Written Answers Nos. 128-147
128. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reporting process for historical physical abuse in schools whether committed by staff or by other children and allowed/facilitated by staff; whether the full scope of the current Commission of Investigation covers this; if not, the reason; and whether any commission or planned commission in her remit or outside her remit has scope for this type of abuse. [15415/26]
View answerThe Department takes child protection very seriously and considers that the protection and welfare of children is a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children. Since the introduction of a revised primary school curriculum in 1970 and the total prohibition of use of corporal punishment from 1 February 1982 child protection requirements and procedures in schools have been introduced and strengthened on a number of occasions.
The Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 set out what individuals and organisations need to do to keep children safe and how to deal with concerns about a child’s safety or welfare.
Following the publication of the Children First Guidance in 2017, new Child Protection procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools, were published. The procedures provide detailed direction to school management and staff on the identification of and response to child protection concerns and were last updated in May 2025. The procedures outline when schools are required to report retrospective abuse allegations to Tusla-the Child and Family Agency and/or An Garda Síochána. A report must be made to Tusla where the person against whom there is an allegation may pose a current risk to children. The procedures also contain advice for the school on how to respond to an adult who may disclose abuse that took place in their childhood.
The obligations and responsibilities which arise from the procedures have been taken very seriously by schools since their implementation and there is a very strong culture of child protection across the school sector. Resources to support child protection procedures are available at www.gov.ie/childprotectionschools.
The Department does not investigate the concerns which come to its attention but ensures that the details of any concern reported to the Department, including reports which relate to historical abuse, are immediately passed on to the relevant authorities, that is, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and/or the school authorities as appropriate.
The Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools has been established by the Government to investigate the handling of historical child sexual abuse in schools. This was recommended by the Scoping Inquiry whose remit was to consider the issue of historical sexual abuse, as distinct from physical abuse which is a separate issue.
It is clear from survivors of child sexual abuse who took part in the Scoping Inquiry’s extensive Survivor Engagement process that they want to see the Commission of Investigation completed in a timely manner. The Commission is required to complete its work within a period of five years, using a sampling approach, and the scope of the Commission has been set out in its terms of reference to enable it to meet this critically important objective for survivors of child sexual abuse. The remit of the Commission is solely historical child sexual abuse.
129. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the Stage 1 Submission regarding an ASD Class at a school (details supplied) which was submitted in April 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15419/26]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Department's pipeline of projects under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The project will provide two science labs and one prep area, one home economics room, one music room, one textiles room, a two class special education needs (SEN) base and ancillary accommodation. This project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.
A Stage 1 (preliminary design) report was submitted to my Department in April 2025. This report is currently undergoing a comprehensive technical and cost review. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due-diligence requirements set out in my Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
As the Deputy will be aware, the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030 was recently published. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My Department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, also published was a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. This summer, 8 schools in Co. Cavan are approved to undergo works as part of the Summer Works Scheme/Climate Action Scheme.
These projects are in addition to €92.61 million in capital funding for Cavan schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of 24 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 4 school projects in Cavan under construction.
My Department recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engaging with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately form the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the Department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by my Department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
130. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will support the roll-out of transition year to all students, and working towards transition year being mandatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15456/26]
View answerThe Transition Year programme is a valuable optional programme at Senior Cycle. It offers students opportunities for life skills, for personal, social and academic development, and to explore different pathways and gain experience of adult and working life.
Transition Year is one of a number of programmes available to students at Senior Cycle alongside the Leaving Certificate Established, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, Leaving Certificate Applied, and the recently established Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level Learning Programmes. The availability of diverse pathways at Senior Cycle is critical to enabling schools to provide students with the learning supports most appropriate to their needs and ambitions. It is therefore not the intention of my Department or I to make Transition Year a mandatory programme for all schools.
The Deputy will be aware, however, that the Programme for Government and the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document (published in May 2025) contain commitments to work with students and schools to identify and address any barriers to participation, to ensure all students who wish to avail of Transition Year have the option to do so.
At present, over 99% of post-primary schools indicate that they offer a Transition Year programme. This year, for the fourth consecutive year, a record level of participation has been recorded for Transition Year. Over 62,000 students are enrolled in Transition Year programmes this year. This represents an increase of more than 14,000 students compared to 2020. However, we know that not every school is able to accommodate every student who wishes to participate.
My officials are currently assessing the level of unmet demand for access to Transition Year; identifying the causes of same, and determining how to assist schools in meeting that demand, whilst recognising that some students prefer to proceed directly to another Senior Cycle programme. As Minister, I remain committed to maintaining educational choice and diverse pathways at Senior Cycle while working towards universal access to the Transition Year programme for all students who wish to participate in it.
131. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is working on a set curriculum for transition year to complete a base level of topics and subjects, while leaving scope for flexibility for schools to undertake individual subjects and topics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15457/26]
View answerAs part of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme, a new Transition Year (TY) Programme Statement was published in September 2024, which provides schools with a framework for developing their own Transition Year programmes.
Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within the parameters of the Programme Statement, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, schools are advised to take into consideration the needs of students alongside the views of parents, employers, and the wider interests of the local community.
The local autonomy of schools, working within the parameters of the TY Programme Statement, is fundamental to fostering school-led innovations and allows schools to adapt their TY curriculum so that students have opportunities to develop the key competencies to thrive and flourish in this rapidly changing world.
Over the 2024/25 school year, all schools had the opportunity to audit their current Transition Year offering and revise it where necessary in line with the updated Programme Statement. The new Programme Statement is now in full effect for all programmes across all schools going forward, inclusive of those that commenced in the current school year (2025/26).
The Programme Statement sets out four Student Dimensions as the core foundations upon which Transition Year programmes should be designed. The four Student Dimensions centre on Personal Growth; Being a Learner; Civic and Community Engagement, and Career Development respectively.
The Programme Statement outlines how components within each Student Dimension deliver continued learning in some subjects, subject sampling, and TY specific modules to provide a balanced and broad set of experiences. The Programme Statement specifies time allocations for continued learning in the subjects of English, Irish, Mathematics, P.E. and SPHE. However, the Programme Statement makes clear that Transition Year is a standalone year in Senior Cycle and should not be used as a way to explicitly spread Leaving Certificate subject specifications over three years.
The Programme Statement continues to offer schools a significant level of autonomy while placing more structure on the design of Transition Year programmes. The Programme Statement was developed following public consultation in which the level of autonomy for schools was welcomed while also providing parameters and guidance within which schools work to develop the TY Programme.
132. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the 2025 holiday meal pilot evaluation will be published; the indicators (attendance, wellbeing, cost per participant) which will determine scale-up for summer 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15458/26]
View answerIn line with the Government’s wider commitment to end child poverty, the Child Poverty and Well Being Office in the Department of the Taoiseach engaged with Youth Affairs Unit in the Department of Education and Youth (DEY) to run a pilot in 2025 to address holiday hunger during the summer months. The pilot was aimed at young people engaged with UBU Your Place Your Space (UBU) youth services, aged between 10 and 18 years old.
The aim of the Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme was to provide a hot or substantial meal to young people attending UBU youth services during June, July and August 2025. The target group consisted of young people who are at risk of not having access to a hot meal or any substantial meal during the official school closure periods.
41 UBU youth services, across the 16 education and training boards (ETBs), took part in the pilot which launched on 3 June 2025, with over 3,200 young people benefitting from the programme.
Following the pilot’s success in 2025, the department intends to run the pilot again this year (2026), subject to sanction, and expression of interest details will be issued to ETBs in due course.
An external evaluator, procured by ETBI, conducted an end-to-end analysis of the pilot programme, to assess whether this approach can tackle holiday hunger. The evaluation report is currently being finalised.
133. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the youth information policy review will conclude; the changes which are envisaged for omnichannel delivery (details supplied) to meet current demand and misinformation challenges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15459/26]
View answerIn 2026, €1.557 million has been allocated by the Department of Education and Youth to fund youth information centres through the education and training boards. Twenty of these centres are based in youth services across the country. The remaining centre is spunout.ie, which provides youth information online.
These youth information centres provide young people with a trusted source of information on rights, opportunities, health, wellbeing, welfare and other matters, and are a means by which they can find their way to more specialised help when they need it.
spunout.ie also hosts an online youth information chat service, staffed by youth information workers across the network of Youth Information Centres, which enables young people to reach professional youth information workers without physically visiting a youth information centre.
The department is currently reviewing youth information policy to ensure that it remains up-to-date and relevant to the lives and information needs of today’s young people. Given the scale and pace of the changes in the information ecosystem that young people inhabit, including such challenges as misinformation and the advent of artificial intelligence, this is a complex topic and significant work remains to be done to determine an appropriate structure for delivery of youth information going forward.
134. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth when funding will be provided for a new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15572/26]
View answerThe brief for the major building project referred to by the Deputy will delivery a 1,000 pupil Post Primary School and accommodation, including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs at Le Fanu Road, Ballyfermot.
This project is currently planned to be delivered as part of Phase 2 of my Department's ADAPT 4 Programme - Programme Innovate.
This programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.
This programme will be led by (IPTs) Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.
The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of IPTs for the Phase 2 bundle of projects, which includes this project.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued roll-out of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project roll-out to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.
Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme roll-out to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by my department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
My Department will continue to keep the school and it’s patron body updated as the project progresses.
135. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out the policy in her Department regarding the use of artificial intelligence; whether AI is used or permitted in drawing up policy documents, speeches, answers to parliamentary questions, press releases or for other official documents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15614/26]
View answerAt present, my Department has a trial of a generative AI tool currently in progress. The scope of this trial includes using AI to assist with general knowledge-based support tasks, such as, summarising content, proposing responses to general informational queries, searching for and explanation of information.
All outputs are subject to human oversight and are reviewed, verified, and validated by authorised personnel prior to any use.
136. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will fast-track an application made by a primary school in County Clare (details supplied) to develop an autism class on site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15644/26]
View answerEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes last month, which is several months earlier than last year. 301 have been sanctioned to date and many more new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. The vast majority of new special classes being announced are being provided in available school accommodation which is being reconfigured as a special class.
Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest. Schools seeking to establish new special classes should continue to engage with the NCSE at local level. In sanctioning new special classes, the NCSE have due regard to the level of need in an area and the existing provision, including how many places are expected to be available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary or finishing school. Budget 2026 provides funding for over 400 new special classes.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
137. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of athletes supported under each tier of the international carding scheme in each year from 2016 to 2025 inclusive; the average duration of support per athlete; and the total annual expenditure under the scheme in each year. [15639/26]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport in Ireland, including in relation to the international carding scheme.
I have referred the Deputy's questions to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy and I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
138. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide details of all occasions in which he or his predecessors exercised the power conferred on them under Section 15(3) of the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015), which states that ‘the relevant Minister may, from time to time, give a direction to a relevant body requiring it to adopt such measures as are specified in the direction for the purposes of compliance by the relevant body with subsection (1)’; to provide the details of the direction given in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15238/26]
View answerThe areas under my remit are Arts and Culture, Broadcasting and Media, Communications, and Sport.
I have not, and to my knowledge nor have my predecessors responsible for those areas, issued a direction to a relevant body under the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015) (as amended in 2021).
139. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he is aware of the serious difficulties being experienced by households in accessing adequate broadband services, particularly in circumstances where reliable connectivity is essential for the operation of medical devices within the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15265/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland . In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to deliver wholesale broadband services to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators.
Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators’ in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State and ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity strategy are achieved.
The choice of operator offering services in any given area is available at bbchecker.comreg.ie/
In the event that a customer is receiving an inadequate broadband service, particularly in circumstances where reliable connectivity is essential for the operation of medical devices within the home, and they have not had a satisfactory resolution with their retail service provider. The matter can be escalated to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
If the Deputy has particular details of a case I would be happy to ask my officials to look into the matter.
140. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will engage directly with service providers, including Eir, regarding internal policies or procedural barriers that may be preventing or delaying connections to homes and estates, including situations where the objection of a single neighbouring property can impede broadband access for multiple households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15266/26]
View answerWhere network deployment is delayed by an objection from a neighbouring property owner, this is a matter between the operator and the parties involved. My Department has no legislative power to compel access across private property for commercial network roll-out.
The Department maintains ongoing and regular engagement with commercial operators, to monitor the progress of their gigabit broadband network upgrades. This data complements the analysis and proactive monitoring conducted by the Department and informs policy development to address those locations where network may not be upgraded to gigabit broadband services by 2028.
If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query by clicking on “contact us” in the Contact section on www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/ and the Department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.
141. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the oversight or regulatory measures in place to ensure that providers do not unduly restrict access to essential broadband infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15267/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland and will be delivered through investment by commercial enterprises coupled with intervention by the State in those parts of the country (Intervention Area) where private companies have no plans to invest. The Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload.
Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators Open eir, Virgin Media and Siro in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State in the non-intervention area which is identified by the blue area on the broadband map which is available on www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/.
This data complements the analysis and proactive monitoring conducted by the Department and informs policy development to address locations where networks may not be upgraded to gigabit services by 2028. As a specific regulatory measure for consumers, if a person lives in the BLUE area and are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps after contacting their Retail Service Provider, they should raise a query via the official webform which can be accessed by clicking on “contact us” in the Contact section on www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/ and the Department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.
In Ireland, there are four primary broadband infrastructure wholesale providers: OpenEir, Virgin Media, SIRO, and National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) regulates the wholesale telecommunications market in Ireland to promote competition, primarily by identifying Significant Market Power (SMP) and enforcing open access obligations on dominant operators.
These regulatory measures obligate operators to make their physical infrastructure (such as poles and ducts) and local access (connectivity from a local exchange to a customer premises) available for other operators to rent and use. Notably, Eir is designated as having SMP in the wholesale local access market in Ireland and as such they are closely monitored by ComReg.
Within the NBP Intervention Area, NBI does not sell directly to consumers; instead, over 75 Retail Service Providers utilise NBI's infrastructure and wholesale products to provide broadband services to premises nationwide.
142. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will consider the designation of broadband as an essential service, particularly in light of its critical role in healthcare, remote monitoring, education, and employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15268/26]
View answerIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, recognises the critical role of broadband in supporting healthcare, remote monitoring, education, and employment.
The Strategy sets ambitious targets to ensure high-speed broadband is available to all, including providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028. The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future, published in January 2025, further reinforces this commitment by setting targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's primary initiative to deliver these high-speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. Through the NBP Contract, the Government helps to ensure broadband services are available to all citizens, businesses and farms in areas where the commercial operators do not operate.
In addition to these strategic targets, the Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, as set out under the European Union Communications Code Regulations 2022, ensures that an 'adequate broadband' service will be available to all consumers at an affordable price. This regulatory safety net will ensure that every citizen has access to a connection capable of supporting essential services, reinforcing the status of broadband as a fundamental utility in modern Irish life. In 2026 the Department is conducting the background work, in collaboration with ComReg to define this, and set this USO.
Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators Open Eir, Virgin Media and Siro in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State in the non-intervention area.
The Department maintains ongoing and regular engagement with commercial operators to monitor the progress of their gigabit broadband network upgrades. This is further supported by ComReg’s role in monitoring and reporting on national broadband availability, with real-time data made accessible to the public via its Broadband Checker. This oversight ensures that the essential needs of citizens regarding healthcare, education and employment are met.
143. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the position regarding any product or services purchased from Canada by his Department in 2025, broken down by description and amount paid. [15338/26]
View answerMy Department was re-configured as the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport at the beginning of June 2025. Regarding the current functions under the remit of my Department, I am informed that there was no product or service purchased from Canada in 2025.
144. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the efforts being made to protect the availability of cultural spaces in Dublin city; the measures being taken by his Department to limit the loss of cultural spaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15375/26]
View answerThe provision of local arts centres is a matter in the first instance for the relevant local authority. County and city development plans are drawn up by local authorities including the policy objectives for development of the arts.
Accordingly, proposals for the development of new cultural infrastructure are a matter in the first instance for the local authority. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided to this arts and culture infrastructure by local authorities and the Arts Council.
My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to assist development and to maintain these arts and cultural facilities. In Budget 2026, the Department was allocated €6m for a new programme of capital funding for arts and culture organisations across the country, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government. This will see much needed capital supports for communities, including funding essential equipment for organisations such as amateur drama groups and musical societies. My Department is in the process of designing the specifications of the scheme, including the setting of eligibility criteria.
In addition, in Dublin City, the Department has allocated €3m in funding to Space to Create, an initiative that aims to provide up to sixty artist workspaces in Dublin City, and these projects are currently being progressed in partnership with Dublin City Council.
The Department is supporting the redevelopment of the National Cultural Institutions in the city including the National Concert Hall, the National Library, the Abbey Theatre, the Natural History Museum, the National Museum in Kildare Street, the Chester Beatty and the National Gallery. The Department has also supported the works at 11 Parnell Square for Poetry Ireland and the planned development at 15-16 Henrietta Street for Na Píobairí Uilleann.
145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will facilitate discussions with all relevant stakeholders in athletics across the island of Ireland, to engage in discussions on possibility of derogation from the World Athletics’ 1934 Political Boundary rule that prohibits athletes from the North of Ireland from representing Ireland at European and World Athletics Competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15377/26]
View answerI consider that athletes and sportspersons from all parts of Ireland should have the choice to represent Ireland at all major international competitions.
Ultimately, responsibility for this matter rests with World Athletics, an independent autonomous organisation. Sport Ireland recognises Athletics Ireland as the National Governing Body for athletics in Ireland and which is affiliated to World Athletics. Athletics Ireland operates independently, including in its engagements with World Athletics.
It is clear that for this matter to be addressed it will need to be driven by the athletic authorities here in Ireland, in collaboration with their counterparts in the UK, through engagement with World Athletics.
146. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he last met formally with the CEO of Screen Ireland; and the topics discussed. [15436/26]
View answerI met with the CEO and Chairperson of Screen Ireland on the 22nd September 2025. The main topics discussed focused on financial requirements for 2026 in advance of Budget 2026, the planned Digital Games Forum, the upcoming Bill to amend the Irish Film Board Act and a planned Trade Mission to Canada in the Spring of 2026.
More recently, I met with the CEO of Screen Ireland on the 20th November 2025 at Farmleigh House at the Digital Games Forum.
147. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will provide an update on when it is expected further rounds of funding under the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) will be open to applications from sports clubs; the expected levels of supports available to individual clubs from the schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15451/26]
View answerOver a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
In line with previous rounds of the Fund, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be published shortly. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
The cumulative investment allocation under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) since 2020 is €297 million across 68 projects.
With regard to a future, third, round of the LSSIF, I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide. The Programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there is lower than average participation levels. My current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round.
