I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to the House.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Special Educational Needs
I thank the Minister of State for coming in this morning. I have put in a couple of Commencement matters that involved his Department and he has been very gracious. I appreciate him coming in to answer this today. I met a lady two weeks ago who was looking for some help with her daughter, who is ten years of age and has been diagnosed with dyslexia. The psychologist recommended that she get a laptop for school but she was refused by the special educational needs organiser, SENO. When I asked why, I was told that apparently you need an IQ of 90 for a laptop for school, and she had an IQ of 89. I could not believe what I was hearing and that this was actually the case. I thought surely, we cannot be getting things like this so wrong. The mam, as the Minister of State can imagine, wanted to even buy the laptop for the school but was told it was not going to do her any good when the child gets to secondary school and that it had to come through the scheme. The school could see that the child needed the laptop as well.
I had a look into the issue, and according to Circular 10/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under the scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment. To qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a student must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential to allow the students to access the curriculum. We are ticking the boxes here so far. SENOs will review the application and professional reports provided in support of same, to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. I assume this is were the IQ of 90 criterion comes in. The SENOs will then make a recommendation to the Department as to whether assistive technology is required. Based on this recommendation, the Department will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided. I took that from the Department.
This says to the mother that her child has to be more clever than she is to get this equipment. Maybe her daughter might have scored 90 and not 89 if she did the test the next day. The mother is so frustrated about this. However, it turns out, after a bit of research, that a new assistive technology circular was due in the first quarter of this year. It has not come out yet. It will give the power to the school. The Department aims to shift the scheme from a diagnosis-based approach to a needs-based approach, which is music to many parents' ears, granting schools greater autonomy in determining whether a child requires assistive technology to access the curriculum. That seems like something we need to get done now. It is great that the Department has recognised this, done the work on it and can see that it is what needs to be done in schools. I am calling for this to happen now. Let us ease the pressure on parents and on this mam who cannot access a laptop for her daughter. I know the school is advocating for her. The circular was due in quarter 1. Can we please find out when this new circular is going to come out, in order that the schools can help all the children get their laptops to help them learn at school and be the same as all their classmates?
I thank the Senator for raising the issue and for her engagement in special education. It is hugely important that public representatives at all levels are engaged with the education system. It is only by the information they are getting from families and parents that we can challenge the system on it. We are committed to specialised education, which is hugely important in getting children to reach their full potential. For me, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the entire Government, it is to make sure we can deliver.
The assistive technology scheme supplements the overall funding provided to schools for digital technology and equipment and supports children who require essential specialised equipment to access the school curriculum. Assistive technology is a critical enabler for students with special educational needs, allowing them to benefit fully from the modern, technological-focused education system. The Department recognises the significant benefit of assistive technology in school settings, particularly for students with complex needs, and including children with visual and hearing impairments. It supports access to the curriculum, participation in classroom learning and positive educational outcomes. Under the assistive technology scheme, as it stands under the circular the Senator cited, Circular 10/13, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialised equipment required for education purposes. The student must have a diagnosis of a physical or communicative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential. Between January and the end of April 2026, almost 3,700 applications for assistive technology had been received and these are progressing as a matter of priority.
In recognition of the need to improve the applications and the delivery, a review of the assistive technology scheme is now in its final stages. That goes to the point the Senator made. The review will culminate in the publication of a new circular, which is expected to be announced in the next number of months. That is the key point and based on the Senator's engagement with the family she mentioned and her understanding of the education system as a whole, it is important that we come to that without delay. I will take from the Senator's Commencement matter that we will work on that to make sure we can bring out the circular as soon as possible.
The Senator outlined her contact with the family and referred to dates, circulars and much else. We have to be child- and family-focused. The whole of government and every Department need to have a robust system in place to ensure we are reaching those who are most in need.
The review is ongoing. It a matter that has been raised continuously by me and others within the Department to make sure that new circular is in place. As part of that review, a new streamlined application process is also being developed because, as the Senator will know, a lot of families who are looking for specialised education for their children or their students are always exasperated by the amount of form-filling and box-ticking that has to be done in relation to it. These changes are to make sure that there is a responsive, effective and child-centred scheme.
Ultimately, as regards the Senator's contribution, the review and those documents were to be over the first quarter, but we will endeavour to make sure that is done in as timely a manner as possible in order that we can support children going into the 2026-27 school year.
I thank the Minister of State for his response and for outlining the fact that 3,600 assistive technology supports have come out this year. I am a little disappointed that we do not have the date for it. I appreciate that the Department is at the final stages of the report. I really was hoping to get a date this morning but I hope and I think the Minister of State probably can guarantee me that we will have it for the start of the school year in September. Maybe we can get it out in July or August in order that schools can get the funding and can know the children who are coming in in September. The schools know every child inside out and will know which children need it.
We should bear in mind that man whose child had an IQ of 89 and not 90. That one point will make a difference to her. The child is ten years of age. She is in fourth class and has only two years left at school. Emotionally, it is hard for the family. They would really appreciate knowing that their daughter, going into fifth class, will have access to a laptop. Right now they do not. We are going through the appeals process on it at the moment. I hope we will be successful on it but for her and for other children, time is of the essence here. I think the Minister of State recognises that, judging by his response, and I appreciate that.
We will endeavour to have that circular in operation for September 2026. It is important as we face the school year. I think a lot of students are looking forward to the holidays. We should not be talking about September. Certainly, when I was going to school, I thought September was sometime off in the Middle Ages. Families are looking at what is the best earlier in the year. They know the limitations and the challenges their children have in school, they are looking at how best they can support their children and they are reaching out to the school authorities. We, as the Department, and all of us as partners in education, have to make sure we have as streamlined a process as possible. We did an extensive review of it to make sure that we were covering all bases in it.
As regards the issue the Senator raised, she mentioned she had an appeal in. If we can take it offline and see whether there is anything, we will do that. Overall, we are committed to ensuring that every child reaches their full potential within the education system. We have a huge amount of work done and a lot of work we need to do to make sure that we are taking the anomalies and challenges out of the system, whereby someone is just marginally at one side or the other of the line for the accommodation of that. I will commit to making sure that the new circular which governs this will be done as speedily as possible. Also, if there is any assistance we can give in relation to the existing one, we would be more than willing to help.
That is much appreciated.
The Minister who is to take the next Commencement matter is not here. We understand he is on his way. It is a last-minute changeover. I ask the Acting Leader to move a suspension of the House until 10.55 a.m.
I propose a suspension of the House until 10.55 a.m.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.45 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.47 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.45 a.m. and resumed at 10.47 a.m.
I welcome the students and teachers from Leamlara national school, who are guests of Deputy James O'Connor. You are very welcome to the House. We are now engaging with Commencement matters, during which a number of topics are taken each day and relevant Ministers to those topics come in, so here we have the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. Enjoy your day.
I thank the Minister for coming to the House.
An Garda Síochána
I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for joining us. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach has outlined the matter. It is important to begin by acknowledging that the most important thing about Garda vetting is that it continues to be done properly, that the integrity of the system stays intact and that it remains an effective tool for safeguarding our children. Having said that, like others I am sure, I have been involved in various clubs and community organisations across Galway over recent years and I know that vetting can at times be a deterrent. It is particularly frustrating for people who have gone through the process very recently but have to do so very quickly again because they want to give a hand to their local club or whatever the case may be. One person pointed out to me recently that teachers can transfer vetting if moving jobs but it cannot be done between sports organisations. Someone who has got vetting for the GAA cannot use that for soccer and so on. Likewise, vetting is needed for a Bus Éireann driver but is not needed for a driver for a private operator. It is very difficult to defend those sorts of discrepancies from a logical perspective.
When looking online in advance of today's matter, I saw that a number of people have suggested a permanent application number, which can be provided to registered organisations for subsequent vetting. That would seem to me to make a lot of sense. In any case, there has to be a better solution to the current situation where people are having to complete the same vetting applications again and again, often in a matter of weeks or a few short months. Surely we can use technology to move to a system where time is saved from the point of view of both the applicant and the staff reviewing applications.
I thank Senator Crowe for raising this important matter. As he knows and as has stated, the primary purpose of the Garda vetting system is and always must be the protection of children and vulnerable adults. It is essential that parents, families, sporting organisations and charities can have confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place for those who undertake these positions in trust, whether it is coaching a children's sports team, working in a care home or working with people with disabilities.
At the same time, I recognise from what the Senator and other representatives have said that concerns have been raised by volunteers, particularly sporting bodies and community organisations, regarding aspects of the current vetting process. Concerns have included the need for repeated vetting applications where an individual volunteer is across multiple organisations or roles. As the Senator indicated, his concern is that if somebody is given vetting to coach the local hurling team, why would they need vetting to coach the local soccer team at the same time? I recognise that we need to make the system more efficient for those sporting organisations, youth services, childcare providers and community groups that rely heavily on volunteers.
I have listened to the Senator's concerns and those of other representatives, as has the Government. I am conscious that volunteers are the backbone of communities across the country. Safeguarding and their participation in it are extremely important. For that reason, following the work of the Garda vetting review group, steps are being progressed to modernise and streamline the current system, while fully maintaining the robust safeguarding standards that are essential. In practice, and subject to the general requirement that vetting be renewed every three years, it is envisaged that where a person has already been vetted for work within a particular risk category, that individual would not need to undergo a completely new vetting process if moving to another role within the same category.
This approach strikes the correct balance. It maintains a strong protection, while also reducing duplication and unnecessary administrative burdens for volunteers and organisations. I note that similar practices operate successfully in other areas. An example is with registered teachers, who are vetted through the Teaching Council. Teachers can move between schools without undergoing full revetting unless the scheduled renewal requirements are needed. There is merit in examining how a comparable model to that used by the council could be applied more broadly.
The Government also recognises the importance of an efficient and responsive system, and that it remains so. In fairness to the Garda National Vetting Bureau, it processes a huge number of applications for vetting each year. In one recent year, it processed in the region of 630,000 applications. Most are dealt with and completed within the short period of seven to nine working days.
The changes being developed will require legislative amendments and updating technical systems. My Department is engaging closely with An Garda Síochána to ensure these reforms deliver a process that is efficient and secure, while ensuring the high standards of safeguarding that the public expects. I am pleased to communicate to Senator Crowe that issues are being developed within my Department to respond to the important matter that he has highlighted.
I thank the Minister. It is welcome and timely to have reforms to the system. I hope they can be implemented as quickly as possible. As I noted earlier, we all understand the need for the system. We are all aware that it is critical that the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults remains in place. We just want to improve the system so it is not a deterrent for volunteers, sports clubs and community organisations.
With regard to the timeline for these reforms, does the Minister have that information to hand? Is this something we could look to complete in 2026?
I am always loath to set a timeline because, inevitably, the whole focus centres on whether it is done by that time or not. As the Senator knows, it will take time to implement the necessary technical and legislative changes that I have mentioned. I assure him that work is ongoing to achieve the aim of a more streamlined vetting system. It has to go through the Department and we have to produce proposals in respect of a general scheme. It then has to go to the Attorney General's office for advice and, ultimately, there will be drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. All of that takes time. The important thing to point out is that a decision has been made that it is an area that requires reform, and I am committed to starting the pathway for that reform.
Nonetheless, a lot of good work is done by the Garda National Vetting Bureau on a daily basis. We do not hear of the successes but only when there are issues in respect of it. Those issues can arise because many people have lived abroad for many years, and vetting sometimes requires gardaí to engage with authorities abroad, which can take time. I again thank the Senator for his question.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.56 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.57 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.56 a.m. and resumed at 10.57 a.m.
Online Safety
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta McConalogue. The Minister of State is very welcome. I thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to be here.
I attended a meeting of the local sports partnership at the Monaghan Peace Campus last Friday, where two schools, the Model National School and St. Macartan's College, gave presentations. The Model National School gave a presentation on road safety, and St. Macartan's College gave a presentation on social media.
The St. Macartan’s school principal is a gentleman by the name of David McCague. St. Macartan's is an all-boys secondary school. Mr. McCague gave a powerful presentation on the impact that social media is having on young people, and he sees it daily as a school principal. He said that social media should be named anti-social media. His fear is that we would look back on this era with great sadness and regret that we have not done more to protect our young people from the evils of social media.
I would like to read out an extract from the presentation that he made, which floored everyone who heard it on that day. It states:
Social media is an impediment to all of the investment of time and focus in schools on Student Wellbeing. Social Media acts as a counter point to the learning opportunities afforded to students in school.
There are 6 Junior Cycle Indicators of wellbeing [connection, respected, aware, resilient, active and responsible] and each one of them is being challenged directly by adolescent use of social media.
1. Connection - social media actually diminishes true connection. It creates virtual and false connections between young people and replaces the authentic friendships that they should be forming in their adolescence.
2. Respected - the base level of communication between adolescents is horrific. They are insulting each other at a level that would shock people. Young people will type something that they would never say to somebody’s face. They do not see the consequences of these words, images so therefore they do not consider them. It is common place for young people to tell each other to go kill themselves via social media - unfortunately this is a trigger for poor mental health, low self-esteem, depression and often suicidal ideation. Furthermore - their role models/influences are role modelling misogyny, toxic masculinity and dangerous moral values.
3. Aware - young people are now very unaware of what is real and what is false. They cannot critically evaluate the validity of sources or information causing confusion, false impressions, misplaced trust and a sense of confusion on what is right and what is wrong. They are not aware of what is acceptable or unacceptable - if it appears acceptable on social media therefore it must be.
4. Resilient - young people’s dependency on validation online leads to a lack of resilience. Their need to conform to the idealistic images on social media means that their failure to meet these expectations results in collapse and sensationalising of their unique deficiencies.
5. Active - young people now relax with the phone in their hand scrolling and viewing social media - this is often at the expense of moving and exercising contributing to the rise in obesity and issues like poor posture and eye strain.
6. Responsible - social media promotes irresponsibility and a lack of self-discipline. There is no regulation - there are no consequences for breaching a code of conduct. The availability of illicit images promotes irresponsibility.
The ban on phones in schools was a welcome act but it needs to go further. We need to prohibit students who are under 16 years of age from having access to a smartphones. It is deeply affecting the moral fibre of our young people, their mental health, their ability to forge authentic connections and their ability to decode what is real, false, right and wrong.
I welcome the students, parents and supporters from the Skerries Educate Together national school who are in the Visitors Gallery. They are all very welcome to the House. I call the Minister of State.
I join in welcoming the group from the Skerries Educate Together national school. I hope that they all enjoy a tour of the Dáil and their day here.
I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this matter. I also thank him for providing the real-life experience and feedback given by Mr. McCague, principal of St. Macartan's College at a presentation. The feedback has been presented in a very authentic way and is totally based on the principal's experience of education and working with young people.
I thank the Senator for outlining the feedback on the six indicators of well-being, including respect, and the potential impact on all that by social media. He outlined how the principal said that students insult each other online in a way that would never previously happen in real life. I am sure that all of us in politics, and all of us as adults, can see how adults do the same and say things online that would never be said in public. Indeed, many of the people who are most vociferous and most insulting online would, whenever met in person, would not say "Boo" to a goose. I would often wonder if they are entirely different people. We can see how social media has that impact on adults who grew up in a non-social media environment and whose development was not impacted by growing up with social media. We can only imagine how challenging social media is for younger people who have yet to develop and are in the development process, and how social media impacts their long-term development and well-being, and their well-being in school.
Online safety, in particular for young people, is a priority for the Government. As online safety touches all aspects of life, it is a whole-of-society issue and a whole-of-government issue. Our approach to protecting children online is to regulate access to content, rather than access to equipment, and to promote safety by design, for example, regulating how recommender systems are delivered to users. The Government believes that this is the most effective way to secure meaningful online safety. That approach is embodied in Ireland’s online safety framework, with Coimisiún na Meán at its heart. It includes the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU’s Digital Services Act and the online safety code. Together, these have a variety of provisions designed to protect children and young people from seeing illegal and harmful content online. For example, the online safety code obliges designated video-sharing platforms, including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, to ensure that people under the age of 18 do not have access to adult-only content such as pornography and gratuitous violence. The platforms are required to have robust age-assurance measures to ensure compliance.
Looking ahead, the new national strategy on digital and AI was published in February and includes a chapter dedicated to online safety. It commits the Government to explore options with other EU member states to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media, concentrating on those under the age of 16. Our preference is for an EU-wide approach to a digital age of majority because it makes it more straightforward for platforms to comply and for regulators to supervise and enforce. For now, the Government does not have plans to ban smartphones. This is a thorny area and would potentially be difficult to monitor and enforce. For example, it is not clear how the owner of a smartphone could be identified or where the liability for a breach should lie. Moreover, there is good reason to believe that many parents and guardians rely on smartphones to check in with their children during the day. This is why we take the approach of regulating access to content rather than to equipment.
Of course, online safety is not just a matter for regulation. For example, in 2024, the Department of Education issued the keeping childhood smartphone free policy to provide guidance on access for primary school pupils. Similarly, there is a circular that requires recognised primary schools to ban the use of personal mobile phones for the duration of the school day.
Go raibh maith ag an Aire Stáit and I thank the Minister of State for his response. The presentation made by the principal of St. Macartan's College, an all-boys secondary school, last Friday is one of the most powerful presentations that I have heard in all my years in this House. Everyone who was present was saddened, shocked, alarmed and fearful of the effect that social media is having on schools. The principals and teachers in all schools are at the coalface in that they are dealing with the effects of it on a daily basis. Some of the examples outlined by Mr. McCague were truly shocking. His fear is that we may look back on this era in time to come with sadness of regret. The Government is moving in terms of online safety but we need to more and do it quicker because we need to protect young people in their formative years and I fear that social media gives young people an impression of the world that is far from reality.
I again thank the Senator for raising these important issues. I assure him that online safety is a priority for the Government. Legislation and regulation are a vital part of minimising the availability of harmful and illegal content, especially for children. However, we need to ensure that those laws are effective, capable of being supervised and enforced in practice, and do not go beyond what is proportionate.
The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Deputy O’ Donovan, has made it a priority theme for the upcoming EU Presidency to work with our EU partners to ensure that our regulation remains robust and up to date and that children are safe in the online world. This is something that is not specific to this country. If we can work with other member states, we should do so because online safety is an issue that crosses boundaries. The Senator has outlined the impact that social media can have and highlighted the exceptional presentation given by the principal of St. Macartan's College. That speaks to how important online safety is kept to the forefront of our minds. Online safety is a big issue of this generation. It is important that online safety is discussed and teased out in detail, to which the Senator has contributed today. Departmental officials, the Minister and I will work to do everything that we can to address the harmful impacts of social media on young people, in particular.
I thank the Minister of State and the Senator.
Road Projects
I welcome the Minister of State. I cannot deny that I am disappointed again that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is elusive when it comes to appearing in this House.
Since being elected, I have consistently raised the issue of roads funding in counties Cavan and Monaghan. Roads across both counties are in a critical condition. Potholes, cracks and crumbling surfaces are accepted as normal. People pay their motor tax, carbon tax and tolls every day, yet they are driving on roads that are substandard and not fit for purpose.
Earlier this year, the Government announced roads funding and described it as a "significant investment". The overall allocation was a reduction of €28,000 when compared with the 2025 allocation. Meanwhile, there was an established shortfall of €110 million in roads investment and maintenance between 2008 and 2023.
Only yesterday, the R191 Canningstown to Bailieborough road, a major regional route, had to be closed because of a sinkhole. This shows the scale of the problem we face, which I have been trying to flag in this House at every chance I get. Official PSCI - pavement surface condition index - ratings show a substantial portion of the road network in County Cavan is between categories 1 and 4 and in categories 5 and 6, which are the worst categories. At the current rate of funding, it would take 40 years to clear the backlog to get the roads to an acceptable safe standard. People have a right to get to work safely, and on safe roads.
Cavan county councillors came to Leinster House many times last year with detailed evidence of road deterioration. They feel ignored and completely disrespected. The previous Government blamed the Green Party for prioritising greenways over roads, but the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, appears to be continuing with the same approach. If the Government cannot properly fund both, basic road infrastructure must come first.
Will additional funding be allocated for roads in Cavan and Monaghan this year?
Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome Deputy John Connolly and his guests from Galway. They are very welcome to the House.
I thank Senator O'Reilly for raising this issue and welcome the opportunity to discuss it on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien. The Senator's question relates to the funding provided for both Cavan and Monaghan county councils for the maintenance and improvement of regional local roads.
I assure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to our existing road network. Local authorities are responsible by statute for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads present in their respective areas of responsibility. Any work undertaken on these roads is funded by the resources of the local authority concerned and, where eligible, this is supplemented by the Department of Transport's regional and local roads grant programme. The initial selection and prioritisation of work to be funded is a matter, in the first instance, for the local authority.
The pressure on our regional and local roads is well understood, as is the critical role they play in supporting our economic activity and community links. As a result, the regional and local roads grant programme is primarily targeted at the maintenance and renewal of our existing roads network, with the remainder invested in new roads, new bridges and road realignments. The funds available through this programme have been steadily increasing in recent years. For 2026, €718 million was made available, which will facilitate an increase of €26 million for road protection and renewal throughout the country.
The grant programme operated by the Department is focused on specific policy objectives. Restoration maintenance grants look to pavement sealing to protect the road surface from water damage. Restoration improvement grants look to road strengthening to lengthen the life of road pavements. The discretionary grants available allow for a range of activities, including pothole repair, edge strengthening, renewal of signs and lines and winter maintenance. These three grant programmes account for most of the funding available.
The basis for determining the allocations for each local authority under this grant programme is related to the total number of kilometres of regional and local roads within their areas of responsibility. This is held as being the most equitable method of distribution. The current rate of inflation or level of population are not factors taken into consideration. For 2026, allocations were notified to local authorities on 17 February. Cavan and Monaghan county councils were allocated over €19 million and over €17 million, respectively, with most of this funding directed towards protection and renewal. In addition, in 2024 and 2025, both Cavan and Monaghan county councils received funding for several pilot projects relating to road materials. The Department is appreciative of the assistance provided in the delivery of on-site works under the reclaimed asphalt pavement project.
It should be noted that Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities' own resources. As the statutory road authorities for their areas, it is open to local authorities to prioritise own resource investment towards regional and local roads. In addition to the funding provided under the regional and local roads grant programme, national roads were also provided funding. For 2026, Cavan and Monaghan county councils were allocated €5.8 million and €10.1 million, respectively. This funding supports the maintenance, improvement and progression of new road projects.
The difficulty in delivering road programmes within existing budgets is understood, as is the additional difficulty caused by variability in the market. While there may be provisions within existing contracts that can be utilised, ultimately it is a matter for local authorities to prioritise work and determine what can be best achieved with their existing budgets.
The Minister of State's answer is interesting as it is just a definition of all the schemes and resources available. It does not tackle the actual issue. The Minister told councillors there would be a substantial increase in funding when, in fact, there was a decrease. Those are the facts. The Minister also said there would be an announcement before Christmas, but it did not happen until February.
Councillors and Oireachtas Members continue to constantly raise this issue, but it feels like our calls are falling on deaf ears. The Minister has not been into this Chamber more than a handful of times, despite being asked to come here on many occasions. He has time to open a road in Killydoon that had already been opened by Leo Varadkar. Why would we celebrate the opening of the Killydoon bypass when it is just another excuse for the Government to have a good photo op? This 3.5 km road will be opened, while people have to travel over potholes, sinkholes and cracks on the rest of the road network.
Councillors Shane P. O'Reilly, Adrian Rogers and Brendan Fay and the Sinn Féin councillors in County Cavan have all written to the cathaoirleach and chief executive of Cavan County Council to ask for a meeting with the Minister before he opens the road in Killydoon on Friday. The response they got was disrespectful and outrageous. It stated the Minister would only be there for 20 minutes and would not have time to talk to councillors. That is the level of respect being shown to these councillors, who include members of Fianna Fáil, the Minister's own party, who are also not happy with the situation.
We are being treated as an afterthought when it comes to infrastructural investment. We have huge increases in industry and a high volume of traffic. Roads are the backbone of our economy. People need to get their products to market, and that regional road is closed in a municipal district that has no national route. I have tabled Commencement matters on roads numerous times in this House and the Minister has still not turned up for a single debate.
Thank you, Senator O'Reilly. I have to give time to the Minister of State to respond.
If nothing is done, the roads will continue to deteriorate and it will become a bigger issue, as it did yesterday. There has still been no answer to the question I asked.
I thank Senator O'Reilly again. I will pass on her feedback and comments to the Minister and Department and raise with the Minister the fact that she has raised this significant issue in Cavan and Monaghan and is seeking additional funding.
As regards the response from the Department, it outlines the level of funding for this year, which was announced in February, with €19 million for Cavan and €17 million for Monaghan. It also outlines that funding for the upkeep and renewal of roads is allocated on a per kilometre basis nationally. It depends on the number of kilometres of road in each county. Nationally, this year, we saw a €26 million increase for road protection and renewal across the country, which meant there was €718 million available. That sum was then allocated on a per kilometre basis.
I am not sure of any fairer way to allocate this funding. It has long been the Department's position regarding how roads are maintained. County councils also have capacity within their own resources, which I accept are always stretched and there are many competing interests, to decide on how they allocate their resources and whether any additional amount is given to road maintenance. That is at the discretion of the local authority.
The Senator is seeking additional funding and she outlined the pressure on the road system in both Cavan and Monaghan. I will relay that to the Minister and Department.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.19 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.32 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.19 a.m. and resumed at 11.32 a.m.