Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 27 May 2026

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

School Staff

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

How can it be that a school that made it to DEIS plus status, St. Francis Junior School in Priorswood in Dublin 17, can lose a teacher at the same time, bringing the pupil-teacher ratio from 17:1 to 22:1? This cannot stand. The school was recently given DEIS plus status but the board of management, staff and parents are absolutely devastated to learn that they will lose a mainstream class teacher for the upcoming academic year. It is losing a teacher because the number of pupils on the roll book went from 166 to 165. One pupil being lost means that an entire teacher is lost. The school lodged an appeal with the primary staffing appeals board and, on 13 May, got the answer that the appeal was unsuccessful and that the decision was final. The school cannot accept that decision. That community just cannot lose a teacher for those students.

The impact of losing a teacher in that area will be extremely damaging to the school community and it completely undermines the purpose of DEIS plus support. What is the point in getting a wellness teacher if you lose a mainstream class teacher? This school is one of the most deprived and disadvantaged in the entire country. It endeavours to ensure that every student who walks through the door is loved, cared for and given every support that they can get in society. They are provided with a teaching and learning environment where they can flourish. The pupil-teacher ratio for DEIS plus is 17:1 but this would bring it up to 22:1 if that teacher is removed. Many schools might be able to cope but not in an area like this, serving a community like this, with such high levels of disadvantage. Last year, this school lost a teacher too. It had to amalgamate three junior infant classes into two senior infant classes. Those students will deal with the ramifications of that for five or six years, all the way through primary school. If the school loses this teacher, it will again have to amalgamate three junior infant classes into two senior infant classes and three first classes and into two second classes.

Many of the students who come to this school do not go to preschool or early years learning, unlike peers in other communities. Upon enrolling, they often do not know what learning and educational needs they have. It is vital that the pupil-teacher ratio is maintained so that those students can get the support that they need.

I have been informed by the school that it has the highest enrolment for junior infant classes in the Dublin 17 area. On Friday, 15 May, it had 16 junior infant enrolments for September 2026. On Monday, 18 May, it had two more. It currently has 168 enrolments in mainstream classes, plus six new enrolments in the ASD class. That is a total of 174 children. Its enrolment has gone way beyond what it would have been when it had the teacher taken away based on September figures.

I ask the Minister of State to intervene. Some 40% of the pupils in this school are from the Traveller community and the rest of the children are from extremely deprived socioeconomic backgrounds. All the staff work tirelessly but we all know the impact, as educational research shows, of adverse childhood experiences and trauma and how they affect pupils' ability to learn and flourish in society. This cannot stand and it has to be overturned.

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

Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for both me, as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, and for the entire Government. The DEIS plus programme represents a significant expansion of targeted educational supports. It is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people experiencing persistent and inter-generational disadvantage. Approximately 30,000 children and young people nationally will benefit from the scheme. Schools in the DEIS plus programme will receive strengthened, research-informed supports across well-being, attendance, engagement, guidance, leadership capacity, community partnerships and access to services, including the introduction of a new positive mental health and well-being initiative to support a whole-school approach to student well-being.

Teacher numbers at primary level have reached the highest ever level in the current school year. There are over 43,000 teaching posts across the primary school system. This represents an increase of just over 5,000 teachers when compared with the 2019-2020 school year. This has led to a steady improvement in the pupil-teacher ratio and average class sizes during the period. In recent budgets, priority was given to reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools, which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of one classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. More favourable ratios are implemented in DEIS urban band 1, including DEIS plus schools, at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. A three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teachers.

The latest figures for pupil-teacher ratio show an improved ratio of pupils to teachers from 15:1 to 12:1 at primary level when comparing the 2019-2020 school year to the 2024-2025 school year. In the same period, primary staffing schedules improved from 26:1 to 23:1, and average class sizes at primary school level have improved from 24:1 to 22.2:1. In the same period, St. Francis Junior School had a primary teacher ratio of one teacher for every 9.5 students and a class size of one teacher for every 19 students.

The key factor in determining the level of staffing resources provided to individual schools is the staffing schedule for relevant school years and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The primary staffing schedule is a long-standing feature of our primary school allocation system which ensures fairness and transparency in allocating mainstream class teachers across our primary schools, regardless of location. The staffing arrangements include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain published criteria.

The school referred the Deputy referred to currently has ten mainstream teachers. As the school's enrolment fell below the required enrolment threshold, the mainstream staffing is due to be reduced by one in September. The school submitted an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board. This was unsuccessful. The primary staffing appeals board operates completely independently of the Department and its decision is final. We have to have a system where we have some metrics to ensure that we have staffing across the education system.

I take the points the Deputy has made but unfortunately the numbers dictate. It was the Department's decision and then the independent appeals body supported that decision.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

What the Minister of State said there was lovely but it does not deal with the problem. What is the point of giving a school DEIS plus status and taking away a teacher? It makes no sense. The Minister of State needs to intervene here. This is one of the most disadvantaged areas in terms of social problems and the different minorities represented. Some 40% are from the Traveller community. This is going to hit that community in particular. There are also issues like crime, drug abuse, etc., which we all know exist in very disadvantaged working class communities.

The decision does not represent the reality. That is the point. The numbers have now gone ahead for the next school year based on what was the case. I am asking the Minister of State to intervene and review the allocation for the school or to ask the Minister to do it. To show how much upset this has caused, parents in that community are going door to door. Parents in that community have enough on their plate without having to go do door to door petitioning on this. That is how much it has impacted. The parents know the importance of having that sort of supports in the school. I hope the TDs in the area will get behind this as well because it is not recognising the reality, which is that the school population has gone way over what is needed to maintain that teacher. There have to be ways in which the Minister for education can intervene to review the allocation of a school given the burning social problems the area has. It is not breaking a rule because rules and regulations that do not apply to the reality need to be challenged as well. I am asking the Minister to recognise what DEIS plus is meant to mean and to intervene here.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

In the first instance, the school has the DEIS plus status. That status provides extra resources to communities and schools like the ones the Deputy has mentioned. It is important we acknowledge the work that is being done and the amount of money the Government is putting behind the DEIS plus programme and understand the disadvantage in communities across the country and in the ones the Deputy outlined. The challenge is ensuring we have proper governance. We have to have a cut-off date and 30 September has long been that date. I take the points because having been a public representative for a number of years I see where the numbers go beyond it. Unfortunately, the Department made a decision based on the numbers that were provided on 30 September. That date has been engrained in the primary system for a long number of years. An appeal was submitted by the school authorities and that is completely independent of the Department and of the Minister. The appeals submitted have been looked at. The DEIS plus programme has been put out there to ensure disadvantaged schools and communities are supported in a meaningful way and that we are targeting scarce resources right across the Department to ensure they are going to the most vulnerable. We understand fully the more we invest in education at a disadvantaged level and right across the education system, the better it is for society, but unfortunately the appeals system came back to say it stood by the decision made by the Department. We will continue, through DEIS plus and other programmes, to support the school the Deputy mentioned and also disadvantaged schools right across the country.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

Maybe the school should close the ASD class.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)

Thank you. Tá an t-am caite.

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Jen Cummins

I thank the Minister of State for taking my questions and facilitating the change. It did not suit both of us at the time so I appreciate him being here. We have discussed dyslexia quite a lot at the education committee over the last while and over the time since the committee started discussing it I have been contacted by so many parents, support teachers and students about dyslexia and the supports available in our schools at primary and secondary level. Today in The Irish Times there is an article about a mother whose child needs a reading school but there is no place available for them.

I want to discuss a number of things. I asked a parliamentary question about reading recovery because there is new research, though perhaps not that new, about the effectiveness of reading recovery. As I am sure the Minister of State is aware, it is a programme used for children early on to help them learn how to read. The mixed research is basically saying it is not as effective for the long term. It can be quite effective immediately but the meta-analysis has come back saying that over a long time reading recovery is not as effective as structured literacy programmes are. On that basis I asked how much money has been spent on reading recovery over the last five years. We are talking about figures of just over €248,000 to almost €370,000. That is a lot of money on a programme that is now being looked at by academics, especially in Australia, as not being an effective use of supports for children with dyslexia.

I am very interested in the Department's view on moving more to a structured literacy programme. That means teaching explicit skills. It is not asking a child what they think is going to happen in a particular sentence or what they think a given word is about. That is useless for a child in the long term. It is great for there and then if they are reading Ann and Barry. I am aware they do not read Ann and Barry any more. It was Ann and Barry in my day and that of the Minister of State but they read more interesting books than that now. Those pictures are relied on so much, whereas the explicit nature of teaching in structured literacy programmes leads to a longer-term understanding of words, structures, etc. It is systemic, sequential, cumulative and has a diagnostic way of looking at literacy. It is really important the Department starts to explore whether we are behind the curve here. We are not keeping on top of what the biggest research is saying, which is to move away from reading recovery and more towards structured literacy.

I also want to address the extra ten minutes in the exams. That debate was very heated in the education committee with the NCSE and the State Examinations Commission. They wanted extra time to decide whether they were going to give our students with dyslexia extra time. The irony was not lost on anybody. In other jurisdictions exam support far exceeds what we have. There is a lot more flexibility. We have an extra ten minutes coming in for the papers. In other countries candidates are allowed an extra 25% exam time. Other countries also allow access to word processing, computers and all that sort of stuff. It seems to be a lot easier. The process for getting reasonable accommodation here is an absolute nightmare.

There are two more things I would like to talk about. What students want when they go to school is proper support not just for reading, spelling and all that sort of stuff but also for how dyslexia affects every part of the body and brain. It is about how those supports can be understood by the students. I want to mention NCPD but I will come back to that.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I thank the Deputy very much for raising the question and also for the change in time, which I appreciate. We in the Department, and the entire Government, have invested heavily in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support children with special educational needs, including students with literacy difficulties.

Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on the Department's website. For the 2026-27 school year there will be, I think, 15,200 special education teachers allocated to primary and post-primary schools to enable them to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and co-ordinating school supports for children with special educational needs. The Department does not have a role in individual determinations. Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers or software to assist children with special educational needs. This includes children with a specific learning disability, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools then apply to the NCSE.

A continuum of education provision is in place, covering a full range of needs spanning placement in mainstream classes, with support through more specialised placements either in the special class or special school setting.

The Deputy raised the issue of dyslexia in particular. If she looks at the funding that we are giving to special education in particular, she will see that it has grown hugely in recent years and, as I said, we now have over 15,000 teachers. The policy, including international policy, is for children with educational needs to be in mainstream, insofar as is possible, and to support them in mainstream. We are providing a huge amount of funding through the various resources in the Department and the NCSE to ensure that children with dyslexia, in particular, can be accommodated in mainstream education.

Much of the discussion that we have had in the House, with the NCSE, with the Department on a continuous basis and with the Oireachtas committee is to ensure that we are targeting children with dyslexia or other literacy difficulties in a meaningful way. We have put in the resources. A huge volume of work is being done by the special education teachers across the country. They are also doing a huge amount of work outside school time to make sure they are equipped to meet the needs of the children and give them the best possible education.

We are constantly monitoring this. While the Government and the Department are putting in the resources, the question is whether we are having the desired outcomes. We have evidence to show the support that is being given in mainstream classes, and the outcomes are very positive. We are continuing to monitor that. As we have seen over the decades since Independence, education is constantly evolving, and it is continuing to evolve at the moment. There is a greater understanding of the needs, but also a greater understanding of the need to ensure that the resources we are putting in are targeted in a meaningful way. We need to ensure that the outcomes for children and young people are meaningful, and that they are equipped to lead the best life.

To answer the specific question, we are constantly monitoring the resources that we are putting in to ensure we are targeting them in the proper way. I will come back to the Deputy on the other points in my concluding remarks.

Deputy Jen Cummins

I appreciate that the Government is putting a lot of resources into this, and I know the Minister of State is working tirelessly on it. I accept that. However, we can always do things better. It is my job in opposition to always hold the guys on the other side of the House to account, and I like doing that.

There are challenges. We do not have enough reading schools. Dyslexia Ireland is saying exactly what the Minister of State is saying, which is that we want to mainstream everybody, but if we do not have the expertise in every single school, we cannot do that. That is why children need to go to specialist services, like reading schools, for a couple of years.

We need to rapidly upskill every single member of staff in primary and secondary school, particularly secondary school. In primary school, I think that we are doing excellently, and we are able to identify it. In secondary school, the initial teacher training education, the SNA training and the continuous professional development really need to focus on dyslexia and other disabilities. I do not think the expertise is there. They are subject teachers. I am not in any way being disparaging to any teacher. As the Minister of State knows, I love education, and I love the people who work in it because of all the passion they bring to it. However, we can do this better.

There needs to be an inspectorate for the services provided to students with dyslexia. The reason for that is to make sure that the standard is there and that every child is getting the resources they need. Many students come to me saying that they cannot read or write. We can see the number of students who leave mainstream education because they cannot cope in a system that does not work around them. We need to look at that to see where we are letting children fall through the gaps. It is through no fault of their own, or for want of learning. It is the way our system is. We need to make sure that we are able to fully support them in that way.

When it comes to computers and so on, we need more resources for every school. There are students who do not get that funding, and they are missing out. We need to make sure they do not miss out.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

Therein lies the point. We are continuing to invest hugely, but we have to ensure that we get the outcomes of that investment for children and young people in primary and post-primary schools. There are a lot of teachers and SNAs across the education system. They are working extremely hard, and they are desperately committed to what they are doing. They are constantly looking at new initiatives and trying to find the best way of doing this. We are bringing in teacher training for special education to make sure that it is part of this.

There is a constant discussion in relation to the reading schools. We know of the children and other individuals who have gone to the reading schools, and after a number of years, they are able to come back into mainstream school. We can see how that has benefited them. There is a huge volume. There are 15,000 extra special education teachers in the education system. We want to make sure that we can mainstream as much as possible. I take the Deputy’s point on ensuring that we have those available in every school across the country. All of the assistive technology is being rolled out, which is important.

For students who have a particular challenge with dyslexia or other reading or literacy issues, it will affect them into later life. Like the Deputy, we all meet people in adulthood, and we would be filling out a form for them, or whatever, and we can see that it has impeded their lives. We understand that. The most important piece is that there is constant investment in all aspects of specialised education. The NCSE and the Department are continuing to monitor this. We will never arrive at a position in the education system where we say that everything is perfect now, because it is constantly evolving, and new information and research are constantly coming through. We are working on it. We will endeavour to make sure we are doing the right thing.

Artificial Intelligence

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil

Having worked in the artificial intelligence space prior to my election to this House, I have seen the amazing pros but also the cons that come with such technology, particularly as agentic technology develops. Basic administrative tasks in the workplace are being taken away from individuals, allowing them to do more strategic and focused work. That should be welcomed. On the other hand, there are roles that are being completely reshaped, and the entire workplace is being completely reshaped as well. Up to 40% of tasks are at risk of automation in the next five years. That is not all negative. As I said, if we can allow people the flexibility to focus on more strategic work, that type of automation is to be welcomed.

It is a difficulty because up to 40,000 jobs could be at risk because of automation. Some piece of automation within a job is to be welcomed because it helps people. However, if it risks taking someone's job or role, that is where there is a challenge. What we have seen internationally is that there has been a 15% to 40% reduction in customer service and compliance roles, and also in the financial services element.

I have written a national AI workplace replacement programme to essentially direct how we should help workers whose jobs are at risk or are impacted by AI. The Minister, Deputy James Lawless, has done a lot of work on a national skills observatory, and there are other elements, with the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, having also taken many actions. However, we need to be proactive before roles are impacted, rather than after. We have seen 700 jobs recently lost at Covalen and another 300 at Meta, so over 1,000 jobs have been lost in recent weeks due to the rise of AI. What I am proposing in this policy is that we focus on small and medium enterprises or large enterprises.

As stated, we have seen job losses at the likes of Covalen and Meta hit the news headlines. However, there are many roles that have been replaced and that have not hit the headlines. It is a case of one job here and five jobs there. We know from the industry that this is happening quietly.

What I am setting out in my policy proposal is that when a company is going to reduce its workforce, it should notify the Government and the national AI workplace relations programme. The State could then assist in retraining thee workers involved to take up new roles within the business. If no roles are available within that particular business, then they should be retrained to take up positions outside of it. What that would do is protect jobs and reskill people within the workplace as opposed to those jobs being lost and the people who hold them having to go on social welfare. One example could be somebody working in an administrative or secretarial role who would move into overseeing the AI being used to replace their role. Another example could be around data integrity and ensuring that whatever is happening is GDPR compliant. I have already engaged with the unions, employer representatives, the Taoiseach and Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, in respect of this matter. It is important that we set out the foundation for establishing a programme and a pilot scheme. I will explain that latter in a moment.

Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil for raising this very important issue. I recognise his strong work on it and on developing a national AI workplace transition programme and leading out on it in the context of meeting with employers, unions and the relevant Ministers. The Deputy's work within the political system has been pioneering in relation to this matter. It is appropriate that we are discussing it here in the Dáil this morning. This is something that will have to take up much more Government and Oireachtas time in the period ahead in the context of ensuring that we respond to this challenge and that we are at the forefront when it comes to making sure it is used positively and to the benefit of the public. We must also ensure that our policies reflect an approach that harnesses AI in this way.

As the Deputy will know, in the first instance, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is the appropriate lead for issues of skilling, reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to navigate the impacts of potential job displacement due to the adoption of Al technologies. I am taking this matter on his behalf this morning,. I know the Deputy has been liaising closely with him and his officials on this issue and on his policy proposal.

The digitalisation of the economy and society and the adoption of AI are among the largest structural forces shaping our country. The Government is committed to driving our digital agenda and to Ireland remaining a digital leader at the heart of Europe and globally. Accordingly, Digital Ireland was published on 18 February. The latter is the national digital and Al strategy. It sets an ambition for Ireland to be a global hub for applied Al innovation. It also renews the Government's commitments to inclusion and accessibility to ensure that no one is left behind in this digital and Al revolution.

Research published by the Departments of Finance and Enterprise, Tourism and Employment shows that Ireland is relatively more exposed than other advanced economies. In line with this finding, Digital Ireland seeks to support workers to navigate and mitigate the impacts of potential job displacement, including through agile, responsive and accessible skills supports. The Government recently held its first national skills round table, marking the beginning of a national programme of high-level engagements focused on ensuring Ireland has the right skills for a rapidly changing economy. This will include a series of sector-specific meetings with employers and industry representative bodies to gain deeper insight into priority skills needs.

Officials within the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are currently developing a statement of ambition, which will focus on digital skills including Al skills, and a roadmap for technology skills for the future, which will be the successor to Technology Skills 2022. The Department is also developing a national skills observatory. It is intended to have the observatory in place by year end. The observatory will have several functions, including monitoring labour market trends and emerging skills needs, which will support Ireland's responsiveness to education and training systems.

Regarding recent developments, last month saw the launch of the AI Ready platform. The latter will support early inclusive skills development, an approach strongly reinforced by ESRI and Central Bank research on Al, skills and labour market disruption. SOLAS and the educational training boards, ETBs, have developed short flexible courses, including micro-qualifications focused on Al awareness, applied skills and career transition opportunities.

Higher education institutions continue to deliver a wide range of specialist and foundational digital skills programmes, including micro-credentials, through initiatives such as Springboard+. These are complemented by the work of Skillnet Ireland, which continues to deliver enterprise-led upskilling opportunities that are aligned with industry needs.

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil

The roadmap for technology skills of the future, the statement of ambition on digital and AI skills, AI micro credentials and the online platform AI Ready, which was only launched two weeks ago, are all great, particularly in the context of skills. This is not a skill issue, however; this is a worker's issue. It is about stopping people losing their jobs or retaining the jobs they currently hold. Reskilling and retraining are needed within places of employment when a notification is given that there will be a reduction in the workforce. This is primarily to protect workers. There is no doubt about the fact that we are on the crest of a huge change regarding employment and workers' rights in this country. We have to do all that is possible in that regard. Retraining and reskilling will be a huge part of that, but there are many skills that cannot be trained, particularly as people have been working in roles that now no longer exist.

It is not just about the Department of further and higher education; this is primarily an issue for the Departments of enterprise and Social Protection. What I have laid out in the programme details how this can happen in the long term, but also, importantly, the programme sets out the terms for a pilot scheme for financial and customer services within the next three years involving 1,000 workers. That scheme would show that it can work, and it has been costed. Again, this is about protecting people. If it is a success in those sectors, which international examples have shown are the most vulnerable, then it should be expanded to the entire workforce.

I reiterate that this is about protecting workers. People are losing their jobs. Families across the country and in Kildare are worried. I am trying to be as proactive and future focused as possible.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I acknowledge the relevance of the proposal and policy approach the Deputy has put forward. The Government has to focus on seeing how we can ensure workers are retained within companies. That is absolutely the Deputy's focus. The Government obviously takes the need to retrain and reskill people seriously. I have already outlined on behalf of the Minister for further and higher education the different steps being taken, whether it is the roadmap for technology skills for the future, the statement of ambition on digital and AI skills, the AI micro-qualifications developed by SOLAS or the online platform AI Ready, which is focused on trying to make sure the skills and retraining is provided from Government and all our agencies.

The approach Deputy Ó Cearúil is taking goes to the nub of where we need be in order to try to address this challenge. Certainly, he has been doing a lot of work on this with the officials, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth. I will engage with them in relation to this debate and on the importance of working with the Deputy on the policy proposal he has put forward. I again acknowledge the Deputy's advocacy and leadership within the political system with regard to the importance of addressing this matter and putting forward tangible proposals as to how that can be achieved. It is very important from a Government perspective that our Departments engage with him to take that on board and, collectively, to try to address something that is evolving rapidly.

I agree with the Deputy that our objective has to be how we protect workers during the transition. Obviously, AI has massive potential to be of benefit, but it has to be something that we ensure we harness for the good of wider society in a way that improves people's quality of life. To achieve that, we have to make sure that employment is maintained, that people have jobs to go to and that AI adds to productivity and the good things we, as a society, experience . Crucial to that is that jobs are protected in the process. The Deputy's policy proposal very much aims to address that. I will relay the points he made to the Minister.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)

I thank the Minister. We need to move on to the next Topical Issue in ainm an Teachta O’Gorman.

Emergency Accommodation

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman

Last Friday, in the very early hours of the morning, a serious fire broke out in the Auburn Park apartments in Castleknock in my constituency. The Minister of State knows Castleknock and is probably aware of this apartment block. The fire was significant. Up to four fire engines were dispatched to bring it under control. At least one person was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. Hundreds of people, all the residents of this block of apartments, had to be evacuated in order to control the fire. Significant damage was done to the roof of the complex. A number of the apartments on the top floors were directly exposed, and others suffered severe water damage as a result of the efforts to extinguish the fire.

All 45 apartments in the complex are currently vacant. Most of the residents were accommodated in a hotel on the night of the fire and have been in that local hotel since then. Locals in the area are working to assist those who were evacuated, particularly those whose apartments were severely damaged.

The key point for me this morning is what happens next. All bar nine of the 45 apartments are owned by a property group and are leased out by that group. Shockingly, earlier this week, many of the residents were told that they were having their tenancy terminated due to the units being uninhabitable. The Minister of State can imagine the shock that created, in that on top of a fire tenants were told their tenancy was gone, just like that. Thankfully, that notice of termination of tenancy has been withdrawn by the property group, and that is something I welcome. However, there is still real concern among these tenants. They have been told they have an hour-long slot to go into their apartments, gather up their stuff and take it out as if people could pack up their entire lives in just one hour. Right now, the residents have accommodation in a hotel but that ends tomorrow, and after that there is no clarity about how these residents are going to be supported.

I have a number of questions the residents need answered urgently to give them some guidance about what happens next. Can a landlord terminate a tenancy on the basis of a unit being uninhabitable, and is there any restriction on the landlord doing that? If a landlord terminates a tenancy on the basis of a unit being uninhabitable, does he or she owe the tenant any other duties after doing that? When a unit has been damaged but the tenancy has not been terminated, what duties does a landlord owe a tenant in that particular situation? For example, does the landlord have any duty to find alternative accommodation for the tenant? Does he or she have any responsibilities as regards assisting the tenant finding and paying for storage for their personal items? Finally, if a landlord does not provide alternative accommodation in circumstances where a unit is badly damaged, where else can the tenant get help? Does the local authority owe any of the obligations there? Do any other parts of the State owe obligations in that particular situation? These are detailed questions.

I recognise the Minister of State is not the line Minister here but these questions really need to be answered urgently because tenants in the vast majority of these homes are looking at a deadline where their accommodation in a hotel is paid until tomorrow and no further. They need to know what to do. I am working to support them, and Deputy Currie has engaged with them and has been giving a lot of help as well, but if we can get some key answers and clarity about the legal responsibilities here, it will at least help guide the tenants to a certain degree.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this issue. I join with him in recognising the distress the tenants are experiencing as a result of this very traumatic event, and also recognise his advocacy on their behalf, as well as the very stressful situation they remain in as a result of no longer being in their apartments. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for housing and the Department of housing. The Deputy raised a number of very pertinent and urgent questions in his contribution and I certainly will ask the Department to revert directly to him to have them answered.

The Minister was also concerned to learn of the fire at the Auburn Park apartments last week, and likewise he very much appreciates the distress experienced by the residents and the families affected by the fire. The role of the Department of housing is to ensure a framework of policy, legislation and funding is provided to ensure housing authorities are in a position to address homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility for the provision and co-ordination of emergency accommodation rests with the local authorities and in this instance it is the responsibility of Fingal County Council to assess individual needs and deliver supports on the ground, including housing needs assessments, the provision of emergency accommodation and any homelessness supports required for residents affected.

The local authority will work with other agencies such as the Dublin Fire Brigade, the Department of Social Protection, the HSE and approved housing bodies, where appropriate, to ensure all necessary supports are put in place. I assure the Deputy on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne and the Department of housing that they will continue to support Fingal County Council with the funding necessary to ensure that residents of Auburn Park are supported in accessing housing assistance where appropriate in the weeks ahead.

This year, more than €563 million has been allocated to homeless services, ensuring that local authorities such as Fingal County Council have the resources required to respond rapidly to situations like this. This includes more than €513 million in current funding to ensure local authorities can provide emergency accommodation, homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment services to households experiencing or at risk of homelessness and that these households in emergency accommodation are supported to exit homelessness as quickly as possible. The focus is on ensuring rapid access to emergency accommodation, followed by wrap-around supports and pathways back into secure housing. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key priority for both the Minister and the Government and prevention of homelessness in the first instance is an absolute priority.

There are many prevention initiatives already under way in the Department and across Government, and this includes the provision of social affordable housing, housing assistance payments, HAP, and homeless HAP, and our strong tenancy protection legislation. Increased supply is key to addressing homelessness and the Government is investing significantly in that aspect.

I know Deputy O'Gorman’s particular question is in relation to the need for urgent support for the residents of the Auburn Park apartments and the very distressing situation they find themselves in. Fingal County Council will be liaising closely with them along with the Department of housing, and its response today makes it clear that from a funding point of view it stands ready to work with Fingal County Council and other agencies in relation to trying to support residents and work through this particular challenging situation. The questions the Deputy has raised are very pertinent for residents in relation to the obligations from the owners of the apartments to them. On the legal questions he posed in relation to what those obligations are, I will ask the Department to revert directly to him with those answers.

Again I share concern regarding the really difficult situation these residents find themselves in, and recognise the importance of everyone within the State and all of our agencies working to support them through this difficult period.

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman

I thank the Minister of State for his response. In Topical Issue debates, we often hear a Minister or Minister of State saying, "I will ask the Minister to get back to you." I really appeal to the Minister of State to ask his private secretary to get on to the Minister's private secretary and bring this to his attention. I know he will and I appreciate that. I put a lot of very specific questions to the Minister of State. The answer he has given me is more generalised, and that is fine. However, these specific questions need to be answered. The focus of the reply is very much on the question of homelessness, and let us be honest, these people are homeless right now. Some units are not usable at all while some probably will be usable after a bit of work.

The Minister of State talked about the Government being willing to support Fingal in terms of providing homeless services, and I know our local authority works well, but I am interested in the responsibility of the landlord here because we are not talking about a small landlord or someone who has two or three apartments he or she lets out. This is a significant property development and rental company that has a significant number of units around the city and around the country. I do not know what its responsibility is in a situation like this. Does it have a responsibility to have some degree of insurance if something happens in one of its properties to be able to support tenants if a disastrous situation like this occurs? I ask for clarity on the immediate obligations of this landlord company to its tenants. Does it have to support them in terms of providing alternative accommodation?

Do they have to support them in the context of providing alternative accommodation? How long will that last, or, as seems to be the case right now, are these tenants provided for up until tomorrow and then they have to fend for themselves? If that is the case, there is something significantly wrong with the legislative framework we have in place.

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I appeal to him to raise this with the Minister for housing and ask him to revert to me and other Deputies, including Deputy Currie, as quickly as possible.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I assure Deputy O'Gorman that I will immediately relay this back to the Minister for housing and his Department and ask them to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the really important questions he has posed. I understand the real stress that affected residents are experiencing, where they are not clear on what the situation is or the obligations for support to them when the provision of hotel accommodation runs out tomorrow and the immediate challenge that will arise for them.

In regard to landlords, it is important that there is legal clarity in relation to what their obligations are. It would be important to see that accommodation be available again as quickly as possible when repairs have been carried out in the context of the different levels of damage there would be to each apartment. I have no doubt that for most of the residents, their objective is, if at all possible, to be back in their apartments as quickly as they possibly can. There is the short-term and interim piece in relation to how they are supported through this. The obligations of the apartment owner in relation to that, which are going to be important, require that clarity.

From the point of view of the State, Fingal County Council and State agencies working to support them in the interim period is also important. I will ask the Department and the Minister to revert directly to the Deputy on the questions he has raised.

Road Network

Deputy Brian Brennan

I wish the Minister of State a good morning. I want to speak about roads funding following Storm Chandra in counties Wexford and Wicklow, or, should I say, the lack of roads funding. It was literally this day four months ago, namely 27 January, that Storm Chandra arrived on our shores and caused absolute havoc for people, for their homes and for the roads of the south east. At the time, it was absolutely shocking. Here we are, and there is a sense of déjà vu for me because this is my fourth time to come to the House to ask for additional funds to facilitate repairs to the roads following that storm.

I am totally frustrated. I genuinely feel that I and Wicklow and Wexford county councils are being given the runaround. What is happening is simply unacceptable. When you drive from Hook Head to Bray or from Brittas Bray into Coolkenno, you will see first hand what is going on. We are dealing with dangerous roads. Some of these roads are blocked and some have massive potholes. The general consensus is that it is a serious health and safety risk at this stage.

Wexford County Council is looking for in excess of €20 million. Wicklow County Council is looking for €15 million. These sums are needed, because what we do not want is a sticking-plaster solution. We do not want someone coming around and filling potholes. We want these roads properly cleared off and a proper waterproof surface applied to them. We need this done now. Why are we being pushed around from one Department to another and still not getting a response?

I spoke directly with engineers in the counties regarding their frustration. Again, I stress that this is a huge health and safety issue. It does not matter where you go. I drove from Gorey to Tullow on Sunday. I came back at dusk. There are unmarked roads with potholes on them. Somebody has to stand up in this House and be accountable for the lack of action on this matter. It may not be Deputy Brian Brennan, but as sure as night follows day there will be a TD in some other constituency who will stand up here next January or February following another storm and looking for the exact same thing. Why is there not a policy in place? The CEOs of Wexford and Wicklow county councils were assured that they could go ahead, fix their roads and that the funding would follow. Four months have passed and not one cent of additional funding has been received.

This has to be treated as an emergency. If it is not, we will be dealing with a tragedy or a serious injury caused by the state of these roads. Barriers have been put up but these barriers have now been removed by locals because they need to get access to their homes and lands. It is simply unfair, and I just cannot understand why this is being pushed from the Department of finance to the Department that has responsibility for roads. It seems to be falling between two stools. I am ask for urgent action to be taken now.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this matter. I have been asked to respond to him on behalf of the Minister for Transport on the issues he has raised here.

Storm Chandra, as the Deputy outlined, brought severe winds, prolonged heavy rain and extensive flooding across multiple regions of the country. It caused significant disruption to our regional and local roads and communities, with the intense rainfall leading to several rivers bursting their banks and extensive surface flooding. More than 120 roads were rendered impassable and over 400 were reported to be significantly damaged. The local authorities in counties Wicklow and Wexford, among others, reported high levels of damage and the need for the provision of additional funding to remediate it.

The Government is committed to continuing to protect our regional and local roads network. This is known to be fundamental in connecting our people and communities and facilitates access to business, education and healthcare, as well as the provision of other critical services. Our regional and local road network spans over 96,000 km, and each local authority is statutorily responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the regional and local roads within their area of responsibility. All work undertaken is funded from their own resources and supplemented by the regional and local roads grant programme operated by the Department of Transport. It is also the role of local authorities to prioritise the investment in and work on their regional and local roads.

The funding provided via the regional and local roads grant programme is intended to supplement realistic contributions from each local authority. It is also advised that each local authority sets aside a contingency from its allocation from the Department of Transport and its own resources for severe weather events that might take place. Allocations from this grant programme were communicated to local authorities on 17 February. In total, €718 million was made available this year to eligible local authorities for their regional and local roads. This was an increase in funding on 2025 and facilitated an increase of €26 million for road protection and renewal works.

Because of the pressures on the regional and local road network, the primary focus for capital investment under the regional and local road grant programme is on the maintenance and renewal of the network, the implementation of the strategic regional and local road projects identified for development - subject to necessary approvals - in the national development plan and targeted minor safety schemes across the regional and local road network.

Wexford County Council was allocated over €23 million, with the majority of this amount determined to be spent on the protection and renewal of County Wexford’s regional and local road network. Wicklow County Council was allocated almost €15 million, again for protection and renewal. In both cases, the allocation for 2026 was higher than that of 2025.

The Department of Transport's grant funding for regional and local roads is determined on as equitable a basis as possible to eligible local authorities. This is based on the length of the road network in the local authority area. The Department has liaised with those local authorities impacted by Storm Chandra to assess the damage and remediation needed. Means to address the additional costs to local authorities are under consideration.

The most pertinent part of the reply is the last couple of lines, which indicate that means to address the additional costs for local authorities are under consideration. The Deputy outlined very clearly the asks from Wicklow and Wexford County Councils and the specifics in relation to the damage done to both counties. I recall that, thankfully, my part of the country, for once, escaped the brunt of this but it was quite acute in those counties. I remember seeing the scenes at the time and the damage that still pertains from that can be very much seen, as the Deputy outlined.

Certainly, after the Deputy raising it here today, I will relay his frustration in relation to the fact that there is not an answer yet on the request for additional funding. The Department is indicating that it is under consideration.

Obviously, while it is under consideration, the roads remain to be fixed in some instances. That is something that the Deputy is very keen to have addressed. I will relay that back to the Department and ask it to follow up promptly with the Deputy and with the county councils in Wicklow and Wexford to bring this matter to a conclusion.

Deputy Brian Brennan

I welcome the Minister of State's reply. I note and respect it. As he stated clearly, they are getting substantial funding, but even prior to the storm, we felt that the funding was not enough, given that they are two quite rural counties. They are two beautiful counties but we have serious issues with roads. We felt we were underfunded before this, but what this is all about now is additional funding. That is the key. We did not feel we had enough of a budget before the storm, and that has now been exacerbated. We simply have a huge shortfall. Councillors are ringing me on a daily basis and telling me that they are getting it full on from their constituents - the people in their towns and villages - that their roads are simply impassable five months on from a storm. It is ironic that we are here on one of the hottest days of the year discussing storms, which is wrong. As sure as night follows day, some other county will be in this situation. There should be a clear strategy within Government, rather than it being pushed from the Departments of Finance and roads, to be able to deal with these issues immediately.

To be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, he came down and addressed the flooding in Aughrim and Enniscorthy. He dealt with it within weeks, if not months, but we are now standing here five months to the date it happened. I hope that no other TD will have to go through what the TDs in Wicklow and Wexford have gone through. I note that Carlow and Louth have similar issues as well. This should be addressed and there should be a clear strategy in place because this is going to happen again. It is wrong. We need to get this addressed and we also need to sit down and have a long-term solution because this will happen again in other counties. It is unfair to the people living in these areas. They have suffered enough stress due to the storm. Why should they be waiting months and months?

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I understand the challenging situation in which everyone in the Deputy's county finds themselves and, indeed, the challenge that presents for its Deputies as public representatives as well to seek to address and have this remedied. The reply that I have given on behalf of the Department of Transport and the Minister outlines the funding that was provided this year, namely, €23 million to Wexford County Council and €15 million to Wicklow County Council, which was up on the previous year. It is clear from the response provided to me that that funding was meant to address ongoing work. The figures that the Deputy has indicated to me in terms of the additional ask are very similar in scale to the level of funding provided to both counties this year for roads generally, so it is a very significant ask. Obviously, it reflects very significant damage.

The response from the Department also outlines that it is expected of local authorities that they hold a certain amount of the funds they receive in contingency for exceptional cases. I do not know how much that is in any particular county. I would imagine it is quite small and is nowhere near the scale of what is being discussed here, certainly not what the Deputy has outlined. The request to the Department is similar in scale to what the ongoing level of investment would be in terms of maintenance and development of roads, so it is very significant and would certainly speak to being a lot more than what could be managed within any ongoing contingency fund. There have been a number of instances over the last number of years of damage in both counties as a result of floods.

It is important that that the request to the Department from both local authorities in terms of the remediation be assessed. The Department of Transport has said in this response that it is under consideration. It is important that clarity be brought to that. The Deputy has expressed the frustration felt about how that has not happened yet. I will relay that back fairly clearly to the Department and ask it to engage further with both local authorities.

Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 27 May 2026