I welcome the Minister of State to the House. She is most welcome to Seanad Éireann.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Women's Health
I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I wish to discuss the third phase of the women's health task force and action plan. Women's health has been neglected for too long in Ireland. Our pain has been minimised. Our voices are absent from medical research. Since my time as a Senator, I have been contacted by many women who have shared their health journeys with me. It is usually stories of frustration, long delays, disbelief at the system, disappointment and the experience of medical gaslighting. Some women outlined the impossible positions they have been put in financially that they cannot afford essential medication needed to manage their conditions. I have raised the question of Ryeqo with the Minister for Health and its funding through the drugs repayment scheme.
The action plan expands the GP programme for endometriosis diagnosis. I am grateful for that, but I am unclear if this is going to be mandatory for all GPs and if this is going to extend to all women's health conditions or specifically endometriosis. If a GP is not trained in women's health and gynaecology and if he or she is not listening to a patient or do not believe her, how are such women going to get a referral, and ultimately a diagnosis? Why do we not have more GPs across the country who can recognise the symptoms of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, PMOS, adenomyosis and endometriosis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, PMDD, and send patients for appropriate tests.
The task force does not go far enough to increase the number of expert gynaecologists providing front-line care. We are still sending women abroad. What is the Department is doing to attract expert clinicians to provide for women's health in Ireland? I was recently contacted by a woman called Aisling who had a successful endometriosis treatment in Ireland after undergoing the EndoSure test in the UK, which diagnosed her with both endometriosis and adenomyosis. Initial tests in Ireland found nothing wrong with her, so her GP would not refer her on to a consultant. She was fobbed off with hormonal contraceptives, which did absolutely nothing. She had to pay out of pocket for the tests in the UK. Aisling did find an excellent GP who helped her get treatment, but GPs like this seem to be rare.
Will the HSE be looking into and investigating the EndoSure testing procedure for Ireland? Will she provide a timeline for exploring that and doing that investigation? It could drastically improve diagnosis for endometriosis and adenomyosis in Ireland. I wish to highlight a very worrying aspect regarding the treatment of women-specific conditions. I have talked about medical gaslighting before. There is also the issue of gatekeeping. I have been contacted by women whose GPs are refusing to send them to gynaecologists. There are clinicians in the private health system who refuse to sign off on medical forms so women can avail of the endometriosis surgery abroad interim scheme, ESAIS. Women have been told that the pain in their heads or just bad periods. I am sure the Minister of State has heard similar things in her experience. It is kind of part of the ongoing oppression of women in Ireland that their pain is downplayed and they refuse to get objective investigation into their systems.
I welcome the prominent role that endometriosis has in this action plan. We still have no official statistics in Ireland about how long women are waiting for diagnosis and finally to be told that the pain is not in their heads and their pain is real. I am pleased to hear of the roll-out of the State-funded in vitro fertilisation, IVF, for women with endometriosis who are experiencing fertility issues. It is something that I have called for in this Chamber before. It is important, therefore, that we get early diagnosis for endometriosis instead of women languishing for years in pain, by which time they might have aged out of the eligibility for the IVF scheme. I wish to ask about some of the elements that are missing from the plan. There is no mention of adenomyosis, PMDD and PMOS, which was previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS. These are all hormone related conditions affecting women which are poorly understood.
The plan has some mental health initiatives, which I am sure the Minister of State engaged with as well in her capacity. The commitments to suicide and self-harm reduction are brilliant. I am not sure if that strategy is going to incorporate PMDD. Will it be taking holistic care and interdisciplinary care into account? I also welcome the national menstrual health awareness campaign. Again, linked to that, is that going to include PMDD? Up until that point, it has been missing. Is that going to link into the Department of education in secondary schools to ensure that menstrual health and PMDD are being taught to girls and boys equally? There is a commitment to pledge €2 million into research, which is fantastic. Is that going to be multi-annual funding for women's research? We have a huge gender gap when it comes to women's research in Ireland. Ireland is not awash with senior academics in women's health. We have loads of early and mid-career people who are fantastic. How can we build them up to ensure that the funding in place for their academic research to prosper?
I welcome the perinatal mother and baby unit. We have spoken about this in Chamber before. How can we extend that? Perinatal is obviously acute crisis. What are we doing to expand the postnatal supports into the community? The Year of Care campaign has called for a year of holistic support. That is focused community support, both physically but also mental recovery from the birth. We need to get to that stage in Ireland.
I thank the Senator for the way she has portrayed this in relation to welcoming the positives because we have made a lot of changes in the past six years especially. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to update the House on the third women's health action plan that was launched on 8 July.
To be fair, the Senator asked about 25 questions, so there is absolutely no way I will be able to get through them all. I have to put on the record that in the past five years the Government has made considerable progress in women's health, publishing three women's health action plans setting out practical actions and targeted investments to improve experiences and health outcomes for women and girls across Ireland. Since the establishment of the women's health task force in 2019, more than €180 million in additional funding has been invested in women's health. That was needed, and we all agree wholeheartedly on that.
The Department of Health now has Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as Minister, but also two Ministers of State, namely Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor and me. In the previous Dáil, it was the same in that there were two female Ministers. That is reflected in what we have seen in relation to the women's health task force, and from all the female Members in this Dáil, the last Dáil and the Seanad, who brought to the fore the fact that women's health had not been funded and was not given the respect it deserved. The plan will build on our knowledge of women's health through research and innovation and will spotlight important areas such as endometriosis and cardiovascular health.
Recently, the Minister announced €2 million in funding for women's health research. This is the first time Irish research funding has been dedicated specifically to women's health. The Minister has put a huge focus on endometriosis since she came into the role. It is important to note that, during our Presidency of the EU, one of the four major conferences that will be held in Ireland will be on endometriosis. Another will be on mental health, I am delighted to say.
The €2 million investment aims to address a historical gap in knowledge and understanding of women's health issues and the impact of gender on health outcomes and experiences. Major improvements are happening across services: enhanced access to proactive and preventive healthcare to support a better quality of life; the embedding and upscaling of women's health initiatives put in place through the implementation of the previous women's health action plans, including, as the Senator knows, free contraception, specialist menopause services, mental health services, ambulatory gynaecology clinics and postnatal hubs; the promotion of social inclusion, connectedness and equity to improve the experiences of marginalised groups of women; and the spotlighting of key areas that women and girls have asked us to prioritise, including endometriosis.
We know that endometriosis is one of the most common gynaecological conditions in Ireland, affecting approximately one in seven women, although the true number is unknown. This plan will continue to focus on how we can improve access to specialist endometriosis care and treatment.
As the Senator knows, we have established two super-regional specialist centres, one in Tallaght University Hospital and another in Cork, alongside the development of five regional endometriosis hubs. There was specific investment of over €5 million in the provision of these specialised services between 2021 and 2025. This includes investment of over €2 million last year to further drive the development of these services.
The national endometriosis framework recognises the importance of timely fertility support for women. It promotes integrated care between fertility and endometriosis services, with structured referral pathways supporting women to access the most appropriate care for their needs. Fertility specialists can investigate and manage endometriosis and, where clinically indicated, refer patients for publicly funded assisted human reproduction treatment.
On the Senator's question, any consideration of the introduction or use of saliva-based genetic tests for endometriosis in the Irish public health service would be a matter for the HSE, in consultation with clinical experts in the field of endometriosis and the Department.
Before I invite Senator Stephenson back in, I welcome members of the Young Entrepreneurs Club to the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Cuirim fáilte romhaibh go léir. We have a note here about no homework, but I want to allow that voucher to be carried forward to September, if that is okay, because it will still be relevant then.
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. On the €180 million, the annual health budget last year was €27 billion. I am aware that women's health supports are covered in the annual health budget. In that context, the €180 million since 2020 for women's health feels shockingly small. I have tabled a parliamentary question on this and the Department's response will share the breakdown of where the €180 million goes. It is a question around the commitment to multi-annual funding for research and how we are using that funding. I appreciate that the Minister of State will not have the answers because the Department is getting the breakdown of the €180 million for me at the moment. If the free contraception scheme, the new State-funded IVF for women with endometriosis and the free hormone replacement therapy are covered under that, it seems even smaller in many ways. It is shockingly small compared with the overall health budget.
I appreciate that the Minister of State cannot answer this on the fly because the Department has not got the data yet, but it is something to consider when we examine the overall health budget versus the women's health budget. The latter feels very small, worryingly small, including when we take into account the decades of underinvestment.
That is where I do not agree with the Senator. I believe €180 million of funding ring-fenced for women's health, when we have come from a low base, is absolutely unbelievable. If you look at the women's health action plan for the period 2026 to 2027, you see it is all about listening, investing, delivering and repeating in respect of women's health. We are listening to women, investing, delivering and repeating. The plan runs in two-year cycles, ensuring targeted actions and continued momentum for improvements to the health experiences and outcomes of women and girls in Ireland. For example, HRT would be funded under the drugs budget, which is a massive €4 billion per year. It would not be coming out of here.
We now have 18 see-and-treat ambulatory gynaecology clinics. That has all happened in the past six years. We have 16 funded eating disorder teams. When I came into this post in 2020, we had one. We have six regional fertility hubs. Have we more to do? We absolutely do, but what we have is a dedicated focus, dedicated funding and a Government that wants to keep delivering for women's health.
I also welcome guests of the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, from County Wicklow. They are all very welcome. I congratulate them on their recent Tailteann Cup success.
Mental Health Services
I thank the Minister of State very much for being here to respond to my Commencement matter. She and I have spoken both publicly and privately in relation to it. She is an incredibly strong advocate for preventive measures and for positive mental health, which we always need to focus on. We must ensure that everybody's, and particularly every young person's, mental health is valued and supported, and that where a young person needs early intervention, he or she can get that. That is the motto and the value of the organisation called Jigsaw. It is a terrific organisation and, most important, there is great trust in it, both from young people and their families and communities. We are always encouraging young people to talk about challenges or issues they may have with their mental health. Once they start talking about it and asking for help, they need to get that help. That is certainly something on which Jigsaw is very focused.
When we are talking about young people's mental health, we know that about 2% of those looking for support may need to go to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, which entails an intervention at a more serious level. About 33% of those who need support do not need to go to an organisation like CAMHS but need to have support that is confidential.
Jigsaw works not just one-to-one in youth therapy. Very importantly, it also works with community programmes. It works with schools, sports organisations, youth clubs and community organisations, so it is really reaching young people where they are. We know young people are showing signs of stress or anxiety and that it is a very stressful and anxious world. Interventions can be made at this stage.
The reason I have tabled this Commencement matter is that I have been advocating for a long time for Newbridge to have a Jigsaw service. According to the census figures, Kildare has the highest proportion of young people aged under 24 in the State, representing 36.6% of our total population.
It is representing 36.6% of our total population. The number of under-25s in Kildare is actually higher than the total population of Offaly, Cavan, Sligo, Roscommon, Monaghan, Carlow, Longford and Leitrim. In 2020, the number of young people admitted to a child or adolescent psychiatric unit was far higher than the State rate in Kildare. There is a huge scale of need. I always hate talking about these figures, but in terms of the rate of youth suicide, Kildare has the highest rate in Leinster. According to CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023, in 2022 the figure was 26 and in 2021 it was 27. Demand is rising sharply for services. For other CAMHS services that are surrounding Kildare, parents and people in authority are contacting Jigsaw services that are outside Kildare. It is very evident. The case is made that we need to have the service. The case is also made in relation to the statistics that Jigsaw has itself in terms of its success rate. There is no doubt that more young people are reaching out and Jigsaw is certainly keeping pace. Young people are being seen sooner. If they need other referrals, Jigsaw can work with other organisations. When young people get support, it works. That is the most important thing. I stand here on behalf of the young people of Newbridge and the surrounding areas. If it was located in Newbridge, we would also have an outreach in respect of other areas. I hope the Minister of State has positive news for me today.
I thank the Senator for raising this important matter in the House today and for her consistent and persistent advocacy in support of expanding youth mental health services in Kildare. This is not new to the Senator. She has been doing this for as long as I have known her, over her ten years in these Houses, in advocating for positive youth mental health supports, positive well-being and those crisis interventions when they are needed most.
In developing child and youth mental health services, the HSE aims to promote positive mental health. The Senator is quite right in what she said. We have about 1.2 million young people under 18 in Ireland now. Ten or 12 years ago that figure was about 900,000 so there is more of a demand for services. The Senator is also quite right that only 2% of young people thankfully will need the support of CAMHS. However there are a lot of other supports that we need to provide, whether through youth clubs, Foróige, family resource centres or the likes of Jigsaw, early interventions or primary care psychology. All of that working together can support an awful lot of young people so they do not end up needing the support of CAMHS.
I have worked with Jigsaw since coming into this role six years ago and compliment it on the work it does. Jigsaw will receive almost €16.5 million from the HSE under a service level agreement in 2026 from the mental health budget, to provide youth mental health services for those with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. As the Senator is quite aware, no new physical Jigsaw locations had been funded between 2020 and 2025, when the organisation pivoted to develop a suite of new digital services. I want to make it really clear that no matter where people are in the country, they can contact Jigsaw online. However, after Covid it became very clear again that young people like the physical interaction of being able to go to a physical location. In 2022 I opened a Jigsaw in Tipperary, which had been funded previously. We have not opened one since because the digital services were available to all young people. Jigsaw also went through a restructuring phase and has come out of that really well. It has reduced the waiting list, which is really important. We are currently working closely with it to support the expansion of Jigsaw services to Waterford and the south east, as well as to County Clare. The location of Waterford was picked because we have no services in the south east at all. It is great that we will have the hub and spoke model the Senator spoke about. Jigsaw will be based in the city but will have a spoke into west Waterford and other areas of the south east. It is also expanding to County Clare. We have a Jigsaw in Limerick and we are going to put a spoke in there.
Kildare is high on my agenda in respect of Jigsaw. It speaks for itself, with the statistics the Senator has provided and the number of young people. The HSE working with Jigsaw would have the ultimate decision on location but Newbridge having 36% of the population really speaks to a massive demand. We are just starting with the Estimates process now and I will be working really hard to secure the funding to expand a youth mental health service provision, as these go out to tender as well. My aim is to make sure that there will be another presence of Jigsaw within budget 2027. The Senator's area is very high up on the list to deliver a Jigsaw. We have a few areas that specifically need them, we all know where they are and Kildare is one of them. I will continue to work with the Senator on this because it is really important.
I was able to work very closely with Waterford City and County Council to secure a premises in Waterford. It is very difficult to provide the funding for the premises plus the services. If we were able to rent a premises in a particular area, working with local authorities and the community on the ground, it is very helpful.
I thank the Minister of State for her positive response. In terms of premises, I had meetings with Jigsaw over the years in Newbridge and we did look at various premises. No later than yesterday, I spoke to the chief executive of Kildare County Council in relation to this. Local councillors Noel Heavey and Rob Power had a motion tabled in Kildare County Council regarding premises. As we all know, the population of Kildare has really expanded. We are actually short on space for existing services. Having said that, I have written to local estate agents and I have made contacts to other commercial entities within the area. I do appreciate that having the right space is important. We need to have a big space for Jigsaw to function. Hopefully it would be Jigsaw although I appreciate that it needs to go out to tender. We feel in conversation that we would need to have quite a sizable premises. I am undertaking that work together with the authorities. I know the Minister of State will appreciate that Newbridge is just totally squeezed. We do not even have a community centre there, which is shocking in itself. We need to have more. We have started that search. I am working with Jigsaw and certainly would hope, in conversations we have had with it, that we will have a positive announcement at budget time. That is really why I wanted to have the Commencement debate now. We know the Minister of State is working very assiduously with the Minister for Finance and the Minister for public expenditure in relation to getting the services but also rightly getting value for money. This has to be an absolute priority and I appreciate the positivity from the Minister of State today.
I am hearing the Senator loud and clear. There is only a short time but there are two things I want to address now. The reply that has been provided also outlines the supports that are available in Kildare, which I will put on the record of the Seanad. Kildare In Sync provides a wide range of youth and family services. The Naas Child and Family Project is part of In Sync youth and family services. In Sync also provides youth counselling service to 11 to 25-year-olds, and supports the LGBT community. It is important to say that there are supports there. I visited the CAMHS teams in Linn Dara last year and want to compliment the really good work that is going on.
In relation to any proposal, a proposal for a new location requires a detailed business case, a premises, support from the regional HSE management, and the necessary funding to resource the staffing of the service. That is where I come into it and what I will be trying to do. Any new proposal also requires agreement from the HSE national child and youth mental health office, which I work very closely with in the context of agreeing new service priorities. The whole focus now as we deliver services across Ireland is from a heat map of geographical locations pinpointing the areas that do not have a particular service. That is what I want to do.
I look forward to working closely with the Senator on this because I recognise, appreciate and acknowledge that it is crying out for a youth mental health service such as Jigsaw in her area.
Electoral Commission
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting my Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. It is always good to have a return visitor here in the Seanad and he is always very welcome.
This morning, I seek an update on the Government's response to the final report of the local democracy task force and particularly its recommendations around strengthening our local democracy and local government and reviewing or potentially revising the local electoral boundaries.
At the outset, I thank the councillors, including those from my own party, Fianna Fáil, and others, along with the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, under the chairmanship of Mr. Jim Breslin, who worked on and produced an excellent final local democracy task force report.
As the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on local government here in the Seanad, this is an issue I have raised previously with the Minister of State and other Ministers. I raise it not just because I am a spokesperson on local government but I am a former city councillor myself. I fully appreciate the value of local government and local democracy and how local communities really value their elected local representatives. It is really important that the Government responds constructively to the local democracy report.
Last year, we had statements on the task force and at that point, I highlighted the need for the Government to take actions to strengthen local democracy and ensure that local councils can effectively represent their communities and respond to their communities' needs. More recently, in March, I sought an update from the Minister on the progress of the task force report. I again urged the Government to take on board the recommendations. It was in March that the local democracy task force actually submitted or presented its final report to the Minister, Deputy James Browne. I know the Minister has been considering it with his officials.
However, councillors and councils right around the country - we have 31 local authorities - and the communities they serve are really anxious to hear a response from Government to that report. They are really engaged in their local communities and in local democracy. One issue that is of particular importance is the potential for the local boundary reviews. The local elections will obviously take place in 2029. Population growth and changing demographics mean that electoral areas must be reviewed and it is really important to ensure that there is fair and adequate representation. Every citizen's voice should carry equal weight, regardless of where he or she lives, so the boundary review is really important. It is also important for the communities because they want to know that their natural historic boundaries are going to be respected and protected.
I have a couple of questions for the Minister of State. What recommendations from the local democracy task force has the Government accepted? Is there going to be a review of the boundaries? How will that review take place? When will it take place? Has the Electoral Commission got the resources to undertake it and how are councillors and local communities going to be consulted on it? Our local democracy is of incredible importance. It is the part of government that is closest to the citizens and our communities and it is really important that there is transparency and clarity around this. I want a review or a response from the Government that is going to strengthen local government and local democracy, as well as empowering our elected representatives and our local communities. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
At the outset, I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important issue this morning. I am acutely aware of the strong interest that exists within this House in matters relating to local government. Members have consistently demonstrated their commitment to strengthening local democracy and supporting local authorities in their vital role.
As Minister of State with responsibility for local government and a former councillor for many years, I greatly value and appreciate the ongoing advocacy and engagement that comes from all sides of this Chamber. I am conscious that the establishment of the local democracy task force was a key recommendation arising from the Seanad Public Consultation Committee's report on the future of local democracy, which was published last year. In that context, I welcome the opportunity to address the House and to provide an update on the progress made today in advancing that recommendation and strengthening local democracy more generally.
The local democracy task force was established in June of last year as a key commitment under the programme for Government, with a broad and ambitious mandate set out in its terms of reference. The work of the task force built on the substantial body of research and analysis already undertaken in this area, including the Seanad Public Consultation Committee's report on the future of local democracy and important contributions from the Association of Irish Local Government and the Council of Europe on the powers, function and responsibilities of local government. The task force was charged with delivering its report within the challenging timeframe of six to nine months. However, considerable preparatory work already completed across the sector provided a strong foundation and enabled that timeline to be achieved.
The task force, as the Senator rightly pointed out, was chaired by Mr. Jim Breslin, a distinguished former senior public servant. Its membership reflected a broad range of expertise and perspectives, including representatives of elected members, local authority executives, the National Oversight and Audit Commission, the Local Government Audit Service and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as a number of independent experts. To ensure a structured and comprehensive examination of the issues, the task force was organised under four work themes: structures, funding, functions and governance and accountability within the local government sector. Dedicated pillar groups, comprising subject matter experts with extensive practical experience, provided detailed, evidence-based analysis that advised to inform the development of the task force recommendations.
In total, more than 50 individuals contributed to this work through the task force and its pillar groups. The task force itself met on nine occasions, while the pillar groups collectively met on more than 40 occasions, demonstrating a significant commitment of time and expertise. Meaningful stakeholder engagement was at the heart of the process. Engagement took place with a wide range of organisations and representative bodies, including employer and employee representatives, community and voluntary organisations, academic experts and other key stakeholders. The task force also invited submissions from political parties and the wider sector and it met with representatives of this House, resulting in a very strong level of participation and engagement. This extensive consultation process provides a strong basis for confidence that the recommendations reflect not only the views and experience of the local government sector itself but also those of communities, organisations and citizens who depend on local authorities for their everyday services.
The Senator specifically raised the matter of the boundary review. This was a matter that was considered as part of the local democracy task force. It was asked to take account of and consider options for a future framework for reviewing numbers and in doing so, to take account of significant population growth since 2014. As has been confirmed by the Minister, Deputy Browne and I on a number of occasions, that final report was submitted to us and we are carefully considering the recommendations, with the implementation at a very advanced stage and due to go before Government as soon as possible.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. We might get copies of the Minister of State's response. That would be useful for Senators.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. It would be nice to have a copy of it; we will get it from the transcript. However, I have to say it is terribly disappointing. The Minister of State's response has essentially just described the process. We are all aware of the process. We are all very engaged in and understand how many people participated and contributed, and how many councillors and officials gave of their time, energy and talents to produce a report.
The Government has a very significant task and has an awful lot of demands on it.
I urge the Minister of State to push the Government to respond meaningfully to our elected representatives and, most important, our local communities. Our local authorities, councillors and communities deserve it. They want to know what the Government's response is to this detailed, evidence-based, informed report. They also want to know what action the Government will take to support local communities, local democracy and our elected local representatives.
When it comes to the boundary review, I would appreciate if the Minister of State would ask the Electoral Commission to come back to us with a written report or statement on how it proposes to undertake the boundary reviews. We are very conscious it is not just a local electoral boundary review. There are potentially general election and European election boundary reviews. The Electoral Commission is doing fine work, but is it really set up to undertake three reviews in a short timeframe with all the other demands that are going on? It would be helpful to me and other Members if we could get such a statement from the Electoral Commission.
As Minister of State with responsibility for local government, I can assure the Senator that extensive work has been undertaken by officials in the Department since the task force presented its recommendations to the Minister, Deputy Browne, and me. As she can imagine, it is a very detailed report, for all of the reasons I set out in my initial response. As a result, we have to carefully examine all of those recommendations and put an effective implementation plan in place.
The boundary review element requires a Government decision, which is part of the local democracy task force report. That is being worked on, as I said. I assure the Senator that the Minister and I are determined to ensure that local democracy is strengthened, that the roles and responsibilities of councillors are enhanced and that they are able to effectively hold the Executive to account within the local authority system. That is the overall premise of the local democracy task force and the recommendations that have come out of it.
Communities receive about 1,000 services from local government and I am committed to ensuring that this next generation of reform will put local government in good stead, but we need to get it right. We need to consider the recommendations and it will need to go to the Government for a decision on it.
Public Transport
I welcome the Minister of State. My ask is for the Minister for Transport to liaise with Irish Rail and Bus Éireann to ensure that adequate transport is provided for all football supporters from Kerry and Mayo for the upcoming All-Ireland final.
I congratulate Kerry and Mayo on reaching this year's All-Ireland football final. I pay particular tribute to my own team, Kerry, and Jack O'Connor on their outstanding semi-final victory against our great rivals, Dublin, at the weekend. It was tremendous performance, displaying skill, determination and character, and it has again filled the kingdom with a real sense of pride and excitement. I also commend Mayo on an excellent campaign. I wish both teams every success in what promises to be a fantastic final on Sunday, 26 July.
However, as that excitement builds ahead of the biggest day in the GAA's calendar, there is again a growing concern among Kerry and Mayo supporters and others about how they will get to Croke Park. Last weekend, three additional rail services were provided for Kerry supporters travelling to Dublin, yet even the third train sold out online within 15 minutes. That train was added on the Thursday before the semi-final on the Sunday and it was just too late. That level of demand sends a very clear message that the appetite is there but the transport capacity is not. On average, a train pulling out of Tralee can transport 400 people. Twelve hundred people had been booked in by Thursday and then an extra train was put in place, carrying another 400 people. Ultimately, 1,600 were transported to Heuston. This is not just a Kerry issue or a Mayo issue; it is a national issue. We heard yesterday on the Order of Business that even Louth and Wicklow supporters had difficulties getting to Croke Park last Saturday.
The All-Ireland final is one of the largest sporting events in the country, bringing tens of thousands of supporters together. We must be prepared to think outside the box and explore every possible option to get people to Dublin safely, efficiently and affordably. This means looking beyond the standard timetable. It means considering additional rail services, extra Bus Éireann capacity, private coach partnerships, park-and-ride options and any other practical measures that can help meet the exceptional demand that occurs on occasions of this scale. Supporters should not be left scrambling for transport or be forced onto overcrowded roads because suitable public transport options are not available. Just as important, any decision on additional services must be communicated as early as possible, not just 24 hours before the game. Supporters of both sides are already making plans. Families, clubs, groups of friends and volunteers need that certainty. They need to know today, or no later than Friday, and not a few days before the game what transport options will be available so that they can organise their journeys, book their tickets and make arrangements with confidence.
Therefore, I urge the Minister for Transport to engage immediately with Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and all relevant stakeholders to assess the demand and put in place sufficient additional services for supporters from Kerry and Mayo. Early planning and clear communication will not only reduce stress for supporters but also help manage traffic, improve safety, which we all need, and ensure that everyone can focus on what should be a great celebration of Gaelic games.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a thógáil. We might be a bit like Joe Canning and Dónal Og Cusack now talking about trains and buses but the Senator is right; it is an important topic. The travelling public and the supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve certainty and require modes of transport other than cars to go to Croke Park on Sunday week.
The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and funding but his remit does not cover scheduling or the monitoring of routes. Those are matters for Bus Éireann and Irish Rail. Nevertheless, I have spoken to both providers about public transport for the All-Ireland final, as I did last year when Cork were in the final.
The NTA has responsibility for securing the provision of public transport passenger services. Its priority is to provide scheduled public transport services on the TFI network. It works with event organisers, operators, local authorities and An Garda Síochána to provide additional transport supports where it is possible to do so. The focus of the remit of the Department of Transport and the NTA with respect to events like the All-Ireland final is to provide additional transport to support large-scale events where required and where operators are in a position, in terms of drivers, fleet and available funding, to provide an additional service. In the case of Cork, Stephen Hackett of Irish Rail in Cork has always been very proactive.
I have been assured by Irish Rail that since last weekend when the All-Ireland final between Mayo and Kerry was confirmed, work has begun to provide additional services for Mayo and Kerry supporters. In this case, for Kerry and Mayo, as the Senator rightly said, it will see a high demand for scheduled and additional services. The Senator has outlined the volume of tickets sales. This is the busiest time for scheduled intercity services anyway, given that it is peak summer time, and that is a priority. In saying that, it is also important that we look at the Monday morning services and have those trains in place, which is part of where we are going, in the scheduling of additional train services.
Irish Rail will operate additional services for supporters from both counties. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the supporters of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael.
The number of extra trains will be determined by available fleet, drivers and infrastructure capacity. I understand from speaking to Irish Rail that it hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week - I am hoping this will be today or tomorrow - and it will advise customers as soon as these services are available to book. The Senator is correct that the travelling public, the supporter, deserves to know as soon as possible in order to make plans.
As Senator Kennelly outlined, it is expected that all additional trains will sell out very quickly, as was the case with the extra services operated for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Dare I say it, even Kerry supporters travelled, and they are not used to travelling. As a Cork man, I will not go there today.
In the case of our friends from Mayo, Bus Éireann operates the Expressway route 22 from Ballina to Dublin. I understand from the company that the Expressway team is currently examining whether additional services on route 22 will be added on the morning of Sunday, 26 July.
The Department of Transport has ensured that significant collaboration is taking place between the National Transport Authority, NTA, and operators in order that sufficient public transport capacity is provided for major events. For example, in the last week or so, additional public transport services have been provided to service events on top of the scheduled transport services for the concerts in Malahide, the Aviva Stadium and Marley Park, as well as for the Croke Park match fixtures and events. Additional Luas tram services have been provided over that period of time and Dublin Bus provided numerous additional bus services to facilitate crowds. Additional bus services have also been added to facilitate events in Malahide Castle, the Aviva Stadium, St. Anne's Park, Marlay Park, Fairview Park and the 3 Arena. For those using toll roads, the toll booths will have extra staff. It is important that people recognise they can use their card at the tolls and should have the correct change if using cash. Using a toll tag also allows drivers to pass through the tolls quicker.
I wish both teams well on Sunday week, and I wish Limerick and Galway well this Sunday. I hope all the travelling public have a safe journey to and from the match. Go n-éirí leo go léir.
Mayo for Sam.
I welcome the Minister of State's comments and his assurance as regards Irish Rail's statement that, as soon as the all-Ireland football final was confirmed, work began to arrange additional services and the company hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week. I ask that the Minister of State double down with Irish Rail and Bus Éireann on whatever additional services are needed. The timing of this can take away people's fear about how they will get to Dublin. The Minister of State mentioned people travelling from Kerry to Dublin. The Kerry supporters are the most loyal supporters in the country-----
You cannot beat the Cork supporters.
Well, we can-----
Without Cork, the GAA would be a poorer place.
Unfortunately, Kerry is a very remote county. It is the most beautiful county in the country but we have people living in Ventry, for example, who need an hour and a half just to get to a train station and then have to make a four-hour journey by train to Heuston Station. I am raising my voice today to make sure extra services are put on before tomorrow to let people know they can travel from Ventry, Sneem and all over Kerry to Tralee and there will be extra capacity on the trains from there. I thank the Minister of State for his response. If we have the luck of the Cork people behind us going to Croke Park, I am sure it will be a great day out for the kingdom.
The Senator mentioned Sneem and Ventry. He and I will remember our great friends, the late, great John Egan and Paudie O'Shea, as well as the Senator's brother Tim. I get emotional because they were great GAA people. Cork and Kerry have the best supporters of the GAA. The Senator is right that it is important we provide additional transport. I will temper expectations, however, by making the point that there is only so much Irish Rail and Bus Éireann can do, as the Senator will know. We do not have routes that would support everyone travelling.
To be fair to the NTA, it has a dedicated team which attends pre-event meetings, so we do see planning. In the case of Irish Rail, I give the example of Stephen Hackett in Cork. There is a lot of work going on there, and I am sure the same applies in Kerry.
I commit to relaying the points the Senator has made on the floor of the House, and has conveyed to me in private, to the Department of Transport. To be fair to the Senator, it was not only this morning that he has articulated this. The travelling supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve additional transport. I will impress upon Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and private tour and coach operators the need to have extra services available.
I hope that whatever happens on Sunday week, we will have a great all-Ireland final. There are many who think that Kerry has won enough of them and that Mayo deserves to win at least one in our lifetime, but that is a different matter.
The points are well made, and the Acting Chairperson, being an advocate of public transport, will recognise that.
We congratulate Wicklow on winning the Tailteann Cup last weekend. It was a great comeback. What we can agree on is that Cumann Lúthchleas Gael brings us all together. It is a wonderful organisation and our job is to ensure we can all enjoy it. I wish the best of luck to the four teams taking part in the all-Ireland football and hurling finals in the coming weeks.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.25 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.33 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.25 a.m and resumed at 11.33 a.m.