State content to preside over a further decline of our rivers and lakes? Is he content to not even try to restore them and instead to throw in the towel and redesignate them as heavily modified in order that the Government is not under any pressure to improve them?

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and appreciate his concerns regarding this process. The water framework directive establishes the general objective that water bodies be restored to at least good ecological status by 2027. It also makes provision that a more realistic objective for water bodies that have been heavily modified may be set. This applies where restoration would not be technically feasible or would be disproportionately costly, among other considerations.

Under the water framework directive, the Department conducted an eight-week consultation on designating heavily modified water bodies, which closed on 23 May 2025. This followed an initial consultation on characterising heavily modified water bodies completed by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in 2022. The EPA determined, on the basis of expert judgment underpinned by new assessment tools, that these water bodies would fail to achieve the target of good ecological status due to changes in their physical condition. This resulted in a list of 466 water bodies requiring further assessment by the Department to determine their eligibility for designation as heavily modified.

These water bodies have undergone significant physical modifications to support various societal benefits, for example, concrete flood protection schemes. As a result, they are no longer in a natural state and cannot achieve the same environmental targets as their natural counterparts. These water bodies have been modified to supply drinking water, provide flood protection, protect towns and villages and create national ports. It also includes those modified as a result of land drainage, which is carried out under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. Arterial drainage provides flood protection to thousands of residential and commercial properties, in addition to protecting farmlands.

The water action plan 2024 sets out a series of actions to tackle water quality in Ireland. All member states are required to produce such plans in six-year cycles. Action 3.11 of the plan commits to a review of arterial drainage requirements and the underpinning Arterial Drainage Act to inform future land use policy decisions. Until that is complete and irrespective of designation as heavily modified, the OPW has a statutory duty under the Arterial Drainage Act to maintain arterial drainage schemes.

Designation of water bodies as heavily modified acknowledges that there has been a modification for the purposes of a beneficial specified use and that different, more appropriate environmental standards need to be applied. These water bodies will have an alternative target of good ecological potential instead of good ecological status. Official EU guidance on this process outlines that this is not an exemption but is a specific category of water body with its own classification scheme and objective. It is important to note that good ecological potential reflects the best environmental target that the water body is capable of achieving while the modifications to support the specified use are still in place. In itself, the designation does not have an ecological effect but sets a realistic yet stringent standard.

Deputy Paul Murphy

The Minister of State referred to a realistic yet stringent standard. I presume he will accept that it is deliberately a much less stringent standard than if those water bodies were not redesignated as highly modified water bodies.

The reply was in line with what I am saying. This is the Government throwing in the towel in respect of improving the quality of our water bodies. To quote Ms Joanna Braniff of the Rivers Trust, it shows there is no ambition for these rivers and that we are writing them off.

The Minister of State, as I heard the Taoiseach do earlier in the week, effectively tried to pass the buck to the EPA. He effectively misquoted what the EPA has done. The EPA carried out work in 2022 to identify candidates for this designation - it engaged with stakeholders - but it was not the final designation. It found bodies that could meet the designation but final designation is the job of the Department. In its letter to the Department on the issue, the EPA stated that it recommended consideration by the Minister of a number of issues as part of the final designation. It recommended that the Department "carry out a wider national policy review of whether the specified uses are appropriate during the 3rd river basin management planning cycle". It also recommended "that waterbody specific designation tests, that are informed by the policy review, should be carried out in due course". The Department has failed to do that.

The Minister of State referred to the change in these physical conditions based on expert judgment underpinned by new assessment tools. He is not saying that the Government has done that but that the EPA has done it. However, the EPA has not made its decision. This is a decision made by the Department.

The Minister of State made reference to arterial drainage. That is an outdated practice that can often lead to more flooding than would naturally occur. The main justification for exempting rivers from quality standards is highly questionable. It is in breach of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, which outlined that the Arterial Drainage Act is no longer fit for purpose. The Government is now using it as an excuse to lower the standards for our water.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

The Deputy says it is in breach of the citizens' assembly, but it is in compliance with EU law and guidance. This is not an exemption. It is defined in the EU guidance as an alternative target that is designed to get the best possible environmental outcome while continuing to provide societal benefits. This is a cyclical process. Water bodies currently proposed for designation are unable to meet the good ecological status objective at this time. As further information arises, alternative solutions could become available. Once a viable alternative is implemented that can allow these water bodies to achieve their natural target, they will not be designated as heavily modified in subsequent cycles. Where no alternative solution can be found, mitigation measures will be applied to those designated water bodies to ensure they achieve the best environmental standard possible.

Designation as heavily modified is a dynamic process that allows us to continue to with specified uses, such as drinking water and flood protection, while still achieving the best environmental standards possible. It allows us to redesignate and de-designate water bodies in the future if better solutions arise. It does not constitute a lowering of ecological targets.

Dáil Éireann debate - Thursday, 29 May 2025