Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Tuesday, 9 Dec 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Mental Health Services

Deputy Sean Fleming

I want to raise the issue of Erkina House, Rathdowney, which is a long established and excellent HSE facility that comes under the mental health services. By definition, the residents are vulnerable people and are entitled to peace of mind and not to be upset by the HSE in their works. Three years ago, we raised this in the House, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was with us and was personally involved in the situation where the HSE announced it was going to close Erkina House three years ago. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was directly involved and that did not proceed. There were 12 residents in Erkina House at that stage and the HSE, after that, announced the closure of this facility but subsequently publicly apologised to residents and their families for the unnecessary upset caused to them.

All I can say is here we go again with the HSE. Now it says there will be no new admissions to Erkina House. This is closure by stealth. Three years ago, the HSE guaranteed that no residents would be moved out without their and their families' consent. Very recently, I have had a family in contact with me, saying they were against their family member being moved out. If it is now happening, it can only be because the HSE has bullied them to accept the HSE's proposal. I understand there are two or three residents in Erkina House at this stage. This fits into the HSE agenda of closing Erkina House by stealth, which it has been working to do. The care provided by staff in Erkina House is superb. The care and attention and, if I am allowed to say it, the affection they have shown for the residents is exemplary. I sincerely hope the staff will be fully respected by the HSE and whatever arrangements it comes to will be outlined in detail to them. A key priority is also that the staff will be dealt with fairly.

I fully understand that Erkina House is an old building and does not meet the current health and safety standards which the residents and staff are entitled to. This is because the HSE has failed to invest and bring this facility up to a standard over the years. There also is an acute shortage of respite beds in County Laois and many Laois people who have had surgery in hospitals locally and require short-term respite are regularly told to go to another county as the HSE does not have adequate respite facilities in County Laois. The HSE should invest in its own respite facility rather than paying a fortune of taxpayers' hard-earned money to private nursing homes. As everyone is aware, two private nursing homes in Laois are already under investigation and monitoring in relation to various matters and as a result, we are short on respite beds in County Laois. Erkina House would be an excellent respite facility for the area, as well as continuing the services it currently provides. I also suggested it as a suitable location for the health centre in the town, as the existing facility is recognised by all and the HSE as not being fit to meet the modern-day standards for facilities.

The HSE is turning its back on Rathdowney and south County Laois. Its two facilities in Rathdowney, Erkina House and the health centre, have been starved of funds and investment, and this is resulting in a poorer health service at the expense of the people in Rathdowney and surrounding areas. This must stop now. We need investment in these facilities, not closures.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

I thank Deputy Fleming for raising the issue of Erkina House. We have been here before. The Deputy has been a long-time advocate for and supporter of Erkina House.

It is a key priority for me and for the Government that people experiencing mental health difficulties receive the appropriate level of care they require in the most suitable location in the community which best meets their needs. Achieving this involves reform of mental health services and developing fit-for-purpose community services that will meet people's needs into the future. I have just spent the past two and a half hours in the Seanad dealing with Committee Stage of the Mental Health Bill, and I will be back in there again tomorrow. It is important that we have services that are fit for purpose.

Erkina House is operated by the HSE as a fully staffed community mental health residence. The HSE has advised the Department that there are three remaining residents supported at the residence. Erkina House has provided much-needed mental health support to many people over two decades. I acknowledge the care and affection and immense mental health supports provided by the staff there. However, it is not the type of mental health facility we would build today. In that regard, there are documented issues with the configuration of the building as a mental health service.

In 2018, a report by the Mental Health Commission inspectorate outlined the need for a significant response to multi-occupancy rooms. This was further recommended by the HSE for the purpose of infection prevention and risk control during the Covid-19 pandemic. The HSE has advised the Department and me that Erkina House would be significantly non-compliant with forthcoming Mental Health Commission community residence standards and that a significant level of investment would be required to develop the facility in order to achieve the additional regulatory standards required.

An independent review was commissioned by the chief officer of the HSE midlands-Louth-Meath community healthcare organisation in 2022. The review was completed on the basis of a potential move of services to another location in County Offaly. This is no longer an option being considered by the HSE. The review strongly recommended that the views of residents on their future service provision be the focus of decision-making.

A person-centred management model has been implemented by the HSE, which has indicated that the remaining residents wish to move to other long-term care facilities elsewhere in the community. The HSE has advised the Department that this property is not suitable for upgrade and adaptation, and, accordingly, no new admissions to Erkina House will be undertaken. The HSE has provided assurances to the Department as to the service provision being made for the existing residents to properly meet their needs. I will not go over these details on the floor of the Dáil because the number of people involved is so small that the individuals involved would be identifiable. I would be happy to engage with the Deputy offline on that matter.

It is important to address the situation with the staff. At present, there are 12 staff based in Erkina House, five nurses and seven multitask attendants. Consultation with staff and their union representatives is planned for later this month to collaboratively negotiate and agree transition plans. This will be informed by the expressed will and preference of the remaining residents on their plans to leave Erkina House to go into further long-term residential care.

In my concluding remarks, I will discuss the Deputy's concerns about Rathdowney and south County Laois and how we can work with him on investment in the area.

Deputy Sean Fleming

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I understand and appreciate what she is saying, but, obviously, I have a number of questions. As already stated, the Minister of State was involved in an issue relating to Erkina House a number of years ago and was very positive and helpful on that occasion.

The Minister of State indicated that a significant level of investment would be required to develop Erkina House in order to achieve the additional regulatory standards required. We all agree on that. Everybody in Ireland agrees. Everybody in Rathdowney agrees. The reason that is required is because the place was starved of investment in recent years. Those responsible deliberately made sure that nothing was done in an organised manner when there were up to 12 residents on the premises. They chose to close it by stealth. That is the word I would use. If the facility has been starved of investment, it will not meet the new requirements necessary for the health and safety and the mental health of the people there.

We have a great asset in Rathdowney. I have been told that the Minister of State has been looking at getting a new health centre in a different location. Very recently, I have had it in writing from the HSE that the Minister of State will not proceed on that basis because it is too expensive and that she will look at the property owned by the HSE in the town. I ask that there be an extension to the existing health centre at its current location or that it be combined with Erkina House in order that, like many other HSE buildings, it will have a dual use. I ask for that to be considered, if appropriate.

We are short of respite places. This facility could be suitable in that regard. There are two nursing homes that have been in the national media and before the courts in recent months. As a result of that, the HSE is currently not using them. People looking for respite have to travel a very long distance outside the county to get that. People should be able to get respite within their own county. We have the property in Rathdowney. Of course it needs investment, but it could be a multi-use facility. I ask the HSE not to turn its back on Rathdowney, as it seems to be doing in the context of both Erkina House and the health centre.

Deputy Mary Butler

I understand the strength of the Deputy's feelings. As I said, he has been advocating for Erkina House for many years and also for the residents who live there and who called it their forever home. I understand how difficult it is for residents who have lived in a facility that they will have to move away from for several reasons.

The Deputy has accepted that the building is no longer fit for purpose in the context of the provision of mental health supports. It no longer aligns with the mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, and HSE policies, including Time to Move on from Congregation Settings and Design for Mental Health Housing 2015 to 2017. However, I hear him loud and clear in relation to the facility. On many occasions, the HSE has moved out of facilities and they have been left unused. I am very much of the view that every option should be explored. I will make contact with the HSE in the region to see that all options are explored on the future use of the premises. I am conscious of the issues the Deputy raised in respect of the health centre.

My first priority is to the three residents at the facility in the context of making sure that they are moved on safely and securely and that they get the long-term residential care they need. My next priority is the 12 staff. This is a time of uncertainty for them. I will request that every effort be made to support the staff as they are relocated. Obviously, this can be a disruptive process for many people. I reiterate that I am happy to work with the Deputy to explore all options for the premises.

Eating Disorders

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

I am not sure if the Minister of State was in LH 2000 earlier for the lighting of the Christmas tree. It was a lovely event that kicks off the Christmas celebrations for many. Christmas offers a chance for families around the country to come together and reconnect. However, it can also be a time of additional emotional stress and pressure. I refer to the pressure of additional spending for those already struggling to make ends meet, the feeling of loss for families struggling with the death of loved one during the year gone by and the loneliness experienced by those who live on their own.

For those with living with eating disorders and their families, the Christmas season can bring huge pressure. As we approach the holidays, we have to acknowledge that Christmas can present unique challenges for these people. Pressures around food, social gatherings and changes in routine always intensify during this period. While many look forward to celebrations that involve food and drink and the social expectation to get involved, having to do so puts those who are suffering in an uncomfortable spotlight. People with eating disorders can often feel more isolated than ever at Christmas. They can be more aware of their own feelings of inadequacy and the depression and worry associated with their disordered eating.

As the Minister of State knows, eating disorders affect up to 5% of the population at some time in their lives. One of the challenges of supporting these people is that the supports they need cross the traditional divide between mental and physical supports and health services. I have met advocacy groups working in this area and have heard very strong testimonies from those who have experienced these conditions and their families, who have worked so hard around the clock to support them.

Young people are particularly vulnerable at this time of year. When schools close, key protective structures in those schools disappear. Teachers and guidance counsellors often play a stabilising role in a student's life, an influence that is absent for weeks during the holidays. Routines matter for these people and when they are disrupted, additional challenges arise, intensifying distress and anxiety. I want to ask and examine how supports can be strengthened during this vulnerable period and if the Department of Health has considered issuing any specific guidance for families and individuals living and dealing with eating disorders over Christmas. Families need reassurance and practical advice. I want to acknowledge the excellent work done by Bodywhys, in particular their Coping at Christmas guide, which is a practical piece of work that offers strategies to those struggling to manage the stress associated with Christmas and to plan ahead.

Deputy Mary Butler

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. He is quite right that people look at Christmas in different ways. It is a really difficult time For some people. He is also quite right about the unique problems for people with an eating disorder and how they may feel more isolated than ever before.

We have a national clinical programme on eating disorders, which has progressed well, with 16 teams funded, 14 teams up and running and the national roll-out having substantially advanced across some of those teams. Dedicated investment in eating disorders continues and the HSE has spent over €9 million annually on eating disorder services under the clinical programme. It is an area I have prioritised since I came into the role in June 2020. That was a time we had one eating disorder team in place and two others funded, so we have made a lot of progress in relation to eating disorder teams in the community. We now have over 100 clinicians working on eating disorder teams, with eight consultant psychiatrists doing phenomenal work. We did see a huge peak in demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially young girls aged 15, 16 and 17 presenting with anorexia nervosa. The demand is there.

The Deputy highlighted how Christmas can be a particularly challenging time for people with an eating disorder and their families for many reasons. For those living with an eating disorder, the festive season often does not bring the same sense of anticipation as it does for others, and it is important that we acknowledge this. The build-up to Christmas, the changes in routine and expectations around socialising and food can contribute to stress, pressure and conflicted thoughts and feelings for people. It is very important that people with an eating disorder who need help reach out to the range of community supports available to them. These include their own care practitioners including their GP and mental health teams and the eating disorder association Bodywhys, which I want to acknowledge. I am very happy to be able to support Bodywhys through the mental health budget. It does a lot of really important work on the interaction between Christmas and eating disorders. The Deputy mentioned Bodywhys Coping at Christmas guide.

For anyone currently supported by an eating disorder team, the HSE has confirmed that all teams will make arrangements with service users and families for days when services are closed. In addition, the HSE Self Care app will have additional guidance on how to manage during Christmas.

Bodywhys has developed two excellent guides and a detailed podcast, led by a psychotherapist, with key information for people, families and carers on how to manage at this time of year. I encourage everyone to consult these guides on the Bodywhys website and will share this information with Deputies as needed.

Bodywhys has also advised the Department of Health that their virtual support groups will meet as normal in December, and that their helpline service remains open over the festive period with the exception of public holidays. If support is needed on these days, yourmentalhealth.ie has full information on emergency and out of hours supports available, including crisis phone and text support. I also direct people, particularly young people, to our new Navigator mental health support, Ireland’s online tool connecting them to personalised mental health information, resources and support.

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

I thank the Minister of State for her response, and I acknowledge the development and service development work that has gone into this in the past number of years. As she set out, we started from a very low base, but it is hugely positive that the service is being developed.

It is important we recognise the challenges that many people face in our communities. Reduced service hours during the Christmas period has the potential of having a really negative effect and I really welcome the commitment from the HSE and the confirmation that teams will make direct arrangements and communicate. That is very positive. I appreciate that significant progress has been made through the national clinical programme. If these specialist services and structures are built, it is important they be available to people at those periods of heightened vulnerability like Christmas. Looking beyond Christmas, the review of the model of care for eating disorders will be crucial in improving how we respond to those challenges and I noted in a recent response to a parliamentary question that the bed capacity review is back from the HSE and is with the Department and the Minister of State. Can she give us any insight as to what that looks like? In-patient bed capacity is absolutely vital for dealing with all elements of these cases. It is an area that is complex, long misunderstood and that has been underinvested in and under-resourced. It is great to see resources going in. We must learn from those lessons coming through the national clinical programme and deliver evidence-based, dependable and well-co-ordinated services that support recovery from eating disorders at every stage in the life cycle. I thank the Minister of State for her work to date and urge her to prioritise clear communication, good strong solid community supports and renewed commitment to getting full implementation of a revised model of care once it is agreed.

Deputy Mary Butler

The Deputy raised a valid point. The priority over the past few years has been community supports because 90% of people with an eating disorder are treated in the community. It is a very difficult mental health disorder and for many people it takes over their entire life. It can sometimes take up to seven years for recovery and some people relapse. It is very challenging, and I am happy to see the roll-out of the supports. The demand is still very high, and we will continue to do that.

In relation to young people under 18 years old with an eating disorder, we have 22 dedicated beds in Cherry Orchard, Dublin, Merlin Park, Galway and Eist Linn, County Cork. The story is not a good when it comes to adults. This is my next focus. We currently have three dedicated beds in St. Vincent's Hospital Dublin specifically for that particular area. We conducted the bed capacity review and I was delighted to work with the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to secure significant capital investment from 2026 to 2030 sitting somewhere around €400 million for mental health. I have never had that kind of funding available to me before for capital investment. As a result, we will invest in 20 adult beds. We will locat them geographically. From memory, there will be approximately eight to ten beds in the Dublin region, six in the Cork region and another approximately six in the Roscommon region. The reason they are located like that is these are three areas we have identified and approved for building new centres with departments of psychiatry where we will include these beds. The most important thing is that a person does not have to be living in that particular area to access a bed. That is a specific problem we have at the moment with St. Vincent's Hospital. I am really pleased we will be able to move this on. It does take time, but we are certainly making progress.

Hospital Overcrowding

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

Before I speak to this Topical Issue, I wish to commend Deputy Ó Muirí on raising a really important issue in the House. I fully agree with his sentiments, having been a youth worker for so long. I will be the first to stand here and critique, but on this issue I can attest to the improvements the previous couple of Governments have made in this regard. I know the app the Minister of State mentioned has a very place in her heart in terms of the impact it might have. I wish her continued success with the roll-out of that mental health app.

When you live in Kildare you begin to plan for certain things at a very early stage. You try to get a crèche place for your child before they are born because they are often full. People try to enrol their children in local schools before they are born because the chances are they are full. People who are lucky enough to have a GP place need to give two weeks' notice to let the practice know they are going to be sick because capacity is a real issue. When it comes to Naas General Hospital, people pray to whoever it is that they pray to that they or their family will not have to darken the door of the hospital over the coming weeks and months. That is not because of the level of care provided, but the issue of capacity. The toll it takes on people's health outcomes is monumental.

I hope it goes without saying that a critique of the hospital is no reflection on the majority of staff who conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and dedication to their occupation as is humanly possible. Inpatients have told me how thankful they are for the care and medical expertise they experience from a beautifully diverse and wonderfully talented staff team in Naas General Hospital, but to get to that point people must often traverse an excessive wait in the emergency department. Some 255 people were cared for on trolleys in November this year and why I raise this with the Minister of State-----

Deputy Mary Butler

How many?

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

There were 255. I raise this issue because it appears that this has become an acceptable norm in Naas General Hospital.

Year after year, the same number of patients receiving care on trolleys. The numbers may fall or rise slightly, but it has become something of a predictable crisis. In the same way that young families have to plan early for basics like crèche and school places in Kildare, I ask the Minister of State, the HSE and hospital management team in Naas to plan better for this predictable crisis.

Kildare has a population of 250,000 people. The county has experienced exponential growth in 30 years, more than doubling from the 1990s. In truth, we have been failed by successive Governments who rightly want housing delivered, but have utterly failed in their duty to deliver the necessary social infrastructure required in tandem with housing.

This week the CEO of the HSE spoke on radio about emergency departments being about life threatening situations. I understand the point he was trying to make, but he also said if he was given 220 people being cared for on trolleys every day when he started in the role he would nearly have taken that. We cannot allow that to become the norm and that is what worries me. The 250 people in November 2025 in Naas were deemed suitable for care and admission and needed the level of care that only the hospital could provide, as did the 350 people in November 2024 and the 260 in November 2023.

We do not have other options in Kildare. The out-of-hours services are not there to meet the capacity constraints in our county. I call on the Minister of State to raise this issue with the Minister for Health and ask for a meeting to be convened between the HSE, management and representatives in Kildare North and Kildare South to talk about the issues of fundamental importance when it comes to reducing the number from the mid 200s as much as we can over the next number of years.

Deputy Mary Butler

I thank Deputy Farrelly for the manner in which he has raised the issue. While acknowledging the challenges in Naas General Hospital, he spoke about this issue being no reflection on the staff and that the level of care being provided is exceptional. I want to acknowledge his work in advocating for the people of Kildare. I did not realise 250,000 people live in Kildare. That is huge population growth.

Naas General Hospital is a 202 inpatient and 18 day bed acute public hospital, providing healthcare to over 250,000 people in the growing catchment area of Kildare and west Wicklow. Naas General Hospital caters for patient activity through emergency, inpatient, outpatients and day services departments. The hospital is the sole provider of acute care in the integrated health area and serves a significantly larger population than many of its model 3 hospital counterparts.

Naas General Hospital continues to experience sustained pressure across all service areas. From January to October 2025, emergency department attendances have risen by 9% compared to the same period in 2024. Emergency department attendances of patients aged 75 and over have also risen by 9% in this timeframe. The average length of stay for patients aged over 75 is more than twice that of patients aged under 75, compounding pressure on bed capacity and overall patient flow.

I acknowledge the fact that the Deputy said 255 people were on trolleys through the month of November. The last thing any of us wants to see are people waiting on trolleys, especially elderly people and those aged over 75. We have invested hugely in home care, day care and meals on wheels to provide as much support as possible to support people in living well in their own communities, but there comes a time when people have to present to hospital and be looked after. The emergency department can be very difficult for an elderly person when it is extremely busy.

I want to highlight some of the good work being carried out at Naas General Hospital during these challenging circumstances. From January to October 2025, the median waiting time for all emergency department patients was down 18% compared to the same period in 2024. I accept there is more to be done.

The HSE capital plan sets out the planned health infrastructure investment within a given year. Capital investment plays a critical role in enabling and enhancing health service provision. Construction is underway to repurpose and refurbish existing HSE accommodation in St. Mary's at Naas General Hospital to provide short-term accommodation for enhanced community care, the integrated care programme for older people, ICPOP, and chronic disease management services.

Naas General Hospital is currently at design feasibility stage for multiple projects, including the conversion of an existing operating theatre and ancillary rooms into two endoscopy procedure rooms, increasing the total number of rooms from one to three. Another project involves a 15-cubicle transition unit for patient admissions and discharges to alleviate emergency department admission pressure.

In 2020, Naas General Hospital received a €74 million budget. In 2025, the budget allocation for the hospital rose to €130 million. This investment in recent years is fundamental to supporting the ongoing development of services and ensuring that Naas General Hospital will continue to play an invaluable role in the delivery of health services to the local community in the years ahead. Notwithstanding the almost doubling of the budget between 2020 and 2025, I take on board the points the Deputy has raised. I will be very happy to discuss them with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

I thank the Minister of State for her considered response. It is really useful. I hope she can see I am not trying to play politics with this.

Deputy Mary Butler

You are not.

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

It is an issue that has maintained over years and will continue, notwithstanding the matters of merit in the Minister of State's response in terms of capital works and an increased budget. The budgets are increasing in tandem with the population increase. I do not think that will address this meaningfully.

I spoke with someone today who works in Naas General Hospital and their words are more important than mine. I will quote that person:

The nursing staff are voting today via the INMO for work-to-rule. The management is adding services to an already understaffed hospital. No one is listening to the nurses on the ground, despite union meetings. Management wants to change hours without approval of the staff. There are 30 nursing vacancies at multiple levels that are unfilled and unadvertised. There is not enough staff to cover sick leave. They are using agency staff to run theatre lists and endoscopy lists are being filled without following [joint advisory group] JAG protocols.

These are not my points. What matters at this point are the voices of those working on the ground.

This has become an entirely predictable crisis. Irrespective of concerns over how the national treatment purchase fund, NTPF, is being used, the powerful words from someone working in the hospital are what we all need to hear. The majority of staff in Naas General Hospital will continue to work tirelessly, but they will work tirelessly in conditions that are simply unacceptable. I again thank the Minister of State for her time. I ask her to convey the importance of this to the Minister, and to consider convening a meeting of the stakeholders I mentioned to include the union representatives to make sure we hear the voices of staff, patients, ourselves and management so that we are not here this time next year talking about a predictable crisis.

Deputy Mary Butler

I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising Naas General Hospital and the challenges we are seeing right across the country at the moment in terms of the surge in presentations, in particular older people, relating to flu.

I heard Bernard Gloster, the chief executive of the HSE, say quite clearly on Sunday that if people are very unwell, they need to present to hospital. It is especially true for older people in relation to flu. I will also take this opportunity to encourage people to take the flu vaccine as well. That is really important because we are seeing a huge surge of presentations.

I could talk about waiting list initiatives and that but that will not help the Deputy out at the moment. Under the 2025 plan, Naas General Hospital has completed works, including an 11-bed acute medical assessment unit and an emergency department admissions discharge lounge. They were some capital projects that have completed. I take on board what Deputy Farrelly is saying. With the size of the population in Kildare, the fact it is the only model three hospital in that area means there is a huge amount of demand. I will give the Deputy a commitment on the floor of the Dáil that I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to see what more supports can be provided for the hospital. I look forward to seeing the announcement in relation to where some of this national development plan health capital allocation of €1.56 billion for 2026 goes. I will certainly relay the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

School Facilities

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Can I clarify what Minister of State is taking it?

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Frankie Feighan)

I am.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Okay. I have submitted a Topical Issue tonight. Everybody knows TDs wait seven or eight weeks to get a chance to have a Topical Issue. It is a precious opportunity. I have a really important issue to raise in respect of my constituency. I walked past the Minister of State for education as I came here this evening. The Minister of State for education is not even here, never mind the actual Minister for education. I am strongly protesting this.

I have a right not to take this if the actual Minister of State is not here. There is supposed to be either the senior Minister or a Minister of State from the Department here tonight. I just walked past the Minister of State in the hall. That is absolute and utter disrespect. I want clarification on this. Could somebody clarify what the Standing Orders allow for? I ask for the clock to be frozen at four minutes because I have every right to raise this issue.

Deputy Mary Butler

To be helpful while the official is looking up the exact Standing Order in relation to it, I have discussed with all senior Ministers that I expect, as Chief Whip, that somebody from the Department takes a question. That is why I am here myself taking the previous three health questions. I always try to come in if they are about mental health. Sometimes, it is impossible if a Minister or Minister of State is not available. Deputy Mac Lochlainn said he has seen the Minister of State. We then move to Front Bench cover. My expectation of Ministers is that, where possible, it would be fulfilled by the Minister or a Minister from that Department.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I appreciate the Government Chief Whip saying that. What made me angry tonight is that I walked past the Minister of State on my way here.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy John Paul O'Shea)

To clarify, the Deputy can defer it until the next day.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I ask to defer it until tomorrow morning. Is that okay? Until we have either the Minister or Minister of State here.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy John Paul O'Shea)

Will we defer it until tomorrow morning? Yes. We will put it to the Ceann Comhairle's office for the Deputy.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Okay. I thank an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach.

Deputy Mary Butler

To clarify, Topical Issues are on at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning and I am actually taking one. It is my understanding that the list is already full for the morning so I cannot say whether it would revert to tomorrow or further away. That does not come through me. It comes through the Oireachtas. I cannot state for definite that Deputy Mac Lochlainn's will be taken in the morning.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I appreciate the Chief Whip's acknowledgement of my frustration. On that basis, I will just go ahead and take it now. It is no disrespect to Deputy Feighan, as he knows. I have utmost respect for him personally but I walked past the Minister of State on the way here. The rules are very clear. It is either the full Minister or the Minister of State who takes it, so it is no disrespect to Deputy Feighan. If the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach does not mind, I will restart the clock and take it now because the issue is important. I will talk to the senior Minister tomorrow about it too.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy John Paul O'Shea)

Okay.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

The issue tonight is St. Eunan's College in Letterkenny. I recently visited the college again at the invitation of the student council. There were these outstanding young men who took me around the school. It is not the first time I have had a tour of St. Eunan's College. I have done it a number of times over the years but I have to say, I was really shocked at the current condition of the college. There are impossible conditions for both students and teachers to work in. There is the original building from 1909 and there were additions in 1979. You can clearly see the dilapidated conditions of the buildings throughout. There is no disability access in the entire college. There are lifts but they are not used, which means that students with a disability are not going to the college.

The college has 1,000 students today in a school that was designed for hundreds. They have waited a long, long time. They started to engage in 1999 with the Department and the Ministers and it has just dragged on and on. For me, I find it so frustrating how long it takes to deliver public building projects in this country. I have visited the college a number of times over the years. It is desperately slow to deliver the amenities. This is a fantastic school. I do not know how it delivers the standard of education it does in the facilities it has. For example, there are eight toilet cubicles for a population of 1,000 students. If you go through the old buildings, they are in appalling conditions and there is black mould, windows are broken and boarded up, walls are damp and soaking wet as you run your hands down them and there are totally inadequate amenities for young people to congregate during lunch breaks. It is absolutely appalling.

I know in the Minister of State's response, he will say that it is at the design stage and it is getting ready to go to tender. This Government has recently launched this infrastructure plan. It has to get a grip on the length of time it takes to deliver these projects. People are learning in absolutely unacceptable conditions. This a superb school that gives a superb standard of education. As are all the TDs, I am currently being lobbied by former students who are deeply proud of the history of the college. They are fighting for the next generation. The students and young people I met, who were the highest calibre of young people, will not be in that college or be in school when the new facilities are delivered. They are fighting for the next generation. They are trying to ensure that nobody has to go through and endure those conditions again.

I stress to the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, that I will speak to the Minister for education, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, tomorrow. I will make it my business to personally speak to her. I wanted her to be here tonight. I will ask for an explanation as to why the senior Minister and the Minister of State were not here. I walked past the Minister of State for education in the hall. I am really disappointed about that. I mean no disrespect because the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, came here late at night to read a statement. I appreciate him doing that but he would understand, if he were in my position, the frustration I have.

Those young people, parents and teachers would want the Minister for education to be present. The issue here is for the Minister to come to the school, visit the board of management, the parents’ committee and the students and do a full tour of the school. That is what I wanted to ask her to do, but I will ask her tomorrow when I see her.

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn for raising this matter. It gives me an opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, to outline to the Dáil the current position in relation to the school project for St. Eunan’s College in Letterkenny. This project is included in the Department of Education and Youth’s construction programme, which will be delivered under the national development plan as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework. St. Eunan’s College is a single-sex, Catholic secondary school for boys under the patronage of the Bishop of Raphoe. This school building project will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils and additional classrooms for children with special educational needs.

The stage 1 submission of this major project was initially received in May 2020 and, following the submission of an addendum report, it was approved to the next stage in September 2020. Following this, stage 2A of the project was approved in April 2021. An emergency works application for the installation of fire alarms and related works was completed in April 2022.

Following a review of the schedule of accommodation, the design team was requested to submit design options to include an increase of two classrooms for children with special educational needs. The design team submitted its amended design options to include the increased accommodation to the Department for review, which was approved in July 2024. Planning permission was secured in March 2022. Thereafter, a complete stage 2 report was received by the Department in October 2024 for review. Stage 2B involves detailed design, securing all statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documentation.

In February 2024, the Department secured decant accommodation in the vacant boys’ national school, which is adjacent to the school site. This will facilitate the decant of the school to allow completion of the major project. However, these premises will be subject to enabling works in anticipation of the major project progressing to construction. The next stage in the process will be stage 3, tender action and award. The Department is in continuous contact with the design team and the school regarding further progression of the project.

In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the 2026-2030 period under the national development plan. As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.

With regard to the project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of the 2026-2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

I thank the Minister of State for communicating the current position of the Department and the Minister. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, is obviously new to her role. The previous Minister in this portfolio, Deputy McEntee, visited the school and, indeed, considering the seriousness of it, the Minister in this role before her, Deputy Foley, also visited the school. My understanding is that the Minister, Deputy Foley, did not get a full tour of the facilities. That is absolutely essential for any Minister. I appeal to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to come to Donegal as soon as possible to do a full tour of St. Eunan’s College because it is utterly unacceptable.

I am going to say it again: this is an outstanding school with an outstanding educational culture. I do not know how they do it but the teachers and students together deliver a standard of education that is superb, despite the absolutely unacceptable conditions they operate in. Those young people toured me around the school and we met with the principal. I could see the respect. While a number of teachers were present, it was the young people themselves who led the way. They are the leaders of the future but they deserve better. They are calling on public representatives and the Government to make sure that no student goes through this type of situation in the future. I am asking the Minister of State to communicate that to his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Naughton. I have gone ahead with this Topical Issue in good faith tonight, but I ask that it is communicated to the Minister to please come up to Donegal to meet with those students whom I met. If she does the exact tour I did, I have no doubt she will be motivated to urgently progress this project and get it built as soon as possible.

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I will bring the Deputy's concerns back to the Minister and ask her, if she is in Donegal, to put in a tour of St. Eunan's College. Since 2020, the Department has invested over €6 billion in schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimising existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Some 80% of new special classes in 2025 and 2026 are being facilitated by repurposed classroom accommodation. The Government's support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million, approved by the Government, helped to bring the total capital allocation of the Department in 2025 to €1.6 billion.

Government Departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral national development implementation plans. The sectoral plan for the education and youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. The NDP implementation plan will optimise input from the NDP allocations with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is sufficient and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money and meets functional needs. I thank the Deputy again for raising this important issue.

Energy Infrastructure

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan

Guidelines need to be put in place for the development of biogas plants and they need to be advanced as soon as possible. Community groups have raised a range of concerns with me about the development of biomethane gas plants in their locality. They have questions about whether land should be used for food production or energy crops. They also question whether guidelines could be established about the types of feedstocks used and how locally they need to be sourced. Setback distances are a point many communities are vocal on. If plants are near people’s residences, what impact will that have on their homes? They are also questioning the oversight of plant operators by bodies like the EPA and the council and whether they can enforce conditions in the event of non-compliance.

I have had the opportunity to discuss with people around the Macroom area and people in many other communities across the country the various concerns they have about the development of biogas plants local to them. Through the agriculture committee, I have also had the opportunity to meet people who are planning and developing biogas plants. Both raise concerns about the absence of guidelines. Community groups feel that the developers are attempting to foist these plants on their communities against their will without any engagement. They try to force these plants through, promoting the green energy and the wider benefit. Community groups feel concerned that they are kept in the dark by developers. Community engagement is critical. A biomethane charter that was published recently acknowledges this. The recent charter is a big step, and I acknowledge the huge work that has been done to advance it.

The charter points out that engaging with local communities early and often will be critical to ensure successful planning applications for biomethane plants and that plant operators must be responsible neighbours by taking into account the needs and concerns of the communities near them. The charter points to open, proactive and transparent community engagement to help foster positive relationships. We have seen where engagements are taking place such as in Galway, for example, and there are no objections to that one in a recent application. That, however, seems to be the exception. The approach in other communities could be a one-to-one series of meetings if there is anything at all happening. It contrasts very much with wind farm developers who over recent years have learned lessons from earlier applications and are more engaged than previously.

Good guidelines ensure greater transparency and engagement. There is a gap in the planning process where perhaps it is for newer technology and the planning authorities may not be so familiar with the technology and the development plan may not have a defined policy on the matter. At the same time, the planning application has to advance through the planning process to meet statutory deadlines. I understand that considerable background work is being undertaken by the Minister of State's Department officials in advancing the guidelines. The publication of the biomethane charter is also a big milestone as is the publication of the biomethane strategy. These are significant and there is also a need for the next big milestone, which is the publication of the guidelines. If biomethane is to be part of the energy mix we need to see it happen in an orderly manner that ensures it benefits all and not just the developer. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, outline the plans and the timeframe by which he would expect to see biomethane guidelines being made available?

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I thank Deputy Moynihan. The Government has committed to deliver up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane per annum by 2030. Delivery of this target and the use of biomethane within our energy system will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions profile. In response to this ambitious target, the Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the national biomethane strategy in May 2024. Implementation of the national biomethane strategy is an ongoing process of collaboration across key Departments and agencies. The biomethane implementation group has been established to oversee implementation of the strategy and delivery of the 25 key strategic actions to ensure the necessary infrastructure and supports are in place to support development of an indigenous biomethane industry of scale. While anaerobic digesters, ADs, used to produce biogas and biomethane can bring significant benefits to the communities and local environment in which they are located, they are also significant infrastructure, with impacts on the environment, biospheres, and local communities.

Although a very well-established technology in Europe with over 20,000 plants in operation, the AD sector in Ireland has been relatively small to date. However, there is a robust existing regulatory framework in place to underpin the further development of the AD industry in Ireland and harness the benefits of biomethane. For example, plants involved in anaerobic digestion of animal by-products or derived products must be approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Depending on the plant's activity, various licences are required from the Environmental Protection Agency. On-site health and safety is regulated by the Health and Safety Authority and the plant's connection to the gas network is regulated through the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and Gas Networks Ireland's procedures and standards. The Department is currently developing a licence, permit and regulation requirement document for biomethane plant development. It is expected that this document will be published shortly on the biomethane policy information page on gov.ie.

We need to ensure a clearer understanding of AD technology and consistency of approach by our planning authorities when they are assessing AD projects to improve our planning and permitting processes. AD and other integrated assets are required to undergo a full planning process to ensure proper consideration of a range of factors, including location, visual impact, land zoning plans and ecology. Guidelines and requirements for these are currently set out through several Acts, policy documents, spatial strategies, and development plans. Projects above a certain threshold are also required to complete an environmental impact assessment.

Priority deliverables under the strategy include action 5g on guidance. A biomethane implementation subgroup has recently been established to oversee the preparation of a support document to assist local representatives and planning authorities when assessing planning applications for biomethane plants. It is expected the support document will be finalised early in 2026. This document will be developed by the biomethane implementation group, chaired by the Department and in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Teagasc, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan

Communities are concerned that biomethane development is going to happen in a disorderly way and that developers are going to walk over communities to make money. The communities need to know that the Minister of State has their back. Does the Government have the backs of the communities on this? They are worried. The Minister of State outlines where visual impact, land zoning plans, ecology and various other aspects are already covered in existing legislation and in existing policy documents. Yet, communities raise concerns about the absence of guidelines. Will there be guidelines that would be expected to cover site selection, the feedstock, the kind of feedstock and where it would come from, and the output material from the plants afterwards? Will applicants that are currently going through and going into planning applications be expected to meet any new guidelines or additional conditions that will be coming available later next year? Can the Minister of State outline those?

These are real concerns for so many communities. Reading through the Minister of State's response it sounds like he is depending very much on what is already there rather than bringing new guidelines to the table, if I am reading that correctly. This would be a concern for many people who feel that there are gaps in the process as it stands.

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I thank the Deputy for raising very valid and informed concerns. The Deputy talks about the absence of guidelines. The Government remains committed to the production of up to 5.7 TWh of biomethane, which is a little over 10% of our current natural gas, and the development of Ireland's anaerobic digestion of biomethane on an industrial scale. This will serve to diversify our sources of gas, improve our energy security and deliver the carbonisation options for Ireland to meet its 2030 climate and energy targets.

Biomethane production can bring significant benefits to the communities and local environment in which the plants are located, including creating jobs and new revenue streams for farmers and other rural businesses. As was said, these are significant infrastructure and therefore are, correctly, required to undergo full planning and permitting processes to ensure consideration of a range of factors including location, the visual impact, land zoning plans, and ecology. A key priority is the development of guidelines to support our local authorities. When finalised, these will be made available on the biomethane information hub on gov.ie.

Finally, it is my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who has responsibility for the overall development of national planning policy and legislation. AD and other integrated assets are required to undergo a full planning process to ensure proper consideration of a range of factors including location, visual impact, land zoning plans and ecology. Guidelines and requirements for these are currently set out through several Acts, policy documents, spatial strategies, and development plans. As the Deputy will be aware, projects above a certain threshold are also required to complete an environmental impact assessment.

Again, I thank the Deputy for raising his concerns. I will bring them to the Minister as soon as possible.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy John Paul O'Shea)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and I thank all Deputies. That concludes the Topical Issue Debate for today.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 10.40 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 10 Nollaig 2025.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.40 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 10 December 2025.

Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 9 Dec 2025