A lot of us have submitted Topical Issue matters on related issues. I want to focus on the number of children presenting in Temple Street Hospital with head injuries from the use of e-scooters. This is an issue that we have heard the clinicians, in particular, Irwin Gill, neurodisability consultant, speak out on for some time. It is now, however, becoming acute. One of the statistics I find most concerning is that all these child injuries and long-term head injuries have all happened since the legalisation of e-scooters. Before we had e-scooters and a regulatory regime for them in May 2024, kids were not suffering these head injuries. They were not getting access to the e-scooters. It is important to note that all the kids being treated by Irwin Gill and others in Temple Street Hospital are not supposed to be using these e-scooters. If they are in a children’s hospital, they are all necessarily under the age of 16. This is something we need to tackle urgently, even if this includes going to the level of mandatory insurance for e-scooters.
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Road Safety
I join Deputy Geoghegan in raising these concerns. The question has to be asked at this stage as to what it will take for the Government to respond to what is a very real crisis among the communities I represent and many other communities across this country. This is literally a life-or-death issue, or, many times, a fate almost as bad as death in terms of the horrendous acquired brain injuries that impact every facet of a young person’s life. It is simply devastating to think that there are children as young as six, seven and eight, who are the same age as my own, going around on scooters and being facilitated in having access to them.
We hear all the comments about An Garda Síochána needing to be resourced and equipped but the time has come for radical action. This falls to the Minister for justice, but also to the Minister for Transport. We need a registration system and drone detection technology, which has been rolled out in other cities. We must make sure we have a specialised Garda unit that will effectively target children and those underage. We also need to make sure that we tackle the retailers illegally selling scooters capable of operating above the speed limit.
On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputies for raising these important issues.
On 1 April, the Road Traffic Control of Certain Vehicles Regulations 2026, known as Grace's law in memory of Grace Lynch, were signed into law. These regulations implement an explicit ban on scrambler use in any public place and strengthen existing provisions and powers of enforcement by An Garda Síochána.
Since July 2023, off-road scramblers have been illegal for use on public roads and it has also been illegal to drive them dangerously anywhere, even on private land. An Garda Síochána has full powers to seize a scrambler being driven dangerously in any location, even where gardaí have the reasonable belief that the vehicle will be driven dangerously, and they can enter the curtilage of a dwelling to retrieve a scrambler after the fact. It has also been an offence to sell or otherwise supply a mechanically propelled vehicle, MPV, such as a scrambler, to a minor since 2004.
Regarding the question from Deputy Sherlock, the Government introduced a comprehensive suite of regulations in 2024, a list of which is available, to govern the safe use of e-scooters in public places. Key restrictions relate to an age limit of 16 years, speed restrictions of 20 km/h, the prohibition on use on a footpath and the prohibition on carrying passengers or having a seat. E-scooters which do not conform to the e-scooter regulations are illegal for use on Irish roads. The enforcement of all road traffic legislation is a matter for An Garda Síochána.
Regarding injuries caused by, or as a result of, the use of e-scooters and e-bikes, the Department of Transport does not retain specific data on these issues. Our colleagues in the Department of Health would be more suitable for a response on this issue.
To be fair, we are way ahead of time, but I am going to let the other Deputies respond first and then let Deputy Rory Hearne in at the end. I call Deputy Geoghegan.
It is not the Minister of State’s fault. He is here to read out the responses he has been given. It is, though, a really pathetic response from the Department of Transport to say it "does not retain specific data on these issues".
To be fair to the Minister of State in the Department, Deputy Canney, he has stated publicly what is being done in trying to examine every measure to respond to this issue. In fairness to him, I know how aware he is of the injuries. We need to take decisive action. There are no easy answers. A draconian ban is perhaps not conducive to mobility in this city. However, we need to look urgently at licensing the use of e-scooters because the facts are what the facts are. There are children with head injuries in Temple Street Hospital, and the number has been growing at a significant rate since the regulation of e-scooters in Ireland.
I find the reply we have been given deeply upsetting. This is not directed towards the Minister of State, but to the authors, the Department officials and the senior Ministers. It reflects no recognition of the crisis out there. The reality is that we can have all the powers we want in the world but if there is no enforcement, there is no point in having those powers.
This is what is happening in our communities now. We need to see the Government, as a whole, taking this seriously. The Minister of State said that the Department of Health would be more suitable to get a response from. Come on; we have to do better than that. The reality is that I am not in favour of an outright ban because there are people using these scooters legitimately but we need to go after the many who are not and the retailers.
Go raibh míle maith agat. I appreciate having this time. The scourge of scramblers in Dublin North-West has not, unfortunately, let up. The number of scrambler and e-scooter-related accidents is on the rise again. A young garda was injured last week when stopping an e-scooter in Finglas, just a short distance from where poor Grace Lynch lost her life in January after being struck by a scrambler at a pedestrian crossing. Despite Grace’s law, scramblers are still scourging communities in my constituency such as Finglas and Ballymun and in other parts of the city.
A resident of Finglas to whom I spoke earlier this week said that when they leave their house, it is completely normal to encounter multiple scramblers travelling at speed, often on one wheel, while weaving between traffic. This is particularly nerve-wracking when this person has their two young children with them. The issue is not confined to the roads and footpaths. Scramblers are used to transport and deal drugs in the local park, in the Tolka Valley Park, and cause fear and intimidation.
Last week, I also attended a vigil to mark Grace Lynch's birthday in Finglas. I spoke to her parents, Martin and Siobhán, who are still grieving Grace. Martin told me that when they campaigned for Grace’s law, they did not expect that they would then have to campaign for its enforcement. It is to the Government’s shame and a failure of this State that parents grieving their daughter killed by a scrambler now have to campaign for the enforcement of this law. Today, Martin told me that nobody really understands the pain until it knocks on their door.
They are calling for real action to prevent any other family from having to go through what they went through.
I also want to highlight that John Joe O'Connell, the vice president of the GRA, said on Radio One this week that its members are tasked to intervene and stop the illegal use of scramblers and e-scooters but they just do not have the training, resources or protection to do that. That is the Garda Representative Association saying they do not have the resources. They need to be given the resources and training.
The Department of Transport is examining the issue of mandating the use of protective equipment for e-scooters and e-bikes along with other road safety-focused measures. Proposals in this regard are under consideration by the Ministers. The Department is also considering the matter of registration for e-scooters. Any system of mandatary registration requires significant development work to act effectively and efficiently. A registration system for e-scooters would need to address issues including how to verify the identity of individuals who use them, safe and visible placement of registration plates and sufficient resourcing for the registration body. In addition there are no harmonised technical specifications for e-scooters equivalent to EU-type approval for other vehicle types in place across the European Union. These issues would need to be carefully addressed and assessed.
There is the glaring reality that we in these Houses and the Government have to be honest about - a law was passed in 2024 to regulate e-scooters. Some countries have no regulation of e-scooters but what has actually happened since we made e-scooters legal to purchase in Ireland is that more children have life-long head injuries and are showing up in Temple Street. That is the regulatory regime we in these Houses passed. This is despite every effort by the Garda and others to encourage parents not to purchase e-scooters for their kids - they should not have them. I see in my own constituency gardaí seizing e-scooters right, left and centre. Parents get very upset when they are seized and the gardaí get it in the neck from them. There is very little from an operational point of view that anybody can do. We have to seriously consider the growing number of kids presenting in Temple Street and examine what is taking place in other jurisdictions. It is an issue being discussed among neurosurgeons across the world. In Queensland they have to wear helmets but it does not make much of a difference in terms of the children presenting. It is the e-scooters, the road surface and the kids using the e-scooters on the road surface.
On the point that An Garda Síochána has full powers, I know from talking to gardaí on the ground locally in Dublin North Central that they are very active in seizing scramblers and I urge them to seize e-scooters as well. The fundamental issue is that challenging a person under 18 has become a bit of a no-go area for many in An Garda Síochána because of the consequences if that child is injured. That is why we need a wholly radical response. This is not just about the injuries although they are to the fore of our minds. It is also about intimidation within communities. People are afraid to walk even on the footpaths because of the speed and impunity with which people travel on e-scooters. We need to change that.
A key aspect the Lynch family asked for is pursuit training for gardaí. The GRA representative was on the radio saying they have no pursuit training. Gardaí are in the situation where they want to pursue and there is a law which says they should stop the use but they do not actually have the training to do it. That is a minimal, basic thing the Government could do now - roll out training of gardaí so they can pursue safely and not be followed up. We are seeing a ridiculous situation where gardaí are being arrested for pursuing, which is completely illogical. Gardaí need to be resourced properly. We want our communities to be safe. It is not fair or right that our most disadvantaged communities are most exposed to this lack of safety and the gardaí do not having the resources to do policing.
We are concerned about the EU Presidency and the reduction in Garda resources as a result. Disadvantaged areas like Finglas and Ballymun should not be paying the price for that.
Bus Services
I raise the issue of improving Local Link services in the east Cork constituency. I highlight specifically the need for better public transport. Thousands of people across the constituency are concerned about this problem. I also acknowledge that over 1,200 signatures were collected by our office through Councillor Patrick Mulcahy specifically about ensuring there are more fit-for-purpose Local Link services. East Cork is an area that suffers from significant traffic congestion. We need substantial upgrades to the N25 road infrastructure. We also seek better community bus services, whether delivered through Bus Éireann, PSO or Expressway services, but Local Link also needs the attention of the Government. I am glad the Minster of State, Deputy Collins, as a rural Deputy is here to answer for the Department.
We have proposed a number of routes that will address issues in respect of communities and villages that are yet to be connected to local towns. One issue of concern is that Ballymacoda, Shanagarry, Dungourney, Lisgoold and even Midleton train station, an important end line point for the metropolitan rail service in Cork, have no bus services through Local Link. We want to propose for consideration, through the agencies involved and Government, that funding be put in place to address this critical shortfall. We proposed a number of routes to the NTA and submitted the signatures in respect of this and to Cork County Council's sustainable travel unit.
It must be taken into account that we have had huge population growth in the area and there are large villages that do not have bus services in place through Local Link. I acknowledge how successful Local Link has been in the areas it does service. We hear great reports about people delighted they are able to jump on a bus, go into their local town, do their shopping, spend money in their local community, support local businesses and get back home all within a respectable timeframe. Where the investment has been put in, it has worked. It would be so welcome for it to be acknowledged by Government that we need to see the villages I referenced provided with a proper and fit-for-purpose bus service. There are a number of options available. Funding needs to be put in place. I am eager to hear what the Minister of State has to say.
I thank Deputy O’Connor for raising the proposed routes for east Cork. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport but neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. I am sure the Deputy knows that. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority. The NTA works with the public transport operators which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That said, I reassure the Deputy the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens, including people in east Cork, with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options. Public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal.
To support this objective, in budget 2026, the Department of Transport secured €940 million in funding for public service obligation and TFI Local Link services. That was an increase from €658 million in 2025. This funding will go towards funding and subsidising existing public transport services while maintaining targeted fares including initiatives such as the free travel for all children up to the age of nine and the young adult card for those aged 19-25 as part of the NTA's national fares strategy.
The Department continues to engage with the NTA to ensure existing levels of service, resilience and driver shortages are considered to ensure that planning and strategic decisions are informed by operational and resource considerations. Some €31 million of this funding has been secured for continued investment in our rural transport service provision in 2026, a 38% increase on last year's funding. This funding ensures continued delivery of vital transport services across rural Ireland, building on the significant increase in funding in recent years. In County Cork in particular, funding increased by 47% between 2024 and 2025, boosting passenger numbers by 95%.
The hugely successful Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a major public transport initiative developed by the NTA to increase connectivity outside our major cities and towns. Some 185 new and enhanced services have been implemented since 2022, linking more than 240 towns and villages to the public transport network. These services now provide new transport connections to 41 higher education facilities and 61 healthcare facilities and offer 71 connections to rail services, allowing passengers to connect to the wider TFI network. Approximately 600,000 people now have access to these new or enhanced bus services. Increased services have led to exponential growth in passenger numbers, with more than 8 million passenger journeys recorded across Connecting Ireland services in 2025. The expansion of rural bus services has brought life back into our villages, towns and urban centres, offering an accessible and sustainable alternative to travel by private car.
The NTA has stated that a number of new routes and route enhancements under the Connecting Ireland initiative are yet to be implemented in County Cork. The timetable for implementation of all new and enhanced services is subject to funding, operational readiness and capacity. The public transport sector is currently experiencing a significant workforce shortage, particularly among drivers and mechanics. Therefore, the focus for 2026 is on ensuring services already in place can operate reliably and sustainably. The NTA is managing the 2026 allocation by prioritising delivery of existing programmes. Decisions on future new or enhanced services are a matter for the NTA, which must consider the existing levels of service and funding availability and reach agreement on priorities with the national co-ordination unit. I assure the Deputy that the Government recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in rural Ireland.
I acknowledge the response. I am coming to this with a solution-focused approach. I have seen in Athlone in particular how successful a local town-based bus service can be in providing state-of-the-art public transport connectivity for people living in the housing estates and satellite urban areas near the town. Midleton is one of the fastest growing towns in Ireland. A new town adjoining Midleton, Water Rock, is currently under construction and is expected to have a population of more than 4,000 in the near future, so we need to see some level of commitment.
The information I submitted outlines three different options that would involve a northern and southern orbital route around Midleton and Youghal, which would allow these villages the option of having a proper Local Link service to those local areas. I am also looking at finally having an in-town service for the Midleton-Ballinacurra area, which would give people the option of leaving the car at home. The distances are just that bit too long to walk, if people are doing the shopping and other things as they go about their daily business. This is one way of providing a service that would meet people's personal requirements. We need measures in the short term that deal with the traffic congestion we have been having lately around Midleton and on the N25 corridor until that road infrastructure is upgraded, which will happen in the medium-term future.
Will the Minister of State give me an idea of whether the Department will commit to looking at this, following on from my raising it with him and the Department?
Rather than rehashing what I was given as a closing statement, I will convey to the Minister for Transport and his officials the points raised by Deputy O'Connor in relation to his constituents in east Cork and about the new routes which are available. He is well aware of the commitment of the Government and the commitments in the programme for Government to continue to roll out public transport services and to provide as much co-ordination and linkages as possible. That being said, there is a backdrop of challenge in getting bus drivers and mechanics in particular, as I pointed out, and that is dampening the progress we are trying to drive. I will convey the message on the Deputy's behalf and on behalf of his constituents.
Animal Breeding
I am happy to see the Minister, Deputy Heydon, is amending the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and is introducing some stronger regulations for dog breeding. They are long overdue. I am also pleased to see that many of the proposals he is including are proposals I included in my dog breeding Bill last December. We debated that Bill in the Chamber last December so I am pleased to see those suggestions being carried forward into this legislation.
However, there are a number of glaring gaps in what the Minister is doing. The first, and probably most important one, is that no cap is included in the Minister's legislation. Currently, dog breeding establishments can have up to 300 breeding females. There could be 300 breeding females, plus all their pups and 50, 60 or 70 male dogs on site. That is a huge number of animals. If we are trying to move away from being known internationally as the puppy farm capital of Europe, we need to curb, and have some level of control over, the number of pups being produced at these sites. The only way to do that is through a cap. I understand the Minister has said there are some legal concerns about it. Other countries have done it. I do not see why we cannot do something similar. There are not many breeders who have that capacity to breed, so I am not sure why the Government is closing an eye to the very large breeders. My Bill included a cap of 30 and I ask that the Government consider including that cap in this legislation. As I said, unless a cap is put in place, the integrity of the Bill will be undermined. It is fundamental.
In my legislation, I suggested a 1:10 staff to dog ratio and the Minister is including a 1:20 ratio. That is too high. It is one staff member looking after 20 breeding females, plus all their pups and whatever male dogs are on site. That is a lot of animals in one person's care, making sure they are fed and watered and being domesticated. Ultimately, these pups will end up in people's homes and it is important they are socialised and get used to being handled by people and played with. I cannot see how one individual can deal with that many breeding females and pups. A person could have more than 100 animals in their care. It is an important time in the development of a puppy. Socialisation has to happen at that stage and that ratio is not sufficient. Therefore, I ask that this be addressed in the legislation.
As I said, we debated my Bill in the Dáil last December. During that debate, I agreed to a nine-month delay in voting on the Bill because I was promised by the Minister that I would be included and involved in the development of the Minister's Bill. I heard zilch - nothing. There was no consultation on anything substantive. I did not even know when the Bill would come out. When I hear from the Government that the Opposition never provides any constructive solutions, I will say that was a constructive Bill. The Government agreed it was constructive-----
Thank you, Deputy.
-----and promised it would work with me on it and it did not. That has completely undermined trust in the process.
I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising the issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon. I will convey to him her disappointment at the lack of engagement that she pointed out.
Reform of legislation governing dog welfare is a key priority for the Government.
In order to bring a coherent approach to dog control, policy and legislative responsibility under both the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 transferred to our Department last year. In both cases, local authorities retain responsibility for operational and enforcement matters.
In relation to dog breeding establishments, I am pleased to confirm that the dog breeding establishments (amendment) Bill 2026 is being actively progressed. The Bill has 17 heads and addresses three core areas: welfare and breeding standards, sales and record keeping, and administration and enforcement.
On welfare and breeding standards, the Bill will place enhanced duties on operators covering the socialisation and habituation of dogs so that female breeding dogs and pups receive the exercise and social interaction that are so important to their well-being. It will introduce a four-litter lifetime limit, extendable to six litters only with veterinary certification, and a cap of one litter per year, giving female breeding dogs rest and recovery between litters. The Bill will also introduce new minimum and maximum breeding age limits, prohibit the mating of female breeding dogs that have had two caesarean sections and impose a ban on inbreeding, addressing a practice associated with severe health problems for dogs and pups. A mandatory minimum staffing ratio of one full-time equivalent staff member per 20 female breeding dogs will also be placed on a statutory footing, ensuring animals receive proper daily care and attention, with a two-year transition period to allow operators to adjust in a timely and responsible manner.
On sales, the Bill will ban third-party sales from dog breeding establishments. It will be unlawful for operators to sell dogs under eight weeks of age or to sell them from any premises other than where they were born and reared. Prior to any sale, prospective buyers must be shown the pup’s biological mother on site. Dog breeding establishments must notify local authorities of all sales of pups from their premises.
On administration and enforcement, authorised persons will be granted new powers to seize and detain dogs where it is reasonably suspected that an offence has been committed. Penalties for the most serious offences will be significantly increased to a fine of up to €250,000, five years' imprisonment or both. This will bring the sanctions under the 2010 Act in line with those available under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
At present, the Minister has not included a hard legislative cap on the total number of female breeding dogs at a dog breeding establishment in the general scheme of the Bill. Legal advice indicates that there are difficulties with such an approach. There are also practical issues that would have to be explored further. The Minister is considering the matter. The Bill addresses concerns about excessive numbers through other means. The mandatory staffing ratio of 1:20 creates an indirect but real constraint on establishment size. The strengthened and improved notice regime will explicitly empower authorised persons to require a reduction in the number of dogs on premises where welfare concerns arise. Local authorities also retain the ability to set conditions on the number of breeding females as part of the registration process. This avenue remains open to them, particularly in respect of new applications.
The Minister hopes to bring forward this legislation as soon as possible. He looks forward to working with Deputies and Senators across the Houses on this important issue.
Part of the Minister of State's response reads, "The mandatory staffing ratio of 1:20 creates an indirect but real constraint on establishment size." I am really not sure what the rationale behind that is. I assume the Minister of State means that people will not want to employ a lot of staff because it is a cost to them, but if somebody has 20 breeding females and each has an average of five pups, you are looking at 100 pups. That is a minimum of €100,000. It is a lot of money. This is big business. I do not think having to pay a staff member minimum wage to mind the pups is going to be much of a constraint. I ask the Minister of State to ensure there is a proper constraint on the size of these premises, which are essentially production lines. The only way to do that is to put in a cap. I ask that the Minister of State look at a cap. If the Attorney General needs to look at other countries that have brought in similar measures for guidance as to how to do it, I suggest he do so. It is fundamental that a cap is included in the legislation.
In November, the consultation on the animal welfare strategy began. It closed in January. Nothing has been published yet. There are still no details and we have not seen the submissions from that consultation. The dog control stakeholder group was established in 2024. I believe that group has reported, although I am not sure. When is the Minister going to publish both of those reports? It is really important that he is transparent about whatever came out of those two consultation processes. The results must form part of the discussions on the development of this Bill.
I again thank the Deputy for raising these issues. Animal welfare is something we all take very seriously and that we are all very committed to. It is opportune that this legislation is being updated. A lot of the points Deputy Whitmore has made are very valid. I respect her in that regard. I will ask the officials to send the Deputy an update on the two consultations she has referred to.
European Union
There is little doubt about the positivity we associate with membership of the European Union. Some 82% of Irish people favour membership of the European Union, the highest rate of approval of any European state. However, a lot of people talk down the European Union in the public discourse, suggesting that it is somehow a bad thing or that it does not do things the way they would want it to. I would join with them on certain matters. No multinational organisation like the EU is ever going to be perfect. It will never do everything I would want it to and it will never satisfy me in every respect. However, on the whole, we are very lucky to be part of the European Union.
The Ireland of 1972 or 1973, before we joined what was then the European Economic Community, was a wholly different country from the Ireland of today. To look at it from a purely economic standpoint, the value of being part of the Single Market is enormous. In 1973, we imported €340 million more in goods than we exported. In recent times, we have had an export surplus. We have exported more than €53 billion more than we have imported. While we cannot assess these things only in terms of economics, GDP per capita has increased, living conditions have improved, the rate of employment has increased and the value of our economy has increased.
On consumer and workers' rights, many of the rights that employees in this country enjoy were handed down from the European Commission. Ireland was sitting around the table for those discussions, but they were still handed down. Health and safety rights have also come from the European Union. There are people alive in this country because laws put in place by the European Union prevented them from dying in workplace accidents. Our membership of the European Union has had benefits in terms of the Good Friday Agreement. The European Union gave us support in achieving stability in Northern Ireland. It has also given us freedom of movement, the opportunity to travel around Europe without restrictions. Last year, more than 10,000 Irish students went abroad on the Erasmus+ programme.
The list goes on and on, but some people will tell you that being part of the European Union is a bad thing. As we hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU and are at the heart of Europe, leading the agenda and setting the tone in respect of our priorities during the Presidency, what is the Government doing to communicate to Irish people just how lucky we are to be part of the European Union? I do not say that as propaganda, although I have no doubt that some will accuse me of doing so. The objective figures do not lie.
You can find fault with the European Union. Elected representatives in this country will often say that Brussels is imposing something on us or that Europe is forcing us to do something else. Let us not forget that we are Europe. When decisions are made in Brussels, our Ministers sit around the table. Our MEPs sit in the Parliament, making those decisions. Let us not abdicate responsibility for politically unpopular decisions, which are still the right decisions, made at European level with the involvement of Irish people.
What is the Irish Government doing to communicate to Irish people in clear and unequivocal terms that we are lucky to be part of the European Union and that the benefits we get from our membership are unparalleled among those arising from forces that have an impact on the quality of life in this country? What programmes will the Government put in place to counter some of the stuff online, which is not true and is inaccurate? If we do not fill that space, others will.
They will fill it with misinformation and disinformation that will convince people that being part of the European Union is a bad idea when, as I said, every objective measure shows the opposite.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I welcome the opportunity to address how we can further increase public participation and interest in the European Union. Our current six-month term of Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a unique opportunity to engage with people across Ireland and the European Union. It is our priority to ensure that the Presidency is experienced by all citizens and communities across Ireland. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, earlier this year set out her intention to maximise 2026 for a genuine reflection and sustained conversation on Ireland's enduring place in the European Union. The Government wants to foster a national conversation on Europe to consider Ireland's membership of the Union and what it means to people today. We believe that EU membership is about being aware of the advantages of membership and making sure these are understood by the public. We want to encourage the Irish public to participate in that national conversation.
Alongside the formal Presidency programme, a nationwide outreach and engagement initiative is connecting people across Ireland with the work of the European Union and Ireland's European role. This includes local events, educational initiatives, cultural exchange and community partnerships. The programme is designed to make the Presidency visible, accessible and relevant to people of all ages and backgrounds. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, also recently announced the successful grantees for the communicating Europe initiative 2026. This provides funding to voluntary organisations, educational bodies and civil society groups. The focus of projects this year is on Ireland's 2026 Presidency as well as the related county pairings programme. This pairs counties with an EU member state, encouraging communities across the country to engage directly with their European partners throughout the Presidency term.
We also want to strongly focus on young people and efforts to engage with them are at the heart of the Presidency outreach programme. Some of the efforts include a range of resources and activities that have been developed to help children and young people better understand the European Union, Ireland's Presidency priorities and the importance of European co-operation in everyday life. As part of this work, a children's book on Ireland’s EU Presidency priorities is being produced and will encourage young readers to engage with the work of the Presidency and Ireland’s priorities in an accessible way. It will be online, with copies distributed to sixth class students across the country in September of 2026. Additional resources aimed at secondary school students and young people aged 15 to 18 are also being developed to support active citizenship and participation during the Presidency period.
Another important way the Government aims to increase public participation and interest in the work of the European Union is through its EU jobs strategy. The strategy, A Career for EU, aims to improve Irish participation and success rates in EU recruitment processes for institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and over 50 EU agencies. It responds to projected shortfalls of Irish staff arising from high levels of recruitment among senior and long-serving Irish officials combined with insufficient recruitment at entry and mid-management grades. The strategy has three focus areas promoting EU careers in Ireland, particularly within the education system and professions, providing training and support for Irish candidates and advocating for reform of the EU recruitment processes. Outreach and awareness raising have expanded significantly, with third level careers events alone estimated to have reached approximately 30,000 students in 2025. Hundreds of Irish candidates received targeted training supports across multiple EU recruitment competitions including EU-specific practice materials and interview preparations. Ireland also continues to work with like-minded member states on structural reforms including supporting the European Parliament's defence of nationally based competitions before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
I acknowledge all of the factors the Minister of State set out. I welcome them all and it is really important that we spread that message. The second part of the Minister of State's response is really important and that is the EU jobs part. I would not necessarily limit it just to the European Union. There are other international institutions within Europe where there is a transmissibility between them and the European institutions. As Chair of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, I visited Luxembourg earlier this year with some colleagues. What is apparent is that there has been a lag in the number of Irish people applying for jobs, and that there are people at the higher levels of management within European institutions who are now coming to retirement and there are not people in the middle level to fill their positions. It is really important, not from the point of view of influence but from the point of view of presence, that there are Irish people around the table when decisions are being made so that the Irish perspective is understood and heard.
The Minister of State made reference to the supports that have been given to people applying for jobs within the European Union. I think we need to formalise that and I have called for this before. We need to push it further than that. We need to have a dedicated unit within the Department of foreign affairs or elsewhere that does not just advertise the jobs and make sure people know about the opportunities that are available, but also explains to them what that package entails because it is not just about pay. It is about conditions and the other things that come with it. It is about what working for a European institution entails, and then also goes that step further of properly preparing them for the jobs. I understand we are not in first place in terms of European Union countries in doing that. Other countries are much more proactive about placing their citizens in an advantageous position as they apply for those jobs. One of the key things we can do to involve the citizens of this country in the opportunities that Europe presents, in addition to all the things I said earlier, is to allow, encourage and enable them to apply for and obtain jobs within European institutions that can then help present Irish perspectives but also share the benefits with the people in this country.
The strategy I referred to, A Career for EU, is delivering results. Ireland has 43 permanent officials at key entry grades in the European Commission as of December 2025. That is up from 30 in 2022. A total of 1,733 Irish people applied to the AD5 competition, which is the first large-scale graduate recruitment competition since 2019, placing Ireland tenth out of the 27 member states on a per capita basis. In January of 2026, Dr. Lorraine Nolan took up office as the executive director of the European Union Drugs Agency. That makes her the third Irish national currently leading an EU agency. There is a lot going on in that space but the points the Deputy raised are very relevant and pertinent. It is certainly something we are going to seek to keep prioritising.
Rental Sector
My Topical Issue relates to the tenant in situ scheme and the resulting impact on homelessness in Dublin Fingal West. I submitted this Topical Issue because I gave a commitment to two families in my constituency that if the opportunity presented itself, I would advise somebody in the Government of it. As I said to them, I could not guarantee who it would be given the nature of Topical Issue debates but I would advise somebody in the Government of what is happening. They genuinely feel that perhaps if the Government knew or was aware of the impacts of the policies it decides in this House and puts through with its majority, things would change and it would have some compassion because they are in quite desperate situations.
One case involves a family of four - mam, dad and two children - who were living in Rush. They received a notice to quit and their landlord was amenable to selling that property to the council. They contacted the council and got a response, which I have here on my phone. Obviously, I made a representation for them. The response stated that the council responded to the landlord explaining that it is not in a position to accept new expressions of interest in the tenant in situ scheme due to lack of funding and would notify the tenant accordingly. Of course, the tenant knew already. Their notice to quit expired and they are now living in emergency accommodation. Mam, dad and two children are all living in one room, in this heat, with no air conditioning. As the Minister of State can imagine, they are in quite a desperate situation.
The second case concerns a family whose notice to quit expires in September. I wrote to the council again on their behalf. The landlord contacted the council. This was a sale that was being done as a result of a bankruptcy, so they were dealing with an agent. The agent was very happy to sell to Fingal County Council. They got the same reply. Their house has now been sold. It has been sold to another landlord and that landlord would like them out quicker than their notice to quit will allow, but they are going to stick where they are. To date, they have sent out nearly 300 requests following advertisements they have seen and, indeed, places where they thought they might get somewhere to live.
They, too, fear that they will be heading to emergency accommodation. I am not sure if the Minister of State is aware of what emergency accommodation is like. I am, and I would not like to live in it. I certainly would not like my daughter or grandson to live in it. I do not think the Minister of State would like to live in it and I do not think he would like his family to live in it either. However, unless there is investment in the tenant in situ scheme, that is where that family are heading.
The mam works in north County Dublin. She has she has a good job and she works hard. The dad is receiving chemotherapy at the moment and he is absolutely frantic about what going into emergency accommodation will mean for his treatment. This landlord was willing to sell to the council under the tenant in situ scheme. We contacted the council and we were told it did not have the funds to be able to purchase it. This family will now join that other family in emergency accommodation.
I am sure I do not need to tell the Minister of State this because he is probably aware of it. Emergency accommodation is very expensive as well as being grim. It is somewhere that he would not want to live and I certainly would not want to live in it either. It is also very expensive. Investing in somewhere permanent for this family to live actually makes sense and there is a good value for money argument to be made in that regard.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and providing me with an opportunity to update the House. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for housing, Deputy James Browne.
Tenancy sustainment, or tenant in situ, is not a stand-alone programme or scheme. It is a priority category under the Department of housing's social housing second-hand acquisitions programme which helps prevent social housing supported households in the private rental sector from becoming homeless. Such acquisitions are an option for local authorities to support households in the most precarious housing situations. They are, and will continue to be, available to local authorities for use as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. However, they will never be the sole, or even the primary, option.
The default first options should almost always be securing the sustainment of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the tenancy sustainment and placefinder services, or allocating a local authority or approved housing body tenancy via a new build home or re-let. Where acquisitions are deemed necessary, local authorities may pursue individual priority acquisitions without recourse to the Department once they satisfy the broad parameters and criteria of the second-hand acquisitions programme.
A total of €373 million is available for drawdown by local authorities and approved housing bodies under this year's programme. With more than 17,000 persons in emergency homeless accommodation, including more than 5,000 children, the primary focus of this year’s programme is to help households exit emergency homeless accommodation into permanent housing. To this end, the largest share of funding available for drawdown, €150 million, is ring-fenced for acquisitions supporting households out of homelessness. Thereafter, €50 million is available to approved housing bodies for urgent acquisitions for older persons, persons with disabilities, care leavers, etc.
The remaining €173 million comprises €157 million for local authority priority acquisitions, including tenant in situ purchases, and a contingency of €16 million for local authorities that have drawn down most of their allocation but can complete further acquisitions and draw down the funding from the Department before the end of the year. Fingal County Council has been allocated an initial €30.7 million, with €6 million and €7 million earmarked for approved housing body and local authority priority acquisitions, respectively.
Consistent with the eligibility criteria introduced last year, refurbishment or adaptation costs are no longer an eligible cost for tenant in situ acquisitions. Generally, extensive refurbishments should not be required on these properties. They already benefit from significant Exchequer-funded rent supports through the housing assistance payment or rental accommodation scheme and, critically, must comply fully with the housing standards for rental houses regulations.
If refurbishment is required, local authorities need only undertake works necessary to comply with the regulations, effectively ensuring homes are immediately safe, secure and warm. In such cases, local authorities can draw on the significant rental funding available to them through their respective annual budgetary processes. Notably in Fingal County Council, successive budgets have facilitated an increased level of funding to housing maintenance, with an approximate 50% increase since 2020 alone. The 2026 budget includes an additional increase in housing maintenance allocation.
I sometimes wonder if the Minister of State must be embarrassed reading such a script. He said that tenant in situ will never be the sole or even the primary option. I have outlined to him how it was not. When this family got their notice to quit, they sent out hundreds of emails. They replied to hundreds. They registered with estate agents. They tramped the roads. They did everything they possibly could. Their very last resort was to contact a local politician which, as we all know, people do not do easily or lightly, but they do because they have to. So, it was not the only resort.
The council was willing to buy the property but it lacked the funding. It had exactly what the Minister of State outlined in his script. No extensive refurbishments were required - happy days; tick that box. What it did not have was money. However, the Government has money to keep them in emergency accommodation, which as the Minister of State and I both know is grim. It is not where he would want to raise his family, certainly not where I would want to raise mine and definitely not where they want to be.
I fully appreciate that the Minister of State read out the script on behalf of the senior Minister and, in many ways, I do not envy him having to do that. The family have done everything and they still ended up in emergency accommodation. I ask the Minister of State to please bring this message back to the senior Minister. They ended up in emergency accommodation, which will have to be paid for. Grim and all as it is, it is expensive. The reason they ended up there is that there is not sufficient funding for the acquisition programme. That is what they need. People in my constituency wait on the housing list for over 14 years. These people have been on the list for ten years, meaning they are half a decade away from being housed. They have to go to private rented accommodation, and when they cannot do that, they have to go to emergency accommodation which is both grim and expensive.
I will absolutely bring the comments the Deputy has made on behalf of her constituents to the attention of the Minister. I will also convey to him her comments on how Fingal County Council has exhausted the process. I will make him aware of that.