Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Special Educational Needs

Deputy John Connolly

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, for being here to take this Topical Issue. It is one of particular importance to the people of my constituency, particularly young families in the west part of the constituency, Connemara. I will elaborate on that as I go on.

One has to recognise in raising this topic the significant investment and expansion in the provision of classes for children with additional needs, this year in particular, but also in the previous academic year - since this Government came into office. It is one thing in the work of this Government we can reflect on with great pride. There have been in the region of 1,000 additional classes for children with additional needs in our mainstream schools since the Government came into office; that is 1,000 additional teachers and potentially 2,000 extra special needs assistants in the system, allowing children with additional needs to attend their local mainstream national school with their peers, as it should be. The Taoiseach said at the outset of this Government that he wanted to provide a step change in the provision of education and services for children and for people with additional needs.

The other great measure the Government has taken is in the area of providing therapeutic intervention in special schools, that is, providing special schools with speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Hopefully, we will see that expanded to the mainstream setting in years to come. For now, unfortunately, that provision is not there, particularly in the area of speech and language. When reflecting on the additional classes provided this year, it would have to be said that we are meeting a significant demand for children with autism. However, in the list of over 500 classes that we provided this year - and I could be wrong - there is one class for children with delayed language disorder. Fortunately enough, it happens to be in my hometown and in my constituency. I know the school involved well. The school management are very appreciative of the effort and have already filled that class.

Connemara is in the west of my constituency. It is a significant geographic area. Even if going beyond the county border into west Mayo, there is no class for children with delayed language disorder. That is something we need to look at. A report from 2021 outlined that across the country there were in the region of 60 classes for children with delayed language disorder. They are dispersed and a significant number of them are in urban areas. We need to look beyond that to provision of classes elsewhere.

I have a unique request. My interest has been instigated by a family from west Connemara who came to see me. It is not practical for them to bring a child into Galway city to attend the delayed language disorder class. The Department of Education and Youth needs to look at the area between Moycullen and Clifden to see whether it can find a school where it can provide a class for children with delayed language disorder.

I have another request, which cannot be neglected either. In south Connemara, which is the Connemara Gaeltacht, Irish is the first language of the community. Delayed language disorder affects children irrespective of the language they speak. I have also been petitioned by parents in south Connemara. They are seeking a class for their children with additional need in the area of language disorder.

I appreciate the Minister of State being here. I acknowledge the great investment and expansion the Government is doing in the area of education of children with additional needs but I ask that this request get a fair hearing in the Department.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Deputy Neale Richmond)

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue. I awkwardly have my back to him but we will do our best with the dynamics of the Chamber. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan.

It is the policy of the Department of Education and Youth, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary. Indeed, I am married to a special education teacher, SET, and this is something I hear about daily. The Department has invested considerably 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 SETs have been published on the Department’s website. There are 15,000 special education teachers allocated to primary and post-primary schools to enable them to support children with special educational needs.

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, including children with a specific learning disability, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the National Council for Special Education through their local special educational needs officer for such support.

It is important to note that the majority of students with literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual student’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis or assessment of a particular disability.

There are four schools dedicated to supporting students with specific learning disability, SLD. There are also fourteen SLD classes in eleven mainstream primary schools located across the country, in counties Dublin, Clare, Louth, Galway, Kerry and Wexford. These settings have a student-teacher ratio of 1:9 and are normally attended by students aged between eight and 12 years old for a maximum of two years. Students will have a diagnosis of dyslexia and score at the second percentile or lower on literacy standardised tests. They will also have an average or above average level of intelligence.

In May 2021, the inspectorate was requested by the Department of education's special education section to evaluate provision in special classes for children and young people with an SLD, as referred to by the Deputy. The purpose of the evaluations was to examine the quality of provision for children and young people with an SLD, with particular reference to understanding the placement of children and young people in these classes and to identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in learning and teaching in these classes. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, has discussed this issue with the inspectorate, and will be engaging with it further, as well as with officials in the Department and with several organisations and advocacy groups.

The Deputy has raised the cases of just two families but I have no doubt there is an abundance in all our constituencies, particularly in his constituency of Galway West. The Minister of State stands ready to take a deputation meeting, if required. I encourage the Deputy to pursue that where possible.

Deputy John Connolly

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I welcome the Minister of State's final comments. I would welcome very much that we would provide the opportunity for the families who are making this very genuine case. He is correct. I have met two families in these circumstances but no doubt there are many more who would benefit from the provision of a class for children who have a challenge with speech and language.

I noted in my previous contribution the distance parents will travel to meet the needs of their children. In this review done by the Department's inspectorate in 2021, it was found children travelled up to 45 km to attend a class for children with additional needs. It is difficult for them to maintain contact with their local school during placement. Placement would be generally for two academic years. For a child in national school between the ages of five and 11 or 12, a journey of 45 km every day from Monday to Friday is arduous. They should be able to access adequate education provision much closer to home. I understand we cannot, unfortunately, have such a class in each mainstream school but we need to look at the map and at where in the country there are gaps in the provision of such classes. Can the class be placed appropriately in an area that makes it difficult for nobody and where everybody has a suitable opportunity to attend?

The other crucial aspect, and we all know this because the data and the study from the inspectorate show this, is the importance of early intervention and how the outcomes can be enhanced by earlier intervention. This review, undertaken by the Department's inspectorate, highlights that many of the children attending have very positive outcomes and find they can in many instances overcome the language delay.

I appreciate the answer. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to bring a delegation to meet the Minister and I certainly will take him up on that.

Deputy Neale Richmond

It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. This goes to the crucial point raised eloquently by the Deputy about the hardships that a long commute would put on certain families, especially in a constituency such as his own or that of the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Ó Murchú, or Deputy Daly, with such vast spaces. The notion of having to travel up to 45 km may be not something I or Deputy Devine would know in our constituencies but it is certainly something that would have a colossal impact and requires a level of attention. Central to providing that care and education, as I stated, are not only the 15,000 special education teachers but also, crucially, the 12,500 special need assistants. That is, obviously, always the optimum and the ideal, but there are always situations where children will need to go to specialist classes, even if it is not for the full duration of the two years.

I am extremely grateful to the Deputy for raising this. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, stands ready to engage with him further on the point.

Educational Reform

Deputy Albert Dolan

This is something that I am very passionate about. It is something that affects us all. It is about financial literacy: understanding how a mortgage works, understanding how contributions to a pension can compound, understanding how people can better manage their own financial situations individually and, ultimately, understanding how people can make the best possible lives for themselves. That comes back to financial literacy and financial awareness.

In secondary school, there are courses on accounting, which teaches you the specifics and the technicalities of accounting - your debits and credits. There is economics that teaches you how an economy functions, and there is macroeconomics and microeconomics. There is also business studies, that looks at marketing, HR, European affairs and all such matters. However, the key is that there is no real personal financial education in our schooling system. Nobody is teaching young people: how to go about applying for a mortgage, what the qualifying criteria are, how you ensure you are maximising the potential of your pension, and how you ensure you are working towards an initiative for the future that will be beneficial to both yourself and your family into the future. Essentially, I am calling for consideration of an element of financial literacy to be brought into our education system. I do not know any education system where it has been brought in but there are so many people online who claim to be financial experts or who portray financial advice and they might not necessarily have the credentials or qualifications. I am not saying teachers should do a qualification to be financial adviser or become an expert in insurance products, rather question whether we as a society would not benefit significantly more financially if everyone had a base level of financial literacy. I see it across my constituency clinics and in dealings I have with people, that sometimes people do not understand how the system functions, how banking works, how they can best protect themselves in the event of something going wrong or how they can plan for a future.

I welcome the proposal to bring in the State saving scheme. That will be a huge opportunity but, like that, it is an investment and people need to know what are they investing in. From the start of this year, there are now thousands of people in auto-enrolment. Those are people who were not already in a pension, who were working hard and earning money but who were not contributing to their future retirement and now they are auto-enrolled into a pension. You would have to ask if they know what they are a part of. Do they know the potential of it? There are probably pamphlets and leaflets and everything online to explain it, but that education needs to come from the ground up. It was Warren Buffett and Albert Einstein who said the eighth wonder of the world was compound interest, because the power of it is significant. I believe that if financial literacy were in our schools, it would greatly help our young people as they go throughout life in managing their personal financial situations.

Money is still a taboo topic in Irish society and people do not want to talk about their money situations. It would greatly benefit our country going forward for everyone to have a base level understanding of financial literacy.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am genuinely grateful to Deputy Dolan for raising this. It is even fortuitous that I get to give the response, albeit on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The response I have been given is a constructive one, and while I will give it, I might add to it.

It is clear to the Department of education that financial literacy and opportunities to develop it are embedded throughout the Irish school curriculum from primary to junior cycle and into senior cycle. This commitment is reflected in the National Financial Literacy Strategy 2025-2029, as well as in Ireland's Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033, which emphasise the importance of supporting financial literacy across all stages of learning.

At primary level, the primary curriculum framework of 2023 identifies seven key competencies, including being mathematical, which encourages children to apply mathematical thinking in real-world situations such as those the Deputy referred to. The redeveloped primary mathematics curriculum of 2023 strengthens this further by including money as a stand-alone strand unit. This allows children to gradually build their understanding of money, its value, its uses and how to work confidently with notes and coins in meaningful contexts. I was doing this with my own six-year-old just the other night, although I do not know if she will be using notes and coins in the way that I was when getting pocket money. However, that is a different story.

In the junior cycle, financial literacy is explicitly highlighted in statement of learning 14 of the framework for junior cycle, which focuses on students making informed financial decisions and developing strong consumer skills. The eight key skills of junior cycle, including being numerate, being literate, setting personal goals and making considered decisions, also contribute directly to financial literacy. Subjects, including mathematics, business studies, home economics as well as the ones mentioned by the Deputy, and the level 1 and level 2 learning programmes for students with general learning disabilities, provide structured opportunities for students to deepen their financial knowledge and skills.

The redeveloped senior cycle, places a strong emphasis on key student competencies, including those linked to financial literacy. A transition year micro-module on financial literacy, developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, supports students in exploring their financial habits and understanding the importance of being financially informed.

Within leaving certificate subjects, financial literacy continues to be strengthened. The revised leaving certificate business specification helps students understand how business connects to their own lives while building financial and business literacy. The draft specification for leaving certificate home economics includes family resource management, where students learn about consumer empowerment, decision-making and managing household finances. The redevelopment of the mathematics and accounting specifications will further enhance students' numeracy and financial literacy skills.

The new specification for life, community and work, formerly the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, supports students in preparing for life beyond school. Through its two modules, me and my future and community and work, students learn how to make informed decisions as they plan for their future pathways.

Beyond the formal curriculum, informal education also plays a significant role in developing students' financial literacy. The Department continues to work closely with a range of Departments, agencies and partners to support this work. Initiatives, such as maths week, money week, our money, our future and opportunities for students to connect with financial services providers in classroom learning help students build confidence in managing financial responsibilities both inside and outside school.

I have rushed through that because I want to use my remaining time to focus on one aspect that is not directly used but one we might be able to lean into and one I would have had great experience of as Minister of State in the Department of Finance when working with the credit union movement, which is the heartbeat and the most trusted brand of so many communities. This is something that needs to be taken on a cross-departmental basis, and not only the Departments of education and finance, which is looking at the credit unions, in particular, as anchors. So many of the credit unions are active at transition year in secondary schools. It is they who are talking about saving for college, what sort of money might be needed for tools for an apprenticeship and those sorts of practical things. However, as we all know, not every credit union has the resources to do that, not every school has a transition year and not every school with a transition year has that relationship with a credit union.

An informal pilot scheme is ongoing that addresses a lot of the issues the Deputy has raised. My question to him, which would also be asked by the Minister, Deputy Naughton, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and probably the Tánaiste as well, is how we can mainstream that quasi-pilot scheme to address the very important issues we face.

Deputy Albert Dolan

I really appreciate the Minister of State's engagement on this issue. I welcome the response from the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the financial literacy framework and directive that are in place. I know about that because I experienced it when I was in secondary school. I was really interested in commerce, economics and accounting and I went on to study accounting. I took those three subjects and did not do any science subjects. I was exposed to all those different elements and received a well-rounded learning in them. However, students who do not choose those subjects might only get exposed to those lessons in higher level mathematics if they do compound interest or the repayment calculation for their leaving certificate.

There is a focus on money in secondary school but it is very fragmented. We need a whole-of-life approach to how this is taught to young people for the benefit of their future. I could not agree more regarding credit unions. The role they can play is absolutely transformative in educating young people on how saving can benefit them in the future, whether for college, learning a trade, as mentioned, or otherwise. It is really important to educate students on how money functions specifically in an Irish context, including how different Government schemes and grant opportunities function. That aspect of the functioning of money can be very effective in terms of its impact on people's personal lives. This is an area where there is more work to be done. It is also about bringing all the elements together in one holistic approach to educating people about financial literacy and making them aware of how to manage their money and how they can take control of their own circumstances. As I said, there are a lot of people in the autumn enrolment who might not fully understand how money functions and how having knowledge of it will benefit them in the future.

Deputy Neale Richmond

The Minister, Deputy Naughton, would like me to reaffirm very strongly that financial literacy is present throughout the school curriculum. I say that while also taking the Deputy's point about how we can look to bring the different aspects together in a more tangible and practical manner. There is the question of whether that should be done through a stand-alone subject of financial literacy or a stand-alone stream within the CSPE subject, for example, that is taken by all students in the junior cycle. How do we bring it into the national school curriculum without overburdening teachers while also making sure it is accessible? There is an element of it already there, largely through the mathematics provision. It is a question of how to bring all of it together in terms of preparing students for the general life cycle and providing the life skills with which we would like to equip our young people to make decisions for themselves.

Unfortunately, there is a very paternalistic attitude in this State that when students go through school, they should look to their parents for these types of supports, including when they are making financial decisions in relation to a SUSI grant, a loan for college or to get a car to do an apprenticeship. That is not the situation for everyone. Not everybody in school has a mum and dad. Not every student has a mum, dad or guardian who is able to contribute in that way. How can the State play a proactive and benevolent role at that basic level? There are countless examples of people who find themselves at 17, 18 or 19 years of age having to make very real decisions based on a very structured formal education situation in a way that the Deputy highlights as a real concern.

There is a job of work to do both within the curriculum of existing subjects, acknowledging there is a lot of good stuff there on financial literacy, and seeing how that can be complemented to ensure it is accessible for everyone, whether they are studying the subjects laid out by the Deputy, doing the leaving certificate applied or will not stay in formal education after the age of 16. What we have is good, and we should not lose sight of that, but it absolutely needs to be complemented. The Deputy's suggestion could be the basis for feeding into an overall review as opposed to a specific measure.

Disability Services

Deputy Pa Daly

I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle's office for the opportunity to raise this issue at short notice. Most Deputies have received correspondence from the Before We Die campaign. There is a notable lack of planning for the situation of adults requiring residential care as their parents approach their later years. There is huge stress, anxiety and worry for those parents as to what will happen to their children. There seems to be a huge lack of planning. We have moved away from decongregated settings but it seems there has to date been a lack of communication and planning between the various agencies, including the HSE and local authorities. I hope that will change.

I recently received correspondence from a couple who live in County Kerry asking for help with their son, who is 18 years old and will be leaving school in two weeks' time. He has autism and an intellectual disability and he has been treated very well at his school. However, two weeks from his finishing education, there is no confirmed adult day service for him. This boy has a PPSN and services have been aware of him for the past 18 years. It has been a cause of huge upset for his parents that there does not seem to be any pathway or plan for their son. I am hoping that will change.

However, I am not here to discuss his individual case but, rather, the options available in County Kerry. I remember meeting a group of parents when Áras na Féile was closed by HIQA. There were no respite services then available in the north of the county. In the south of the county, in Cahersiveen, there are weekend respite services for adults with an intellectual disability but they are only available on 34 weekends of the year. The facility is there but the funding has not been provided to make it available any more frequently than that. When children with intellectual disabilities become adults, they need a daytime service, confirmation of placement and, as much as anyone else, they need opportunities for social interaction and community participation.

I ask that a plan be put in place for day service placements, interim supports, outreach services and an increase in approved respite facilities. More funding is required for all of that, as well as more accountability and transparency in respect of the transition of children to adult services. One parent told me there are very good facilities provided by the Kerry Parents and Friends Association and St. John of God, which provide a busy day structure. A lot of parents feel isolated and experience a huge struggle to access services, whether respite or housing. Housing should be provided by every local authority. Adults should have a place where they can go, backed up by services, and where their parents can be confident they will be looked after, rather than having to wait until the parents pass away. The elements of the overall scheme seem to be very unconnected to each other. I am calling for more adult day service placements, respite and outreach.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am responding to on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. Day services are a vital support for adults with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year who require a HSE-funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by the end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances, young people due to leave school at the end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June to ensure a natural transition into day services in September.

To support a young person’s transition into adulthood, the HSE day opportunities team will work with the school, HSE services such as the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, the parent and the young person to explore options based on needs and the person’s preferences. Once he or she reaches 18 years of age, the young person will transition into adult services. Discussions about this transition, including future living, activities and support needs, will often begin well in advance, in line with the goal setting for their individual family support plan, IFSP, as the focus shifts to preparing the young person for adulthood and accessing relevant adult services. The focus is on individualised planning and considering the young person's needs, preferences and goals for the future.

I will very briefly go through some of the budgetary matters because it is important, but I am not going to dwell on them because I realise we are talking about individuals and people here, not numbers. As the Deputy is aware, budget 2026 provides funding for an additional 1,400 placements for a new cohort of school leavers from September 2026, as well as supporting the costs of those that started in September 2025. For the first time, budget 2026 also provides funding for new day service placements for the order of 50 older adults, providing support and choice for people later in life as their circumstances and wishes change. This might include, for example, people who acquire a disability later in life. Budget 2026 provides €25 million in new development funding for respite services, which has afforded the HSE the opportunity to plan for the expansion of services.

The HSE national service plan 2026 targets the delivery of 10,000 additional respite overnight sessions and 25,000 additional respite day sessions this year. There will be particular focus on strengthening provision in areas that currently have a lower level of supports. The HSE anticipates that in the region of 500 more children and adults with a disability will receive respite sessions, both centre-based and alternative, within their community in 2026. Summer respite initiatives will also be supported, providing a diverse, flexible and person-centred and meaningful respite approach for individuals, children, families and carers throughout the country, including in Kerry. There are approximately 860 adults who avail of day services in Kerry, with services being delivered by 12 agencies across 51 locations. HSE South West disability services continues to invest in respite services, proactively seeking alternative respite models and utilising all available funding to provide respite services for adults who require them. HSE South West disability services are working with service providers to create new additional residential respite and alternative respite supports for adults in 2025-26.

I have also corresponded with the Before We Die group, which I am due to meet in my own constituency late next week, based on the timetables available to the group. I appreciate the very difficult situation the Deputy has raised regarding the individual family. It is not unique but obviously, it is accentuated in a county as large as Kerry. Quite a lot has been done but we can all agree, without being partisan, not enough has been done. In many regards, not enough will ever be done. However, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is more than happy to engage with the Deputy directly on the individual case he has raised to see where opportunities may be available in that regard. More broadly, she remains absolutely committed to improving services continually and will happily work with all Deputies from all parties and none to achieve that across the country.

Deputy Pa Daly

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. He clearly has a fair idea as to the extra challenges there are in a county like Kerry. It is not realistic to go from the very north of the county to mid-Kerry, which is at least an hour each way and would be very tiring for adults and children. Speaking to people working within the services, there are 80 plus school leavers in Kerry who will require these services. I note the Minister of State said at the start of the response that systems should be put in place by the end of May. From what I am hearing, this is not always the case but it should be.

The anxieties of the Before We Die group could be alleviated by proper planning earlier in their lives. I know of another couple who were so disheartened by the paucity of services available in the Kerry area that they sold their house and moved to Dublin where other members of their family reside because they could not be guaranteed the services. These people have grown up in the county, so it was huge for them to have to move away when they retired to try to access better services for their child. People in the HSE are telling me we need continued investment in day services because there is rising complexity and demand for complex disabilities seems to be increasing. We need multi-annual funding so that they can put the proper plans in place to invest in the services required for the best part of 1,000 people accessing the day services, as well as the 80 plus per year. The HSE needs to forward plan for the day service, housing and respite but it also needs to be co-ordinated at a Government level so that all the various agencies tie in together.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising these individual cases and making very relevant points on which there is no disagreement. The majority of families and individuals are catered for but unfortunately, there are far too many who are falling through the gaps and are not getting that discussion or peace of mind at an early enough stage. That is something the Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, are absolutely committed to working through. That is why we see that 20% increase in the disability budget that will be allocated for this year to the order of €3.9 billion. Included in that is €150 million to fund service expansion in residential and respite services.

Beyond the individual care, and the Deputy has given very real examples, the real world examples can only be fed into what is required. As I stated, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is more than happy to work with the Deputy, the HSE and other partners, or any Deputy, to see where those outstanding issues could be solved. However, the Deputy has called rightly for an increased level of investment. That is why, with the five-year horizon out to 2030, the national development plan provides for an investment of €278 million, particularly in specialist disability services. Capital funding will also enable the refurbishment and development of modern respite centres and day service hubs. This focus will be through both the HSE and section 38 and 39 providers. We very much hope this offers a real opportunity for substantial growth in services and makes sure that fewer, and in due course hopefully no families, find themselves in the situation of the two families the Deputy has mentioned in County Kerry.

In conclusion, the Minister is of course happy to continue working with the Deputy on an individual basis. She also wanted to express her real thanks to the Deputy for raising this issue on the floor of the Chamber.

Heritage Sites

Deputy Máire Devine

I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity. This matter is obviously about Kilmainham Gaol and the board of visitors. I am not sure if the Minister of State knows the back story to all this, but Kilmainham Gaol itself has witnessed so much of modern Irish politics and history. It has covered everything from the United Irishmen to the Fenians, the Invincibles, the Famine and the Land League. It has a place in all our hearts and in hearts abroad.

A committee of trustees and voluntary workers, including my uncle Charlie, aka the suicide roofer, broke down the gates in 1960 and restored the prison from a state of complete ruin between the years 1960 and 1986. At that time, the then Minister of State, Brian Hayes, set up a board of visitors to take over from the trustees. There were a lot of politics going on at the time but he decided to establish it to represent the interests of the trustees and voluntary workers who had restored the prison.

As a member of the board, having been appointed for two consecutive terms - it is a five-year term - I and the board have approached the Minister of State, Deputy Boxer Moran, and the OPW for an event, which is what we are tasked with and is in our terms of reference, to honour those volunteers and their families. We reprinted the book, Ghosts of Kilmainham, which details the activities from 1963 onwards - and the prisoners - within the walls of that at-times fairly scary place.

However, I feel we have been treated quite disrespectfully. We have had no communication from either party. This has gone on for almost over two years, and we are trying to gather the families. As the Minister of State can imagine, there are very few volunteers left. There is only one I can think of, who is the chair, and that is Damien Cassidy.

I ask the Minister of State to please give a nudge to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and the OPW.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I am here to support Deputy Devine's call.

Her uncle was one of those who was involved directly in the restoration project, a huge undertaking by a voluntary committee which did what the State had promised to do from the thirties, forties and fifties. They said that they would do it at no cost to the State. A group of men mainly - there are women in some of photographs - helped to clear the prison which had been abandoned from 1929 onwards despite requests in the thirties for it to be handed over to be a museum or a memorial of prisons and a memorial of the patriotic struggle. It was agreed even though not every party at the time agreed with it. The Labour Party in particular in the fifties thought this was a madcap scheme. We know now that it was not. It is one of the most, if not the most, sought-after tourist attractions. Those men in the early 1960s and before had a vision that people would come to look at this and would respect our history. It is not just the history of the patriotic struggle; it is the history of imprisonment. That can be seen in the way it was used as a film location because it is reflective of prisons of an era.

There were a lot of hangings there, including hangings of women. There were executions of republican soldiers by the British but also by the new State. They are remembered in the museum that is attached to it now. Anybody who has gone on a tour appreciates the work done. The problem at the moment is that the OPW does not seem to appreciate that when it was handed over to it in 1986 it agreed there would be a board of visitors which would be reflective of the families who did this restoration. That was one of the conditions.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am very grateful to Deputies Devine and Ó Snodaigh for raising this important matter and for their continued personal and political interest in Kilmainham Gaol and its remarkable history. I did enjoy some of the interventions this evening. I was not aware of Labour Party’s opposition in the 1950s. That is a slight on me and our former coalition friends. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has asked me to read a couple things into the record, which is not for the Deputies’ benefit, as they can understand, but it is for the Chamber’s benefit as a whole. I know what I am about to read contains information they both know, having been intimately involved in it for a long time.

For the benefit of the House, Kilmainham Gaol occupies a unique place in Ireland's national story. The Office of Public Works recognises not only the significance of the gaol itself, but also the extraordinary contribution made by the members of the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Society and the many volunteers whose commitment and dedication helped to rescue the building from dereliction and secure its future for generations to come.

As alluded to by Deputy Devine, following the transfer of the gaol to State care in 1986, a board of visitors was established to maintain a connection with those individuals and to provide an independent forum through which observations and recommendations relating to the gaol could be conveyed to the Minister. The board operates on a non-statutory basis and has no formal executive, management or governance role in the operation of the site. Rather, its purpose has been advisory in nature, providing an independent perspective on the condition, use and interpretation of Kilmainham Gaol.

The most recent board of visitors was appointed in late 2019 for a five-year term. Throughout its existence, the board has operated on a voluntary basis and has provided an important link to those involved in the restoration and preservation of the gaol. The contribution of its members over many years is acknowledged and appreciated by the OPW and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. It will continue to receive the support that is required.

In relation to the publication of Ghosts of Kilmainham, the Minister of State wishes to acknowledge the significance of the work and the valuable record it provides of the restoration of Kilmainham Gaol and the people who made that achievement possible. The publication continues to be available to visitors and remains an important part of the historical record of the site. Proposals regarding an OPW-sponsored relaunch event for the publication have been considered. However, as the publication has been available for a number of years and continues to be available, it has been decided that an OPW-sponsored relaunch event will not proceed.

The OPW remains committed to ensuring that the role of the restoration society and the many volunteers associated with the restoration of Kilmainham Gaol is appropriately recognised through the interpretation and presentation of the site and through ongoing engagement with interested stakeholders.

I assure the Deputies that the Minister of State and the OPW greatly value the contribution made by those who helped to save Kilmainham Gaol and remain committed to preserving and presenting this important national monument to the highest standards. In the last month I had the good fortune to bring my children there for the first time. I know I join everyone in the House who is absolutely spellbound by the story that it tells, the importance of that story to our history and the importance of making sure that story is fully accessible to all, particularly our younger generation. I will do anything I can do to assist the Deputies, through the OPW or otherwise, to make sure that it is preserved.

Deputy Máire Devine

As the Minister of State can imagine, I am gobsmacked and very disappointed. I find the response very disrespectful to me as a family member of an individual who spent over 700 hours doing the roof of Kilmainham Gaol. It is extremely disrespectful to us, the families and the volunteers who are still around. The late Garret FitzGerald at the time said that the trustees were to provide advice, and to organise events and commemorative ceremonies to honour those who suffered and died in the prison. That is what the board of visitors are trying to do. We are being given the flipping finger by the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, the OPW or whoever has made that disgraceful decision. Surely they would be honoured to actually be part of what is our history and to pass it down to the next generation and the generation after. It is absolutely outrageous and I cannot think I would let that rest.

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I am also gobsmacked. It is very strange because it would not cost anything to facilitate the board of visitors. The venue is there to launch the book which has been republished as a new issue. There have been private launches of books and other events in the gaol. It is a great venue to have anything. Even though it is for sale in the museum shop in the old courthouse, it still deserves to be pushed again so that the public outside, those who do not get one of the golden tickets to attend Kilmainham Gaol, can be encouraged.

So much can be said. In fairness, the Labour Party view in 1954 was that this is all nonsense, that these schemes are nonsense. There is a very interesting list of the work the volunteers carried out, down to the hours. As Máire said, her uncle spent 720 hours and that was in the first two years. They thought it would take five years and it took six or seven. The history is absolutely fantastic. I cannot find the quote now, but there is a quote from somebody early on that this was one of the best practical restorations they had seen and that we could do a lot more to encourage them. However, being rejected afterwards is the problem.

There is no mention in the response as to when the new board will be put in place. It is out of office at this stage.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I completely understand the frustration and indeed anger of the Deputies and I do not contest it in any way. As a young history undergraduate student, I spent hours and hours - not quite 700 hours - in the gaol itself carrying out my own primary research and it was invaluable. I have a well-thumbed copy of Ghosts of Kilmainham. It was not actually mine originally; it was my sister’s. She also studied history, albeit she was smarter than me and got into Trinity College.

Regarding the points made by the Deputies, while there are no plans to proceed with an OPW-sponsored relaunch event, the importance of the publication and the historical record contained in it is fully acknowledged. The publication continues and will continue to be available and remains an important account of the restoration story of Kilmainham Gaol.

We are not going to resolve this situation this evening. I do not believe the Deputies expect me to resolve it. Unfortunately, I am just in the firing line of their ire. That is the lot I have drawn this evening. However, I will write to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, asking to arrange an urgent deputation meeting, involving him, the Deputies and the other interested party. That is the best I can do in the position I have. I give them my absolute commitment to do that. I have absolute sympathy for the case they have raised.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 10.29 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 17 Meitheamh 2026.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.29 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026