Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Sep 2026

Vol. 1091 No. 3

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Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Human Rights Issues

Deputy Pádraig Rice

Since 12 September, LGBTQ people, organisations and activists in Türkiye have faced a co-ordinated wave of detentions, arrests, digital restrictions and public targeting as part of an organised operation by authorities. This crackdown represents the first mass criminalisation of LGBTQI+ people, activists and associations as part of the government's anti-LGBTQI agenda and a new round of operations is expected imminently. At least 117 people have been detained in connection with the operation, of whom 44 are LGBTQI human rights defenders. At least 83 individuals have been arrested pending pretrial detention while 25 LGBTQI people who are closely connected to associations have been arrested, including founders and members of associations whose houses have been raided and digital equipment seized. The targeted associations include seven LGBTQI human rights organisations and organisations working with people with HIV. The fear is that the government is trying to collapse these organisations. Social media accounts of LGBTQ organisations and activists and social media accounts belonging to journalists and human rights organisations expressing solidarity with communities or sharing information about the operation have been restricted, with a total of 419 social media accounts blocked across Türkiye since the operation on 12 September. Meanwhile the right to freedom of assembly of those protesting this harassment has been unjustly restricted, with 125 protesters detained in total across Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Lawyers and journalists who were gathering in front of the courthouse in Istanbul to protest this crackdown were detained. Access to medicine, clean clothes, hygiene products and even drinking water has been restricted in some of the prisons. The investigations have also been marked by procedural violations and discrepancies that demonstrate the political motivations underlying this operation. Activists have been repeatedly questioned about the ordinary functioning of their organisations, including their organisations' structure, membership, hiring and funding, in particular international funding.

LGBT activists have called for a global day of action. On Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., over 20 Irish LGBT organisations will gather outside Europe House to call for urgent action in response to the reported crackdown on LGBTQI civil society in Türkiye. LGBT activists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations are facing detention, prosecution and repression. Nobody should be oppressed or discriminated against because of their sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing in Türkiye right now comes at a time of deepening concerning backsliding on LGBTQ rights globally, including in the US under President Trump. When there is an erosion of fundamental rights, it is usually the LGBT community that is targeted first. This cannot be accepted as normal and we must call it out whenever we see it. The asks from the organisations are simple. They are the protection and humane treatment of LGBTQI people and human rights defenders in detention, the release of people detained solely in connection with legitimate human rights activities and the exercise of fundamental freedoms, and an end to the targeting of LGBTQ organisations and independent civil society. They want continued international solidarity, diplomatic pressure and support for LGBT human rights organisations and civic society space in Türkiye. We have a duty to stand up for human rights in every corner of the world.

The Government must now engage with the Turkish ambassador to Ireland and outline its serious concerns over her country’s despicable attacks on LGBTQ activists and journalists. The Government must urgently use all available diplomatic channels, including bilateral and multilateral engagement mechanisms, to raise these concerns directly with the Turkish authorities regarding the ongoing operation, and the detention of and restrictions against these human rights defenders. We must move beyond expressions of general concern and clearly communicate that the detention and prosecution of human rights defenders because of their legitimate activities, as well as the targeting of communities, is a violation, that this discrimination is unacceptable, and that it will be taken into account as part of political, economic and diplomatic relations with Turkey.

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

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Recent actions against LGBTQI+ organisations and persons in Türkiye are deeply concerning. As he outlined, reports indicate that, since 12 September, the Turkish authorities have launched a co-ordinated operation targeting LGBTQI+ organisations, activists and associated businesses. The operation, called “My Family is Safe” by the Turkish Minister for Justice, is reported to have moved from the police operation phase into formal judicial proceedings. While the investigations are officially framed around obscenity, prostitution and public morality offences, concerns have been raised about the possible use of organised crime provisions against legally registered civil society organisations.

Like the Deputy, the Government is particularly concerned by reports of widespread detentions, raids on homes and LGBTQI+ organisations, the blocking of websites and social media accounts and the seizure of digital equipment. We also note the worrying allegations of an apparent media campaign portraying funding of civil society organisations by European and other donors as being linked to alleged illegal activities.

Ireland fully supported the statement of 18 September by the European External Action Service expressing concern about the arrests and legal proceedings in Türkiye. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, decided last Tuesday that, in our national capacity, Ireland, along with some EU member states and like-minded countries, would deliver a démarche, which is a formal diplomatic proceeding, expressing deep concern to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Türkiye. On 23 September, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Ireland also aligned with a statement of the LGBTI Group of Friends, of which we are a member, regarding these very disturbing developments. Just last week, I addressed championing diversity and support for LGBTQI+ communities at the United Nations General Assembly, where I once again raised the Irish Government’s deep concerns and condemnation of activities in Turkey.

As noted in the statement by the LGBTI Group of Friends statement delivered at the Council of Europe:

The ‘My Family is Safe’ campaign announced by the Minister of Justice in Türkiye is particularly troubling when viewed against the broader deterioration not only for the situation of LGBTQI+ persons, but also more generally concerning the increasing pressure on civil society in Türkiye. The European Convention on Human Rights protects the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly.

The promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTQI+ persons is a domestic and foreign policy priority for Ireland, and this is reflected in our current campaign for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term, where defending the rights of LGBTQI+ persons is one of our five thematic priorities. As an EU candidate country and member of the Council of Europe, Türkiye is expected to uphold the highest democratic standards and to ensure the respect of fundamental rights for all. The European Commission, supported by Ireland, has underlined on numerous occasions that the protection of fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ people in Türkiye remains a major concern.

The rights of peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression, including for LGBTQI+ persons, need to be fully respected. I was unaware of the protest tomorrow evening, but I offer my full and unequivocal support to the Deputy and the 20-plus organisations that will meet tomorrow evening outside Europe House. It is very timely. I note the four general calls that the protesters are making, and I stand in full support of that. We will continue our call on the authorities of Türkiye to ensure that all proceedings against LGBTQI+ organisations, activists and human rights defenders fully respect the rule of law and the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government retains a very active watching brief and will move further should we be required to do so.

Deputy Pádraig Rice

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the Government’s response, which is comprehensive. I welcome the Government commitment to keep a watching brief on this, because it is an evolving situation. It is a very serious crackdown on human rights organisations, lawyers and journalists in Türkiye. What we are seeing is deeply concerning. As I said, it is part of a rollback on rights that we are seeing right around the world. That is why it is all the more important to continue to advocate and defend LGBTQ human rights here at home, and to see advancements in terms of the national strategies. We need to continue to be a beacon for LGBT rights around the world. I thank the Minister of State for his engagement on this. I ask him to continue to engage with the Turkish ambassador here.

In the time left, I want to put on the record letters from some of the activists who are currently in prison, which have been published by ILGA-Europe. Selin Berghan, who is involved on the board of one of the organisations that was attacked, said:

I am experiencing this process as part of the struggle for sexual freedom. I know that this will be neither the first nor the last price I pay for this struggle. Like the others, I wear this price as a badge of honor. I'm sending my gullüm (queer joy) to all my friends I struggle alongside.

Another trans woman, Janset Kalan, has also been arrested for being a board member of an organisation. She said:

I would like to direct my letter to the trans community around the world. This is not only because I'm firstly a member of such a distinct and marvellous community but also because I hope to bring further attention to the T in the community. Thank you for all your support, solidarity and [for supporting us around the world.]

Nedime Erdoğan is a mother to an LGBT child who has been sentenced to prison. She has fought for years to enhance rights for LGBT people. She said:

For years, while fighting against the bullying and injustices faced by LGBTI+ people across all areas of public life, from education to healthcare, I have also worked to involve families in this struggle. I have tried to explain the importance of families understanding their children, supporting them and standing by their side. No operation can change the meaning of the struggle I have waged as a woman, a citizen and a mother.

These are just some of the people who are currently in prison, whose cases we want to highlight. I thank the Minister of State for maintaining a watching brief on this.

Deputy Neale Richmond

To make it abundantly clear, every person, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic, is entitled to equality, dignity and the full enjoyment of their human rights. Being LGBTQI+, forming an association and defending rights are not crimes and should never be crimes. Ireland remains in full solidarity with LGBTQI+ persons and their allies globally, particularly in Türkiye right now.

Over the past 18 months of my work in this current role, I have had the distinct displeasure of having to directly confront Ministers from countries such as Uganda and Liberia, which have initiated and maintained blatant discriminatory legislation that is absolutely abhorrent. Unfortunately, as the Deputy rightly said at the outset, this is part of a wider trend. We in Ireland have a very dark history in terms of equality, and we have to admit to that. We celebrate ten years of marriage equality this year, which is great, but we also have to recognise that we are less than 30 years on from the decriminalisation of homosexuality. What came before that in a very dark, troubling period for all of us.

That is why Ireland’s commitment in this regard is underlined by our co-ordinated alignment last week with actions affirming our concern both in Ankara and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. We will continue to monitor developments and raise our concerns with relevant interlocutors from Türkiye and EU member states and at other multilateral fora. As I mentioned, I raised this at the United Nations last week. We are running for a seat on the Human Rights Council. We will be elected to that in January, and we will make sure that two-year term will be defined by standing up for the rights not just of minorities more generally, but of our brothers, our sisters and our friends in the LGBTQI+ community who are, worryingly, seeing backsliding globally that simply cannot be allowed to happen in Türkiye or anywhere else.

Disability Services

Deputy Paula Butterly

I want to raise concerns regarding the future of the WALK PEER programme and the potential loss of vital transition supports when current funding comes to an end in December 2026. The programme supports young people with intellectual disabilities and autism as they move from school into further education, training and employment, helping them to achieve greater independence and better life opportunities.

The programme operates in ten partner schools across the country, including St. Ita’s in Drogheda, St. Brigid’s in Dundalk and Ballymakenny College in County Louth. Through one-to-one support, career planning and ongoing guidance, it helps young people and their families navigate what can often be a challenging transition from school into adulthood. The programme has reported positive outcomes. In fact, I would say the programme has had excellent outcomes, and it has been independently evaluated. Importantly, it does not simply support young people while they are at school.

It also provides transitions support for up to three years after school, helping participants to access and sustain places in further education, training and employment.

While I welcome the Government's investment in the rolling out of a national transitions support service through the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, my concerns lie in the fact that there appear to be no real resources. As far as I can understand it, it is giving special schools additional hours to roll out the programme but it will be the existing staff, who are already stretched and stressed - these wonderful teachers and support staff - who are expected to take on this extra load. Also, it is my understanding that these supports will only exist for those young people in special schools. In County Louth, however, we have seen in Ballymakenny College how a successful pilot has been rolled out in a post-primary setting. Under the new proposals, this will disappear.

Further, I am concerned that a gap remains in the post-schools supports currently provided by the WALK PEER programme. As matters stand, funding is due to end in December, leaving 110 young people potentially affected. This includes 50 participants already progressing through further education, training and employment, and a further 60 school leavers due to transition in 2027. These are not simply numbers. Behind every figure is a young person striving for independence and a family hoping that their son or daughter can realise their full potential.

The issue is particularly important in County Louth. Students attending schools in Dundalk and Drogheda have directly benefited from this programme. Families in our county need certainty that these supports will not disappear at a critical stage in their children's lives. I have previously highlighted my concerns regarding the withdrawal of services. Schools, parents and students have consistently reported positive outcomes from the programme. It has promoted inclusion, supported well-being and helped schools to respond to the increasingly diverse needs they face in the classroom and outside.

The evidence also suggests that the programme represents really good value for money. The estimated cost of WALK PEER is approximately €9,500 to €10,000 per participant compared with an estimated HSE daycare service cost of approximately €15,000 per participant.

There is now a real risk that a significant gap will emerge in these transitions supports. We cannot allow the young people in Louth and across the country to lose momentum at such a critical phase in their lives because of the uncertainty around the funding arrangements. Will the Minister of State commit to reviewing this decision and to exploring a mechanism that would allow these supports to continue with the WALK PEER programme as the lead? Will he also engage with the relevant Departments and agencies to identify a sustainable funding solution, preserve the expertise built up within the WALK PEER programme, and ensure that these young people continue to receive the support they need to access further education, training and employment?

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am grateful to Deputy Butterly for raising this very pertinent and personal issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan.

As the Deputy is aware, as part of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, the Government has committed to the development of a national policy on transitions, which will map out how we support young people completing school into the various pathways for life after school. This work is ongoing and a report is expected by the end of this year.

Over the past four years, the Department of education, in partnership with the NCSE and Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability, WALK, has been testing two different approaches to a transitions support model. A teacher-led programme has been operating in 41 special schools as part of the comprehensive employment strategy for disabled people. The WALK PEER ability transitions programme currently supports seven special schools and three post-primary schools in Dublin, Louth, Cork, Cavan and Westmeath and I greatly appreciate the Deputy naming St. Ita's and others. This programme is delivered by careers and employment facilitators who work directly with students in their final two years of school but also support the students for a further three years post school.

Both programmes finished in June, were externally evaluated and were the subject of very positive feedback from all participant schools and stakeholders more broadly. Both evaluations recommended the expansion of a transitions-type model of support to students.

In relation to the WALK PEER model specifically, funding of €2 million has been provided through the Dormant Accounts Fund, DAF, over the past four years to support the programme in the ten schools. The programme is fully funded until December 2026. To provide a continuum of support until June 2027, the Department of education has submitted an application through the DAF 2027 for additional funding and a decision is expected shortly.

In addition, a number of Departments have received a submission from WALK to expand the programme over the next four years. While the outcomes of the programme are positive, the scalability of the model to all special schools over the next number of years is limited relative the scalability of the teacher-led comprehensive employment strategy, CES, transitions model.

Based on the outcomes of both pilot programmes and subject to the total funding available, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, announced a new transitions support service for all special schools in June this year. The purpose of the new service is to support young people with disabilities as they prepare to move from school into further education, training, employment and other post-school opportunities and pathways. Additionally, the focus of schools’ work can be on supporting transitions into the school. The service is being rolled out to all special schools from this month and will be managed by the NCSE. The service provides each special school with 34 transitions support teaching days per year. This flexible allocation will allow schools to deliver transitions support at the times it is needed most throughout the school year. Prior to the roll-out of this service, there was no guidance allocation to students in special schools. All mainstream post-primary schools already receive an allocation for guidance counselling to provide support to students in line with their needs throughout all stages of the post-primary journey.

That all said, I take very seriously on board the request made by the Deputy on behalf of the school communities and students and will engage directly with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and ask him to speak to the Deputy in the forum of a deputation meeting.

Deputy Paula Butterly

I thank the Minister of State. In that reply, there seems to be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel and some hope that funding will be found. We have young people who are halfway through a programme that could suddenly come to an end in December. At the very least, they must be allowed to participate until June in order to finish that course.

The Minister of State mentioned that special schools would come under the wing of the NCSE but what about those post-primary schools that have provided this programme and demonstrated excellent results, like Ballymakenny College in Drogheda? What will happen to them? The Minister of State mentioned that services and resources were provided through counsellors but the key factor of the WALK PEER programme is the expertise. They are there for the last two years that a participant is in school, they are there when school closes and they are there for the young people and their families up to four years after they have left school. That is a vital component and is expertise that we should not lose.

The Minister of State mentioned scalability. The WALK PEER programme acknowledges that there are scalability challenges but it has also suggested a model in which its group can act as a hub where its members' combined expertise, working alongside the school, would allow it to transition successfully over the coming years. Do we honestly believe that teachers and support staff in special schools, whom we know face daily challenges - they are stressed and stretched to the very limit - would, simply by giving them additional hours, be able to roll out the same quality service to these young people? Will they be there when the school closes? Will they be there for the four years after school? I reiterate the calls and thank the Minister of State for taking these questions to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am grateful to the Deputy for raising this timely issue. The provision of transitions supports for students in schools is a key priority for the Government, and for the Department more broadly. As outlined, there is a commitment under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 to work within Government and with others to improve retention rates and progression for disabled children and young people as they deal with transitions within education.

Both pilot programmes have identified the need for a transitions support model for students with disabilities and recognised the importance of interagency collaboration. Both programmes have been welcomed by participant schools and widely considered as hugely beneficial to the sector. The provision of time and staffing to schools has afforded them the opportunity to work directly with students in their final years in school to develop individualised transitions plans. Reports from schools suggest that a dedicated transitions planning programme relates directly to better outcomes for students. The new transitions support service will build on the pilots and should be seen as a first step in providing transitions supports to students.

In March, the Minister announced a €48 million investment in the new DEIS strategy and DEIS plus scheme. Schools in the DEIS plus scheme will benefit from enhanced guidance provision at post-primary school level.

As is quite clear, not all the issues the Deputy raised are able to be addressed at this stage, and she can imagine that a lot of big decisions have to be made in the coming days that will have a direct impact on the future of the service.

However, as has been pointed out by the Deputy and indeed is made quite clear by the Department, the pilot schemes have worked. They have been successful and there is an appetite to build upon them. I have to make sure the budgetary requirements are delivered. I very much look forward to working with the Deputy and the relevant Ministers to make sure that happens.

Wildlife Protection

Deputy Mairéad Farrell

It is hard to put into words the importance of Merlin Woods for the community in which I live. It is one of the only green spaces on the east side of Galway city. It is surrounded by Doughiska and Ballybane, and slightly further on are Renmore, Mervue and Roscam, all of which are areas that have benefited from that green space. To be honest, it is actually hard to understand or fathom in any way why these woods - this local amenity - are being destroyed in the way that they are.

Friends of Merlin Woods have campaigned and worked not only to protect the woods over a long number of years, but also to ensure they have become the heart of the community. This has meant that young children and adults have learned about the biodiversity in the area. It has brought people together in the summer but also in the winter through the "hearth of winter" celebrations. Courses happen in Merlin Woods. They are also a place for people to go. So many people have been in contact with me in the past number of weeks to tell me they use it as a place of reflection which has particularly helped them through difficult times in their lives. It is a really crucial piece of the architecture of the community on the east side of Galway city. I say that to give the Minister of State the context for what is happening in Merlin Woods at the moment.

I want to raise some very specific questions with the Minister of State. Merlin Woods is a local biodiversity area under the Galway City Council development plan, and is protected under it. It may also be seen under Article 10 of the European habitats directive as being a stepping stone with its proximity to the SAC areas and creating a connection and widening the genetic links. In this context, I have to ask some questions. In what way does the work in Merlin Woods align with the national biodiversity action plan of no net loss? In some of the areas where trees have been felled, is there an account of how many dreys were found? Dreys are where squirrels live. How many of these dreys were saved from cutting? Red squirrels are protected under the Wildlife Act. While mitigating measures were put in place to feed squirrels and create corridors after the fact, the destruction of their dreys could be seen as a wildlife crime. How many visits has an ecologist paid to this site? Residents have reported that trees have been felled where they feel they did not have the oversight needed. In the general areas where the squirrel dreys were meant to be, they saw that too. What other mitigating measures were put in place for other wildlife such as insects and invertebrates, marsh fritillary butterflies and the many other species of butterfly?

The Minister of State may not have all the answers to these questions, but I am interested to hear what the Department and the line Minister have provided in the response. That will be very critical for the people who are trying to protect Merlin Woods. It is also critical that all these questions be brought directly to the Minister responsible. An exact response is needed as soon as possible. This is happening right now. We cannot have a situation where I get a response two or three weeks later. We need to ensure this area is protected for wildlife but also for the people of the east side of Galway city.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I thank the Deputy for her Topical Issue. I am here today on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, who are in Brussels on EU Presidency business, to address the associated felling licence process. I hope the response will provide an element of clarity. I will, of course, put the questions the Deputy has placed to the Minister and the Minister of State, and ask for an answer to be directed to her as quickly as possible.

Merlin Park in Galway city, as the Deputy has outlined, is one of the largest urban woodlands in Ireland, extending to approximately 80 ha of native and exotic trees, wildflowers, birds and mammals. From recent press announcements, the Government is aware that the owner of the woodlands, Galway City Council, is implementing plans to replant Merlin Woods as a native woodland, following the extensive damage caused by Storm Éowyn in January 2025. I commend Galway City Council on actively developing this woodland. The management of the woodland is a matter for the council, under the oversight of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

I am aware that the council is planning to fell trees in the park. As Deputies might know, the felling of trees normally requires a licence issued by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in accordance with requirements set out in the Forestry Act 2014. However, on this occasion, the council was not required to obtain a tree-felling licence because the Forestry Act contains an exemption from the requirement to have a tree-felling licence for trees in an "urban area". This means that Galway City Council is entitled to fell trees in the urban areas which are part of its remit without having to notify the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In fact, I have been informed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that the Department has not received or issued any applications for felling licences to Galway City Council in relation to the Merlin Woods park area so far. In addition, the Department has confirmed that the trees in the Merlin Woods park are part of an "urban area" and comply with the exemption from the requirement to have a tree-felling licence, as provided for under section 19 of the Forestry Act 2014. This exemption is important because it allows local authorities to have full control over the urban areas they are responsible for.

It is also important to note that irrespective of any felling licence requirement, the provisions of the Planning and Development Act and regulations do apply. More generally, unless an exemption applies, the purpose for the requirement for obtaining a licence for tree felling is necessary in order to protect forests, and also to ensure forestry operations and activities are carried out in compliance with the principles of sustainable forest management. Tree-felling licences normally carry an obligation to replant the area felled. Reforestation after felling is essential to prevent deforestation, which would otherwise counteract the benefits of Ireland's afforestation programme and associated public expenditure on afforestation, which to date represents a substantial State and European Union investment.

I believe that forestry plays a critical role in meeting climate targets, supporting rural employment and providing a domestic supply of timber products. Well-managed forests contribute to biodiversity, water quality and protection of soil as well as providing a recreational amenity for communities. I do not think the passive educational opportunities provided by these areas, as the Deputy outlined, can be overstated. The same applies to their importance to local communities and the wider population. Therefore, while this appears to be largely a matter for Galway City Council, the questions the Deputy put to the Minister are valid and I will ensure a speedy response to her in due course.

Deputy Mairéad Farrell

I appreciate that. I appreciate that the Minister of State is not the line Minister and that it is quite a specific case, but the reason I raise it here is because the people have not been silent in relation to this. The community has not been silent about it. The people who deal with Merlin Woods day in, day out have been saying they feel this is a serious destruction of the habitat, as I have outlined, and of many different species. They have spoken about the serious impact it has on wildlife. The Minister of State mentioned that there was not a requirement for a tree-felling licence but the works at Merlin Woods must follow environmental laws, even if there are exemptions. From my understanding, it seems that there is no funding in place at the moment for the replanting. That is another question that needs to be answered by the Minister.

The question of a clean-up on foot of Storm Éowyn is separate to what I have raised. In this instance, the felling of healthy, standing trees is having a serious impact. It is a serious concern. In addition to the protest outside Galway City Council, we have had protest walks through Merlin Woods because the community has stated very clearly that this is destruction of wildlife. These are people who know what they are talking about. They know this woodland. They have been photographing it for years on end and know exactly what has been there and what is being destroyed. I understand the Minister of State is not the line Minister, but I have raised this as a Topical Issue for the Minister in question to respond. I understand there will be another response from the Minister, but he needs to respond urgently.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I accept the Deputy's requests but I will point out two things that I think are important in order to be helpful. It is important a separate question be put to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as the management of woodland is a matter for him. Felling licences come under the Department of agriculture. This is exempt from a felling licence, as I laid out in the previous reply, but the management is perhaps a more pertinent issue, given the concerns raised by the Deputy and the community at large. The Deputy has asked some clear questions that I will pass on to the Minister. I will stress the need for expediency. One of them would have been here but, unfortunately, both were required to chair meetings in Brussels. We will proceed with that going forward.

Patient Files

Deputy Malcolm Byrne

I am grateful to the Minister of State for taking this issue on behalf of the Department of Health. It concerns the digitisation of health records. The current situation, which has existed for quite a long time, is not acceptable. We do not have link-ups between GPs and hospitals in terms of health records; we do not even have links between hospitals. If one health venue or health centre has to get the records for a patient from another, it often requires a clinical practitioner - a doctor or nurse - to physically go off and look for them. I was quite surprised that that even applies to parliamentary questions on general health records, such as on the number of heart surgeries conducted in all hospitals in Ireland last year. That should be pretty simple - someone presses a button and the answer comes up. Yet it still is not all digitalised and there are not links right across the system.

The Government is finally moving toward a single electronic health record system. If it is to be patient-focused, any medical professional should, with the patient's permission, be easily able to draw on patient records once they have the patient's name and date of birth. Whether it is a patient's engagement with a GP or their previous medical experience, all that data should be capable of being brought together. I would go further. The possibility should exist for all the clinical data gathered to be used for clinical research purposes. If we consent, the data could be used in an anonymised way and that could inform clinical research. That will represent an enormous opportunity for the health sector in Ireland whereby we can target our resources if, for example, we know men of a particular age are at particular risk. I know the Minister of State has been a strong advocate in the area of prostate cancer. If we know from the clinical data that comes together who we need to target, that will make much more sense.

My concern and the reason I asked for an update is this. When the State's Chief Information Officer came before the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence last year, he anticipated the single electronic health record system could be in place by 2030. The latest I am hearing is it will be 2032. I am aware the Minister for Health announced a shortlisting or procurement process was starting in February 2026. This is potentially the most transformational operation in our healthcare system. It will result in the saving of lives because data will be provided to practitioners much more quickly. It will potentially save significant amounts for our health service. One of our challenges, which is why we definitely need to invest more in clinical research, is we know we have an ageing population. We hope we will all be healthier as we age but there are greater challenges ahead.

I worry, and I say that because of many of the major IT projects managed by the State. While the business case is always well-presented, there are often challenges in how it is operationalised. I find it bizarre that, with all our modern technology, we are talking of further delays before this is in place. A patient-centred approach is vital. I would be grateful if the Minister of State could provide an update on where we are with the process.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am grateful to the Deputy for the opportunity to update the House on the digitalisation of health records and the progress being made to support patients and healthcare professionals through safer, more connected care, stronger research and innovation and a more sustainable health service. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

As Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, I should highlight the success and the efficiencies of the digitisation of our passport service. Perhaps that is the exemplar of what can be achieved. It continues to go from success to success.

The programme for Government commits to the continued digitisation of Irish healthcare records and information systems, and significant progress is being made. For too long, important health information has been held in separate systems and on paper records, making it more difficult for information to move with the patient across care settings. Our objective is straightforward: information should follow the patient, not organisational boundaries. The Government's approach is set out in Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030. Supported by significant investment in digital health, we are moving from strategy to delivery through a phased programme designed to improve access to information, strengthen care delivery and modernise how health information is managed and shared.

Three national programmes are central to this work. First, the HSE health app is the patient-facing element of Ireland's digital health transformation. Since its launch in February 2025, it has attracted more than 250,000 registered users and provides access to a growing range of services and information, including appointments, referrals, waiting list information, vaccination records and digital health cards. I do not think there is a Member of this House or the Seanad who has not been personally pushed by the Minister to make sure they have it downloaded to their phone.

Second, the national shared care record is now a live national service across all six HSE health regions. It enables authorised healthcare professionals to securely access key patient information from multiple systems through a single shared view, supporting safer and more co-ordinated care.

Third, the national electronic health record programme will provide a comprehensive longitudinal digital record across publicly funded hospitals and community services. Government approved the preliminary business case in February 2026 and procurement is progressing. The programme will be managed through a series of regional deployments on a phased basis to mitigate risks and ensure lessons learned are incorporated throughout the programme, with all health regions live by 2032. As with major infrastructure investments, costs will be refined through a series of related procurements, with associated governance arrangements and approval processes in place to ensure value for money and appropriate oversight.

Alongside these programmes, the national electronic prescribing programme is progressing through procurement. The resulting electronic prescribing and dispensing service will result in safer, better care for patients, especially as they transition between healthcare settings.

The Health Information Bill, which passed into law earlier this year, provides the legal basis for the sharing of health information and the establishment of digital health records. Together with Digital for Care and the upcoming European health data space, EHDS, regulation, it establishes the framework needed to support more connected care and the responsible use of health information for both primary and secondary purposes. The EHDS regulation will create a common framework across Europe to support secure sharing of health information for direct patient-care-specific secondary uses such as research, innovation, public health and policy development and health service management. Importantly, secondary use of health data in this way continues to be protected under GDPR and this is further enhanced by the EHDS regulation.

Ultimately, our ambition is simple: that health information follows the patient wherever they receive care. By connecting people, healthcare professionals and services through trusted digital infrastructure, we can support safer care, better patient experiences, stronger research and a more sustainable health system. Better information supports better decisions, better care and, ultimately, better outcomes for patients. I am genuinely grateful to the Deputy for raising this and for continuing to be a strong advocate on this issue.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne

I thank the Minister of State. I totally agree with him. The ambition is to follow wherever the patient receives care. We have to ensure that by 2032, whether you are in a GP surgery, a hospital, a community care setting or a nursing home, the medical records are easily accessible. I am concerned that we are talking about six years; it should be done more quickly. The timeframe has continued to be pushed out. In an era of modern technology, we should not be waiting that long, particularly given many countries, including some in the developing world, are far more advanced in the digitisation of records. The process will ultimately pay for itself, both financially and in lives saved. If the Minister of State is giving me the commitment that in 2032, no matter what health setting we are in, that data will be easily accessible, that will be key.

I get that this is very sensitive data. The risk has to be managed. There has to be transparency around the process and it needs to be explained.

I hope the Minister of State will raise this next point further with the Minister. We are talking about what is happening in the European health data space. We know that healthcare costs are continuing to go through the roof, but if we can effectively target resources, it makes much more sense. Let us use that data and marry it with effective clinical research. There is a lot of wonderful clinical research in Ireland. The clinical research centre in UCD, which the Minister of State will be familiar with, has done amazing work. If we can marry all of that data from our healthcare system with clinical research, it will result in huge financial savings, but we can also be world leaders in being able to use that data to tackle disease.

I am broadly happy with the answer, but I will remain concerned if the timelines continue to slip.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am grateful to the Deputy for his comments, which I will bring directly back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

As the Deputy is aware, the digitisation of health records is already under way and being delivered in three stages. The HSE health app is designed to provide patients with greater access to their own health information. The national shared care record is connecting data that is already in digital format, albeit stored in separate data silos. It is helping healthcare professionals to see more information about their patients regardless of where they were treated previously. That is happening today. The national electronic health record, EHR, will build on those foundations to provide a comprehensive longitudinal record across all publicly funded hospital and community services.

The timeline outlined is realistic, but it is also there to make sure it is all encompassing. This will be done on a phased basis to ensure that it is done in the totality by 2030, but many of these advances will be made before that. That is why the EHR programme is ambitious. The health service is complex and successful delivery requires more than technology. It requires clinical and operational leadership. It requires changes in how we operate today to more standardised processes, high-quality data, staff training, and managing robust technology and infrastructure that is cyber resilient. It also requires sustained investment. Reflecting this, the Government has significantly increased funding for digital health and technology in recent years, building strong foundations to support digital transformation. Those same digital foundations can also support the research and innovation that the Deputy has outlined.

Under the European health data space, health data may be reused for approved purposes with a secure and tightly governed framework. Appropriate safeguards will be essential to ensure that we maintain that public trust in all that we do. However, our goal is clear. Information should follow the patient. It should be available to healthcare professionals wherever and whenever it is needed to support the delivery of safe patient care. By driving key digital health initiatives, such as the HSE health app, the shared care record, the national EHR, electronic prescribing and related digital care initiatives, we are building a modern and more integrated health service and creating the conditions for delivering better care, better access, stronger research, responsible innovation and more evidence-based decision-making. The ability of the Deputy to continue to hold this Government to account is vital in achieving those goals.

Renewable Energy Generation

Deputy Albert Dolan

Across east Galway and, indeed, the country, families and farmers are putting their own money into solar panels. They are looking at the electricity bill, they are looking at the roof on the house and the farm shed, and they are making a decision to invest. That investment is something that should help them for years to come. Even with grant support, that is still a substantial commitment. People use savings and some borrow. They work out what they have to and make sure that the payback period makes sense and that they will get their money back. Part of that calculation is what they will receive for the electricity they supply to the grid. My concern is that, over time, suppliers could chip away at those payments, leaving people with a very different return from the one they expected when they installed their panels. I recognise that the clean export guarantee provides for payment, but families need some certainty about what that payment will be worth. If a household is expected to pay a high price for electricity coming into the home, it is reasonable to expect a respectable price for the electricity going out. I accept that there are different costs involved, but the small producer still deserves a fair deal. Will the Government examine a minimum export payment or another enforceable safeguard to protect households and small farmers against the erosion of their payments? Will the Minister of State ask the regulator to examine whether the current arrangements give people enough certainty to invest?

To elaborate on it a bit further, I have a fear that, down the line, the electricity suppliers could cut the payments that people based their original decisions on. There are many people out there right now who are struggling to meet the high costs of energy and just keeping their lives going. Whether it is the electricity coming into the house or trying to operate a small business or farm, everyone can benefit from being energy independent in their own right. That is what solar panels give people. I understand about if the grid does not have the capacity, whether it is by virtue of not having enough battery storage yet or whatever the case may be, but we cannot allow the energy companies to disregard the initial investment that was made by these people and the deal that they signed up to. For example, if they are getting 19 cent per unit that they export, they should continue to get that because that was the deal that they signed up to when they bought the panels. I understand that things can change, but the Government needs to give people certainty over the amount they are going to be paid for the electricity when they export it because these calculations are done based on the payback period. They buy the panels and put them up and the payback period says, that within four to six years, they will have made their money back. From then on, they will be in a great position because they will have lower energy bills. In the summer, they will go into a credit. In the winter, they will eat into that credit. For families that have done this that I have spoken to across east Galway, they have told me the benefits they have got from solar panels.

I welcome the Minister's announcements today to fund batteries to the tune of €600. That is a fantastic idea because that will give people even more energy independence. I also welcome that the grants are now being extended to homes that were built between 2022 and 2025, which means that those people can access the benefit of panels as well.

I hope I have made my point clear and I look forward to the Minister of State's response.

Deputy Neale Richmond

I am grateful to the Deputy for raising this pertinent and timely issue. For the benefit of the House, if the Deputy does not mind, I might give a bit of context as requested by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. The microgeneration support scheme, MSS, provides supports to domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for solar PV installations, up to a maximum of €1,800 in 2026 for household installations. As announced this morning, the scheme will also provide as of next week a new €9,000 grant for homeowners in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments.

The domestic MSS forms part of a wider residential retrofit programme that, in line with eligibility criteria, supports energy efficiency upgrades and the installation of renewable energy technologies in existing housing stock. Since its pilot launch in 2018, the domestic solar PV scheme has gone from strength to strength, with over 123,000 homes being supported. Budget 2026 allocated over €67 million to this year’s scheme and so far this year, over 21,000 homes have been supported. Renewable electricity generation has a strong role to play in promoting innovation and enabling diversification by business.

Significant support has been provided to the non-domestic microgen grant, NDMG, operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, on behalf of the Government. This provides financial assistance to help businesses and other sectors to install solar PV panels to generate electricity on site. Through this scheme, grants are available for renewables self-consumers above 50 kW and up to 1 MW, up to a maximum of €162,600. From its launch in 2022 to September 2026, this scheme has supported 3,300 installations totalling over €34 million and the Minister is ambitious to grow this scheme.

Associated with these schemes for homes and businesses, the clean export guarantee, CEG, provides an opportunity for micro and small-scale generators to receive payment from their electricity suppliers for excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, as the Deputy has detailed about his constituents in Galway East. The payment from the electricity suppliers is intended to reflect the wholesale market value of the electricity. Applicants can receive both the NDMG and the CEG on an ongoing basis. The flat-rate CEG tariffs on offer from suppliers have generally ranged from circa 16 cent per kilowatt hour to 25 cent per kilowatt hour. Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including regarding the clean export guarantee, is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999.

In line with long-standing policy on deregulating price setting, the CRU ended its regulation of retail prices in the electricity market in 2011 and in the gas market in 2014.

Price setting by electricity suppliers, including remuneration for microgeneration for householders and businesses, is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned. In June 2024, the CRU published its decision paper Clean Export Guarantee: Enduring Arrangements to Remunerate Customers for Microgeneration Exports. It confirmed in that paper that it is of the view that the competitive approach whereby suppliers set their own competitive export tariffs has functioned well and will continue.

I am aware, as is the Minister, that there has been some concern that tariffs may diminish. I stress that the Minister has no information which suggests that this is the case. Notwithstanding that, as part of our energy transformation it is important for businesses and households to have maximum flexibility and control in how they consume electricity. As the Deputy mentioned, for that reason the Minister earlier today announced new grants for the installation of batteries. The Deputy raised some serious concerns and offered a proposal that I am not in a position to provide an affirmation on. I will of course refer that back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.

Deputy Albert Dolan

I really appreciate the clarity provided in that detailed response. It definitely raises the question about looking back at what has happened in that time since the CRU stopped regulating energy. There are a lot of energy providers and competition in the market. There is also a lot of renewable generation happening. The most concerning thing in the response was the statement to the effect that "price setting by electricity suppliers, including remuneration for microgeneration for householders and businesses is a commercial and operational matter for the companies concerned." Right now, it makes sense for them to pay for the supply that comes from solar during the summer because it provides power to the grid. It is available and they can buy it relatively cheaply compared with what they would pay on the wholesale market. A problem could arise whereby if a huge number of homes have a large amount of electricity to export, on most peak export days the relevant commercial entities will not want to buy all of that electricity if it cannot be stored. I may be barking up the wrong tree here. We need to have a bigger conversation around storage.

I again welcome the grant announced earlier today. It is going to be absolutely fantastic because it will make it easier for people to decided to also install batteries when they are initially putting in solar panels, because the grant is there for that. I ask the Minister of State to take the message back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien - I will relay it to him as well - that we have to protect people who are supplying electricity to the grid. Regardless of whether they are small businesses, farmers or domestic households, they deserve to get a fair price for their electricity.

Deputy Neale Richmond

As I have set out, the electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are deliberately commercial, liberalised and competitive. Responsibility for that regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including in the context of the CEG, is solely a matter for the CRU.

Regarding the development of tariffs under the CEG arrangements, the CRU is of the view that the competitive approach whereby suppliers set their own competitive export tariffs has functioned well. However, if communities, farmers or others wish to pursue an export-only project, the small-scale renewable electricity support scheme provides a fixed 15-year tariff for the development of smaller scale solar and wind energy projects up to 6 MW. This tariff is set by the Minister. However, such export projects are not eligible for the separate CEG, which is a payment for self-consumers only.

On the matter of the CEG, it is important to stress that I am aware that there has been some concern around remuneration levels diminishing significantly. I emphasise once more, not necessarily for Deputy Dolan but for those outside the House, that the Minister has no information which suggests that this is the case. Separately, however, a battery energy storage system means that businesses and households can maximise the benefit they get from the electricity they generate. When the Deputy talks about the parallel conversation on storage, this is perhaps the moment to move into that in greater detail. That will require very real infrastructural investment, not just by individuals but also by the State on a larger scale. A broader discussion will also be needed. This is partly why the Minister announced the new grants earlier today. Batteries provide greater flexibility in that they allow homes and businesses, if it is more favourable for them to do so, to retain the electricity generated on site for their own use rather than relying on exporting it to the grid. The Deputy raised some very real concerns which I hope I have gone some way to assuage this evening. I will bring the matter directly to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 10.55 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 30 Meán Fómhair 2026.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.55 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

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