The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is most welcome to Seanad Éireann.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
School Facilities
I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter and I thank the Minister of State for being here to take it. While it is not a Commencement matter specifically on special educational needs, I am delighted I have a Minister from the Department of Education and Youth here.
Tiernascragh National School in County Galway has 56 pupils attending. It has grown its numbers over the last number of years. The growth is down to good leadership in the school from the principal, staff and board of management. Most importantly, it is down to the loyal parents who have elected to keep their community school alive.
I am disappointed to say that on 16 April last year, the school received a response from the Department of education regarding an accommodation needs assessment. The Department said that it was moving away from renting modular units. Although the school has two classes and a small room where it provides SEN supports, the Department said that it was no longer renting modular units. The school was told it would either have to wait 18 months for the Department to make a determination on whether it qualifies for a purpose-built modular fix on site or more than six years to put concrete in the ground. The school was also asked to see if there was a community hall available, which the Department of education would rent for it.
A little bit like Kiskeam where the Minister of State comes from, Tiernascragh is one of those little parishes. It is so small that there is no connecting footpath from the church to the community centre, which is on the opposite side of the road. We talk about inclusive education and integration, and this school is doing it all. It is not right that we would provide funding to allow the kids to walk to a community centre when there is no footpath. If there was an accident and something happened to a teacher or pupils, we would be leaving that teacher open to a health and safety risk. The risk has not been assessed here and common sense is not prevailing.
Can we not use the money available to rent the community centre to rent a modular unit? I have a principal who is saying, "Just give me a classroom". Keep the students on site. Let them play inclusive games and engage in inclusive education, but, most of all, let us keep everyone safe.
Where, in the name of God, during the accommodation needs assessment was that risk assessment carried out? Was it another desktop exercise where someone looked at Tiernascragh National School with its 56 pupils and decided that if the school does not go with the community centre, it will be asked to do team teaching with two teachers in a classroom. There are four teachers in the junior section and four in the senior section, but there will be two teachers teaching in the class. That is like having two housewives in the one kitchen. It does not happen and would not work. A mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law would not happen, so why would we expect teachers to do team teaching?
I have no doubt the Minister of State has a response for me because I am on this case, but I am looking for sense to prevail.
I welcome the opportunity to speak about Tiernascragh National School and am delighted that the Senator mentioned Kiskeam, the centre of the universe.
Joking aside, I welcome the opportunity to take this issue on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, who is responsible for the capital programmes.
As the Senator is aware, Tiernascragh National School in County Galway is a mixed Catholic school, located within the Portumna school planning area. It has 53 pupils enrolled for the 2025-26 school year, according to the information I have. The school has an additional school accommodation application with the Department for one mainstream classroom.
The Senator will also be aware that the Department recently published the €7.55 billion national development plan, NDP, sectoral investment plan for the period 2026 to 2030. This places a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and the prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard, there will also be a strong emphasis on special education.
In relation to the issue raised by the Senator, it is important that the Department works with the school's authorities. In her next contribution, will the Senator tease through the issues with the community hall and its facilities? In some instances where there are capacity issues, the Department is looking at community facilities to meet the immediate needs of the school community, but it will always been on a short-term basis while we try to find a permanent solution.
In the past, we would be looking at a permanent or modular building. The Department is always looking to ensure that the best possible value for money is obtained. Given the ongoing need across the entirety of the school estate and despite the fact that billions have been put into the system in the recent years, value for money remains important.
We need to get a sense of this. This small school has grown its enrolment over time, which is a testament to the work done by the school leadership and the whole school community. It is a great sign. I would like to tease out where this school is at. I will go back to the Department and ask it to engage with the school authorities. The Senator might outline the position, and I will respond in my subsequent contribution.
I thank the Minister of State for both his contribution and his leadership regarding how to move to the next phase. With regard to the short-term position, I hear him very clearly. The community centre is about 250 m down the road but, as outlined, there is no footpath. I would welcome it if there were a ray of hope that this was a very short-term solution while we wait for a modular unit to be leased or for planning permission to come through. No doubt there will be a planning permission query, even if we are putting down a rented building, because we are changing the footprint. We accept that and the teachers accept it, so there is no issue arising. What we need is a plan and a pathway to ensure that this happens within a short period. That would bridge the gap.
The fear about the community centre arises from the perspective of the community itself. There is no shop there any more. Other than the church and the school, all we have left is the community centre. We live on the banks of the River Shannon. It is the only place that people will congregate after a funeral or a month’s mind. However, we are going to say to the teacher that they should: put in all the books and take out all the books; put away all the tables and take out all the tables; walk the children up and down the road; supervise all the playing; and carry the risk. At the same time, we are taking one of the hubs of the community out of circulation.
The board of management members are from the parish. They want to keep it all working. They will work with the Minister of State if he can give us options.
I take the point in relation to community centres being a short-term solution. This discommodes communities in a major way. Community centres are hubs for social events and family gatherings. I have been with school communities in my area that have used them in the short term, but they are never satisfactory because permanent solutions are needed. We do not need a short-term solution. We need to look at the issue.
The Senator might come back to me after this discussion with regard to the enrolment for September next. The school should have a reasonable idea at this stage as to what the enrolment will be. I will take this back and ask the Department to engage with the school community. In the first instance, we might get the projected enrolment for 2026-27 from the school community, and take it from there.
Before I call the next speaker, I welcome to Seanad Éireann the guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy, to the Visitors Gallery. They are from Scoil Eoin Naofa, Ballymore, County Westmeath. I am sure the Minister told them that when people visit Seanad Éireann, the extra benefit outside of hearing the wisdom of the Senators is that they also have no homework for the rest of the week. They should make sure the teachers implement that little policy.
Special Educational Needs
I welcome the Minister of State. I am glad he is here to take this matter.
I am convinced that every week the Government meets and decides what fresh hell it can inflict on people and how it can undermine the most vulnerable in our society. The Minister of State is no stranger to the issue of SNAs. A pause was put on, but that pause does not mean a stop. A couple of weeks ago, many autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes were open. It was fantastic that they were open, and nobody is disputing that. This is the way the Government treats them. An article in the Connacht Tribune last week stated that an ASD class for Creagh National School in east Galway was formally approved and given sanction on 12 January last. However, families have been told that their children cannot be considered for placements because the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, application portal closed on 1 October 2025, more than three months before the class actually existed. That shows how the Government treats young children in our society at the moment.
A pause does not mean that the anxiety of the parents, the schools or the teachers has gone away. It is still very much there. What does that pause actually mean for people? Will the SNAs who got letters that they were to be redeployed be reinstated? There is no redeployment strategy. Kids are missing school. I have heard from many schools. The Minister of State is from my constituency. He knows the scale of the story, and the scale of what is happening in our constituency and even beyond that. It is ridiculous. These are the policies of the members of the Government. They are in government. These are the decisions they are making.
Since we are talking about policy, I would like to refresh the House’s memory that the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act of 2004 established the principle of inclusive education and requires that children with special educational needs receive education appropriate to their needs and abilities. Children’s needs do not change when they change class. Children's needs are constantly there. We are trying to give them the best start in life. What we are doing is undermining the system and undermining parents. We are not listening to the parents, teachers or SNAs who are working with them every single day. Furthermore, under the Equal Status Act, schools must provide reasonable accommodation to prevent substantial disadvantage to pupils with disabilities. Where children require supervision or behavioural regulation, an SNA is not optional; an SNA is part of a reasonable accommodation.
I do not know how this decision came about, but the pause does not mean anything because there is no plan for that pause. Parents, teachers, SNAs and schools want to know a few things, and it is not unreasonable to ask those questions. What does the pause actually mean? Will the SNAs be put back into the mainstream? What is the deployment plan? We mentioned that an additional 1,700 SNAs are to be delivered. When is that going to happen? If I sit down now and get a load of waffle that is not going to answer these questions, it is not good enough. Parents, teachers and schools need proper, clear answers. They are the ones who know how the children act. They know the children inside and out. Yet, when the special educational needs organisers, SENOs, come in, they do not listen to that. Clearly, this is a decision from the top down. What is the reason for the pause? I hope I get an answer to that question.
I welcome the group from Scoil Eoin Naofa in County Westmeath. I hope they enjoy their trip to Leinster House. It is always great for schools to visit.
The Senator raised a number of matters. The 1 October deadline was to make sure that we had better sight of the number of children who need special educational supports within the school system, and that we would have better planning for that. One week after my appointment last year, I brought back the date from 1 February to 1 October. We are also engaging with every and any family who contacted the NCSE since 1 October, and working with those families to ensure their needs are met. The 1 October date was to give a sight of this. A number of families contacted us after 1 October, and we are continuing to engage clearly with those families.
Right across the education system, work that is going on in schools. As well as anybody else in these Houses, I understand what is going on with the school communities, the leadership in the school communities, the SNAs, the teachers and all who make up the school communities. We are working day in and day out to do the very best for the children in the schools. There are some remarkable stories and remarkable examples of best practice that I have seen in the last while across the country.
The NCSE is charged with providing for special educational needs. It is important to make one point. We are setting out to do the right thing. I firmly believe this applies to my own position and right across the Government. We have had many detailed discussions, not just this weekend, but every week as to how we are going to ensure that the need out there, which is constantly growing, is met.
The 1,700 SNAs will be employed from 1 September 2026. There are no questions and no ifs or buts. It is in the budget for it. All mainstream, special schools and special classes will see an increase in the number of the SNAs who are employed in each sector. We have to accept that and understand it. On scapegoating, politicians and Ministers will take that but those who are within the National Council for Special Education, SENOs and those teams are working to the best of their ability to give the information back. We have now paused the decisions that were made because we are doing a complete review of it. Before any further decisions are taken, we have to have clear understandings in terms of a number of schools that have lost a number of SNAs and get the reasons for that. We will update the Houses immediately when we have that. We started discussions on that yesterday and there are a number of meetings this morning and into the afternoon today.
We are very serious about making sure about this. I understand the families. I have met the families and the students, not just across the country in my role over the past 12 months but right throughout my political journey. I have been engaged in special education and have been working on behalf of families. I continue to do that. I genuinely believe that all who are concerned about it have a very clear understanding of what we want to do, including the National Council for Special Education, the Department for education, me , the Minister, Deputy Naughton on her appointment in November and, prior to that, the Minister, Deputy McEntee. We want to do the right thing by every child. If we are investing properly in primary and post-primary education, it will lead to the best outcomes for those children into the future.
The Senator knows my bona fides on this matter, but I assure her that we are taking the issues on it desperately seriously. She mentioned the school and classroom. There are over 300 special classes, which are months earlier than last year. A number of additional special classes will be announced across the country over the next weeks and months. Every single one of them will be operational and populated by children who need extra educational support for their time in primary and post-primary school.
I thank the Minister of State. I hear what he is saying, but when the Taoiseach himself says that schools are used to appealing, it should not have to get to that point. Schools should not have to appeal these decisions. What happens to those appeals now while it is paused? Are they going to go through? Are those SNAs still going to be in the schools in the mainstream classes? That is the issue. The schools need SNAs. They need SNAs in the ASD classes, but also in the mainstream classes. It should not get to this point where the parents and the whole community are so outraged that they put so much pressure on the Government. Thank God they did because this would not have stopped at all. There would have been no pause had this not been so opposed by parents and across the whole of Ireland.
The issue is that we are saying that we want kids to have the education and all the supports, yet we are silently undermining all of that by removing the mainstream SNAs into a different post. That is not valuing our SNAs, or they work that they do. They do critical work. Every single one of us knows the work that they do. They go above and beyond for each child. They nurture the child. It does not just impact the children who have the additional needs in the classroom. It impacts the whole classroom. All the children will suffer. What happens now to the schools that appealed? Are their appeals going to go through, are they paused or are they going to be reinstated back into the class?
In relation to the value of the SNAs, absolutely. When I started out on my political journey, it was people who were on community employment, CE, schemes who were providing the SNA support within schools. A decision was taken by the now Taoiseach, then the Minister for education, back in 1997 or 1998 about SNAs. We have grown that to almost 25,000 SNAs across this country. In any comparison with any of the other developed countries in Europe or elsewhere, we are way ahead in terms of the support we are giving into classrooms and to make sure the most vulnerable are getting it. The redeployment scheme will be in operation from 1 September. Any SNA who is being redeployed from one school will have an opportunity to redeploy. That scheme is in place. That scheme has been worked through over the past 18 months or so with the unions and all concerned. That redeployment scheme will be in place.
On the work we have to do, we have paused because we listened very carefully to the concerns. I spoke to principals, parents and SNAs right across the country - not just in my own area in Cork North-West - over the weekend and prior to that. In engagements this week on Monday, we met a number of school principals. They outlined the challenges that they have within the schools. The appeals system is there to make sure that anybody who is dissatisfied with a decision or if they have further information, that they can submit to the National Council for Special Education. It is a robust appeals system. All those decisions are being looked at. Right now, everything is being paused. We want to be very clear when we have that done what the process will be. The integrity of the process is important as well.
Over many years, the National Council for Special Education has delivered special education and reviewed cases. When care needs move on from primary school to post-primary school, we must make sure that the SNA or the support is given to the most vulnerable in their school settings. Everything we are doing is for the child within the school setting to make sure they are getting the best access to the education. We have to look at the outcomes for children and the supports they will get in primary school and post-primary school. It is not the case that it is the school community; it is always the students who we have at the very heart of it. I am desperately passionate about making sure that the very core of our systems and the integrity of the systems, which have been there for quite some time, are targeted towards the children. We will see the provision of that right across.
I thank the Minister of State.
The other point on it is that we have almost 25,000 SNAs. In any of the debate over the past week, we were talking about less than 1% of the SNAs across the country. We take into consideration everything that has been said to us and every discussion. We are working on that. Last night and again today, we had a number of meetings, and these will be ongoing over the next number of days. Every decision we will be making will be child-centred to make sure we are giving the best opportunity for children, not just to go through education but to have the best possible chance of a positive outcome within life.
I have allowed latitude on that because it is an issue of such gravity at the moment. I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I thank the Senator for raising this matter.
Care of the Elderly
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith anseo linn inniu. I seek an update of the status of the timeline of the delivery of a day care centre for the elderly in Macroom in the constituency of Cork North-West. I am sure the Minister of State will agree with and acknowledge the importance of day care centres. We see them all over the country. Macroom has a growing town centre with a big population and a massive hinterland from all over the constituency, from Aghabullogue to Coolea. We are incredibly lacking a day care centre right now, somewhere for our elderly residents to go to socialise, relieve rural isolation and keep in touch with friends and neighbours. This is something that has been mentioned for quite some time.
When I was on Cork County Council, I was a member of the HSE South forum. In both February 2022 and June 2023, I was told that a design team had been appointed for this, an agreement on the design proposal had been agreed and completed, the procurement had been finalised and it was waiting sign-off to tender.
To the best of my knowledge, it still awaits full funding but I await the Minister of State's update on that. Those are updates I got through the HSE south forum in February 2022 and June 2023. It does seem as though we have made no progress in those three years.
The Minister of State will be aware of the benefits day care centres can provide. This is a problem not only in Ireland but across Europe and the world when it comes to ageing population and the way we keep elderly people at home. I believe community healthcare and community care is the way to do that. It puts less pressure on nursing homes and, ultimately, on the service user. It is vital we make these services available. Not only does it provide an opportunity for older people to keep up their social skills and avoid rural isolation, but it also provides a break for family carers who are looking after elderly people. For elderly people living on their own, it keeps them living independently for longer. It can also be linked in with therapeutic healthcare and access to healthcare through day care centres. The centres also work in tandem with services, such as meals on wheels which provides a fantastic service all over the country, particularly in rural areas. In both Macroom and Millstreet, two of the bigger towns in my area, meals on wheels provides fantastic services, and that is to be commended. Macroom is also very lucky to have a very active senior citizens group, two nursing homes and a community hospital. I commend the refurbishment work that has been done in Macroom Community Hospital, which is truly a fantastic facility. We were promised a day care centre as part of that facility. That has yet to be delivered. Progress seems to be very much static or stagnant. Looking at the population of Macroom and its hinterland, and the issues with an ageing population, these are the kinds of solutions we need to put in place and prioritise.
I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue. It is a key priority for the Government to increase access to services that help older people to remain independent and live in their own homes with dignity and independence for as long as possible. Alongside home support, meals on wheels and similar services, day centres are an essential support for older people, particularly in rural communities. They provide invaluable assistance, minor treatments, advice and social interaction for older people who may, for any number of reasons, be experiencing isolation and loneliness.
Day centres may be HSE-run services, HSE-funded voluntary services or privately operated and funded services. The HSE reports that, as of quarter 2 of 2025, there were 313 HSE and HSE-funded day centres operating across the country, providing community-based support to approximately 15,600 older people. An additional €500,000 has been provided in budget 2026 to address cost pressures and enhance day care services.
The HSE has advised that it intends to use part of the revamped health centre building at Macroom hospital to establish a day centre for older people from Macroom and the surrounding areas. Senator Lynch has alluded to this. At present, the project is awaiting the allocation of capital funding. Once the capital funding allocation is in place, the HSE will progress the planning for this project to the tender phase. On completion of the tender process, the HSE will be able to provide estimated timelines for the completion of this day centre for Macroom.
The development of the day centre in Macroom will add to and complement the network of social support services that is already available for older people in the Macroom area. This includes Macroom Senior Citizens, Sullane Haven, Aghinagh Active Retirement Group, Coachford Active Retirement Association, Ballincollig Men's Shed and Ballincollig Senior Citizens Club. I am not sure of the correct pronunciation of "Sullane" and "Aghinagh". It is important to get the pronunciation right.
I expect the new day centre in Macroom to be a very welcome addition to the range of health services in the area and I look forward to its completion. I have followed up with the HSE on the particular matter. We will continue to engage with the HSE to get the day care centre in Macroom, which will be part of the revamped health centre at Macroom hospital, progressed as quickly as possible for people in Macroom and surrounding areas.
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I cannot but say I am disappointed. I have been raising this matter through the council since 2022. I got the same reply in 2023 as I got in 2022 and the reply today, in February 2026, seems to be the same as well. I do not know if the Minister of State can offer any guarantee on capital funding. Are we looking at the 2027 budget or the 2028 budget? This is an issue that comes up every now and again. I do not want to leave this Chamber and issue a press release saying this is coming. I would prefer to be able to tell people in my area not only that this is coming, but that I have a rough time for delivery, this is a Government priority and we will deliver it when we have the funding. That is what I would prefer to be able to say, having raised this issue today.
The Minister of State outlined all the wraparound services available in the town of Macroom. It is a massive area. There is a population of 6,000 in the town and its surrounds. There has also been a massive increase in the population under the county development plan in the last five years. It is big area extending from east of Cork city all the way to Millstreet and Killarney. There is a massive hinterland there. We need this service. While there are fantastic wraparound services – and I commend all those the Minister of State mentioned which provide an excellent service – we need to expedite this. Community healthcare has to be a priority. I know it is but we need to push it further.
I again thank Senator Lynch for raising this issue. The Government’s objective to support older people to live well with dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Providing the supports of home care, day care and meals on wheels, including dementia-specific supports, is a key factor in supporting people to age well in their own homes.
Day centres like this proposal for Macroom are a crucial part of social provision in our communities. They are an invaluable resource to help older people in our communities to maintain their health and independence.
I will personally follow up with the HSE on the day care centre for Macroom and revert to the Senator on the specific matters she raised. I think she will agree that we wish to see the additional day care centre service for people in Macroom operational to complement the other supports available in the local area. I will come back to the Senator on the specific proposal.
Housing Schemes
I welcome the Minister of State. I wish to raise an issue of growing concern in County Kerry regarding the operation of the tenant in situ scheme. The purpose of the scheme is very straightforward and commendable, but straightforward it is not. It allows local authorities or approved housing bodies to purchase properties where tenants are at risk of homelessness. It ensures continuity of tenancy for households in receipt of the housing assistance payment, HAP, or rental assistance scheme, RAS, and it prevents the loss of existing rental homes from the private market.
In principle the scheme is working okay in some parts of the country. However, in Kerry we are seeing a very low uptake. I believe the last house was purchased in 2024. The reason is both simple and avoidable. Under the current framework, there is no provision for renovation or upgrade costs when a local authority purchases a property that does not meet the standards for rented housing regulations 2019. Indeed, 90% of first inspections fail. Many of the homes coming forward for potential purchase in Kerry are older properties that require works, sometimes modest and sometimes substantial, to bring them up to regularity with the standards.
In Kerry, the average cost for Kerry County Council to renovate a property to comply with the regulations post-purchase is between €30,000 and €40,000. Local authorities are understandably reluctant to proceed with purchases when no funding stream exists to cover the necessary remedial works. As a result, properties that could otherwise be secured for vulnerable tenants are being passed over. Tenants who should be protected under the scheme are instead facing eviction and, in many cases, homelessness. The intention of the tenant in situ scheme was to provide a safety net, but in counties such as Kerry, which I represent, the absence of renovation funding has created a structural barrier that undermines the scheme's purpose.
I call for clarity on whether the Department intends to introduce a dedicated renovation or upgrade provision in the tenant in situ scheme. Will the Minister of State confirm whether local authorities may access any existing capital or remedial works funding streams to support these purchases and ensure that counties with older housing stock, such as Kerry, are not disadvantaged by a one-size-fits-all approach? If this gap is not addressed, the scheme will continue to underperform in Kerry and families who should be protected will continue to fall through the cracks and face homelessness.
Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome pupils from Scoil Eoin Naofa from Ballymore, County Westmeath, who are in the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Troy. Other members of their class were here earlier. It is a big school and a lot of them are here today. They are welcome. We have a Senator and Minister of State here this morning. I have been told to tell them they have no homework for the rest of the week.
I also welcome the school pupils. Is the school in west Cork? It is in Westmeath. I am from west Cork so it is the centre of everything, but Westmeath is a lovely county as well. I welcome the pupils to the Seanad.
I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this issue. Before I read the statement, I hear that one of the reasons the Senator thinks the tenant in situ scheme is not being used regularly in Kerry is that the cost of renovation is not included and the local authority, when it is pricing or valuing a house, has to work the cost of renovation into the valuation. Therefore, even if the sellers of the properties agree to sell them with the tenants in situ, they feel they are not getting the prices they should because the council is factoring in those costs. I think that is what is happening, but perhaps the Senator will clarify. If so, I agree that we should perhaps look at it.
The Minister for housing will shortly approve the parameters and funding details of this year’s programme and local authorities will be notified of their respective 2026 allocations shortly thereafter. Last year, some €375 million was allocated to local authorities for acquisitions. Of this, only €290 million was drawn down, including €52 million for refurbishment costs. This funding was given to local authorities for an estimated 775 acquisitions, including almost 490 tenant in situ acquisitions.
The 2026 programme will fund eligible acquisitions under three priority streams, namely, exits from homeless services; priority acquisitions for older persons, care leavers and people with disabilities; and tenant in situ acquisitions. It will continue to be a policy tool for local authorities and approved housing bodies, AHBs, to prevent social housing supported households in the private rental sector falling into homelessness, and support the exit of households from long-term homeless accommodation. Significant funding will again be available to help to alleviate short-term pressures, affording local authorities the flexibility needed to respond while they scale up their construction programmes.
I note there is no tenant in situ scheme as such, rather, tenant in situ acquisitions are a last resort policy tool available to local authorities through the second-hand acquisitions programme. This has always been the case. Undoubtedly, tenant in situ acquisition is an important tool, but it is absolutely not the only, or even the primary, tool available. It should only be used when all other options to prevent a household becoming homeless have been exhausted. It should never be used as a default first-response option. It remains the case that, as a first step, the relevant local authority tenancy sustainment officer should engage with the relevant landlord on whether the threatened tenancy can be maintained within the current or an alternative social housing scheme. If this is not possible, the local authority must help the tenant to secure alternative private rental accommodation. Where an existing or alternative tenancy cannot be secured, the local authority must examine if a tenancy in a local authority or an AHB social home can be facilitated. Where these options have proved unfeasible, the local authority may proceed to support a tenant in situ acquisition.
While the parameters of the new second-hand acquisitions programme are yet to be agreed, with almost 17,000 people currently residing in homeless accommodation, the programme will focus this year on exiting households from long-term homeless accommodation. Some €150 million will be ring-fenced for this purpose. More than adequate funding will be available in 2026 to support any acquisitions that can be progressed by local authorities or AHBs. The multi-annual approach introduced in 2025 will also continue, with local authorities authorised to enter into commitments for 2027 up to a value of 30% of their baseline 2026 acquisitions budget. This will allow local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions between annual programmes with certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability. Notably, at the end of January this year, less than half the €95 million available to be committed in 2025 for acquisitions in 2026 was actually committed by local authorities.
I will continue in my second response.
The scheme was introduced for people facing homelessness so tenants could be put in a place where properties could be purchased without leaving the properties and facing homelessness. Properties cannot be got when a notice to quit has been served on a family. They cannot be sourced. There is nothing to rent or lease. There is nothing to be got. People are falling through the cracks because they cannot get any other local property. When the crack that nothing is available is identified, why can the council not buy the properties, even if a cost analysis of it has been done? The scheme is not doing what it is supposed to and that is why I am raising it.
The Minister of State said that last year, some €375 million was allocated to local authorities for acquisitions and, of that, only €290 million was drawn down. That sounds alarm bells. Kerry County Council drew down money last year for the tenant in situ scheme, but it was to deliver houses it bought in 2024. I have the breakdown. I want a review of it and for someone to come back me about what to tell the people of Kerry where notices to quit are regularly coming for families. They have to leave the properties within a three-, five- or six-month period and there is nothing to rent. Will the Department look at this again because it is not working in my county? The purchase of 23 properties under the tenant in situ scheme in recent years is a poor return for people facing homelessness, and we have figures to prove it.
One of the challenges we need to address is that if a house is valued at €350,000, for example, and needs refurbishment and repair, what seems to be happening - and this is what we could look at - is the council may only come up with a figure of €300,000 because it is keeping €50,000 in reserve for the refurbishment. That has proven to be a challenge. If we could somehow get around that, more property owners might come on board the tenant in situ acquisitions. It is certainly an issue I have come across.
The Senator pointed out there is a lack of rental accommodation. We need to sort that out. With the new tenancies Bill, there will be security of tenure so the notices to quit should not be as common after 1 March. There is also the short-term letting legislation, which is controversial. I am from west Cork and the Senator is from Kerry. We know how important tourism accommodation is, but if it could free up a few hundred houses for rent, it might take a bit of pressure off.
I appreciate the Senator raising this matter. I will go back to the senior Minister to get clarification on it.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.19 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.31 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.19 a.m. and resumed at 11.31 a.m.