Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 Sep 2026

Vol. 1091 No. 1

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Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Deputy Joanna Byrne

This week, our national football team looks set to line out against the terrorist State of Israel in the Nations League. The Government has been completely devoid of leadership and humanity on this issue and its inaction and reluctance to intervene or enable the FAI to withdraw from fixtures will be a lasting stain on our nation.

Sporting infrastructure and stadiums have been obliterated and 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered. This includes 566 footballers, 100 of whom are children, who have been murdered. The Government has chosen to sit on its hands and make Ireland complicit in sportswashing genocide. In referencing genocide yesterday, the Taoiseach himself stated that Israel cannot continue denying what the world knows. We now need action to back up the Government's words and soundbites when it comes to challenging Israel on its ethnic cleansing mission in Palestine. What is it to be: 90 minutes of football and six points or 75,000 lives? What matters more? The Government and the FAI have left our footballers exposed and hung out to dry. They should never have had to shoulder this burden. I am asking the Government, once again, to intervene to stop these games.

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Jack Chambers)

We heard the Taoiseach's remarks yesterday and we saw the personalised comments directed by the Israeli FA at Heimir Hallgrímsson, which were completely inappropriate. We have been clear in all of what we have said on this and other matters relating to Israel, Gaza and the shocking actions of Israel. We have been consistent on this. The only place where we get criticism of it is in this House. There is a very strong view across the Government of complete solidarity with the people of Palestine and regarding the genocide which is occurring in Palestine. There is total solidarity in the House here with the people of Palestine. The Deputy knows as well as everybody else that the Government does not control what fixtures are fulfilled. The FAI has articulated the reasons for which it is continuing with that particular fixture, over which we do not have control. We have to respect the FAI in respect of running games.

Deputy Liam Quaide

Imagine a new mother in acute psychological distress being told that to get the inpatient care she needs she must be separated from her baby. This is still the reality in Ireland because, nine years after it was recommended, we still do not have a specialist mother and baby unit. This is highlighted today on thejournal.ie. The Irish Association for Infant Mental Health, I-AIMH, is clear that women and babies should be supported together. We know this in our bones. A mother and her baby should not be separated. That early bond is foundational and separation can worsen the mental health difficulty itself.

This sits against the gravest possible backdrop. Suicide is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths between six weeks and one year after birth. Ireland, of all countries, should understand the consequences of separating mothers and babies. We have a painful history of doing exactly that. A modern health service should never recreate that separation. After nine years, what is holding this unit up and when exactly will it open?

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

Perinatal mental healthcare has been transformed over the past ten years. We now have six consultant-led multidisciplinary teams in our major maternity hospitals and specialist perinatal midwives providing targeted supports in a further 13 hospitals. This means that perinatal mental health services are now available in all 19 maternity hospitals. The demand has been huge. Nearly one in five of all pregnant mothers has looked for support. Some need more support than others. In budget 2026, I funded a further consultant psychiatrist to work in two of the main teams in Dublin, at the Rotunda and the Coombe.

In relation to the specific question from the Deputy, St. Vincent's University Hospital has been selected as the location for Ireland's first perinatal mother and baby unit. The Department of Health continues to progress this plan as part of the wider capital plan.

I have secured up to €470 million for mental health capital spending up to 2030. I hope to progress this project as quickly as possible.

Deputy Ivana Bacik

The Minister, Deputy Chambers, spoke about solidarity with the people of Palestine but it is appalling to see the Government refusing visas for students from Gaza who are fleeing a genocide and have already secured funded scholarships in Irish universities. There is an ongoing case involving nearly 30 such students, which the Government is fighting in the courts. From what we know of the reasons given for visa refusals, the grounds seem really spurious, including an inability to supply original documents from banks and post offices that have been bombed to dust in Gaza. One engineering student literally risked his life crossing the Gaza Strip to do a required English proficiency test, which he passed with flying colours, only then to be refused a visa to come here to take up his place. Serious contradictions in Government policy have emerged. The Department of further education encourages students from Gaza to apply for scholarships here, while the Department of justice condemns them to remain in a war zone by refusing visas. How can the Government stand over such a cruel policy? The justice and further education Ministries are held by Fianna Fáil. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, and his colleagues could address this issue by granting visas.

Deputy Jack Chambers

The Government is deeply conscious of the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians. Ireland has consistently stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people, including by supporting access to higher education opportunities in this State. Since the outbreak of the war in 2023, 90 students have been awarded Government-funded scholarships to study here. In addition, approximately 60 Gazan students have come here to study in that period through scholarships offered directly by higher education institutions. For the 2026-27 academic year, data from the Department of justice tells us that 50 student visas have been granted to students from Gaza. The Ministers, Deputies Lawless and Jim O'Callaghan, are now engaging directly with higher education representative bodies to progress a clear pathway for eligible students for the next academic year. We all are in solidarity with Palestinians. We all want to see these scholarships awarded and visas facilitated. It is a matter then of each individual application being assessed.

Deputy Paul Murphy

It is almost two years since Dr. Abu Safiya was detained by the Israeli occupying forces. His crime was to not abandon his hospital in Gaza. He is being held in solitary confinement. He is being kicked, beaten and tortured every single day. He has not been charged with any crimes. He is just one of hundreds of thousands of victims of Israel's genocide, brutality and occupation. It is scandalous that the Minister stands in this Chamber again and again to talk about genocide but he will not say that our football team should not be normalising the genocidal Israeli state by playing football against its team. It is absolutely scandalous. I appeal to the Ireland players to do the right thing. The Government and the FAI are not brave enough to say we should not play football against baby killers. Unfortunately, it is now in the hands of the players to do the right thing, shame the Government and show the whole world where the support of the Irish people lies.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I reiterate our position of total solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Deputy Paul Murphy

Do something then.

Deputy Jack Chambers

There is a collective view in this House on the shocking genocide that has occurred. As I have said to the Deputy's colleagues, the Government does not and cannot decide whether a fixture will be fulfilled. The FAI has set out its reasoning for fulfilling this particular fixture. We have heard the comments by the Irish manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson, who, like his players, is in total solidarity with the Palestinian people. The FAI has engaged with UEFA as part of addressing its concerns regarding this particular fixture. The Government has no role in organising fixtures or deciding whether they are played.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

It has been reported to me by a worker in the national children's hospital that there are major problems with 400 bathrooms in the new hospital in terms of the insulation that was used. I have been told there will be massive delays while the defective bathrooms are being fixed and this will cost the taxpayer dearly. As we know, portions of the insulation used previously at the hospital were similar to those involved in the fatal 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. Another worker has told me the ventilation system in the hospital is still not up to clinical standard. Approximately 5,000 rooms are involved. At the latest count, some 100,000 defects have been identified in the hospital, there were 20 missed deadlines and the construction cost has ballooned to €2.24 billion. The facility was supposed to open six years ago. Will the Minister tell the Dáil today when those 400 bathrooms will be fixed, at what cost to the taxpayer and who will be held to account? When will the incineration of taxpayers' money end?

Deputy Jack Chambers

We are all agreed on the need to ensure lessons are learned from that particular contract. We have had independent evaluations of what occurred and they absolutely will inform future contracts, whether in health infrastructure or in other areas. That is well documented and has been well debated here and at Oireachtas committees. I do not have to hand the specific detail on the issues the Deputy has raised. No hospital should open unless it meets regulatory standards for patient safety.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

Will the Minister come back to me with specific details?

Deputy Jack Chambers

I will ask the Minister for Health or Children's Health Ireland to respond to the specific concerns expressed by particular workers and raised by the Deputy today.

Deputy James O'Connor

An important survey done by the National Youth Council of Ireland shows that seven in ten young adults have considered leaving this country to go abroad for a better quality of life. As a young person in politics supporting the Government, I want to ask the youngest member of the Cabinet how the Government feels about this specific issue. We know the economy is in a sound and solid position but people are not feeling that in their ordinary lives, particularly the young people who want to access housing and a better quality of life. Is there more the Government needs to do to respond to the sentiment expressed by young people that democracy in Ireland is not working out for them and their families?

Deputy Jack Chambers

The sentiment of young people is absolutely essential in how we frame and decide different policies. The single biggest priority of the Government is ensuring supply and affordability of housing. We want to ensure young people have the prospect of owning or getting a home and that there is rent affordability. To give balance to the survey the Deputy mentioned, many young people are coming back to live in Ireland and are getting jobs here. Of course, I am as concerned as anybody by the sentiment reflected in the National Youth Council of Ireland survey. Our central focus in the budget will be on the cost of living, affordability in people's day-to-day lives and, most importantly, improving housing supply, including by building social infrastructure and homes in communities right across the country. The central issue feeding the sentiment expressed in the survey is the need to address affordable housing and wider housing supply.

Deputy David Maxwell

My question concerns the inadequate school transport services this year and every year for rural families. We see countless families who have paid on time for the tickets they applied for, only to be told there is no place on the bus. Some children, having used a bus for a number of years, were advised this summer that there is no room for holders of concessionary tickets. Parents tell me they see school buses passing down their road with empty seats. Will funding be approved in the budget to allow for the upgrading of buses, including, for example, from a 20-odd-seater to accommodate a greater number? There are options to tackle this problem. I am making the case for more funding for school transport to allow children to travel to school without this major headache for parents next year.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I know people in some rural communities, where there is a certain level of demand, do not have a ticket or have had issues with the organisation or operation of this service. It is important to stand back and look at overall Government investment in the service. As I have said previously in the House, it has increased exponentially. The funding of the school transport system must be sustainable and must fit within our broader medium-term plan for growth and expenditure in the economy. The funding has gone from €219 million in 2019 to more than €600 million this year. The future profile of that funding must be sustainable and must fit within our broader plans. We want to support improved capacity. We have seen the level of demand increase from 120,000 children in 2019 to 180,000 in 2026. That represents such positive use of the service but, obviously, it has presented some capacity constraints. We will work with the Minister for education to ensure we continue to improve the service in the months ahead.

Deputy Louis O'Hara

I have been contacted by a group of midwives in Galway who have completed their internships. They are fully qualified but have been informed that there is currently a recruitment freeze in the health service and positions will not be offered to them. This is despite the fact that the director of midwifery at University Hospital Galway has confirmed to them that there are currently 23 vacant midwifery posts across the Galway University Hospitals. These midwives have spent years in education, training and gaining clinical experience in order to qualify. We know that there are significant staffing pressures in our hospitals. It is totally unacceptable that they would not be employed within our public health service. This is a direct result of Government policy, which has imposed unrealistic budgets and which has restricted hospitals from directly recruiting the essential staff they need. These talented people who have worked hard to qualify as midwives deserve to be employed by the HSE. These vacant posts should be filled in order that these midwives can provide care to women and families and not be lost to countries abroad. I want the Minister to give a commitment that this will happen.

Deputy Jack Chambers

Budget 2026 allocated €27.4 billion in funding for the health system in 2026, which is a record allocation of current expenditure and an increase of 6.2% on 2025. We stood up a structure of regional executives that were given an employment allocation in the context of the record budget we introduced. In some instances, those executives recruited in excess of that. It is matter for those executives, in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Health, to ensure that we absolutely prioritise clinical staff, nurses and the front-line interface of patient services.

I reject the suggestion that we have an underfunded health service. We have a health service that has been funded to an exceptional level over the past number of years, rightly so, and that has been underpinned by Sláintecare and so on. We also need to ensure we prioritise how we recruit.

Deputy Louis O'Hara

What about the recruitment of these midwives?

An Ceann Comhairle

I am sorry Deputy, time is up. I call Deputy Darren O'Rourke.

Deputy Jack Chambers

It is a matter for the HSE-----

An Ceann Comhairle

Minister, time is up.

Deputy Jack Chambers

-----and the Department of Health to prioritise any further recruitment in line with the budget we have provided.

Deputy Darren O'Rourke

I wish to raise the school transport scheme. Thousands of children across the State have been left without places on school buses. Scores of children in my county of Meath, including at least 23 in north Meath who attend to O'Carolan College in Nobber, have been affected. The Government conducted a review of the scheme. It emerged that what locks many people out are the eligibility criteria. People who qualify for concessionary tickets are being left off school buses. Bus Éireann says that it cannot sanction extra places for concessionary pupils without getting the okay from the Minister. I am looking for the Minister to okay those additional places. When will the eligibility criteria be changed in line with the Government's review? Will the Government introduce a monitoring system in respect of the actual usage of the tickets? This is a significant issue. Tickets are allocated but many are not used on a daily basis.

Deputy Jack Chambers

This has been a big priority for Government over the past number of years. That is reflected in how we have budgeted for this and how we expanded the scheme. There has been a 50% increase in pupils utilising school transport this year compared with 2019. That has been reflected in how we are supporting it. I accept that there are particular issues in feedback from local communities where a ticket is given and not utilised and where another pupil who requires a ticket is not given one. There should probably be better monitoring by Bus Éireann and the Department of education in order to ensure that we ensure that we maximise capacity. That is a frustration for parents and children. I will reflect the feedback from the Deputy to the Department of education. This is something that should happen. It should be a use-it-or-lose-it policy rather than a ticket being bought or a concessionary ticket being given and then not being utilised throughout the year to the detriment of someone who would use it. We can better manage current capacity within that.

Deputy Brian Stanley

While there have been some moves in regard to e-bikes in the context people being obliged to wear high-vis vests and helmets and a bans for under-18s, all of which are welcome, the number of serious injuries and fatalities continues to increase. In 2021, there were 173 hospital presentations and 309 in 2025. The signs are that it will be worse this year. Existing laws, including the new ones, are not being enforced. People continue to ride on footpaths and are not wearing helmets or high-vis vests. Those under 18 also continue to ride these scooters. Pedestrians are being put at risk. Gardaí say they cannot pursue those involved. One garda has already been in court in Dublin over this. The situation needs to be fixed.

I am not in favour of a ban. E-scooters are a cheap and eco-friendly way for people to get around, particularly for people getting to work. It is not a case of banning them; it is a case of enforcement. The enforcement of existing rules, along with new laws requiring registration, insurance and a basic driver's licence, are needed. Government promised a lot of action over the summer. That action was needed yesterday and it is needed now. Will the Government legislate to have these scooters registered and introduce a requirement for the people who ride them to be have insurance and licences? Will it bring in legislation to enable gardaí to enforce the rules, particularly in relation to pursuit?

Deputy Jack Chambers

When canvassing over the summer, this was one of the major issues reflected in many estates right across my community. There is serious concern about the misuse of e-scooters and scramblers. We have taken action in the context of the existing laws. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has signed some of the regulations around this that are being introduced. We need to listen to the feedback of the clinicians appearing before the Oireachtas committee this week about further actions that may be required. We also need to be open to further legislative intervention if this continues to be a serious issue in communities across the country.

To be fair to An Garda Síochána, it has significantly increased its enforcement activity in this area. The Garda authorities report that there were 1,412 incidents in which e-scooters were seized in the first half of this year. That compares with 931 such incidents in the whole of 2025. The force has significantly improved the level of enforcement activity, but we do need to keep the legislation under review to ensure that we drive greater enforcement in this area.

Deputy Brian Stanley

They have to be able to pursue them.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Michael Collins is on his feet.

Deputy Michael Collins

I wish to raise the completely unacceptable situation facing families on Cape Clear Island off west Cork. One family who contacted me is caring for an elderly mother who has a progressive neurological condition and who requires 24-hour care. Her 81-year-old husband and daughter are doing everything they possibly can but they cannot replace a proper health service. The facts are stark. Cape Clear had no nursing cover whatsoever for the entire month of July. A nurse was present for only five days in August. Across the period of 20 months examined, there was no full nursing cover over half of all days. This island is located 12 km off the coast of west Cork. When something goes wrong, people cannot simply drive to the emergency department. The community reports 13 medical evacuations since January, including five in just ten days in August. This situation cannot continue. I ask for three commitments, namely: restore consistent full-time public health nurse cover on Cape Clear; put guaranteed replacement cover in place when that nurse is unavailable; and restore proper home help and home support services for vulnerable islanders.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I acknowledge the concerns raised by residents and by the Deputy relating to nursing services on Cape Clear. HSE South West has acknowledged challenges in the recruitment of nursing staff to Cape Clear in recent years. Notwithstanding these challenges, the HSE has advised that a regular nursing service continues to be provided on the island in line with population needs. A registered general nurse is based on Cape Clear from Monday to Friday and on alternate weekends. A public health nurse, based in Skibbereen, supports the service as well through the provision of specialist-based nursing services and by attending the island as required. Additional nursing supports, I am informed, are being provided from Skibbereen during periods of leave or absence. Contingency arrangements are also in place during periods when a nurse is not expected on the island due to unexpected leave, including prioritisation of urgent cases. It is important, as the Deputy said, that the people of Cape Clear have confidence in safe and appropriate nursing services. I will reflect the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

Deputy Shane Moynihan

Ba mhaith liom labhairt inniu maidir le cúrsaí a bhaineann leis an gceadúnas tiomána. I ask for some common-sense interventions with regard to certain categories of driver licensing that we have in the country. Two issues have been raised with me by constituents regarding the removal of code 78, which restricts a licence holder from operating a manual vehicle if he or she demonstrated proficiency in an automatic vehicle. An arbitrary line has been drawn whereby anyone who qualified to drive before November 2013 has to have that restriction on their licence. I ask that this be reviewed.

The second issue relates to category BE, which permits people to tow a trailer while driving a jeep or car. In order to attain a category BE on your licence to drive a trailer attached to your jeep, you have to have spent two years under the mentorship of a qualified BE driver. There is a very limited pool of people who have that qualification and who can mentor others. Will the Minister support a review of these two requirements and apply a common-sense solution in respect of both, while also ensuring that road safety is maintained?

Deputy Jack Chambers

I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important issue. I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, regarding the particular interpretation taken by the Road Safety Authority in respect of licence renewals.

I am not familiar with the technical aspects the Deputy referenced. The Minister and Minister of State will need to evaluate the matter in line with what he said. I will ask them to respond to him directly.

Deputy Joe Neville

The issue I want to raise is dereliction and, more importantly, how we can rejuvenate our towns and villages. Coincidentally, in recent days I was contacted by representatives from two different towns in north Kildare who were looking to meet up to discuss what we could do. A huge number of people, such as those involved in Tidy Towns, are doing great work in trying to revitalise our town centres. However, their efforts are being held back by issues relating to derelict properties. We need to check what powers are in place for local authorities. We may need to move those powers to Revenue in order to enable it to get those properties. Ultimately, many of our towns have growing communities, growing populations and growing needs. We need more childcare facilities and new family resource centres. If our towns and villages are going to be emptier, we need to put in place facilities in these properties. Some of that could be done by way of Government-led projects. We have a dereliction tax. There is talk about setting the rate at 7%. Can we look at putting it at 10% in order to really incentivise business owners to get things moving?

Deputy Jack Chambers

The Deputy is correct. There are too many derelict properties in towns and villages across the country. We need to use all levers of Government to incentivise their use for community infrastructure or for enterprise. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has brought in a series of grants to help bridge the gap for different communities and for people interested in investing and turning properties around. The Tánaiste and the former Minister, Paschal Donohoe, have done work on moving this tax to Revenue, which will have a significant effect.

I will reflect on the position the Deputy set out in respect of a higher rate of tax and whether that would be a better stick as regards the utilisation of properties. We need to see properties that have been derelict for decades moving back into use. We need the right mix of incentives and the stick, that is, taxation. We are all trying to move towards that. I appreciate the Deputy raising the issue.

Deputy Edward Timmins

As the Minister will know, we will take in approximately €17.5 billion in windfall corporation taxes this year. Our budget surplus of €8 billion looks great but without these windfall corporation taxes, our finances would be in deficit to the tune of €8 billion or €9 billion, which is concerning. It is moving in the wrong direction. I know the Minister is aware of this. Would he consider doing something like what is done in Norway, namely ring-fencing these windfall corporation taxes, or a large proportion of them, and not allowing them to be used for current expenditure? Only what is earned from the fund in which they are held would be used for current expenditure. This would be a way of being fiscally prudent and planning for our future.

Deputy Jack Chambers

The Deputy and I have engaged at meetings of Oireachtas committees on following through on that and moderating the growth rate of current expenditure from 9%, the average over the past five years, to 6%, the rate we have set in the medium-term fiscal and structural plan. Part of driving that involves ensuring we are much more effective in driving efficiencies in the existing base spend, achieving much better value for money for taxpayers and continuing to commit to the two structural funds we have established, namely the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which have been welcomed by international markets. We are due to have €25 billion set aside by the end of this year. That will grow to a figure in excess of €30 billion next year. That provides a strong anchor of fiscal discipline whereby, by means of legislation, we are putting a lot of the windfall receipts aside. On the Deputy's point as to whether we should put even more aside if there are further windfall receipts, what anchors us in moderating day-to-day expenditure, which we are committing to, is our medium-term structural and fiscal plan.

Deputy George Lawlor

I want to speak about the ongoing crisis in GP services across the country. I refer to access to GP services for both private patients and medical card holders. In my town of Wexford, it is virtually impossible for medical card holders to access a GP. It is heading in the same direction for private patients. Only last week, I was contacted by a family of two adults and three children who had relocated to Wexford. They are private patients and they were rejected by four GPs. We are now looking to other towns in the county to try to get them facilitated. As the Minister will know, this is an ongoing crisis. The Minister for Health has given commitments in the past but the problem is getting worse. We really do need radical intervention in this area. I have spoken to my colleagues and I know that towns across the country are suffering greatly in this regard. I would appreciate some type of intervention.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I regret that this has been the direct experience of many people in Wexford. The most appropriate structural intervention to improve provision of GP services across our State has been what we have done on the graduate side of things. The number of postgraduate places for general practice has massively expanded in the past number of years. That pipeline of graduates is now coming through the system. We should see the benefit of that in different communities. The HSE has also worked to address some of the deficits in particular areas of population growth. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to the particular acute issue in Wexford to which the Deputy refers. This will improve as that pipeline of graduates is seen throughout the country. We are already seeing many of them conclude their general practice training.

An Ceann Comhairle

There are three Deputies outside the timeline. I ask them to be brief. I will give them 30 seconds with a further 30 seconds for a response. It is a 15-Member slot. The Members chosen have been taken. I am doing this at my own discretion.

Deputy Michael Murphy

Back in March, I wrote to the Ministers for agriculture, justice and Transport on the issue of sulky racing and general sulky use. It is extraordinary to think that sulky racing is permitted under the Roads Act 1993. This issue crosses all three Departments. I ask that the working group look at welfare, enforcement, legislative reform, minimum ages, and a licensing and regulatory framework. It is extraordinary that the racing of sulkies is permitted. Is there any update from the working group? Does the Minister support an outright ban?

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this matter, for his ongoing work as chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and for his personal interest in the issue of sulky racing, which he has been raising for some time. As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am responsible for animal welfare. The question of who is permitted to operate on roads is a matter for the Department of Transport and enforcement in respect of any breaches of the rules is a matter for the Department of justice. I wrote to my colleagues in those Departments to ask them to nominate people for a working group. That working group has held an initial meeting. I understand that more meetings are planned for the future.

Deputy Duncan Smith

The Minister may have read in the Irish Independent this week that the remains of a body found in Galway in 1995 went missing from a HSE mortuary. There are 51 sets of unidentified remains on the Government database. In three of those cases, the remains or parts of the remains have gone missing. These include a skull found in north County Dublin in 2006 and partial remains found in Wexford in 1995. It is hoped that modern technology will allow these remains to be matched with missing people, allowing them to be identified. However, through carelessness, neglect or poor processes, this has not happened. I ask for a proper audit and for solid processes to be put in place in order that these unidentified remains can be cared for and comfort can be given to families in these tragic cases.

Deputy Jack Chambers

I did not see the specific report in the Irish Independent. Following through on this is obviously a joint competence of the Departments of Health and Justice. We will ask that confidence in further co-ordination be ensured, particularly for families who have particular concerns. I will ask both Departments to respond to that issue.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne

I very much welcome the Government's intention to proceed with a youth culture card, as committed to in our manifesto and in the programme for Government. This will help to build youth audiences for the arts. I would be grateful if the Minister could outline the timeframe for the introduction of the youth culture card and when applications will open for the proposed arts capital programme.

Deputy Jack Chambers

The Deputy may have read news reports, but such reports do not supersede discussions on the Estimates. Nothing has been agreed on any matter relating to the budget yet. We will have to consider all matters in the context of what is available for 2027. The arts capital programme was referenced in the sectoral investment plan that we published. It is also reflected in the programme for Government. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to set out a timeline in that regard. A decision on what is possible for 2027 is still subject to discussions on the Estimates. I am being consistent on that in the context of budget 2027.

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